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copperbadge · 6 hours

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Immediate Writer's Block

Had a comment on another post where I thought I'd probably need more space than the notes in which to respond, so:

constant-state-of-self-discovery Oh I get the envy I feel it right now how the fuck do you manage to write without impassable writers block after 5-9 sentences because I haven't fucking figured it out lol

I do have some advice on this!

I think most writers get blocked from time to time, it's normal and my general strategy is just to wait it out, but if you're frequently blocked after only writing a very little bit, I think the problem is one of two things: either you don't know what you want to achieve with the scene you're writing, or you don't know what should happen next within the scene to achieve that goal. If you frame "I'm blocked" as "I don't have an answer I need" then often you move from just sitting there, sweating and staring at a blank page, to thinking productively about how you're going to get where you're going. It's the difference between not knowing an answer and not knowing an answer but knowing where to look for it.

An invaluable piece of advice for this, which I think I picked up from someone who got it off a National Novel Writing Month messageboard, is "When in doubt, ninjas attack." It's not meant to be literal, you don't need to have ninjas or fight scenes just because you don't know what to do, but it helps to get the creativity flowing again. If you don't know what should happen next, or you know but you're having trouble actually writing the scene, it can be very helpful to induce a moment of uncertainty or surprise -- to have a metaphorical ninja attack. One time I did this literally -- the POV character was just on the road somewhere and I didn't know how to get them from a pastoral country road to their actual destination in an interesting way, so I had them get attacked by highway bandits and have to fight them off, which also allowed me to demonstrate that the character had significant unarmed combat skills. But it can also just be like, two characters who are having a boring conversation can be interrupted by a third person, even just a stranger asking for directions, or there can be, IDK, an explosion, or something goes missing, or etc.

Sometimes it also helps to leave it alone but keep it in your mind and go do something else -- listen to a podcast, take a walk, read a book, not because those things are distracting but because all our inputs eventually feed into our brain and come out as reactions. If you're thinking about your book while you're wandering around a park, something you see in the park might have an impact on it. If you've got YOUR story in mind while reading someone else's, you might be more inclined to look at what they're saying and see what you think of it, how it might play into your work.

And honestly, sometimes you just gotta go past it. I'm working on the next Shivadh novel right now and it opens basically with Simon the chef getting into a spat with his love-interest-to-be over some cheese. He want the cheese, she won't sell him the cheese, so they get off to a very contentious start. But I suck at writing conflict especially when it's basically "A character I like is being pompous and another character I want people to find likable is being stubborn and somewhat unpleasant". I've been stalled on it for a while. But I know where the scene ends up, like I do know what the goal is, so I just...skipped it and went on to writing a scene I like better, where they meet a second time and actually discover each others' identity and that they're about to be forced into the grownup equivalent of a school project. Once I've gotten dug deeper into the story I'll come back and write it, and by then I'll have the benefit of knowing the love interest a bit better.

So yeah -- I think a lot of breaking a writer's block, especially when you don't need rest but are just stumped about what to do, is to twist and look at it from another angle. It's not that you don't know what to write, or don't want to write what you know you have to -- it's that you don't have the correct answer to a question, or you need to leave that part alone to ferment and come back to it later. At least, for me.

#writing #constant-state-of-self-discovery #writer's block #inspiration #archive

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zexapher · 10 hours

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Vacuan Nights, Like Vacuan Days

They’re just so great together! I’d love for Jaune and Weiss to get a little downtime in Vacuo to live out a moment like this. They really deserve it, and I’d love to see Jaune’s guitar make a reappearance.

The comic here was inspired by u/Silverstar1243’s excellent piece of art, A Serenade Under the Moonlight. Send some love to them on their twitter, commission some art if you’re willing and able, they’ve made some great stuff.

You folks may have noticed I threw in a couple of references for those in the know; the Golden Oreos behind Yang (double stuffed, I might add) for the trio’s ship, Weiss liking it rough for Mallobaude’s great fic, and of course I made a whole theme around the Arabian Nights Disney song. A song, along with its Aladdin compatriots, which I spent the better part of a day finding covers for just to listen to on repeat while I worked.

This one’s now officially my longest comic project, with 14 panels, two over the past record since I added the White Knight kiss at the end. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. Not sure I’d say it was more difficult than my Vanity of Vanities post, but for this one I actually knew how to use my editing software going into it (at least somewhat).

Put a lot of work into this one, been working on it on and off since February. Took a few breaks for vacation, to make my memorial post for Rooster Teeth, and another five meme edits or so, but I came back around to it. First half was pretty easy, relatively minor edits inserting characters into scenes and so on. The second half with Jaune and Weiss was tougher though, with color correcting, merging poses, redrawing features, drawing Jaune’s entire head to fix some lighting issues, etc. Really like how the edit to make Jaune strum his guitar turned out.

The time it took to make the whole comic got me down a little, until I did a bit of math. Including my side projects since starting this, all the scripting and editing and all, I’ve been pumping out a panel every two days. That seems pretty good to me, that kind of accomplishment makes me a little proud of myself.

Really need to get around to watching the second part of the Justice League Crossover movies. It’s got a few Vacuo scenes that might make things a little more authentic instead of me just using Saphron’s house and pretending it’s a suite in Vacuo. I do love taking yet more character stills from Jaune and friends experiencing deep trauma and turning it into something positive, been making that a bit of a personal habit. And I’ve got to say, the background for Jaune and Weiss’ scene is really beautiful, pulled it from when Sun and Neptune hear Ruby’s message about Salem. That’s just a really good shot all on its own, I even saved a copy for my computer’s wallpaper after editing out the two.

Posting a big RWBY White Knight edit, watching not one but two RWBY Beyond episodes, and all on the trail of the news that RWBY’s found partners that they’re negotiating with and that the creative team is expected to stay on. And I'm sipping bubble tea. Life is good.

Anyway, pardon the long write up. I’m invested in this one, and am quite pleased with how the comic turned out. I hope you all get a kick out of it as well!

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m45wood · 3 days

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Break My Heart

Sal x Male Reader

Summary: You’ve grown distant with Sal after you figured out about what you’ll do after this school semester. (College)

WC: 2k

Warnings: Smoking of Cannabis, Mention of tobacco use, Hurt No Comfort, Character Death, Reader overthinks, Sal Comforts, Depression, Loss, Suicide 2x, Reader Comforts. NOT PROOFREAD.

A/N: Was high when I wrote this. First post hope you enjoy!!

Sal rests on your legs. Your hands trancing his arms up and down. You currently lay on the ground smoking weed while he lays and sleeps. Larry is sat across to you two smoking a blunt. You’re all watching a random movie on one of the channels. You aren’t paying attention to it more focused on the blue haired boy on your lap. A small corner window is open. Let some of the smell out you Sal doesn’t want to get second hand high. Sal wasn’t by means a goody two shoes. He’s smoked a cigarette every once in a while but doesn’t like how weed makes him feel. Alcohol also made him feel off. You understood that, never did anything in front of him but Larry. Well it’s Larry, it’s quite usual for him.

