#and cass never gets mad so this was a trip to draw

[whitecatindisguise]

Give Him A Chance To Mend

I'm alive, lmao. Took me long enough to update this story, and I hope this want to write is not temporary, and will last unless until I finish it.

Anyway, AO3 link can be found here, and the newest chapter is put under read more, to not spam the dash with long post.

So, enjoy.

Chapter 4: Raise A Little Hell

Varian and Quirin were working in the fields, when it happened. There was no sign, no way to prepare themselves. It took them both by surprise and left them wishing they didn't have to ever deal with it. 

It started innocently. Adira and Hector left for training,while Varian offered to help his father with the harvest. They were nearing lunch break, when the two came back, wearing unrecognisable faces. 

"Aunt Adira? Uncle Hector?" Varian called out to them, confused by their behaviour. He never saw that kind of expression on them, and didn't know what to make of it. 

"Did something happen?" Quirin inquired from a little further, placing a pumpkin on a half-full cart. 

"You could say that." The woman replied, pursing her lips together. 

Varian observed the two and noticed a crunched paper held in his uncle's hand. He cocked his head to the side, wondering what's on it, already figuring out it must be the cause of their off behaviour. 

"Well, neither of us is a mind-reader, so maybe you could tell us what's wrong." Quirin said, putting his arms on his hips. "Unless you want to continue this staring contest."

"Why our nephew has a wanted poster?" Hector asked. Both father and son blinked, not really registering the question. 

"We were training in the woods, when we found this." The man unrolled the paper and a 14-year-old Varian glared at his older self from the poster. Oh…

"We missed one." The alchemist mumbled, more to himself than anyone in particular, but it managed to make Adira and Hector give him a weird look. He chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his neck. "I… might have commited treason once?" He said, attempting to make it sound like a joke and failing miserably. It was only partly worth the bewildered faces of his aunt and uncle. 

Quirin sighed and picked up the cart, wheeling it towards the shed. 

"Let's go inside. It's a long story." He said. Hector sputtered. 

"You knew?!" He screamed. 

"Can we talk inside… please?" Varian asked, looking deeply uncomfortable. The two Brotherhood members shared a look and nodded. 

"I expect to be explained everything, nephew." Adira said, as he led them back to the house.

"Oh joy…" They heard his response. 

It took ten more minutes for them to get settled in the kitchen, Quirin insisting he prepare mugs of hot cocoa. For grounding, he said. Neither of his siblings questioned it, but they did exchange confused glances. 

Finally, they all sat down around the kitchen table, Varian picking nervously at his gloves, Ruddiger curled comfortingly around his neck. 

"So… treason?" Adira spoke up. Varian sighed and straightened up, curling his hands around his mug. 

"Let me start from the beginning." He said. Adira nodded, Hector remaining silent but attentive. "Six months after Princess Rapunzel was brought back, and two days after the failed coronation, she and Cass..andra came to Old Corona in search of the great wizard. "He made quotation marks with his hands and put them back around the mug. "which was how people used to call me, since they didn't know anything about alchemy and thought what I was doing was magic. Anyway, the Princess wanted to ask about her hair which magically reappeared, I tried to help but couldn't come up with anything specific. Then her boyfriend arrived, I told him about my water heaters, which were highly unstable back then, and long story short, they blew up and the Princess and her entourage left while I stayed to clean up the mess. Then we met at the Science Expo few weeks later, I asked Cassandra to be my assistant, she agreed but stood me up later, that's not really important and now it seems I'm rambling-"

"Drink some hot cocoa, son." Quirin helpfully suggested. Varian nodded and took a few gulps, exhaled slowly and continued. 

"Anyway, after the expo I showed Princess the black rocks that grew outside the village, and she asked me to research ways to get rid of them, promising we'll get to the bottom of this together. So, in secret and against dad's orders, I've spent next weeks studying those rocks, trying to find anything to make them stop growing, or, better yet, get rid of them entirely. At some point, when the village was almost completely overrun, me and dad travelled to the capital to ask the King for help. I wasn't allowed inside the throne room, but I overheard dad lying about us having a good harvest and needing more land to store all the crops." 

Adira and Hector both looked surprised. 

"Quirin lying?" The woman asked. 

"It was a code." The man quickly explained. "I didn't want everyone to panic about what was happening. My words actually meant we need a place to move to until the situation is taken care of."

"But, of course, I didn't know that, so I lashed out at dad, he lashed out at me, then the Princess came and I told her what's going on and she, yet again, promised to help me once her parents will be back from their anniversary trip, during which she was to act as a Queen." Varian added. "But then everything went downhill. Dad caught me during one of my experiments on the rocks and we had a fight about secrets and such. I didn't notice one of my solutions spilling on the rock, but dad did. He pushed me away and got stuck in amber, me running to the capital to get Princess' help. At the same time, an enormous snowstorm hit, which later I learned was caused my Zhan Tiri herself. Anyway, I managed to get to the castle, but as I begged for help, the Princess refused, saying she had to stay and help the others, and I was thrown out into the storm."

"You were what?!" Hector screamed, standing up abruptly, his chair falling to the floor with a loud clatter. 

"Sit down and drink your cocoa, Hector." Quirin ordered. "You getting angry now won't change what happened."

"And you're fine with this?" The man questioned angrily. 

"I had the same reaction as you did when I found out." The farmer replied calmly. "The matter was resolved long time ago. There is no need to dwell on it."

"They threw a freak-"

"Language."

"A teenager, my nephew, in the middle of the snowstorm!" Hector finished, fuming. "And you expect me to not get mad?!"

"Let Hairstripe finish, Hector." This time it was Adira who spoke. She looked as collected as ever, but Quirin knew her long enough to know she was just as angry as her brother. 

The green-eyed man grumbled, but picked up his chair and sat down, crossing his arms and mumbling under his breath. 

"A-anyway" Varian continued. "I ran back home but I was too late, dad already fully encased in the amber. I worked day and night, trying to find a way to save him. At some point I've found a hidden chest in his room, full of armour pieces, weapons and a piece of the scroll with a drawing of the sundrop, the black rocks and some weird language. Took me some time, but I finally managed to decipher it enough to know the Sundrop might be the way to end all this. Oh, and in the meantime, the King apparently decided I know too much and sent royal guards dressed in masks and coats to make sure I don't tell anyone. The rest of the village moved to the new land long ago, so nobody was around to stop them. I called the Princess to the village, using a lantern with a tied letter, to find the scroll which I hid in my lab. I wanted her to see dad, see why I was doing what I was doing. Then, a week later, I came to the capital to meet her in secret, because somebody spread a rumour I attacked her on the day of the storm and people didn't really like me walking around anymore. I managed to persuade her to sneak into Royal Vault with me and stole the Sundrop Flower. But, it turned out its power was long gone, moved to the Princess instead. So, I devised a new plan. I built an army of automatons, used alchemically-turned monster Ruddiger as a distraction and kidnapped the Queen, all to get the Princess' attention. And, of course, she came, along with the citizens of Corona ready to fight the dangerous alchemist of Old Corona. I made her use her hair to try and free dad, but when that also failed… I snapped. I went total rampage, and even tried to kill Cassandra and the Queen. I was only stopped when the Princess touched the black rocks, which blew up and impaled the automaton I was controlling. I was arrested and the Princess went her merry way, on a journey following the black rocks."

"I've seen the aftermath of the battle before but I didn't realise…" Adira seemed genuinely shocked. "It was you?"

"Turns out being left without adult supervision and having someone promise help and then back out when they start to feel uncomfortable does that to people." Varian shrugged, but they could see he was ashamed of his actions. "Or just to me."

"Is this true?" Hector looked at Quirin for confirmation. The man nodded. 

"The Princess confirmed it." He said. 

"Wait, the Princess went to the Dark Kingdom…" Hector looked like he didn't really want to hear an answer to his question, but he asked anyway. "What happened to you?"

"Prison." Varian replied darkly

#give him a chance to mend #varian #quirin #adira #hector #brotherhood family #sorta recap chapter #a.k.a. Adira and Hector find out what happened in season 1 #kitty mom writes

[bestworstcase]

farran rereads lost lagoon: chapters 11-12

- ngl this part of the story is pretty boring. like… they are fishing bits of glass. out of the bottom of a pool. gvjfhcbfv

- fun fact! “The lagoon was so pure and clear that it didn’t hurt to open my eyes when I was underwater.” no. lmao this is the sort of thing that would i imagine be super hard to research so i don’t fault howland for getting it wrong at all but—so, my hometown does not do water filtration, because the municipal water system draws from a lake that is so clean that it doesn’t need one per the EPA standards for this. (the water gets treated with chlorine and UV light, but is not filtered first.) point being the water in this lake is extremely pure and clear… and i have swum in it dozens of times and yes it still stings to open your eyes. it certainly doesn’t hurt near as much as a chlorinated pool or salt water, but it absolutely will irritate your eyes both when you first open them and after a while of having them open. ✨the more you know✨

- this dialogue is very hmm. stilted? wooden? mechanical? i’m not quite sure how to describe it. it feels like an outline of a conversation. they get dressed and methodically line up the plot points of coming back to the lagoon, their little secret, no you can’t even tell eugene, cass wants to be a guard, rapunzel will help, they’ll (sigh) do the winged beast together. i feel like this should be an emotionally fraught conversation for both of them, but it just kind of… boom boom boom done.

- lagoon rapunzel readily understands, accepts, and commits to keeping the lagoon between them and not even telling eugene. yet she also, like tts raps, digs in her heels about keeping cassandra’s involvement in the black rock excursion a secret from eugene and quickly spills the beans to him. i’m… truly not sure how to interpret this. the situations are similar enough to be almost identical save for the latter having visible evidence, but the way rapunzel reacts to the secrecy request is way different even before eugene starts guilt tripping her for keeping the secret in WTH. and if rapunzel can understand the principle of cass being punished for something rapunzel did, that casts her behavior throughout season one in a terrible light. i think this is one of the first huge moments where considering lagoon canon to the series turns tts rapunzel into a genuinely shitty person, because it means she understands exactly what is at stake for cass from the very beginning and doesn’t care.

- by the same token, if lagoon is canon to the series, rapunzel knows goddamn well that cass doesn’t want to be her servant even before BEA—which means that every time she fantasizes about a cass who is happy and content in her role as a lady in waiting, she’s willfully disregarding things she knows cass wants instead. things rapunzel herself promised to help cass achieve! if lagoon rapunzel and tts rapunzel are taken to be one and the same, then the way rapunzel treats cass is a) not coming from a place of ignorance, and b) reprehensible. full stop.

- i don’t have much to say about the interlude except that howland leans extremely hard into the forbidden date night vibe.

- howland also softens cassandra’s fear of being caught for some reason. in tts cass says “my dad will have me taken of princess duty, we’d never see each other again” and “if anyone found out that i was the one who snuck you out, i would be sent to a convent. literally, a convent!” vs in this interlude lagoon cass suggests the captain would “probably” send her to a convent, and then later in her own narration says she doesn’t know what her punishment would be. it’s an odd choice, especially given that the series literally demonstrates that cassandra’s fear of the convent was not overblown.

- also howland just… doesn’t mention lady caine at all. rude.

- anyhoo in twelve they go back to the lagoon again and talk about the upcoming hidden moon festival in sufficient detail that it is obvious it’s going to be a plot point.

- “i’m not superstitious,” says cass, who has spent the whole book yammering about her destiny,

- i think howland… either missed the part where rapunzel told eugene the truth right in front of cass or retconned that to be a private discussion or has finally allowed rapunzel to have a flaw in the form of no spatial awareness. unclear. in any case rapunzel is fretting about how mad cass will be if she finds rapunzel betrayed her trust. i am, once again, left to wonder why lagoon rapunzel feels so comfortable keeping the lagoon a secret. i would say it’s a romance novel thing, but rapunzel shared a secret that could have gotten cass banished from her life, so…?

