#where does jason's paycheck come from?

[kaidatheghostdragon]

Danny has answered the door for half a dozen different people responding to the ad (all out-of-towners - everyone in Amity knew to avoid the Fentons), and assumed it was another one of Jazz's (or ancients forbid even mom or dad's) harebrained ideas to get Danny some extra help with his grades. Frankly, he was amazed there were even that many responders who hadn't been scared off by the Ops Center on top of his home.

This time, the house defenses picked up on a low level ecto-signature, and Danny rushed to the control pad to override them before they decided whoever was on the other side might be a threat. They had triggered his own ghost sense as well, and he was confident he could overpower whoever it was if they turned out to be a problem.

He didn't expect to open the door to a baby halfa.

Okay... maybe 'baby' isn't the first thought most people have when seeing the six-and-a-half foot beast of a man standing on his doorstep. Danny would have definitely believed he was about to get robbed and murdered if he weren't an OP half ghost who fought bigger, scarier eldritch entities almost on the daily.

Or for the smothering aura of awkward-out-of-place the guy radiated (with a tinge of deep-rooted injustice and carefully managed anger, but like, the guy was half-ghost, and in Danny's limited experience, that implied some sort of trauma, so he wasn't gonna judge.)

Or just the fact that Danny is the son of Jack "kool-aid man" Fenton, and he had long since been desensitized to "big and scary," when his mind readily supplied him with all the memories he had of his dad being an utter goofball.

Still, it was all he could do to suppress the ghost instincts to immediately coo at the baby ghost and start a gentle fight to welcome him into Danny's haunt.

"...Hi," the stranger eventually greeted after the awkward silence that Danny definitely hadn't done anything to help, "I'm here because of this ad?" He held up a printed copy that Danny barely bothered to even glance at.

"You're hired," Danny blurted out, then instantly clamped down on the urge to cringe. What the hell, ghost instincts?

Stranger Danger looked just as surprised as Danny felt. "Shouldn't I talk to your parents first?"

"I'm Danny," Danny plowed on, stuffing the internal mortification and simultaneous silent ghost squeeing down until it was no longer a distraction, "I'm the one that needs a tutor, shouldn't I have a say in who tutors me?"

"I mean, ideally, yeah, you should a least have the option to avoid anyone that would make you uncomfortable," Stranger replied, looking (and radiating) a bit off-kilter before straightening into a firm answer.

"Good! Then we're both in agreement!" Danny beamed as he grabbed Stranger's hand and pulled him inside the door with probably a bit too much strength, but the guy luckily didn't falter or stumble. "First, I need to key you into the security system, then I can give you a quick tour and the rules of the house!"

"But you dont even know my name!" Stranger protested as Danny shoved his hand onto the scanner to record his ectosignature. It took a few seconds longer than it probably should have before the LED lit up in confirmation, and Danny mentally filed it away to mention to Frostbite whenever he managed to get the baby halfa a proper doctor appointment.

"My guy, you're the only one that can fix that problem," Danny answered sagely.

Stranger stared for several seconds, then dropped his hand off of the scanner when he realized Danny wasn't holding it there anymore.

"Jason."

"Nice to meet you, Jason," Danny replied with what he hoped was a friendly smile. Jason wasn't really responding to any of the aura cues Danny was giving off, so it was unlikely the guy had much knowledge on ghost culture and etiquette, "This door leads to the basement lab. You won't be allowed down there without supervision until you've completed the safety training lessons. Around the corner is the kitchen. Be mindful when opening the fridge -the hot dogs have recently unionized and are still working out their list of demands. Upstairs is where all the bedrooms are, including the guest room you'll be staying in, and over here is the pneumatic tube to the Ops Center - the UFO on the roof. Same rules as the lab, but it'll be a safe space to retreat to once you've done all the weapons and equipment training."

Danny continued on the tour, dragging Jason around by the arm as he explained where everything was and where to find all the security access panels. Jason's aura grew more and more concerned as Danny prattled on. "Are you safe here?" He asked, interrupting Danny as he tried to explain that the hot dogs make good guard dogs in a pinch.

"Couldn't be safer!" Danny said, waving off the concern, "Mom and Dad are tons better now that they understand that ghosts are sentient. They probably won't even attack you on sight! Which reminds-"

"Okay, first of all, what the fuck? Secondly, I'm sensing a leap of logic here that I've somehow missed. Why would attacking ghosts translate to attacking me?" Jason asked, looking a little panicked and loosing the tightly controlled anger buried in his aura ever so slightly.

"Jason, my guy, why do you think I hired you so quickly?" Danny asked seriously. He could sense Jason swallow a retort by the way his aura did a one-eighty from flippant to straight-up denial.

"I'm not a ghost," he stated, matter-of-fact. Danny almost believed it.

"You sure about that?" Danny pushed, raising a brow. Apparently, they were having this conversation now, and if Danny had learned anything from his older sister, it was that declaring something point blank rarely worked. It was better to lead the person through the logic until they figured out the conclusion themselves. (Thank the ancients it worked on mom and dad.)

"I have a heartbeat," Jason insisted.

"So do I," Danny replied.

"So you're not a ghost either... wait, Danny, did your parents convince you that you're a ghost? Kid, that's fucked up."

"Please," Danny scoffed, "They didn't even know I died until I told them. They're brilliant ecto biologists, but they're terrible ghost hunters. Didn't even know a ghost was living under their own roof. Well, I *say* living, but we both know that's because there isn't really a better fitting term for what we are."

"I came back from the dead. That makes me a zombie, not a ghost," Jason argued, eyes flashing green as he expertly fought for emotional control.

"I can see how you would come to that conclusion, but zombies aren't revived, just reanimated. There's no soul involved, which you clearly have."

"Wouldn't that mean I'm just resurrected?" Jason argued.

"Can you look me in the eyes and tell me you came back exactly the same as you were before?"

That was enough to convince Jason to look back toward Danny, to finally see that Danny could make his eyes glow too.

"Shit-fuck!" Jason exclaimed as he staggered back from surprise. He still wasn't responding to the *same-comfort-friend* that Danny was sending his way, so Danny tilted his head to try to portray some degree of casualness before blinking away the ecto.

Maybe he over-estimated Jason's supernatural bullshit tolerance. He should probably take a step back.

"You came here to take a tutoring job. I'm sorry I threw an existential crisis at you. You're the first person I've met that's the same thing I am and *not* a total fruitloop or my clone. But I'll understand if you want to turn down the job. Just promise to be careful out there? The anti-ecto acts are still a thing and they define you as non-sentient so if you see any creeps dressed in white suits, just avoid them as much as possible. But if you need a place to hide, then you're always welcome to come back. The ambient ecto here in Amity Park is enough to mask your ecto-signature so they can't track-"

"Kid," Jason interrupted, "Danny. Respectfully. What the absolute fuck?"

Danny cringed.

"Are you seriously telling me that there are laws out there that violate the meta human protection act, and they target both of us? And theres other people out there like both of us? And you were fucking cloned? I was looking for a job that could take me *away* from the crazy! Goddammit!" Jason leaned against the wall and slid down till he was sitting on the carpet, running a hand through his death-touched hair. "Well I guess this is happening now. I cant ever get a fucking break, can I?"

"Im sorry," Danny muttered.

"Why are you sorry? Literally none of this is your fault. Dont be sorry for things you can't control. That's just a recipe for disaster."

Danny nodded dumbly.

"Just please, on top of all of this, promise me you're parents aren't abusive, too."

"I promise my parents are not abusive," Danny stated, raising a hand as if in oath.

"Why am I not convinced?" Jason complained, running a hand down his face, "I dont think I can handle this extential crisis on top of kidnapping a kid out of an abusive home," he muttered mostly to himself, but Danny could sense the exasperation.

"Excuse you," Danny said with a snort, "*I'm* the one doing the kidnapping here!"

Jason looked up at Danny incredulously, "Sure you are, shortstack."

"Hey! Not all of us can make it to the shit brickhouse stage before dying!"

Jason blinked, clearly processing Danny's words.

"I was 15. Almost as scrawny as you," he eventually offered.

"Oh, thank god," Danny exclaimed with clear relief, "There's still a chance I'll keep growing."

"You didn't know? That was something you were worried about? I thought you said there's others?"

"Yeah, the fruitloop and the clone. Fruitloop was an adult when he died. Clone was created the way she is, and we have no idea if any changes or lack thereof are ghost shenanigans or clone shenanigans. I mean, she's my clone and somehow a girl? Is the fruitloop incompetent, or is that just how ghosts be?" Danny finished with a shrug.

Jason's aura was a weird mix of processing information like a supercomputer and having an aneurysm. Danny anxiously waited for him to respond, knowing that if he opened his mouth again he'd accidentally info dump even more.

"I still want the job," he finally stated, "assuming your parents approve."

Danny waved off his concerns once again, "They'll love having another ghost in the house. That's twice as much data for their research!"

DP x DC prompt #161

Jason loves his family, he really does, but he needs a break from them. He just needed a break in general. But what should he do? Well, he saw an ad online earlier for a stay-at-home tutor for a high school kid in a place called Amity Park. Danny, if Jason remembers correctly.

[brucewaynehater101]

In my evil era. I've come to spread the misery

So I read a wingfic a while ago and I recall there being a titans tower scene where Tim tried to fly away but Jason grabbed him by the wing and his wing got fucked but don't quote me on that

So here's my idea

=======

Author decision on if anybody other than Tim has wings or other bird features and instincts, but Tim has bird traits like wings, talons, bird noises and maybe a tail if you pick

And for whatever reason, Tim hides his bird features

Who cares if binding his wings and other means of hiding it has proven time and time again to have horrific effects on one's health in studies older than him?

It's annoying how during the night—typically when he's Robin—he needs to take off the bindings and whatnot to keep himself from deteriorating too fast but it is what it is

Besides, his cape covers it up and he's trained in passing for human

It isn't until his wings are used against him in battle—like say a goon or a rogue (maybe even Jason at Titans Tower) being lucky enough to grab them and beat him black and blue due to it—does he reconsider how he views his wings

Tim Drake became Robin with a mission. A mission to restore Batman to the symbol of Justice he was withering from, one that expanded to putting everything into supporting all heroes

But more importantly his generation of Teen Titans and the Bats

His wings were just used against him, and in such a serious way that he's lucky he could nurse himself back to health

It was one time too many

He has a mission

The deadline is Death

=======

The next morning, Luthor Corp down hundreds of millions and they'll never notice until months later. Too late to recover the assets

=======

"Mind letting me in on what it is I'm guarding or even assisting you for?"

"We covered this in the contract Deathstroke; You guard this safehouse and in the future me while I take care of a very time-sensitive case. Benifits are just as negotiated.

"I will be locking myself in the room I will do my work. You are under no circumstances to enter unless told to. Rest assure, it can fufill my physical needs.

"If I open the door and I say 'Asylum,' it means I will be out of the safehouse for a time where you are to protect my room in addition to the rest of the safehouse until I return.

"If I open the door and say 'visitors' or shout it through the walls, it means we're being invaded through my room, and you have all the permission you need to kick down the door to come and assist me.

"If I open the door and say 'mission half-finished,' do so through the walls, or by passing a paper with that text, it means I've finished my mission with no loose ends, but am injured and require your assistance in my recovery.

"And if anybody ever asks; you had to take care of personal matters during your haitus, the Bats will never even come to mind when inquired on this period you're off the grid"

=======

Weeks or Months later (authors pick)

A paper slowly shifts under the door, he picks it up

Mission Half-Finished

he forced the door open to his client shivering on the floor

=======

the timeline is as goes;

Tim tells the bats he's going to be off the grid for a few months for a mission

Tim hacks LexCorp for Lex's future paychecks and assets to-be used for villanous plots

Tim contacts Deathstroke to be a glorified bodyguard + maybe physical therapist/doctor for an indefinite time

gg

25% upfront pay. Deathstroke will only recieve the remaining pay if he fufills his duties as followed and doesn't bail or rat Tim out

Half the reason Deathstroke is being paid six figures is to stay hush

Tim isolates himself in a room that can fufill his needs for a time

Tim isn't working on a case at all. He is preforming surgery on himself to get rid of his wings, tail, and maybe other bird traits, everything short of instincts (or not, your pick lol)

After Tim is finished, he does end up needing Deathstroke's help recovering from the aftermath, but he does everything to make the mercenery believe that it was a mission that fucked him up

Tim recovers and gives Deathstroke the rest of the 75% pay

Deathstroke leaves the safehouse while Tim stays a bit longer to tie up loose ends

Loose ends tied

LexCorp learns of the stolen money and assets, tries, and fails to find where they went

extra notes

That 'Asylum' code word was meant to throw Deathstroke a false trail to follow if he ever gets curious about what Tim was getting up to during their contract

The 'visitors' was in case the safehouse did get broken into, and 'Mission Half-Finished' in the likely case Tim legit needed treating the aftermath or physical therapy after what he did

SO yeah. This could go a lot of ways

(assume when I say wings, I use it as an umbella term for all his removed bird traits)

In Tim's ideal world, he's either bury his wings where they would rapidly rot into nothing, or keep them in his house or safest, secure, and isolated place where he preserves them and looks at them to remind himself to never let anything, anything bring him down again

But he doesn't live there

Maybe the Bats find out that Tim lost his wings, and later on, that Tim did it to himself, and are promptly horrified but Tim is all like "they were pulling me back, I had to for the mission!"

Cue more horror

Esp if Jason was the one to yank Tim by the wings

Maybe whoever yanked Tim by the wings assumes it's common knowledge that Tim is birdy^2 and is confused when everyone says the Robin is human or at least has no wings

Imagine if it's not even a rogue but a goon who even has photo evidence of the Robin's wings but recent photos, he doesn't have them at all?

