#its hanging in Diana's home

[nelkcats]

Cyrus & Boreas

Spirits of the elements

The earth has been in a very delicate balance for a couple of years now, despite constant reminders of extinction, only magic users know what is really going on with temperatures, sometimes too hot or too cold.

It had been years since Amity Park ceased to exist, years since the land where the old town was located was inhabited, now it was just a wasteland, the city practically moved into the Infinite Realms, it turns out that its inhabitants were so exposed to ectoplasm that when they died almost everyone became a ghost.

For years Vlad and Danny had come to an agreement, just watching the earth, seeing new heroes come and go, but they were both getting bored of it, missing their old rivalry, the thrill of chasing each other, they also missed visiting their dimension. It was, after all, half of their home.

Seeing the problem of global warming and how damaged the earth was, Clockwork presented them a solution. It turns out that when you were properly connected to your core you could take an animal form, and expand your element where you stepped, or around you. Frostbite and the yetis taught Danny more about it, Pandora and the greeks ended up teaching Vlad.

It was the beginning of their competition, apparently Acropolis of Athens and Far Frozen had an old rivalry too, so they were more than happy to teach them how to deal in a friendly way (still a dangerous fighting but apparently that was the most friendly possible without killing each other)

This power wasn't something ghosts would practice very often, because it would expend too much energy and ectoplasm, it wasn't like Dora's amulet or Amorpho special talent at all, ¿the good part? The halfas were characterized by having energy to spare.

With that resolved, Clockwork tasked them with taking care of the earth's temperatures, so a few times a year (mostly on winter and summer solstice days), Vlad and Danny would choose a specific animal and run across the earth, the places where Vlad stepped warmed up in an instant, the places Danny walked were filled with snowflakes and cold.

The animal forms they liked to take the most were extinct or mythological creatures, sometimes they changed to be opposite species, at other times they were the same.

The magic users named it "The Cyrus & Boreas Phenomenon", when Danny heard about it he was excited by his name being so similar to the Northern Lights, while Vlad sulked for having a Persian name while being trained by Greeks.

This continued without being a problem, until Danny found the Wachtower station in space, immediately he changed his path and ran towards it; Vlad, knowing this could become a problem, followed him from afar.

The Justice League and Justice League Dark were having a meeting when the temperature dropped, Constantine cursed as the rest of the league tensed "Bats, what day is it?"

"December 21" upon hearing his response, Constantine cursed again as he ranted about the winter solstice.

"Damn it, damn it ¿why did he deviate from his route? He doesn't go of his way, especially not in this time of the year, ¡this is a disaster!" Constantine paced back and forth "Look, I know you guys like to poke your nose into everything that happens, but this is strictly magical, so no matter what's about to come, keep quiet, do absolutely nothing ¿Do you understand?" The hellbazer's hands trembled as he speaked.

"You can't just say that, ¡we have a right to know! This is nonsense" Diana frowned, she didn't much like the wizard's attitude right now.

"Sorry Wonder Woman, but this is strictly tied to the Justice League Dark, trust us for now, it's for your safety" Fate spoke, he knew nothing bad would happen if the league just kept quiet.

As soon as the lord of order stopped speaking, the entire room began to freeze, pieces of ice hanging on the walls as a Giant wolf ran through the wall.

In the first instance, the wolf looked dangerous, the places where its paws were placed had frozen, pure pieces of ice, the wolf turned its attention to the League, approaching curiously.

"Boreas" Zatanna exhaled in amazement, the entire magical community knew how the animal's presence felt no matter how much it changed its shape, it was the closest thing to a myth that existed, leveling the planet's temperatures, staying a few days and disappearing, impossible to find, record or locate no matter how hard you tried.

"However, where is Cyrus?" Constantine murmured to his partner, if Boreas was near his counterpart shouldn't be far away.

Danny looked at the wizards, interested in the names they had given him, he was about to ask about it when a ball of fire hit him in the shoulder.