- rapunzel’s solution is that she needs to convince cass to trust eugene which yeah i think that’s a realistic way for her to approach the situation and also another instance, like rapunzel consciously manipulating the guards at the beginning of the book, of rapunzel being quite manipulative in her approach to interpersonal problem solving. she’s essentially banking on persuading cass to trust eugene after the fact so cass can’t be mad at her for breaching cass’s trust. lmao

- there was a… henge(?) hiding behind the waterfall. howland continues to be not good at describing settings so i’m not sure. for some reason this is what makes them decide to loop xavier in on their investigation, which seems a bit random. sure, he might be able to tell them what the henge is for, but he might’ve been able to tell them some lagoon legends if they’d asked before and they could just as easily have researched henges in a library if they’re so gung ho to keep this place a secret. it just seems a little out of the blue / in service of the plot.

#lost lagoon reread #cassunzel #rta

[that-salty-bitch]

So time I live up to my name and create some salt!

I had a Miraculous AU idea, heavy in Adrien salt.

WARNING! EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION AND ABUSE. No physical abuse, but still, you have been warned.

In so many salt stories, Lila getting the class to bully Marinette makes Marinette stronger, she begins to stand up for herself. She learns to say no when Adrien becomes obsessed with her.

Not in this.

When Lila gets the class to turn against Marinette, she shuts down. She becomes more quiet, resigned. She doesn’t reach out to anyone, and she has no support system. Tikki trys to help, but can’t do much. She becomes Guardian, and there are more weights on her than ever. Eventually she and Chat Noir defeat Hawkmoth. Adrien is shocked, and Marinette comforts him. They reveal themselves to each other, and start dating. Marionettes crush has subsided, but Adrien is adamant, and she can always fall back in love, right?

Wrong.

She never really likes him in the same way, but he guilt's her so much that she feels like she can’t leave, that it would be selfish. All the kwami see what’s happening, but they can’t convince her. Eventually they move to Gotham. It could be that Marinette needs to create balance there, or that Adrien wants to be a hero again. Either way, they move to Gotham and become vigilantes. Marinette and the kwami don’t really want to infringe on Batman’s turf, but Adrien wants to, and there can’t be a black cat without a ladybug, so she has to come along too.

Eventually, they come across the Gotham Sirens. Marinette, who knows they’re (mostly) reformed, waves, and goes over to say hi. She goes to swing her yo-yo over, but Adrien grabs her arm to stop her. The Sirens have heard about two new vigilantes that the bats have had trouble with, and were having a girls night/ scouting mission. So, they saw someone in read wave, get ready to come over, and was that a yo-yo?, and someone in black stop them.

Adrien: “What are you doing? They’re villains!”

Marinette: “They’re antiheroes now, they help the bats for the most part.”

Adrien: ”So if my father decided to just help us one day, we just forgive him? You know how I feel about that Bugaboo, are you trying to make me mad?”

Marinette will instantly start on the apologies, and by the time the Sirens are over, they’ve left. Harley didn’t hear what they were saying, but she sure knows what she saw. She saw someone doing absolutely nothing wrong, and then try to placate someone else, taking the blame for nothing at all. She sees the signs of an abusive relationship. And she sees red.

When Adrien and Marinette get home, he takes her earrings. This is something common, when she does something ‘wrong’ he will take Tikki. Time and time again she has been told that she didn’t deserve having Tikki to talk to when she ‘misbehaved.’ And she believes him every time. She truly believes that she deserves being alone for doing something (or most of the time nothing) wrong. She decides to go out to get ingredients to make an apology dinner for Adrien, and either runs into one of the Wanyes, or into Harley, who’s been looking for the two she saw earlier. You can decide who she runs into.

If it’s Harley, she will try to avoid her, remembering that she got in trouble for trying to talk to her earlier. Harley will take an interest though, and while Marinette is trying to get away, and will accidentally let slip that she’ll get punished for talking to her. Harley is concerned, but will ‘leave her alone,’ as not to get her in trouble. In reality, she is totally following her, and telling everyone (Sirens, Batfam) about a potential abuse victim.

If it’s a Batfam member that she runs into, (Not just the boys because I need more interactions w/ Steph Cass & Barbra) she could start up a conversation while shopping, (crushes are up to you, one sided or otherwise) and she accidentally lets slip that this was an apology dinner. When asked what for, she vaguely answers about talking to the wrong people. They get concerned and alert the rest of the gang, including the Sirens because they help victims of abuse.

Either way, everyone decides to look out for her, someone befriending her, (probably one of the girls because Adrien has convinced her that spending more time w/ boys is cheating on him) and they will subtly interrogate her. They figure out that he ‘depends’ on her to help him, and that something went on in Paris that made them closer.

This leads to the Justice League finding out about the Paris Situation, and Wonderwoman and Aquaman getting very upset at Green Lantern or whoever ignored them. (I stan Aquaman knowing about the Miraculous due to Plagg sinking Atlantis.)

After Marinette gets off the bench, she is extra careful to not set Adrien off, as she is best at getting the Bats off their backs about vigilantism. The Bats offer to train them, knowing they might not be able to stop them, and Marinette is all for it. There’s just one problem.

Adrien doesn’t want to do it.

Batman and bird of choice will notice Marinette’s immediate change from being enthusiastic about the training to being against the idea as soon as Adrien speaks against it. They leave not long after, and there is no doubt in anyone’s minds that they need to get her out.

While Marinette is on patrol one day, a large flower appears in her face, and sprays some kind of pollen. The earrings are providing her some resistance, but most of her energy is going to staying awake. While trying not to pass out, she accidentally stumbles off of the roof. She doesn’t notice, nor does she notice that a giant plant caught her. Finally, the pollen combined with a general lack of sleep get to her, and she passes out.

When Marinette comes to, she notices that her hands are tied. There are vines wrapping around her arms, with a red flower sprouting from the top. As she looks around, she realizes she’s... on a couch? In an apartment? With all the Sirens just hanging out?

Wait.

She scrambles to get up and get out, but she trips in her haste, drawing attention to her. Ivy uses her plants to gently guide Mari to the couch, being careful not to hurt her, but making sure she knows that she can’t leave.

Marinette is just confused.

She’s been kidnapped before, both in and out of costume. Most of the time, they want her miraculous, and the rest usually want dates. However this was new. Glancing at the clock, she realized how late it was. She really didn’t want to loose Tikki again, so she hoped Adrien would understand why she didn’t get back in time.

Harley: “Don’t worry, we’re rescuing you!”

Marinette looked at the vines, then back at Harley.

Harley: “Oh, right. Let me rephrase. We’re rescuing you even though you don’t know you need to be rescued!”

Now this makes Marinette confused. What did she need to be rescued from? Maybe the Bats were mad at them? She really needed to smooth things over for her and Adrien quickly if that were the case. Noticing her confusion, Poison Ivy took over.

Ivy: “Look, we just need to check a few things then you can go. We’re concerned that your boyfriend is abusing you, and we need to make sure you’re safe.”

Oh. Marinette can deal with this. Adrien had never hurt her outside of akuma attacks where he got mind controlled, and that wasn’t his fault. Just because he was in charge of the duo didn’t mean he was hurting her. She was just about to tell the Siren this, when she got sprayed by another flower. She got ready to fight off sleep again, but was surprised when she didn’t feel any more tired.

Ivy: “Don’t worry about that, it’s just something that will compel you to tell the truth. We won’t ask any secret identity questions, we’re just making sure you’re ok.”

They ask their normal set of questions, like, ‘has he ever hurt you’, and received odd answers like, ‘not outside the influence of the miraculous.’ When asked more about the miraculous, bubbles flew out of her mouth. as they were about to ask more, her earrings gave a loud beeping, and there was a large flash of light. When the Sirens opened their eyes, they saw a girl wearing civie clothes, with the same red and black domino mask, and a bug... thing? floating in front of her face. Marinette felt a mix of shock and relief. Shock that Tikki had released the transformation, and relief that Adrien had warned her to wear a mask underneath because she was bound to get the earrings stolen at some point. Looking at the shocked faces, she realized that she had said that out loud. She was left speechless when Tikki flew up to her face (Ivy noted how her plants seemed to grow much faster as she flew by) and ripped her mask right off. There were shocks of recognition from all of the Sirens, and as Marinette was about to ask Tikki what in kwami’s name was she thinking? Tikki cut her off.

Tikki: “*Bubbles* no. I am not about to sit by and watch you make excuses. I have been trying to warn you for so long, but you refused to listen. If it takes me revealing your identity for you to leave *Bubbles*, then so be it. Now, you are going to sit there, while I tell these three exactly what’s going on. I don’t care that you think it’s not abuse, because it is. So please, after this, take back the ring and leave. Kaalki can take you anywhere you need to go, even if not for yourself, do it for us.”

Marinette was left speechless, and Tikki turned around and started to explain the whole story. As she couldn’t say their real names, she would just use their hero names while clarifying on whether they were civilians. After the whole story, they were ready to go skin a cat. Selina would normally take offense to this, but at this point she was too angry to care. When Marinette finally broke down, everyone comforted her, and they created a plan. They would broadcast having her hostage, (after telling the bats so they wouldn’t come) and get Adrien to come rescue her. Or at least, Marinette hoped. She knew there was a slight chance that he wouldn’t come after her, or at lease leave her there for a bit as a lesson. She fought the part telling her that she would deserve that, and got ready. After feeding Tikki, she transformed and got into place. After broadcasting the video, they sat and waited. About an hour later, Adrien came crashing through the window, landing in front of her. He used Cataclysm on the chair, and that was when Marinette struck.

Marinette: “As Guardian of the Miracle Box, I, Marinette Dupain Cheng, hereby revoke Adrien Agreste’s right to wield a miraculous.”

In a flash of light, Adrien was de-transformed, ring having flown into Marinette’s finger, with Plagg looking relived. Adrien was fuming, ranting at her, until he decided to attack. The moment he lunged, he got a mallet upside the head, knocking him out.

The relief of it all being over got to Marinette, and she broke down on the floor.

Now the ending is open for interpretation! This was kind of a prompt, maybe more of an idea, but there are a few ways this could play out.

She could get adopted by the Sirens, and gain three new aunts. Maybe eventually she’ll feel up to joining them on their nights out.

She gets with Batfam member of choice. She is an adult here, so pair her w/ whoever while being mindful of that

Bruce adopts her. She fits the Wayne criteria, and his kids love her.

Come up w/ a completely original ending! Go wild!

That’s all for now, night all!

#Maribat #Adrien Salt #Adrien bashing #MLB #Miraculous #lila salt #harley quinn #poison ivy #cat woman #Marinette #Adrien #tikki #plagg #kwami #aged up

[jinmukangwrites]

Crutches

Batfam week 2020 / Injury / @official-batfam-week

Summary: immobilized and incredibly bored, Dick wonders how he’s going to survive the night alone in his Blüdhaven apartment. Thankfully, he doesn’t have to be alone.

AO3

-o-o-o-o-

Dick sighs and leans further back into his couch, lazily flipping the channel as he does so. He tries to keep his elevated foot out of his line of vision and the pain pulsing from it. The pain killers aren’t helping much, and it’s not like he can ask for more at the moment because people will wonder why he has such a high tolerance to pain meds. 

Of course he broke his ankle, and of course it was in the line of duty where other officers saw his foot fall in a random dip in some grass and twist unnaturally in some sort of freak accident. They’re never going to let him live this down, and Amy is never going to let him back onto the force until she’s sure he’s at one hundred percent. If he had just broken his foot during patrol he could have just taken a couple weeks off and then smiled through the pain and no one would have noticed a thing.