“Your dad was over last night” Travis says exhaling softly. Sal grunts eyeing Travis. The subject of Larry’s Mom and Sals dad getting together was quite an odd subject matter. Sal was always out on edge. You could tell by his shoulders hiking up. You softly stroked Sals hair. “Want to go get slushies?” You asks wanting to get out of the cramped basement. He nods. He sits up and you pull yourself up as well. You usually do this to just take a walk. Larry denies the request to go and continue watching the random action movie sequence. As you get ready to leave the house you see Sal going without his mask. You smiles at him and close the door behind him after he steps outside. You both begin a small walk. The wind blows a bit causing your hair to move in different directions. “Windy. Hope your hair doesn’t get caught in a branch like that one time” You say to him. He chuckles. His hood is up covering most of his face with his hands inside his jacket pockets back hunched over. “Gotta fix that posture man” As you approach a cross section you pull out a cigarette and slowly begin to light it when you cross the road. “Want some?” you ask passing it over. He nods his head now. You nod and continue.

You both finally arrive nodding at the cashiers greeting. You both grab a big cup and fill it to the top. You grab a couple snacks and send Larry a text to see what kind of gummies he wants (the shark ones). Head down, sal follows you to the worker. “How’s your night going?” The worker says in politeness. “Well, how about you?” You reply as the worker continues the small talk and gives the bag of goods. You both give a thanks and walk out. You pass the slushie to him and grip the bag tighter. “Do you know what you’re going to do after this semester ends?” He asks you.

This is a subject neither of you have talked about. You both know that Sal is going to stay and you want to leave. You haven’t planned anything because you don’t want to leave him. You don’t want it to become a reality. You shrug. “I don’t have any plan really” You lie. He can tell. You won’t face him. You look up whenever you’re uncomfortable. He looks down at his face. “Same” The walk back is silent and almost a clear wall between you two.

“Here are the sharks” You say throwing the bag to Larry as it hits his face and his nose scrunches. “Thanks” He grabs the bag off his face and tears it open. Sal sits on the couch. You frown at this action knowing he’s ignoring you now. You lay on the ground this time.

Too much time has passed. It’s time to tell Sal what you’re going to do. “Sal, can we talk?” You say at his door. He turns to you. “Yeah what’s up?” he ask leaning on his elbows. You take a deep breath and close the door. “I finally know what i’m going to do” You state looking at him. His mask is still causing you not to know what his reaction might be. Just solely by his eye and body language. You’ve learned to read his expression and body language after years of dating and being friends. He nods encouraging to go on. You stare at him and then stare at your shoes. “I’m planning on going out of state. I got an opportunity to study elsewhere and I really want to go. I won’t be home for long time but it will be a while considering it’s 2 semesters” You stare up at him. He’s emotionless. Not because of his mask. His body is still. Breathing normal and his eyes are just glossy. “Sal?”

“I felt this coming” He says staring at you. “We’ve been distant don’t you think?” He questions. You nod. “It’s like you don’t want to see me. Like you feel guilty. I hate that” He says. It’s something he’s talked to you about. He doesn’t want peoples guilt or pity. He just wants to be treated normal. You always understood. Always did your best. Until now. You’ve grown distant and your eyes stare how you feel about him. How your eyes divert every where. Never catching his eye. Magnets with the same poles. Repelling each other. The distance growing stronger with the energy growing. “I’m sorry. I’m just scared. I don’t want to lose you” You say. “You aren’t going to lose me over something simple” He says leaning over to look at you. “I think my brain is just thinking of the worst,” you say eyes filling with tears, “what if you find someone better while i’m gone?” You state. He smiles at you. You can tell by his eye. “No one is better than you. I should be the one scared” He says. “Don’t say that. I would never do that” You say grabbing his hands. “Okay i won’t but see. You care so much how could i ever leave you” You stare at him knowing he’s right. Your love for him is stronger than distance. You love him so much it’s suffocating. It wraps you two so tightly together you can’t even believe to think about someone else. You smile. “Can i kiss you?” You ask. He nods. You place your lips onto his cold masks lips. He lets out a small giggle and unhooks his mask. “Better?” “Better”

Your studying has gone great. The program you’re in thankfully covered everything. Housing, food, finances, and classes. Every weekend you had either school work to do or could go and explore the big city. It was quite pleasant. You called Sal when you could. It wasn’t often but you did send letters to each other. They were sweet and handwritten. It smelled like him and it smelled like you. It was always the highlight of your week. The closer you got to the first semester the more busy you got. You wanted to finish everything early to show up early. You wanted to surprise Sal. You had bought many things for him, and of course your other friends, but many reminded you of Sal. You missed Sal so much. Your heart would ache.

“Hey Sal,

I hope you are doing well! I found a cat yesterday. He was missing an eye just like you. He really reminded me of you.”

You were writing Sal a letter when your phone began to ring. It was Ash. She called you every once in a while as she also went out of state so you both could relate. “Hey. What’s up?”

“Larry’s Dead”

Those were the first words you heard from Ash. They rung in your ear. A constant ring. You had finally made it back to your hometown. You made an emergency call to your professors and educators. Once you had everything settled you rushed back. You have your condolences to Larry’s mom. To Sal’s dad. Next was to visit Sal. You had talked to Ash when you arrived and when she called. You rushed to Sals home. “Sal!” You say opening the door. You run towards his bedroom and knock. You open it and see Sal in bed. His face is wet. His pillowcase is soaked. “Sal…” You say softly walking to him. He eyes you. “(Name) Why?” he croaks, “Why would he do something so stupid?” You hold him as he sobs into your shirt. You rub his back as your eyes starts to cry.

You didn’t just lose one of your best friends. You lost those around you. The happiness of those around you. Those you care about experience loss. Once again. You all have felt loss but somehow this one was different. Larry was everything to everyone. To his mom he was sanctuary. Pleasant reminder of the past and how it does get better. For Sal his first friend in a new town after his tragic loss. He was your best friend. He was Ash’s best friend. He meant so much to those around him. Him being gone never felt real. It all felt like you were living in a nightmare. Nothing was real. Nothing felt authentic. It was all imitating reality. As if there had been a glitch and Larry somehow managed to disappear.

With time people healed. As much as they could. Ash went back to study. Larrys mom tried her best to move on. She got a new job and moved somewhere with Sals dad. Sal though, he stayed. He stayed and you knew you had to stay with him. But you still had school. You were, once again, stuck. With Larry’s loss you both grew apart once again. You both grieved differently. You tried to find peace with his decision. Sal tried to understand it.

