#10/10 reve would dream again | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

maknaesketches · 8 months

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aaaa i never post on here but oops here i am! a quick intro abt me- hewwo! i'm jisung! a small story writer (sometimes) and fanart maker! i'm into de, kpop, anime, kamen rider and super sentai! the styles of stories i write are mostly romance ones! and today i got a romance one for ya!

yes yes normally ppl try to make character × reader ones; and i would try to as well but for this particular one i had used my oc because i wanted to write a oneshot for her and my boi tim drake! ik i'm prolly not the best at writing but i try my best!

anyway enjoy this short info abt my oc b4 we start!

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Name: Elizabeth "Liz/Lizzy" Vail

Hero Name: Pyrite (not mentioned

Age: 15 (takes place prior to the start of YJ season 3)

Parents: Nick Vail/Spark (deceased) and Lexi Vail (deceased Oliver Queen/Green Arrow (adopted father) and Dinah Lance (adopted mother)

Love Interest: Tim Drake/Robin

Powers: Fire and Crystal

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TW!!: death, mentions of killing, mental abuse, gore, self doubt, anxiety, and depression. let me know if i missed any!

Word Count: 5959

Plot: 10 years ago a supervillain by the name of Arid would kill two superheroes, he sets out to kill their child as well, but before he can he gets locked away in Belle Reve. 10 years later he escapes prison and teams up with the Joker in hopes of finding now 15 year old Elizabeth Vail, the last known Vail in existence. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is a “powerless” girl who thinks she can’t do anything right and has been experiencing nightmares for the past few months, only for them to be true. Can Elizabeth manage to find herself and save everyone form Arid or will Arid have his way and kill Elizabeth? Only reading it will reveal the answer!

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Haze covered the ground as moonlight shone down onto the lonely streets of Gotham, under the light laid a body on the ground with blood seeping around it. Darkness swallowed the moon with eerie clouds as a male wearing a clown mask would lick blood off a knife he held and howl with laughter.

Waking up in a puddle of sweat on the other side of Gotham, a young female no older than 15 would breathe heavily as she looked around for something to cling onto, though too late because her palms were bleeding due to them being clenched for so long and hard. She would get up, going into the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror; her yellow eyes had bags under them while her hands were bruised. Sighing softly she would sit on the closed toilet and wrap them with gauze that was sitting out, assumingly from her parents who forgot to put it away. “That stupid dream again… Elizabeth Vail what’s wrong with you…”

###

“… You don’t think it’s a dream huh?” A female with blonde hair would ask a female that had green skin and red-brown hair. The two stood in the Watchtower alongside the green one’s lover.

“I don’t believe it is, from the sounds of it happening so frequently it could be a warning.” The green skinned female would say as she ran her fingers through her short hair. “If she will let me look through her brain I can probably get a better idea.”

“You know that’s not right, M’gann, she isn’t the type of person to let someone sort through her memories.” A male wearing a skin tight black tee shirt with the superman logo on it would say with a slight annoyance seeping through his voice. The green female— M’gann would roll her eyes as she heard the Zeta Tube announce a few members' arrivals into the tower. Nightwing— Richard would enter followed by Eclipse— Ava, Batman— Bruce, Robin— Tim, Green Arrow— Oliver, and Elizabeth would enter, talking amongst themselves.

“I never knew you could throw a punch like that, if I hadn’t dodged that would’ve hurt.” Green Arrow huffed a chuckle as he ruffled Elizabeth’s hair, “babe, you should’ve seen her in action, she was amazing, Liz took down two villains by herself today.” The arrow user said as he would walk over to Black Canary— Dinah, the first female, holding her hand as he looked at the bat family and his daughter. Superman— Clark followed by Helix— Amelie would quickly follow, the two talking amongst themselves when entering before noticing everyone else, making them open up more.

“How was your mission, Ba—“ Superman’s words would be cut short as Helix placed a hand on his chest, signaling him not to speak.

Black Canary would watch her adopted daughter, she would be holding onto Robin’s shoulder, steading herself from falling it seemed. “Lizzy, what’s wrong…?” The bird heroine would ask as she watched the child let go of her friend's shoulder, before stumbling, almost falling if it wasn’t for Robin grabbing onto her again, pulling her against him.

“Elizabeth?” He asked as he slowly moved into a sitting position on the ground, letting her sit in his lap.

“I-I’ll go get some ice!” M’gann said as she ran off, Superboy— Conner/M’gann’s boyfriend would rest a hand on Elizabeth’s forehead, sighing,

“She’s warm, but she seems fin—“

“Guys, give her some space, crowding around her like this is making it impossible for her to speak.” Eclipse would sigh as everyone would scoot backward. Elizabeth would sigh softly, thanking Eclipse before looking at the room.

“I just… I haven’t slept well, I think it’s because of the dreams I keep having.” Elizabeth said as she would stand up, with Robin holding onto her still, worried almost.

“What dreams?” Superboy asked.

Elizabeth would clench her fist as she looked down, sighing. “It’s been happening for like a month now, there are nights when it’s just this guy holding a balloon repeating the words ‘I will find you.’; and then there are nights where he is actually killing people… I see the reports on the news about a mysterious killer out on the loose and they look the same as the one in my dreams… recently when he just stands there his words are now ‘I’m closer now, you will die soon!’ a-and behind him there is a wall with the word die on it written in blood…” Her eyes would shake slightly as she felt her hand shake. “I-I don’t know who this person is or why they’re after me…” She would whimper softly. Robin would grab her shaking hand and rub it soothingly.

“Whoever this guy is, he will be turned in.” Robin would say as Batman went to the computer, he would sigh in a complaining way.

“This is the guy?” He asked as Elizabeth confirmed it, Batman and Superman’s eyes would sharpen on their faces. “Arid. He worked alongside the Joker for years before he abandoned the Joker and murdered two superheroes before getting locked up in Belle Reve… 10 years ago. It seems someone paid his sentence fee and now he’s free from jail… out to kill you.”

“Killl me? Why me?” Elizabeth asked.

“Because… your parents were the two superheroes he murdered the night he was arrested.” Green Arrow sighed as he looked at the young female. “Ember and Spark; respectively the fire warrior and the crystal warrior; Your father, Nick Vail/Ember was a firefighter in his human life, but as a hero, he was one of the best, meanwhile your mother, Lexi Vail/Spark was a meteorologist in her human life; They fought side by side, they ended up having you even before they got married, when you were just born, they wed one another… and when you were just 5… they were slaughtered on their anniversary night… me and Dinah were watching you that night while your parents were out… but they never came to get you, then the worst happened… and after that, we kept you, the league wiped all existence of Ember and Spark, not wanting to relive the trauma from that night.”

Elizabeth would look down as she would lift her hand, trying to summon any bit of power she contained, though nothing came out. Helix would watch in silence letting her face fall, worried for Elizabeth. Robin would take her hand in his as he peeled his mask off, “Let’s go out for a bit, get some fresh air, you need it.” He would say as he dragged her off to the Zeta Tube. Black Canary sighed and turned away from everyone, her eyes shaking as she looked down clenching her fists.

###

Walking through the streets of a carnival, music playing softly as lights flashed to the music, Elizabeth walked alongside Tim, the two of them holding hands still, smiling like the goofs they are. “Tim…” Elizabeth’s gentle voice asked as she looked at him. Tim noticed her facial features drop, saddened.

“Liz..? What’s wrong?” He asked as the two stopped walking, facing his school friend. Elizabeth felt her face sink more into sadness as tears began to well up in her yellow eyes. Tim’s blue ones widened as he pulled her into a calming embrace letting the girl cry.

“I-I don’t want to be the worthless, weak, unpowerful daughter of heroes…” Elizabeth would say through her tears as she buried her face against his neck trying to calm herself. Tim’s face would blush gently as he looked around, sighing softly.

“Liz, you’re not worthless or weak.” Tim said as he rubbed soft circles on her back, a gentle smile crossing his lips as he loosened up some, calming himself. He felt the girl calm down after a moment, though they stayed in the position, smiling softly against each other’s hold. “You’ve trained every second you can with us, you also literally took down two— not one but TWO— supervillains today even without powers.”

Elizabeth would finally bring herself away from Tim’s hold and remove the sunglasses the boy wore, placing them on his head. “Thanks, Tim.” She said finally bringing a smile to her cheeks. Tim would blush gently before placing a hand on her head, ruffling her hair gently. After playing games and chatting all night, the two finally decided to head home. Tim would keep his hands fiddling with a fidget toy to keep his mind sane while Elizabeth fiddled with the zipper on the boy’s jacket, smiling like a goofball as she wore it. A sudden eerie vibe set the two back some as they glanced at one another. “C’mon… let’s hurry back…” Elizabeth said as Tim pocketed the fidget toy, taking Elizabeth’s hand.

The sound of something falling made Tim quickly pull Elizabeth against his body as a metal sign fell next to them. “Run!” Tim yelled as he held her hand, running in front while she ran behind him. They suddenly came to a stop at a cliff making the young bat boy’s eyes widen as he looked around. “Shit…”

“Glad to see you again, my boy.” A maniacal laugh would pierce the two heroes' ears. Tim would make a mix between a weak/angered face as he saw the white faced, green haired villain appear right before his eyes. Tim turned to Elizabeth and quickly placed his grappling hook in her hands.

“Get out of here, quick, go find Batman and tell him he’s back.” Tim said quickly as he pulled his mask from his pocket and placed it on the girl's face. “No questions— just go!” Elizabeth watched as the boy turned back around getting into a fighting stance holding some batarangs. “I won’t let you take me again!” He yelled at the Joker, his face turning enraged.

The Joker would laugh and point his gun at the two, “Bang~” Tim watched as a golden bullet flew past his eyes, watching the bullet graze Elizabeth before she fell backwards off the cliff.

“NO!”

“YES!”

###

Waking up after who knows how long, Elizaberh would slowly open her yellow eyes, blinking slowly as she sat up, flinching. “Oh thank god you’re okay Lizzy…” Black Canary would breathe out as she would hold her daughter’s hand.

“We were so worried when we found you on the ground unconscious with a bullet wound.” Green Arrow said. They were in the batcave…? But why? Nightwing stood to the side looking at the computer with Oracle and Eclipse while Batman was standing with his kids. Superman and Helix were leaning against the wall near Elizabeth’s bed, smiling softly as she awoke.

“Tim…?” She would softly ask, looking around. Green Arrow and Black Canary would both tense and look at one another.

“He… isn’t here.” Green Arrow said as he took his mask off, placing it on his daughter’s bed. “Liz… you fell off a cliff with his grappling hook and mask clenched in your hand… Tiim wasn’t anywhere.” Elizabeth would look to the side table and feel her eyes widen. They filled up with tears as she took the mask into her fingers feeling the fabric. He was gone… Frustration took over her feelings before they froze in a matter of seconds seeing the computer screen change to a video from the Joker and Arid.

“Ah~ Batman; good to see ya.” The Joker’s mincing laugh would pierce everyone’s ears, “I got something here that you may want~” The Joker would step back and reveal a bloody Tim. “If I don’t see you, hand over the girl to Arid… Then the boy dies.” The Joker would say as he walked over to Tim, throwing him onto the ground. “Guys don’t do it I—“ Tim’s words were cut short by blood trickling from his lips, clearly in pain. “6PM, at the Gotham Park, not a minute late or the boy dies, JUST Batman, the girl and Nightwing.”

As the video ended, Green Arrow would hold Black Canary close to him, Nightwing was shaking with anger while Eclipse tried to calm him, Batman had an enraged look on his face and Elizabeth, she was in pure shock, hands shaking as she felt like screaming, throwing up and crying all at once. “I’m going.” Elizabeth said standing up, she ignored the pain as she clenched the grappling hook in her hand before walking over to all of Batman’s supplies grabbing Tim’s utility belt, placing it on.

Eclipse would grab her shoulders and make her face her, “Elizabeth, calm down. You’re not just going to rush in there.” She said, Elizabeth shook her head and showed her the time. 530.

“I have 30 minutes to be there to save Tim before he dies! Eclipse, I can’t let that happen.” Elizabeth would push Eclipse off her shoulders before putting the belt on.

“Elizabeth, you HAVE to stop.” Helix would say walking in front of her. “If you go, there’s a chance it could be trapped, Nightwing and Batman can’t always protect you.” She would state the obvious.

“You don’t think I can beat them?” Elizabeth asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Honestly? No. I don’t think you can, two supervillains that have been around for who knows how long want you dead and you think— as powerless as you are right now— that you can beat them?” Helix would scoff and hold her hands into the air, “You're so wrong.”

“Helix—“ Superman said as he sighed, walking up, placing a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back. “You gotta stop.” He said rubbing his temple, “—looks Liz, what Helix is trying to say is that she doesn’t want you getting hurt, none of us do.”

Elizabeth would look to the metal ceiling of the batcave, tears welling up in her eyes, “I know it's risky, but I can't bear the thought of losing him too. I have to face the Joker and that stupid villain, for my parents and for us. I can't let fear stop me from trying to save him… Tim has been there for me countless times, it’s time I do the same for him.”

Superman would gently wipe away Elizabeth's tears and sighed again, “I understand your determination, Elizabeth. We'll do everything we can to help you save Tim and keep you safe. Just promise me you'll be careful.” Elizabeth would nod softly and look at Batman and Nightwing, both slightly on edge, but also ready to go.

“Let’s do this…”

###

Standing in the blocked off park, Batman and Nightwing both stood in front of Elizabeth, determination and anger firing in their eyes. Standing across the way was The Joker and Arid, as promised, with Tim on the ground, dried blood covering his body. “Oh Tim…” Elizabeth whispered as the bat boy rolled over, making eye contact with them.

“L-liz…?” He uttered, shocked to see her.

The Joker would look at the clock and smirk softly, “Time’s up, Batman, hand the girl over or my partner here will kill him… and I’m pretty sure you don’t want him to die, not like your last Robin.” Batman and Nightwing’s faces turned darker than normal, both of them seeming to hold every urge to not fight. Elizabeth looked down, stepping past the two elder bat boys, walking in between both groups. Arid would also step forward holding. his hand out to her,

“Come here, Vail.” Hearing the commotion from Nightwing and Tim to stop, she closed her eyes and gave her hand to Arid, who pulled her roughly to him, laughing. “Finally! The last Vail is mine!!!” He would look to the Joker, “Let the bat boy go, we have what we want.”

“Elizabeth!” Batman would yell, the Joker sighed and threw Tim down.

“I can’t believe I agreed to this…” The Joker would grumble walking to Arid’s side, “lets go.”

“Wait—“ Arid looked at Elizabeth and cocked an eyebrow, “—let me say goodbye first… please…” She whispered, her eyes pleading. Arid would look to the side and loosen his grip, letting go.

“Quickly.”

Elizabeth bolted to Tim and helped him stand, her arms wrapping around his waist, tears welling in her eyes again, “Tim… you’re… you’re okay… you’re okay…” She whispered, hiccuping as she hyperventilated slightly, her hand running along his cheek and back. Tim flinched, but smiled hugging her back.

“Liz… I’m okay… you didn’t have to do this though, I would’ve been fine… now you’re going instead of me…” Tim would rub her cheek, moving a tear. Elizabeth would think for a moment and take off his jacket, confusing Tim, even more when she placed his jacket in his hands before backing up, next to Arid, “L-liz—“ His eyes would widen, shaking as he tried to reach out for her. Elizabeth would look down, clenching her eyes as the Joker kicked Tim back, Nightwing and Batman both caught the boy,

“Shit— ELIZABETH!” Nightwing yelled, watching the three disappear.

###

Looking at the unnaturally fancy room Elizabeth kept her arms close to her body as she looked around, posters and famous paintings everywhere. “Making yourself at home?” Arid asked, walking around her, he was a slender dude with slicked back black hair, a black & red eye while the other was white & green, his skin was tan and he had a black handlebar mustache.

“W-why haven’t you killed me yet…” Elizabeth asked softly.

Arid would laugh and circle the wine he carried in his cup, he would lift it above her head and pour the wine over the girl's body making her yelp at the cold feeling rushing over her body, the room getting significantly colder on top of that. “Because, Miss Vail~ I’m going to enjoy killing you, I had to give you parents a quick death, but you? I can torture you to death… I think today… Let's start with some… mental pain.” He would laugh as he left the room. Elizabeth slid to the ground as she shivered, tears staining her cheeks as she noticed the room becoming foggy, memory gas. Her eyes would widen as she tried to hold her breath, scared. The gas would fog her mind, and everything else as she felt herself struggling to breath, she looked towards a window feeling her tears well in her eyes before everything went black.

“Elizabeth, what do you think you’re doing!” The high pitched scream coming from Helix who looked horrified, confused, she would look down to see Superman, struggling to breathe, he had a stab wounds to the heart, choking on something as well. Helix would shove Elizabeth aside and bend down, “Clark? Clark!” Helix cried out as she shook the dying hero. “Clark, c-come on wake up… CLARK!” Elizabeth shook her head and stepped back, shaking. She would bump into a chest turning around quickly, Batman. He looked at Elizabeth and swung at her, the female dodged quickly, heavily breathing, scared.

“How dare you kill him!” He screamed as he swung again. Elizabeth dodged before getting hammered in the back by a tomahawk, followed by a bo staff sending her flying into the black void, struggling to stand. Once she managed to get to her feet she saw Tim.

“T-tim!” She whimpered standing up, grasping his shoulders. “I-I didn’t do it! I didn’t kill him!” She would cry, shaking him. Tim would shove her off of him and back up, joining a dashing male’s side, holding his hand.