He sighs again, louder this time as the TV quickly becomes boring. There’s nothing on besides reruns of Big Bang Theory and some random college football game and his mouth is dry and his stomach is growling but he really doesn’t want to get up because getting up means crutches and crutches means grinding his teeth and mentally screaming about how he could have easily just launched himself over the couch and into the kitchen within seconds just a couple days ago.

He glares at his offending foot and closes his eyes, ignoring the thirst, ignoring the hunger, ignoring the pulsing in his limb, and tries to just fade away into the noise of the TV.

But, in true Dick Grayson fashion, he quickly gets bored.

“Ugh.” He tosses the remote across the couch and opens his eyes slightly so he can glare at his crutches. He needs to do something. Never in his life has he ever felt the need to just do something. Cook. Shop. Hell, he wants to clean his entire apartment and that’s saying something.

Instead, he grabs his stupid crutches and gently rises himself with a simple destination in mind because doing much more will have his leg hurting more than it already is, and call him as irresponsible with his injuries as you want he does know how to take care of himself.

Most of the time...

He begins to hobble over to the kitchen with his eyes on the cupboard where he knows he has a small stash of coco-puffs. He thinks he has a little bit of milk left in the fridge but honestly water works just fine if he’s in a pinch. Yes, he knows that’s sacrilegious, but he needs to get his hands doing something, even if that’s tainting the holy ways of cereal just to get his hands moving.

‘Cause if his hands are moving, then his eyes aren’t trailing to the window where the sun is starting to set and crime is starting to rise. Nightwing can’t go out tonight. Blüdhaven can last a night or two before Dick whiddles down his pride enough to ask for help, right?

Man. He hates injuries. 

He’s halfway to the kitchen when something catches his attention: a knock at the door. Normally, he’s all for company, but right now his foot is pulsing and he wants a tainted bowl of cereal but now he has to turn and try not to trip over the random assortment of crap he has on the floor to get to his door. It’s probably nothing important. A solicitor who’s risking working a little later in the day. Do solicitors work evenings? He grew up in a mansion and before that a circus trailer, how should he know?

He should probably get one of those “No Solicitors” signs, he thinks when the knocking on the door repeats.

He sighs and slowly maneuvers his crutches around a discarded pair of boxers—how did that even get there?!—and makes his way over to the door. He leans on his good foot and painfully positions himself on the other side of the door so when he opens it it wont hit his crutch and trip him.

He opens the door a crack.

“Yeah?” He asks before he actually looks at his visitors. But when he does get a look at them, his eyes widen in shock.

“Good evening, Master Dick, I hope we are not a bother?” Alfred smiles and behind him, Cass waves and Tim shoves his phone in his pocket to smile while Bruce folds his arms across his chest and Damian matches his father and glares down at Dick’s foot.

Dick blinks stupidly. “I uh. What?” 

“Are you going to invite us in, dickhead?” Jason voice calls from the back and Dick finds himself releasing a shocked bubble of laughter. He didn’t notice Jason back there. 

What a strange sight this is to see, his entire family standing in the hallway of his cramped apartment complex. He swings the door open wider and Damian instantly ducks under his arm to claim his normal spot on the sofa. 

“What are all of you doing here?” Dick asks as Cass walks up to him and carefully wraps her hands around his shoulders to give him a quick hug.

Bruce pats his shoulder as he walks inside and Cass follows him and Alfred into his kitchen. Jason shrugs before he walks in.

“I’m only here for the free food- ouch!” Jason glares down at Tim who has just punched his arm. 

“We’re all just visiting,” Tim says nonchalantly before he and Jason—who’s angrily rubbing his arm—walk into the apartment.

Dick laughs and closes the door, hobbling to turn around and see his apartment full of some of the most important people in the world to him. This little apartment can hardly hold all of them. Tim is fighting with Damian about taking up the whole sofa while Jason perches on the windowsill and pulls out his phone. Cassandra is helping Alfred scavenge the kitchen for any kind of usable ingredients for Dick suspects dinner and Bruce opening a bag he had brought with him onto the table and carefully taking out various cans and produce that they must have already known Dick had no chance of having himself.

“Honestly, Master Dick, you need to go shopping,” Alfred tuts. 

“And you need to elevate that foot,” Bruce says, not looking up from his task. “Tim, get Dick to sit down.”

Tim stops his mini-wrestling contest with Damian and they both jump to their feet and rush over to him even though Damian wasn’t even asked to.

Dick soon finds himself being reluctantly lead to the center of the couch and sat down. Damian grabs his crutches and places them near the arms of the sofa and then effectively pins Dick down by curling up under his arm. Tim kicks some mess out of the way and then shoves the coffee table forward and places a throw pillow down onto the edge closes Tto Dick and points at it, lifting an eyebrow.

Dick rolls his eyes, but complies. Next thing he knows, Tim is inserting himself under Dick’s other arm and Dick ruffles his hair, extremely content despite still being extremely confused.

“How’d you guys find out I was hurt? Did Amy call you?”

“Your captain rang, yes,” Alfred affirmed as he gave the ingredients he had managed to scavenge a critical eye. “She worried you wouldn’t take care of yourself.”

Bruce steps back from the kitchen as Cass begins to shoo him out, smartly deciding that Bruce shouldn’t be anywhere in the kitchen while cooking is going on. “But we’re here because we want to be, chum.”

“What about Gotham?” Dick asks and behind him Jason snorts.

“There’s more heroes in Gotham besides us, stupid.”

Bruce hums and settles down on a chair he dragged with him from the kitchen. “Stephanie and Kate are taking up patrol tonight. Your friends Roy and Wally have agreed to make a round through the Haven. They’ll call us if anything happens. Don’t worry about it right now.”

Suddenly, Jason’s had is entering his field of vision and the pressure of a chest leaning against the back of his head appears as Jason reaches over three heads to snatch the remote before anyone else could. Tim squawks in protest and Damian jostles Dick’s side to try and make a mad grab for the device, but Jason effectively retreats a safe distance away and begins to open options on his tv he didn’t even know he had.

Dick’s TV has Netflix?

He hates technology.

“We’re not watching your stupid show, Todd!” Damian hisses, reluctantly sliding back onto Dick’s side. The action of Dami choosing to remain cuddled up to his eldest brother instead of hurtleling over the couch to duel for the remote to avoid some mystery show is apparently more important and it makes Dick’s heart swell. He leans over and gives Damian a sneaky kiss at the top of his head and Damian reacts predictably by crying out and swatting at Dick’s face.

“Shut up, short-stack. It’s a classic.”

“We should just watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine, we all like that,” Tim argues back and Jason snaps back that Dick’s TV does not, in fact, have Hulu. Which Dick supposes is a cause for sadness? He’s never heard of Hulu or Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Though, he’s sure whatever his brothers’ want to watch he’ll like it regardless.

Turns out, Jason’s “stupid” show is The Office. As the cold-open begins to play, Dick sighs in content, breathing in as the smell of sizzling bell peppers and meat reaches the living room. Another weight joins the couch as Cass lays herself down across Damian, Tim, and Dick, carefully avoiding jostling his leg in the process. Alfred announces that dinner will be ready in a little more than half an hour and Bruce begins to annoyingly critique the plot line of the show.

Dick sighs in content and closes his eyes.

“Do you want to watch something different, Dick?” Tim’s voice pipes up, mistaking his closed eyes as meaning he’s not enjoying the show. 

“Nah, I’m just enjoying Netflix-and-chill-ing with my family.”

“First of all,” Damian snarls from besides him, “cease using the phrase if you’re not going to learn what it means. Second of all, no one says that anymore.”

“Yeah, cuz it’s Disney+ and Chill now,” Jason adds helpfully as Tim cries out in distress. 

Cass begins to draw patterns on Dick’s knee with her finger and Bruce begins to demand what that phrase means while Alfred tut-tuts that Damian is too young to know what that means because of course Alfred knew it. The show falls to the background and Dick doesn’t close his eyes, just smiles and watches as his family begins to bicker and banter.

His cure for his boredom found. Everything will be fine, because he has his family to watch his back without him even having to ask.

#dick grayson #bruce wayne #damian wayne #tim drake #jason todd #cassandra cain #alfred pennyworth #nightwing #batman #red robin dc #robin #orphan #dc #dc comics #batman comics #batfamweek2020 #jin writes #fan fic

[purplebenjy]

Oh babe, I hate to go

They’ve been in the air for a few hours when Benjy feels him slide into the seat next to him.

“Hey, handsome.” Forest says, lowering his voice and heightening his Californian accent. “What are you working on?”

“Nothing.”

 Benjy says, closing his notebook quickly. He’d been sketching more lately, nothing of substance, but he’d been inspired after the other night. Now all the doodles were more sketched out figures, figures of men. Men who might have sparkling blue eyes and pretty dirty blonde hair. He’d connected the drawings of someone who certainly wasn’t Cass with random bits of lyrics, his thoughts, and texts he wanted to send but was too chicken to press send on. 

In short, it was everything he didn’t want Forest to see.

“Ah, well, Andy went to lay down and Ted’s up front acting like he’s smart enough to talk to the pilot, so...” 

Benjy smiles tightly when Forest’s hand creeps up his leg. He wants to tell him that Andy and Ted both know about them, that they’re anything but secretive, and that he’s writing songs about someone who actually made him feel something. Instead, he lets Forest undo the button on his $500 jeans and kisses him back once their lips come together. 

Forest plays with him, chuckling against his lips when Benjy gets hard and then quickly sliding his hand away-never giving him too much. Forest starts to undo his own pants and Benjy knows how this is going to go. Forest is going to push him down on his knees, all but force a blowjob on him, pull him back up and fuck him with his face pressed against the seat in front of them. It just seemed so...boring. Typical and robotic and loveless. Colorless. The opposite of what just one kiss with Cass felt like. Forest stills beneath him.

“Problem, Benjy?”

“Uh...” Benjy shakes himself, trying to figure out how to get out of this without pissing off the man who has made him-the man who could just as easily pull him apart.

“No, sorry I’m just tired. Why do you-oh.”

Benjy blushes, seeing that his erection was completely gone. He quickly redoes his pants and moves off of Forest’s lap into the seat next to him.

“Sorry. I just-” 

Benjy swallows hard, sure the words will get stuck in his throat, sure he’s going to chicken out again. It’s easier to just let Forest keep using him-it makes things less complicated, makes these trips a little less lonely. Benjy won’t have the courage to say anything, he never does, so he might as well try. No harm in nothing happening.

“I think we should um, not sleep together anymore.”

The words hit Forest as they register with Benjy, and he feels the lower part of his back break out in an instant sweat. He’s sure Forest can hear his heart beating. Forest doesn’t look mad-well, he does. But he also looks....hurt?

Oh sweet fucking hell, does he actually like me?

“Oh.” Forest says softly, his professional veneer reappearing after a few more seconds. 

“May I ask why? I mean, lets face it Benjy, it’s not like you’re hurting my feelings whenever you decide to be slutty with your little fans.” Forest’s voice is dripping with condescension and a touch of bitterness. Pointing out how often Benjy slept around was one of Forest’s favorite pass times-Any sympathy he might have felt disappears with those last five words. 

“I uh, don’t think I really have to answer that. I-I want us to have a professional working relationship. A real one. And-”

“Is there someone else?” Forest asks, his tone vicious all of a sudden. Benjy balks.

“Uh, no?”

Yes. A little voice in the back of his head whispers. You only want to be with Cass. 

“Why would there be anyone else?”

Forest runs his hand forward through his hair once and then combs it back.

“I could go to the press.” Forest says softly, so softly that Benjy is sure he’s misheard him, until his manager gives him a cold stare. Benjy can’t help it, he laughs.

“And tell on yourself too? Please.” 

Forest’s jaw sets and Benjy suddenly wonders if he’s going to punch him. 