“You don’t get it. If i don’t know why he did it i’ll live my life with regret and guilt” Sal says facing away from you. “Sal, your healing is your own but even if you don’t know the reason it isn’t your fault. None of us could’ve guessed he was going to do it. If we had we would’ve done something. You know this better than anyone” You say getting up from the dinner table. “You don’t know that” He says softly, inaudible to you. “Sal, sweetie” You say and he interrupts you. “You weren’t there! You don’t know that!” He burst out on you. You stare shocked as his eye widens and face contorts into displeasure. “You weren’t even here” He says tears running down his cheeks. “Sal, i came here as soon as i could” You say staring at your shoes. “You left me. You left me and Larry.” He says crying by this point. “How could you just leave us?” He says sobbing sitting back down into his chair. “You left me. Me!” He says flipping his face towards you. “You don’t understand me” He pushes his face into his arms. He lets out sobs. “Sal” Your voice croaks as tears fall down your cheek. You wrap your arms around him and he begins to thrash. “Stop! Stop! You’re not him. You’re not him…” You let go immediately watching his figure thrash aggressively. “Sal please…I’m sorry” Sal continues to sob. “You weren’t here you weren’t here” You stare at sals trembling frame. “Leave! LEAVE” He yells at you. His face once again contorted with anger. Tears in your eyes you walk out.

Sal hasn’t spoken to you in months. You decided to not bother him. Maybe he was right? Why did you leave? If you stayed would Larry still be alive? Would you and Sal be happy together? Would you and Sal be falling in love even harder than before? All these questions. The nagged you. Made you want to rip your skin off. Made you want to plunge out your eyes. You decided to stay where you were studying. You began to rent an apartment. It was a studio. One bath. There wasn’t much to your room. A bed, TV, table, chairs, dresser, and cabinet. After your “break up” with Sal you thought on what he talked about. What if you figured out what happened to Larry? Would he come back to you? Will the boy who gave you reason to live, to breath, want you back? To the man who ran in your blood. Made you want to live take you back. Love you again?

“Hey Sal, I love you”

Sal looks at the note. It’s from a week ago. It reads about your day. About the cat you saw. The bagel you had, and the book you had just boughten. It had grown wrinkled with the tears decorating it. Sals face hunched over it. He loves you, he really does. He never stopped loving you. No matter how hard he tried to forget about you. The feeling in his heart grew empty and emptier with the time without you grew. He never would’ve said what he said. He doesn’t know why he said it. He knows it wasn’t your fault. He knew that. He just wanted someone to blame. It could’ve been anyone that day. But it just so happened to be the man he loved the most.

“You never deserved him” Sal heard from behind him. He turns and sees Ash. The last time he had seen her was Larry’s funeral. She cut her hair really short. “I know” He says voice raspy. “Your hairs long” He looks at the strands of hair covering his mask. He nods. “His last few months was him figuring what happened with Larry. His head was always in a book about suicide or depression affects on the brain. He probably grew suicidal with always reading about the effects.” Ash says. Sals guilt grows heavier. It’s like a 800 lb boulder on top of him. He loved you. He really did. He was scared, he was hurting, he was…a hypocrite. “You broke his heart”

Cause of death: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

#male reader #x male reader #gay #angst #angst but not too much i’d say #sal fisher #sally face #sally face x reader #sal x male reader #sal x reader

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devswritingcornerorsmth · 18 hours

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overwatch ratings based on how they would date

did this a while ago but spent too much time on it for it to not be posted. this is just a personal opinion and personal ratings based off lore and bias tbh. this will be updated with every hero (if I remember to lol)

Tanks:

D.VA: 6/10. Caring and loving, fun gaming dates, but gets recognized a lot, and if it came down to it she’d choose her job to protect south korea over her lover

Doomfist: 4/10. He’d be a gentleman but probably only in it for sex or to be a sugar daddy. He’d treat his “lover” with respect tho so not a total loss i guess.

Junker Queen: 7/10. After the shit she’s been thru i think she doesnt really want a partner cuz shes afraid they’re just using her to get to the throne or that she’ll lose them. She’s protective and caring but also a bit overprotective to the point where it’s like okay calm down. Also might get into a few fights but eh.

Orisa: 0/10. she thinks it would be cute to be in a relationship but knows she cant be in one due to being the “protector of numbani”. so no.

Ramattra: 8/10. Deadass depends if it’s an omnic or not. If his lover is an omnic he will cherish them and take care of them, knowing that they’re one of the few things he loves in this life. If it’s a human then theres some. Problems. He doesnt open up easily and while he’s still protective and caring he can sometimes get very distant towards them because he fears that they only got close to him to use him or kill him.

Reinhardt: 9/10: Perfect gentleman. Treats you with respect and love, and cherishes you no matter what. -1 is because he can be really loud sometimes even when he doesnt mean to be

Roadhog: 5/10. I think of him as aroace but he would try and give it a shot just to feel what it’s like. Hes very quiet but also very calm. He would listen to his lover and do his best to help them, but he moves around a lot thanks to junkrat now and might cut off communication with you just to keep you safe when he's on the run

Sigma: 5/10. A real gentleman, would treat his lover with respect and kindness and love. Only downside is when he has one of his mind breaks and breakdowns. He forgets who he is and just focuses on violence. Also his control of gravity in that state is very fucky so if he’s having a breakdown his lover might get throw to the ground. He feels like jackshit afterwards and probably realizes it’s best not to have someone he cares about so close to him

Wrecking Ball: 0/10 no. he would simply not even if he wanted to. Aroace hampter

Winston: maybe a 1/10. i feel like he doesnt want a romantic relationship with anybody and just wants friends (aroace monke)

Zarya: 6/10. Protective and caring but would focus too much on her job. would also pick her country over her lover if it did come down to it

Mauga: 8/10: Would treat his lover right and give them anything they asked for. Free beach house, gifts, and a loving, protective, obsessive bf. -2 because slight yandere vibes and can get too possesive-

Damage:

Ashe: 6/10. Partners in crime kinda thing but if you’re not really into that stuff she’s probably not that into you. She has BOB watching you when she cant during a fight but shes always next to you when she can be.

Bastion: 0/10. Dude just wants to live in the woods with his bird he doesnt want that stuff.

Cassidy: 8/10. Southern sweetheart. Treats his partner with love and respect. Only downside is that he’d be out a lot doing his job, but he would let somebody else do it to be with you if it’s a special occasion or if he really wants to stay with you.

Echo: 2/10. Not big on romance but would try it out for science. Sadly in the end it’s not real love so. Oof

Genji: 9/10. Probably doesn’t want a relationship at first because of his body but he gets used to it and opens up his heart. Honestly very good boyfriend would be there to listen and help you with stuff. -1 cuz he might be out doing overwatch stuff a lot and also might not be the most exciting person to be around if you're a hyper person.

Hanzo: 6/10. Can’t see him getting in a relationship after everything thats happened but if he did he’d be kinda bad at it but you could tell that he’s trying his best.

Junkrat: 5/10. I love him but i cant really see him *staying* in a relationship for long. He doesn’t know how to stop sometimes and can get really annoying really quick but he loves making things for his lover and would do his best to keep them away from the dangerous bombs. He loves them a lot but doesn’t know how to turn the love down. Really clingy so if youre into that cool.