And word spreads a Robin literally had his wings torn from him literally and it reaches rogues and even the Bats?

All hell breaks loose

Deathstroke thinks he's safe because he was 'busy with his personal life' until he realizes the Robin they're talking about is the one that hired him and needed his help recovering from something

He is screaming, he didn't wanna be caught up in this!

Or perhaps Deathstroke gets suspicious about the possibility he's been lied to on the contract despite how squeaky clean everything seems, and gives up that 75% to confront Tim

Only to find the kid just starting or in the middle of surgically removing his wings

Or maybe Deathstroke sniffs around after Tim needs his help recovering from his mission and find's the stash of wings he's planning to dispose of or preserve

either way he's going "What the Capital F Fuck is this?"

=======

I think any conversation between people and Tim could be dumbed down to this

"Why did you remove your'e wings??!"

"They were a burden, besides, it's not like I'm becoming disabled am I? I'm just becoming more passing for human then ever"

"That's not how it works!!"

Ooh. Okay. I think, in this AU, most of the Bats don't have wings. The exception would be Duke and Babs (Cass used to as well, but they were taken from her). For Barbara, the bullet that injured her spine also went through one of her wings.

I think Cass, who would bond with Tim using their bird instincts and who's wings were forcibly taken, would be especially devastated.

You're absolutely correct that Tim would do such a fucked up thing, but gods does it hurt.

[siconetribal]

Put It On My Tab: Chapter 6

Pairing: Jason Todd x Fem!reader

Tag: @vbecker10 @wordsfromshona @harlequin-hangout @harpy-space @tild3ath @gone-batty-fics @princessbl0ss0m

Warning: The power of coffee, Jason finally gets his drink, Y/N might strangle someone, poor Y/N

Summary:

Everyone deserves time off, and the vigilantes of Gotham are no exception to the rule. The boys decide to take a weekend to let loose. Who knew a few drinks would lead to a stranger in bed?

Author Note:

A huge thank you and shout out to @harlequin-hangout for the amazing banners you made for me. I am excited to finally be able to use them!

If you're new to the story, here is a link to the other parts:

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

It all happened so quickly. The flash of white. The clatter of chairs. The sound of a table crashing to the floor. She was on the floor, covered in left over coffee and pastry crumbs, with her a soreness in her lower back and hands from the impact. How was it even possible for him to be here? Here in this coffee shop of all places in the outskirts of Gotham where no one really visits, and the city is trying to gentrify for the rich to come rolling in? Either he was stalking her or this was some sick joke and the universe was mocking her to no end. 

And why would he be stalking you? You gave him a nice hotel room to comfortably get ready in, only for him to utterly trash and leave you with a bill that’s worth more than you. Anger burned in her chest at the reminder of what her kindness had led her to. Screw that, I should demand him to pay me! Who does he think he is?! Here I am busting my butt day in and out while he’s walking around without a care in the world buying fancy-shmancy overpriced coffee while running around Gotham breaking idiot-proof instant coffee machines?! Does he think money just falls from the sky? Hotshot rich pretty boy trying to look tough and rugged. She snapped out of her spiraling thoughts from the throbbing ache in her jaw. How tight was she clenching her teeth? 

“Are you ok?” The deep voice that haunted her dreams followed soon after, a hand came into her line of sight. Of course, he saw her and her spectacular display of grace. Her anger that was boiling inside her was quickly quelled by the ice-cold bucket of embarrassment that came crashing down on her. How was she going to intimidate him? She was a minimum-waged paycheck-to-paycheck living citizen just barely making ends meet, and she wanted to get him to pay for her? Someone who seems to only see her in humiliating situations and is always trying to help her out? If she took that hand, she knew she would somehow be on the line for something more expensive.

That boy is going to be the death of me. It’s better to just leave it. Who knows what he’ll do if I tell him. I might end up in a loan with interest that even my great grandkids will be trying to pay off. “No, thank you.” She muttered under her breath, lightly pushing his hand aside before pushing herself up off the floor. Keeping her head down, she brushed the crumbs off her stained apron and straightened her shoulders. Turning on her heel, she took a step with confidence. She was not going to be the damsel in distress needing help again. Her heel landed on a puddle of coffee and continued its journey forward. She stared at her foot that was in the air, realizing that she was falling backwards once more. 

Oh, for the love of, she braced herself for the second impact and squeezed her eyes shut with her hands extending backwards to catch herself. She waited for pain to shoot up her spine and her hips would be crying. Yes, any second now. Her palms would be slamming into the floor and possibly bruise at the heel. She waited. How long does someone fall for? This is getting a bit ridiculous! She opened her eyes to see was stopped mid-fall. Blinking, she looked left and right to see she was reclined back and meant to be falling, but something was stopping her. “What the?”

“Can’t say I’m not used to women falling for me, but this is a first.” He chuckled, and her heart jumped into her throat. He had saved her again. Her face was on fire as she scrambled out of his arms and carefully stepped around the to be out of his reach. “Hey, are you ok?” He asked again.

“Yeah, fine, thanks.” She pulled her cap lower and tucked her chin to her chest for added measures as she started to pick up the knocked over furniture. She nearly jumped through the roof as his arm came into her periphery as he helped her pick up the heavy table with ease. “You don’t need to do that. You should order.” She deepened her voice and crab-walked around the mess and made sure she remained facing him, as she was to avoid him from seeing her face. When she felt she had gained enough distance, she quickly spun around, gathered her cleaning supplies.

Jason watched the awkward employee move around, obviously avoiding him. He looked down at himself. Do I offend? He wondered, not sure what he had done to get such a bizarre reaction. Normally, women were eager to flirt with him, but she was doing her best to do the exact opposite. She was trying to make sure she was unrecognizable, but the odd behaviors made her more memorable in a way. Frowning, he walked back to the counter, where Citlalli offered him an apologetic smile.

“I am so sorry about that, sir. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He nodded his head, looking himself over once more. “Where was I? Oh, right, the coffee order.” He pulled out his phone again and began swiping through the chat to show her. With him distracted, Y/N turned back around and made sure to stand behind him so only Citlalli could see him. She excitedly waved her hands in the air until her best friend looked up at her.

That is him! He is 4k man!  She aggressively pointed at him, glaring daggers and punching at him in the air. Jason felt the burning look and turned, watching Y/N duck her head and do some sort of odd stretch. Seeing no one else looking at him, he shrugged and returned his attention to his phone, and Y/N signaled once more. “He,” she pointed to him as she mouthed the words. “Broke,” she held the mop in both her hands and mimed slamming it down on her thigh. “Coffee,” she pointed to the stain on her apron. “Him!” 

“What?” Citlalli mouthed back, her face scrunched in confusion. When Jason had looked up at her apologetically, she quickly put on her customer service face. “Not at all, please take your time, sir.” She assured him. As soon as he was looking at his phone again, she looked up at Y/N who repeated these motions a few times. On the fourth repetition, it dawned on Citlalli what Y/N was trying to say. “Oh, him?!” She mouthed back before eyeing him when a loud cracking sound came from behind Jason. Both of them looked to see Y/N standing there, holding a now broken mop.

Her face paled at what she had done. Their boss was going to really blow his lid now. Looking between the two pieces frantically, Jason turned back to the register. “Is she…alright?”

“Hm?! Oh, uh, yeah. Uhm, well,” Citlalli nervously laughed. “She’s still,” she slowly responded to him as she racked her brain for something to try to salvage the situation without him recognizing Y/N. “Recovering!”

“Recovering?” He raised a brow at her sudden shout of the word.

“Yes, recovering.” she proudly nodded her head. “She’s still recovering from a Joker incident. She’s one of the victims who were exposed to some laughing gas, but it wasn’t too bad in the sense that she was made into a laughing mess. Her mind is still, you know, and doctors have said it’ll take time. Please don’t mind her too much. She’s trying her best.”

“A victim of the Joker, damn, that’s rough.” He muttered under his breath, glancing over his shoulder to see Y/N down on her knees, shoulders shaking a little. He presumed it was her trying to stop herself from laughing, but in actuality she was trying not to cry. “I know how fucked up he can be. Uh, here’s the order.” He showed the phone screen to Citlalli who quickly tapped it into the register along with his regular coffee order.

“Thank you very much for understanding. We’ve had customers who’ve been offended by her.” Not a lie, she’s argued with rude people before. “Will that be all?” She quickly shifted the conversation back to the order, and he shook his head. 

“No, that’ll be all. I’ll pay with card.” He pulled out a black plastic rectangle and tapped it against the terminal. “Alright, here is your receipt. Please sign this copy here.” She handed him one sheet and then a pen with another. “Your drinks will be ready at the end of the bar to your right.” She pointed over to the pickup station. “We will call your name out for you, mister,” she glanced down at the receipt and her eyes nearly popped out of her head. 

“Just call for Todd,” he cut her off and pulled out a few high numbered bills and put them in the tip jar. “For you and your co-worker, and a small thanks for not using the name.” He flashed her a grin and waved, heading over to a clean table to wait.

“Oh, of course.” She nodded her head and quickly removed the cash from the tip jar to avoid anyone seeing how much had been put in and possibly cause trouble, and quickly got to making his drinks.

Y/N managed to clean up the mess and the rest of the sitting area after tapping the mop back together with packing tape. She prayed her boss would not be too upset, or perhaps not even notice.

We’ve needed a new mop for a while anyway. Maybe he’ll finally just buy it and not even ask what happened? As soon as she walked back in behind the counter, she felt herself being yanked forward and her forehead nearly collided with Citlalli’s. “Woah, what’s gotten into you?!”

“Are you sure?” Citlalli cut her off.

“Sure of what?”

“Don’t you play with me! Is he really the guy? The one who damaged the room?” She sternly asked, motioning towards Jason, who was patiently waiting for his drinks that were nearly done. Releasing Y/N from her grip, she handed her a cup and motioned to the pot of coffee. “Help me make his drinks while we talk.”

“Why would I not be sure? How many people go around with a voice like that and hair like that? That is him, I swear I’m not mixing things up.” She stressed, confused by her friend’s reaction. “Cici, what’s going on?” She glanced at the order details before making the coffee.

“Well, remember how you said ya might need to work for Bruce Wayne himself to pay it off?” Citlalli glanced at the order list as well.

“Yes, what about it?” She placed the first drink down. “Regular coffee, Todd. Regular coffee for Todd.” She shouted as she walked back over to Citlalli.

“He’s a Wayne boy.” She handed Y/N the receipt as she finished the second drink and brought it to the pickup counter. “Here is your second drink, we’ll be done with the third drink in just a moment.” She smiled at Jason, who was about to come pick up the drink. Nodding his head, he sat back down. Meanwhile, Y/N stood frozen in place. She had was saved by and spent a night in the same room with one of the famous Wayne children. There’s no way! How the hell did I get mixed up with one of them?! How am I supposed to approach him now?! I can’t just demand money, he can just laugh it off and say I’m making it up! This honestly can’t get any worse. She curled up into a ball, holding her head. I made an utter fool of myself just now, he’s definitely not going to believe me. This has to be some sick joke! She wanted to pout and whine, but she was on the clock. And I have a hotel room to pay off. She thought bitterly as she put the receipt in the register drawer before taking the next customer’s order. Cici can make his drinks and he’ll leave. He can leave, and I can stop having terrible luck because of him. She pulled off her hat, tossing into the shelf under the counter. Stalking me, yeah right. Try haunting me.

[corroded-hellfire]

⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆ ⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆

TO SPREAD SOME HOLIDAY CHEER (AND AN EXCUSE TO ESCAPE YOUR IN-LAWS, OVERBEARING EXTENDED RELATIVES, SIBLINGS, and/or PARENTS)

LETS PLAY A LITTLE GAME

𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞, 𝐭𝐚𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠

thank you my beloved @munson-blurbs for tagging me 🤍

𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭...

𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎: my true favorite is being used somewhere else on this list so I shall go with the runner up. Harrington!reader sticks up for Eddie after Jason calls him a freak

𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜: As You Wish, Part 1 (older!eddie x babysitter!reader)

𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜: St. Patrick’s Day Party

𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎: Top This, I believe. It was Easter and I decided I wanted to post an Eddie Easter fic and bam, somehow it came together very quickly.

𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎: Where the Heart Is, Part 4. My God there was some serious writers block trying to get that one done

𝚏𝚒𝚌 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚜𝚔: my small collection of older!eddie stories that started with this ask about Eddie putting reader into subspace

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚛𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛: Steve. He just doesn’t spark my creativity like Munson does

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛: Eddie my beloved

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛: never say never

𝚂𝟻 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜?: tears. Lots of them. Mostly from me. Max will come back, Dustin will be a wreck, Will is gonna open up to Jonathan and/or Mike, hoping for at least an Eddie cameo, and I’m a stancy truther so I’m already planning the wedding

𝚔𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝, 𝚠𝚑𝚢/ 𝚠𝚑𝚢 𝚗𝚘𝚝?: I think so, but I’m not sure they’ll necessarily call him kas

𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚢 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚠𝚑𝚢/𝚠𝚑𝚢 𝚗𝚘𝚝?: God yes, please. They’ve both grown so much and are better suited for one another now and I don’t care what anyone says, Steve never stopped loving her.

𝚊 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎: gonna be completely honest and say I have no idea which blogs are considered bigger or smaller ones

𝚊 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚋𝚘 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎: @icallhimjoey is where I always know I can go for inspiration!

𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚖: the first ones I remember reading were by @luveline!

𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚖: @munson-blurbs cuz I’ve had a tumblr crush on her since day one

𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚎: it’s gotta be

𝚐𝚘𝚊𝚕𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛: Completed my first series on here. And in non-fanfic writing I successfully finished the outline for my first two novels!

𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛: 17.5k for Where the Heart Is, Part 5

𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎: idiots in love

𝚜𝚖𝚞𝚝, 𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚛 𝚏𝚕𝚞𝚏𝚏?: it depends on the mood I’m in

f̾u̾c̾k̾ ̾m̾a̾r̾r̾y̾ ̾k̾i̾l̾l̾

𝚝𝚎𝚍, 𝚖𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚢 𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚛. 𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚎?: fuck Ted because a certain bff of mine wrote a fic about exactly this and made it hot. Marry Mr. Clarke cause he got that steady paycheck coming in. Kill Murray because I couldn’t not handle that man for long periods of time

𝚓𝚘𝚢𝚌𝚎, 𝚔𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗, 𝚘𝚛 𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚊? (𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗’𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚖): fuck Karen because hello billy had the right idea. Marry Joyce because she’s Joyce frickin Byers and I would do anything for that queen. Kill Claudia I am sorry but at least she shall be with mews

𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚛, 𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚗𝚎 𝚖𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚘𝚗, 𝚍𝚛. 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚛? Fuck Hopper because yes daddy but also I could not live with that man lol. Marry Wayne Munson because DUH he’s Wayne and I would happily be his wife. Kill Dr. Brenner because f u papa

𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚢𝚕𝚎, 𝚓𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗, or 𝚔𝚎𝚒𝚝𝚑? Honestly this one is so difficult. Fuck Argyle, marry Jonathan, and kill Keith. I have no explanations for any of these

𝚎𝚍𝚍𝚒𝚎, 𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚢𝚕𝚎? Fuck Stevie boy. Marry Eddie because he is the love of my life. Kill argyle sorry bruh

𝚍𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚋𝚊𝚝, 𝚍𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚐𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚊𝚗, 𝚟𝚎𝚌𝚗𝚊? Fuck a demogorgan cause that seems like an adventure. Marry Vecna because in the words of JQ have you seen Jamie? Kill demobats cause they hurt my Stevie and did unspeakable things to my beloved Edward

no pressure tags: @eddiemunsonsmum @hellfire--cult @joejoequinnquinn @silkholland @wheels-of-despair @ghost-proofbaby @word-wytch @storiesbyrhi

[agentnico]

Meg 2: The Trench (2023) Review

Yep, they made a second one.

Plot: Jonas Taylor leads a research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean. Their voyage spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival. Pitted against colossal, prehistoric sharks and relentless environmental plunderers, they must outrun, outsmart and outswim their merciless predators.

I was not a big fan of the first Meg movie. It did the typical Hollywood monster movie cliche of focusing too much on the human characters that nobody cared about, and too little on the big shark munching on people. Look, no one is expecting an Oscar-worthy motion picture here. We just want a fun silly summer blockbuster that features bonified action star Jason Statham battling a massive shark and somehow having an actual fighting chance due to nonsensical physics and because Statham is a badass who could fight a minotaur if he had to. With The Meg 2, though I didn't have high hopes, I was still interested as this one is directed by Ben Wheatley who has managed to build quite a strong little filmography in the British indie market, from the highly entertaining warehouse shooter Free Fire to the hallucinogenic A Field In England to challenging the status quo of the class system in High-Rise. As a director, Wheatley evidently enjoys sequestering violent, shortsighted characters in cloistered environments and watching how they claw at each other's throats. So even though at first I scratched my head at Wheatley tackling The Meg sequel, I soon realised that it made perfect sense. A bunch of characters that are ready to be chomped and eaten by a massive shark? Wait, may Ben Wheatley be the answer to that simple request we as movie fans are asking - Statham VS Shark?

Having seen The Meg 2: The Trench I am happy to confirm that it is a better film than its predecessor. However, it is not a good movie. More so the first 2/3 of the movie is a generic underwater survival movie that very much exists to fill up the runtime, but it is frustrating as there are hardly any megalodons in this first 2/3 of the movie. I mean they are there, but they mostly just do a lot of swimming and staring. Lots and lots of swimming, and lots and lots of staring. However coming to the last third of The Meg 2 and it becomes this entirely different beast that is this crazy mad load of bonkers featuring prehistoric sea creatures attacking this beach island, and it is silly, ludicrous and ridiculous and is exactly what I wanted. Heck, there's even a Kraken in this movie! A fricking Kraken!! And most importantly, we get Statham VS Sharks (plural)!! That last 40 or so minutes are super entertaining, and even all the cast become more lively and enjoyable to watch as they run about doing various survival shenanigans. If only that final third was actually the entire movie. All the stuff in the beginning is so unnecessary and in fact, the set-up for all the beach stuff could have been summed up in 5 minutes.

Jason Statham very much is here to cash in a paycheck, but dammit does this man have that badass charm and charisma that he easily carries the cast of this movie alongside Wu Jing, who in a way is the other main character that is there to target the Chinese audience market. Both Statham and Jing and fun to watch, and they both have plenty of opportunities to kick butt. There was also this guy called DJ (played by Page Kennedy) and he was actually hilarious. His one-liners were funny and the ongoing gag with his little survival backpack was actually really entertaining. Again though, this DJ character is in the movie from the start, but he doesn't really show off his true colours until later in the movie when all the boring trench stuff is done with.

Overall I enjoyed The Meg 2 more than I expected, but that enjoyment primarily came from the last part of the movie, where the movie finally embraces what it was selling to us in the trailers. Also, this now makes me wonder with all the massive sea monsters at the end of this movie, are we leading up to the inevitable crossovers of Megalodon VS Godzilla VS Kong? Look, all of those are owned by Warner Bros, so it's surely only a matter of time. As for The Meg 2: The Trench, it's a forgettable yet partially enjoyable summer blockbuster, yet the one thing I won't forget is Jason Statham muttering in his grizzly voice "it's a deviated septum".

Overall score: 5/10

[just-an-enby-lemon]

Freeze isn't a huge part of the story as the end of Arkham Knight he agrees to leave the town, give up on recreating the cure (as Nora asked him for) and life Nora's last days with her. He isn't happy over this new vigilante using fear toxin as a weapon for sure and even after Nora passing is reluctant to come back to Gotham.

That being said after Nora passing he is directionless and while he has a job opportunity on Star Labs he isn't sure if he wants it. He justnis grieving. I do belive he would met my wondering trio (Nyssa, Jason and Damian) as they need someone to help them with Jason being injected with some sort of poison while fighting one of the remaining Ra's Al Guhl loyalists. He does his best to help and in the process bonds with little Damian as they are both grieving the loss of loved ones. This makes so he acepts the job and also offers his contacts and aid as long as the group wants wich turns him into a very powerfull ally and sorta of uncle for two young adults and a little kid.

Yeah. Freeze got the nice end of the stick.

-

Arkham Knight does not ends well for Eddie at all. His factory (and where he was living) and robots were destroyed, Selina stoled all his money, his mental state hitted rock bottom, he is in jail and I think his last scene on the game as being tased.

The only thing Eddie has going for him is that this is my AU and I will die on the hill that more people should make him be frenimies with Duke Thomas. That means he is part of Duke's backstory.

Just like in the comics Duke is smart kid with a hesrth of gold who is inspired by Batman and Robin. His father (because I'm not using the whole his dad is actually a demon thing) used to work for WayneTech and died when Duke was young making so it was only he and his mom for a long time. Once before Edward really lost his mind completly thanks to Arkham being the worst, Riddler took a bank hostage and Duke was there. Duke was fearless and really good with puzzles and not taking Eddie's bulsshit and while AK Riddler would have gonne apopletic early days Riddler was just impressed. So impressed he let the hostages go. Since them little "weird" things happened. Like Duke's mom getting sudently promoted or he passing to a scholarship he never aplied to or some puzzles and books (specially riddle books) being mailed to them for a bunch of differnt Riddler pseudoms. Or even some debts being paid of misteriously when they were in a bad financial place or one of them was really sick. His mother believe it was Bruce Wayne as he used to support them a lot when her husband was still alive. But Duke. He knew. He also noticed that as Eddie got more derranged the little gifts started getting far and far between though never stopping and the riddle books and puzzles were half solved and hided weird non-sensical scribbles. Now Duke is curious and empathetic and after Arkham Asylum he really wants to understand what's going on and why all villans are getting worse when he knows they can be helped. That's when he startes his We Are Robin fórum to help people and dicuss hero activity and villan behavior. Loonie Matchin even tries to recruit him but Duke declines.

The events of Arkham Knight are what really does it from Duke. He has to do something. Specially when the news that the GCPD is just going to send the Rogues to Blackgate until Arkham is rebuld. At this point he does believe Batman is dead and the new fear toxin vigilante is someone different. Unsure what to do. Duke decides to go visit his benefactor. Edward is on a bad shape, he is heavily drugged and bruised and mostlty speaks non-sense and mutters that it isn't fair. Between that and the guard looking at Duke as if he is an evil fanboy who will soon be under bars unsettles the kid but his mother died from the Joker virus. Duke literally has no one else. And even with Riddler arrested and aparently delirious, Duke miraculously got to be amancipated early and recieved a random paycheck and a puzzle book by the guy who invented crosswords. He isn't dumb.

Eddie is completly out but he recognizes the kid for a second and says he is better not be thinking of becoming a Rogue it doesn't end pretly. The guard laughs and says it't the smartest thing Riddler ever said and Duke can't stop thinking that if that's how it ends for everyone than this isn't justice. This is vengeance. And even when he thinks of Harley Quinn and how she was responsable for the vírus spreading and therefor his morrerás death he doesn't want that for her. He wants the city to get better. Is it because Batman is gone or it was always like that? He leaves Blackgate in shock. It's how he decides to become the Signal.

Now I do want things to get better for Edward down the line specially since for the first time in his whole life (at least on the arkhamverse) he has someone who cares for him.

Yay.

Please ask me about my pós-Arkham Knight AU please someone do it

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

Part 05 of 07

Pairing: Billy Hargrove X Reader | platonic!Eddie X Reader

Word count: 1.6 K

<- Previous part (04)

Next part -> (06)

{Stranger Things Masterlist}

{Dacre Montgomery Masterlist}

Summary: You didn't get over Billy's death, isolating yourself from everyone. But when a new monster starts making victims, the party has no other choice but to involve you... And ask you to give shelter to a metalhead.

A/N: Special thanks to my wonderful friend @multific for all her help through this story. I love you, girl!!

×

A Good Way To Go

You're laughing for the first time in eight months, as the trailer speeds off, the party's screams filling your ears, urging Steve to go faster. But a car this size can only go that fast.

But you? After stealing a freaking house on wheels to drive it to a freaking gun store and spend half your paycheck on firepower to kill a freaking interdimensional asshole monster? You're laughing, out loud, headbanging with Eddie to the sounds of the kid's screams.

When Steve takes a turn, you and Eddie fall on your asses, falling down and sliding all the way to the back of the trailer. Both of you laughing like idiots.

“If you say you've done something crazier than this, you're a liar.” You tell Eddie as you get up, moving to sit in the middle of the trailer, on a small couch.

“This is the craziest thing I've ever done.” He admits, and you laugh all over again.

“Hey, you two. Shut it, I need to focus on the road.” Steve says, giving the two of you a glance.

“Alright, mom!” You snap back, which makes you laugh all over again.

•••

Warzone is huge. A paradise for gun nuts. Nancy and Erica immediately spread out, and they know exactly where to go and what to get... Nancy is okay, but Erica? The kid is tough.

You go your own way, grabbing a shopping cart and searching for your stuff. You take a rifle and two pistols. Plus a dozen of boxes of ammunition for each. Too much, maybe. But you don't mind. Better to be over-armed in this situation. Then you move to the knives and... Grenades? Why not?

With all your stuff in the cart, you're about to get in line to pay for it when you spot Nancy... And Jason, who has a very aggressive expression on his face. “Erica!” You whisper-yell, waving at the girl. “Here, go and pay for everything. Wait for me in the trailer. Go.” Passing her your bag, she quickly does as she says when she sees Jason's crew all around.

When she moves off, you walk over to Nancy. “I'm sorry to interrupt whatever this is, but you better let the gun go.” It comes out full of anger because you know what these assholes are doing.

Jason looks at you, a smile on his lips. “It'll be better for you if you stay out of this.”

For some reason, you feel Billy. You feel him with you, and you can only imagine what he'd do if he saw Jason looking at you this way. Biting your lip, you move to stand between him and Nancy, even though he doesn't let go of the gun. “I'm part of this. And if you don't let go right now, I'll beat you up to a pulp. You and your asshole friends.” It comes out low, slow, and full of anger. “I'm not scared of you.” With that, you push him hard on the chest, with all your strength, just how Billy taught you. Jason stumbles back, and you take the chance to kick him right where it hurts. Jason yelps, falling to his side.

Before anyone can understand what's happening, you and Nancy are off, running to one of the side doors, closer to where the trailer is parked. But you're startled out of your body when you push the door open, almost colliding headfirst with Eddie. "Jesus Christ!" He yells, and you don't even stop, you just take his hand, pulling him with you.

“Let's go!” You mutter, rushing to the trailer. “Steve, drive! Drive, drive!” And he does, speeding off. Jason's friends' come to the street, but they only watch as you drive away.

“That was close,” Erica says, catching her breath.

Nodding at her, you look at Eddie. “What were you doing back there? They could have seen you.”

“Erica said you went to face Jason. I thought to... Well, help, do something.”

Furrowing your eyebrows, you gasp. “Hm... Thanks... For that. But I managed.”

“She kicked him right in the nuts!” Nancy exclaims, and everyone starts yelling for details.

As you tell them everything, you hold your necklace. Billy's necklace. He was your strength back there... He moved you. The memory of him moved you. And it makes you smile all through the storytelling.

•••

Phase one doesn't please you. Max volunteering to be the bait is one of the most stupid ideas you ever heard. But you know her, and there's no way to change her mind. So you're forced to let it be, following the others to the Upside Down again, and into the next step.

