#why do rich people always wear the ugliest damn things

[rufousnmacska]

Hi can I request for another modern manorian fic?

This is unforgivably late so I apologize anon! There is more to come, hopefully in the next week.

Museum Day

Part 1

Dorian cringed and covered his ears as shrieking kids ran up the steps to the museum. They moved by him like water flowing around a rock and he wondered again why he’d agreed to be a field trip chaperone.

When he caught sight of his little brother laughing with his friends, his doubts vanished.

Hollin was still struggling with their father’s death. And with their newly arrived uncle who’d stepped in to take over as CEO. Having grown the family business to a sprawling, multi-national company, their father had become a greedy bastard. Dorian supposed it was necessary to reach that level of success. Still, the man had treated his sons relatively well. If withholding affection and attention was treating your children well.

Uncle Perrington made Dorian Sr. look like father of the year material. Hollin was certainly no angel, but no kid deserved the verbal lashings Perrington dealt out.

Dorian had one more semester of school and then he’d take Hollin and leave. In the meantime, chaperoning his brother’s class trip to the museum was the least he could do.

A teacher started to form the kids into groups and Dorian peered through the revolving door to the main entrance. The building housed both a natural history museum and an art museum. As a fifth-year architecture student, he’d spent some time in the art wings, but had never ventured into the other side. All those bones and stuffed animals never appealed to him. The kids’ excitement was infectious though, and he found himself eager to get started.

Once within the towering entry hall, Dorian took his group aside to wait for a tour guide and then buried his head in a map of the building. When Hollin and his friends became suddenly and uncharacteristically quiet, he looked up to see what had caused it.

His eyes met those of the guide, and as one, their jaws dropped in awkward recognition.

*****

“Why can’t I buy you a beer?”

The dark-haired princeling seemed to have a problem with her getting her own drink. Even if Manon hadn’t known he was a Havilliard – probably a lesser known cousin or something – his clothes pegged him for a rich boy. Gray pants and a blazer - who the hell wore a blazer to go out on a Saturday night? - and short curls that looked too messy to be anything but carefully arranged. Some spoiled brat out with his friend, looking for cheap booze and easy hook-ups in the bad part of town.

She glanced over to where Asterin was holding his friend against the wall, kissing him while his hands groped her ass. With an annoyed sigh, she had to admit their plan seemed to be going well for one of them. Turning back, she found he’d moved his bar stool an inch or two closer to her.

People hitting on her was common, and something she usually dismissed with a look that was scary enough to send them running. Being hit on here though… It didn’t happen. Ever. Most of the bar’s customers were family or people she’d known half of her life, making them family all the same. That was probably why Asterin had practically launched herself at that guy. He was fresh blood.

Just like the princeling, Manon caught herself thinking.

The moment the two had walked in, his blue eyes were locked on her. Manon had turned away, not interested. But a little later she’d turned to see him smiling at some joke his friend had made. Which lead to her getting caught staring. Which lead to Asterin abandoning her for the tall blonde and opening the door for this discussion over who was buying the drinks.

“Because I said so.” His grin widened at the growl in her voice and Manon had to look away before she got thoroughly trapped in it. “Besides,” she returned the grin, adding a knife sharp edge all her own. “I’m not drinking tonight.” She surprised herself by almost telling him she had to work early the next day. But he didn’t need to know that.

“As it happens”, he said, reaching back to get his glass of soda, “neither am I. So let me amend my offer.” He made a show of looking her up and down. But not in a creepy way. It was thoughtful and a little exaggerated and she had to bite back a smile. “You look like a Shirley Temple kind of girl…”

“Oh my god,” Manon groaned, unable to keep from laughing. And before she could stop him, he was ordering one for her.

*****

It was her. The white-haired witch from that bar he’d never been able to find again.

Chaol had called her a witch after hearing about that night. How else to explain Dorian’s obsession to find her. Or Gavriel never shutting up about the blonde he’d hooked up with.

“You’re both idiots,” Chaol had said. Only to be smacked on the arm by his girlfriend.

“They’re bewitched,” Yrene said. “Not idiots. I think it’s romantic!”

Chaol just shook his head. “So those women were witches. That doesn’t mean these two,” he pointed at his roommates, “aren’t idiots.”

Dorian had tried to retrace their steps. He remembered the parking garage they’d parked in, but from there, he’d had no luck. Gavriel, too drunk that night to recall getting there, was useless in the search. But he helped, being just as eager as Dorian to find it and the blonde again.

And now, here she was. About to lead him and a bunch of kids on a tour of the museum.

“Manon.” When he looked up from her name tag and found her still staring at him, eyes blazing gold, he allowed himself one self-satisfied smirk. She’d insisted on no names that night. “I’m Dorian,” he said, enjoying the sight of her reddening cheeks. But then her eyes flashed wide for a second in understanding and he wished no one had ever heard of his family.

“Can we see the T-Rex or are we just gonna stare at each other all day?” one of the students yelled, causing the group to break out into laughs and a cheer of agreement.

Smoothing out her oversized museum shirt, Manon cleared her throat and began calling out rules for the tour. Dorian listened dutifully, trying to ignore the memories of that night playing through his mind.

*****

Alcohol would be the perfect excuse. But unfortunately, there was no excuse for the dancing. Manon was not someone who danced. Especially here, in her father’s bar.

Well, that wasn’t exactly true. When they were teenagers, she and her gang of cousins and friends would sing and dance to whatever cheesy 80’s songs were still working on the old jukebox in the corner. But that wasn’t really dancing.

She’d never slow danced with someone before.

After an hour or two of flirting and laughing, and another god awful Shirley Temple, the princeling had convinced her to dance with him. What was she supposed to do when Asterin changed the song midway through? She couldn’t just walk away when the music slowed. That would be rude.

So here she was, dancing in the arms of a Havilliard while another slow song began, trying not to think about how good he smelled. Or felt. Or might taste.