Mei: 9/10. Absolute sweetheart. Loves you to bits and takes you out to her favorite restaurants and stuff. -1 cuz you had to have a long distance relationship due to her being in Antarctica and the fact she slept for years with no communication with her lover-

Phara: 4/10. Cares about her job more but would be an okay girlfriend, doing the basics.

Reaper: 1/10. He’s done with love and would probably just just be a sugar daddy or just be there for sex. Even if he did find himself feeling something he’d ignore it and move on

Sojourn:5/10. Not interested in dating or finding love but if it finds her she’ll go for it. Pretty nice girlfriend, makes sure to take care of her lover but does focus on her job a lot more sometimes.

Soldier:76: 0/10. Not interested and has made sure to break off any past relationships. Doesn’t want the people he cares about to get hurt. So he still cares but doesnt go see them.

Somba: 7/10. Would be a pretty good girlfriend if she wanted to have a relationship. She keeps all people she cares about far away and unaware of her deeds at Talon. So a long distance relationship until she can take some time off to go see her lover and vibe.

Symmetra: 3/10. Doesn’t know how to even start a relationship and doesn’t really want to. Her job is important to her so she wouldn’t want distractions from it.

Torbjorn: 6/10. His wife and him had a few children and have been married for a while so he’s probably got the whole love thing covered.

Tracer: 9/10. Probably one of the best on this list. She’s loving and caring and makes sure to spend a lot of time with her partner.

Widowmaker: 3/10. Last partner she had was um. killed by her so. +3 if you could break down her walls and see the real her but very low chance

Venture: 8.5/10: Would talk to you about rocks, fossils, and everything else they can think about. They’d even let you name rocks around the house. -2 cuz they’ll talk your ear off about rocks n stuff while also bouncing around everywhere. They can also be gone for long periods of time but always makes sure to call. If you can deal with the infodumping and adhd then 9.5/10 for you

Support:

Ana: 5/10. She doesn’t want a relationship but she’d be very loving and caring to her lover.

Baptiste: 8/10. Great boyfriend, lovers needs always come first and he’s very open and always has an ear out to listen. -2 because he’s constantly on the run and the relationship could get stressed.

Brigitte: 5/10. Mostly focused on her work but would make a pretty good girlfriend if she finds the right person. The relationship would mostly be a test one because she lowkey doesn’t understand it.

Kiriko: 4/10. Would love to be in a relationship but protecting her home is more important than finding love to her.

Lucio: 9/10. Actual sweetheart. Would make music for you and would cancel shows last second if something came up and you needed something. If you need anything he’ll be there to help.

Mercy: 8/10. She’s really focused on her work but no matter what would take time to come stay with you for a while. -2 because sometimes too focused on work and sometimes doesnt have time to see you for a long time.

Moira: 0/10. Not looking for a relationship and would probably lie just to get you strapped to a table and butchered.

Zenyatta: 7/10. Would make a decent boyfriend but he can’t have relationships due to being a monk. He’d be there to listen and to give advice when you needed it.

Liveweaver: 9/10. Perfect boyfriend in every way. Like no competition. -1 cuz he's on the run from multiple governments so he won't be able to talk all the time or be with you much to his dismay. multiple texts a day tho

Illari: 4/10. Tbh I can't see her getting into a relationship after everything. She's too scared that something will happen with her powers again and hurt her lover

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jtl-fics · 11 months

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Fluent Freshman - Part 23

There were a few reasons that Andrew and Neil could not get past reception to go see FF or get updates on his current condition.

The first reason was that visiting hours were long over by the time they had arrived a little after midnight.

The second reason was that hospitals, in general, don’t just give out information on their patients to any random person that walks in and asks for an update on their condition. They are ESPECIALLY hesitant to give out updates on patients when the people who are asking can’t give you anything other than a first name, general description, and the reason that the patient is in the hospital.

Somehow “Completely average looking guy with the last name Smith who was stabbed in the stomach” is not enough for the receptionist to go off of.

“There are multiple people here that fit that description. I would need at least a first and last name before I could even begin to start seeing if you were someone who we even could give updates to. No, I will not continue to play your fun little game of guess the first name.” She says when Andrew opens his mouth to start listing off names alphabetically again.

So now Andrew and Neil found themselves under the watchful eye of a security guard as they sat in the back corner of the front reception area.

“I can’t believe we still don’t know what Smith’s first name is.” Neil says his face is buried in his hands as he and Andrew sit in the uncomfortable chairs trying to figure out where to go from here.

“I think she knows exactly who we want to see.” Andrew scowls towards the receptionist who, long used to the ire of the public, pays him no mind. Andrew just refused to believe that there were that many brown haired, brown eyed, average height and weight guys who had suffered a stab wound to the stomach that would have been admitted in the last two hours.

“I just hope they actually are looking after him and that no one went and forgot about him in an hallway somewhere.” Neil says hands sliding up into his hair to grip.

“That wouldn’t happen.” Andrew dismisses despite knowing that Wymack had ABSOLUTELY forgotten FF at a stadium once during the period where FF had been low presence to keep his family from bothering him.

The U-turn he had pulled had definitely been illegal when FF called and asked where the bus was when they had been on the road for five minutes. Wymack had felt terrible about it but FF had just seemed relieved that the bus had come back for him.

Wymack.

Andrew pulls out his phone and dials a familiar number. Wymack, reliable as always, picks up on the fourth ring with the sound of cursing as he got the phone up to his ear. “What.” He asks and Andrew can hear the sounds of driving and Kevin’s infamously train-like snoring in the background.

“What’s Smith first name. You know it.” Andrew demands.

“Classified.” Wymack clips back immediately.

“I need to know it so that we can get updates.” Andrew hisses.

“He isn’t interested in people knowing it and you wouldn’t be able to get updates anyways.” Wymack dismisses.

“We want to be able to head back to see him.” Neil tries.

“Visiting hours are long over Josten. You know that I’m not settling that bet that you little fuckers have floating around about this.” Wymack responds back.

Andrew grits his teeth and then forces himself to relax his jaw, “It’s not about the bet.” Andrew shuts his eyes in irritation.

That stupid bet.

The betting culture within the Palmetto State Foxes Exy team that Reynold’s had cultivated held strong even after her graduation with the remaining Foxes. The Bet had started when one of the other freshmen had mentioned that it was funny that FF went around like Cher or Madonna. The realization that none of them knew FF’s first name was one that had them placing bets on a multitude of things. Things like: “Do you wanna bet it’s a super normal boring name?”, “Do you wanna bet that it’s a weird foreign name?”, and “Is FF intentionally not giving it out to people or since he goes by his last name normally he has no idea that anything is amiss?” Had lower pools since you were betting on a spectrum. The bet with the highest pool is: “What is FF’s first name”.