The decoy.

“Don't try to be the hero,” Steve says, the blueish lights of the Upside Down and its eternal night hiding most of his features. “Neither of you. Heard me?”

They all nod, so do you, and then you start to move to make Upside Down Eddie's trailer a safe place from the Demobats. It takes a long time, and you argue twice with Dustin in the process. But when everything is ready, and you're all set on the trailer's roof, you finally have some time to breathe. To think of the plan you made.

You might die today. Here, in this dark, cold place.

But Billy sacrificed himself for you. You're more than willing to return the favor. There's no way in hell you won't get to the bottom of this. How could his necklace, the one he was wearing, be in the woods? It's not possible... And if Hawkins is stuck in the past, in 1983, Billy wasn't here back then. No. This necklace came here with him, after his death.

And you never found the body, burying an empty coffin.

“(Y/N)?” Eddie calls, and you snap out of your thoughts, looking at him from your seated position near the edge of the trailer. “Any suggestions?”

“Hm... I really like that song from Europe?” You hum the melody. “I forgot the name.”

“The Final Countdown?” Eddie asks.

“Yes. Do you know how to play it?”

“Absolutely.” He connects his guitar to the amplifiers, and now, all you need is to wait for the signal.

Up here, in the silence - only broken by a random groan or hiss - you play back what you'll do. It has to work, and you have to make sure both Dustin and Eddie are back in Hawkins before you move. The last thing you want is to put them in danger.

“That's it!” Dustin says, getting up. “That's the sign!”

“Bring it on, baby,” Eddie mutters, and the moment he brings his hand down, the sound is loud, electrifying. This is madness, and you're quite used to madness by now. But this... This is definitely the craziest thing you have done.

As Eddie starts playing the song, you decide to sing. It doesn't take much until he joins you, headbanging as the Demobats rise from the woods, flying in your direction in a massive dark cloud.

After some time, Dustin starts the countdown... And when he reaches one, you all jump back inside the trailer, making sure to close that exit so they won't get inside.

Then, you move to the gate.

“Let's go! Maybe we're on time to help Lucas.” Dustin says, quickly climbing the sheets and then falling on the mattress.

Eddie gestures for you to go next, and you do the same for him. “Ladies first.” He says.

“Not this time, Munson. Go.”

“No. You go.” He furrows his eyebrows, and when you're about to protest, to say something, anything, that will make him start climbing the damn sheets, his eyes fall on the necklace. And understanding dawns on him. “(Y/N)...”

“Eddie, go!” The Demobats reach the trailer, and the sound of their claws scratching on metal is one of the most awful things you've ever heard.

“I know what you'll do!” He shouts over the noise. “I won't let you do this-”

“You can't stop me!” You yell right back, grabbing the sheets and handing them to him.

“I know! But I won't let you do this alone.” He says, looking down at you in a way you know he just made a decision. That he won't change his mind about it.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Dustin shouts from the ceiling. From Hawkins. Whatever.

You both look up, and you give him an apologizing look. “I'll be back. I need to try, Dustin.” With tears in your eyes, you touch the necklace's pendant. “I wouldn't forgive myself if I don't.”

“No. Come back, we'll find another way.” He pleads.

“There might not be another chance to get here! It has to be now. Before Vecna is killed.” In a sudden motion, you take the necklace off, throwing it to Dustin. “Give this to Maxine if I don't come back. To remind her of Billy, and of me... And... If I don't come back, tell her I died trying to save her brother. That I think this is a good way to go. She'll understand.”

“Please, don't do this. C'mon, guys. Think this through.”

Smiling despite the tears, you take a deep breath. “I love you. All of you, guys. Tell them.”

“Promise me you'll look after them, huh?” Eddie speaks, and you look at him with teary eyes. “Tell them I'm doing this for Chrissy. And for Billy. And for everyone who died for this town.” With that, he looks down at you, smiling. “What's your plan, freak?”

×

@ietss @littestatesman @hanahisawizard @aaaaslaaaan @pans-fav-shank @gerim-1995 @what-the-heckin-heck @lady-ragnvindr @slutfor-muson @whiskeypowder @naiswrld @imagineslover88 @carolineesnell @boomhauer @browneyes528 @lem0ns77 @bdudette @thatsamegirl @spicykimchii @vickytorii @witchyhippysstuff

[shyestofhearts]

(Answering about Damian’s animals)

It was hard, at first, figuring out how to leave while not leaving his pets, his friends behind. If he was to be emancipated, that he had to have a job and a place to live. The good thing about Gotham, however, is that businesses are desperate for workers who aren’t afraid and are actually willing to stay in Gotham.

At fourteen, Damian died. Then he came back to life, to Gotham. And he began to plan. He was already smarter than most, it wouldn’t be difficult to leave school, to either test out or just get a GED like his other siblings. He decided to test out. It wouldn’t happen this year, he knew he had to look smart, but not overly smart. So he takes online classes at the local community college during winter and spring trimester, AP classes the end of the school year. The work is annoying, and mundane, but manageable. Especially when he wasn’t “allowed” to go on patrol anymore.

He was fifteen when he started working. It had been twelve months since he was killed, ten since he returned to the lan of the living, and nine since he started his plan. Since he was so rarely let out on patrol, Damian needed to do something in his spare time. He applied to get a student working permit, which shocked many people in his family. Jason actually laughed, at the mere idea of him working. Bruce, thinking this was something he wanted to do simply as part of a ‘rebellious’ stage, signed off on it.

It was easy.

At first Damian was just a simple customer service assistant at the local library. Not many people came in, but it was nice. He was even allowed to work on his homework when it was slow. He went along with the afternoon shift, only working four hours a day, twenty a week, and saving each weekly paycheck for nearly an entire year. It wasn’t much, at the end, but enough to prove he was working. He also started selling his art online, knowing from his time at Galas where the rich in Gotham usually bought their expensive pieces. It wasn’t hard for him to network himself and his work, mainly because every dealer knew he was Damian Wayne. He didn’t really like that, but it got him an in.

With cost of living in certain parts of Gotham being so cheap, Damian debated whether he should live somewhere cheap but run down and possibly in danger every night (he scoffs, he’s always in danger) or if he could find affordable and safe housing for him and his animals. It’s actually the elderly librarian at his job who helps him out. She noticed that he was looking for housing, and considering he was a Wayne who was working, it wasn’t hard to piece together.

“You know,” She says quietly, “My nephew has a small loft open,” Damian stares at her, owlishly. “It’s kinda at the edge of town though. So it’s not the best of areas,” The librarian shrugs, “But the rent is cheap.” Damian gets her nephew’s number, and meets up.

Three weeks later, Damian brings up emancipation to his father. It does not go well.

Bruce is furious, and it seems like everyone beside Cass is confused, lost as to why Damian would want this. The last two years have been relatively calm, to them. Bruce rejects the idea, as if that will end the conversation. Damian, for the first time in a long time, feels fire burning in his stomach.

“Either you agree,” Damian says, “Or we go to court.” Bruce actually laughs at that. “There will be an investigation, they have to. Whether this means revealing all of my physical scars, or the fact that I’ve been living in neglect, I don’t care,”

“NEGLECT” Multiple people shout in outrage, as Bruce’s face grows hard and angry. Alfred, on the other hand, freezes, like he just was realizing something had been off for the last (nearly) two years. Grayson, who had been so busy with his life and Bludhaven, is staring hard between Damian and Bruce.

“Maybe,” He says, as if trying to diffuse a bomb, “You can come with me, if you are tired of the manor,”

Damian stays quiet for second, thinking the offer over. It could be a compromise, less permanent. But the thought of living with Dick, which would have once been a dream, leaves a sour taste in his mouth. Grayson wasn’t even there when he returned. He didn’t even look for him when he was missing. He went from brother to father to distant cousin within the six years Damian’s lived in the United States. And living with him, being reminded of that every day, that would just kill him more.

“No,” Damian says quietly. “I don’t want to live around, or with, any of you,” He looks at Dick. Both sorry and resolute. “I need to be around people care for me, and things that are good for me.” Dick’s jaw drops at the pointed words, as if he was hurt to find out that Damian thought Dick didn’t care for him. “And if that means living alone with just me and my pets, so be it.”

“You think that you can find an someplace to live, with the amount you make, and be able to care for the animals?” Jason asks harshly, “Wow, how out of touch—“

“Kent said Kent farm wouldn’t mind having Batcow and Jerry,” Damian glares at Jason, “And Titus and Alfred can come with me, will be comfortable with the surrounding woods near where I plan to live. He can hunt and hide there”

“You already have a place picked out,” Tim nods, looking blank, detective face on.

“Of course,”

“You’ve been planning this,” Duke says, rubbing a hand down his face before sitting down.

“Yes,”

“Quitting Robin, the accelerated track, the job,” Tim says slowly. “You’ve been planning on leaving this whole time.”

“Yes,” Damian answered once more, looking at Timothy. “And no one care enough to notice any of it before now. My leaving won’t really impact you, any of you,” all his once-siblings flinch at that, but he remains strong in his stance.

“This is ridiculous,” Bruce snaps, demanding everyone’s attention,

“No,” Damian grits out. “What I find ridiculous is that I died,twice, as Robin and you didn’t even care. You didn’t even look for me the second time!” He shouts, throat aching as he feels the phantom shackles around his throat. “None of you did! I gone two months, dead for TWO MONTHS. No one even buried me! I woke the same placed I died, only to get scolded for trying to save my life!” Everyone’s eyes are wide at his words.

“Listen,” Jason says, serious and soft, “We didn’t know—“

“Didn’t know? FUCK that! I had a gaping hole in my chest! You all didn’t fucking CARE,” Everything is silent as tears well up in Damian’s eyes.

There is a faint Click Clat as he hears Titus come forward, leaning against his human to give comfort. Damian sighs, collecting himself.

“You look at me like a monster, treat me as a mess—a mistake needing to be hidden or something you want to avoid.”

“Son—“ Bruce starts, face finally something besides a scowl or anger.

“No,” Damian says, shaking his head. “I’m not that either. I don’t want to be,” he can see the hurt that flashes on Bruce’s face, hear the gasp from Richard, and feel the guilty stares from the others. “I’m not going on a rampage, I’m not going after anyone, I’m not even running off to a different city.” Damian whispers. “I just want to be free,”

It’s quiet before Bruce walks over, and grabs the pen to fill out the forms.

“Despite this, Damian,” He says, handing the packet to Damian. “You will always have a place here, when you want to come back.”

Damian, chuckles, a wet sound.

It takes about three weeks, thanks to Bruce’s legal team expediting it. Damian managed to pack everything up in the meantime. A few times his former siblings approached him, but each time they couldn’t figure out what to say. The only one who actually apologized, properly, was Jason.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there,” Jason whispers quietly one night, as Damian packs the last of his things. He doesn’t need all of the items in his room. Just packs his school supplies, laptop, art supplies, and clothes that still fit him. It takes him more time to pack Titus and Alfred’s things. “I know what it’s like,” Jason continues. “To die as Robin, as a fourteen year old” He shakes his head. “To die because of your own mother,”

“That part didn’t really bother me,” Damian says after a moment of silence. He sits on the bed, stroking Alfred’s soft fur. “It was what came after that cut me,”

“And I know that too,” Jason nods, looking away. “All of us are so sorry, Damian.”

“Don’t be,” Damian looks at him, waiting for Jason to look back at him. “Do better,” He says, as Jason winces. “Let’s not pretend that there won’t be another Robin. There will always be a replacement,” Jason rubs a hand down his face, remembering how he felt learning about Tim becoming Robin. “Do better with them, be there for them,”

“We want to be there for you,” Jason stresses.

“I wanted that too,” Damian confesses. “But we both also wanted mothers who loved us, unconditionally, so both know we don’t always get what we want.”

Jason nods, wishing Damian good luck.

The day Damian leaves, he actually has Jon over to help with the move. He’s brought his family’s old truck, and had loaded everything in it.

“All packed, then?” Alfred asks, as Bruce eats at the dining table, unable to watch Damian leave. The others, Jason, Duke, Tim, Richard, even Cass, Barbra, and Brown are there. They don’t say much, because they know for Damian this isn’t just a “I’ll see you around” kind of leave.

“Yes, I think we will take our leave now,” Damian nods,

“You’ll always be welcomed here, Master Damian,” Alfred says, clasping his shoulder.

“Thank you for you kind words, Pennyworth,” Damian nods, before turning to face the man who spent the most time with. “But there was never really a place here for me. They were the chosen sons, children,” Damian amends. “I was just blood”

With that, Damian turns and leaves. Jon technically can’t drive, but Damian just got his license in the mail the other week.

“Ready for this?” Jon asks, Batcow’s trailer hitched to the truck, Titus in the back seat, and Alfred on his lap.

“Yeah,” Damian nods. “I guess I am,”

“To new beginnings,” Jon smiles at him, raising his fist for Damian to bump.

“With some old friends” Damian bumps fists, and smiles when Alfred copies him.

—🪡🧵

Crying, screaming but also the ending??? Sew I neeeeeeed a fic of this desperately

[justcourttee]

could you do one where dami and mari are dating but they havent told the waynes yet and they keep seeing hints of their relationship (like clothes around the place, dami talking to on the phone and smiling, stuff like that) but they cant figure out whats happening!!!! the ice prince is softening and theyre like wtf!!!

I’m sorry, it’s a little different. I got carried away! I hope you still like it!

Tim is Like a Genius or Something..

It was official. Tim had lost it.

At least that was the sentiment the family shared as they watched him tumble down the rabbit hole that he had sprawled out across the dining room table.

“-and then he smiled at me. At me! That has never happened before, at least not a genuine one.” He paused to catch his breath, allowing his theory to sink in.