Asterin and her blonde were dancing too, but not seriously. They were swirling each other around, paying no attention to the music. She always admired that ability of Asterin’s to just not give a fuck and have fun.

They’d both had a similarly shitty upbringing, so Manon often wondered why she was incapable of letting go like that. Then she’d remember how much more Asterin had suffered, remembered that it was as much a defense mechanism as anything. She of course had her own defenses as a result of growing up with their grandmother. Once they’d escaped, and she’d found her father, Manon had thought she’d let those walls down a bit.

Having her first slow dance at the age of 26 might be a sign that she hadn’t.

When the song ended, she looked up into gemstone eyes and decided she wanted to have some fun of her own.

“You want to get out of here?”

 *****

This was a nightmare. Truly awful. She didn’t know how her day could get any worse. This was why she never did anything fun. This was how her luck worked. Of course the one guy she has anonymous sex with would show up at work for a goddamn tour with a bunch of kids.

And, I’m wearing the ugliest damn clothes I own, she thought miserably, leading the group up to the second floor.

The kids seemed to be enjoying themselves at least.

Manon was not overly fond of children. Usually they were fine. But more often than not, they had a way of seeing right through you and blurting out whatever secret they’d uncovered. Leading school groups was a price she was willing to pay for the experience and connections she was gaining at the museum. And she’d learned that if she kept talking, kept asking questions, kept them entertained… The next thing she knew, it was over.

This group was doing well, answering her questions, asking a lot of their own. It would have been perfect. If not for the princeling - basically a true prince she knew now - whose eyes followed her everywhere and saw every blush that crossed her cheeks and every glance she stole in his direction.

Directing them all into a room, she ignored Dorian as he passed her. After everyone was inside she began to talk about the displays of rocks and minerals lining the dark walls. This exhibit was one of her favorites because of the reactions it got. With the T-rex and triceratops skeletons just downstairs, people gasping at a bunch of rocks was always a highlight of giving a tour. The second she flipped off the main lights and hit a switch to activate the UV lights, the kids oohed and aahed at the brilliant reds and greens and blues of the fluorescent minerals. The UV moved from rock to rock, spotlighting each one in turn. Manon was supposed to name them as they were featured, but she usually didn���t, letting them just enjoy the show.

It was mostly dark, so she risked a glance towards Dorian. He was standing with a boy she assumed was his brother, even though they looked nothing alike. The smile he wore was reminiscent of the one that had ensnared her that night. A smile that seemed to come so easily, so often. A smile she didn’t think herself capable of. When he turned in her direction, she brought the lights back up and lead them to the next exhibit.

*****

Being Gavriel’s designated driver was never fun. It didn’t happen often since he rarely drank. But that was the problem. He was a lightweight when it came to alcohol, and a heavyweight when it came to lugging his ass home. Chaol had once thrown out his back trying to help the guy up the stairs to their apartment.

So when they’d started the night with Chaol bowing out, and Gavriel needing to unwind from exams, Dorian was expecting an evening of babysitting and boredom. Even Gavriel’s insistence that they find bars in sections of the city they’d never been to before wasn’t enough to rouse his interest.

Until they’d found this place. Until he’d seen her. Standing at the bar in jeans and a sweater, her silvery white hair falling down her back in a messy braid. Blood red lips and black nails. The exact opposite of what most women he knew wore on a night out. And she was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever laid eyes on. The thought had made him laugh. It was such a cliche. But even cliches could be true sometimes.

And now she was pulling him out a back door and down an alley.

Dorian was stone cold sober. So why did he feel like he was floating? Why was his brain buzzing and his heart pounding? She glanced back at him and smiled as she led him onto another street.

Oh, he thought, grinning back. That’s why.

There was nothing in his system except her.

They stopped at a door and before he could try to figure out where they were, she had it unlocked and pulled him inside. And before he could say anything, she was kissing him.

It took every ounce of self control he possessed, but he needed to ask. So breaking apart from the softest lips he’d ever kissed, he said, “Wait. What’s your name?“

With a smirk that set him on fire, she said, “No names. Just fun.” Then, more seriously, she asked, “Do you have a condom?”

He pulled a couple out of his pocket to show her and she rolled her eyes, still smiling. But then he hesitated. As much as he wanted to know her name, Dorian realized that if she told him, he’d have to give his. He could lie, but he didn’t want to do that with her. And if this one night was all she was willing to give him, he’d take it. On her terms.

“I’m at your command,” he said, losing his breath at the heat that overtook her at his words.

“I’ll try to be gentle,” she teased as she took his lower lip between her teeth. Dorian groaned and lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. “Down the hall. First door on the left,” she said, sounding out of breath too.

As he carried her to the bedroom, Dorian uttered a brief, silent thank you to Gavriel for dragging him out tonight.

*****

“Have dinner with me?”

Manon’s eyes slid over to him as the kids ran off into the gift shop, where the tours always ended. They were left alone. No distractions, no excuses.

Dorian knew he was probably crossing a line. He’d done his best to pay attention as she’d led them through the various halls and galleries, but there were a few times when she’d caught him watching her and not the exhibits. She’d been flustered once or twice by him though. Which was why he decided to throw his luck to the wind and just ask.

“What was your favorite exhibit?” she asked, watching the kids as the other groups from their school joined them.

“Excuse me?” That was not the answer he’d been expecting.

“Was there a certain dinosaur you liked? Or one of the dioramas? Maybe something in the Hall of Minerals?” Manon finally turned to look at him, her face expressionless. “What was your favorite part?” She repeated the question a little more slowly, enunciating each word.

He hesitated, sensing a trap. The answer forming on the tip of his tongue - You, of course - would undoubtedly spring it and send him limping home with his pride in ruins.

“Uh…” He fumbled through his brain for something, anything, as he realized he’d been silent for too long. “The dinosaurs. I liked the giant winged ones.” It wasn’t a lie, they were his favorites. And not just because her voice seemed to grow more excited while talking about them. For some reason, they seemed more unbelievable than the other fossil skeletons, more fantastical and amazing. But under the pressure of her piercing stare, there was no way he’d remember any of their names.