Wymack had categorically refused to answer it and all other attempts to discover FF’s first name had been met with frustration. There was a solemn agreement that no one could just go and outright ask him since that would ruin all of the fun. Andrew had agreed to not ask when the team had collectively filled his freezer with ice cream cake and he was a man of his word.

The general belief (after the revelation of his major and the number of languages FF spoke) was that FF’s name was just not easy to pronounce for English speakers.

Andrew hadn’t participated but he know that the Foxes do have a running list of names they know it’s not. (Greg, Will, Smith (again), Matt, Kevin, Neil, Andrew, Aaron, Nathaniel, Jack, Beyonce (Sheena’s drunken guess), Nicholas, John, Fred, Garfield, Frank, Alfred, Augustus, Adam, etc. (Andrew had been trying to guess with the receptionist for a while))

“You’re coming here aren’t you? We can get updates when you get them.” Neil says.

“He’s in emergency surgery right now and will remain there for the next few hours most likely. There’s not going to be any updates hopefully.” Wymack says with a sigh loud enough that they can hear it over Kevin’s snoring.

“Surgery? He needs surgery?” Neil asks sounding surprised s if FF hadn’t been stabbed to the hilt into his stomach with one of Andrew’s knives. He’s about to give Neil some shit for the question before remembering that if there was any person who would think that a stab wound to the stomach wouldn’t necessitate surgery it would be Neil “I’m Fine” Josten.

“Yes Josten, he needs surgery. They have to stitch up his stomach and the surgeons are also going to be dealing with some of the ulcers that were ruptured by the knife.” Wymack explains likely coming to the same conclusion that Andrew had on Neil’s stupid question. “They were a bit worried about him bleeding out but he stabilized before the surgery.” Wymack sighs.

“I’m going the hospital since I’m Smith’s medical proxy. If anything goes wrong with the surgery I want to be there so I can make an informed decision on his care.” Wymack says and… Andrew figured there’d be surgery but to hear it and the possibility that something could go wrong, that the last thing FF had said to him had been something non-sensical about “Gracie Hart wouldn’t have gotten stabbed. I’m Cheryl at best.”as he’d started succumbing to all the blood loss. “If you could stick around long enough for me to drop Kevin off with you I would appreciate it.” Wymack says.

“What if he needs a blood transfusion?” Andrew says.

“Smith is AB-, it’s the second easiest blood type to transfuse into. Go home Andrew.” Wymack repeats.

Andrew works his jaw irritated that there didn’t seem to be a path to getting his way.

“We’ll stay here until you get here.” Andrew agrees, “But you’ll get an update before we leave.” He adds.

Wymack sighs, “Fair enough.” He says before hanging up.

It’s 45 minutes of waiting and tossing a few more name possibilities at the receptionist who seems more amused than anything at their continued attempts to guess their friend’s first name (Neil goes through the entire list of names that he’s gone by and none of them get the thumbs up).

Wymack comes through the doors with a half awake Kevin Day following his steps. “I have another favor to ask you.” Wymack says instead of any form of greeting.

“I’m not going to leave Kevin in the car overnight again. It was just that one time.” Andrew says with a roll of his eyes and honestly he’d been punished enough listening to Kevin bitch, moan, and sneeze for the following week while talking about all the supplements he was taking.

“Not that,” Wymack pauses, “I have two favors to ask you. First don’t do that. Second, would you be able to pick up Smith’s grandma from the airport tomorrow?” He asks.

Andrew blinks.

“She’s coming here?” He asks.

“I updated her on my way here. She booked a flight and will be arriving around noon tomorrow.” Wymack says and Andrew doesn’t know why he’s confused by this. FF’s grandma got him two still warm pies to cheer him up on Thanksgiving.

He’d stabbed that woman’s grandson.

“I’ll pick her up.” He agrees.

Shorter one today

MASTERPOST FOR ALL PARTS OF FLUENT FRESHMAN AU

Per your requests:

@i-have-three-feelings @blep-23 @dreamerking27 @andreilsmyreligion @belodensetdust @rainbowpineapplebottle @yarn-ace @iwouldlikesometea @lily-s-world @obscureshipsandchips @booklover242 @whataboutmyfries @sahturnos @pluto-pepsi @dreamerthinker @passinhosdetartaruga @leftunknownheart @aro-manita-muscaria @hologramsaredead @Chaoticgremlinswishtheycouldbeme @tntwme @tayspots @nick-scar @crazy-fangirl2524 @blue-jos10 @stabbyfoxandrew @splishsplashyouropinionistrash @sammichly @the-broken-pen @bitchesdoweknowu @very-small-flower @ghostlyboiii @its-a-paxycab @bisexual-genderfluid-fan @cheesecookie @theoneandonlylostsock @foxsoulcourt @blueleys @adverbialstarlight @elia-nna @can-i-just-stay-in-the-corner @nikodiangel @foxandcrow-inatrenchcoat @hallucinatedjosten @satanic-foxhole-court @vexingcosmos @chalilodimun @insectsgetcooked @angry-kid-with-no-money @queer-crows @lillyndra @themundanemudperson @readertodeath @apileofpillows @mortalsbowbeforeme @hellomynameismoo @next-level-mess @youreonlylow @interstellarfig @notprocrastinatingatalltoday @percyjacksonfan3 @queenofcrazy27 @bsmr261 @ghostlyscares @spencellio @adinthedarkroom @harpymoth @sufferingjustalilbit @anxietymoss @oddgreyhound @ohno-myhyperfixation-itsbroken @ken22789 @atiredvampire @isoldescorner @not--a--pipedream @azure-wing @bushbees @roonilwazlib-main @crumplelush @foldedaces-paperbirds @thesenseinnonsense @let-tyrants-fear @ketchupandfries @legowerewolf @deadlydodos @but-we-respect-his-craft @cariniqe @zanypersonapricotbiscuit @lesbian-blackbeard @lesbiansupernatural @silvermasquerade @thepeachfuzz @minniemariex @kazoo-the-demjin @gaypomegranate @ji-nk-ies @neilimfinejosten @omgrubelangel @itsyouitsmeorpheuseurydice

The requests to be added to the tag list keep being spread out across a few different areas. If I missed you please just ask again in the replies I promise I just missed you.

As stated before if you’re up here and I spelled it right but you didn’t get a notification there might be something switched around in your settings that won’t let me tag you properly?