“Timmy, don’t you think you’re giving the boy too much credit?” Jason was the only one able to voice what they all were thinking, at least the one with the best chance of not getting their head torn off. “I mean, he has trouble communicating with his own gender and now you’re telling me he’s been able to woo his female lab partner?”

Tim slammed his hands on the table in frustration before sinking back into the chair he had started in. For weeks now he had been gathering evidence of his brother’s oddities and for weeks he had been haunted by a softer and friendlier Damian.

“Think about it guys, please!”

His pleads seemed to fall on deaf ears as one by one they left the table, each offering their own look of sympathy until he was the only one in the room. It wasn’t long until he himself had given up, collecting his pictures from the table, tearing them in half one by one.

Maybe Dick was right. His hallucinations were getting the better of him. After all, even if Damian was changing, it couldn’t be because of one girl, right?

Absolutely nobody in the world could wield enough power to reign in a demon such as him. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tim had survived another week of hallucinations. He had tried sleeping more, laying off his coffee, and even cutting his hours back from Wayne Enterprises. But as he sat in the kitchen, going through his emails, his mind remained drowning in thoughts of his replacement.

“Timmy, do you know who this jacket belongs to? The ladies say it’s not theirs and if it’s one of Brucie’s night friends, I bet it’s worth thousands.”

Tim spared a glance from his laptop to where Jason stood in front of him, his fist clenched around a small black pullover. He had half the mind to wave him off when something pink flashed from the corner of his eye.

“Jason, let me see the jacket.”

Jason tossed it, his face cautious as if Tim were about to dart with his next paycheck, but it was the furthest thought in the younger Wayne’s mind.

“The girl that Damian is always bringing over, it belongs to her. His lab partner.”

“You mean Marinette? Damn, then I probably won’t make much off of it. Guess I’ll probably give it back next time I see her.”

Tim waited, his face showcasing the perplexion he felt as Jason seemed to walk away thoughtlessly. How he could come to the same conclusion that he did? How? It felt like it was so obvious.

“No.” His voice was firm, barely above a whisper as he shook off the thought, returning to his laptop. He agreed that he would drop it and that’s what he was going to do. “Marinette was just a nice girl trying to help out Damian and he probably views as some intriguing toy, yeah, that’s all.”

Besides, it was just one jacket and why would he want to damn the girl over one jacket.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . He should have damned her. That was the only thought that plagued his mind as he listened to the conversation at breakfast.

“Did you guys know that the Demon uses his phone during patrol?”

Bruce looked up from his paper, his face a mixture of disappointment and interest.

“Can you elaborate Dick? What do you mean by uses his phone?”

“Exactly that! We took a break on a roof in our sector and right as I was about to turn around to ask him where we should check next, he was answering a phone call! We sat on that roof for an hour because he said ‘he couldn’t hang up yet’.”

Tim nearly choked on his coffee as he slammed his mug into the table earning a glance from both the men.

“Richard, who was calling him?”

“Hmm? You know, I tried asking him but he waved me off instead.”

“You mean he didn’t try to tear your head off?” Tim watched in horror as Dick shook his head in denial, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“Maybe he finally has a friend other than Jon!”

Bruce nodded as if the notion weren’t completely insane, his eyes returning the newspaper in his hands. Dick smiled, returning to his crossword as if there was nothing wrong with the world as if he didn’t drop the largest bombshell in history.

“This is so wrong, why can’t any of you see how wrong this is?”

Neither spared him a glance as they continued their morning routines with thoughtless giddy expressions.

At this point, Tim wasn’t sure he could drop it anymore. There was so much evidence piling up, so much pointing that Damian obviously liked the girl at least. Why was he the only one who could see that?

It was decided. The next time Marinette came over, he was confronting this once and for all.

.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tim waited and waited. Weeks passed between her last visit to the manor. Damian had left several times and random hours of the day, always giving him vague answers as to where he was going. It was as if the little demon read his mind and decided it was safer to meet her outside the manor.

He was so close to giving up when a truly diabolical thought crossed his mind. His smile was sinister as he approached Bruce’s office, his plan foolproof. He gave a slight knock on the door, two voices asking him to enter.

“Hey Bruce, Dick. I was just thinking the other day, we haven’t seen Marinette around lately. You both know that Damian is terrible at keeping up with his acquaintances. Maybe we should invite her for dinner one night! I mean, we all adore her, right? She is such a good influence for Damian too.”

It was like clockwork. Both Dick and Bruce jumped on the opportunity each pulling out their phones to let both kids know the details of when this dinner party would occur. As Tim left out the room, he couldn’t help the hysterical giggle that escaped from his lips. For good measure, he made sure to linger by Damian’s room, awaiting the reaction he was longing to hear. Surely enough, a soft ‘shit’ could be heard followed by heavy footsteps echoing as if he was pacing his room. It was the best sound Tim had heard in weeks.

Three agonizing days passed before Tim found himself waiting at the manor door to welcome Marinette into the manor. Damian had volunteered to bring her to the dining room himself, but Tim argued that it would be rude if not a single one of them were also there to greet her. In the end, Tim and Dick were volunteered to accompany one angry demon to see Marinette to the dining hall.

“Thank you so much for having me! I was surprised when I received a call from not just Damian, but you too Dick. I was under the impression that Damian hadn’t said anything yet.”

Damian’s face paled as his eyes darted to Dick’s as if Marinette said something damning. Tim caught onto immediately, his eyes also watching Dick’s face for any indication that he had realized the weight in her statement.

“Said anything? You mean about your friendship? Well, it’s impossible to pry anything from him, but we couldn’t let him keep you all to himself!”

In all of his blissful ignorance, he turned on his heel, dragging Marinette with him, chatting idly about whatever came to mind. Damian raced after him, his face a mixture of panic and hatred. It was a sight that warmed Tim to his core.

All dinner he watched as Damian stirred the conversation off Marinette only for someone to inevitably bring it right back. He relished in Damian nearly pulling his own hair out to ensure no one asked the question that Tim had been pressing for weeks now.

As the night drew to an end, Damian couldn’t rush her out of the manor fast enough. The doors slammed shut with a loud thud ricocheting through everyone’s ears.

“So, we’re in agreeance right?”

Tim turned his attention to where Jason leaned against the entryway, his lazy smirk building hope in the younger boy’s chest.

“Very much. They are definitely courting, or what is the phrase you call it now? Dating? Hangin’?” Bruce chuckled at his own joke before his gaze dropped to meet Tim’s. “It looks like we owe you an apology.”

Words never sounded more beautiful to Tim, he honestly felt like he might shed a tear. A heavy weight caused him to stumble as Dick threw himself onto Tim’s back.

“Tim is like a genius or something, right guys? I mean who would have ever guessed that Damian had a girlfriend! Hey, do you think they’ll get married? Does that mean at this point Damian is your best chance at getting grandkids?”

Tim dealt with the picking and jokes and the onslaught of fake apologies as they remained crowded in the entrance, waiting for Damian’s return. To him, none of it mattered as much as seeing his replacement’s face the minute they walked through the door.

After all, it was a large reward for a small price to pay. It all comes with being a genius.

Permanent Tag List:

@ash-amg @rebecarojas07 @heaven428 @long-lost-peace @thequeenofpotatoeunicornss @moongoddesskiana @nach0ava @iamablinkmarvelarmy @seraphkitty @clumsy-owl-4178 @pawsitivelymiraculous @mialuvscats @leagrey @smolplantmum @animegirlweeb @glitterflowercat @ladybug-182 @maskedpainter @remy-289 @redbullgivescaswings

[bebepac]

Six Sentence Sunday 04.11.2021

ORIGINAL POST DATE: 04/11/21 at 2:55AM EST.

What’s up my fandom friends?  Back at ya with another Six Sentence Sunday.  On a personal note,  I’ve made another big decision in my life. After 12 years of sheer madness and insanity at my current job, I’m putting out my feelers for trying to find another job.

It’s time.  For those of you that really know me personally, work/life balance is something the company I work for has never done well since I’ve been there.  It’s been very few paychecks where I didn’t have mandatory overtime pay on it. Points where I stayed to help the team, because I was a part of it.  I think the last time I can honestly say work/life balance was okay it was in 2015-2017.  I’ve come to realize that what I’ve been settling for is not what I should be.  So if you’re not happy where you are, that’s a temporary situation.  I’m happier just knowing I’m looking to finally fix it, and have a lead on a job because I’m being referred in by a friend.  

In case you’ve missed tags or trying to get caught up on what you’ve missed of me posting here’s what I’ve done in the past 10 days:  

Just The Way You Are:  I Am The Earthquake   (Riley x Liam) 

Mia’s 🌎 World:   Chubby Bunny  (Mia x Jaiden) 

The Life Of Riley:   Masquerade  (Riley x Liam) 

What are you working on?  @dcbbw​ @burnsoslow @sirbeepsalot ​ @sfb123

@ao719 @speedyoperarascalparty @jessiembruno​ ??

Country Glitter

Mia’s 🌎 World: Chapter 14

The Book: TRR

Pairing:  Mia x Jaiden  (TRR MC x M!OC)

Status: Still in the writing process:  

Spring Break.  Jaiden was excited. Life couldn’t be more perfect. He was back together with Mia, and everything felt so right.  He had planned to take Mia to Wrightsville Beach for a few days and meet up with Leo, Hana, and the gang.  

The Brooks’ family was a Jeep family.  His dad had a white wrangler.  His mom after the Green Meanie finally died, purchased a hunter green Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo X.  Jaiden had a candy apple red soft top rubicon that was his pride and joy.  It was a high school graduation gift after everything had happened to him, and still managed to graduate third in his class of 1000 students.

One of the things Jaiden took pride in was taking care of his vehicle.  He knew how to do minor work on it, and weekly hand washed Rubi.   Jaiden had just completed putting his first layer of wax on his candy apple red jeep, and it was glistening in the sun.

Jason whistled when he walked out of the house seeing Jaiden’s vehicle sparkling in the sunlight, looking like it was fresh off the store room floor.  

“Why’d you wash Rubi?”

“I have a date with Mia, and tomorrow we’re going to Wrightsville.  Rubi has to look hot for the trip.  I might even take the top off before we leave.”

“I don’t think you want to do that.”  

“Why not?”  

As if foreshadowing the events to come, Jaiden sneezed.  

“Geez, where did that come from?”

“You’ll see,”  Jason chuckled.  “Have fun, and be safe.  

He had taken the soft top off and drove over to Mia’s house.  

If You Lived

Just The Way You Are: Special

The Book:  TRR x Perfect Match

Pairing: Riley x Nico  / Hayden x Kai 

Status: Writing is complete. 

Leo watched Riley feed Liam a few spoonfuls of ice cream.  The way his brother looked at her;  he had fallen in love at the end of his life.  Leo left them alone for a bit.

"You're doing good."

"I can feel them."

"Who?"

"My parents. They are waiting for me."

"You can't talk like that."

"It's true. They're here, and I'm not afraid but…."

"But what?"

"Part of me doesn't want to go. Because of you Riley."

"What do you mean?"

"Can I ask you something and you be honest with me?"

"Yes."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes."

"If I wasn't sick, and you were single, Riley would things be different between us? Would you and I have had a real chance?"

She bit her lip.

"Tell me the truth. You promised."

"Why does it matter? We can't change things Liam."

"Because I need to know."

"Liam…."

"Tell me…"

She took Liam's hand.

"You know the answer."

"I need to hear you say it."

She rested her forehead on his.

She was so close to him he could smell the scent of the coconut shampoo she used in her hair.

"Yes. It would have been different."

Leo watched them from the door. Somehow, Riley had fallen for him too. It just wasn't fair. His brother had always wanted someone special to spend his life with, and he finally found her, but it was too late for them.

And Then...There Were Two

The Meet: Chapter 1

The Book:  TRR

Pairings: None:  

Characters : Liam Rys,   Leo Rys, Riley Brooks,   Jilian Winchester, Bebe Martin,   Jaiden Brooks,   Nico KH

Status: Still in the writing process:

“Good evening ladies. Looks like you are participating in our contest.”  

“Hell yes we are, and we’re going to win it.”

“I hear ya!  It will be a few minutes before your table is ready.”  

The restaurant was really quirky and eclectic.  The music playing and a very urban and uptempo beat.

“I really like the vibe here.”  Jili commented.

A waitress walked by carrying a pink smoking drink.  

“I want one of those.”  Bebe was excited.

They were finally to their table and were able to order drinks.

“I want one of those pink smoky drinks.”

“Each drink in our smoke line has a different flavor profile, which one would you like?”

“Pink alcohol?”

The waitress explained each flavor profile of the smoke cocktails line then looked at Bebe expectantly.

“Yeah….I still want Pink.”

“And I want Green.”  

The restaurant was packed. The waitress came back with their drinks rather quickly, pouring the last element into their drinks causing them to smoke.  Bebe and Jili clinked glasses and took a sip of their cocktails.

[pixiealtaira]

And the Thunder Rolls

This is the first of my Glee Summer Bang fics...but I decided it was too gloomy.

It is a Klaine Break-Up Fic and this Not Klaine or Blaine friendly.

Takes place right after the end of Junior Year:

The crash of thunder shook the house.  Kurt looked out to the pouring rain.  It was nearly pushed horizontal by the wind. “Very Blustery, my ass. Hurricane force winds would have been a better description,” Kurt muttered as he watched chaos out the window.   Kurt still felt that being out in the storm would be preferable than where he was currently at, that the chaos outside would be safer and somehow 'less' than the chaos inside his being as he listened to Blaine. Lightening ripped through the sky, near enough for  Kurt to just see the light of the flash and not a actual bolt  and for the thunder to roll right after it and actually shake the house. He wondered if Finn knew he had a flashlight in his room.  Rachel didn't like power outages. Kurt leaned closer to the window to see if he could see where it might have landed.