“You didn’t just do that… you destroyed everything, you destroyed our home, your parents, us, all of it, thrown away because of you.” He grumbled.

“Hey hey…” The dashing male would say, rubbing his hand, “Let’s go Tim, she’s not worth your time.” He said, walking into the void, leaving Elizabeth alone.

The scene would whirl around to her standing in front of her parents in her dad’s house, yelling coming from both of them… but it was all directed at her. The house was badly destroyed on the inside, burns and blood everywhere as spit flew from her raging father and high pitched shouting from her mother. Tears just fell as she held her head, covering her ears crying. Nothing was right. It didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense.

The scene would change again, with her back in the void, staring into the darkness for miles and miles. All she did was scream, that’s all she could do, scream. She didn’t kill Superman. She didn’t ruin things with Tim. She didn’t do anything to make her parents mad. So what happened!

“Elizabeth…?” Fear struck the girl as she turned around slowly, gentle glowing figures who she couldn’t really make out were standing in front of her now. “I know things seem tough… but you will get through it… just hold on a little longer, my little flame you’re doing so good…” A masculine voice spoke, he glowed a reddish-orange color.

“I’m so proud of you baby, you’ve become an amazing hero even with your dormant powers.” A feminine voice spoke, she glowed a pinkish-purple color. Elizabeth stretched her hand out to them with a sad smile on her face, the figures floated back though, “It’s not time.. Not yet, Lizzy.” The female mumbled sadly before they both vanished with a poof.

Awakening in a puddle of sweat, Elizabeth looked around the place, locked in the lonely room still. She had purple marks on her arms, seemingly from herself. “Did you enjoy that?” Arid asked over the speakers in the room. Elizabeth just shook her head, soft whimpers escaped still.

###

Stepping into the Batcave after cleaning up, Tim kept his hands on the bo staff, a familiar comforting feeling taking control of him. “It’s good to be home…” He said as he shrunk his staff placing it into a strap on his back.

“Good to see that you’re awake.” Ava would say.

“It really is, Alfred, said you didn’t have as many injuries as we anticipated.” Richard would say and smile softly, rubbing the current Robin’s head. “Bruce isn’t happy that you sacrificed yourself though.” Richard said, making a face.

“It’s better than letting him get Liz…” Tim quickly said as he looked down, “I was abused by the Joker… but I was never his target…” Tim felt tears sting his eyes, “I overheard him talking to this guy, Arid, he killed Liz’s parents and is also after her life… but instead of the quick death, he is going to torture her..” He would clench his fist and punch the wall next to him, it made Ava and Richard jump in shock at his reaction.

“He’s gonna torture her…?” Dinah would ask in shock as she overheard the conversation, her eyes shook as she sunk onto the ground, crying, overwhelmed by emotions.

Oliver would rest a hand on his fiance’s shoulder and let his mind run quickly with every idea springing through his brain. “Did he take her to the place you were held at?”

Bruce would enter the room and shake his head, “Arid is a lot smarter than that, there is no way he would take her there.” Bruce would go to the computer and start searching things up.

“Dad, let me.” Ava said as she would join his side, she bent down next to him and started searching, quicker than him. Richard would watch, smiling softly at his girlfriend's behavior to her father.

As the bat dad and daughter worked Tim sighed and turned to everyone, “Arid mentioned that he used to be a hero.. Dr. Medical I believe he said that he used to love Spark, who is her mom.. He worked on a team with Spark and Ember, until Ember fell in love with Spark and they ended up getting married, it left Arid fuming… he ended up killing Spark when he was trying to kill Ember instead… then… he became mad knowing Elizabeth was still alive, since her hair color and skin tone match her father while her eyes match her mother… all he sees is her father and that's why he wants to kill her.” Tim would sigh softly, running a hand through his hair. He would look at the belt that sat in his hand and sighed, “We’re going to get her back, I can promise that.”

###

A few days would pass by and Elizabeth could hardly stay awake, her pink tee shirt torn, her shoes burned as well as her pants. She would look down at the dried blood along her legs making her unable to stand as she eyed the bruises and burns. Everything hurt as she laid there with a hand over her yellow eyes, tears unable to fall due to over crying. She would close her eyes feeling the room get even colder, her body shivering. Parts of her body turned purple with the coldness. “I’m really going to die here… huh…” She whispered as she felt the overwhelming sensation of death awaiting her. “I failed everyone… Helix was right… there is no way I could’ve won… I’m not strong enough to take care of myself, I haven’t trained for as long as anyone else… Dad tried to train me, Zatanna and Eclipse did as well… Helix tried too but none of it worked.” Elizabeth would lift her hand off her eyes and stare at the unfriendly looking hand. “I guess I’ll get to meet my parents… sooner than I thought…” Closing her eyes, she finally accepted her defeat. She would feel herself go…

Waking up in the oh-so-familiar black void, Elizabeth looked down at her clothes, a simple whitish-green dress with her long light brown hair tied with a pink bow. Her yellow eyes would blink at the surrounding empty void. Elizabeth's heart skips a beat once she turned around and saw two familiar faces in front of her. Confusion and disbelief wash over her as she realizes that these strangers from earlier “I-i know you guys!” She gasped out.

The one glowing orange-red would chuckle and shake his head, “Are you sure you remember us? I don’t think you do.”

“You didn’t even recognize her at first!” The one glowing pink would scold the orange-red one and sighed, hissing in annoyance. Elizabeth would hesitate, unsure of how to react, but a glimmer of recognition flickers in her eyes. Slowly, the pieces start to come together, and a mix of emotions floods her. It's a bittersweet moment, filled with shock, curiosity, and a longing to know more about these people who share her blood.

“Mom… Dad… no way… W-wait this means… I’m dead OMG!” Elizabeth would gasp out as she held her face, hyperventilating. The purple-pink one would quickly grab Elizabeth’s hands and pull them off her face, blowing on her face trying to calm her down.

“Hey hey— no no no, you need to calm down… Elizabeth— look at me!” The purple-pink one— Lexi Vail/Spark would say. The orange-red one— Nick Vail/Ember would sigh and rub Elizabeth’s head.

“Lizzy, you’re not dead… not yet anyway, look… we’re here to help you.” Nick said as he backed up and crossed his arms, smirking. “This is going to hurt… maybe.” He said and tilted his head, chuckling gently before filling it with flaming fire. Lexi rolled her eyes at her husband before holding her hand out with freezing crystals. “Take our hands… come on little one.” He said gently. Elizabeth looked down at their hands and shakingly grabbed both of them, her eyes widened as she suddenly screamed feeling power raging through her body, purple-pink and orange-red energy flung through her body, glowing. Everything hurt as the girl fell to her knees feeling her body absorb the energy.

After a few moments, Elizabeth would open her eyes, both of them glowing the theme colors of her parents. “Wha… What is this overwhelming… power…” She whispered as she stood up; the left side of her body flooding with the cold beauty of the crystal powers while the right side of her body surging with the hot gracefulness of the fire powers. “I…I feel so alive!” She yelled out as she shot powers into the void, jumping in surprise. “Oh my gosh! I just did that!” She gasped before looking at her parents who smirked in admiration at their daughter.

“Now… Liz hun, you’re going back to the living side…” Lexi said as she rubbed her daughter’s cheek before holding her husband’s hand; the parents opening a white void behind them. “Go home Liz, please… you’re not meant to be dead.”

Elizabeth looked at her parents confused. “Won’t.. won’t you two be gone then…?” She whispered as her dad pushed her toward the white void.

“We will… but we are apart of you now, we awoke your powers… at the cost of our lives… well what is left of us anyway.” Nick laughed before he bent down and kissed his daughter’s forehead. Lexi would do the same thing. “Go on.” He mumbled as he gently pushed her forward. Elizabeth smiled at her parents before mumbling a thank you before going into the white void.

Awakening in the pitch black, freezing room. Elizabeth would sit up, in the torn clothes making her sigh. She questioned if the dream she had was even real, but she felt better, more alive… She would look down and watched her right hand flare up, making her yelp softly, “It’s real!” She gasped. She looked around and stood up slowly as she rolled her arms, warming up her body. She would smirk and hold her hand to the wall and watched it catch fire. A snicker would escape her lips before watching the room start burning. She would laugh and throw her head back, her eyes glowing the colors of her powers.

###

“Woah— a massive fire just broke out at the old abandoned manor…” Helix said in shock as she scrolled through the news on her phone. Superman made a face and leaned over the former villain's shoulder.

“The fire is pink— how can a fire be pink?” Superman asked, making a confused face.

Richard would take the phone and look at the article, “No signs of any gas lines or oil around there… the only way to start something—“

“Police and Firefighters say nobody can get inside… that fire is over 500 degrees…” Ava added.

Tim would look down, sighing in annoyance. “Guys we HAVE to find Elizabeth, this fire isn’t any of our business.” He said, making a face.

“Tim, we’re trying… let's try to deal with this fire, it may lead us to something.” Bruce said, “Superman, Helix, Green Arrow, Nightwing and Robin, go. Oracle, Canary, Eclipse and I will keep searching.”

“But Bru—“ Tim would receive a glare from Bruce making him go quiet. “Fine… let’s just get this over with…” He grumbled.

The team would arrive on to the scene, Superman and Helix taking to the sky, “Robin… something isn’t right… yes this fire is hot but… there’s someone standing inside of it.” Superman would utter to the bat boy who looked confused.

Squinting his eyes in the pink flames he made out a figure in the flames. A white and pink hair ribbon fell infront of his face fragily making his eyes widen as he quickly rushed forward. “ROBIN!” Nightwing would yell as he tried to grab the panicking 16 year old.

“No… no no no…” Robin would yell as he ran. Helix and Superman would fly to try to grab the boy, but before they could the fire made a path open up. Helix would quickly pull Superman back, holding onto him. Robin would rush into the pathway making him confused when he came to a stop infront of a female. Her hair was down all the way as her clothes were ripped and tattered. Tears stung the young boy’s eyes. “Lizzy…” He gasped out as the fire closed behind him, leaving the two unharmed.

Elizabeth turned her head back to see the cleaner up bat boy prior from the other day. “Tim…” She whispered in awe as the girl would stop the fire on her hands before looking him up and down. Overwhelmed with emotion, she would step back, scared. Robin would take a step forward and grab her hand.

“It’s me.. in the flesh.” He whispered as he placed her hand over his heart. “I’m alive… and this beating heart proves it.” Robin would pull her into a hug as Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears, Robin would tighten the hug as the two slid onto the ground, the fire around them disappearing.

“Robin!” Nightwing called out again as he made his way over to the two followed by everyone else that was there. A smile fell onto the blue bird's face, “Lizzy… you’re okay…” He spoke as Helix quickly flew down, followed by Superman who held Helix in his arms as the girl would feel her body shake.

“S-something… isn’t right…” Helix mumbled as she laid in Superman’s arms. The muscular hero would notice a stone on the ground making him hold Helix closer.

“Because this place is surrounded with Yalex energy… it’s hurtful to you.” Superman said as he looked at everyone. “C’mon; we saved Elizabeth, now we need to go, before things get worse.” He said as he flew back, trying to save the weakened girl in his arms. Everyone else would retreat back, Robin holding onto Elizabeth. A swoosh sound would be heard resulting in Elizabeth quickly turning around, throwing up a massive crystal, blocking the attack.

“Have fun getting through Obsidian.” Elizabeth smirked softly before screaming was heard on the other side, the crystal breaking.

“You— You stupid girl get back here!!!” Arid yelled as he ran at Elizabeth. Robin and her made eye contact, ready to fight. An arrow pierced Arid in the stomach before it was followed by 3 more arrows.

“Hurt my daughter again… and I won’t miss your heart next time.” Green Arrow growled as he lowered his bow. Elizabeth turned to her adopted father and bolted into his arms, “I missed you so much baby…” Green Arrow whispered as he picked up his daughter into a tight hug.

Once he released her, Elizabeth rushed to Nightwing and hugged him. “I’m glad you’re back kiddo… Tim hasn’t slept well these few days.” He said and patted her head.

“Who says Tim sleeps even when I am here?” Elizabeth commented; the two sharing a small laugh before the younger turned to Helix and Superman, walking over to them. “Helix… Superman… I’m… I’m sorry… for acting the way I did and not upholding my promise. I thought I could beat Arid, and save Tim without any issues… but look at the mess I caused.”

Helix would lean down and gently pull Elizabeth into a hug. “I’m not mad… I was just worried… me and Clark may not be your parents, or adopted parents, but we both see you like a daughter we don’t have…” Helix would rub her cheek and smile softly. “I’m glad you’re okay.” Superman would nod in agreement as he watched Helix stand back up and join his open arms.

Elizabeth would feel arms wrap around her back making her flinch but lean into his hold. She smiled, not even needing to turn around, knowing who the back hug was from. She would rub his cheek and smile softly, feeling her tears fall freely again. The painful memories of the feeling of death… now to this moment of standing here around the people she loved, it was all so much. She would turn around in the bat boy’s arms and hold his cheeks. “Tim…” Just with the whisper of his name, nothing else and nothing more, the masked boy melted as he leaned in and did what he should’ve done along ago, kiss her.

(drawings are mine btw!!)

#tim drake #tim drake robin #batman #justice league #young justice #dc comics #dc universe #dc robin #dc oc #dc ocs #tim drake x reader #dc x reader #superman #superman x reader

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lilydalexf · 3 years

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Old School X is a project interviewing X-Files fanfic authors who were posting fic during the original run of the show. New interviews are posted every Tuesday.

Interview with Audrey Roget

Audrey Roget has 10 fics at Gossamer, with some different ones at AO3, fanfiction.net, and her website. You might know her from her very good fics or as part of Musea, a collective that all wrote fic and posted X-Files fic recs. I’ve recced some of my favorites of her stories here before, including Three Times Dana Scully Didn’t Go to San Diego for Christmas and The Shirt. Big thanks to Audrey for doing this interview.

Does it surprise you that people are still interested in reading your X-Files fanfics and others that were posted during the original run of the show (1993-2002)? A little, yes. Not so much by folks who were around in those days. I sometimes go hunting for beloved stories from the early years, both those I read and loved, and those I never got around to. I am always delighted to hear that later generations of fans have stumbled across my stuff, especially since I haven’t posted anything new in a number of years. It’s fantastic that both years-long fans and new ones are out there continuing to rec fic from all eras, and to maintain archives for fans yet-to-be born. What do you think of when you think about your X-Files fandom experience? What did you take away from it? What did you take away from your experience with X-Files fic or with the fandom in general? It may sound corny, but the main thing I think of, and the thing that has ultimately been most valuable and lasting, has been the friendships. The feeling of having found a tribe – not just of TXF fans, but of other people who could be as enthusiastically engaged as I was (if not more so) with fictional stories and characters – was mind-blowing. Since I was a kid, I had often mulled over the books/movies/TV I loved and speculated internally about what happened off the page or off-screen, or created new stories for characters in my head. But, except for an elementary school phase where I and my two BFFs regularly played Charlie’s Angels, I hadn’t engaged in that kind of gleeful immersion in a fictional world with others until TXF fandom. My involvement in fandom followed pretty quickly from getting hooked on the show, so for me, it’s all one big ball of experiences. Even as my interest in/involvement in fandom has waxed and waned over the years, I’ve been lucky to remain friends with wonderful people who I originally connected with as fellow fans.

Social media didn't really exist during the show's original run. How were you most involved with the X-Files online (atxc, message board, email mailing list, etc.)? What got you involved with X-Files fanfic?

My initial entrée to the fandom was through fanfiction. I didn’t get interested in the show until mid-season 5. Around the same time, I read an article in a zine called Might (co-founded by Dave Eggers) about this thing called fanfiction that people would write and publish online. At first I thought it was satire or a joke – the fic cited involved Wilma Flintstone and a polished sabre tooth, as I recall – but then realized this was an actual thing. So I figured that a show then at the peak of pop culture must have fanfiction, and I went looking. Early on, I scrolled atxc on a daily basis and downloaded stories. But I didn’t engage in discussions about the show on Usenet, since I only knew how to access it with my Earthlink email client, and I didn’t want to post using my real name.

Later, I set up a pseud address with Yahoo and subscribed to a couple of email fanfic/discussion lists, and stayed subscribed to those for years. There was also a period in there somewhere – of maybe only a year or so, when I think about it – when I’d often nerd out into the wee hours with other fans via IM chat groups. That was around the time the small writers’ collective Musea was founded, and we were active for several years after the show’s initial run. In the early aughts, I followed many authors to LiveJournal and eventually set up my own account and stayed involved in fandom that way, until it mostly dispersed as well. What was it that got you hooked on the X-Files as a show? In a word: Chemistry. I had casually watched a couple of episodes during the first four seasons, but I’m not a huge sci-fi/horror fan at heart, and the story lines didn’t immediately grab me. But I happened to tune into The Red and the Black in 1998, and BOOM. For the first time, the intense layers of emotion and attraction between Mulder and Scully really struck me – and then of course, upon further viewing, I realized it was unmissable, an essential element in the fabric of the show. As a wise woman once said, a switch had been flicked. Mulder and Scully’s magnetism was like nothing I’d ever seen, and though I eventually came to appreciate the storytelling, humor, production values, and other components that made the series so successful, watching those characters interact has always been what kept me coming back. Were you involved with any fandoms after the X-Files? If so, what was it like compared to X-Files? I was part of a list-serv discussion group for The West Wing for a while, which was a fun melding of character and plot analysis with political discussion. Later, I got into the House, MD fandom, again mostly as a fanfic reader/writer. I was finding that other fandoms, unlike TXF, were more dispersed, the networks of people structured more loosely, if at all. There were fanfic and discussion communities on LiveJournal, and fanfiction.net was the other main hub for posting and reading, but if there was anything centralized like Gossamer, Ephemeral, or the Haven, I never found it. Within all those fan communities, as in TXF, there were partisans for various characters and pairings, and flame wars erupted over plot developments that outraged this faction or that. One main difference was that those other shows had larger, ensemble casts and more varied subplots. So on one hand, there was more opportunity to explore back stories and multiple perspectives. In House MD in particular, there were several entrenched rival shipper camps, which were about equally grounded in canon, rather than TXF’s central ship. I was less into TWW fic, but my impression was that readers were less militant about their pairing preferences than TXF or House fans. Who are some of your favorite fictional characters? Why?