Giving nothing away to signify if he’d given a good reply, she simply asked, “The raptors?”

Dorian tried not to sound relieved. “Yeah, the raptors. They were cool. Frightening as hell, but cool.” Manon made a disappointed sigh and he knew instantly that he’d fucked up.

“Raptors are birds of prey. Or small carnivorous dinosaurs. Like Jurassic Park.” She curved a finger that sported an exceptionally sharp nail. “The giant flying ones are pterosaurs. Which are reptiles. If you’d been paying attention, maybe you would have known that.” Stepping closer to him, her voice soft and lethal, she said, “Perhaps if you could answer my question properly, my answer wouldn’t be no.”

Before he could say anything to defend himself, Hollin rushed over and grabbed his hand. As his brother pulled him towards baskets of fake fossils for sale, Dorian glanced back at Manon. She was basking in the satisfaction of tricking him. But there was something else there besides the smooth as cream smile. Her eyes were blazing with a challenge.

He was pulled away again and when he looked back, she was gone. As Hollin picked out his souvenirs, Dorian decided the two of them should start coming to the museum more often. His brother enjoyed it, and there was the extra benefit of getting Hollin out of their toxic home. And he clearly needed to bone upon his dinosaur names.

To be continued…

I don’t think tags are working, but just in case…

@itach-i @nestasbucket @manontrashbeak @bookishwitchling @jimetg98 @mis-lil-red @chloe123love607 @sierrareads @yourfacesickens-me @awesomelena555 @monstrousloves-explodinggalaxies @blackhavilliard

fanfic master list (includes the link to my fics on AO3)

[timeisacephalopod]

Courtship

Have a fun high school ABO AU in which Bucky is a tired omega who’s kind of tired of people hitting on him and Tony happens to be the only one who gives him good courting gifts!

Bucky stares into his locker as some random alpha prattles on next to him about shit he doesn’t care about. He sighs and turns to her, “want to know how to lose about fifteen pounds instantly?” he asks and she frowns.

“Uh, sure?” she asks more than states.

“Get into a car accident and lose an arm,” he tells her. It has the desired result of making her give him a confused and also slightly grossed out look as she walks away.

Beside him he hears a snort and he turns to find some other god damn alpha beside him and honestly how many really feel the need to try their luck today? Can’t they take a hint? “Nice. Should have told her to lose her head though. I mean, you’d have to sacrifice the fact that you lost an arm in a car accident once but it’d still be funny. I could make you a new arm though,” the guy says and Bucky laughs.

“I can do without some weird straw arm, thanks.” Its more polite than he feels like being but he’s pretty sure laughing at the guy’s suggestion is harsh enough. Doesn’t seem to fluster him any and Bucky can’t tell if that’s good or bad at the moment.

“It wouldn’t be straw, but that’s cute. Or disturbing, depends on if someone has handed you a straw arm before.” Bucky doesn’t answer and the guy winces. “Fuck, people around here have no idea how to give courting gifts,” he mumbles and he walks off. Bucky frowns because that’s the first time someone else’s weird behavior managed to get someone to leave him be. He doesn’t think too long on it though, content to go to class instead of worrying himself with it.

*

Tony’s had the design half made for awhile and he figured the gift was original enough to make him not look like a fucking idiot but apparently some other tool bag went and made poor Bucky a straw arm so he automatically looks better in comparison. Still kind of a weird gift but Tony figures if nothing else its practical and he think practicality is a useful thing to consider when gift giving. Also, without knowing Bucky all that well its kind of all he has to go on.

Bucky looks baffled though, but not the same kind of baffled he is when he gets jewelry, which Tony doesn’t get because he’s never seen Bucky wear any jewelry. Rhodey’s always annoyed that no one gets him any jewelry but mostly because he’d pawn it for money so he can buy stuff he actually wants. Probably another model plane not that Tony would ever tell anyone sniffing around for that information that.

“You made me an arm,” he says, sounding more confused than he looks.

Tony has no idea if this is a good or bad reaction. “Um, yeah. Said I would. And its not straw,” he adds, attempting to make a joke but it falls flat.

“Its metal,” Bucky says, ever the astute one.

Yeah, this has gone terribly. Tony shrugs a little, “um. Better building material? I’ll uh, leave you to it,” he tells Bucky before scurrying off.

Rhodey’s face tells him everything he needs to know when he gets back to his own locker space. He settles a hand on Tony’s shoulder, “I mean, you tried man.”

“Guess the good news is that he didn’t quote Charles Manson?” Tony asks more than states but Rhodey looks like he feels even more sorry for him at that.

“Tones, that should probably be a given.”

Okay, maybe that’s a point but Bucky does manage to pull the weirdest quotes from the even more fucked up sources just to get people to give him a break and maybe not getting a weird line from a cult leader is a good thing. But maybe given Rhodey’s pitying look it isn’t an improvement at all.

*

Bucky has no idea how the arm is doing any of that but holy shit it works mostly like a normal arm. Grasping stuff is a little difficult because he doesn’t know how to control strength given that his flesh arm has limits this one doesn’t but still he didn’t think it was more than a stunt. He only tried it on for shits and giggles.

“Hey,” he says, finding Tony in the back of the library with, of all things, college math texts around him. Bucky frowns, “what’s with the higher curriculum?” he asks.

Tony sighs, shooting a copy of Macbeth an offended look. “Technically I could have graduated high school years ago but English continues to fuck me over. And I need a couple other credits. But I’m good at math so,” he says, gesturing to his math texts.

Bucky mostly sees letters and his last brain cell checks out because fuck that shit. “Uh huh. How’d you get this arm to do these things? Its like its reading my mind,” he says, lifting his hand and looking at it. Freaks him out still when he lifts it because he hasn’t had a left arm in a year and when it shows up in his field of vision he jumps out of surprise.