“As charming as it is that you’re threatening me, Forest, I don’t think that’s necessary. I’m not going anywhere-I’m not breaking my contract. I-I just-I like being friends with you, I like our working relationship-I don’t want to keep jeopardizing that by fucking around.”

His heart’s still beating too fast, he’s still sweaty, but this is the opposite of boring. Benjy feels alive.

He stands, jerkily as the plane hits a little bit of turbulence when he gets to his feet, but he steadies himself on the back of the seat that he’s usually fucked against.

“I’m going to go keep writing-let me know when we land. We can both slut it up in London this time, eh? Cheers.” 

He gives Forest a sweet kiss on the cheek and then he squeezes by him, walking out of the main cabin towards the lounge. Andy’s napping on one of the couches, and Benjy jumps over the back of the other one, landing on his butt and smiling when he does. He pulls his phone out of his back pocket and unlocks it, pulling up Cass’s text convo and smiling at their only exchange-giving each other their numbers. When they land, when he gets a minute and his phone is off of airplane mode, Benjy decides he’s going to text him. 

Nothing like dumping someone and jeopardizing your career at 42,000 feet to make you ready to take a few more risks.

#drabble #famous au #just a little filler

[whetstonefires]

While i was rifling thru your fic tag like a half-starved raccoon in a cake tin I found your clone Damian's fic & i'm in LOVE! And like, do u hav anymore meta on that verse? like how do the rest of the fam find out? how do they REACT?! how does Damian? does the heretic clone still exist? Just reading abt tim with a bunch of tiny dami's gave me heart palpitations. Thank you for this gift.

(In reference to this post.)

Why thank you!

It’s vaguely inspired by some meta @cerusee and @audreycritter did about what if Damian was one of several identical clones, but I’ve been fascinated by the character potential suggested by Damian having been cloned since Talia first revealed it, so.

Let’s see.

I don’t think the Heretic still exists, not in the form we saw. This story fragment sort of assumes Talia went less crazy than they made her for the whole Leviathan storyline; she doesn’t regard the clones as sons the way she does Damian (she totally relied on cloning to get him perfectly matched organ replacements, like that spine) but she’s not “sons are born to die in battle” “let’s grow him big inside a WHALE” levels of whacked out.

She hasn’t fully committed to having them compete to be selected as the official Damian #2, either, because she’s still attached to the original, though the growing prospect of that was a lot of the reason they ran for it. One of them might have wound up as the Heretic, in another timeline? But it was a timeline that diverged long before they fled the League.

So they make it to Tim’s emergency van without being intercepted, and get as far as his secure site on city limits, but they have to fight their way through the last leg of that trip and to make it inside the bunker, and it’s supplied for a siege but not really big enough for eight people, even if seven of them are small, and also staying there and being besieged would draw the attention of the Bats, which defeats the whole purpose of not making for the Cave/calling reinforcements.

So he calls his friends for extraction, and they all wind up in Kansas.

Tim puts off contacting the family until the clones have with his guidance sorted out exactly how they want to present themselves.

Unfortunately, the last stage of the ninja battle was showy enough not to be overlooked, so his absence was noticed much sooner than he expected, and regarded as more worrying. On the second day Dick calls Kon to see if he knows where Tim’s gotten to, and Kon fails to lie adequately.

Dick can’t pressure Kon as easily as he can most people because last time he asked Kon for a favor Kon came to the North Pole and died for him.

Which is the kind of thing even Nightwing isn’t veteran enough not to take seriously.

But he still calls his bluff and asks a bunch of questions, and winds up very suspicious and worried, so at this point Tim and the Damians have to hurry up and figure out how to announce the situation or go on the run from the Bats as well as the League, which would be. Not smart.

Tim explains the situation over videochat with the Cave before having the cloneboys join him on the feed; this spares them the worst of the yelling.

Bruce, Dick, and Damian all respond pretty badly. Bruce because he doesn’t like change and he’s reflexively suspicious, and having eight Damians to raise is a justly horrifying notion. Also anti-clone prejudice. It’s unfortunately an established trait of his, though not like. A strong one.

Dick because he’s really defensive of Damian, and perceives this first and foremost as an emotional threat to his bab’s fragile identity.

Damian because he knows exactly how he was raised to react to someone being in a place he wants, and he knows how many opportunities his father’s household policies gave him to take shots at Tim, and they may be six years old but there are seven of them. He is going to die.

All things considered, Damian’s being the most rational here.

He’s wrong though. The clones were raised as disposable ninjas, not princes; they’re perfectly well aware killing him would gain them nothing, and they have very little sense of entitlement.

Bruce and Dick do try to be nice to the kids once it’s finally settled they will be staying at the Manor at least for a bit, because they need to be somewhere safe and Bruce can’t leave them at Clark’s house forever. Even Ma Kent has her limits.

But Bruce blows bewilderingly hot and cold and Dick kind of makes a point of of not being too warm to them, because he’s loyal to his demon brat. Damian starts staying at his place a lot and consequently working with Nightwing instead of Batman.

Bruce has no idea what to do about this or if he even should do something. Damian’s thirteen, right? Teenagers are supposed to rebel??? This is a pretty harmless way to do that?

But he misses him.

This does lead to making more time for the Seven Identical Six-Year-Olds.

Their sense of morality revolves around having made the breakthrough to valuing on another’s lives; they aren’t as opposed to not-murder as Damian was but they’re also a lot harder to coax into seeing things his way because they don’t need as much from him, emotionally.

This makes them ironically less terrifying for Bruce, even if he’s still having trouble actually bonding with them the way he normally does with his kids.

Barbara meanwhile is cautious. She always takes a while to warm up to new people, and she doesn’t have Tim’s history with clones to get her over that speedbump. She tries very hard to be fair, but she’s not really welcoming. She’s Reserving Judgment.

Jason thinks this is the funniest thing ever and goes out of his way to tease Damian about it. Privately he’s super creeped out, but as that wears off he starts getting mad about Bruce and Dick making the kiddos feel unwelcome and at some point does a rant, and after that is vaguely protective in a useless sort of way.

He enjoys being a bad influence. The septuplets also enjoy this. They think he’s funny, too, and he’s easier to communicate with than most people around here. Achieves a fairly high tier on the Favorite Non-Clone Brother list they aren’t exactly keeping.

Cass is super about these kids. She can relate to them even more than to Damian, because they weren’t raised as heirs to anything and don’t have the sneering put-down form of pride going, and also she’s actually around to meet them at the crucial getting-to-know-you stage.

She thinks sparring one-on-seven is an excellent sibling bonding activity. There are assassin-child puppy piles once they’re all worn out. Many photos are taken.

She’s doing much better than Bruce at getting them to extend their nascent sense of empathy beyond one another, without actually making an effort. It’s not like they’re actually much behind their cohort when it comes to social development, they’ve just got murder conditioning flattening their affective empathy. (And are ahead of cohort intellectually, which contributes a lot to the dissonance.) Cass’ accidental therapy involves butterflies.

Tim continues to be around, a lot more than he has been for a while because he’s kind of obligated to see this through. The septuplets trust him, which is more than they do anybody else for a while, so he winds up with a lot of childcare duties.

Since this amounts to ‘showing them where to find soap’ and ‘being in their vicinity’ rather than i.e. brushing their teeth for them and making sure they don’t steal each others’ snacks, he’s fairly okay with this.

Sizdahum sticks especially close, which is fine because he’s not a big talker; he winds up getting a lot of absent lessons on detective work.

Tim gets yelled at for having murder scene photos open in front of him; both of them and Haftum, who happens to be there at the time, roll their eyes a lot throughout.

Tim’s friends also visit the Manor a few times specifically to visit the kids, since they already met them. At one point the Damian clones, Tim, Kon, Wonder Girl Cassie, and due to rumor mill Anita, Cissie, and Greta all have a picnic in a rare afternoon of sunshine on the Manor grounds.

Alfred packed the picnic so it has ludicrously expensive cheese, a fruit salad featuring freshly pitted cherries, and thermoses of milkshakes in the favorite flavors of everyone who got one, even the ones he’s never met before. In response to this bounty Anita threatens to come to visit every time she can get babysitters for her parents.

Then she considers introducing her parents to the clone kids. They’re turning out almost as weird, even if in theory they don’t remember their previous lives. We’ll see how that turns out.

Bruce got used to how all his sons’ friends know his secret identity over a decade ago, it’s…fine.

Steph thinks they’re creepy but she’s far enough from ground zero to laugh about it, especially about their occasional appearances as Tim’s row of ducklings, and also she trusts Cass’ judgment.

Everyone does, to a certain extent; it helps the septuplets’ cause incredibly over the course of the first few weeks. It wins Alfred off the fence about them after about three days, which is quite a coup; even before that he was fast catching up with Tim in the ‘learning the differences between the septuplets’ sweepstakes.

(Cass is the only one who can even semi-reliably tell them all apart if they’re not wearing their nametags, or catch them switching, but learning things like their individual preferences in weaponry or cake is arguably much more important.)

Speaking of names, it’s a difficult issue. Bruce would (with considerable angst and self-doubt) be willing to name them all if asked, and they’d probably be open to it if he offered, but they’re not quite comfortable naming themselves and he’s too insecure and weirded-out to suggest anything else.

The other members of the family are varying degrees of not okay with the numbering system. Steph’s main issue with it is she has trouble remembering them precisely, because she doesn’t speak Farsi and learning seven unfamiliar similar-sounding words at the same time doesn’t play to her strengths.

Damian has a tendency to call them by their numbers in English, which only some of the clones actually mind but it offends the hell out of Bruce.

The necessity of keeping them secret until they have actual public-ready names and a story has been settled on wears on everyone’s nerves a bit. The issue that there exists no story more believable than the actual extremely weird truth stands in the way.

Barbara actually crafts an entire cover about rescuing the products of an illegal cloning operation by people planning an overly complicated ransom scheme for Damian, and Bruce going ‘well dammit they’re my kids too,’ which doesn’t get deployed for a while because:

1) everyone’s still hunting for something a little less weird and

2) they have to review the entire body of legal precedent relating to clones to make sure this won’t put the kids in jeopardy down the line or undermine Bruce’s chances of getting custody somehow.

Meanwhile, Bruce absolutely forbids the clone squad from getting involved in vigilante fighting. Because they are six. They’re not quite on house arrest but they have strict supervision and a curfew. They mostly accept this; they’re used to discipline and they did come here for refuge.

He tries to take away all their live weapons. Because they are six. This fails to stick. It threatens to become a serious bone of contention.

Cass, Tim, and Damian (somewhat unwillingly) wind up having to broker the issue; explaining to Bruce that the kids think he suspects them of plotting murder, and to the kids that Bruce doesn’t think they can be trusted not to hurt themselves with sharp objects is. Fraught. On all sides.

Why does Bruce never get any kids for whom normal responsible parenting guidelines are fully applicable?

#batfam #tim drake #cloning #my fic #anita fite #batman #tim has friends dc #and yes okay some of them are ghosts #or people who retired from vigilantism to raise the reincarnations of their parents #as well as clones and time travelers and demigods #this is fine #cassandra cain #damian wayne #dick grayson #bruce wayne #alfred pennyworth #conner kent #human rights for clones #people say nice things #a nonny mouse #ask #hoc est meum #prompt 5 #the damian clones

[knox-knocks]

A Story Told By Storms and Rain

read on a03

1.

Andrew couldn’t see anything outside his bedroom window. The sky outside was too dark, the rain coming down too heavy. Another crack of lightning lit up his room, allowing a brief second where Andrew could see the little space he was allowed; the messy bedsheets, the broken crayons hidden under the small dresser across from him, the battered book he had borrowed from the library last week.

He’d only been at this foster house for a couple months, and even at eight years old Andrew was old enough to know that this house wouldn’t last, either. He didn’t want it to, anyway. It wasn’t as bad here as it was at the last house, at least in this one no one ever sneaked into his room after dark.