He growled in complete frustration as he turned to look at his assailant, behind him the League tensed at the sound as Fate signaled for them to keep quiet.

Behind the animal appeared a Tasmanian tiger the same size as the Giant wolf, Barry was about to question if they weren't supposed to be extinct when the wolf snarled and lunged at the tiger, who ran back to earth.

The entire league watched as the ice brought by the wolf was extinguished by the appearance of the tiger, returning to normal as both creatures moved away.

"Constantine, situation report" Batman was clearly the first to snap out of the trance he had been left in.

"Look Bats, I know how much you want your precious information but this is out of your league, ¿those guys? Cyrus & Boreas, they are as close to benign Gods as you can find, they keep the earth's temperature stable with their games" Constantine lit his cigarette, trying to ignore the surreal situation.

"¿Games?" Superman was next to speak, a concerned note in his voice.

"Games" Fate confirmed "We theorize they are opposing elements, maybe spirits, we think they pursue each other as some kind of challenge, and the balance on earth is just a lucky accident, we don't know where they live or where they come from, but they're not someone you want to play with." Fate commented, remembering the fact that most of the time the creatures try to hurt each other but never give the final hit, always waiting for the other to heal.

"Are you telling me that if these beings decide to stop coming here, will we simply ¿disappear? ¿Because they just decided to stop playing?"

"Something similar, but far more complicated than that" Zatanna entered the conversation "they keep the consequences of global warming stable, if they stop coming, well...the earth will definitely go extinct quickly, I'd give it a couple of years" is not like humanity was taking proper care of earth, these "gods" were basically a miracle for humans to correct their own errors.

"¿Why were we not informed?" Batman was at a crossroad, these beings were definitely dangerous, but if they faced them it could cause catastrophic consequences.

"The same reason you are struggling Bats" Constantine snorted "You want to solve all the problems, but you don't understand that magic is not meant to be solved or a problem, some things are better left as they are, without interfering, or it could happen something worse" and they are far older than all of us he didn't mention out loud.

"Then ¿what do you suggest? ¿We stand here doing nothing while two would-be Gods use our planet as a playground?" Oliver frowned, disgusted.

"Yes" for the first time Shazam spoke in the conversation "because if we don't let them we will become extinct" Billy knew much more than the magicians, books on the rock of eternity that detailed human spirits, about the infinite Realms and the deities that inhabited them. The delicate balance existing in life and death, but he was not allowed to divulge it.

-----------------------

Back on earth, in Paris, Vlad and Danny were enjoying a cup of coffee and hot chocolate respectively.

"So, ¿did you want to meet the heroes or see their cool station in space?" Vlad questioned in amusement as Danny choked on his chocolate "The station ¿huh?" Vlad spoke again while Danny looked at him with a frown "It's okay Daniel, I know you can't help it"

"Yeah, I know, it was a bit stupid to change the route, and reveal myself to sorcerers, but the heroes, the aliens, the space, I needed to see it" the boy grimaced, feeling guilty "thanks for getting me out of there, I was about to do something stupid"

"¿Something stupid like speak?" Vlad questioned knowingly, he was aware that humanity now considered them myths or even gods, they shouldn't be revealing themselves freely, their games were mostly harmless but they had a purpose.

"Yeah, sorry" Danny sighed "although I love the new name, Boreas commands a lot more respect than Danny, ¿right? I do miss when they called me Phantom though..."

Seeing that the boy was lost in his memories again, Vlad sighed, he also missed the old times, their battles, Phantom and Plasmius fighting to the death, but their grudges were resolved long ago, they had no reason to fight, Boreas & Cyrus was an escape from boredom and a reunion with the old days more than anything else.

"It's okay little badger, we can stop by their space station next year, I don't think the fledgling heroes will care" Vlad took a sip from his mug, considering, obviously they would care, but he really didn't care about their feelings, let them freak out a little more.