“It kind of is-” Tony starts but Bucky cuts him off.

“My arm is psychic?” he asks and why did he have to go say that? The one time he manages to not get a shitty gift from someone who wasn’t at all pushy about it and he had to go say something weird.

Tony laughs though, “I... well no, that’s not technically how it works but I’ll spare you the long winded scientific explanation because a psychic arm is more fun.”

Fuck, Bucky doesn’t know what to do here now. He used to be kind of good at this but that car accident fucked him up pretty good and now his best bet is to get people do go away because he doesn’t want to date anyone. Sometimes he missed the dates and courting were fun because now its a hassle for him because of the newfound anxiety.

“Thanks for the arm, it freaks me out when I see it because I forget that I used to have an arm but this is neat,” he says and immediately flees because that is by far the worst reaction he could have spit out.

*

Sure social media has its drawbacks but Tony did manage to glean a bunch of information from Bucky’s Facebook so there’s that even if he hates Zuckerberg. Still, every troll has its use so when he shows up beside Bucky’s locker he feels relatively confident in himself at least until he gets a fucking death glare. He stops for a moment, glancing behind himself for some stupid reason before making peace with the fact that Bucky was, in fact, glaring at him in particular. “I can go,” he says, waving a hand around.

Thankfully Bucky relaxes and sighs. “Sorry, I’ve had a bad morning,” he says, picking up the fucking ugliest brooch Tony has ever seen with his thumb and forefinger in disgust and holding it up like a totem of annoyance. Which Tony supposes it is.

“Good news Buck, that’s expensive. Faberge. From the looks of it you could probably get a couple grand for that,” he says and Bucky stares at it him like he’s nuts.

“For tis ugly as fuck beetle looking thing?” he asks and Tony shrugs.

“Rich people like ugly shit.” As a rich person he feels he’s qualified to talk on the subject and frankly he doesn’t get the obsession people have with the tackiest stuff. Even his mom has a weird attachment to ugly things.

Bucky looks back to the ugly beetle brooch. “I think you telling me this isn’t a worthless hideous trinket is better than the actual gift,” he says before he tosses it back in his locker. “I assume you come bearing gifts too?” he asks more than states. He looks tired of it and frankly Tony doesn’t blame him, omegas seem to constantly be drown in attention that betas are jealous of and alphas who suck whine about because why do they have to buy all the gifts? Tony might think that has merit if it wasn’t for the fact that alphas started that trend and continue to enforce it with much more attention than any omega does. Actually omegas seem to avoid the attention but the pretty ones don’t get a choice. Hence Bucky.

He moves a little closer and hands Bucky his next gift. Bucky takes the tickets and his eyebrows go up in surprise, “Rocky Horror tickets,” he says, shocked.

“Yeah, uh. The second one is for whoever. Steve I assume. Musicals aren’t my thing,” Tony says. He watched it for reference and honestly Bucky has some... weird taste. Online research tells him its a classic but its definitely not Tony’s taste.

Bucky frowns, “you gave me tickets to a show you don’t even expect me to take you to?” he asks and Tony frowns.

“Is that not normal? I watched the movie but like... I don’t get the appeal. Why would I go to something that doesn’t really interest me when you have friends that you'd probably rather take?” If he got tickets to something he liked he’d take Rhodey over anyone else unless whatever it was interested Pepper more, then he’d take her.

“I... wow okay. Thanks,” Bucky says, smiling down at the tickets.

*

Rhodey stares across the parking lot and Tony follows his gaze, frowning. “She’s a lesbian, Rhodey,” he tells him. Rhodey turns to give him a dirty look.

“What do you know, Stark?” he asks and Pepper snorts from the other side of the car.

“More than you because he’s right, Carol is clearly gay as hell and in love with Maria. I don’t know if they know it yet though. What do you think?” she asks him and Tony doesn’t know why. He sucks at this stuff.

“I think Carol knows, but Maria is clueless.”

Pepper nods, looking back over to them talking together. Carol has her head thrown back, laughing at something Maria has said. “You guys are wrong,” he tells them but he has no confidence in his voice so Tony knows Rhodey knows that he and Pepper are right. “So how’s the Bucky thing going?” he asks instead, changing the subject. Pepper looks interested too and Tony shrugs.

“I assume okay. I haven’t found any of my stuff in the garbage so that’s nice.” Pretty sure that brooch would have ended up in the trash if Tony hadn’t told him  it was worth money.

“You gave him an arm, how’s he supposed to throw that out?” Rhodey asks and Tony squints.

“Trash cans can hold arms, Rhodey. Serial killers occasionally leave them in there.” Rhodey rolls his eyes at him and that’s fucking rude, Tony’s right and they all know it.

“Well that’s good news! The not throwing out your gifts thing, not the serial killer arm thing obviously” Pepper adds when she realizes how that sounds. “Maybe if he agrees to a date you’ll shut up about him.”

Tony gives her a dirty look because he doesn't even talk about Bucky that much. “Yeah, you’re always on about him,” Rhodey says, happy to latch on to anyone but him being made fun of. Tony gives him a dirty look too. “Don’t look at us like that, its not our fault you never stop talking about him.”

“I don’t talk about him that much,” Tony mumbles.

*

Bucky starts looking forward to Tony’s gifts because they’re always something that Bucky would like, not something shiny, or something his suitor would like but he doesn’t care about. The gifts show that Tony pays attention to what he says given that he mentioned liking Harley Quinn once and Tony got him a bunch of comics about her. Better than any of the other stuff he got anyway and even if he spends a lot, and Bucky is sure he does, he’s not showy about it. Or pushy and Bucky is especially fond of that.

Some alphas, they go out of their way to give people who didn’t ask for them gifts and then get mad when omegas don’t respond the way they like. Tony clearly wants his affections, but he never really pushes it. So when Tony hands him a gift card to a book store Bucky calls him back. “How do you know I read?” he asks and Tony snorts.