I was deeply fascinated by Greg House for several years. (And the love-hate chemistry between him and Lisa Cuddy was a strong draw for me.) House MD came early in a wave of TV shows centered on anti-heroes, and Hugh Laurie brought amazing complexity and thoughtfulness to the character.

Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (The Americans) are a lethal pair of antiheroes. The inherent moral conflict of a sympathetic narrative from their POVs, and the global political conflict they embody was TV catnip for me. The internal struggles at the hearts of those characters were so exquisitely written and performed, they completely fascinate me.

The West Wing felt so much like a show created specifically for me. I’m especially fond of story arcs and scenes that centered on CJ Cregg, Charlie Young, and Josh Lyman. Though I loved Martin Sheen’s human portrayal of Jed Bartlet, the fact that he was the President always made him a little untouchable in my mind. But CJ, Charlie, and Josh were basically hard-working functionaries who were ambitious and idealistic and funny and flawed, and they spoke to me. What is your relationship like now to X-Files fandom? Do you ever still watch The X-Files or think about Mulder and Scully? Do you ever still read X-Files fic? Fic in another fandom?

I do continue to think about Mulder and Scully and watch episodes somewhat often. I’ll sometimes run a favorite episode as background when I want something comforting on. I read TXF fic pretty regularly, which can inspire me to go back and watch a particular episode or story arc I haven’t thought about in years. Just recently, I started listening to The X-Files Diaries podcast (@XFDPodcast, @admiralty-xfd), and that’s a fun dive into the characters, and how other fans react to and interpret episodes.

Every once in a while, a TV show or movie – and more particularly, the characters – will grab my attention and make me curious about how fanfic writers have interpreted the original material. Random example, I saw Singin’ in the Rain for the first time in a theatre a couple of years ago, and the chemistry of the three leads sent me to AO3 as soon as I got home. I also loved the first season of Mercy Street and found some well-done stories in that fandom. I usually peruse the Yuletide gifts every year and have been amazed by the sheer variety, creativity and cheekiness of the output. There are a bunch of other shows I’ve followed faithfully, and sought out fanfic – Broadchurch, The Killing, Agents of SHIELD, Elementary, The Good Wife. Although I’ve found some well-written stuff in those fandoms, I’ve rarely gotten the same charge from them as reading TXF fic. Do you have any favorite X-Files fanfic stories or authors?

syntax6 (@syntax6) – Universal Invariants/Laws of Motion. I’d also shout out to syn’s Hunter fics, too – well worth reading even for those who have never seen or particularly loved the show itself.

JET – I re-read Small Lives Awake every year around Thanksgiving time. Other annual holiday re-reads: Revely’s The Dreaming Sea and Jordan’s Through the Fire (both set at Halloween).

Amal Nahurriyeh’s Casey universe – the rare post-col fic that felt hopeful, made extra intriguing by a kick-ass original character. [Lilydale note: the series starts with Machines of Freedom and has lots of additional fics and snippets.]

Prufrock’s Love – Finding Rokovoko was genuinely terrifying and tender.

melforbes (@melforbes) – Seaglass Blue is a recent favorite, lyrical and bittersweet.

These are just a few (apologies to those that didn’t come to mind immediately). Fortunately for readers, there’s an astonishing number of authors who have written in TXF fandom whom you can depend on for a good yarn, insightful character study, and/or ingenious “fixes” where 1013 went awry.

What is your favorite of your own fics, X-Files and/or otherwise?

Probably the two set in my own (former) backyard of Southern California: Enivrez-vous and Ravenous. I’d first read the Baudelaire poem that was the source of the former’s title back in university days, so I was tickled to be able to use a few lines as an epigraph. Do you think you'll ever write another X-Files story? Or dust off and post an oldie that for whatever reason never made it online? It’s not out of the realm possibility. I’d meant for “Three Times Dana Scully Didn’t Go to San Diego for Christmas” to be followed up with “And One Time She Did.” In fact, the idea for that never-finished story was what inspired “Three Times” in the first place. I have a couple of scenes sketched out and – unusually for me – even know exactly how to end it. Every year, November rolls around, and I think I should finish and post it…maybe in 2021?

Where do you get ideas for stories? Sometimes it’s from my environment. “Enivrez-vous” and “Ravenous” describe places that I’m fond of, that made me want to place Mulder and Scully there. “What Not to Wear” has that element too – I set it in Memphis as a tribute to a great trip there with a sister Musean. But WNTW was also inspired by a kink challenge in a years-ago LiveJournal thread, so sometimes ideas come from fandom discussions or even other fanfics. In the House MD fandom, a fic by another writer made me want to continue the story, and the author kindly allowed an authorized sequel. What's the story behind your pen name? I wanted my pseudonym to sound like it could be a real person’s name – or at least, maybe like a romance writer’s pen name – rather than an online handle. I also wanted to use a slightly obscure fictional character, to amuse anyone in the know. I had long had a bit of an obsession with Whit Stillman’s 1990s film trilogy, which started with Metropolitan; the 3rd installment, Last Days of Disco, came out the same year I started down the TXF rabbit hole: 1998. The central heroine of Metropolitan – who is mentioned in or makes a cameo in the other two – is Audrey Rouget, a lover of Austen and, eventually, a book editor. I altered the spelling of the last name as a nod to every writer’s companion, Roget’s Thesaurus. Do your friends and family know about your fic and, if so, what have been their reactions? I have a few close friends – from outside TXF fandom – who know that I’ve written fanfic. I don’t know if they know my pseud; if they do, or if they’ve ready any of the fic, they haven’t said so to me. They are fannish sorts themselves, but not really TXF fans. A smattering of other friends and family members know or could intuit that I’ve been a fangrl on some level for years. My boss, whom I’ve known for about 3 years, recently mentioned off-handedly that she was really obsessed with TXF “back in the day,” and I am DYING to know if she got involved in fandom, but don’t think I’ll ever work up the courage to ask.

Is there a place online (tumblr, twitter, AO3, etc.) where people can find you and/or your stories now? Most of the X-Files stuff continues to be generously and steadfastly archived by Forte at The Basement Office. The House MD stories and some TXF things are at fanfiction.net; same for AO3. If ever post anything new, it will probably go to TBO and AO3. I really ought to get it all together in one place, one of these days…

(Posted by Lilydale on April 6, 2021)

#old school x #xfiles fanfic #xf fanfic #xf fanfic author interviews #audrey roget

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brokenfoolishdreams · 2 years

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Ley´s Release Corner Mar´22 - Girls Edition (2/2)

DISCLAIMER: This is all my personal opinion and most of the impressions are after first listening. So please keep in mind that my opinion can change and that I respect other opinions too. My rating is just based on how I like the song and has nothing to do with hate or anything else against an Artist. When I don't like a song it doesn't mean I don't appreciate the work and effort that are put into it.

Masterlist

Feel free to let me know what you think of the releases and now let's dive into Kpop:

Title: Feel My Rhythm

Album: The ReVe Festival 2022 - Feel My Rhythm (EP)

Artist: Red Velvet

Release: 2022.03.21

youtube

I tried to like this but no chance. I hoped It would go into the "Psycho" direction and it really started strong but the vibe of the song changes drastically and suddenly it just annoys me and I talk about the chorus here not the pre-chorus because that was great and even the second verse is still good. There is so much going on and I can´t think of arguments to save the song. The MV is almost the same I like the half of the visuals but the other half isn´t really my style.

"Rainbow Halo" continues the vibe of the title and I´m not talking about the good part. "Beg For Me" is a pop song and I think it might be a grower but right now it´s kinda boring to me. "BAMBOLEO" has this retro vibe again and I can´t stress it enough but I still don´t like this trend. "Good, Bad, Ugly" goes into the R&B direction I guess but sadly I didn´t like it as well. With "In my Dreams" we got the vibe I´ve waited for I almost thought I would have left the album with not one to add to my playlist but I´m so glad I liked this song.

Rating: 5,5/10 for Feel My Rhythm (Instrumental: 7/10; Vocals: 7/10; Rap: 5/10; Lyrics: 6/10; Choreography: 6/10; MV: 6/10; Overall Vibes: 4,5/10)

Rating: 5/10 for The ReVe Festival 2022 because I think the songs are okay but not made for me

Title: Can´t Stop This Party

Album: Can´t Stop This Party (Single)

Artist: Seori

Release: 2022.03.22

youtube

We don´t have a full MV but what we got is really vibey and I like it. her voice reminds me a little bit of Olivia Rodrigo singing a Billie Eilish song to be honest but that´s not a bad thing though. It´s a full English song and I like really like the vibes.

Rating: 7/10 for (Instrumental: 6,5/10; Vocals: 7,5/10; Lyrics: 7/10; MV: 6/10; Overall Vibes: 7/10)

Title: Diamonds (feat. TAEYONG)

Album: FLYIN´ PART1 (EP)

Artist: SURAN, (TAEYONG (NCT))

Release: 2022.03.23

youtube

To be honest I have no clue who this is. And sadly I didn´t like this song at all. I mean the only thing I enjoyed was the rap part but it was so extremely short, why even include it. Her vocals are beautiful and if you like this kind of vibey songs then go ahead and listen to it. The MV fits the song but there is not much happening.

"Let it fly" is pretty vibey and shows her pretty vocals but feels a little bit long because there is not that much happening. "Devils in the city (feat. Dok2)" is a solid song because I like the feature and it fits the vibe. "LUCKY STAR" sounds like the other songs to be honest and I started to hope that the album wouldn´t continue like this. "Wish I could" has a way calmer instrumental and the song feels so dark I kinda like it for one listen. "Sunny" is with it 5 minutes a brave decision in this time of music and for me it was way too long.

Rating: 5,5/10 for Diamonds (Instrumental: 5/10; Vocals: 6,5/10; Rap: 7/10; MV: 5/10; Overall Vibes: 5,5/10)

Rating: 5,5/10 for FLYIN´ PART1 because the songs ar too calm for me but they are solid

Title: Real Love

Album: Real Love (Album)

Artsit: OH MY GIRL

Release: 2022.03.28

youtube

The song has its charms and the vocals are really beautiful. It has these summer vibes and is pretty groovy but sadly not really my style. I liked the drop of the tempo at the end though. The MV fits the summer vibes and is really colorful.

"Drip" was definitely not what I expected after the title song. It lifted up my mood by an instant and I got excited for the album. It has switches in the sound and it's my favorite. "Eden" is a pop ballad with guitar sound and an interesting pre-chorus and till the chorus drops I loved the song. Nest is "Replay" with its clubbing sound while "Parachute" has more happy vibes. "Kiss&Fix" has so amazing vocals and gets addicting with its chorus. "Blink" goes for the cute vibe while "Dear Rose" feels very comforting and happy. Lastly, we have "Sailing Heart" a ballad that ends the album pretty well.

Rating: 6,5/10 for Real Love (Instrumental: 6/10; Vocals: 7,5/10; Lyrics: 5,5/10; Choreography: 6/10; MV: 6/10; Overall Vibes: 6,5/10)

Rating: 7,5/10 for the album because I love their vocals and the most songs are pretty good

Title: memeM

Album: memeM (EP)

Artist: PURPLE KISS

Release: 2022.03.29

youtube

Oh I waited for this and even when it´s not what I expected I love it. It goes for the experimental sound and reminds because of this of Aespa. But unlike their songs, I think this one is for me so enjoyable. I love their vocals the change in tempo is so well done and I love the instrumental. And the visuals in the MV are so beautiful I´m in love with them.

The intro "Intro: Illusion" is really good and I wish it would be a full song. "Oh My Gosh" is a pretty good pop song while "Pretty Psycho" is such a vibe and I love it. "JOAH" is more groovy and R&B-like and very enjoyable. "Hate me, Hurt me, Love me" is such a fun listen. "Cursor" feels so powerful and emotional I love it. And the instrumentation is also pretty cool for a ballade. I love this album so much.

Rating: 8/10 for memeM (Instrumental: 8/10; Vocals: 8/10; Lyrics: 6/10; Choreography: 7,5/10; MV: 7/10; Overall Vibes: 8/10)

Rating: 8/10 for the EP because I love all the songs

Title: Salute

Title: Giddy Up

Album: THE END OF CHAOS (Single)

Artist: MAJORS

Release: 2022.03.28

youtube

This was so confusing because the single has only two songs and both got an MV at the same time so I thought it has both as title tracks but honestly, I don´t know. Anyways the song "Salute" is very girl crush-like and energetic but something is bothering me and I don´t know what it is. "Giddy Up" is almost good but the techno beat is kinda bothering me as well maybe because I´m not in the mood for it right now.

Rating: 6/10 for Salute (Instrumental: 6/10; Vocals: 7/10; Rap: 6/10 Choreography: 6,5/10; MV: 5,5/10; Overall Vibes: 6/10)

Rating: 6/10 for Giddy Up (Instrumental: 6,5/10; Vocals: 7/10; Choreography: 6,5/10; MV: 5/10; Overall Vibes: 6/10)

Title: Mother

Album: Mother (Single)

Artist: HEIZE

Release: 2022.03.29

youtube

I mean she has beautiful vocals and this is a beautiful ballade but I don´t like it the song that much because I get really sleepy. The lyrics are about needing your mother which I wish I could relate better to but it just feels bittersweet for me because I´m not on good terms with my mother.

Rating: 5/10 for Mother (Instrumental: 6/10; Vocals: 7,5/10; Lyrics: 6/10; MV: 5/10; Overall Vibes: 4,5/10)

Title: Event Horizont

Album: END THEORY: Final Edition (Album Repackage)

Artist: Younha

Release: 2022.03.30

youtube

I love her vocals her visuals and the vibe of the song. The only thing is that it´s a little bit too long. The MV is also well done.

Since this is a repackage it´s hard to judge because it only counts in 3 new songs although it´s a whole album. Because I´m running out of time I can´t say if the new tracks fit in the rest of the album. Anyways "c/2022YH" has anime opening vibes and I love them. "Black hole" shows her vocals pretty well and I like the sound of the song. So I think I will listen to the rest very soon.

Rating: 7,5/10 for Event Horizont (Instrumental: 7,5/10; Vocals: 8/10; MV: 6/10; Overall Vibes: 7,5/10)

Rating: 7,5/10 for the album because I like her vocals

#Red Velvet #Seori #Suran #Oh My Girl #PURPLE KISS #MAJORS #Heize #Younha #Youtube #Spotify #ley´s k-pop corner #kpop #kpop gg

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imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl · 4 years

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Dangerous Love (Pt. 09 of 13)

Pairing: Bruce Wayne (Batman) X Harley Quinn's sister!Reader

Word count: 3K

Summary: You're Harley Quinn's sister, Havoc, one of the many villain's of Gotham. But you've been caught, and has been tortured constantly for an year in Belle Reve. But when your think your life can't be anything else than the nightmare you find yourself into, Bruce Wayne, the Batman, takes you in for a project. He has a program to rehabilitate villains, and you're his lab rat. But soon enough confusing feelings start getting in the way. You know falling for Bruce is stupid. But can you keep your heart under control?

<- Previous part (08)

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{Justice League - DC Masterlist}

Some Dreams Become True

Two man hold you, one on each arm, walking you through the rocky path of the Wayne House. They're just making sure you can walk. When you see Bruce, tears fill your eyes. You want to run, but you don't think you can. He's nervous, hands clenched into fists, a hard expression on his face, eyes on the man holding you.

When you're climbing the few steps to his front the door, feeling Bruce's eyes on you, the man holding your right arm let go, and you use the last bit of strength to turn around, hitting him in the chest with the heavy metal handcuffs.

He lets out a groan, falling down. The other man is quick to respond, pushing you violently to the floor. You feel a sting on your leg, hurting on the already injured skin.

“Get your hands off her!” Bruce yells, stepping forward and placing a punch on the man's jaw. Everyone backs up, hands raised, straight back into the trucks. “(Y/N).” He comes to help you up, and you're thankful for having his arms to sustain your weight.

You pull him with you as you move to get inside, out of those men's sight. When you're in, he pushes the door closed, and you just can't help it, you fall into his arms, hiding your face on his chest. “They beat me.” It comes out as a whisper, a low cry. “In the truck, just now, they... They said you'd think I got them from the mission but I didn't.”

Felling vulnerable isn't your thing. But you spent so much time playing as the tough one, it has a hint of freedom to accept that you're breakable, human. And with Bruce... You feel you can be fragile... You don't have to hide it.

“I'll have them fired.” He says, his chest vibrating with the anger in his voice. “I swear to God I'll–” He stops suddenly when your legs fail and, if it wasn't for him, you'd fall. Bruce picks you up bridal style, and, since you can't look at him right now, you hide your face in the crook of his neck. “Let's get you cleaned up, ok?”