#danny phantom #dp x dc #danny fenton #vlad plasmius #They are Gods now just accidentally #Clockwork didnt tell them that #They are playing and protecting earth at the same time #Amorpho also helped them with transformations #he is so proud #Pandora and Frostbite are proud too #justice league dark #justice league #Cyrus and Boreas Au #They are really old now #Amity park was hundred of years ago but they missed earth and fights #Immortal Au #Clockwork is the one who choose when the element spirits started #They just agreed #Vlad and Danny transformed themselves in Fire and Ice spirits #They are myths

[haee-elia]

spence-tober: day 2 - farmer

pairing: farmer!spencer reid x fem!reader

summary: in which you live a quiet yet exciting and passionate love with your husband on his family's farm.

word count: 1434

warnings: domestic fluff, crop farmer not animal, mentions of a knife in terms of cooking

spence-tober masterlist

There was a creaking noise. There, as you stood at the large farm style sink while you were washing off some vegetables for dinner. You almost missed it with the sound of the water rushing out of the faucet, but you caught it. Just barely.

A stone cold expression washeed over your face and you turned the faucet off.

No other noise permeated throughout the one-floor renovated country farmhouse. No more water. No more creaking. Not even the sound of your breath, as it caught in your throat.

You slowly turned your torso and body around, a full 180 degrees. 

“Spencer Walter Reid. You better not be trekking mud and dirt through this kitchen.” You scold lightly as you look at your husband who froze in his step. 

Like you had guessed by the lack of shuffling or scuffing sounds at the back door of the house, Spencer’s work boots were caked in layers of dirt and mud and soil. The cuffs of his overalls were tucked into the boots to avoid the grime from touching his skin, but that did no good for his arms and hands judging by the look of them. 

His face was a little better off. A perpetual redness decorated his cheeks and tips of his ears, slightly sunburned from being outside all day, nearly every day. His hair was a mess, but it was a sign that he was indeed wearing that large brimmed hat you got him for his birthday. 

His expression read guilty but he still didn’t respond.

You nod at his feet, “Boots off. Wash off in the sink, please.” You say as you move out of the way of the sink, bringing your collander of vegetables with you to the island of the rustic kitchen.

“Yes, Ma’am.” Spencer responds finally, following your instructions and shirking off his boots to the nearby shoe rack and moving towards the sink.

“How’s everything looking?” You inquire as the sound of water echoes through the room once again.

“Good,” Spencer responds, “The rain from this morning helped shorten the work day so I only had to check the hydration in the greenhouse. The humidity was a little high, but everything’s straightened out now.”

His now clean hands turned the water off and he turned to you as he dryed them off with the little hand towel hanging on the rack above the sink.

“Did you know that too much humidity in the air can cause crops and other plants to attract bacteria, fungi, pests, and grow mold? Not only will crops attract more bacteria, but imbalance humidity levels to the type of crop can cause the transpiration rates to slow, prohibiting development and growth.”

His eyes gleam with excitement and wealth of knowledge as he looks at you, explaining with a smile. Hanging up the towel in its rightful place, Spencer shuffled over to you and wrapped his arms around your middle, resting his chin on your shoulder, almost nuzzling into you.

You turn your head and kiss his cheek with a gentle smile, “No, I didn’t know that.”

Spencer had met you when he was in university studying agriculture and you for renewable energy engineering. You started dating in your undergrad, moved in together and got engaged while pursuing masters, and got married once you both had graduated. 

Moving back to Spencer’s family’s farm was a joint decision between the two of you when his mom started getting a little tired of the work. Diana retired and started traveling while you and Spencer started making the land your home. 

Spencer kept up with the farm and greenhouse, hiring extra farmhands when harvest came along and you implemented some new energy equipment that would cut down on power costs in the long run.

“What did you get up to today, sweets?” He asked, returning your kiss on the cheek with a tender peck at your temple.

You reach up with your hands, abandoning the dinner prep, and hold onto his arms that drape around your shoulders. You both start swaying to non-existent music, just drifting back and forth together, relishing in the closeness of your bodies. 