“There’s at least three new books in your locker every week. Usually on cults or serial killers and you have weird interests. Was gunna grab a book on something you read about, but then I realized I have no idea what you’ve already read and you obviously have that information so I figured a gift card might be more useful to you than my stab in the dark.”

A gift card would be more useful to him. Tony isn’t exactly wrong about that, but the fact that he knows anything at all about Bucky’s interests is surprising in its own right. “Do you have any plans tonight?” he asks and Tony smiles brightly for a moment before ehe pulls back a little.

“Not really. I mean I was probably going to watch Star Wars for the millionth time but other than that, no.”

“I’ve never seen Star Wars,” Bucky admits and he laughs when Tony appears to short circuit. “What? I have better things to do. I watch a lot of documentaries,” he says in his own defense.

“Okay but like. Star Wars,” Tony says meaningfully.

Bucky shakes his head, smiling. “Fine, since you’ve taken such an interest in what I like I’ll watch Star Wars with you but be warned that I don’t trust people who give me bad movie recommendations.”

“Star Wars is great, you’ll love it if for no other reason than weird looking aliens and totally cheesy graphics compared to what people can do now.”

[caroline-min-max]

Five Finger Fillet

The twins discover that Caroline plays a dangerous game when she’s upset.

Caroline appreciated having her own personal driver and two escorts to help carry her bags. Min and Max were always so eager to help, never complaining or showing any signs of irritation even if her request that they take her somewhere was last minute.

They’d proven to be surprisingly helpful, having a good eye for what kinds of clothing and colors looked best on her, as well as remembering what they needed back at home if Caroline forgot. 

The trio normally stuck together but they’d split up this time to visit the many stores that were on Gotham’s main street. Male company was very much not desired this time as Caroline entered a ladies’ undergarment store.

All that jumping around she did as the White Rabbit put plenty of strain on the bras she wore. It was common for her to return home to find that the one she had on was out of commission. The high impact sports bras this store carried seemed to be holding up well so she wanted to buy a few more while she was here. 

After making her purchase Caroline walked out to the car where they’d decided to meet once everyone was ready. She was the first to arrive, Caroline standing by the car patiently for the boys. They’d waited on her plenty of times so she didn’t mind in the slightest. It was a nice day out and people watching could be fun.

The sun was just starting to go down. This was the hour it could start to get risky to linger in Gotham as the unsavory types started venturing out. Caroline and the twins hadn’t been worried. They weren’t exactly Gotham’s typical “upstanding” citizens themselves and they didn’t plan on being out for long. 

One thug had decided to get up early. He spotted Caroline on his walk to a bar and didn’t hesitate to approach her. Caroline frowned as she spotted, wishing they’d kept the doors to the car unlocked now. She looked around, not seeing either Min or Max.

“Hey, doll,” he said, alcohol already on his breath from a bottle he finished at home as he leaned in close. Caroline crinkled her nose and leaned back from the odor. Besides that it smelled like this man hadn’t had a decent bath in a few days. “Why don’t come with me? We’ll have a real good time.”

“I’m waiting on my friends,” Caroline replied. “We’ll be going home so you just run along.” She said with a wave of her hand. What did a man like this think he was doing coming on to her? His clothes were ragged, filthy, and he was in need of a shave. She walked around these days looking like a rich heiress. 

“Snobby bitch...” the man snarled.

“Let go!” Caroline shouted when he grabbed her arm, shoving against his chest. While he may have been a thug he was a BIG thug, she having no affect. 

“What kind of panties did you get?” the man asked noticing the small bag that displayed the shop’s name she held along with her purse. 

“Go away!” Caroline was mortified. If he so much as touched that bag she’d burn it all when she got home and get new ones. She refused to wear anything that were in that man’s hands. 

Should she attack him? No one seemed to be paying attention but that could change if she kicked him too hard and did some serious damage. There would be questions. She could always stab him if things escalated too far...

Thankfully Caroline didn’t have to worry about that. On their way back to the car, Min and Max spotted what was happening and dashed towards Caroline. In moments she was being held protectively in Max’s arms while Min pulled the man away from her.

 “Did he hurt you?” Min asked Caroline, the man’s collar in his grasp. He stared down the man with a snarl. 

The man was completely bewildered. When she’d mentioned “friends” he hadn’t expected two men, much less two well built, extremely angry, identical twins. They were taller and stronger than even him.

“No,” Caroline answered. “You two got here just in time.”

Min wanted to beat the man within an inch of his life but knew now was not the right time or place. “Get the hell out of here and don’t even come near her again if you see her. Got it?” He gave the man a hard shove back, nearly making him fall over. Caroline couldn’t help but be envious of that kind of strength.

The man didn’t answer. He simply took off running like coward. 

“Lets get you home, Miss White.” Max unlocked the car and helped her inside as Min kept his eyes on the man for a moment longer to make sure he wouldn’t be coming back. “Are you alright?” he asked after all three of them were in the car, noticing Caroline looked distressed in the back seat.

“I’ll be fine...” Caroline answered. “I’m just a little shaken up. I don’t know what to do if I’m attacked while looking like this...”

The twins hadn’t even thought about that dilemma. They felt sympathetic at once. It could be a slippery slope trying to not draw any suspicions that they were actually wanted criminals hiding in plain sight. Seeing Caroline stab or kick anyone could be just enough to make someone realize she was the White Rabbit, with or without her ears showing.

“Well that guy won’t make the same mistake twice,” Min said, Max agreeing.

They failed to notice this didn’t make Caroline feel any better. She was deep in thought about what had occurred, not even noticing when they were home until Min opened her door and wanted to help her out of the car.

Max stirred before sleepily opening his eyes. It wasn’t even near dawn yet but he found himself needing to use the restroom. He’d rather not get out of bed but it couldn’t wait. 

Frowning, Max pulled the covers off and silently left the room he shared with his brother without disturbing Min. Min tended to be a much heavier sleeper but he could be a grouch if something did manage to wake him up. 