#Fluent Freshman AU #Might be taking a bit of a break after this post #I wanna figure out the overarching joke of the next part #So FF is under the knife getting stitched up so he doesn't make an in person appearance this chapter #Kevin is coming along with Wymack because he wants to figure out the recovery time and PT FF will need #They were planning on having him be the starting Dealer next season #Honestly he can't BELIEVE that Romero would fuck up his line-up like this #Yes Kevin is aware that he is not the Captain #FF never lets anyone forget who the Captain is #It's Captain Neil #Neil and Andrew try to become close to the receptionist so she will release FF's first name #But god they are both super bad at small talk #Andrew and Neil: So...busy day?#Receptionist: Actually considering the fact its Black Friday it wasn't that bad #Neil: Is it...is it that dangerous? (Thinking about FF this morning)#Receptionist: I've seen body builders get their thigh bones snapped in half by exhausted stay at home moms for a blender you tell me #Neil: Anyone from the (location) Target?#Receptionist: Oh that was a bloodbath didn't you see the news?#The misconception that FF is a cool badass guy continues to grow throughout the Foxes #AFTG #AFTG AU #AFTG OC #AFTG Fic #FF - Pt 23

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obihoe · 6 months

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god, the ichibi truly is the most terrible bijuu of them all huh. like he's not even that strong, among the bijuus at least he is the weakest but he seems to be so much more terrible to live with than the others. and gaara ... he is not even That strong either? at least not at first, he breaks down all the time. and his jutsu repertoire is not all that various either, his main strength is his defence but after lee breaks it, all the other opponents he faces afterwards manage to break it as well. gaara i think is the epitome of a failed bijuu-host relationship .. his bijuu might be willing to help him by sharing his power with him but that power is too much for him and moreover, the ichibi doesnt help him exactly either, he moreso just uses him as his marionette to sate his own bloodlust .. as opposed to the other, non-jinchuuriki ninjas, gaara has an INSANE level of power and chakra but he cant channel it properly and its too much to handle for him. the image of his sand shield around his body cracking is fitting i think cuz his power quite literally breaks him apart

#posts #gaara #just remembered this draft .. was watching his fight against naruto (or team 7) recently and god ..#its just so insane i think the way gaara is CONSTANTLY in pain and his powers seem to overwhelm him #like he partly transforms into the ichibi or he gets an arm like the ichibi has #half his face transforms into him. and sometimes he's screaming while it happens #but yknow what also just occured to me? might be a bit of a reach #but when i re-read the 'his power is tearing him apart' .. it reminded me a bit abt mdr .. bc mdr #he also in the end ends up torn apart by his own power. and his power ALSO belongs to a different consciousness #or being or whatever (kaguya) and she has an agency with him. she has a goal that she pursues and she uses mdr for it ..#mdr is in control of the power. he's not breaking down or transforming into something when he doesnt want to #except at the end!! in the end mdr ALSO transforms into someone else without wanting to and he cant stop it from happening #and the power is also too much ... ive talked abt this before but for me the kaguya transformation/manifestation is heavily laden #with symbolism. as in mdr's quite literally ripped apart by the power he has. kaguya pulls in more chakra as she is manifesting #and the amount of it becomes so great that it rips her host (mdr) apart .. the same way that gaara's sandshield cracks #even tho the cracks in the shield do not mean that the ichibi breaks him #but it looks a bit like it does. and when he becomes half ichibi half him. the ichibi is taking control over him #.. in a way. like gaara does want to use him but its more so the other way round. temari is scared the whole time #that he'll lose his control #anyways i feel like im rambling a bit. maybe this isnt rlly going anywhere after all SGDGDS but its interesting to #compare the first blorbo w the current one. maybe the message or commonality or whatever is #that both of these 'bijuu'- host relationships fail. the ichibi doesnt want to be trapped in a human. and kaguya (or all the bijuus)#do not want to be servants to mdr either. in gaara's case its involuntary for both parties. gaara doesnt want to be a jinchuuriki #and the bijuu doesnt want to be trapped in him either. the one who suffers from this here is mainly gaara #bc shukaku dominates their relationship. in mdr's case it is mdr who dominates the bijuu #and its mdr's hubris (his thinking that he will be able to control all of them. can just use them however he wants)#that turns out to be his demise. in both cases i guess its humanity's hubris to think they can take over and use supernatural powers #that do not belong to them and use them for their own purposes. and it both ends with the bijuus who that power belongs to #forcibly taking it back from their hands and destroying their hosts in the process ... something like that #hmm. im just rambling and forcing interpretations into this at this point i think. but yeah

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mariocki · 7 months

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Robert Shaw acts as the Pimpernel's loyal right hand man, Lord Anthony Dewhurst, in The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel: The Hostage (1.1, ITP, 1955)

#fave spotting #robert shaw #the adventures of the scarlet pimpernel #classic tv #itp #itc #1955 #more info on this series (and why it's an ITP production but also ITC) in the tags on my prev Pat Troughton fave spotting post #Robert wasn't quite a newcomer at this point‚ having been acting onscreen for a couple of years by now‚ but he certainly #hadn't made it yet; this might have been his big break‚ except that his character never reappears after this first episode #i suspect this acted as a pilot‚ with some of the establishing footage reappearing in a later ep and with Shaw's character being #replaced for the series by two helpers for the Pimpernel‚ played by Pat Troughton and Anthony Newlands #quite why Bob left idk; there isn't a huge amount of information out there about this near 70 yr old bit of tv obscurity #but he did alright; the following year he'd take the lead in one of ITC's next ventures The Buccaneers and shortly after that #he'd start landing film roles that would ultimately catapult him to Hollywood and to big screen immortality #added to which of course he was already making a name for himself on the english stage (and by the end of the decade he'd be adding #novelist to his list of accomplishments). he's very good here tho naturally falling into a supporting role; he's there to look #impressed by Goring's genius and feats of bravery and to occasionally lend a hand in a fight. i do think Troughton and Newlands #get more character to play with in their parts but then they get multiple appearances to help them with it #The Buccaneers is on my shelf where it has sat for some years now... one day... one day....

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jorvikzelda · 10 months

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oh my hell it’s been FIFTY DAYS since i posted on jorvikpov????? oh god. oh fuck. oh good fucking lord

#I am working on it but I have been working on the next one for like a solid month #Unfortunately something about the prompt is very difficult to pull off #And after life reasons forced me to take a short break I forgot how to write.#So. You could say I’m in a BIT of a writer’s block. Some days I write a sentence! On a good day I might write as many as five!#Wildwoods-sworn i see your tags i hear you i thank you for your lovely words <3 I also miss it & it is coming back. Preferably soon.#Next one is at ~350 words (usually I aim for at least 450 more if needed) but… I’m gonna have to replace like half of them #So really that doesn’t tell you much at ALL about how far away I am from posting.