Nodding, you feel as he carries you upstairs, to the room you missed so much. Bruce sits you down on the bed, carefully taking off your shoes. “Do you need help? In the shower?” He speaks low, not sure if he should say it.

“No, I think I can stand up for a while...”

“I'll be right here the whole time, so if you fall or need anything, just call me, ok?”

Nodding, you give him a small smile. Bruce takes some clothes and puts them in the bathroom for you before taking you there. When he leaves, you get inside the box, opening the warm water and taking everything you'll need and laying it on the floor around you. Slowly, and trying not to moan from the pain, you take your clothes off and start washing away the dust and blood. You wish you could wash away the bruises too, but that only time can provide.

It hurts, but you have to wash your hair too. You take so long that Bruce asks if you're alright a few times, and starts making some questions, just so he can make sure you're well. You step out of the shower, dry yourself and your hair before dressing up. As soon as you open the door, Bruce comes, picking you up again and taking you to the bed.

Then, he starts attending to all the wounds, no matter how small. Your heart is a confusion of feelings, and the butterflies give you no rest. After a little more than two weeks, you're finally back in the place where you feel safe. With the man who has been unbelievably gentle. He asks permission to lift your shirt and that's when he sees the four inches of stitches on your left side, just below the ribs.

“What was that?”

“One of the terrorists cut me. The soldiers wanted to heat up a knife and just burn it, but Floyd... Deadshot... Made them call the doctor to stitch it up.” Your voice is low, and you flinch a little when he touches the wound.

“Sorry.”

It takes almost an hour until he stops, gathering all the medical stuff he used before giving you two painkillers. You don't know what to say, you're completely lost. During the mission, you had more than enough time to think about how you'd feel to be back here, but now it's different. It's real... And you have to apologize for what you did before you left.

“Bruce... Before I left I... I kissed you and I shouldn't, I- I was so scared and I didn't want to go so I had an impulse. I'm sorry.” Your heart is beating fast now, so you look down at your hands.

“Why did you kiss me? Tell me the truth.” Bruce moves closer, his hand coming to your cheek. You can't help but close your eyes and sigh, melting into his touch.

How is it possible that he doesn't know how you feel yet? You're sure you failed to hide it under his sharp eyes. “I... I really wanted to kiss you because it's- it's a sign of affection, right?”

“A kiss on the cheek is a sign of affection. On the lips... It means a completely different kind of affection.” His fingers trail the outline of your jaw, your chin...

“I know, I... I just...”

“On the times you thought I was a dream, you said you could fall in love with me. Do you remember what I said back?”

“What?” How does he know... “Was that... Was that real? Did you really came here and...” You don't know what to think. Why would Bruce do such a thing? Not only bother to come but to stay and hold you... Why did he hold you like that? “But- but you–” You stop talking because Bruce leans closer, closer than he ever was. You feel his lips brushing on yours, so softly that it makes you wonder if this might be a dream all over again. But the pain is very real, so this must be too. “What are you doing?” You question him, struggling to control yourself, to stand still.

“I'm trying to explain how I feel about you without using words.”

Before you can say anything, you feel his lips on yours, fully this time. It takes no time until you react, your arms around his neck as you move your lips at his pace, trying to move closer. But a sting on your side makes you jump, and Bruce starts pulling away.

“What was–” Screw your beat-up body. Right now, you couldn't care less. You pull him close once again, not wanting the kiss to be so brief. You waited for a hell of a long time for this, and you won't let a wound ruin it.

You're happy when he gives in to the kiss, and his lips are so soft, so warm... Imagining it didn't get anywhere close to the real thing. There's a small cut on your bottom lip, and it burns a little, but you don't care. This could last forever.

“(Y/N)–” He breaks apart again, but you push yourself forward, chasing his lips, groaning a little when your body complains. You use his shoulders to sustain some of your weight, pulling him into the kiss again. It probably comes out as too needy, but overthinking won't do any good now. Bruce kissed you. He kissed you. Against all odds, against every possibility, Bruce might like you. So you want to have it, to taste his kiss for as long as you can before trying to understand what's going on.

“(Y/N), slow down.” He tells you when you pull away to breathe. “Slow down.”

“Sorry,” you mutter, foreheads touching. Bruce helps you sit back down, resting your back on the headboard, and fixing the pillows around. “What- What was that about, Bruce?”

“Doesn't it make things clear?”

“I know, I just... I need you to say it because I keep thinking that I'm a criminal and it's been a while since I've been trying not to have feelings for you because we're on different sides and... The dreams that weren't dreams happened, the birthday party, all the rest but I... I'll be forever telling myself I'm misreading the signs if you don't tell me...” It comes out all confusing, and you feel pathetic.

“I tried so hard not to fall for you.” He begins, moving the hair away from your face. “That's why I disappeared a while after you got here. My feelings started confusing me so I thought it would be better to call out the project. But I couldn't. Your beauty was the first thing that caught my eyes but after that... Everything you are, it just got me. You got me.”

Biting back a smile, you look down at your hands. “So... I'm the first criminal of Gotham who actually got the Batman.” Such a bad joke.

But a low giggle makes you raise your head and stare at him. “I guess we can say that. But you're not a criminal anymore.”

“That's not what they think.” You tilt your head towards the door.

You're still speaking when Bruce stands up and walks to the other side of the bed. You watch as he takes his shoes off, pulls the blanket away, and sits beside you. “Come here.” He says, and you move as carefully as you can. Bruce puts an arm around your shoulders, and you rest your back on his chest. You don't know why he's doing this, but who are you to argue. It feels good to be held by him. “It's this ok?”

“Yes,” you mutter, closing your eyes. “Being... Being away from you was the worst part of the Suicide Squad, but... It was also a constant reminder of who I am. Or who I was. Havoc.”

“Tell me how you felt.” He asks.

“Therapy session?”

“No. I just want to know everything about you. And help as much as I can.” Softly, he caresses your hair.

You don't want to go back there, but you did wish you had Bruce there to tell him everything that confused you. That made you feel bad. “You know what Havoc means, right? Great destruction, devastation. Something or someone who causes ruin and damage. And I used to be so proud of it.”

“Who gave you this name?”

“A newspaper used the word to describe me in an article about my very first assault to a bank. The place was wrecked.” You speak low, and despite the fact that you hate to remember what you did in the past, there's a good feeling, of pure bliss to be like this with Bruce. His arms are the best place in the world, and your sore body can rest. “And I did that because I wanted to, just for... Fun.”

“Sometimes I get the feeling that your idea of fun was influenced by your sister.”

“Well, my life was terrible until I started hanging out with her so yes... I guess I allowed that world to shape me.”

“Do you still think about returning to your old life?” You feel the expectation on his voice, and also a little bit of vulnerability. Bruce is scared that he likes someone who may still slide back into the crime life.

“On my birthday, before going downstairs I was thinking about it.” You turn around slowly, just enough to look into his eyes. “And I was going to ask you for help.” You smile when he caresses your cheek. “I'm sure now that I don't want to go back... I had money, cars, jewels, but those were only things. You... You showed me things aren't enough. So I made the decision to try. To really try. But I don't know what to do. I supposed to be graduated by now, and have a job, you know... To have started my own life, but... I have nothing.”

“If you want to study I'll pay for your college.”

“I can't let you do that.” Biting back a moan, you turn your body towards him, so you're laying your head on his chest. “It's expensive and... It would be weird.”

“You have to let me take care of you. Not only when you're injured.” He rests his chin on the top of your head, and you close your eyes. “So I'll pay for your college. Then help you find a good job.”

“Hm...” You mumble because you're so tired that you can feel yourself drifting off to sleep. “Will you be here when I wake up?” You manage to ask.

“I'll try, but Batman needs to be on the streets tonight.” He answers in an apologetic tone.

“That's alright, Batman. I understand.”

“Now try to rest, sweetheart.”

“I love it when you call me that.” Whispering, you smile to feel his chest vibrating when he giggles.

And for the first time in a long, long time, you drift off to sleep peacefully, feeling safe and sound, in the arms of someone you truly care about, and who also cares about you.

Your dreams aren't bad. Not as bad as they used to. But yet, you're awake in the middle of the night, completely alone. As you check the clock, 3 a.m., you imagine what Batman is doing right now...

Your body feels numb from the painkillers, so that makes you more secure to stand up and walk around. You do what you usually do, standing in by the window looking down. But then you remember you can go there now. That Bruce doesn't lock the door anymore. Smiling to yourself, you go to the bathroom to wash your face before going to the garden, just to shake the sleep away. The girl in the mirror looks so different from the one you used to see a couple of months ago... Her eyes are different, softer, not desperate, and full of uncertainty. How is it possible that a person can change so much in such a little time? Despite the bruises, your skin does look better, and so does your hair.

Your hair...

The dark roots look bad, and the faded lilac color suddenly seems too odd. In a rush, you search for the box dye Bruce got you. The hair is the only thing that remains of your past. The bruises will heal with time, but it's your job to fix the hair.

You know what to do, so you have no trouble avoiding a mess. Maybe this is something superficial, silly even. But you meant what you said to Bruce, you do want a different life, a restart. You dyed your hair lilac because you wanted to look wild and crazy, like the Joker or Harley. Now you don't need to look like someone else, you feel secure enough to just look like yourself.

You use all three boxes, so you'll be sure to have nice coverage. You're scared now, afraid of how you'll look. When your hair is completely dry, you brush it, moving to stand before the mirror, eyes closed.

Taking a deep breath, you open up your eyes. You're smiling even before you notice, and there are some tears in your eyes. Bruce chose the right color because it merges perfectly with the natural color. Running a hand through your hair, you pull it over your shoulders. You're mesmerized by how it looks. You can't wait to show Bruce so you decide to check if he's back already.

Leaving the room, you walk through the house, calling him. But after a while, it's clear he's not here yet.

“Miss Quinzel?” Alfred calls, and you turn to look at him. “Do you need anything?” He raises his eyebrows at you. “That's a nice change, Miss Quinzel.”

“Thank you, Alfred. I was just checking if Bruce was back already.”

“Master Bruce just got back. He's at the... Cave.”

“Cave?”

“Follow me, please.”

Alfred guides you through the place, to an office in the back of the house. Then, he moves closer to a clock on the wall, and before you can ask what's he's doing, he pushes it to reveal a hole in the wall. “You can go in, Miss Quinzel, he's down there. Careful with the stairs.”

“Ok.” The stairs are dark, so you squint your eyes to try and see better. They take you to a huge, open area. It's a cave indeed, but it looks like another building underground. You'd never guess this was under the house. “Bruce?” You call him, your voice echoing through the place.

There's a whole lab here and a complete hospital room. On the far left, a gym, with more types of equipments than a normal gym would have.

“I'm here.” Bruce comes from behind a wall, wet hair, still buttoning up his shirt. “How did you get in here?”

“I- I'm sorry. Alfred brought me here, through a hole behind a clock. I didn't know I couldn't–”

“Hey, it's alright.” He walks your way, and his face lights up when he gets closer, and a smile comes to his lips. “You look beautiful.” Bruce takes a strand of hair in his fingers before bringing them to caress your cheek.

“I just dyed it and... I wanted you to see it because I really liked it.”

“That's what matters.” Bruce bends down, and you close your eyes to receive the kiss.

You tiptoe when you feel his lips on yours, surrendering into the kiss and wrapping your arms around his neck. You still can't believe this is real, that Bruce actually wants to kiss you. You can't help but wonder what this is. What's this means... You know how a relationship works. A person can be either single, dating, engaged, or married. Sometimes it's complicated, and maybe that's the best you can get with Bruce. These thoughts make you pull away, breaking the kiss without even noticing.

“Something wrong?” Bruce asks, looking a little confused.

“No, I was just... Thinking... It was nothing.”

“(Y/N), we're supposed, to be honest with each other, remember? If you're not ok with me kissing you like that you just have to say and–”

“No!” You burst out, shaking your head slightly. “Please, that's not it.” The thought of not kissing Bruce is just absurd, unbearable even, that you just cut him off, keeping him close by holding the collar of his shirt. “That's not it but I... I can't tell you.”

“It's about me, then.” He affirms. “The last time you didn't want to tell me something it was about you dreaming of me.” Bruce places a soft, delicate kiss on your lips. “Tell me what's bothering you. Please.”

Taking a deep breath, you step away, turning your back at him. It's easier if you're not looking into his eyes. “My mind is always working, you know. I'm always thinking and... I was just wondering what this is. What we're doing, what we... What we are, you and I.”

“What do you think we are?”

“I wouldn't be asking if I knew, Bruce.” You sound defeated, shy.

“Tell me what you want, then.”

“I can't. Haven't you noticed that this is crazy? Dangerous, even. You're a hero and I'm a villain. And I do want to try and change my position in this but... It's still complicated and I don't want us to be complicated. I'm tired of complicated things.” Bruce moves closer as you speak, so you hide your face in his chest.

“Do you want us to be together? Officially?”

“It's not about what I want, it's about–”

“I want us to be together.” He interrupts, strong arms embracing you. “Now I need to know if you want the same. It's not about me or about you, it's about both of us.”

Be brave, just say it. You just have to say it. “I want to be with you... Like... I want us to have, Uhm... A relationship status? Is it how people call it?”

He giggles, pulling away just enough to raise you face his index finger. His eyes are gentle, calming, and you realize you don't have to be so desperately nervous around him. That you trust him more than you ever thought you could trust anyone. “Do you want to be my girlfriend, (Y/N)?”

Biting your lip to hold back a smile, you nod. The smile comes anyways, but you push yourself forward, tiptoeing to kiss him. This is insane. This is... Real. You thought you'd die in that prison, or in any other, or maybe on an alley after you lost a fight... But this is so much better.

You're still kissing when a beep starts. Rolling your eyes, you pull away and step down, looking at the source of the noise. “Come.” Bruce takes your hand and guides you through the cave, to a high tech computer with six huge screens, a table full of buttons, and a chair. On the screen in the middle, you see what looks like a call. Bruce moves closer to the table and presses a button, and five people appear on the screen. You know them from the news. They're the other superheroes, so you step away just before Bruce connects, so they won't see you.

“Bruce. We have a problem.” The woman says, Wonder Woman. “An alien spaceship is hovering over Washington.”

“They haven't made contact yet, but the ship has several weapons, which I imagine they will use.” It's Superman who speaks this time.

“I never liked that Independence Day movie.” A younger boy mutters, but nobody seems to pay much attention.

“Is anybody in Washington?” Bruce asks.

“Just Clark and I. But the rest is coming too. And we need you.” Wonder Woman answers.

“Alright.” He looks down for a moment before looking at you. “I'll be there.” He says before hanging up.

He seems to be a little sad, but you don't mind that he has to go. It's his job, to protect Gotham and the world. Smiling, you walk over him, placing a kiss on his cheek. “Go get them, Batman. I'll be waiting for you.”

@fionanovasleftnut @glitterypinkkitty @mybabyboytony @chipster-21 @agustdpeach @yaakimoon2 @chloe-skywalker

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everlarkficexchange · 4 years

Text

December nights in June

written by @viloula

Rated: M

Prompt 110: AU. Everlark live across from each other in fancy New York (or the like) penthouses. With all those large windows, they see each other daily and know the other’s routine and all he/she does, but they’ve never met. A chance meeting occurs. What will happen? The circumstances of their living arrangements/any backstory and what happens between them is up to you. [submitted by @acpoe82]

Summary: Peeta Mellark may be a successful junior partner at the lawfirm of Finnick Odair, he isn’t a successful partner at all when it comes to love. Every night when he comes home, he watches the lights of New York City, the people on the street… and a mysterious neighbour.

Part II is coming up!

Prologue

When he moved from the small town where he grew up to the big apple, the most fascinating thing about New York were the lights. Where he came from, there were only that many lights in December. Here, every night was like December. Lights everywhere: lights from windows, cars, streetlights. It was years ago when he changed a place where the only noises were the songs of birds to a place were it was never silent. The city that never sleeps.

He got used to the noises. But never to the lights he loved so much. Every night, when he came home from another day at the office, he stood there in front of his large window, watching the street, watching the other windows. He loved the fact that behind every window was another story.

***

January

“Peeta! I changed your appointment with mister Heavensbee to 2 o’clock. There are new files in the Cato/Clove case, and…”

“Good morning Delly,” Peeta smiled. “Thank you. Can I first…”

“I brought you a double espresso.”

“How can I live without you.”

“Not.” Delly Cartwright, his secretary, gave him his double espresso. “Have you seen Finnick?”

“The boss?” Peter grinned. “Think he won’t be there until noon. I’m at my office.”

He walked to his office, holding the warm cup of his favourite drink. His desk was filled with new documents of the Cato/Clove case. It was a law suit he was working on for a couple of weeks. An love affair at a firm between the managing director and an associate, that same managing director being sued by that same associate because she couldn’t finish her internship. It was his task to defend the managing director. A hard task, really. He tried to make arrangements between the parties instead of going to court, but the lawyer of the associate is a woman he knew from law school, Madge. Madge still can’t get over the fact that Peeta always won moot court against her, and also not over the fact that he broke up with her after she cheated. Sometimes, it felt like his life was a soap.

“Mellark! You need to come with me, right now.” Finnick Odair stepped into his office. He did that quite a lot. He always act like it is an emergency, but most of the time it was not. Peeta liked his boss. Although Finnick is a bit, well, Finnick, he is the best lawyer Peeta knew. And Peeta was proud to work for him. Proud to tell people that he was a junior partner of Odair, one of the finest law firms of New York.

“I’m sorry boss, as you can see, I’m busy reading new complaints about my client,” Peeta told him and laughed.