“Well,” You start to think, “I finished a few proposal costs and went through some freelance work.”

Renewable energy was really taking off, even in the smaller town that you both now reside in. Other farms as well as other businesses have consulted you for evaluations, plus you did accept freelance work from the city nearby.

“I finished the final coat of paint for the guest room and I’ll need your help moving the new bed in there this weekend before your mom comes to visit. We should also decide what we want to do with the old study.”

You felt Spencer nod at your neck. “That sounds good.” He says.

He pulls away slightly, “We can move in the bed tonight after dinner and we should wait on the study until Mom comes to town. She won’t want to sit and do nothing and I don’t need her out in the field with me.”

You giggle, “You mean you don’t want Diana to scold you when you step on a tomato on the ground?”

He groans from your neck, “It was only that one time!” He shakes his head, but you can hear a smile on his face, “I swear, she watches me like a hawk watches it’s prey.” He grumbles.

“Too many farmers in the field?” You ask jokingly. 

“Yes.” Spencer responds, gruffly. 

“Well,” You start to say, “Diana would agree.” You pull away from Spencer and give him the vegetables and a chopping board. You start to move around the kitchen, working on other aspects of dinner.

“She said you weren’t wading through the corn the right way and that it would hurt you and the corn.” You tell.

Spencer looks up at you from chopping up some carrots with a doubtful look on his face, “She only mentioned it hurting the corn, didn’t she?” He asked.

You bite your lip to keep from laughing and nod. 

Diana and Spencer were two peas in a pod. But one thing they could nearly never agree on is the occupation and hobby that they share. They teased and compared and playfully poked fun at each other in the field, but it was Diana who gave Spencer his love of farming in the first place.

She was the one who made it fun for the lanky child in his youth, at first just picking berry bushes, then helping out in the greenhouse, and then again in his teens during harvest season.

You were worried when first meeting Diana that she wouldn’t like you, but you got along quickly with both of your loves of nature and green energy. Plus your shared love of Spencer would always bring you together.

After a few giggles escape you, you turn back to your husband. “Oh!” You say, getting his attention.

“That reminds me, you need to call Jim Harvey back. He wanted to see if we have the harvest this year to expand his existing order.”

“Again?” Spencer asked in amusement, not looking up from the knife in his hand, being careful to chop the vegetables without taking off a part of his finger. 

You nodded, “Yeah, something about expecting more calves this year or something.” You remember.

Spencer scoffs, adding the finished vegetable pieces in a bowl for you. “But he says that-” 

“Every year.” You both finish together. 

You giggle as Spencer chuckles. You gladly take the bowl from him and set it aside, them grabbing his hands and enveloping them around you. You cage yourself in his arms and look up at your husband. 

You bring your hands up to his face, the slight scruff of his chin making you smile fondly. “Why don’t you call him back and take a shower while I finish up dinner.” You say.

You press a kiss to his lips, which are slightly chapped from staying outside in the sun all day.

Spencer smiles and chases your lips for more, “That,” He gives you another peck, “Sounds.” Another peck. “Good.” And another. 

You regrettably untangle yourself from your husband. “Dinner will be ready by the time you’re out of the shower, my love.”

Spencer pulls you into him once again and presses a longer, more passionate kiss on your lips, stealing your breath away. His lips are pinker and a little swollen, you believe yours aren’t too far off either. 

His eyes gleam with his love for you, his smile just the same.

“And maybe dessert?”

a/n: i promise not all of these will be established relationships... so, how are we liking this so far? i just love alternative universe possibilities and imagining spencer in different professions and or walks of life!