Another low rumble of thunder shook the house. Andrew hunched farther under his blankets and squeezed his eyes shut. He hated rain, the dark it brought with. He hated that he couldn’t leave the house when it was wet and muddy outside, lest he tracked the dirt inside and didn’t get it cleaned up before his foster father came home. But most of all, he hated the thunder, the way it shook the walls and set Andrew’s teeth on edge.

Lightning and rain, Andrew could handle. Thunder put him too much on edge.

Andrew considered switching the light on and banishing the shadows from his room for good, but he couldn’t risk his foster father seeing it and getting mad, the old bruises hidden underneath Andrew’s shirt were still healing. Mottled purple and blue, it would be better to wait the storm out by himself in the dark.

Over the pounding of rain on the roof above him, Andrew thought he heard the floor in front of his door creak. His eyes snapped open and he froze, feeling the air drop ten degrees cooler. Andrew was sure if he dared to breathe, his breath would come out in a puffy white cloud before him. He stayed like that for minutes, not moving, not even breathing, listening for the sound of footsteps behind him or the creak of the doorknob turning, but it never came.

When Andrew was finally able to draw air into his lungs again, he turned over to face the door, shifting so the sheets wouldn’t get tangled around his legs. He scooted back, not taking his eyes off the door, and pressed his back to the wall, the window above him leaching any warmth that the blankets could provide.

Lightning flashed and the thunder rolled. Andrew wouldn’t be sleeping tonight.

2.

The rain beat a violent rhythm on the walls of the bathroom, doing nothing to help the pounding in Andrew’s temples. It didn’t often rain in Oakland, California, but when it did, it stormed.

Andrew spotted the angry, gray storm clouds in the distance while on his walk back home from school that afternoon. Large and foreboding, the clouds made a thread of anxiety wiggle its way inside Andrew’s chest, making him feel all jittery and shaky. He hated when it stormed. Cass was outside pulling the laundry from the clothes line to be taken inside when she saw Andrew approaching. She told him what AJ already knew: a storm was heading their way.

Now, he was huddled inside the Spears’ guest bathroom, arms hugging knees and back pressing into the cold porcelain of the bathtub. If he could help it, Andrew wouldn’t leave the sanctuary he carved out in the bathroom until the storm was over, or until Andrew could go to school the next morning.

He saw how Drake kept looking at him all throughout dinner, how his slick smile was somehow made worse by the drizzle of rain starting outside. How perfect, Andrew thought bitterly, a day all alone with my foster brother while the storm rages outside. How cozy.

Andrew’s stomach turned. He felt his headache get worse. He couldn’t remember the last time he slept without nightmares plaguing his dreams, the last time he was even able to relax in his own skin. The rain and thunder were louder in the bathroom, but Andrew would rather deal with that then face the monster waiting for him on the other side of the locked door.

Rubbing his hands up and down his arms, Andrew pretended nothing outside his bathroom existed. Everything that made up the universe was the bathtub digging into his back, the toilet and the sink, the ugly brown carpets Cass insisted on getting. He was alone in this world, and that’s exactly how Andrew wanted it.

Andrew wished he at least brought a blanket, but after he was done clearing his plate of spaghetti after dinner, he went straight to the bathroom and locked the door before anyone could even follow him upstairs. He hadn’t thought to keep a blanket and pillow in here. It didn’t matter though; here, he was safe. Here, he was alone. Here, no one could hurt Andrew but himself.

In the universe he made up inside his head, the box Andrew had hidden underneath the sink didn’t exist, either. Neither did rain.

3.

Andrew couldn’t see the rain from his room in the detention center. He knew it was raining, though, the other boys – the ones that were allowed to go outside for a couple hours every day – wouldn’t shut up about it. That, and Andrew’s scars always ached when it rained.

The handcuffs were a little over the top, Andrew thought as two of the guards took him to the room where he’d be able to meet his twin brother for the first time. Aaron Minyard. His brother. His twin. Separated a few days after birth, one twin for foster care and the other to stay with Mommy Dearest.

Andrew had seen Aaron before, but he never got to meet him, not with their nosy uncle in the room. This time, no one would be in the room except for Andrew, Aaron, and the two guards stationed by the door that didn’t give a shit anyway.

Andrew was the first one in the room where he was supposed to meet Aaron. There was a table and two chairs seated across from each other. Only one chair was placed in front of the pair of handcuffs fastened to the metal table. Andrew took the hint and sat in that seat. One of the guards uncuffed him and told him to put his wrists in the ones on the table. Andrew complied and zoned out as he was cuffed back to the table. Now he just needed to wait with nothing but the dull patter of rain he could just hear outside to keep him company.

Aaron arrived a few minutes later, escorted by another guard. His shoulders were spattered with raindrops and his hair, the same color as Andrew’s, was plastered to his forehead. Andrew watched with interest as Aaron flinched away from the guard when he moved to quickly to close the door. His face was covered with bruises again, but they weren’t the same ones from last time. No, these ones were fresh and dark purple. Something that almost felt like anger stirred in Andrew’ s chest, the first thing he’d felt in a long time. Someone was hurting his brother and Andrew really didn’t appreciate it.

When Aaron was seated, he gave Andrew a shaky smile which Andrew didn’t return. He got straight to business. His voice even, leaving no room for argument, he said, “Who gave you those bruises?”

Aaron startled, his eyes widening and hands twisting nervously over the other. “What? Uh, no one. I tripped and fell on the curb.”

Andrew knew it was bullshit. Aaron was a terrible liar and that was the same excuse he used two weeks ago, the first time Andrew asked. He leveled a look at his brother, he would get information out of him one way or another. Aaron shifted underneath Andrew’s scrutinizing stare.

“Don’t lie to me,” Andrew warned. He didn’t like liars, hated that his brother was one of them. He wondered if Aaron could keep a promise better than he could lie and thought about making a deal with him when he was out of juvie.

“I’m not,” Aaron said, his voice barely above a whisper. Andrew wondered if Aaron knew that he was in here because of Aaron, that Aaron only had to give him a name and Andrew would make sure that whoever was hurting him would never be able to lay a hand on him again.

They didn’t talk about much else, that first meeting. Aaron tentatively broached topics while Andrew rebuffed him. After the hour was up, Aaron was escorted out of the room by one of the guards while the other let Andrew out of his handcuffs. Aaron looked back one more time as the guard led him out to the rain, but Andrew didn’t bother returning it.

Andrew had a plan. He had a reason to leave this facility and reunite with his brother. He was going to make sure no one ever touched Aaron ever again. As Andrew was led back to his room, the storm inside his chest raged.

4.

The living room was dark and cold by the time Andrew made his way downstairs. Aaron was in his room, either sleeping soundly in his bed or working studiously at his desk. Nicky wouldn’t be back from his shift at Eden’s Twilight for a couple more hours. Andrew was alone in the living room.

It was raining again. It rained a lot more in South Carolina than it did in California, Andrew noted irately. Right now, the storm outside was shaking the window panes with the force of the wind and rain. Every couple minutes, lightning struck and thunder soon followed. Andrew just wanted some peace and quiet.

The bruises on his knuckles had long since faded. Weeks after the attack, Nicky’s face and ribs were pretty much healed. As soon as he was out of the hospital, he was back working the night shift at Eden’s. They couldn’t afford for him to miss anymore shifts, not after a week staying in the hospital. Even if Erik did take care of the medical bills, the water and heating still needed to be paid for. Andrew and Aaron’s jobs as dishwashers at Eden’s just weren’t enough to cover it.

Andrew didn’t regret beating up those bastards outside the club. He didn’t care that he nearly killed the four of them when he was smashing their faces into the concrete and he didn’t care now. They deserved it. Brought it upon themselves, really, when they thought they could touch his cousin. He would do it again if he needed to, even if next time it landed him in jail.

He got off easy, this time. Andrew wasn’t grateful he was ordered to be put through intense therapy and medication for his violence instead of going straight to prison, but he could admit that it would have been hard to protect his family behind bars.

He hated the drugs, though. Hated the constant high it forced him to be on, hated how he was never in control, never able to relax, to think, breathe. The drugs were supposed to soothe his violent tendencies, make Andrew safe to be around, but all they did was smother him, strip him of everything and put a smile on his face. Happy pills, Nicky had called them. But Nicky was wrong, the pills didn’t make Andrew happy, it made him feel empty and carved out inside. But that wasn’t the pills, was it?

When he was sleeping was the only time Andrew was allowed to be off of his medication. With them, sleep was impossible. Without them, he was a danger to society. Night time was the only time Andrew was able to find some quiet away from the constant buzzing in his skull brought about by his medication. Night time, once Andrew’s waking nightmare, was now his only solace.

But his quiet was ruined by the storm outside. He wasn’t mad, that the drip, drip, drip of rain against the windows was interrupting the only time Andrew had to himself. He didn’t feel much of anything. He simply acknowledged the rain and the fact that it displeased him. That was it. Andrew wasn’t sure he was capable of more. He didn’t really care.

Drip, drip, drip went the rain while Andrew stared at the wall and felt nothing.

5.

Neil Josten was a nuisance. He really couldn’t stay out of people’s business, could he?

Andrew stared out the window at all the planes waiting outside and the sheets of rain coming down from the darkened sky, wishing Neil had a mute button. He didn’t want to listen to Neil’s statistic about how many people died in a place crash every year, and Andrew was sure that percentage was raised when an airplane flew through a storm like the one outside.

“What was his name?” Andrew asked, just to shut Neil up. When Neil frowned, obviously not following Andrew’s line of thought, Andrew added, “Your father. What was his name?”

Neil’s expression shuddered and for a second Andrew thought he would have a panic attack right there in the middle of the airport. He had to answer though, it was Andrew’s turn in the game. Andrew watched the line of Neil’s throat out of the corner of his eye as he swallowed his anxiety.

Glancing around to make sure nobody was listening, Neil leaned in close and said at last, “Nathan. His name was Nathan.”

“You don’t look like a Nathan,” Andrew said, taking in the shock of auburn hair, the blue eyes the color of a summer sky, and the black number 4 on his left cheek bone.

“I’m not,” Neil said quietly, his voice strained. “I’m Nathaniel.”

Andrew flicked his gaze around his face, more just to look then to search for Nathaniel in Neil’s features. The admission had obviously spooked him, evident from the twitchiness in his hands and the quick glances he kept making toward all the exits. It didn’t take long for Andrew to get bored and look back out the window.

The rain wasn’t getting any lighter. Andrew wondered if their plane would crash in this weather, he wondered if he would survive it. He wondered if he wanted to. Andrew decided it was at least worth it to stick around a bit longer, if only to see what else Neil came up with. And he promised his brother he would see through to graduation to protect him, even if Aaron never kept up his end of the bargain.

Thinking of his deal with Aaron and Aaron’s tendency to sneak around with that cheerleader like Andrew didn’t know put a bitter taste in his mouth. Fuck Kevin and fuck Exy, Andrew thought as he pulled a chocolate bar from his pocket. He took a few bites, breaking off pieces with his fingers to make them smaller and easier to eat, before Wymack called them to board the plane.

Andrew followed his teammates onto the plane, keeping his face blank and bored as the rain attacked them from all sides of the boarding tunnel. A rumble of thunder almost made Andrew pause, but he could feel Neil’s annoyingly keen gaze on the side of his face so he kept his feet moving.

Andrew hated the rain, hated airplanes, and hated feeling like he’s being turned inside out, all his thought and secrets strewn out across the table to be examined. He hated Neil Josten.

+1

Raindrops pattered against the dorm room window, the drops falling gently against the glass and sliding off to pool on the windowsill. Andrew watched the pattern of light play across the face of the man lying beside him, the abstract shadows from the scars and the freckles made visible across his nose. Neil was awake, but his eyes were still closed, savoring the last few moments of sleep before he got up for his morning run.