“You come with me now, or we are going to have an love affair.”

“You know, I am not your associate.”

“You were.”

“You missed your chance.”

“You will always be my special associate.”

“Finnick, what are you doing here,” Peeta laughed.

“I need your help.” Finnick sat down in one of Peeta’s chairs, in front of his desk. “I need a pro bono case.”

“Right.” Peeta rolled his eyes. “I need another file of complaints of Madge.”

“I’m serious.”

“Finnick, you never do pro bono cases.”

“That’s why I need you.”

Peeta sighed. “What can I do for you.”

–

Again. Peeta looked at his watch. 11 pm and he just got home. But, he might have found a way to beat Madge, thanks to Finnick.

He threw his leather bag gently against the kitchen wall and took off his coat and shoes. He couldn’t wait for spring and not having to use it anymore. He took off the jacket of his suit and he poured himself a glass of red wine. He loved his job, but his favourite part of the day was coming home.

After moving a lot, last year he was able to buy his apartment. It was a small place to live, big enough for a young man who isn’t home that much. There was a bathroom with plenty of space, a bedroom on the side of the street and a small living room with a comfy couch. There was also a bookcase he build. The bookcase covered almost the whole wall and was filled with many books: from Shakespeare to Alcott, from Reve to Montesquieu. After a whole day of reading files at work, most of the time he was too tired to read when he got home, but when he went on a holiday, he loved to read.

Peeta’s favourite part of his apartment was his kitchen. The kitchen was in the same room as the living room and he spend a lot of money to have the kitchen of his dreams. During the weekends, he loved to cook and bake. Finnick loved to come over then, especially when he made his famous risotto.

He grew up in a small-town bakery. During his youth, he worked together with his father and two older brothers. He was responsible for the decoration of cakes which he loved to do. When he became older, he thought of going to college and take business classes, so he could take over the bakery from his father. Or well, that was what his mum was trying to convince him for. He was lucky his dad supported him with going to Harvard Law School. When he actually got accepted, his mother turned 180 degrees and she couldn’t stop bragging about her youngest son being a student at Harvard, later being a lawyer.

Like every night, he stood in front of his window, enjoying his glass of wine he thought he had earned today. He opened the window, felt the cold breeze of the late night wind.

On the street, some people were rushing by walking fast. Clearly the kind of people who felt uncomfortable walking in the darkness. He felt the same way when he just moved to New York, but after a few months, he realised there was never actually darkness in the city. You just had to be careful.

His eye fell on a window across the street. There was a woman, also holding a glass. Her hair was long and dark, and her face… he wished he could have seen it from a less big distance.

She was wearing a strapless dress, as if she just got home from a party. She was petite. She was beautiful. He had never seen her, but maybe he didn’t really noticed her window yet, there were so many things to see.

It looked like she looked at him. What colour were her eyes? He couldn’t tell. Could she also see him? He wanted to wave, but that would be weird. She was so stunning, he had never seen someone like her before.

His glass was almost empty. After he drank it up, he took a shower and went to bed when the new day started.

–

When Peeta parked his bicycle, he saw the name partner of the firm walking to the entrance. It was a sunny January day, the sunlight made the curls of Finnick turn into bronze.

“Good morning Finnick,” Peeta said.

“Good morning man. Seriously, still by bike?”

“You can get a man out of Amsterdam, but you can’t get Amsterdam out of the man,” Peeta joked, referring to his interview with Finnick where Finnick thought he was Dutch.

“Good point.” The two lawyers walked into the firm. “So, did you find me a pro bono yesterday?”

“I actually did.” They walked to the elevator, Finnick pressed the ‘11’ button. “You are going to defend a man who will be kicked out of his apartment,” Peeta said.

“A rented apartment?” When the doors opened, they walked to Peeta’s office.

“Yes.” Peeta waved to Delly, who was having a phone call.

“Good, you’re very good with cases like that.”

“That’s true. But then again, is there a case I’m not good at?”

“Madge cases?”

“Ah come on.” Peeta sat down, noticed that Delly brought him his daily double espresso. “But wait, me? I thought you wanted a pro bono.”

“I want a pro bono, but you’re going to fix it.” Finnick stood in front of the huge window in Peeta’s office. Peeta loved the fact that he had a window like that: there was always so much daylight, and at night the lights of the city. Though, he preferred his view at home.

“Finn, I’m not your associate anymore. I have this arrangement to settle with mister Heavens…”

“But you are my best friend and you are also the best social lawyer I know and I need you to do that pro bono.”

“But why? A case with a man being kicked out of his apartment is not that hard to do.”

“I just… I just want to do more pro bono cases in the firm and you are good with people.” Finnick had a strange look on his face. Peeta knew him for almost 10 years and he had never seen that look before.

“There is something you’re not telling me Odair.”

“Don’t make me beg Mellark. I promise I will tell you when the time is there.”

Peeta knew something was going on. “Fine. But what about the merge of mister Heavensbee?”

“Thresh can take it over.” Finnick walked to the door. “Thank you Peeta. You’re not only a good lawyer, you’re also a good friend.”

“It’s fine Finnick. I will see my name on the wall next week.”

Finnick laughed. “Are you making risotto this weekend?”

“Really?” Peeta laughed while he turned on his Macbook. “Fine. I will.”

Finnick gave him a thumps up and left the office. He looked… more happy than usual. There was no time to think about what was going on in Finnick’s head. Peeta looked at the pro bono case, which was at his desk with a post-it note, Delly’s handwriting on it. “Have fun!” she wrote. He smiled. Actually, he didn’t really mind working on a pro bono case. He would rather be the lawyer of someone who truly needs it, instead of being a lawyer for someone who wants to make more money. But in the end, he just loved being a lawyer; helping everyone.

–

10 pm. An hour earlier than yesterday. As usual, Peeta took of his coat and shoes, his jacket from his suit, he poured himself a glass of red wine and walked to his huge window. Immediately, he saw the woman from yesterday. She was talking to the phone and wore something comfy and green.

He didn’t know what it was that took his attention. Was it the way she moved her lips, her body? Her dark hair, her eyes he still didn’t know the colour of?

What is her name, he thought. It must be something unusual, or something really classy. Or both.

He walked to his bookcase, where his vinylplayer was, and put on some music.

“Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night…”

He sat down on his couch. Maybe her name is Rhiannon? He rolled his eyes at himself. He needed to stop.

But he couldn’t. All night long, he thought about what her name could be, what she would sound like, what the colour of her eyes were, what she liked to do and what she didn’t like to do. When he lied in his bed and wanted to close his eyes, his thoughts kept him awake. What would she be like? He had a feeling she was special, he didn’t know why. Maybe because he wanted her to be special, maybe because he wants someone special. Maybe he wanted to be special to someone special.

He needed to stop thinking about his beautiful, mysterious neighbour. How long was it ago, the last time he had his heart broken? When will he ever learn… He turned to lay on his back. In front of him, he could still see the hall of his old apartment. That white brick wall, with a picture of a cow and a windmill he got from Finnick as present for becoming a junior partner. It was that moment he noticed it had a crack on the left corner. He could still hear the sound of his fiancés voice, yelling to whoever it was that they could do it at least 10 more times before Peeta gets home.

***

February

January turned into the strange month called February. Peeta was on the road to meet mister Abernathy, his client in the pro bono case. Finnick was proud seeing him travelling to work by car, proud seeing him acting like he lives in New Amsterdam instead of Amsterdam.

While driving, he thought of a strange thing that happened to him this morning. It was the first time these weeks he saw her in the morning. He was up earlier than usual, and when he walked into his kitchen, he saw her. She stood in front of her window, holding a cup, he guessed it must be coffee. She wore something casual, a plaid shirt and jeans. Her hair was in a braid.

She put her cup away and suddenly started to dance, and probably singing, because her lips were moving. Peeta was amazed by what he saw. The way she moved her body was so beautiful yet so sexy. Unfortunately, her dancing wasn’t for a long time. She looked outside her window. She saw him staring.

Peeta started sweating, he took off his glasses, as if then he couldn’t see anymore that she saw him staring. He put them back on, like he realised it was a stupid thing to do.

She smiled and waved at him. He waved back. He wondered if she had the day off. He wondered if he could go to her door, introduce himself, drink something and talk about everything. He looked at his watch and realised it was time to go to work. He looked to her window, she was still standing there, watching him. Peeta grabbed his leather bag, hold it a bit higher so she could see it. Again she waved. He waved back. “Have good day, beautiful,” he said softly.

Peeta parked his car and tried to get his mind back to work. He felt kinda guilty that he had a car of his own, it seemed that this was a kind of neighbourhood where not many people could afford one. After a few minutes, he found the right address and knocked on the door, because there was a post-it note that the doorbell wasn’t properly working.

A blond man in his 50s who smelled like whiskey opened the door. “Are you my saviour?”

Peeta laughed. “I hope so. My name is Peeta, I am your lawyer in the case against your landlord.”

“Well, come in kid.”

Peeta was never called kid before by a client, but he didn’t mind. He had a feeling this wasn’t the last time he was going to be called ‘kid’.

The man walked into his apartment. Peeta went inside, closed the door and followed him. There were a couple of empty bottles, but it looked like mister Abernathy just cleaned the place. The place wasn’t that big, it was a small studio, filled with old, brown furniture. Peeta saw some pictures on the wall, of children in the forest.

“Ah yes,” his client said when he saw Peeta looking at the pictures. “I loved my job.”

“You don’t have a job anymore?” Peeta asked.

“Why else would I drink whiskey during this time of the day?”

“Fair enough,” Peeta said with a laugh. This man was very strange, but in a good way.

“Name is Haymitch,” he said and gave Peeta a hand.

“Peeta,” Peeta said again.

“Not Peter?”

“No.”

“Can I call you Peter?”

“Also, no.” Peeta looked at the pictures again. There 15, maybe 20 pictures hanging on the wall. “What was your job?”

“I was running a summer camp for kids, with outdoor activities and stuff like that. Lost the job because I showed up drunk too much. Now I am going to lose my living place as well.”

“We will see about that,” Peeta said and sat down on a chair. “Tell me your side of the story.”

“Well, I stopped paying my rent.”

“Why did you?”

Haymitch looked at Peeta. “You have a nice suit.”

“Thank you. But why did you stop paying your rent?”

“Because my landlord, mister Snow, is terrorising me. He is making this place a horrible place to live. I have lived here since my wife died 25 years ago. Suddenly, since 2 months I keep finding these cockroaches in my kitchen. I may be an alcoholic, but I am not filthy.”

“And you think your landlord has something to do with it?”

“It must be. I know it.”

Yes, Peeta thought, but you also have to prove it.

–

The raindrops were covering his glasses as he stepped out of the car and ran to his front door. Where the hell were his keys? He searched with his hands in his pockets, finally finding them, in the mean time becoming more wet because of the rain. As if it were a natural move, he looked across the street, looking for his mysterious neighbour he couldn’t stop thinking about during his ride back home. No one in sight. Peeta stepped inside, took the stairs and was finally home. He looked at his watch. 8 pm. He finally had the chance to make dinner instead of eating at the office!

After he changed his suit into sweatpants and a hoodie, he looked what ingredients he had in his kitchen. Not much, he really had to do some grocery shopping soon. Some pasta, there was also pesto. Pasta pesto it was going to be. He felt like he was a student again. He wished he was still a student, at least then he still had time to make dinner for himself every night.

While cutting some tomatoes, he looked out of his window. She was back, folding some laundry now. She was still wearing the same outfit as when he saw her in the morning. He hoped she wouldn’t look at his window right now.

His dinner was ready. When he walked to his kitchen table, he looked out of his window again. She stood there, she was watching him. She waved. He put his plate on the table and waved back.

Maybe one day, he thought. Maybe one day she will be sitting here across me, eating this student meal with me. He would ask her about her day and he would tell her that he is working on a pro bono case, and if she didn’t know what that meant, he would explain it if she wanted to know. He would ask her about everything and he would answer all of her questions if she had any. He would ask her if she wanted some tea or an espresso, or a glass of wine. He would invite her to come over some day in the weekend, promising that there would be self-made cookies.

Again, he rolled his eyes at himself. When will he ever learn. He closed his eyes. He could hear her voice again, yelling at him. “You are always gone, always working! And now you blame me for finding attention?”

“Finding attention?” he shouted back. “Is that what you call the cheating? With my best friend?”

“It was just the attention! You have my heart!”

“You can have it back!” Peeta shouted. “We’re over!”

The months after the break-up, he felt miserable and a failure. At work, he was successful: he was quite young being a junior partner and he managed to bring lots of new clients to the firm. But he sucked being a partner for a woman he loved: not once, but twice his girlfriend would cheat on him because he was working too much.

He looked at the window again. She was gone. It has been 2 years after his break-up with Glimmer. Maybe his heart wanted to love again. To love and to be loved.

His phone rang. Finnick.

“Boss?”

“Hi, I saw you left earlier today.”

“I did, nothing more left to do.”

“Oh, I’m sure of that. How is the case of mister Abernathy?”

Peeta raised his eyebrow. “Fine. Trying to find evidence.”

“Think you’re going to win?”

“Of course.”

“Can you come to office? I’ve got this case and I really need your thoughts about it.”

Before Peeta could say something, Finnick hung up. Peeta rushed to his bedroom, changing his sweatpants and hoodie for something more suitable.

–

It was Valentinesday and it has been 4 weeks since Peeta saw her for the first time. Now they wave at each other on a daily basis: sometimes also in the morning, but every night. He was looking forward to it actually. He was also looking forward for growing some courage and ringing her doorbell. What is a better day for showing 2 minutes of courage?

“Happy Valentines day love,” Finnick said when Peeta walked into his office. Finnick was wearing a tie with both pink and red stripes. It would look horrible on everyone, but he could pull it off.

“Happy Valentines day to you too,” Peeta laughed. “And, did you…”

“Not here. So, how is the Madge case?”

“Really? Are you asking about my ex on this beautiful day?” Peeta laughed.

“She’s hot tho.”

“Case is going well. Court hearing next week, going to kick ass.”

“That’s my boy. So, plans for tonight?”

Peeta thought of his plan of growing courage and ringing the doorbell of his mysterious, beautiful neighbour.

“You have a plan.” Finnick laughed. “Getting drunk?”

“Yes,” Peeta said quickly.

“You deserve to have real plans though.” Finnick looked at him. “You are a good person. And a good lawyer if you return to your office right now and take a call with Crane Holdings.”

–

8 pm. It is a bit late, but it could’ve been later. But, Peeta thought, if this is the start of something new, I need to learn from my mistakes.

Quickly he changed his clothes into something more casual, he felt like showing up in his suit would be a bit overkill. A jeans and a shirt maybe? Maybe she didn’t want him to come in. He put on a pair of jeans and a green shirt. She had a lot of plants in her apartment, so he figured that she would love the colour green.

He took a deep breath and took his coat. He looked in the mirror. His curls clearly didn’t want to work with him today. He sighed. Grow some courage, he told himself.

Once more, he looked through his window. She was home. She was…

She was naked. She walked to somewhere he didn’t know. He could see her breasts, her bottom, her stomach, her long legs. She wore her hair down. He fantasized about her a lot these days, but he couldn’t dream of her being so beautiful as she actually was.

Am I dreaming? he thought. Maybe she just took a shower. Maybe I should wait. I should stop staring before she sees it.

But then he saw why she was naked. A tall man walked behind her, he grabbed her and kissed her.

Of course she is seeing someone. When will I ever learn? I am such a fool.

His phone rang.

“Boss?”

“I’m so sorry, but are you able to come to office or are you too drunk? It is really important.”

“Nah.” Peeta tried to keep himself together. Why did it hurt him so much? He didn’t know her, hell, he didn’t even know her name, or what her voice sounds like! “I can come.”

Finnick hung up. Peeta looked out of the window once more. She was gone.

–

Days went by. When Peeta walked in his apartment, it was 11 pm as usual. He threw his leather bag gently against the wall, took off his coat and shoes, the jacket of his suit and poured himself a glass of wine. Every night, he was trying to look to the city lights without looking at her. There were so many windows to look at, or cars, or people walking on the street. He tried to just look to those people walking on the street. He tried to read a book. He tried to play some music.

But he couldn’t. She was there every night, and there was something about her. What would she do during daytime? he wondered. Did she have a job? What was her age? What would her hobbies be?

Doing fun stuff with her boyfriend, you fool. Peeta sighed. He really needed to stop watching.

–

March

“My hero! You won!” Finnick laughed when Peeta walked into his office. It was already dark outside, the lights of the night shined bright.

“I actually didn’t win, I made an arrangement.”

“An arrangement that lets mister Abernathy keep his place to live! Can I get you something to drink?”

“You can tell me when you let me meet her,” Peeta said and winked. “The woman who made Odair do more pro bono cases.”

“It is for the goodwill of the firm.”

“Yes, of course. And your own.”

“I am one with the firm.”

“You sure are,” Peeta laughed. “But yes, I would love something to drink.”

Finnick poured two glasses of wine for them. “Well, it will be just a matter of time before your name will be next to mine. You are really, really talented. That bluffing, extraordinary.”

Peeta looked outside. No window with her.

“Santé Peet,” Finnick said when he gave Peeta a glass of wine.

–

1 am. Time for a midnight shower, his favourite kind of shower after the 3 am shower. It was a long time ago that he came home from work this late, but he had to admit it was not really work if you talk all night with Finnick, drinking wine.