#criminal minds #criminalminds #spencer reid #spencer reid x fem!reader #spencer reid x reader #criminal minds fluff #criminal minds fic #dr. spencer reid x reader #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid au

[isadorastarotcards]

Flowers That Offer Protection

Snapdragons

Snapdragons were believed to offer protection against witchcraft and evil eye. Dried snapdragons look very similar to skulls and can be used as charms against aging. In ancient Greek it was thought that wearing a snapdragon in your hair or on your neck would offer protection. During medieval times many castles would plant snapdragons around the entrance with the intention of protecting the castle (warding). Hang some snapdragons above a babies crib to repel bad spirits and nightmares

In Russia many women used snapdragons in ointments to reverse aging and appear graceful. In victorian times it was thought that hiding a snapdragon on you would make you appear more alluring.

Venus Flytrap

Venus flytrap are literal carnivores plants. Many witches use them as wards with the intention of eating negative energy. Use them to eat or bind negative energy. Many practitioners like to use Venus flytrap to bind people or negativity. As well as program them to feed off negativity.

I've also known people who use them as a sort of "trip wire" for curses, evil eyes and hexes. Though if you're not good with plants then your plant could just be dying and not have gotten an hex. You can tell the difference by whether it comes back to life when you take care of cleansing and necessary needs of the plant itself.

Angelica

Dried Angelica can be great for breaking hexes and banishing energy. Many practitioners use this flower and it's many parts in spells. It's believed that if it grows around a house or building it will protect it from witchcraft. Angelica root has also been used as amulets for protection or gambling.

In many European countries it was thought that Angelica would protect from sicknesses. The herb itself is used in many medicine even today. That's where it gets the name "angel" from. One of its best uses would be for breaking hexes. When used properly it can be the breaker.

‼️do not ingest if pregnant‼️

Carnation

Carnations are thought to be associated with the Holy Mother Mary and Diana the Goddess of the Hunt. Both were symbols of purity and Innocence. In many countries including eastern asian and Europe carnations are associated with healing and mothers love. In victorian flower language yellow carnations were seen as a symbol of rejection.

In parts of Europe red carnations were used to protect homes as well as repel unwanted visitors. Dried carnations can be used in many types of spells such as warding, protection, healing and love.

Yarrow

The herb is known for its protective uses as well as it's medicinal. It was said that the warrior Achilles learned of the herbs medicinal uses from the great teacher Chiron. In Ireland the herb was thought to disperse plagues and evil spirits. Was also thought to carry stocks of it for safe travels. Hanging yarrow throughout your home or near a babies crib is said to repel negative spirits.

In traditional Chinese folklore yarrow was used as a tool for divination. Due to how long lasting the flower is yarrow is also a symbol of long lasting love. You could use it in satchets or bouquets on wedding days or dates to promote a love that will last years.

Agrimony

Agrimony can be used as protection from negativity this includes witchcraft, evil eye, spirits and people. In wards they can cause a rebound on the sender of a hex. Carrying it around is thought to protect you wherever you go. These beliefs are common in English folklore and voodoo(closed practice) .

In old English the herb is thought to be put under a pillow for sleep. In ancient northern Europe the herb was thought to cure a lot of ailments. Anglo-Saxons had also believed that herb would reveal witches. Scotland had thought the herb could cure those who had been affected by fairies. This would mean unknown illnesses. The herb itself is seen as a kinda cure all.

‼️Please do intense research before ingesting or foraging ‼️

#beginner witch #free tarot #green witch #tarot blog #witch coven #witch #witchblr #witchcraft #book of shadows #baby witch #crystals #paganism #green witchcraft #kitchen witch #pagan wicca #green wicca

[batsandbugs]

Bruce Wayne’s Headache Classification System

IKEA Verse

AN: Hey look, I'm back!!! I hope you guys are ready for this next part of the IKEA Verse. It's a three-parter from Bruce's POV. I had so much fun with this and am glad to be back writing for this universe. Hope y'all enjoy it!

Chapter 1

Staring out across a purple and umber field, three moons hanging low on the horizon, and an approaching alien army marching ever closer from a distance, Bruce feels a headache forming along the base of his skull.

And he’s very sure it’s not because of the army.

Normally, he keeps his emotions as dampened as possible, especially while in the suit, but it’s only him, Clark, and Diana standing guard in this watchtower. He hasn’t slept more than twelve hours in the past four days, and he deserves to grumble a bit about an impending stress headache.