“Kurt, I don't think you are listening to me.” Blaine whined behind him. “Do I need to go get Finn and Rachel and have them listen to this as well?  I am setting out guidelines for how I want our summer to be and you just aren't really paying attention to me.  Stop looking out the window and look at me, the boyfriend. I am beginning to think you don't actually love me at all.  You are not at all focused where you need to be focused.” “Blaine, I love you.  I told you that just a few days ago.  And yes, you are my boyfriend.  But that doesn't give you permission to dictate my summer.” Light brightened the whole room again and thunder shook the house and Kurt wished it would just hit the house.  Maybe stop what he suspected would be a defining moment to everything for the whole of the rest of his life. Blaine huffed. “I'm not dictating your summer.  I'm just letting you know how things need to be so we can see each other more often during the summer. My dad got me this job, you know, and it is Important that I am my best during the time I am working and performing.  Important people might be watching, you know.  Nila said that Jason, one of the boys who left the year before I could perform at all, got scouted and got a modeling job and a job as a back-up singer for a band.  That could be me this year, but only if I'm at the top of my game.  I I can only be at the top of my game when I know you are focused on me. You need to know when to keep yourself free to come see me and visit me. If you don't do this for me like I want it done, well then, I'm afraid we will just not be able to see each other at all.” “And I told you I am not going to be going to the amusement park and paying 80  to 100 bucks a day just to see you on your break periods, especially if I'm not 'allowed' to spend the rest of the time enjoying the park.  You can come here on your days off or I can meet you at your place on your days off.” “You cannot go to my place.  I mean...I just haven't exactly told my folks I have a boyfriend yet...so you'll have to wait for that.  And my days off are all booked with family stuff or other things I need to do.  If you love me, you'll come see me on the days I listed at the park.  It is the only acceptable option.  I just do not understand why you are having a problem with this.  A good boyfriend would be perfectly willing to do this for me, I'll have you know. And it's not like I'm asking more than others who work there have.  Nila's boyfriend was there three days a week last summer. Matt and Ryan both worked there, so I guess they don't really count, but it was so unfair watching those guys making out and whatnot and yet the rest of us had to just make due.  Now, this year, I'VE got the boyfriend and so you need to come to the park so I can have good breaks too.  You need to come on the days I listed earlier for certain and also whenever I text that the day would be a good day for you to be there. I NEED you to be there for me, Kurt.  I need to be able to show the others that I'VE got a boyfriend and that he does what I ask of him. But, you also can't like hang out with anyone, or talk to anyone...I mean, you are great and all but you just don't exactly talk about the kinds of things the other kids who work at the park do and so I need you to remember that...but also you need to make sure they know you are only at the park for me...you'll need to sit off to the side of where ever I am, just smiling and making eyes at me.” Kurt closed his eyes and breathed deeply. The lightening hit again and the thunder rolled and the lights in the house flickered and Kurt heard Rachel screech from Finn's room. There had been nothing in any of Blaine's demands for summer about wanting to spend time with Kurt, himself.  Just about wanting to have the boyfriend be there to be seen.  And curtailing as much joy as Blaine possibly could in his demanded excursions. “Blaine. You are being unreasonable.” “I am not. I am being perfectly reasonable. Boyfriends show up to support their significant other when their significant other wants them to, in whatever manner asked.  That is why people have boyfriends and girlfriends.  To have them there when they want them to be there for them.  To show off.  And if you do things the way I told you you need to, everyone will see how devoted you are to me, and to me alone.  It will do wonders for what the others think of me, you there just sitting and looking at me and not even thinking of anything other than me. But, don't try too hard.  And like, don't practice making sexy faces or longing faces or anything.  You don't do sexy.  You do longing OK, so maybe stick to staring at me longingly. It will be cute. Then it will be perfect. I mean, Nila's boyfriend just stopped by to make out with her when lines were too long for rides he wanted to ride, he didn't focus on her only.  Just think how jealous she will be when MY boyfriend just pays attention to Me in such a cute way.”   “No” The flash of lightening hit close enough that even the air in the house felt charged.  The thunder was nearly deafening. It wasn't loud enough to cover Blaine's scream. “What do you mean 'No'? You are my boyfriend, you can't just say no.” “I did just say No. No. I am not going the amusement park, at over 100 bucks a pop when you add travel and food, multiple days over the summer just to sit and stare at you...it is just not happening. There are many reasons why....not the least of which is I would be bored out of my mind. I don't have the time, or money, or inclination to be some sort of living statue for you to use to boost you ego in some sort of ego war with your co-workers. I have work, too, Blaine. And I NEED my paychecks that I get over the summer to be able to enjoy my school year.  They pay for my clothing, any time spent shopping or out to the movies or dinner or coffee or anything else fun.  I could maybe do ONE trip to the amusement park to see you...and to enjoy the park when you can't be with me and thus get my money's worth. I can not go at least twice a week every week all summer long, with a third or maybe even fourth trip to see you on demanded days at a texts notice.” “But Kurt, if you loved me...” And Kurt saw the next bolt of lightening hit.  It hit a transformer on one of the street light poles the block over and half a block down. The thunder shook the house as the lights went out. Rachel screamed like Finn was stabbing her or something.  Finn started screaming as well, telling her to calm down.  Kurt was glad, though, because with the power out Blaine could not see the tears running down his face, with with how Kurt was standing. “I guess I don't love you then.  Not if that is what you think Love requires of me. ” Kurt said, turning to look at Blaine instead of a flames spouting from the blown transformer.  He could already hear the sirens of the police and fire trucks responding to it. “And if you loved ME, and not just the notion of a boyfriend, you would have never demanded any of what you have today.” “Of course I love you.” “No, you don't.  Because if you did, you would know me well enough to not have come here and said any of what you have said in the last hour. You would know me well enough to know I can't afford your plan in the first place.  We don't have that kind of money. You would have listened to me enough to know that I will have a full 40 hour week at the garage every week, and will have hours of work at other places as well.  You would have known about other demands on my time over the summer.  You would have realized I would like to be able to do things with you that I would like to do as well, like go  swimming or go to play mini-golf. Or take you to the car shows with me and have you ride in the parades at the fairs with me.  You would know that I don't like just sitting doing nothing for long periods of time. But you don't seem to know or care about any of that, so you must not actually love me.” “Now Kurt, stop being hysterical and silly. You know none of that is true. You might work at the garage but what do you actually do there, huh? Sweep?  No one needs you there, and what else do you really have to do...that is as important or more important than me?  It is just, face it, your time and my time are not equal.  My folks plans are important.  I need to be there and show up with acceptable company, so  those periods of time are out.  My work...performing is hard, Kurt and the rest of the work at the park is just as difficult.  Do you even know what it is like to have to deal with parents who are upset because their kid is too small for a ride?  That is so much more challenging than anything you might be doing.” “And that just proves you don't actually love me at all.  Blaine, as soon as this storm calms, you need to go home.  Have a great summer. Maybe if I get in touch with Jeff or Nick or anyone else from Dalton, I'll have them say Hello from me, but I won't be getting hold of you for a while.  I need a clean break.  And you need someone else, who can love you like you think love works.” “What are you talking about?” “I am breaking up with you.  This isn't what I want from a relationship. It isn't what I need.” Kurt turned around again and stared out the window.  The lightening strike was far enough away that the whole sky didn't seem to light up with it.  Kurt counted a full Mississippi before he heard the thunder. Blaine was still talking to him, trying to tell him he couldn't break up with him and  how mistaken Kurt was and how Kurt was purposefully being difficult and misunderstanding everything and making a big show and fuss about things. The rain was coming down more vertically again, just as hard and violently, but in a more natural angle and Kurt could tell the fire was out over where the lightening had hit.  He could see a vehicle from the power company over in the area.  The chaos was calming...and things seemed to be easing up.  Kurt wouldn't be surprised if within the next half hour the storm had settled into an steady gentle rain. Oddly enough, he rather felt like he'd settled into an oddly calm and settled state as well.  He wondered if he'd feel bad latter, if he'd feel more crushed and upset at the end of his first relationship, but for now...he felt like he was easing into a peaceful gentle state of being. Not sunshine yet, but the knowing that it could be soon.

[imaginetonyandbucky]

The Buy In

For the prompt:  Mafia AU with Tony as the Boss (except he's a really good one, making the streets safe, keeping drugs away from kids etc) and Bucky as the detective sent to go undercover to catch him out but ends up realizing he's actually doing more good than harm and they end up falling in love

Chapter One: Fresh Meat

by @dracusfyre

“Hey, boss, we got fresh meat for you,” the man at Bucky’s elbow said. Bucky’s heart was in his throat, pulse racing like mad; he was the first detective ever to get this close to Tony Stark, to the Mechanic, and he prayed he would live to tell the tale. For years Stark had only been seen through the lens of a telescoping camera, impeccably dressed with sunglasses hiding his eyes and surrounded by his men at all times. Before today there had been no wiretaps, no informants, no insight into the elusive mob boss and his inner circle. But after years of hard work, Bucky was about to change that. As he was pushed into the echoing warehouse, his eyes darted around the room, taking in the classic cars, the souped-up sports coupes and half-built engines, looking for the man himself. Bucky wondered how many of these were stolen and awaiting new buyers. Men in suits were spread out guarding the exits, but he didn’t see a desk or an office, any kind of throne from which Stark ran his criminal empire.

After a moment, in the middle of the room, a man that Bucky’s eyes had completely glossed over unfolded himself from a work bench. He was wearing a tank top and low-slung jeans, and as he stood, he pulled his welding mask off and put down the butane torch. Bucky blinked, stunned as he approached; the man’s hair was tousled and messy, jaw dark with a five o’clock shadow, arms toned and tan. His eyes, when they met Bucky’s, where whiskey brown and warm with amusement. Bucky barely kept his jaw from dropping as he recognized Tony Stark, right down to the scar on his jaw he’d gotten in the car crash that had killed his parents.

“New meat, huh?” Stark asked, and he crossed his arms over his chest as he tilted his head and studied Bucky with eyes that seemed entirely too perceptive. “Tell me about him.”

“Wants a job,” the man at his elbow said. Bucky didn’t jump, but it was a near thing; he’d forgotten the man was even there. This was Tony Stark? The Mechanic was actually a mechanic? Everyone, from Bucky's fellow policemen to the FBI task force that had been organized to take him down, to the ATF agents and federal marshals that swapped stories over beer, had a different theory about where the man’s klichka came from: because of his well-known penchant for nice cars, because shop tools were his favorite methods of interrogation, because he was good at greasing wheels and making things happen. No one had ever suggested, even as a joke, that it might be because the man was a grease monkey. “Former military, spent time in Iraq,” the man continued. What was his name? Oh yeah, Harold. Everyone called him Happy. “Got out and a friend of a friend got him a job, if you know what I mean. His info checks out; he used to do work down at Brighton Beach then moved up to Red Hook before crossing the bridge. You said we needed new muscle down on 6th, remember?”

“I remember.” Stark pulled out a wrench that had been hanging from his belt and started flipping it from hand to hand as he considered Bucky thoughtfully. Bucky lifted his chin and met Stark’s eyes, hoping his nervousness didn’t show; this wasn’t his first undercover assignment, just the one with the highest stakes. Stark controlled most of Manhattan and had been successfully expanding his territory at the expense of the Russians and Irish and gangs from Harlem. As the silence stretched, the metal of the wrench flashed in the light from the windows as it rose and fell, his hands sure and steady. “Go away, copper,” Stark said finally, and Bucky gaped as Stark turned away.

“I’m not a cop,” Bucky protested to Stark’s surprisingly muscled back. This operation, his job, maybe even his life depended on convincing Stark he wasn’t a cop. “Look, this is the biggest outfit in the city and I just want a paycheck, ok? My last boss came up short and ran back to Armenia without paying his debts. Word is you always pay up.” 

“Sure you do,” Stark said, the corner of his mouth turning up. “We all just want a paycheck, right? Happy, remind me why we need muscle on 6th?”

“Cops have been hassling our people,” Happy said, taking a step away from Bucky and eyeing him with suspicion. “Trying to shake’em down, demanding a cut.”

“Right, right.” Stark picked up his welding mask but didn’t put it on. “What’s your name, copper?”

“I’m not-“ When Stark just raised an eyebrow and gestured like get on with it, Bucky said, “Jason. Jason Brooks.”

“That’s it? No street name?”

“My friends call me JB sometimes, but that’s it.”

“Alright, Blue Eyes,” Stark said as he pulled his mask back down over his eyes and fired up the torch again with a hiss of blue-white heat. “Get the cops to lay off my people, and you’ll get your paycheck.”

Happy put a hand on Bucky’s back and shoved him back out the door of the warehouse since they’d been dismissed. “That’s it?” Bucky said, bemused.

“Yeah, that’s it. Whaddya want, to provide a resume and cover letter? It’s not like the Boss has to check with HR here.”

“Does he really think I’m a cop?”

Happy shrugged. “Only the boss knows what the boss thinks. Guess not if he said you could stay. Come back tomorrow at 5.”

“Do you really think he’s a cop?” Rhodey asked when Tony was done welding, coming over to admire the smooth bead he’d put on the chassis of the classic car he was remodeling.

“Oh, he’s definitely a cop,” Tony said, stretching his back and shoulders. “But then I thought, we have a cop, we have cop problems, let’s let one take care of the other. Either he’ll get them to back off, or he won’t, but either way one of my problems will be solved.”

“Oh, so it’s not because he has a pretty face?”

“I didn’t know you were on the market, platypus,” Tony said with wide eyes. “I’m sure I could get his number for you, along with his bank account, social security number, and entire relationship history.” When Rhodey just rolled his eyes, Tony grinned. “He did have a pretty face, though, didn’t he? I wonder if that’s why they sent him.”