He closed his eyes when the water washed his body. It has been a couple of weeks, but he still couldn’t stop thinking about how sad he was she was seeing somebody. And he couldn’t stop thinking about how he missed thinking about her without feeling guilty. He couldn’t stop wondering what her name was, how she would sound like, why he was thinking about her all the time. Could it actually be possible to fall in love with somebody you haven’t met? Maybe it was like F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in the Great Gatsby: maybe it was a tender curiosity. Her smile is so beautiful, she, she is so beautiful, so pure. He had that feeling he couldn’t explain. It had been so hard, trying not to want to look, trying not to want to think. And here he found himself again thinking about her.

He could feel himself getting hard. For a moment, he thought about touching himself. But it felt wrong.

He turned the water off, dried himself with a towel and put on a boxer short. When he walked to his bedroom, he tried not to look, but he did.

The light was on in her apartment. Was she a night owl?

Then he saw her. He could see she wasn’t at peace, the way she walked seemed restless. It looked like she was yelling.

Peeta put on his glasses and tried to find himself a sweater. When he found one, he looked out of the window again. He could see the man he also saw on Valentines Day and a couple of more times. He was yelling too. Peeta wanted to go to bed, he didn’t want to stare at a fighting couple. But he got a strange feeling about this, this wasn’t just fighting. He could see the man grabbing her arm in a rough way. She tried to get away but she couldn’t.

This didn’t look good at all. She kept yelling and he yelled back. She didn’t look like weak person, but she couldn’t stand a chance. The man was long, tall and strong.

I should really, really go to bed, Peeta thought, but when he looked outside once more, he saw the man raised his hand and hit her in her face.

Oh my god. He is hurting her.

He had to do something. Where were his pants?

She kept on yelling and got another hit. He needed to get her out of there. He grabbed his sweatpants, put on his coat and shoes and took the stairs, to go outside.

When he wanted to cross the street, he saw the tall man leaving the apartment.

Grow courage. He crossed the street and tried to find the right doorbell. He didn’t know her name or what her address was. Why didn’t he think of this?

E.E.L. Trinket, K.V. Everdeen or A. Cresta? It must be around 2 am, he thought.

He pressed the doorbell of A. Cresta. After a while, he heard a voice cracking from the intercom. “Hello?”

I don’t even know the sound of her voice. Crap. But, this woman sounded like she just woke up. It couldn’t be her.

“I’m sorry for waking you up ma’am, I’ve pressed the wrong button,” Peeta said. Then he got an idea. “Do you know the name of your neighbour, with eh, with the braid?”

“Katniss?”

“Thank you so much. Sleep well.” Her name is Katniss. It was, indeed, a special name.

With his heart beating in his throat, he pressed the doorbell. She didn’t open. Maybe she thought it was the tall man, returning.

He pressed the doorbell again. Then, she spoke. Her voice sounded cracked. “You have a key you know.”

“Katniss wait!” Peeta said.

“You’re not Gale. Who are you?”

He imagined the circumstances would be a bit different when he would hear her voice for the first time.

“I’m Peeta. I’m your neighbour.” Fuck, this sounded even more strange than he thought.

“What is my unknown neighbour doing here at 2 am?”

“Checking up on you. Please, open the door for me. I know what happened.”

“Wait, you are him? My neighbour?” the sound of her voice changed into a surprised tone.

“I think I just told…” Peeta heard the sound of the door getting unlocked.

He stepped into the hallway, it looked just like his. She must live on the 6th floor, their windows were on the same height.

He walked the stairs. Thoughts were running through his head, his heart was still beating in his throat. This was the must stupid idea ever. Who would go to a woman you’ve never met at 2 am, because you were staring at her through the window and had a bad feeling?

She didn’t sound mad. And she must have opened the door for some reason.

It was still the most stupid idea ever.

Peeta reached the 6th floor and saw an open door. What am I doing.

“Neighbour?” There she stood. Katniss. Her cheek was still red from the hit she got, but she was without doubt the most beautiful woman Peeta had ever seen. Her eyes were grey, something he had never seen before. She had long, black eyelashes. She was even more beautiful from a less distance.

“Katniss,” he said. “I wanted to check up on you, I saw what happened and…”

“I was planning to go outside actually, I’m sorry.” Peeta noticed the overnight bag next to her and that she was wearing a coat.

“Oh no, don’t be sorry, I’m sorry for coming here at 2 am.”

“Don’t be sorry, you were just worried and you have all right to. Shall we…”

“Yes!” Peeta started walking to the stairs. “Shall I carry your bag?”

Katniss laughed softly and followed him. God, could she even be more beautiful? “No, it’s fine.”

“You seem tired.”

“Most people are tired around this time, you know.” She sighed, and dragged her bag behind her. Peeta wanted to ask her again if he could carry it, but she seemed firm.

“Where are you going to?” he asked instead.

“I wanted to call my sister, but I don’t want to wake her, she has sleeping problems due to her pregnancy, my god why am I telling you this, I don’t even know you. What is your…”

When they almost reached the door, she fell the last three stair treads down to the ground.

“Katniss!” Peeta ran to her. “Can you stand up?”

Katniss tried, but it didn’t seem to go smoothly. She suddenly burst into tears.

“Shhh, come on, let’s get you out of here,” Peeta said. He took her bag and put it over his shoulder. He helped her standing up. “Don’t panic, but I’m going to take you to my place so I can check your ankle.”

She tried to speak, but she was still crying.

“It’s okay, come on.”

With a lot of effort, they crossed the street. The city noises seemed more quiet than usual, the city seemed more darker than usual. Peeta felt a certain kind of calmness, maybe it was because it was needed.

When they reached Peeta’s apartment building, Peeta put the bag on the ground. He wished there was an elevator. He was going to build one if the owner of the building didn’t, he had plenty of money.

“I’m going to carry you upstairs, could you try to climb on my back?”

Katniss didn’t say anything, she just did what he asked. She wasn’t heavy, fortunately.

Come on Peet. Carefully and slowly, he walked the stairs. The more stair treads he had done, the heavier it became. Finally, there was his front door.

Slowly and gently, he let her of his back. He opened his door and guided her to his couch.

“You’re safe. I’m going to get your bag.”

When he turned back, he heard her voice. “Neighbour?”

He turned to her. “Yes?”

“I may not know your name, but can I trust you?”

“You can trust me. I’m Peeta.”

–

When he came back, he saw her sitting on the couch, rubbing her feet. Why is she so beautiful.

“I may have to go see a doctor tomorrow,” Katniss said.

“What about today?” Peeta laughed.

“Oh God, I forgot it is…”

“3 am. Do you want to drink something? I’ve got eh… tea. Water. Coffee, but that’s a bad idea. And wine, but that is also a bad idea, especially for me since I’ve already drank some.” This sounded stupid. “Not that I’m drunk or something…”

“I would like some tea… please.”

“Sure!” Peeta went to his kitchen. The last couple of hours had been so strange. He went to court today, settled an arrangement, drank wine with Finnick, took a midnight shower, saw his mysterious neighbour who appeared to be named Katniss getting hit by her boyfriend, he went outside and now she was here.

He came back with two cups of tea, he hoped she would like chamomile. He also took an icepack from the freezer.

“I hope this helps,” he said and he sat down on the floor, holding it against her ankle.

“Thank you Peeta,” Katniss said. “Man, this is unbelievable.”

Peeta looked at her. Tears were streaming down her face again.

“But we’ve finally met, right? I really liked those moments of waving at you. It became part of my night routine.”

Still tears. “Can you… can you tell me something. My thoughts are…”

“Sure! Ehm… well. You see your mug?”

Katniss looked at her mug. It had a Van Gogh print on it, from the almond blossom painting.

“I bought it in Amsterdam a few years ago. My boss, who is also my best friend, thought during my interview that I was a Dutchman, because of my name and my hair. So, after working for him a few years, and after hearing him joke about it a few years, I took a plane to the Netherlands and went to Amsterdam. It is actually a nice city, I bought the mug in the Van Gogh museum. I want to go back and see more of the country, I’ve heard Rotterdam is pretty cool too and that it’s called Manhattan at the river Maas, so it should feel a bit like home.”

“Europe is great,” Katniss said softly. “Gale… that… that man took me once to Norway, to the forests and mountains…” She became quiet again. She was more quiet than an hour ago. Maybe because it just seemed to hit her, that her life was changed.

“That sounds amazing! Do you like the forests?”

“I love it. It feels like… home.”

“So, how did you come here in New York?”

Tears again. This wasn’t what he wanted. “Oh no, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to…”

“No it’s fine, I… It’s just… he cheated on me, I found out and… it all fell down.”

Peeta didn’t know what to say. She kept on talking.

“We were together for 7 years, it wasn’t always rainbows and butterflies… I started doubting about us a long time ago, that’s why I… why we… I didn’t want to be intimate with him anymore, I mean, not really anymore, but less and less and he… sometimes he wanted to and I not and… I think he started looking somewhere else and maybe it was also because I didn’t want to get married yet because of the doubting and…”

Peeta still held the icepack against her ankle. He felt that he wanted to go sit next to her, but his mind told him no, while everything else in his body screamed yes.

“I’m so sorry for bothering you with this,” Katniss sniffed.

“You don’t bother me at all,” Peeta said softly. “Trust me, I know how you feel. My ex cheated on me too.” And the one before. Peeta sighed. “You don’t have to be sorry and you’re not bothering me.”

He looked at her. Her grey eyes were still filled with tears.

“Hey,” he said and then he smiled at her. “You know, I am very curious about you. This is also a part of you, and if you don’t mind, I would really like to know you.”

Softly, she laughed. “Yeah, I think you could say this is also a part of me. There is not much more, actually. I’m a mess.”

“Well, what’s your favourite colour?”

“My favourite colour?” She raised her eyebrows and started thinking. “It’s the middle of the night, and you are asking my favourite colour?”

“I think I am,” Peeta laughed, still holding her ankle. “How is your ankle?”

“The icepack helps, thank you. Oh god, you are sitting on the floor the whole time! You can sit next to me, I mean, ofcourse you can, it’s your couch…”

Peeta laughed and sat down next to her. “You may rest your ankle on the couch if you like. Plenty of space.”

“Thank you.” Katniss put her legs on the couch. “This actually is really comfortable.”

“I’m glad. So, you favourite colour.”

“Right. It’s green.”

“Like the forests in Norway?” He smiled.

“Not in particular, but yes, I like the outdoors and nature. What’s yours?”

“Orange.”

“I can see why your boss thought you were a Dutchman.”

Peeta laughed. “I’ve never thought of it that way! No, it’s not because of The Netherlands. I like the colour of the sky during sunset.”

“That’s beautiful,” Katniss said. “So, you also like nature.”

“I do! There is not much nature here in New York, but I just like watching the skies, it’s like a painting.”

“An artist huh?” Katniss smiled. “I can tell.”

“How?”

“You look like one. But, artists don’t usually wear suits to work. Are you a politician?”

“No…”

“A lawyer?”

“Yes,” Peeta said. “A very passionate lawyer.”

“That’s so impressive. My sister is a doctor.” Katniss looked out of the window. “So strange to see my old place from here.”

“Old place?”

“Yes, I’m leaving it.” She stopped. “It’s Gale’s,” she said softly. “Why did you want to become a lawyer?”

“Well, at high school I discovered I was pretty good with words. I wanted to use that for helping people.”

“That’s beautiful. I’m sure you’re like Mike Ross or something, a pretty good one.”

“Except for that I actually went to law school,” Peeta laughed. “And what about you?”

“Me? I… well… I was starting to… to be a singer.”

“A singer?” She can sing? “That’s so special! I am not asking you to sing for me now, but damn, I am curious.”

“Yeah, Gale works at a bank, and I wanted to become a singer, so that’s why I live in New York and not in a cottage in the woods.”

“That last part doesn’t sound bad at all.” They looked at each other. There was this kind of energy, this kind a feeling that told Peeta she was thinking the same thing.

Katniss and Peeta talked all night. Katniss told him about her father who died when she was young, about her mom and sister, about her performances she did so far and that she liked archery. Peeta talked about his parents and the bakery, his two older brothers, that he liked to bake and read, painting sometimes. He told her about Finnick and his job: a few cases that were extraordinary. She laughed, sometimes she cried. He laughed, sometimes he wanted to hold her. They told each other about what they thought when they saw each other through the window.

Suddenly, Katniss spoke. “Hey, I’m just thinking.”

“Hm?” Peeta said, a bit tired.

“It’s the first day of spring today.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t you just love spring? All those flowers: primroses, dandelions. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again.”

And that’s when the sun started to rise.

#Springtime Edition 2020 #viloula #acpoe82 #Prompt 110 #submission

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aesthetically-bitching · 5 years

Note

rEPLY TO /ALL/ THE ASKS

1. Any scars?

A few on my fingers from playing games with my friends and one on my chin and lip from stitches lol

2. Self harmed?

Nah

3. Crush?

@evelinaonline 😍😍

4. Ever kissed anyone?

Like three times when I was 11 in truth or dare and spin the bottle

5. Coke or Pepsi?

They taste the same but I usually drink coke

6. Someone you hate?

I don't really hate people lol

7. Best friends?

None of them have Tumblr except for @evelinaonline

8. Have you ever drunk alcohol or done drugs?

I've drunk like two sips of beer but I'm not really a fan

9. What's your dream job?

I know I want to study psychology in university and then work on a master's degree in criminology and maybe child psychology but I don't really know what I'm gonna do after that. I know that I want to write music and stories though, that's for sure.

10. Ever been in love?

Nah

11. Last time you cried?

A few days ago while watching Anne With an E (season 2, episode 7)

12. Favorite color?

I like all colors but I really like blue (all shades)

13. Height?

Around 1.70 maybe? So like 5'6 I believe?

14. Birthday?

July the 4th

15. Eye color?

A mix of like blue green and grey lol

16. Hair color?

Dirty blond but it gets lighter during summer.

17. What do you love?

My friends, family and hobbies I guess lol

18. Obsession?

I guess music? I can't go more than one day without listening to music.

19. If you had one wish what would it be?

I know it's unrealistic but probably for world peace? And everything to be good I guess. I'm sick of seeing the world falling apart, it got old pretty quick lmao

20. Do you love someone?

My family and friends (and some teachers but very few lol)

21. Kiss or hug?

I like both but I guess hugs

22. Nicknames?

Babe by @evelinaonline (😘😘)

And some weird greek ones by family and friends

23. Favorite song?

At the moment probably Parents by Yungblud, the entire ReVe Festival album by Red Velvet and Friends Go by Maggie Lindemann.

24. Favorite band?

When thinking of bands I think of like a group of people playing instruments so I guess Day6, Wonder Girls, Panic! At the Disco and many others

25. Worst thing that has ever happened to you?

Losing a pet I guess

26. Best thing that has ever happened to you?

Becoming friends with @evelinaonline again (I know I've mentioned you like 50 times but that's what you get for asking all of the asks AND NOT WATCHING ANNE WITH AN E)

27. Something you would change about yourself?

I think all the things I want to change about myself I can really change if I try so I don't think I'll need any help lol

28. Have you ever dated someone?

Nah

29. Worst mistake you've ever made?

I've deleted them all from my memory

30. Watch the movie or read the book?

I believe some movie adaptations aren't that bad, they just look bad compared to the book so I'd watch the movie first and then read the book

31. Ever had a heartbreak?

Does watching Stranger Things 3 count as heartbreak?

32. Favorite show?

Breaking Bad, The Umbrella Academy and Hello My Twenties (three completely different shows lmao)

33. Best day of your life?

There are a lot

34. Any talents?

Drawing I guess

35. If you could, would you start over?

Nah. I'm happy with the way things are now and although I've done dumb stuff in the past I believe I'd do even more if I started over lol

36. Any bad habits?

I used to bite my nails but not anymore. I have a pretty bad posture lol

37. A near death experience?

I once stepped into the road without looking and a friend pulled me back while a car was passing by very fast.

38. Someone you can tell anything to ?

@evelinaonline

39. Ever lost a loved one?

My cat a few years ago

40. Do you believe in love?

I want to so yeah I guess

41. Someone you hate/dislike

Hate is a strong word but I do dislike some kids from my school

42. Are you OK?

Yee I'm good

43. Relationship status

Single Pringle

44. Selfie?

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nonasrandomthoughts · 5 years

Text

My Most Favorite KPop Releases for the 1st Half of 2019

It’s a blessing that Kpop continues to give us beautiful songs through various artists and through various genres, too. I’ve always wanted to share to people the songs/albums I’ve put on repeat so far this year since their release because: 1) got stuck on my head; and 2) it’s just too good; and 3) good music should be shared!

I will be separating these into three parts: Albums, Title tracks/singles, and B-sides. Note that if I love the whole album, I won’t be mentioning them again in the title track/singles or B-sides list, and vice versa. And this list is chronological, because I don’t want to have a hard time ranking them.

Disclaimer: This is a personal list, so if the album/song/artist you’re looking for isn’t here, it’s probably because I haven’t checked them out yet, or it hasn’t made much impact to me as much as the ones mentioned below.

Now, let me first discuss my favorite Kpop albums/mini-albums:

1. ATEEZ – Ep.2 – ZERO TO ONE

ATEEZ is a relatively new Kpop group that I didn’t expect to have really good music. To be honest, every time they show up on my Youtube recommendations, I tend to not give it any attention because I thought they have a sound that I probably wouldn’t like. But when I see several reactors reacting to their songs, I tried listening to it and I WAS SHOOK OF HOW GOOD THEIR SONGS ARE. This album particularly is what caught my attention because of their title tracks and even the B-sides are great!