Andrew dragged his eyes from the whorl of burn scars on Neil’s cheek to the mess of auburn curls scattered across the white pillow he had stolen from Andrew. Deciding he couldn’t stand not touching Neil anymore, Andrew ran his fingers through his sleep-rumpled hair, prompting Neil to blink open his eyes and let Andrew finally get a peak of his blue, blue eyes.

A slow smile spread across Neil’s face. Andrew had never gotten over the way Neil always seemed to brighten when he saw Andrew, not even after three years. Andrew wasn’t sure if he would ever get used to it, or if he even wanted to. He couldn’t bring himself to hate it.

“Morning,” Neil mumbled, stifling a yawn with the pillow tucked under his cheek.

“Staring,” Andrew replied instead of returning a greeting. Neil hummed and rubbed the last of the drowsiness from his eyes.

When Neil started to get up to pull on a shirt and his running shoes, Andrew wrapped light fingers around his wrist and pulled him back. Neil laughed as he stumbled, falling over Andrew. Andrew didn’t mind the close proximately, not when it was so warm, not when it was Neil.

“I need to go on my run,” Neil said, not bothering to stifle his grin.

“It’s Saturday. No practice or classes,” Andrew grunted. Andrew Minyard didn’t pout, he was just cold and didn’t want Neil to take all of his warmth out the door with him. That was it.

“I still go on a run on Saturday mornings, too,” Neil reasoned, making a move to get back up.

Andrew grabbed the strings of his sweatpants to stop him this time. “It’s raining, Neil. If you go out now, you’ll catch a cold and then I’ll have to listen to you bitch about not being able to go to practice. It’d be better for us all if you just stayed inside today.”

Neil had the audacity to look confused. “The rain’s never stopped me before.”

Andrew sighed. He really had to spell it out for him, didn’t he? He gave a sharp tug on the string of Neil’s sweatpants and waited for the realization to dawn on his face. Finally, he got it and returned to Andrew’s side on the bed.

Andrew traced Neil’s face with his fingers, grateful for the heat Neil provided. They were practically pressed against each other, they had to be when the mattress of the twin bed was so small. Not that either one of them complained.

“If you wanted a lazy day in bed you should have just said so,” Neil teased, his tongue sticking out between his teeth.

“You’re an idiot,” Andrew replied, leaning in to place slow kisses to Neil’s lips.

Maybe the rain wasn’t so bad today, after all.

#tfc #aftg #the foxhole court #all for the game #andreil #andrew minyard #neil josten #tfcfic #one-shot #mine

[lostandundead]

Chapter 26: Taking The Tower

They ran.

Faster than any of them ever thought they could. The plan had been scrapped in favor of making a mad dash in the hopes of reaching the chain before being imprisoned, or worse. A few guards had spotted them about a floor down and were now yelling for them to stop. 

“Only five floors left!” Macros called, “We can make it!”

They all put everything they had into reaching the top, but the fatigue was beginning to catch up with them. Cass was the first to start slowing down, only three floors from the top with Arctyle falling behind not soon after. 

“Guys!” Claudia cried, slowing down as well to reach them, “Grab my hands!”

The other two latched onto her with vice-like grips as she began to practically drag them along. 

Two floors left.

Arctyle was tripping over every other step with Cass barely keeping up. Exhaustion soon after becoming apparent on Claudia and Macros.

One floor left.

Cass and Arctyle could no longer keep up and with just a couple flights of stairs left, Claudia and Macros grabbed them both and began to carry them up the stairs. The guards were getting very close by then and their shouts became progressively louder.

“Al-most- there!” Macros barely wheezed out as they climbed the final flight.

With one last burst of energy, he and Claudia carried the other two up to the top floor. They crossed the threshold of the stairwell door and Macros slammed it shut, quickly engaging an alien looking lock system. Just as an affirmative *beep* came from the odd machine, the guards who had previously been chasing them could be heard pounding against the door. The group promptly collapsed in a mixture of relief and exhaustion.

Cass was gasping for air, “I’m… Never… skipping leg day… ever again…”

Macros gave a grunt of approval, still unable to form full sentences.

They all took a moment to catch their breath before Claudia finally spoke.

“Looks like we made it, you guys.” She said, pointing at the crimson red chain just beyond them.

Macros whistled, “This thing’s a lot bigger in person.”

Arctyle began to push himself up, handing a card to Cass, “The time to rest is over, we must destroy the chain before Beaumont arrives.”

The other three stood up as well, following the young prince to the chain. The floor reached up to about ten feet from it, leaving a giant gap between them and their goal. 

“How are we supposed to get to it?” Claudia asked.

They all glanced at one another, hoping that one of them had a plan. Unfortunately, it looked like they were all equally stumped.

“Got any magic left in you buddy?” Macros asked Arctyle, nudging him softly.

Arctyle stared at the chain for a moment before edging slightly closer and nodding.

“How about we get a rope or something and then we can figure out how to get him across.” Cass suggested.

They all agreed and split up, hurriedly looking for anything they could use as a rope of sorts.

“I found something!” Macros called, running over with what looked like a long electrical cord.

He began to tie it around Arctyle and Claudia handed him her sword. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Cass asked.

Arctyle nodded, tightening his grip on the sword and turning to face the chain.

Macros clapped him on the back, “Good luck buddy.”

Another nod and he stepped back before taking a running leap at the chain. After a moment of focus, he managed to boost himself just enough to grab onto one of the links. Cass and Claudia cheered as he got a grip on the link and Macros just sighed in relief. Arctyle gave them a thumbs up and held up the sword, preparing to break the chain.

“Wait,” Claudia said before he could swing, “I can’t hear the guards anymore.”

At that moment, Arctyle swung the sword down in a crushing blow.

Or rather, what would’ve been.

He cried out in surprise as the sword was knocked out of his hand and it hit the floor. 

“ARCTYLE!” Cass yelled, drawing everyone’s attention back to the prince clinging to the chain for dear life.

“Always so predictable, you royals.”

They all turned to look at a section of the floor which opened, raising up a platform. On the platform stood a figure with rabbit ears and antlers. They wore a sleeveless tuxedo with a white shirt underneath and black and gray striped pants.

“Can’t believe how easy it was to get you all here.” They said, chuckling darkly, “Although, having a little help on the inside definitely helped.” they turned to Macros, “Good job my boy, you did better than I could’ve hoped.”

“Can it Beaumont,” Macros countered, “we had a deal, let my friends go and don’t hurt these three.”

“That’s Beaumont?!” Cass asked.

Claudia blew right past that fact though, immediately turning on Macros, “What did you do?”

He turned to her, “I made sure you three would be safe.”

“On the contrary my friend,” Beaumont said, “I said the two humans would be spared, I said nothing about the little prince.” 

“You said you’d protect all of them!” Macros cried angrily.

Beaumont feigned ignorance, “Oh, silly me, I guess I forgot Arctyle was in this little rebel group.”

“You lied to me!”

He just waved a dismissive hand, “Oh please, you really thought I’d let the prince of the Fantasy Realm remain free and unharmed? He’s easily at the top of Jester’s most wanted list. Even if I promised to keep him safe, I could never promise she wouldn’t get ahold of him.” he turned to Claudia, “And as for you, it really should’ve been easy to tell that he wasn’t on your side. I mean, the fact that he knew how to disable the power, was able to use the security system, and the guards never caught you. They’re some of the strongest soldiers in my army, they could’ve easily caught you. I just wanted you to bring Arctyle to me.” he grinned, “Which you did remarkably well.”

“Macros you traitor!” Claudia fumed.

Macros began to look distressed, “Claudia please! I promise I only had your safety in mind! He promised that if I turned you guys in, he wouldn’t have you imprisoned or anything worse. I just wanted to keep you-”

She cut him off, “Safe?! You handed us over to a maniac from another dimension! How could you do this to us?!” she began to tear up, “I trusted you!”

They were all silent for a moment before Beaumont spoke up.

“As entertaining as this whole display is, I have things to attend to.” He said, snapping his fingers, “I hope you enjoy my parting gift however.”

Another trap door opened up and he hopped on the chain which had begun to sink into the ground, taking him and Arctyle with it.

“No!” Cass shouted, watching in horror as they fell farther and farther away.

“I think we have a bigger problem right now!” Macros called, pointing towards the trap door.

A large creature began crawling its way out. It had a long reptilian body covered in poker chips and two wings made of cards. Where its eyes should’ve been, there were two 6-sided dice that spun rapidly before seeming to focus on them.

“Because of course it’s a dragon.” Claudia shouted in annoyance, wrenching her sword from the ground, “Cass, go after Arctyle, I’ll deal with this thing.”

She nodded and, using the rope previously attached to Arctyle, managed to swing across the gap and onto the chain.

“What about me?” Macros asked.

“You’re bait.” Claudia said with a wicked grin.

#fantasy meets reality #fmr #arctyle checkers #claudia montes #cassandra davenport #macros rosales #beaumont roseberg

[foxesandferrets]

Final Quest

Pairing: Kageyma Tobio/Hinata Shouyou

Summary: Everyone knows the risks of engaging in battle, what can be won, what can lost, it’s part of the job. Kageyama knows this too. He doesn’t give a fuck. 

Notes: I saw this art by Cass on twitter ( @craziiwolf ) and inspiration hit me like a truck... so have some angst (I guess?) AND PLEASE LOOK AT CASS WORK CUZ IT’S ONE OF MY FAVORITE ARTISTS.

I should add a trigger warning for blood and violence, just in case.

Read on AO3

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

The demon beast roars, directing one of its tails toward Kageyama at an incredible speed. He tries to evade it but there’s no use, he gets pushed against a rock with amazing strength.

Kageyama swears he hears Hinata say something, but his head throbs and ears ring. Trying to stand up, he’s barely able to catch glimpses of what’s happening. Hinata cuts the tail trying to attack him again, and at the same time evades another blow from the creature’s hands.

Kageyama’s body gives up, and he stumbles down. He feels something warm sliding over his forehead. Blaming himself for not reacting fast enough, he moves his aching arms below him and pushes himself up.

A scream makes him look up in a hurry. The beast’s claws are covered in red and Hinata is lying on the ground, hands pressing against his bloody middle.

Fear is soon replaced with madness, and all of Kageyama’s pain disappears. He stands despite the weakness he feels, rushing towards the monster and taking the first weapon he sees; Hinata’s sword. Screaming, he pounces toward the beast’s back, slicing skin, muscle, and who knows what else, as it screeches. It falls in front of Kageyama, in a puddle of its own blood.

Kageyama breathes heavily, releasing the sword as it suddenly weighs too much for him to bear.

A weak groan reminds him of Hinata’s state, and fear takes over Kageyama again.

“Hinata!” He yells, kneeling beside him and carefully resting his head on his lap. His abdomen is completely covered in blood, clothes soaked and sticking to his skin. “Shit, shit, shit.”

To his utter surprise, Hinata smiles. “You’re the one that ended up defeating it, eh?”

“Shut up, that’s not important now. I need to take you—“ Words die in his mouth when Hinata’s hand touches his cheek, smearing blood as it caresses the bruise forming there.

Tears start forming in his eyes when he talks. “We won’t make it…”

“No, no. We aren’t that far away.” Kageyama feels his own eyes covered in tears now.

Hinata tries to speak but coughs instead, blood coming out of his mouth and staining his face even more.

“Thank you, Kageyama. It was fun while it lasted.” His smile wavers, but doesn’t disappear. “I’m sorry for not making it to the top with you though…”

Kageyama covers Hinata’s hand with his own as it loses strength. Slowly, Hinata’s eyes close, and his face becomes emotionless for the first time since they’d met.

Holding Hinata’s hand close to his cheek, Kageyama cries. He never thought things would end like this; with Hinata dying in his arms without even knowing how much he meant to him.