“Not unless the feds have changed their MO in a big way,” Rhodey said, handing Tony a towel to clean his hands and wipe the sweat off his face and neck.

“I’ll let him run around a bit and see what happens,” Tony said, voice turning serious. “I’ve got a good feeling about this one.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Like I had about Natasha. Or Natalie, whatever she’s calling herself now.” Natasha had been a plant from the Russians, trying to crack his operations so they could retake some blocks they’d lost a few years ago when Tony had taken advantage of infighting to push his boundaries out. She’d taken one look at the ladies working in Tony’s territory and taken to them like a mother cat with kittens. She’d also organized them with the ruthlessness of any NY City union boss, eliminating pimps with such prejudice it earned her the klichka the Widow. Six months into working for him, she’d flipped and given him everything she knew and was the reason why the Russians had been pushed back to their tiny toe-hold in Brighton Beach, with most of them heading back for greener territories back in the Motherland. “Put him with KT. He’s good with newbies.”

“You aren’t worried he’s going to find something?”

Because it was Rhodey, Tony gave it some thought. Whatever law enforcement sent Blue Eyes had apparently done a better job with his cover than the previous people did; so far Happy had been able to weed them out pretty early on. Tony couldn’t even say why he was getting a cop vibe from the new guy. He had short hair, little longer than military regulation, but the stubble on his jaw screamed six-day bender and he had the thousand-yard stare of an ex-soldier used to violence down pat. Hell, that part was probably true. Maybe it was the surprise in his eyes when he’d seen Tony; in Tony’s experience, most people who made their living on the streets had the ability to be surprised burned out of them long ago. “Nah,” Tony said eventually. “For the good stuff, he’d have to go through me. Anything else he’d just be nibbling around the edges.”

“Whatever you say,” Rhodey said with a shrug. 

[brucewaynehater101]

I think the worst one for his family to find out about him healing would be if he said, "I did have to use some of my feathers to survive the Titans Tower attack." While refusing to look at Jason. Or maybe he could mention that due to being a bird, his bones are hollow and more fragile than humans. What if he had unknown to his family used a feather during training? Just. One of them managed to hit him in the side of the head and Tim goes down. But a few moments later he's up and holding the side of his head where they hit him, groaning. Whoever did it gets a lecture and Tim is benched until his "concussion" is healed.

I also love your thing about Tim not being able to feel the positive emotions as deeply either. It's heart breaking but makes sense. I wonder if his refusal to show anger or joy would lead to his family thinking he has some kind of neurological disorder where he physically can't feel those emotions as strongly and try to send him to therapy so that he can get some kind of medication to help with that.

I currently have two ideas for how the family could find out and neither are pleasant for anyone involved. On the one hand, Tim catching the attention of Scarecrow because his fear gas doesn't seem to effect him as much (it does, but Tim's greatest fear in this one is loosing control of his emotions and letting his instincts take over so as soon as he gets gassed he's trying to keep everything under control so he can "hide his wings again" even though they never came out) so he ends up making an extra powerful version juuust for Tim that would have even Bruce kicking and screaming. He lures the Bats into his hide out with some canisters of regular fear gas and then somehow manages to get Tim with a dart full of the special formula.

Of course everyone freaks out as Tim's breathing picks up speed and he starts to back away from them, pulling into himself. They try to say things but he clearly can't hear them as he covers down and whimpers about something needing to go away, that no one is allowed to see it, that no one can *know*. Scarecrow isn't happy though and yells, "scream! Why aren't you screaming?! You're the only one I've never heard *scream*!" Bruce takes down Scarecrow quickly and hauls him out of the room so they can focus on Tim, trying to get near him. But when Dick touches his arm to try and ground him, a panic that Tim can't possibly smother races through him and he lashes out, claws and wings extending as he tries to get away. Tim screams at them, "NO I WONT BE SOLD FOR WHAT I AM, ILL KILL YOU!"

Then on the other hand, possibly even worse, some poachers come around Gothem with a device that scans for magical creatures. They don't know who this guy with black hair and blue eyes In a suit is and they don't care. They don't have any idea what he is either, beyond that he's a paycheck if they can grab him. Tim doesn't fight back really hard when they come for him, thinking that it's his turn with the monthly family kidnapping of some idiot who went "if I kidnap a Wayne I can ransom them to Bruce for a lot of money". It's not until the car door closes and he feels the magical wards around the van that he begins to truly panic and fight, but the wards are up and doing their job, acting as a powerful sedative that Tim has no defense against as he slips unconscious. When he wakes up, it's his worst nightmares come to life. He's stuck in a cage and his Glamor is gone and there are people leering at him and talking about how much money a *thing* like him will make them.

By the time the Bats manage to get there though, Tim has been sold off to the highest bidder and the Bats are informed that these people only deal in Magical Creatures. They tell the Bats that it's no wonder they didn't know what he is because his species hold what they are as their deepest secret. After all, they inform the Bats, the poachers did sell the Phoenix to Circe herself for 6 million dollars.

Both of those are absolutely delectable. I am more partial to the Scarecrow one (just cause ofnTim having some type of "immunity" which inspires Scarecrow to increase his formula is a really interesting concept).

The poachers one is super cool too! There's a ton of ways that can unfold. I am curious if the device they use is rare/expensive. Otherwise, lots of folks could figure him out.

The tidbit you added about the fragile bones is devastating. Poor Tim is just trying to live his life when the hits he takes do more damage to him than the others (which can add onto his angst of not being enough).

[eauderesistnce]

did i do this in a three am manic fit ?? maybe. but i ask you indulge me for the sake of my sanity.

:･ﾟ✧ * ˏˋ / ( becky g, 25, female, she/her ) hey, i’m looking for the office of charlotte “lottie” perez cisnero. they’re the hr employee who’s known around the office as the fall out boy groupie, if that helps ? not to be a gossip, but i’ve heard that they’re witty but insensitive, is that true ? i also heard that they’re the one who puts the flask in hydro flask. anyways, here’s the coffee they ordered. ( admin jacey, 24, she/her, mst )

𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕 !!

first of all, lottie wants to butt in and inform you that it’s lottie, not charlotte––and if that’s too difficult for you to remember, don’t talk to her at all. this is not a joke. you have been warned. 

clearly, this attitude stems from somewhere, and it’s from being the middle child of her family of four (( ya girl had to get attention Somehow )). she has an older sister who she loves to hate and hates to love, and a younger brother who takes after every early 2000s disney channel show’s annoying little brother character. lottie was the resident goth stuck in the middle.

her dad split when she was in middle school with no explanation and left her mom to pick up the pieces and his massive credit card debt. lottie’s really close to her mom, but she’s kind of a mess lmao. her mom writes trashy romance novels, and she’s really whimsical and fun...but she’s also impulsive and forgets when the bills are due. 

lottie assumed the responsiblity of being her mother’s keeper, and she’s pretty jaded because of it tbh. lottie vc: if you want something done At All, do it yourfuckingself. 

she was Super motivated in high school and college. like she had to be the best at everything in school, and she had to get into the best universities with the best programs to prove to the world how fucking great she was. 

it worked for a while. she graduated valedictorian from high school and with honors from boston u, and then she got accepted into the harvard medical program. she lasted a year and then flunked out. 

lottie doesn’t talk about it ever bc like she’s so fucking humiliated that she failed, so most people wouldn’t know she went to med school at all. she kind of gave up on life after she dropped out of harvard. 

her dreams were crushed, so when her mom’s publisher at masters said that hr was hiring just about anyone with a bachelors, she applied so that she’d have a paycheck to buy video games and comic books. 

and that is why your hr rep says fuck and wears too much eyeliner and all black. thanks for coming to my ted talk. 

𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪 !!

so i know you aren’t technically Supposed to open with a disclaimer, but disclaimer: lottie is annoying as fuck for a variety of reasons: 

1) if you get to know her, she doesn’t shut up. like, i’m just apologizing for her in advance. even when she got her tonsils out, she just used a text to speech app in order to pontificate on eeveelutions and jason todd despite Many protests to stop. 

2) she’s incapable of admitting she’s wrong. it will never ever happen. you know that scene in malcom in the middle where they show lois the tape of her pulling out in front of the car when the cop pulled her over, and she was like the tape is wrong. that’s lottie–and she’d like to point out that lois was proven to be right, thank you very much. 

she’s a giant nerd. obvi. she’s obsessed with quantum theory, organic chemistry, and biology, specifically, but also, y’know, ridiculous superheroes and anime. 

she’s also a punk nerd; music is v, v important to her. her favorite bands are probably fall out boy pre-mania, blink before tom delonge left for the final time, green day always, ramones, the offspring, and sum 41. pls roast her. who does she think she is.

also, not a personality trait but v important, she was a goth in high school, and not a cool one lmao. 

she doesn’t believe in relationships bc she’s like that’s so much effort for so little reward, so she mostly sleeps around with men who she knows are completely wrong for her no matter the consequences.

she’s a not-so-secret pessimist. it’s v annoying, and i’m sorry.  

𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕟𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 !!

best friend: ( m, f, nb ), squad ( m, f, nb), childhood friends: ( m, f, nb ), roommates: ( m, f, nb ), fwb: (m, nb), casual hookups ( m, nb), ex: ( m, nb )

all the connections tbh. hmu or like this and i’ll hit you up !

[watchtower-feed]

Death Do We Part (Part 4)

SSA Spin-off ✧ Jason Todd ✧ Physical Link ✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5 ✧ 6 ✧ 7 ✧ 8 ✧ 9 ✧ 10 ✧ 11 ✧ 12 ✧ 13 ✧ 14 ✧ 15 ✧ Notes: Hold out for the next part because I’m telling you it’s going to have the worst combination ever: smut and angst. Also, this is turning into a 6-8 part series and I feel like I’m running out of words. I might post fillers some days but this story will definitely be finished this month. Words: 2,700+

     Your voice echoes in the cave and the only reply you get are their stares. You start laughing hysterically while looking around the room. “Is that what Robin really is? Someone so replaceable? You just find stray kids in Gotham and turn them into unknowing soldiers!”

     You’re breathing through your mouth and you close it immediately. You walk up right to Bruce and glare up at his tall figure. “Jason died. As Robin. He was Robin. And he died because of you.”

     Bruce doesn’t flinch. You keep staring at him, waiting for a reply. Then a thought hits you and your eyes widen. “This is why you don’t want him to know everything,” you’re whispering now and looking frantically at the ground, “If he finds out… Even with his memories, you’re afraid he’ll turn against you .”

      Jason tosses and turns in his bed. He stares at the last words he wrote to you and the empty space where yours was hours ago. It’s true. He doesn’t know who you are. He doesn’t even remember who he is.

      He grunts and sits up. He stares out the small window of his room. His cell. His prison. Ra’s and Talia told him he was free to go any time he wanted. What a cruel thing to say to someone who doesn’t know where he is. Not to mention wherever he is is surrounded by mounds and mounds of sand drifting endlessly with the harsh winds.

      “Yeah,” he sighs to himself, “like hell.”

      What does he even tell you? ‘Y/N, I think I’m in a desert somewhere. You have to look out for a secret base that’s heavily guarded by hundreds of assassins trained to maim intruders on sight.’ Knowing you for just a few hours, he already knows you would rush out and probably get yourself killed trying to save him. Then you’re both dead. Again.

      “No thanks,” he jokes to himself. “Not again. Not for a looooong while this time.”

      Jason suddenly grits his teeth and buries his face in his pillow, angry that he’s just talking to himself. But how can he talk to you now?

      Sleep doesn’t come to Jason. The moment the sun peeks over the sands outside his window, there’s a knock on his door. Talia doesn’t wait for his answer.

      “It’s time, Jason.”

      She stands by the door. Jason grunts loudly and throws the blanket aside. He walks behind Talia as they enter the main chamber of the fortress.

      When Jason last entered this chamber, there were hundreds of assassins clad in black just standing around, stiff and on alert. There was an old man seated on the floor in the middle in colorful garments of red and orange with some green accent. Jason almost laughed at how his mustache hung down the side of his face because of how long it was.

      Now, though, all the humor has definitely left him. There’s only the old man sitting on the floor, Ra’s Al Ghul. Talia’s father. The leader of the League of Assassins. The deadliest secret army in the world. And they had asked Jason to join them.

      “Have you made up your mind, young man?” Ra’s asks the moment Jason and Talia stood in front of him. Jason doesn’t answer and doesn’t look at him. Ra’s narrows his eyes at the boy and then glares at his daughter.

      “Perhaps, father, some incentive will tip his decision toward the League.”

      That definitely caught Jason’s attention, “What kind of incentive?”

      “Information,” Talia smirks before she turns back to her father. “Knowing about his past will do no harm.”

      Ra’s tightens his lips before nodding. Talia sits down and waits for Jason to do the same.

      “What do you want to know first?” she asks.

      Jason mulls it over. What does he want to know first? Should he ask about you? Do they know about your link? How much do they actually know about him really? Should he just go for the painfully obvious?

      “How did I die?”

      Talia smiles as if it was the right question to ask. “You were murdered. You were with your mother,” Jason flinches, “Trapped in a warehouse that was rigged to explode the moment a vigilante called Batman arrived near the perimeter.”

      Jason’s eyes widen and Talia stops talking. This is definitely too much information. And not enough information at the same time. Why isn’t she saying anymore?

      “Did the Batman rig the explosion?” he finally asks.

      Talia raises an eyebrow, “Him? No. The man who killed you is a madman who murders for no reason. The Joker.” She pauses while Jason takes it in. “Batman,” Talia says the alias with softness, “he was trying to save you. The Joker has always been a thorn in Batman’s side and a menace to Gotham-- that’s where you’re from. He’s always trying to push Batman to his limits, trying to find a way to get him to defy his most-honored code: no killing.”