2. HUTA (Lee Minhyuk) – HUTAZONE

BTOB’s Minhyuk proves that he is a well-rounded idol that should be greatly recognized. I still get chills how distinct his rapping voice is from his singing voice. If you are not fully familiar with Minhyuk and you listen to this album, you might think there’s a guy singing and another, rapping. But it’s just one person. I really love the title track YA and the B-sides Lonely and Waiting for You stood out to me the most.

3. SEVENTEEN - You Made My Dawn

Here comes the self-producing group SEVENTEEN dropping a mini-album full of bops. My hopes were already up since they released You Make My Day and they don’t disappoint! You can hear the versatility of SVT in every track, not just because of the unit songs. They’ve given different vibes and it’s ear-satisfying. Go listen to understand how I felt. Most favorites are Good to Me and title track Home.

4. JUS2 – FOCUS

THE GOT7 UNIT I DIDN’T KNOW I NEEDED. If you’ve been a fan of GOT7 like me and subscribed to their Soundcloud accounts, you would know that JB and Yugyeom are R&B princes. And when these two joined forces, it’s a heavenly feeling. Imagine the sexiness of their voices, which are powerful yet chill, combined into an album! It’s definitely hypnotizing (Focus On Me, Touch, Long Black) and addictive (Drunk on You, Senses, Love Talk). It’s a reality that feels like a dream.

5. Stray Kids – Clé1: MIROH

I’m not really a big fan of hiphop songs but there’s this element in Stray Kids’ songs that makes me anticipate for more. The Cle1: MIROH album signals a beginning of a new era in their journey but the meanings they convey in their songs just keep getting wider. The element I loved in this album is the complexity in the songs. Maze of Memories was the first to give a strong impression to me, because it feels like you’re listening to a song within a song. Chronosaurus also has this mysterious vibe. 19 is a laid-back track and I love the R&B sound here.

6. PENTAGON – Genie:Us

THIS SHOULD HAVE EARNED THEM THEIR FIRST WIN. I have been a fan of Pentagon and their title tracks are really great. Sha la la is by far, their greatest title track. But if you listen further up to the last track of this album, you will fall in-love with the whole thing. Kino and Hui joining the rapline of the group for the song Lost Paradise is one of the best thing that happened to their discography. Feel-good song Alien kind of reminds me of their song Pretty Pretty, it’s just the beat is slowed down. In each album, they never forget to include a powerful ballad like Until That Moment (it’s been on repeat on my playlist) and fun-but-kinda-sad song Spring Time.

7. BLACKPINK – KILL THIS LOVE

The unstoppable girl group! As I’ve always said, Blackpink may have very few comebacks but they make sure every comeback is high-quality. The girls also portrayed different vibes in this album. From Kill This Love with intense brass sounds, groovy dance tracks Don’t Know What To Do and Kick It, down the last track, a ballad named Hope Not–Blackpink surely know how to win our hearts with their songs.

8. GOT7 – SPINNING TOP: Between Security & Insecurity

Every comeback these boys make always show improvement especially in the musical quality. The members of GOT7 have once again participated greatly in the compositions of the album. I love how they portrayed their personal insecurities through the album, incorporated them to the lyrics, and is depicted to the whole comeback concept. Eclipse it a great title track, but I am really curious of how it originally sounded when JYP haven’t made some polishing yet. I love how the album started strong with 1°. It immediately climbed up to my favorite GOT7 B-sides. End showed off the rapper’s cool vocal tone; Time Out has a bright sound and chill vibe; Believe, a hiphop/R&B song gives me a “Prove It” vibe; and Page is a party anthem.

9. ATEEZ – Treasure Ep.3 - ONE TO ALL

ATEEZ once again proves that they do not run out of good songs to release through this album. They released two title tracks: ILLUSION and WAVE. This album gives off a chill and happy vibe unlike their previous releases and they pull it off in a great way. I really appreciate their vocals more in this album, and it really made me go ‘Hakuna Matata.’ I am also so proud of these boys for getting their first music show win through this comeback. Keep that great music coming, ATEEZ!

10. SF9 – RPM

I have been following SF9 since debut, and in every album they release, there would always be an odd-one-out for my music taste. This is the first time I actually loved every song in SF9’s album. The title track gives off a signature SF9 sound, which is tough yet cool. Round and Round has cool sound elements and great vocals. Dreamer gives a dystopian-movie theme vibe. Liar is a great song with a chorus beat-drop that will almost leave you hanging but will satisfy your ears. See You Tomorrow is BEAUTIFUL. It’s the best SF9 B-side for me. Echo has a sound reminiscent of 2nd gen Kpop songs but with more electronic synths. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ALBUM TO EVERYONE. LISTEN TO THIS RIGHT NOW.

11. Stray Kids – Clé2: Yellow Wood

This album wouldn’t have made it through this list since basically, it only has 3 new songs and a compilation of the previous mixtape tracks. But I have to put this here because those Mixtapes are OT9 versions of my favorite 3RACHA songs. (Note: 3RACHA is the rap line of Stray Kids: Chan, Changbin, and Han. They also produce their own group’s songs). MIxtape1 (Placebo) does not really go far from the original one and I really liked how the new sound fit every member. Mixtape2 (If there’s a Shadow, There’s a Light) became a really soft and soothing song. I expected the music will be changed since the 3RACHA track borrowed the instrumental of the song Far (멀어) by Primary, but I didn’t expected it to be almost mellow. Mixtape3 (For You) is my most favorite remake because the vocals really stood out, making the song more meaningful. Mixtape4 (Broken Compass) still gave off that strong feeling, but the richer sound of the song is evident.

This album especially the new tracks are perfect for parties. That’s all I can say for how big of a bop they are.

12. CHUNGHA – Flourishing

Chungha came running through my playlist with her new album and all I can say is SHE’S AWESOME. She surprised me with her sweet vocals and great music. Snapping is a whole bop, as well as Flourishing. I love the ballad Call it Love, but my personal pick is Young in Love because of its fresh vibe. I haven’t actually kept track of her every release but starting now, I might. Maybe it’s safe to say that she is the next summer queen.

Top 10 Favorite Title Tracks/Singles

Astro – All Night

CLC – No

Mamamoo – gogobebe

Everglow – Bon Bon Chocolat

KARD – Bomb bomb

Twice – Fancy

Park Bom – 4:44

Oh My Girl – SSFWL

NU’EST – Bet Bet

(G)I-DLE – Uh-oh

Top 10 Favorite B-sides

Astro – Bloom (from album “All Light”)

CLC – Like It (from mini-album “No. 1”)

TREI – Deep (from mini-album “Born”)

SF9 – Heartbeat (from mini-album “Narcissus”)

(G)I-dle – Give me your (from mini-album “I Made”)

Heize – Dispatch (from album “She’s Fine”)

N.FLYING – Leave It (from mini-album “Spring Memories”)

NU’EST – Segno (from mini-album “Happily Ever After”)

SOMI – Outta My Head (from single “Birthday”)

Red Velvet – Sunny Side Up! (from mini-album “The ReVe Festival Day 1”)

Go and give a listen to all these albums/songs on any music streaming platforms!

Also, feel free to leave more music recommendations!

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usstatesofsong · 5 years

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ESC 2019 Reviews - France

Pre-Qualifiers #2 - Bilal Hassani, “Roi”

Destination Eurovision has overtaken Supernova as my national selection to watch (sorry Latvia) because A) I can practice my understanding of French, and B) they’re doing everything right to make the show a must-watch program for their audience. I think there’s a small revival of interest going on in the country, and it’s in part due to two straight years of high-end representatives - Alma and Amir - followed by Madame Monsieur’s thought-provoking entry. All three songs were charting singles, and “Mercy” was my top pick from 2018 (at least before the Final, oops.)

Bilal Hassani’s “Roi” is not any of that. Double-oops.

youtube

Oui, it’s painful for me to rank this so low, because France is one of my favorite countries. They have been through so much in the last year, and certainly in the last couple weeks, that they have a chance to stand together unified under a really wonderful anthem at Eurovision. When I watched Bilal perform in the semifinal… I was already preparing myself. This was the song to defeat - not because he was the best singer, or because the song was great, but because Bilal is Bilal. I’ll leave it at that; no point in getting controversial.

The song itself is co-written and composed by Madame Monsieur, which is a promising backing. It opens with a melodic piano and a very strong line: “I am me.” Yes you are! But in all seriousness I think it may be the only way you could open a song like this, and it immediately strikes a chord with the audience. Hassani started as a YouTuber singing songs and vlogging, slowly opening himself up to the world - and the first verse opens similarly. It transitions almost flawlessly between French and English lyrics, which (at least from an English perspective) gives enough meaning to the non-French speaking viewers. It’s even enough that the staging (which is always an afterthought, let’s be real) can be minimal and still very effective. It’s a good thing because in some ways he has good stage presence but in other performances he kind of just paces around. Other lyrics like “Quand je reve, je suis un roi” (“When I dream I am a king!”), mentions of God, fitting in… I actually think this song is written very well!

That’s where most of the points come from on this. My main issue is a mixture of Hassani’s vocal range, which seems extremely restricted to a singular octave, and the composition itself. In the national selection, I kept hoping he would push the boundaries vocally, but he never did, and even when he got close to doing so, it sounded like a struggle for him. It wasn’t rescued by anything very interesting musically; basically the first 1:30 of song structure is repeated again for the final 1:20, followed by a high-ish note toward the end. “Mercy” had a somewhat weak ending, too, so this seems to be a trend with their compositions.

Despite having a pretty well-rounded package for Eurovision success, this is perhaps a good example of how the “Song Contest” aspect of the jury score will be tested. I honestly have no idea how Europe will respond to Bilal or the song, but France has found itself in recent years with middle-of-the-table scores even with the most wonderfully written entries.

The score is meddling. It’s just not musically great to me, but perhaps something else about this entry will find a footing - but if I’m ever to dream of a Eurovision soiree in Paris, I will have to wait till beyond 2020.

At least he rocks the eyeglasses.

My Rating: 5/10 Ranking: 34 of 41

EDIT: I was unaware until after publishing this blog that there’s a “final” version of this song that we will only see once we’re in Tel Aviv. Interesting! But this does mean that my ranking should be taken lightly. :)

#france #bilal hassani #roi #bilal #france 2019 #eurovision #esc #eurovision song contest #eurovision 2019 #esc 2019

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immortal-imagines · 6 years

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The Lucky Boomerang - Part 15 (The End)

Summary: It was widely known that Captain Boomerang didn’t work well with others; a true statement, until one particular accomplice caught his attention. His decision to spare her caused the pair to become deadly. They were nearly as famous as the Clown couple themselves. Renowned for her easy escapes and incredible stealth, Lady Luck was an appropriate partner for the Aussie bank robber. Their luck changes when a certain metahuman brings them both to Belle Reve Penitentiary and they are forced into joining Task Force X. (Side note: In this imagine, Boomerang is at Belle Reve)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14

(Captain Boomerang x Reader)

Warnings: Lots of fluff and feels!

Word Count: 1,419

A/N: The final part! A year ago, I started this fic and now here we are on the last chapter! I know this is a little overdramatic, but hey that’s me. I’ve had so much fun writing this and I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this! Please send me in requests if you have any ideas for other series I could do. I’ve got a few ideas lined up that I hope you’ll like! For now, it’s time to say good bye to The Lucky Boomerang and a fic that has been one hell of a journey! I hope you enjoy this!

Prison was different now. It felt strange. There was something in the air that didn’t sit right with any of them. They had tasted freedom and, to an extent, they’d had it. But, they wanted more.

(Y/N) missed Harley, seeing as they were now on opposite sides of the facility and never saw each other. They only saw Deadshot when he was being escorted back to his cell from his visits with his daughter. The guards wouldn’t let him stop, but he always yelled a greeting as he went past.

(Y/N) counted her blessings that she could sleep in the same bed as Digger every night. They shared a cell, a bed and a life. It wasn’t the house with the white picket fence, but it was enough, for now.

They sat on the bed, cuddled up next to each other. (Y/N) was reading a book, while Digger played with her hair. They were back in the usual prison uniforms, but with a little more character this time. Dig chose to wear a tank top, instead of the beige prison shirt, and (Y/N) had fashioned hers into a crop top. She’d used Digger’s shirt and ripped it into a sort of bandana, to hold her hair out of her eyes while she read.

“I know it’s not what we imagined, but I’m happy,” (Y/N) looked up from her book. She leaned up and kissed Digger gently on the lips. He stopped plaiting her hair and pulled her closer to him.

“We’re together, Lady. That’s what counts.”

“I don’t think we’ll ever get our own house, or a normal job, or even a baby…”

“Hey!” Digger interrupted, “We can have a baby if you want. It’ll be the damn best-looking baby anyone has ever seen.” He winked.

“We can’t bring a baby into this life. We can’t raise it in prison,” (Y/N) sighed and closed the book in her lap. “Plus, I doubt Waller would let us keep it.”

“Screw Waller. No one is taking our kid away from us,” Digger clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. Lady put her hands on his cheeks. “I won’t let them,” he said. He kissed the palms of her hands.

(Y/N)’s eyebrows pulled together. “What is it?” Digger asked, confused.

“Can you hear that?”

They sat for a second, listening. In the distance, there was a faint rumbling, like thunder. Then, an almighty crash shook the room.

“For fucks sake, can’t we have five minutes of peace?” Digger huffed, lifting Lady off his lap. The pair stood facing the door, ready for an attack. They heard footsteps running down the hall and braced themselves. That was when a familiar face appeared in the cell window.

“Hiya, guys! We’ve come to rescue you!” Harley beamed. Both Digger and (Y/N) relaxed and rushed forwards. That was when another face appeared in the window, white as a sheet and with shocking green hair. It was the Joker.

“You’re alive?” (Y/N) asked.

“Looks like it,” Joker growled and Harley squealed. They heard jangling and suddenly the door swung open. Harley jumped on (Y/N).

“It’s so great to see you! We have so much to catch up on!” the blonde spoke so quickly it was a struggle for (Y/N) to understand.

“Nice to meet you, mate,” Digger addressed Joker, nodding warily.

“Let’s go,” Joker muttered, pulling Harley off of (Y/N).

“Well, he seems like fun,” (Y/N) muttered to Digger. He chuckled.

They moved with caution out of the cell, constantly checking for guards. Harley and Joker were up ahead.

“They’re all dead if that’s you’re worried about,” Joker said over his shoulder.

“What about the prisoners, like Deadshot and Croc?” Lady asked.

“They’re waiting for us outside,” Harley turned, giggling.

“And Flag and Waller?” Digger’s question was tainted with a hint of worry.

“Soldier is on his honeymoon and the bitch is in some ‘secret’ facility in France,” Joker responded, using air quotes on the word ‘secret’.

“How do you know all this?” (Y/N) asked, just as cautious of the clown as Digger was.

“Puddin’ has eyes all over the place,” Harley said, proudly. They stopped by a door and Joker made swift work of kicking it down.

“I could’ve done that,” Dig muttered, puffing his chest out a little.

“I know you could,” (Y/N) chuckled, patting his arm.

It was pitch black outside. Being in prison all day meant they lost track of the time. They slept when they felt tired and they ate when the food came through the door. There was no real routine. Deadshot and Croc stood just outside the door. Deadshot looked a little jumpy, but relaxed when he saw who it was. Digger went over to him and patted his back. “Good to see you, mate.” He looked at Croc and nodded a greeting, worried about getting his hand bitten off if he got too close.

Joker wasted no time waiting. “Everyone here is dead. It won’t be long before back-up arrives so we need to leave now.”

Harley was gazing up at him, hanging onto every word he said.

(Y/N)’s stomach did a flip when she realised what was happening. They were going to escape. They were getting out of this hell-hole. There was an actual chance that they could live the life they’d dreamed about.

The small group moved silently out of the facility. It seemed too easy. Once they were out, Croc parted from the group, grunting something about a sewer before disappearing into the night.

“As soon as we get to the city, I’m jumping ship too. I gotta get my daughter before anyone else does,” Deadshot informed them. It made sense. If the cops got word that there had been an escape, they’d search Zoe’s home. It would be the first place they’d think he would be. But if he got there quick enough, he could grab her and run.

That left (Y/N) thinking. Where would she and Boomer go?

As if reading her mind, Digger said, “I have a few of my old hiding spots in mind. I think we should lay low there for a few days before trying to find a more permanent situation.” Lady nodded, relieved that at least he seemed to have a plan.

Joker had an escape vehicle, just a plain white van, parked around the back. One of his accomplices, who introduced himself as Frost, was driving. As soon as the group were in, he sped off, headed straight for the city. The Joker had some mastermind plan for how to remain inconspicuous, but he didn’t let any of the others in on it. (Y/N) didn’t even think Harley knew what he had planned.

It didn’t take long before they were parked up in a back alley in the slightly rougher area of the city.

“This is where we leave you,” the Joker said. “Me and Harls got to get moving.” He didn’t say where they would be. (Y/N) guessed that was part of his effort to remain low-profile. She didn’t think it would last very long. He and Harley were the king and queen of Gotham. It wouldn’t be long before they re-claimed their thrones and were out causing chaos again. (Y/N) just hoped they wouldn’t get caught this time. She worried for Harley’s safety and just wanted to see her friend happy.

Harley leaned over and pulled Lady into a big hug. “Promise we’ll see each other again?”

“Of course!” Lady squeezed her tightly. Joker tapped his foot, impatiently. (Y/N) shot him a look. She wasn’t afraid of him, not any more at least.