He can’t die. Not like this.

Using the last of his force, Kageyama pulls Hinata towards him and stands up. He knows exactly what to do if it’s death he’s dealing with. He’ll bring Hinata back, no matter what.

As he runs, Kageyama feels Hinata’s breath vanishing, traces of a heartbeat disappearing with every second that passes. He presses his lips into a thin line, holding back tears and sobs for later. They still have a chance, if only he could run faster, if they hadn’t left their horses in the inn, if he hadn’t been knocked out, he could be safe.

He trips and loses his balance for a second, almost falling but regaining his stance at the last moment. His leg throbs, and every step feels like a knife is being pressed into his knee, but when the ruins of the demon king’s shrine come into view, nothing else matters.

They had found it years ago, at the beginning of their quest, and now it’s kind of strange coming back so near the end.

His legs give out meters away from a stone wall, the only remaining piece indicating the purpose of this place. Knees and arms hurting, he leaves Hinata on the ground. His face has lost most of its color and his breath is almost non existent. Holding Hinata’s hand, Kageyama looks up to the vanished drawings of a body, lines like waves coming from its sides.

“Oikawa! I want to make a deal!” He shouts, voice echoing in the empty place. Nothing happens. “Asshole, I know you can hear me...! Please...” His voice breaks and eyes get glossy as the hand in his feels cold. “Hinata can’t die yet… please… grand demon king.”

“It was so hard to call me by my title?” A teasing voice Kageyama knows well enough answers. He looks around, searching for him but finding nothing. “Oh my… what you have there? You didn’t take care of your partner, did you?” The voice gets closer, less ominous and more focused in one place.

“I want you to save him!”

There’s a ghostly figure in front of them, slowly taking the form of a semi transparent body. If Kageyama didn’t know that was only a projection of the demon king, he would shoot him with an arrow to try to erase the stupid smirk he’s wearing.

“Hm… what makes you think I can do it?”

“I know you have done it. So, please, save him… I’ll give you anything you want!” Gripping both of Hinata’s now he tries to spread some warmth to them.

“You don’t own anything valuable enough, my poor Tobio… not even your own life is worthy as it is, you’re a dying man too.”

Tobio’s gaze falls on Hinata. “There must be something.”

The silence that follows makes Kageyama think Oikawa left, but when he raises his eyes, the demon king is centimeters away from his face, making him  jolt back. His expression shows how funny he thinks this whole thing is.

“You really want to save him, right?”

“Yes,” he says, without hesitation.

“Then, there may be something…”

“Do it!”

“I haven’t told you the details yet--”

“I don’t care what happens to me!”

Oikawa’s smile changes into something more dangerous than the playfulness he addressed him with earlier, scary and intimidating.

“Suit yourself.” He touches Kageyama’s head and Hinata’s heart, a dark smoke coming from both places, and Tobio winces. “Don’t come crying to me when you find out what’s missing.”

Slowly, Tobio starts feeling short of breath; his surroundings become fuzzy, his body feeling weaker. Without noticing, he’s on the ground, vision reducing until there’s nothing left.

Despite being surrounded by darkness there’s a warm feeling within him, and somehow he figures Hinata is doing that. He always knew how to push him so he could be better, knew what to say so they could make a new friend or get a good quest from important people, knew what to do to make Kageyama feel at home. Hinata became Kageyama’s best friend, the best partner he could have wished for, the best person in his life that maybe he didn’t deserve. Hinata makes him feel warm, because he’s what Kageyama loves most in the world, and he regrets not telling him before engaging in battle. It could have changed so many things... but in reality, nothing at the same time.

When he regains control over his body everything feels different. He tries to stand but his arms… aren’t arms anymore.

An ugly squak leaves his mouth the moment he sees a pair of black wings moving where his arms should be. Everything also looks bigger than before, but maybe it’s because he’s smaller too.

A groan makes him look to the side where he sees Hinata moving, face back to his normal colors. Kageyama tries to walk but only manages to waddle awkwardly.

“Hinata!” He says, hopping onto his chest. “How are you?”

Hinata’s clothes are still bloody and torn, but he seems to be breathing normally.

“My head is killing me…” he moves his hand to his temple and covers his eyes.

Relief washes over his body, relaxing at the sight of Hinata alive. If all he’s missing is his human body he can live with that.

“Where am I?” Hinata asks, sitting and letting Tobio fall on his lap. “Woah, are you a crow?”

So that’s what Oikawa turned him into. “We’re in an old shrine, but that’s not important right now.”

“Oh! A talking crow! Are you a familiar?” Hinata asks, so curious and with such a kind smile it looks weird with all the dry blood on him.

“No? I’m Kageyama.”

“What a fitting name for a crow! So, then you are a magical crow? Are you going to guide me or something? ‘Cuz I don’t know how I got here…” He looks around completely confused and rubs his face, which makes him notice the blood. “How did I wound myself?”

“Hinata, don’t play dumb. I’m Kageyama, we have been traveling together for almost 2 years!” Tobio’s heart hammers in his chest.

“Hm? I have only been traveling with friends, and none of them have that name.”

A chill feeling runs down his spine, contrasting with the warmth he felt before, even his heart feels like it’s stopped working. Hinata’s eyes show so much honesty though, and the little frown on his face only adds to the terrifying truth.

“I…”

“Are you sure you aren’t confusing me with someone else?”

What’s missing are Hinata's memories… of him.

“You don’t remember a human archer named Kageyama that you meet in a bazaar? You chose to pick a fight with the wrong guys and he… helped.”

That must make him recall something, anything. It was the beginning of them as partners. It was the start of Kageyama feeling like he could trust someone. It was the best thing that happened to him.

“Uh, I don’t think so? To be honest, I always pick fights with not the best people to pick fights with…”

So it’s true…

Oikawa took his humanity and Hinata’s memories in exchange for bringing him back to life…

“So…” Hinata continues, oblivious to Kageyama’s discovery. “Will you help me find a village? I would like to--” he touches his waist and his eyes turn around, “My sword! No, no, no…!” Standing, he starts looking around, picking up every rock, every branch, turning over the destroyed pillars.

His chest feels heavier as he follows Hinata with his gaze. All the memories they shared together aren’t there for him, Hinata doesn’t even remember the fight that put him here, he’s just a stranger all over again. But he chose that. He doesn’t regret it.

As Hinata becomes more anxious and returns to look over the same places, Kageyama decides to help. Recalling how much it weighed after killing the demon creature, he figures where it is.

“I think it went back to its chamber,” Kageyama says to Hinata, who’s looking behind the same wall for the third time.

Hinata stops, and frowns. “Damn it. Seriously, what happened to me?”

Kageyama sighs and takes short steps, trying to adjust to his body. They don’t come out as shaky as the first ones, so he continues. “Long story. First, let’s meet your friends and then search for your stupid sword.”

“And you know where to find them?” Hinata gets closer and picks him up so both can be at the same eye level.

“Probably… it’ll be an easy quest.”

Hinata’s eyes sparkle and his smile returns, a sight worth the sacrifice.

“Our first quest together!” Hinata puts him on his shoulder and starts walking. “Then, lead the way, Kageyama!”

Despite looking the world with new eyes and feeling like a part of him is broken now that Hinata doesn’t remember him, seeing him alive and happy makes everything worth it. He would sacrifice himself again and again if it meant not losing the warmth that Hinata provides for the world.

#kagehina #haikyuu!! #hinata shouyou #kageyama tobio #haikyuuwriters #claudia writes #i want to get better at writing different things but ngngng i love fluff too much... writing this was painful tho #tw: blood #tw: violence

[writings-of-a-british-fangirl]

Upcoming Work!

Hi!!

The previous ask prompted me to create this just so you guys know what I’m about to post. (Well, a mobile version of this.) Anyway, here it is:

One Shot Requests: 13

1. Khal Drogo x Reader

One shot request~ Could I have a one shot with Khal Drogo and the reader, where the reader is being sold by a merchant to be a slave, Drogos pack is passing by and he notices her, and wants her for himself, to claim as his new Khaleesi? Please?~

2. Draco Malfoy x Reader

Hi I would like to request a Harry Potter (trio era) one shot with draco trying to beat you at quiditch but can’t because he keeps staring at you making them lose the game. Then he asks why you are you so distracting and would you like to go to hogsmeade with me to discuss this further…

A BEAUTIFUL DISTRACTION [DRACO MALFOY X READER]

3. Kit Walker x Reader

Can I have a one shot request? One where Kit is let out of the Asylum and meets the reader who was let out of the Asylum along with him, he offers her a job at his garage and she takes it, the more time they spend, they fall in love? Please?

COMPLETELY [KIT WALKER X READER] [PART 2]

4. Sam Winchester x Reader

Character: Sam Winchester Fandom: Supernatural Plot: Anything romantic and would involve Halloween pretty please

PUMPKINS [SAM WINCHESTER X READER]

5. Liam Dunbar x Reader

Hello could you do a one shot of Liam Dunbar and you going on a road trip together, and the pack knowing that he likes her and spying on them in Stiles’ jeep. Thank you!

FACE THE FEAR [LIAM DUNBAR X READER + PACK X READER]

6. Finnick Odair x Reader

One shot for Finnic odair, where it’s he reaping for the quarter quell and you both are past Victors and you both get reaped ( reader volunteers) and just a lot of angst?

7. Sam Wilson x Reader

Can I have an angsty one shot where Sam (avengers) and reader are already together but are having relationship problems. Then she kind of breaks down saying how she’s scared she’ll lose him? Thank you so much lovely

8. Digger Harkness x Reader

Can I request a one shot of Captain Boomerang from Suicide Squad where he’s just flirty af but you put ignore it because he’s him so he steals stuff for you and pays for like your apartment to prove his attraction? And if you can end it fluffy?

9. Kurt Wagner x Reader

Can I have a Kurt Wagner one shot where you aren’t all that religious and he is so it’s like a major problem in your relationship? You can choose whether to end it fluffy or angst. I just really want to see your whole solution to it

PARTING PROMISES [KURT WAGNER X READER]

10. Cisco Ramon x Reader

Can you turn the imagine: Going to your best friend Cisco for advice on how to tell your boyfriend of three months that you love him. Into a oneshot? But Barry is the boyfriend? With lots of Barry fluff please?!

11. Claire Novak x Reader

Omg It’s finally open!! Could you please do one that the reader and Claire Novak are dating and the reader is a Winchester and one day the brothers find out they’re dating?? Thank youu love your blog soo much❤❤

12. El x Reader

Hi! Could you do a ST oneshot where you are Dustin’s older sister and best friends with Nancy, and the boys and El kinda look up to you?

PRETTY BITCHIN’ [ELEVEN X READER; SLIGHT STEVE HARRINGTON X READER; DUSTIN HENDERSON X SISTER!READER]

13. Logan x Reader

Can I request a oneshot please of when Wolverine comes back to the future (pun) in Dofp he finds that after he finds out cyclops and Jean are alive, he is about to propose to someone (according to Scott) and when he founds out that he’s going out with you, he is stunned and just glad that you are alive again. By the way can you include the proposal please? Also can the reader have a mutation where she can turn into a wolf and has yellow eyes with large canine teeth poking at her lip? Thx xxx M

DO OVER [LOGAN HOWLETT X READER]

14. Rick Flag x Reader

Can you please do a one-shot where Rick Flag and the reader are best friends and go undercover in a jazz cabaret and someone hits on you and Rick doesn’t know how to react to that because he likes you? Thanks!