As he neared the bathroom Max could hear a faint noise near the kitchen that sounded out of place. His need to relieve himself becoming urgent, he ignored it for a moment while he took care of it. After washing his hands and entering the hallway again he listened for it once more.

He heard it again. It was an oddly rhythmic noise that seemed to be caused at even intervals but then he heard the pace speed up slightly. What in the world was it? He had to investigate.

Nearing the kitchen, Max noticed that the light was on. Was Caroline awake? What was she doing? The sound was continuing and once again he was certain the pace had quickened.

Max peered inside around the door frame. Sitting at the kitchen table, clad in a pink robe over her nightgown, was Caroline. In front of her was a cutting board that Max had never seen before. Placed on it was her left hand, fingers spread apart, and she was stabbing a knife in-between them. 

A game of Five Finger Fillet? Max’s eyes went wide. By the looks of the gashes and deep red stains on that cutting board it looked like it was a regular event. 

He and Min had always been curious about the small scars they’d seen on Caroline’s left hand. It had only been that one; from what they could tell there were no visible blemishes on her right. More observant than most men, Min and Max had noticed the number of scars slowly grow and Caroline had once gone out with them when she had her thumb bandaged. 

Neither of them ever would have guessed playing such a dangerous game was the reason.

Max stood frozen as he watched, not daring to make a sound as he watched Caroline casually go about stabbing the knife rather forcefully between each space before starting over and repeating, only the speed changing as she got more confident that she wouldn’t miss. Her eyes looked completely glazed over. 

He wanted to cry out for her to stop, his heart in his throat, but Max was afraid he’d startle Caroline and she’d wind up harming herself because he’d distracted her. It was terrible to watch. The knife’s blade was glinting, like it had been sharpened recently, and that tip looked deadly. It would likely slice into skin easily like butter.

It took several minutes before the inevitable happened.

“Ahh!” Caroline hissed through her teeth when she nicked the side of her middle finger, wincing. At last her strikes paused.

The small gasp Max let out to witness it happen was plenty loud enough to send Caroline’s sensitive ears shooting upright. She looked towards the doorway, expression not changing when she spotted him.

“Good evening, Max,” Caroline said calmly. “Can’t sleep either?”

“I-I...” Max stammered, taken aback by the fear he suddenly felt. That wasn’t the reaction he’d been expecting and those big, pink eyes of hers seemed to be looking right into his soul. “Miss White... Why are you doing that?”

“Oh, this?” Caroline looked back down. Her cut was still bleeding and slowly trickling onto the cutting board to give it a new stain. “Stress reliever.”

“But you hurt yourse-” Max began as he started towards her.

“So?” Caroline snapped harshly, her glare when she looked back at Max stopping him in his tracks. “Everyone else gets to hurt me so why don’t I get a say in it?!” Her frown was practically a snarl now. “That’s how it’s always been! My dad got to hit me whenever he wanted. When I thought it couldn’t get worse than that every time I worked at that club I had to deal with those gross men trying to put their hands on me. Whenever I’d complain about it I was told that I should be grateful anyone would even be interested in me because I was the ugliest girl there!” 

“Miss White...” Softly saying her name was all Max could think of. He didn’t dare try to get any closer. The knife was still clenched firmly in Caroline’s grasp and aimed at her hand. 

“And I still can’t do a damn thing about it as Caroline White! If I were the White Rabbit then that guy would’ve been dead! I can’t stab or kick anyone when I’m just me! I tried to push him away but I’m too weak! No matter how much I work out it won’t change how small and useless my hands are against lunk heads like that! He would’ve just laughed at me if I’d punched him!” 

That’s how it had gone in the past. All of a rabbit’s strength was in their powerful legs. Nothing had happened to enhance the power in Caroline’s arms or fists at all. These days if she punched an average person she could likely hurt them but she’d never be winning a fistfight with any of Gotham’s goons.

“The real me will always be nothing but useless! She’ll always be here!” Caroline’s frustration at herself kept building. She was shaking now, as if her anger was too much for her tiny body to handle.

His mind still racing as to what to do, Max noticed movement from the opposite entryway. It seemed Min had woken up and decided to see what was keeping Max out of bed. He’d likely heard Caroline just like Max did after that.

“If that’s going to keep happening then I might as well hurt myself before someone else gets to it!” As Caroline kept ranting Min very slowly started entering the kitchen, not making a sound. In his socks he slid more than walked across the linoleum. Max avoided looking at him so as not to alert Caroline to anything going on behind her. “Sometimes... Sometimes... I just want to take this knife and...” She raised it high above her head.

“DON’T!” Max cried as he ran towards her.

Caroline thrust the knife down towards the back of her hand. In a flash Min was at her back, grabbing her wrist to try and slow the knife’s descent. Max dove forward and slid his hand over the top of Caroline’s, wincing to feel the knife’s tip pierce into his hand. Thankfully it didn’t go any further.

Completely stunned Caroline offered up no resistance as Min gently slid the knife out her hand and tossed it to the side. Max hadn’t been cut badly at all but everyone’s eyes were on the small amount of blood that oozed from it. 

“Why would you do that?” Caroline asked, horrified by what she’d accidentally done. “My hand is already cut up but yours...” Tears welled up in her eyes. 

“We couldn’t just stand by and watch you hurt yourself,” Max answered softly. 

“It’s fine!” Caroline tore her wrist out of Min’s grasp. “It’s only my hand; I don’t go any farther! If you two are going to live here you’re going to have to ignore it. I’ll only do it at night when you should be sleeping!”

“We can’t do that, Miss White,” Min replied. Now that he and Max knew they were going to put a stop to it. 

“Well you don’t have any say in it!” Caroline snapped. 

“Please?” Max took a different approach, looking at Caroline with pleading eyes. He cautiously reached forward and grasped both of her hands.

“You’re going to get blood on yo-” Caroline began but Max held onto her hands firmly, but as gently as he could, so she couldn’t pull them away. 