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dullahandyke · 11 months

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coming to the realisation that i can buy whatever i want to look however i want. insane

#but my cd bags havent come yet n i cant buy another thing until they come in the post bcos i prommied myself #n after that i need to get new over-ear headphones #also update the reward points system for making me do things is Not Working so i might ditch it #but also i. dont have a job. so i gotta ration my money. n if i wing it i feel like ill fuck it up #but also like. sigh ok so the plan was that for every task i do i get a euro of spending money. to motivate me to do tasks so i can buy thi #but ive racked up a debt already. oops! so theoretically i need to work that off before i can start saving for someghing new to buy #the thing is tho that my headphones broke n i have earbuds but i NEEEED to have on-ear headphones or ill explode #n im thinking of biting the bullet and buying some proper nice ones #but thats spencey itd take so long to save up for those #n i could theoretically add that to my debt n buy them now but that would render the debt functionally meaningless #bcos if i gotta do 100+ tasks to work off the debt to START saving for shit like a binder #then we're gonna have a problem #this could be mitigated by me getting less expensive headphones n stuff but like w a warranty so that when they inevitably break #i dont gotta vimes boots it and instead i can just get the same headphones again #but thats a lot of electrical waste :(#sigh i COULD ask my mom to get me the nicey headphones as a pre-emptive leaving cert thing #but id say shed rather get me something AFTER the leaving which is like. 20 days. n can i survive that long without overear headphones?#tbh probably. but also my perception is skewed bcos im currently in If I Have Headphones On I Will DIE mode #so shrug ill have to think it thru some other time #aughghghghgh!!!!!1 what if i killed and bit #<- still hasnt started studying for the leaving. at this point i dont think its gonna happen

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whatapictureisworth · 10 months

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#I finally got around to finishing part one of a fic that I’d been working on for a while and posted it last night #and it got a fraction of the reception that I thought it would #I know ‘write for yourself and not an audience’ and not to compare myself to others #but I’m comparing it to the reception the first half of the fic got and I’m really bummed out about it #part of that might be because I somehow accidentally marked it as incomplete and didn’t forgive out how to fix that until this morning #but the two people who’ve commented have been…not mean but not exactly kind either #one person is trying to point out a plot hole that isn’t really a plot hole and it’s really pissing me off #like #who asked???#I dunno I think after I finish the sequel to this fic I might take a break from writing for a bit #maybe the arcane fandom in general. I still have Caitvi brain rot but interacting with the fandom is just. not sparking joy anymore.

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ferrn-draws · 1 year

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cat doodle animation

(sound on)

#animation #doodle #cat #cat animation #rough animation #sorry abt the logo thingy #it’s the simplest way to get the audio from IG lol #also i might be taking a bit of a break from posting after for a month or so #college is kicking my ass a bit xD

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pepprs · 1 year

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alt*rnative spr*ng br*ak day 1. i need to be on campus in 3.5 hours. i have packed nothing and have done no laundry. i have not prepared for any of the facilitation i need to do today. i am experiencing physical symptoms of anxiety and burnout ♥️

#this is my first time ever doing an in person asb and also my first time being part of the asb planning process and i am soooooo nervous and #unprepared and overwhelmed. and i volunteered myself as the staff member staying at the hotel making sure no one gets into trouble and #responding to crises / emergencies if they arise and i may be assigning more importance / weight to that role than there actually is given T #that they are all college students and i am less than a year removed from being a college student myself. but i am so nervous i want to #redacted. and i am not prepared for the situations that might arise. at all whatsoever. lollllll #purrs #btw unlike the retreat tag or the conferences im name dropping asb bc like every school has them and a lot of schools have spring break this #week. so i am not doxxing myself 😈 (and i didn’t need to tell u that but im doing it lol. aaaaand post)#delete later #also the amount of stress i have been under lately w work is like. actually insane and we are not getting a break (though i should take one #lol) but after this is over i will have my life back a little bit maybe and i hate to say im looking forward to it so much but i am. i just #want to rest and recover. it’s literaly been nonstop since we were abandoned in july (lol) and i feel so crushed by the weight of everything #we’ve been carrying and how much responsibility i have had to take on in my FIRST YEAR!!!!!!!!! and i would’ve gone crazy if i hadn’t takej #on big responsibilities ofc bc of my mental illness <3 but the impostor syndrome + the relentlessness intensifying every single day are just #so so so heavy to carry. and i can feel my mind and body and heart giving out but i have to keep pushing forward

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hellsmayflower · 8 months

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#⛤⛥⛥#﹙ ooc ﹚ oᴘᴏ sᴘᴇᴀᴋs #✝️ mun behind the muse ✝️#|| ooc post ||#{{ trying to make replies and he is distracting me... }}#{{ might take a break for a bit after this... }}

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mostly-imagines · 18 days

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Guard Dog

jason todd x fem!reader

aka don’t fuck with jason’s girlfriend

4 in 1 blurbs

warnings: mildly creepy guys, standard protective bf methods

Jason’s good at shutting people up very quickly. You’d almost call it a talent.

He shuts you up with a kiss when you get stuck in a rant, or with a hug to calm your worried rambles.

And when you’re in an incorrigibly teasing mood, he’ll throw you over his shoulder and carry you back to your bedroom to really shut you up.

With other people though, he has…different methods.

You sit atop your kitchen counter, trading lazy kisses in between giggles with your boyfriend. He stands in front of you, hands massaging your thighs as he leans in for another. You happily oblige.

You break off the exchange to lay a series of sweet kisses on that spot under his jaw.

His head tilts back, letting out a groan so low you nearly miss it. “Sweetheart…” he warns.

“Sorry…” you resign with a sheepish smile.

A knock at the door bursts you out of your shared reverie. You press a kiss to his knuckles and hop down to start setting the table.

Jason gets the door, greeting the pizza guy with a nod as you shuffle around the kitchen. The delivery guy hands him a receipt, asking for a signature.

Jason uses the door as a surface to sign, giving the delivery guy an apt view into your apartment, where he sees you getting out plates in the kitchen. More noticeably, he sees you in your boyfriend's shirt, which rides up just a little bit when you stand up on your toes to reach the top cabinet. The lift of the shirt exposes the bottom of your underwear, though it falls back into place again just as quickly.

Now, lucky for this guy, Jason’s facing the door and does not see him checking you out in your own home. Unlucky for this guy, he has wildly misread the vibe of your relationship. Or at least your boyfriend.

“Man, how do you get anything done around here?” He jests.

Jason looks up at him, and the pizza man’s eyes tear away from your legs to meet his hard gaze. It does not take him long to realize his mistake.

“Try again.” Jason behests, arms crossed in front of him.

The pizza boy’s eyes go wide and he shakes his head, stuttering. “I—uh, I said have a good night.”

“Mhm.” He grumbles.

The pizza guy hands Jason the box with shaky hands and scuttles back down the hallway.

Thankfully, you didn’t seem to notice the exchange, but even so, your boyfriend still glowers down the hallway after him.

“Jay?”

His attention snaps back to you, demeanor changing instantly. “Yeah, baby?”

You’re sitting in your usual spot at the table, his chair empty and waiting just around the corner from you.

“Come sit.” You say, with eyes that might as well be hearts.

He gives a reassuring nod and kicks the door shut behind him.

You and Jason are sitting on the floor in his old room at the manor, your legs thrown over his. You lean up against his bed, asking him about posters on the walls and trinkets on the shelves.

His knee is propped up and your arm dangles across it, his hand in yours. He plays with your fingers and periodically leans forward to leave a kiss on them.

You’d just woken up less than an hour ago after spending the night post-gala, and it’s a peaceful, if not unusually quiet morning.