15. Dean x Reader

Hey, could you please write a Supernatural one shot where a witch casts a lust spell on Dean, Cass, and the reader? So Dean lusts for reader, reader lusts for Cass, and Cass lusts for Sam. Since Sam didn’t get affected, he finds the whole situation hilarious, and when the spell wears off, the three of you act a little bit awkward around each other for a few days. I really hope you write this, thank you for taking the time to read my request! xoxo

THIS SPELLS TROUBLE (PART 1) [DEAN WINCHESTER X READER; TEAM FREE WILL X READER]

SPELL IT OUT TO ME (PART 2) [DEAN WINCHESTER X READER]

16. Merlin x Reader

One-shot of that Merlin imagine you made about him ignoring you for Freya? if you’re too stressed, then serioiusly, don’t stress about it <3

17. ST Kids x Reader

Can you write one about the whole Stranger Things group where you’re in their friend group and you’re round Mike’s for a DnD session and you save all of them from getting killed or something???

18. Tony Stark x Reader

For tony, the reader is caught planning a surprise and it’s like when you find the hand in the cookie jar type thing.

19. Bucky Barnes x Reader

For Bucky, maybe the reader agrees to help redecorate some place and they can’t make up their mind where anything should go so they leave it there and the other avengers come “help”? (They make it worse) super fluffy for both please?

REDECORATING [BUCKY BARNES X READER; AVENGERS X READER]

20. Doctor Who x Reader

Can you do a Doctor who one-shot where you meet him once through all his regenerations (9-12) and help him with his current problem and each time he doesn’t really recognise you?

21. Jon Snow x Reader

Can I please have a jon snow one shot where the reader is a queen and everyone thinks she’s really crazy and she comes to visit (idc why) and she meets jon and he realizes she isn’t crazy and they start to fall in love even though everyone warns him not to. Sorry if it’s long I love your writing and please don’t feel like you have to do this if you don’t want to.

THE MAD QUEEN [JON SNOW X READER] 

22. Lex Luthor x Reader

One shot request: you and lex luthor have been friends for years and you’ve fallen in love with him, but thinking he’d never love you back you start to distance yourself from him and he becomes worried and confronts you about it one evening and admits he loves you too (I’m sorry if this is long!)

23. Loki x Reader

Hello again! Can you do a Marvel/Avengers one-shot of being Asgardian royalty and best friends with Loki? (An introvert like him) While he enjoys his reading and stuff, you’re an artist and like drawing. Something like the phrase “Similar, but different.” Have it take place around the Thor movie too. Thank you!

ARE WE FOOLS? [LOKI LAUFEYSON X READER]

24. Winchester Brothers x Reader

Hi! Are one-shot reqaest still open? If yes, could you do one where Winchesters takes you with them, bc your entire family was kiled by a demon and you are alone and started showing strange abilities. And they treat you like a litte sister. Thx love!

There you go! xx

~Connie

#c: author's note #upcoming work #Master list

[masteroftherebels]

Taken by Storm

I was experiencing some pretty intense (for me) anxiety today about tornadoes and @drabblemeister​ ( ilu to pieces ;_; ) encouraged me to write about it through a character.  I picked Steph and this is the result.  

Summary: Steph experiences some frustrating anxiety.  Jason is kind of rude, but still helpful. Rating: T Word Count: 1.7k Characters: Stephanie Brown and Jason Todd Pairing: None (or if JasonSteph is a thing you like, feel free to interpret it as such)

Fic on AO3

~~~

The chills spread out from her spine, tingling spindles grazing across the fine hairs to pull them on end, tripping over her ribs and rolling in a wave up over her shoulders, then down through her thighs. Pale, off-color light squeezing through the window slats glows across Steph’s ratty sleep shirt, highlighting the shallow rise and fall of her chest.  The window panes rattle angrily from a thunderous crash outside, and when the rain suddenly rushes violently at the glass, she forcibly stops her hands from curling into fists, thumbs rubbing anxiously against forefingers the only thing betraying her tense reaction.

Noticing the tell, Steph grimaces and rolls to her side on the bed, fixing silvery-blue eyes on the nasty weather outside.  Two fingers fall in a soft press to the inside of her wrist, the motion almost unconscious, and the frustration suffuses her entire mind at the quick bump tha-bump of her anxious heartbeat.  Another bone-trembling rumble of thunder shakes the apartment building to the very foundations, and she grits her teeth tightly enough to hurt.

  “You are a freaking adult, Steph.  Get a handle,” she mutters out.  She’ll never not be irritated by how stressed severe weather makes her, considering there is literally no basis for her anxiety.  It’s not like she ever had a traumatic experience as a child.  But her imagination was certainly getting more vivid with age, pulling into crystal clarity visions of crumbling buildings and flash floods sweeping people helplessly along; she had made a fine art of psyching herself out to the point of sickness.

  She isn’t even going to begin to wonder at what Batman, or god forbid Robin , would have to say about her childish reaction to a storm .  It’s bad enough that she’s mad with herself, she doesn’t need to be hearing that whiny little brat snarking at her.   Pathetic, Brown.  A little heavy rain and you’re completely useless.

  Her upper lip curl of disdain is tainted slightly with a grudging fondness for her youngest teammate, and the thought of Damian briefly settles the high-chested breathlessness that had been threatening to overtake her for the last few minutes.  She bites her tongue the next moment, jolting at another mountainous cacophony of thunder, followed by a sharp slash of lightning that disperses a startling brightness into every corner of her room for a split second.

  “Ugh, enough!” She swings to her feet, flipping the covers tangled about her calves away with a fierce snap.  Her bare heels strike the ground with purpose as she strides across the few feet to the windows, twisting her fingers around the pullstring and yanking the cheap plastic blinds up in a clattering rush.  Steph grips the narrow window ledge and stares through the drop-strewn glass at nothing in particular.

  The next pound of thunder feels like it’s unhinging the building itself, and she stubbornly accepts the vibrations shaking up through her arms, breathing in deeply as the sensation resonates all the way into her chest.  Her eyelids flutter slightly, letting herself drift on the feelings.   I have this , she recites to herself.   Rain is just rain.  I am stronger than some flipping wa- “Holy-!”

  The knock on her window, right in front of her face, nearly launches her out of her own skin, and she stumbles back, eyes wild, heart racing, as the imposingly large and hulking body of Red Hood crouches on her fire escape, red mask staring in at her.  “You asshole!” The expletive is greeted with the most smugly mocking head tilt Steph’s ever witnessed, and when she moves forward to drag the window up jerkily in its track, she barely restrains the temptation to shove him backwards.  “What the hell are you doing?”

  “Getting drenched, is what.” Jason gestures over her shoulder.  “Let me in, doll face, before I’m forced to drag you out here with me.” When Steph doesn’t move but for a narrowing of her eyes, he starts reaching out.  “Suit yourself.  I’m sure the neighbors will appreciate a little bit of Funshine Bear on this oh-so-dreary day.”

  At the words, Steph inhales sharply and spins away from the window, flattening herself to the wall in a panic.  How she’s completely forgotten that she’s only wearing an old Gotham Uni shirt and underwear covered in sparkling Care Bear print is beyond her, but she drops to the ground and gropes for just about anything to wear in her dirty laundry pile as Jason climbs in with a delighted laugh, shutting out the rain and weather with a soft snick of the window latch.

  “God, you’re the worst,” Steph gripes, hopping slightly to yank a pair of violet shorts over her hips, glaring at the home invader as he starts pressing a sequence of releases on his helmet.  “It’s like you actively try to piss off everyone around you.”

  “Just another one of the many fabulous services I provide to unwilling customers.” Jason grins at her, propping his helmet between a sharp hip and elbow, rubbing his free hand roughly through his hair to loosen up the flatness from having it trapped against his head.

  Refusing to cross her arms and look defensive, Steph arches an eyebrow at him.  “So?”

  Jason’s lips twitch at the impatient prompt, and gazes back at her.  “So...Care Bears, huh?”

  “You!” Steph snatches the nearest semi-soft object (a tofu-shaped plushie Cass had gifted her from her most recent trip to China) and chucks it with perfect aim at his face.  It wasn’t nearly satisfying enough, as he smacked it away with a careless hand and smirk before it could connect.  “Don’t think you have the high road here.  I’ve seen those Wonder Woman boxers you think no one knows about.”

  Jason balks slightly, before recovering with a sniff.  “I like strong women, so sue me.” But Steph knows she’s applied the perfect leverage, because he rolls his eyes and stumps over to her desk chair, rolling it out and slumping down.

  Eyeing him uncertainly for a moment - Steph likes Jason well enough, but he’s sometimes a bit hard to decipher - she opens her mouth to ask again why he’s chosen today when a stark reminder of her earlier apprehension clatters through the room with a staccato roar.  Her entire body stiffens, eyes flicking to the windows as she re-registers the storm pouring down onto the streets below.

  She turns back in time to catch Jason watching her thoughtfully, and immediately feels caught in the act despite having done nothing wrong.  “What?” The word is thrown out with a heated edge of indignation that is more revealing of her unease than she’d like.

  Jason looks at her for a moment longer, before shrugging and leaning his head back and forth on his neck to crack it a couple times.  “Nothing.  Just thought you might like some company today.”

  Rather than accept the oddly generous statement, Steph’s already strained nerves snag on a single word.  “What’s so special about today?”

  Jason rocks a bit in the chair before toeing it into a gentle spin.  Nodding to the window, he says, “You know.  The weather.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her words are stilted at best, and she’s already annoyed with herself for being so guarded.  Realistically, she doesn’t mind the company, and she’s not necessarily upset with the idea that Jason knows about her currently mess of feelings; it would appear she’s been around far too many repressed Bats lately though, and the defiant denial in the face of freely given assistance seems to be catching.

  Jason sees the resistance, that much is obvious, but in a moment of inverse character that momentarily surprises Steph, chooses not to comment on it.  Instead, he explains, “I heard you mention to Tim that you don’t like storms.”

  This pulls Steph up short.

  Brows drawing together, her lips pull down as she tries to recall when she’d said anything of the sort.  Her mind calls up a memory from a few months prior, when Red Robin had noticed her tension during a particularly nasty storm that the three of them had all been taking temporary shelter from on patrol.  She’d laughed it off as both Reds watched her, waving away their interest with a flippant, “Ah, it’s nothing.  Vivid imagination about storms, is all.”

  Steph stares at the vigilante twirling in circles on her chair, wondering what universe warp hole she’s fallen into that Jason “Emotionally Repressed” Todd has picked up on the fact that crazy weather freaks her out from such a small statement.

  “How did you-” she bites the question off.  Correcting herself, she grumbles at him, “Why do you care?  It’s not like you’re here to commiserate.” The jerk isn’t afraid of storms, and she’ll be damned if she’s going to give him any fodder for blackmail later on.

  Jason’s lips part, hesitating a moment before he offers grimly, “I have a bit of experience with disliking loud, explosive noises.”

  Steph frowns in confusion, about to question him, but then it hits her.   The warehouse .  Steph grimaces, and all at once feels like an ass.  Her face droops sadly at the reminder, and when she starts to apologize, Jason scowls at her.

  “ Anyway ,” he interrupts, rolling his eyes at her puppy dog expression.  “I’m here to hang for a bit.  So get your little Funshine butt moving and pick a movie.” Jason throws his thumb over a shoulder at her pile of DVDs stacked precariously beside her beloved PlayStation 2.

  Giving him a dirty look for the underwear reference, Steph only hesitates a second before padding over to her movie selection and running a finger over the titles.  Pausing, she glances at Jason.  “Princess Bride?”

  Jason snorts and then waves a hand in vague acceptance.  “Classic.  Let’s do this.”

  With a grin, Steph whips it out from near the bottom of the stack and boots everything up.  Snatching her pillows and a blanket from the bed, she settles comfortably on the carpeted floor near Jason’s chair.  

  As the movie rolls and Steph starts to buckle over from laughing at Jason’s ongoing litany of perfectly timed quotes and horrifically bad impressions of the actors accompanying the images on screen, she barely pays any more notice to the raging storm outside.

#Stephanie Brown #Jason Todd #anxiety #batfamily