“These are the hands that saved my life,” Max interrupted, not caring about the slight wetness he felt from Caroline’s cut. “These are the hands that took the bullet out of my shoulder and sewed me up. These are the hands that checked my wound each day and changed my bandages until I healed. You’re not useless, Miss White.’

“You have Max and I now,” Min tried to remind her again. We can handle the rough stuff! You’re the brains! The three of us can handle anything together but Max and I would fall apart without you!”

“It’s true!”

Caroline stiffened when she felt Min hug her from behind. Max looked at his brother nervously, worried he’d just made the worst move possible. Min waited a moment to see how Caroline would respond, relieved when she didn’t get angry or try to pull away.

“You said when you hired us that you wanted us to protect you, to keep you safe,” Min pointed out, his voice a low, soothing hush. “We’re doing that right now. You can’t do this anymore.” 

Caroline didn’t respond. 

“Please promise us, Miss White.” Max’s puppy dog eyes were enough to make Caroline soften up and sigh.

“Fine,” Caroline relented. “You two win.”

“Thank you.” Max leaned forward and kissed Caroline’s forehead. If Min could keep his hands on her shoulders surely he could get away with something so small and chaste. “Lets take care of our cuts now.”

“Y-yes...” Caroline replied, a bit flustered from the affection.

Min let Caroline go as Max helped Caroline up so they could walk over to the sink and wash their hands. Just in case of kitchen accidents there was a box of band-aides in a junk drawer that Max took out, wrapping one around Caroline’s finger before placing one over the top of his hand.

“It was shallow,” Max said with a smile when he noticed the look of guilt on Caroline’s face. “It’ll heal in no time!”

Caroline turned back towards the the kitchen table and saw that Min seemed to have vanished. The cutting board and knife had disappeared too. He had to have been as sneaky as possible to leave without her hearing him.

She knew what he was doing. He was either hiding or throwing away the knife and cutting board in hopes she wouldn’t be tempted to use them again. They’d be so simple for her to replace, and she’d be sneakier about it the next time around, but a promise was a promise.

Min was back soon enough. He looked at Caroline timidly, as if worried she were going to yell at him. He seemed perplexed when she offered a small smile instead.

“Now there’s something I want,” Caroline said as she crossed her arms, the twins straightening up at once and moving to stand in front of her. She sounded serious. “You two are the only men allowed to touch me. Anyone else does it when we’re not in civilian clothing you give them a nice new hole in their forehead. Otherwise... I guess you’ll have to stick close to me so what happened today won’t ever again.”

“We’ll wait outside the store for you from now on if we can’t come in!” Max agreed, Min too busy thinking about how Caroline had said he and Max were the only two men allowed to touch her to speak.

“Thank you.” Caroline knew she couldn’t have gotten a better response. Well...” Her ears wilted and shoulders slumped as she leaned against the counter. With all the excitement over with she was feeling her lack of sleep now. “Lets go back to bed and try and put this unpleasantness behind us.” She stifled a yawn.

“You’re OK?” Max asked.

Caroline nodded. “I know it was shocking for the two of you but it was like scratching an itch for me, Max.” She held up her hand to inspect the band-aide. Still on snug with no sign of any blood leaking through. “I’m just sorry you both saw that...” She must have looked like a madwoman. 

Embarrassed, ashamed, and guilty all at once Caroline exited the kitchen. The twins lingered for a moment before they nodded at one another and started for their room as well. They felt confident that Caroline would stay in her room until morning. 

She’d given them her word and they wouldn’t forget to fulfill their end of the deal as well.

[mycasandstarrs]

SPN 8x05: “Blood Brother”

THEN: Sam retired because he met Amelia and had a normal life with her. Dean went to Purgatory and befriended a vampire. Cas was also in Purgatory. Kevin, Prophet of the Lord. Kevin and his mother ran away and are in hiding.

Eagle Harbor, Washington.

Benny’s getting revenge at anyone involved with his original death.

OOOHHH BENJAMIN.

RIP Quentin. Killed by Benny.

Stood up by Kevin...again.

“When's that little idiot gonna stop running from us?”

“I don't know, Dean. I mean, you did try to kill his mother.”

“I was trying to kill Crowley, okay? Who happened to be wearing Kevin's mother at the time. Well, there's a difference.”

Still doesn’t make it okay, Dean.

“Hello? Uh, hang on. There's not enough bars.” Subtle.

RIP numerous vamps. Killed by Benny.

“And – and what exactly is that supposed to mean, you've got to go?”

“Which words are giving you trouble?”

“You mind if I take the Toblerone?” Always gotta sneak in humor.

“Last I counted, you took a year off from the job. I need a day.” Good fucking point.

Benny and Dean hunting together in Purgatory as Benny whistles. I love that moment.

“Not stalking... concerned.” Stalking.

God no, please no Amelia in this flashback.

“Yeah, you really messed up that dog.” IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.

Resourceful Sam.

I do like how pleased Sam is with himself when he fixes the fan in their current hotel room.

Benny ain’t looking good.

“Benny? Not lookin' good.”

“Up yours.”

He still has his humor!

Benny cleans up good!

“Benny. What's going on?”

“You and that whole ‘friend’ thing, man.”

Cas!

“Well, I got to admit, Dean – he's got his strong points, but holy hell if he ain't a magnet.”

“Well, before we found Cas, you said it was my humanity that was drawing too much attention.”

“Yeah, that too.”

pfft.

“If you murder a monster in monster heaven, where does it go?” hahaha, I assume it just pops up somewhere else in Purgatory.

“And this is the crazy aunt I want to take on the road?”

“I am not your aunt.”

“What? Really?”

“I have no possible relationship to your sibling offspring.”

“Now, you’re kidding me.”

I love Benny and Cas’ bickering. it’s hilarious.

“the angel” “the vampire” They don’t even address each other by name.