Dick shouts your name from another room, audibly booking it towards you. Yeah. That’s more like what Jason remembers.

He grumbles some annoyances, dropping his head against your intertwined hands.

Dick bursts into the room, clearly incredibly excited.

“What’s up, Dick?” You ask, calm as ever. Jason lets an unseen smile creep up, head still down.

Dick’s practically jumping up and down, “You gotta see the shit that Tim just found in the cave!” His face drops as he directs his gaze to Jason, “You’re not invited.”

“Thank God.”

Dick ignores him and grabs your wrist, yanking you up from the floor. This is one place where he differs from Jason—he’s not always quite so aware of his own strength.

His grip doesn’t hurt really, but it’s firm enough that you imagine there’ll be bruise marks there later.

“Hey.” Jason calls out, nodding his head to where Dick is holding your arm. “Ease up.”

Dick follows his gaze and immediately loosens his hold, apologizing to you before pulling you along once again (this time much more gentle).

You grin at Jason as he tugs you out the door, him returning it with an endeared smile as he watches you go.

Fuck he loves you.

Jason had a decent break from his night job for once, and was happy to let you drag him out to a bar for a little date. You’d been linked at the hip for most of the night, his hands maintaining their ever present home on your waist and yours resting on his thighs as you tell him about your hectic day.

He’d usually prefer to stay in bed with you for as long as possible when he gets time off, but you’d looked so excited asking him to go out with you—he never stood a chance.

You look up into the mirror as you wash your hands, a strand of hair falling into your face as you do. You push it back behind your ear and smile to yourself, recalling the several times Jason had wordlessly done the same throughout the night as you rambled.

You make your way back to the bar, smile immediate on your face when you see your boyfriend. It gets replaced rather quickly though, when a man slides in front of you, cutting off your view of him.

“Hey there.”

You have to take a step back because of how close he decided to stand to you. He looks sober (enough) but wildly overconfident in whatevers about to happen.

"Let me buy you a drink, pretty thing."

Jason calls you pretty thing sometimes. It makes the blood rush to your cheeks and an inescapable smile creep up on your lips. When this guy says it, it makes you literally frown.

"Oh no, I'm okay, my—"

"You seem like a dirty martini kinda girl." He expertly ignores you, clearly trying and failing to make some kind of innuendo there.

Jason's sitting back against the bar, watching the interaction carefully. You still can’t see him, but he’s close and you can rest comfortable knowing he’s looking out for you.

With that reassurance, you don’t play this out quite as carefully as you would if you were alone.

"Look, I don't want a drink from you, thanks."

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say to him because his face contorts quickly to mock-disgust that you figure is really just embarrassment.

“Hey, don’t be a bitch just ‘cause—”

You try to sidestep around him, thoroughly done with this interaction, but he grabs your upper arm harshly, pulling you to an abrupt stop.

Jason stands up real quick, yanking the guy backwards by his collar before you can even process what's happening.

Now, you know that Jason is an objectively intimidating guy. There's not many people that will come face to face with that absolute unit of a man and still decide to keep on trying him. However, you tend to forget that when you're so used to your gentle giant that only ever speaks to you kindly and touches you softly.

But his intimidating status becomes very apparent when the guy spins around, looks up at Jason, and immediately takes four steps back. He actually almost bumps into you in the process, not doing anything to tame Jason’s acute distaste for this man.

"Listen to me—back the fuck off before you get hurt."

“She—”

“I don’t give a fuck. Leave.”

The guy hesitates.

“Now.” Jason adjusts his posture to stand at his staggering full height, clearly with no qualms about putting him back in his place.

That does it for him, the man stumbllng away with half-committed mumbles of “whatever” or “something something lame anyway.”

Jason watches him until he walks out the door, before turning back to you.

He delicately takes your upper arm in his hand, pulling your sleeve up to search for bruising. But as harshly as he had grabbed you, it didn’t have the time to cause a bruise before Jason intervened.

“What’d he say to you?” Jason asks, brow furrowed as he inspects your arm.

“Nothing very interesting.” He looks at you mildly.

You smile and comb his hair back from his forehead, “Don’t worry about him. I’m good.”

He lets your arm go, and exchanges it for holding the back of your head, planting a kiss on your forehead.

You take his other hand and guide him back to your seats.

“Besides,” You look over his shoulder and let out a little shocked gasp. “Guess who just walked in.”

He gives you a questioning look before his face slacks, eyes widening in realization.

“No…” And you smile so brightly it almost makes up for what's coming his way.

You redirect your smile over his shoulder and give a wave to the door. Jason swigs down the rest of his drink, hand finding your waist once again.

“Jaybird!”

Jason’s still exhausted from patrol last night but he’d insisted on going with you to the bar to meet your friends. You’d tried to convince him that it was okay to stay in and rest tonight, you’d be fine. But it was a losing battle.

You suspect it has something to do with him not liking when you go out in Gotham at night, especially when you’re drinking.

So he hangs out in the background of the buzz, with you sat in front of him, in between his legs.

You’re talking it up with Roy, who’s been making jokes about how Jason’s “moody ass” tricked you, “the ray of sunshine” into this relationship somehow.

You laugh, taking a sip of your drink. “Right, ‘cause you and Kori were in love at first sight.”

"Oh, fuck off." Roy jeers.

He doesn't say it with the cadence of a joke, but it is.

You know he's joking, he knows he's joking.

Jason, who very well may have been tuned out of the conversation up to that point, does not seem to know he's joking—or he doesn't care.

You don't need to look behind you to know that your boyfriend is in defensive mode, though the look of regret mixed with amusement on Roy's face gives a solid hint.

You hold your hand out to block Jason his path as he moves forward. He lets you stop him, though you're certain he could get past you without so much as blinking, no problem.

"Right. My bad, forgot your guard dog was here. Don't fuck off." Roy backtracks, hands up in front of him.

Jason just rolls his eyes, slouching back down. You reach behind you for his hand, giving it two squeezes. You know he’s tired, so much so that he almost punched his best friend for making a typical joke.

“Five more minutes, okay?” You say softly over your shoulder.

He nods at you blearily, and ducks his head down to rest on your back. You adjust your posture a little bit to make it more comfortable for him and continue on talking, his hand still in yours.

If he hadn’t fallen asleep so quickly, five minutes would’ve been five minutes, but instead it became something more like fifty.

He goes through patches where sleep isn’t always so welcoming, a phase he’s been in for the past couple of weeks. You’d been waking up to find the bed half empty, your boyfriend resigned to doing research on cases in an attempt to at least be productive while he’s awake.

You can’t protect him in the same ways that he protects you—you’re not a fighter or necessarily “intimidating.” But you can protect him like this, in these little ways. Letting him nap on you, making him close the case files and rest with you, holding his hand throughout the night so that when he inevitably has nightmares, he knows immediately that you’re still with him. That he’s safe.

So if he can get some much needed sleep while only costing you a stiff back tomorrow, you’ll happily take that deal as many times as he needs.

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