“Let’s get moving, Lady,” Digger took (Y/N)’s hand and helped her out of the van. “Catch ya later, craziness,” he nodded to Harley. She gave him a wide, toothy grin.

No sooner had they stepped out of the van, Joker slammed the doors and they disappeared in a cloud of dust and dirt. Lady watched them go, tears threatening to erupt. She coughed a little, composing herself, before looking up at Digger. He brought his thumb up to her cheek and wiped away a tear that had managed to escape. “We’ll see her again, I’m sure,” he comforted. “It’s time to start our own life now.” (Y/N) managed a small smile. Her stomach flipped at the thought that her dream of a life away from crime was actually a possibility. They could have a house and a family.

She reached up on her toes and pressed her lips to George’s.

“Where do we start?”

Tag List: @a-girl-who-loves-disney @thranduilxlegolasx@squireboredom @tokentransboy @taz-t-mary @bookchic20@sporadichologramblizzard-ed17414 @importanttyrantruler

#Captain Boomerang #captain boomerang imagine #captain boomerang x reader #Suicide Squad #suicide squad imagine #Harley Quinn #joker #joker and harley #harley quinn x joker #harley quinn x reader

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diyunho · 7 years

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The Joker x Reader - “The Silver Demon”

So eerie and strange…That’s how mostly everyone would describe The Silver Demon after seeing her for the first time: not that too many get used to the way you look anyway. You are always around The Joker, a sinister presence in his shadow, perfectly complimenting his menacing aura. A flawless symbiosis between two outcasts bonded together by the unbreakable connection of blood: the infamous Silver Demon is the daughter of the equally controversial King of Gotham.

“Don’t do it!! Do you hear me?! That’s an order!” the Joker shouts and you smile, unimpressed:

“You know I don’t take orders from you.”

“Go away! Come get me with our men once I’m inside the prison!” he barks, hoping to convince you.

“No. It will take too long and I don’t like being apart from you. I used my power to get inside here; it would be a waste not finishing my mission.”

“You know what it will do to you !! Why are you fighting me?! Listen to me just once!!”

“Stop yelling,” you calmly reply, touching his chained hands. “Let’s see…” you look around, calculating your options while he pants, enraged. “We are inside an armed container, placed inside a larger one. Everything glass sealed on the outside, pulled by a SWAT Team truck. So many police cars in the convoy, impossible to escape. Aren’t you happy you have me?” you bend over to kiss his forehead and J is less than excited he is being ignored; one thing in his life he cannot control: you.

“Don’t do it…please…” and you realize how difficult it is for The Joker to say the word since he’s not accustomed to it.

“Are you ready?” you wink, disregarding his wish.

The lights start flickering, his heavy chains rattling under the pressure of your uncanny energy. The truck takes a sharp turn, making you fall on your knees. You reach your arms and hug him tight, your silver hair shining so brightly he has to close his eyes.

“Here we go,” you take a deep breath, pressing your forehead against his.

“Don’t do it…” The Joker whispers, already knowing the battle is lost.

“Too late,” is the last thing he hears before vanishing together with the mysterious young woman that came to his aid…again.

Nothing left behind in the temporary mobile prison but his Arkham straitjacket and broken chains, the only proof he was ever there. The notorious Prince of Crime won’t make it to his destination and they have no idea he’s gone yet.

**************

You have long, silver hair that seems to be made of liquid metal: there are rumors it’s not of this planet and maybe there is some truth to it, not that a single soul can attest with certainty. It’s lightweight and so ethereal it almost floats, giving you that intimidating vibe.

Your bright green eyes create quite a contrast with your pale skin tone; probably even a lighter tone than J’s. A little bit taller than him, you definitely seem imposing and feral beyond any doubt.

A witch, a metahuman, an unholy being: you’ve heard it all and none of them are close enough to describe what you really are. Not that you care about what they label you as; The Joker calls you pretty names and that’s enough. You don’t need anybody else’s acceptance or approval. Only his.

What you love the most about The Joker is the fact that he doesn’t even seem to notice you are different. And you are aware J loves the fact that you don’t seem to notice he is different also. A flawless symbiosis between two outcasts bonded together by the unbreakable connection of blood: the infamous Silver Demon is the daughter of the equally controversial King of Gotham.

*************

“Princess, wake up,” you feel your cheek gently slapped and you open your eyes, exhausted.

“Dad…” you mumble, “…are you mad at me?”

“I told you not to do it, Y/N ! You used so much of your power, the number is down to 50!!!” he forcefully grabs your hand, showing you the markings on the inside of your left wrist.

You were born with that: something like a timer branded on the ivory skin, the number going lower every time you use your energy. You both believe it represents your lifespan and once the timer gets to zero, you will probably die.

Nothing terrifies The Joker except the fact that he might lose his daughter: the only person on earth that never judges or tries to change him.

“My power would be such a waste if I don’t use it, don’t you agree?” you cuddle to him on the couch, yawning.

“Stop saving me!” and he wants to say more but you interrupt.

“Who else am I supposed to save?! I can’t save you from yourself but at least I can bring you back for selfish reasons: you know I can’t bear it when you’re gone…I feel so alone…” your voice softens and you look up at him, upset.

He sighs, defeated. You always say disarming stuff like this and oddly enough J can’t argue anymore.

“I’m so tired, daddy,” you slowly blink, getting off the couch. He helps you up, taking you to your bedroom.

“Are you allright?” he asks while you get under the fluffy covers.

“A-ha, I just need to sleep for about a week to recover, you know how it goes. Don’t get in any trouble; I can’t wake up once I start dreaming. I don’t want anybody to take you away, I hate it when it happens and I’m all alone…” you whimper and he lingers by your bed since you won’t let go of his hand.

“Don’t lecture me, Pumpkin!” The Joker growls and you signal him to sit by your side.

“Dad…” you switch the topic, “do you think mom is still alive?”

You think about her every year around your birthday…and some other days also. Next month you will be 20 and she inevitably popped in your mind.

“I really don’t care if she is dead or alive. She was scared of you and ran away; that was her choice,” J bites on his lip, wanting to keep this as short as possible. “That woman is responsible for your stupid nickname, The Silver Demon. Give me a break!” he huffs, playing with your hair that twists around his fingers on its own, just like tiny sneaks. “You’re my perfect Silver haired Doll, not the Devil,” he bitterly states and you grin at his heartwarming comment.

“Thank you for not being scared of me daddy,” your eyes get teary and he had enough of the sappy stuff.

“Cut it out and rest; I’ll wake you up in one week,” The Joker mutters and you close your eyes, not wanting to cry in front of him. You fall asleep caressing his knuckles, each tattooed with the Japanese Kanji symbol for “Silver.”

*****************

You woke up on your own a couple of minutes ago. It’s night time and you jump out of bed when you notice the date on your cell phone: July 10th. Jesus, you slept more than 7 days like you usually do: this time you were out for 13 days. Why didn’t your father wake you? He said he would.

“Dad?… Are you here?” you start shouting, walking around the penthouse while rubbing your eyes. “Daddddyyyyy!!!!”

Apparently nobody’s home but you. You try his cell and there is no answer. You try Frost’s and he doesn’t answer either.

What’s going on? you pout, uneasy at the thought that maybe something happened. You scroll down through all the number on your “Contacts” list, ready to begin a research on The Joker whereabouts when suddenly you see the note on the kitchen counter:

“Mister J was taken to Belle Reve.

Ambush at the hideout by S-63 freeway, someone sold us out.

Can’t use the place anymore.

Stay put, we are working on getting him out.

J.F.”

Stay put?! you frown, distressed. No way !!

****************

The Joker lingers by the back wall of his glass prison, humming a song in the quietness. After today’s interrogation, he was brought back in a hurry and placed in silent confinement, his favorite. If they believe this is a punishment, they surely don’t have a clue about his personality.

He refused to answer all the questions about you and bit a guard’s ear off, knocking another one unconscious after tripping him and stomping on his head. J lost it when the two wards made some inappropriate remarks about you: they called you a freak, underlining how unfortunate it is for them to have to deal with demented lunatics and their weird offsprings; it makes their jobs dangerous and tedious. Plus, all metahumans should be annihilated, not captured or tried to be reasoned with.

That was the last drop that made him snap and retaliate, not giving a damn about consequences.

He suspects that his file has a bunch of notes gathered from the previous therapy sessions deeming his daughter to be his weakness or whatever fancy term they use for such stupid psychology assessments. The funny thing is you are not his weakness; they are idiots for even believing it.

The Silver Demon is her father’s strength, even if he doesn’t know it himself.

The neon lights turn off and on, getting J out of his trance.

He gasps when he sees you right in front of him.

“What are you doing here?! Get lost!” The Joker backs out in the far corner of his room, angry you don’t listen.

“I came for you dad,” you smile and approach, excited to be near him.

“You don’t have to, I’ll get out eventually ! Don’t you dare disobeying!!” the low groan and hurtful incoming sentences briefly halt your enthusiasm. “Don’t you realize I never wanted you either?! You’re frightening, repulsive and you make my skin crawl ! I only kept you around because of your power that you are dumb enough to use and save me all the time!!”

“Daddy…” you sniffle, “I know what you’re doing and it won’t work. If I don’t save you, then who will?” and you rush in his arms, eager to get him out of there. He tries to push you away, tormented by his dark thoughts and he’s almost blinded by the intense glow of your silver hair. “Are you ready?” you double check and him hugging you back makes you so warm.

“Stop it !!! That’s an order!!!” his fingers dig in your jacket, desperate to change the outcome of your plan.

“You know I don’t take orders from you,” you snicker in his ear and the lights flicker again before complete blackness.

Belle Reve prison has an unexpected power outage besides the regrettable loss of every single video footage for the night; such a puzzling enigma and no reasonable explanation for it.

The Clown Prince of Crime is nowhere to be found and they have no idea he’s gone yet.

*****************

“It’s down to 7…just 7…” you hear J’s voice as you are waking up in your bed at the penthouse.

“Dad…” you stretch and feel his grasp on your wrist. “What’s going on? Was I out for a while?”

“This…this fucking thing is down to 7,” he shows you and you can tell he’s flustered. Your father is in bed by you, probably didn’t leave your side.

The engraving on your skin doesn’t lie: the timer shows 7.

“You can’t use it anymore, do you understand?! It’s almost close to nothing!!” and he stares at you with those intense blue eyes and for the first time in your life you see panic in them: it makes you anxious.

“Promise you won’t use it ever again!”

“I won’t use it, Daddy,” you stroke his cheek, on the verge of crying.

“You have to promise!” he raises his voice, kissing your marked wrist. “I don’t want to have a dead child!” and his persistence breaks thinking about it. “Are you going to do this for me? Promise!”

“I promise,” and you start sobbing, scooting over in his arms, not because you are afraid you will die but because The Joker showed you again that for him you are not a monster but simply his daughter.

***************

As soon as you enter the room, you can sense the tension oozing out of them. Your father is in a meeting and you are joining the gathering just now since you barely woke up a few hours ago from your weekly sleep. You feel rejuvenated and fueled by the inquiring eyes glaring in your direction: some already know you, but it’s still not easy to tolerate your presence. Mostly shiver with nervousness, The Silver Demon given them goose bumps.

“Hi Daddy,” you lean over his chair, wrapping your arms around his neck and he acknowledges you with a moan.

“Sit by me.”

Your ghostly light green eyes analyze each member of the opposite gang, trying to figure out why something feels off.

There is a lot of negotiation and debating going on, the parties involved not being able to reach common ground. You know your father is losing his patience; he’s not a patient man.

“These are my terms and it won’t change,” The Joker puts an end to the ruckus, fed up with the turmoil and all the guys talking at once.

“But Mister J, we don’t have …” their leader speaks and gets cut off.

“Did you fucking hear me?! I hate repeating myself so I won’t. If you are not interested, get the fuck out and don’t waste my time!”

When J starts cussing, things are getting very serious.

Silence in the room, then the potential business partners stare at each other, then at you two, then at your men.

“Something’s not right,” you whisper through your clenched jaw, alerting The Joker of their weird behavior even if you don’t have to.

“Here’s the deal, Mister J,” the leader talks once more. “We actually came for her,” he tilts his head towards you and instantly guns are being pointed in all directions from both sides.

“You came for Y/N?” J straightens his back, outraged they have the nerve to attempt and snatch you away: it’s not the first time an assault on your safety is being seeked. You’re definitely worth a lot on the black market, either for the government to own and experiment with, or just for underground organizations: private collectors of rare creatures such as yourself. The premise of a huge payout makes a lot of idiots forget their boundaries and these fools are clearly trespassing a fine line.

“Yes,” the simple answer makes J roll his eyes, pissed.

“Hell will freeze before anybody takes my daughter away!!” he fumes and you grin, not worried about your safety, but his.

“So what, are we all going to die here?” the mobster sarcastically flares his arms around.”For a freak?! For a…”

The laud bang and the bullet piercing his skull put an end to the rant. Frost aims his pistol at the person sitting next to the leader, calmly asking:

“Next?”

The Joker already knows what follows: he pushes you to the ground, taking cover behind a few chairs, hit in the shoulder by the first rebel shrapnel.

“You son of a bitch !” is heard from their side before the deafening sound of dozens guns going off at once fill the air with smoke.

You see he’s bleeding while firing his gun, killing everyone that tries to get closer and you know it’s too dangerous to stay, even if a lot of your men are still standing.

“Dad!!” you scream so you can get his attention.

“What?” he shouts back, trying to make out what you’re saying.

“You need to get out of here!!” “What? I can’t hear you !” and his gun unloads a few more rounds towards the ones trying to reach your temporary hideout.

“I can’t take you very far ! My power is almost gone, but I’ll make it !” you smile and that gets his attention.

“What are you saying?”

You pull his head close to yours and the silver hair shines again and he freezes, shocked.

“This is the last time I can save you daddy!”

“What are you doing??!! Get away!!!!” he tries to distance his body from yours but you cling to him and won’t let go.

“If I don’t save you, then who will ?” and that sweet smile of yours makes him smile back for a few seconds before you both vanish in thin air.

*******************

The Joker slowly opens his eyes, gazing at the blue skies above. He feels the shoulder pain stabbing his flesh and suddenly something tickles. He brings his hand close to his face and holds his breath: a strand of silver hair working its way around his fingers. J turns his head to look around and sees more chunks of silver hair flying all over the place, gushes of wind moving them around in the air, some still caught in the thick grass.

You are not far from him, barely breathing while your eyelids are getting heavy.

“Dad…” you call out to him with faint voice and he crawls to you, getting on his knees in order to lift you up. Your head is bald now, the silver locks gone. The Joker checks your timer in a hurry and his heart stops when his fear is confirmed: the number is set to zero.

“You promised you won’t use it! You promised!!!” he gently shakes you, hopeless for once.

“M-my power w-would be such a waste if I d-don’t use it, don’t you a-agree?” you stutter and he watches in horror as your ivory skin starts cracking, a few pieces already floating in the air and turning into ashes. “What’s happening to you?!” he presses on the skin, attempting to keep it in place.

“I d-don’t know…I t-think I’m g-going away,” you make an effort to answer and he rests his forehead on yours, not knowing what to do. “D-don’t cry, it’s so u-unlike you and it s-scares me, “ you whisper and you close your eyes, feeling his tears on your face. “It d-doesn’t hurt, s-so don’t cry,” you comfort him, wanting to go to sleep.

“I order you to stay with me!” his faint request echoes in your mind.

“I d-don’t take o-orders from y-you,” you clutch on his bloody shirt as you strain to focus.“Daddy…t-thank you for not b-being scared of m-me…”

Your hand lets go of his shirt and he gasps, numb to everything else but the insufferable loneliness creeping up in his heart:

The King of Gotham has no Queen and no Princess. Just him and his devils now, no Silver Demon to keep the others at bay.

He can’t stop your decay, more and more skin keeps on cracking, disappearing piece by piece and he can’t watch anymore. He shuts his eyes, holding you tight, wanting to keep you together. The thought of being left behind with no physical evidence of your existence is enough to make him lose whatever trace of sanity he has left.

***************

The Joker is afraid to move or open his eyes. He held you for hours, incapable of making a single sound. He’s terrified at the thought that you might break to pieces if he tries to move so he doesn’t. Unless he’s hallucinating, there is something he’s still holding, but doesn’t have the strength to see what is left of his daughter.

Another hour passes by and he finally decides to open one eye, then the other: you are still in his arms, looking very…normal. No more pale skin, no more silver hair. J gulps, checking your left wrist: no more timer either, it pealed with the rest of your outer shell.

“Pumpkin?…” he mutters, staring at you, not knowing what it means. ”Pumpkin?…”

Only silence and nothing else.

The Joker studies your face while stroking your rosy cheeks, stunned with the transformation.

“Pumpkin?…”

A very low grumble, unless he’s imagining everything. Faint movement also and hope makes him squeeze you harder to his chest.

“Pumpkin?…”

“Daddy…” you manage to utter, fluttering your eyelashes.

You’ve never seen such a look on your father’s face.

“You’re grounded !” he decides on the spot and you softly chuckle:

“W-why are you c-crying? It really scares me…”

“I’m not crying,” he interrupts, wiping his tears. “I’m just thinking of what I am going to do with such an ugly daughter. You look terrible!”

“Do I ?!” you furrow your eyebrows, unable to move yet.

“U-hum,” he shortly replies before crushing you in his embrace. “You’re so ugly.”

*************

The King of Gotham has no Queen but he has a Princess.

No Silver Demon to save him anymore, just a daughter to keep the darkness at bay.

And she is the only person on earth that will never judge or try to change him.