“This dimension wants to spit you out, which is exactly what's gonna power our escape pod. Now, I'm pretty sure I can squeeze through, too, because, after all, you take away the fangs and the fun, I was born human, too.” Goddamn, I love Benny.

Cas trying to get off this ride early before it’s too late and too painful.

Dean insists on taking Cas.

Benny’s hunting his maker...who is also his murderer.

Another flashback.

Lady in 118. Amelia.

“I knew there was something off about you, with your creepy Army-Navy and your sideburns –” SHUT THE FUCK UP.

“Sea You Later” is a FANTASTIC yacht name.

“Boarded, burned, and buried at sea. My nest – that's how we fed... How we always fed. We kept a tight little fleet, maybe a half-dozen boats. Nothing ostentatious, just pleasure craft. I must have circled the Americas ten times during my tour. A few of us would act as stringers and patrol the harbors, looking for the right-size target – fat, rich yachts going to far-off ports. Take down the boat's name and destination, radio it to the crew in the water. And then we just, uh... let the ocean swallow up all our sins.”

That’s quite the strategy.

“Vampire pirates. That’s what you guys are? Vampirates.” 

“You know, all the years we ran together, I can't believe nobody ever thought of that.”

“What do you mean? It's like the third thing you say.”

“No, it isn’t.”

The cutest banter.

“When you get turned, it's like you're reborn into a vampire nest. Your maker – he means everything to you. I mean, you really start believing he's God. Now, if your maker happens to believe the same thing, well...” The god complex.

Andrea Kormos.

“My life changed when she entered it, Dean. Everything I had been or done up to that point just... seemed to vanish... into what we had become together.“ That’s the sweetest damn thing.

They killed Benny because he left them for Andrea, and then “killed” her. I’d want revenge too.

Dean’s almost sent text:  “Hunting vamps - nest on Prentiss Island...not alone”

He should’ve sent it.

“It's weird being back – in the world, I mean.”  

“Sure as hell is.”

“I mean, what do you do with it all? All the – all the everything? Hell, I don't even know if this world is real, if I'm real.”

Huh, Benny is reminding me of Mary. Resurrected, but not used to the current world.

A new photo of Andrea. Benny knew.

Damn it, Benny. You got too distracted.

Sorento.

Should’ve sent that text Dean. Maybe Sam wouldn’t be calling.

Flashback.

“So that’s what you do? You stalk helpless women and you break into their motel room...and you fix their plumbing? Why are you fixing my sink?” This is only our third episode with Amelia, and I’m done with her already.

Why did she stuff limes down the sink??? Is there no trash can?

“Why am I explaining myself to you? You're a drifter or a handyman.”  Judgmental much?

Can I punch her?

Dean finally answers Sam.

“It's kind of hard to explain right, but I'm sort of in the middle of cleaning out a vampire's nest, and it's sort of gone a little sideways on me.”

“WHAT?!”

JEEZ.

I’m so sick of this “all your friends are dead” crap.

“It's been a long time. Our father has come to trust my judgment over Sorento's. I answer only to him.”

“Well, sleeping with God has got to have some perks.”

BURN.

All that just to get them alone.

Andrea handing over a weapon and the keys to the handcuff.

Sam’s loud ass talking was perfect bait.

RIP vamp. Killed by Dean.

Another phone bites the dust.

“I know it won't change anything, but I regretted having you killed. When it was all done, I wailed when I saw you in all those pieces. Didn't I, Sorento? Didn't I wail like the ugliest baby in the world?” I somehow doubt that.

“If that's all I could salvage from my wayward son – the woman he defied his maker for – I wanted someone to remember you by.” haha, Benny’s a wayward son.

RIP more vamps. Killed by Dean.

Purgatory flashbacks.

You know what? I’m surprised Dean never brought up the fact that he was a vampire for a night. That would’ve been an interesting conversation between him and Benny.

“Look, all I'm saying is I started seeing something in humanity, okay? Something that shouldn't be taken. I drink blood. I don't drink people.” Benny liked humanity.

Leviathan are coming.

Sam casually stealing a car.

“the angry lady” that’s putting it nicely.

“I have to say – um... I've seen a lot of stitches in my time, and you've got really good hands.” That is a rather weird thing to say someone.

“I think it's creepy you buy all your clothing at army surplus. White supremacists do that....Drifting serial killers do that.”

Good points.

“You come from nowhere, you appear to be going nowhere, and you've, quote, ‘seen a lot of stitches.’ It's all pretty solid creepy.” Fair-ish points, but she’s also from nowhere and going nowhere.

“You have no idea where you're going, either, do you?....And that's because you have no one. I mean, at all, right? I mean, that's why you're... here, in this place.”

Sam reads her pretty well.

A very anxious Sam. I get it: he’s afraid something happened to Dean, and that he’s gonna have to start all over without him.

OH THE FIGHT MOVES ON BENNY.

RIP Sorento. Killed by Benny.

“I am evil, after all. At least I've had that much to keep me cold at night.” Nice line.

RIP Benny’s maker. Killed by Benny.

“We have everything we need right here. The operation is still perfect. We can ride the high seas, plunder together. We can have the life we always wanted.”

Andrea’s been corrupted. :( She’s gotta go.

“What I wanted was to leave a burning crater behind. I wanted to put your memory to rest.”

“But I'm not a memory. Benny, I'm right here.”

Not anymore.

“You think you're better than me now?” Andrea’s last words.

“No. I think we’re all damned.”

RIP Andrea. Killed by Dean.

Poor Benny.

“Why’d you do it Dean?”

“Do what?”

“Resurrect me?”

And then we launch into the flashback where BENNY SAVES CAS’ LIFE.

That has to be Sam’s biggest bitch face.

I always wondered why it was only by the touch of Benny’s hand that Sam knew something was up...and now i realize it’s because as a vampire, Benny must be stone cold.

That slow mo, silent exchange between Sam and Dean.

Oh no, THAT’S Sam’s biggest bitch face.