      Ra’s makes a small sound, somewhere between a sigh and a grunt. Talia continues, much gentler this time, placing a hand on Jason’s leg, “He used your death for the same cause.”

      “I don’t understand,” Jason is frustrated, “why me?”

      Ra’s speaks up, “You’re Batman’s partner. You were also his adopted son. Bruce Wayne’s adopted son.”

      Jason’s eyes widen. He shifts his eyes between the two of them, wondering if they’re lying. From everything you have told him, he knows that his parents both left him and he chose to live on the streets. Now Jason understands why you never told him anything beyond that. It’s too close to this. It’s the cause of everything.

      “These names may not mean anything to you now, but once your memories return, you’ll know.”

      “And did he?” Jason’s voice raises their curious glances. “Did he kill the Joker?”

      “No,” Talia answers him, her eyes narrow as she stares into the distance behind him, “No, my dear. It’s clear that his code is the single most important thing to him. Over anyone.”

      Jason clenches his fists. “I’ll do it. I’m in.”

✧ ✧ ✧

      You wake up in your new room from someone knocking. You groan and bury your face deeper into the pillow. Your body feels heavy and fatigued even though all you’ve done for the past couple of days is sleep. Ever since your confrontation in the cave, you have less hope of making Jason cooperate and lesser will to help Bruce in his search.

      The knocking continues. Louder this time and more incessant than all the other times. You want to stomp to the door and yell at Alfred but none of this is his fault. It’s all Bruce. If he hadn’t adopted Jason, the two of you would be working right now, living paycheck to paycheck, in a studio apartment, maybe with a dog. At most you would be together.

      You hear a key jamming into the lock and you shoot up right away. You run to the tall window and hurry it open. When you’re holding the frames and getting ready to climb out, a familiar voice chuckles behind you.

      You turn to Dick, standing by the doorway, amused. “Breaking your legs might get Jason to start talking to you again. Sure.”

      You glare at him and then smile. You step away from the window frame and run to him. He catches you in his arms and hugs you. “You were gone too long!”

      Ever since your fight with Bruce, Dick has been the only one who’s upfront with you with everything. He kept you company whenever you felt lonely and he would update you with everything that’s going on with the search for Jason. But two days ago he left to take care of something in Bludhaven.

      “Next time, please take me with you. I don’t think I can lock myself in this room any longer.” Dick frowns and then turns his head to the side, avoiding your gaze and biting his lip. You narrow your eyes and sigh, “You’re leaving again, aren’t you?”

      “The Titans need me. I’ll be gone for a month, at most.”

      “A month!?”

      “I’ll call you every chance I get, okay?” Dick chuckles, trying to lighten the mood. Then he stops and looks at you with a serious expression, “But you know, you should really start talking to Bruce again.”

      You suddenly feel betrayed, “I have nothing to say to him.”

      But Dick was having none of this today. Your sulking attitude has been going on for days and it’s not helping anyone. “If not to him, then do it for Jason. Tell him about Jason, about the things you might be feeling that can help find him.”

      His words just make you angrier. He sighs and pats your head. “You know he blames himself, right? For everything. He’s hurting too.” Your resolve is weakening because Dick’s voice is turning into a whisper, “He loves Jason, too. We all do.” 

      He tries to look at you while you look at the ground. Finally, you return his gaze. “So I’m asking you. As a favor for me. Stop hiding in Jason’s room and go help Bruce.”

      You don’t. But you do stop locking yourself in Jason’s room. It turns out that the manor is empty most of the time. Sometimes you’d find Alfred in the living room or one of the many studies every now and then and talk to him. He smiles every time you strike up a conversation. 

      You’re surprised to hear he knows so much about you and your family. Then a little sad when you find out why.

      “Would it make you feel better to know that a lot of people attended?”

      You shake your head, “Did my… did my parents cry?”

      “Your mother was always trying to hold back her tears and your father cried when he and master Bruce buried your caskets.”

      Your eyes quickly water and you have to look away from Alfred to rub them harshly.

      “Ah, Master Tim, you’re back.”

      “Yeah I was--” Tim stops the moment he notices you. You try to make yourself small and look away, stubbornly ignoring your tears, hoping he won’t notice. “Oh sorry.” It’s the first time you’ve seen Tim again since finding out he’s the new Robin. In civilian clothing, he really does look nothing like Jason.

      He may be close to Jason’s height when you last saw him but Tim’s limbs look longer because of how slender he is. You wonder if he can actually hold his own in a fight. Can he protect himself?

      Tim turns to leave, “I’ll just--”

      “No, wait,” your voice surprises Tim, Alfred, and yourself. “I’m… sorry.” You rub the back of your neck but continue to avoid looking at him, “None of this is your fault. It doesn’t even have anything to do with you.”

      Tim gives you an uncertain smile and chuckles a little, “Thanks? I guess.”

      You don’t reply because you just feel embarrassed. That was a stupid and resentful thing to say.

      “Oh hey,” Tim walks up to you while pulling out his phone. “We were checking out the surveillance at the graveyard and thought maybe you would want to see this.” He shows you a video of your friends visiting your gravestone. At first, it looks like one of them is crying and then someone hugs them. Quickly, unexpectedly, it turns into an intense makeout session over your grave which makes you cringe.

      “You have a messed up sense of humor, don’t you?”

      Tim places a hand on his hip and smirks, “Comes with the job. Pretty much a requirement if you want to work with the fairy godmother of Gotham.”

      And just like that, you find that you don’t mind Tim so much. He’s not Jason but he can be your friend. You can definitely go to him to badmouth Batman once in a while. He seems to be good at that.

      Then Tim sees the thin slash appear on your cheek before you even feel it. It shocks Alfred onto his feet as well. “Y/N, your cheek!”

      Tim runs out of the room to get the first aid kit while Alfred asks you a barrage of questions. “Are you okay? Does it hurt? Is it master Jason?”

      Slowly, you touch your cheek and feel the sting of an open wound. Your fingers are smeared with blood. “I don’t know…” you whisper in a panic.

      Tim comes back and immediately dabs it with a gauze. “It’s not deep. But it’s definitely a clean cut. A bullet or a sword.”

      Neither of those possibilities makes you feel better at all. You immediately take out the pen Alfred gave you on your first night. 

      Jason are you okay? Are you in trouble? Are you hurt?

      The three of you wait for his reply, standing in a circle with your arm in the middle. After several minutes, Tim narrows his eyes and gives up. He goes through the first aid kit and takes out some antiseptic and a smaller gauze.

      You let him tend to your wound but you never take your eyes off of your arm. Alfred finally sighs, dejected, and closes his eyes. He holds the back of his chair for support before heading for the door. “I’ll inform Master Bruce. Please tell us right away if there’s news.”

      “You should go, too,” you mutter loud enough for Tim to hear.

      He looks at you for a second but you’re still staring intently at the clear skin on your arm, waiting. Tim finally turns to go and closes the door behind him. You stand there for hours. You can see the sun’s rays dimming behind you.

      Finally, Alfred returns. He looks upset the moment he sees you. He sighs and calls you for dinner. You shake your head and turn away so you don’t have to see him. 

      When he closes the door you immediately remember Dick. He’ll probably tell him what happened, how you’ve gone back to making no progress at all. Why are they obsessed with helping you anyway? They should be more concerned with Jason right now. Like you are.

      Did it hurt?

      The words are clear even in the partial darkness and your hands shake as you immediately reply.

      No. I didn’t feel it. Are you okay? What happened?

      You finally sit down slowly as you watch more writing appear on your arm, making you relieved.

      Just some exercise. Got a bit careless. I’m okay.

      It’s the most Jason has ever written to you, the most he’s been civil and sympathetic since you came back to life. You hope he doesn’t stop writing.

      By the way, I found out about how we died.

      You gulp immediately. Your pen is hovering over your arm when his next words arrive.

      I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to go through that. How come you didn’t tell me?

      You’re angry again and tears are pouring down your cheeks.

      No, Jason. It’s not your fault. It’s not! I didn’t tell you because I knew you were going to blame yourself and 

      And? And what? Bruce told you not to tell him? Because he would never come home? You bite your lips.

      reminding you of who you are is more important than that.

      You cringe as you write it. It’s true but you also know you’re using it as a lie to cover up the truth. You quickly write something again before he does.

      I would die ten more times for you. If it means we can finally be together.

      Jason laughs and a small blush is growing rapidly along his cheeks. He finds your tenacity amusing.

      Have you always been this sappy? Did I write corny shit like that back to you?

      You almost scoff at his reply. It’s nice to see that his personality still hasn’t changed. You smirk and look at the small writing Dick had done on your other arm, the arm you and Jason don’t write on because of the last thing he wrote. You circle it and write beside it.

      Like this?

      You feel a little smug but then there’s a long pause and then his writing.

      Did I write that just before we died?

      You bite your lips and rest your head against the back of the chair. You pinch yourself twice. You still know how each blow felt like and sometimes your muscles would spasm when you see it in your head. The moving room. The floor meeting your face. That crowbar that you now know was used to beat up Jason.

      You can still feel the sudden sucking air before the huge blast knocks your body away and the loss of all feeling before you even hit the ground. You lost your consciousness mid-air. You wonder if it was because of the strength of the blast or the sensitivity of your link, but from what Dick had told you, your body was thrown against the wall by an invisible force.

      You hug yourself and watch new writing appear.

      Did it hurt?

      You lay your head to the side. Exhausted from this conversation. Already tired of this second life.

        Jason, please. Come home. 

✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5 ✧ 6 ✧ 7 ✧ 8 ✧ 9 ✧ 10 ✧ 11 ✧ 12 ✧ 13 ✧ 14 ✧ 15 ✧

✧ Watchtower Masterlist ✧

[letsbreakhearts]

Ray

First things first. Jason Ryan Beck is the love child of @pepperpxtts​  portrayal of Pepper and my portrayal of Quentin Beck over at @letsbreakhearts. The role of his parents and family in this verse are restricted to only these two blogs. If you as another Pepper or Quentin mun wants to adopt him as your son, I am more than happy to figure a verse out together with you. Otherwise I will have options for interactions, in which he is simply from another universe. I will never force your muse to be in any form associated with mine, if you do not want them to be. 

Further on a disclaimer for his powers: They might come off as godmoding, but please have in mind the kid does rarely use them. I will never let him assume anything about your muse that you did not explicitly wrote down before in your latest reply. 

FC: Nick Robinson

Older verse FC: Adam Brody

Name: Jason Ryan Beck

Nickname: Jay, Ray, Jay-Ray, 

Age: 15-35 depending on the verse/timeline

Hight: 1,70m - 1, 83m depending on the verse/timeline

Gender: cis male

Sexuality: Demisexual

Parents: Pepper Potts & Quentin Beck 

Siblings: Sophie Beck (younger sister by one year) @troublemcker

Extended Family: (follows)

Significant other: Mostly single, aka long time crush and some verses married to Kaylee @wormholxtreme

Powers: Empath (reading of emotions) & mindreading. Later on: Mind bending/manipulation/brainwashing, erasing or manipulation of memories, transfering of emotions/projecting. 

Hero alias: He isn’t really established as hero and does not like to fight, if he doesn’t absolutely has to. Therefore he does not have an alias. 

Future occupation after college: Psychotherapist (older verse) (other verses: Teacher, Laywer...) 

Personality:

Jason is a bright young man, who is eager to be liked by anyone who crosses his way, especially his family. As an empath he grew to become a real people pleaser, because he can not stand to feel the pain of those closest to him. It formed him to be a very caring family man, but at the other hand very closed off. He does not open up easily, unless under a lot pressure. Too much of said pressure and negative emotions however do overwhelm him and make it difficult for him to control his powers, leading to one or another though being read he better not would have known about. A similar, if not even worse effect does have drugs of any kind on his abilities. They will increase his reach, but also make them uncontrollable. 

Being raised to have a very strong morality code, he keeps his powers a secret for the longest of time, only raising more problems with it. He believes it’s immoral to spy on people and therefor tries his best to not use his powers, which leads to not training them and therefore keep having trouble controlling them. On top of it, he sees no point in his powers, since he claims them to be useless in any fight against people who have super strength, can fly and shoot lasers. 

To avoid his powers being activated by chance, he stays away from large groups of people whenever he can, dedicating all his hobbies to things that he can do alone in isolation, with his favourite being swimming and especially diving in the lake in front of his family home. 

(More gonna be added maybe) 

Verses 1

V: Jay Ray (Main) Reading between the lines

His entire teen and early college years till the disappearance of his parents. All of the above, including the associated and linked blogs, is written mainly for this verse. However, I’m happy to write with other people in this verse as well, if you can see your muse fit in here. 

Verse 2

V: Jay Ray (Parallels) Come undone. Surrender is stronger

As in the above verse, with the difference that Ray’s powers are a little bit more advanced by now. Just enough for him to join his dad on a mission in another (your) universe, where he gets stuck and now is looking for a way back while he has to deal with the differences between those worlds. 

For those who do not see a kid for Beck and Pepper fit into their universe, but would like to interact anyways. Also available for crossover between fandoms. Though, I would prefer to make seperated verses for those eventually. 

Verse 3

V: Jay Ray (Future) Just a creature of habits 

After the disappearance of his parents during Ray’s early college years, he turns into a mess. While his younger sister Sophie tries to move on, Ray feels helpless, clinging to the little hope left that they are simply stuck in another universe and will return eventually. After years to come however, it seems like they will never come back. In the meantime Ray had long finished his studies and became a renowned psychotherapist, while Sophie went to travel the world. Without the last straw - his last family member - around, he turned to alcohol and other drug consumption, became bitter and cold towards people who’s paycheck he wasn’t depending on. He can not stand silence any longer. All he needs is to hear the thoughts of his loved ones once more. Instead he listened to strangers.