He pulls down his cowl, rubbing aching temples with glove-clad hands. 

“You feeling okay?” Clark asks, like the mother hen he pretends not to be.

“No,” Bruce grunts.

“It’s only an army, gentlemen. We’ve faced worse before,” Diana says from her seat. She repetitively, one might almost say nervously, sharpens a pair of knives Bruce swears were already so finely edged they could cut air, but he won’t mention that to the armed warrior princess.

“I’m not worried about the army. We’ll be fine.” Bruised, battered, and bloodied perhaps, but they’ll be fine.

Clark tilts his head, looking like a human, non-yellow version of Big Bird. “So why the headache?”

Bruce sighs. “My children are doing something stupid.”

Clark and Diana look at him askance.

He has categories for his headaches. They are all distinct, so much so he named them according to the type of situations they arise from. The Situation-has-gone-to-shit headache, the Joker-has-escaped-Arkham-again headache, or, a personal favorite, the Press-are-being-stupid headache.

This particular headache is a slow build. Bubbling at the base of his neck and slithering its way into his temples. It pounds in time to his heart and sends a feeling of nausea down his gullet.

It’s his My-children-have-done-something-stupid-and-the-consequences-have-spiraled-out-of-control headache.

It was one he was very familiar with.

“How- but… they’re on Earth,” says Clark in confusion. “Did you get like, a text or something?”

“No,” Bruce says plainly. His headaches never lie. He bet if he calls right now, they would either not pick up at all, or they would, and utter chaos would be occurring on his home planet more than several million miles away. Where he can’t do anything.

This is why the headache warning is completely impractical and unneeded.

“Then how do you know?” Diana asks.

“I always know.” They’ve worked with him for long enough, they should already know this.

Clark shakes his head. “It’s not that I don’t believe you about the headache B, but isn’t it more likely it’s just from stress and lack of sleep. None of us are as young as we used to be.”

“Speak for yourselves, mortals,” Diana says with a half-hearted smile. Her immortality was an ever-lingering shadow over her friendships. It didn’t stop her from making friends though.

“Well, we can’t all be perfect immortal warrior princesses,” Clark responds with a smile. He places a hand on her shoulder and gives it a squeeze. A silent acknowledgment they were all still there. Together.

For now.

Bruce shoots them both an unimpressed stare. “If it was just from stress and sleep deprivation I would be able to handle it.” Plus, that headache is completely different from this one, he knows what his Lack-of-sleep-too-much-stress ­headache feels like, but this isn’t it. “No, it’s specifically the headache I get when my children are causing problems.” He sighs, pulling out his interstellar communicator. He really should focus on the approaching alien army, but he can at least set the groundwork for dealing with whatever problem has arisen when he gets back.

He shoots Alfred a text letting him know about the headache, and to locate his children as soon as possible.

Had he known this would be the case all those years ago when he first adopted Dick… well, he still probably would have done it. He loves all his kids to the moon and back. Headaches and all.

“I don’t get headaches about my kids,” Clark grumbles. He pauses, thinking. “At least not before I’m sure they’re causing trouble.”

“That’s because your kids don’t cause trouble the same way mine do,” says Bruce, thinking of the unique and eclectic skill sets each of his children possessed. Yes, much more potential danger-making than two kids with superpowers. “I need the early warning system.”

A screeching alarm sounds on one of the monitors. Bruce checks it. The approaching army’s scouting parties finally arrive in range of their volleying.

“Ready?” he asks, pulling up his cowl. All frustrations and weaknesses melting away. This is serious.

Diana stands, sheathing the knives, and poses herself to leap into action. “Verily. Let’s show this scum who not to mess with.”

Clark comes over and places a hand on Bruce’s shoulder. “You sure you’ll be good?” Bruce only gives a silent glare back. He’s fought on broken bones and with poison running through his veins. A headache is child’s play. “Alright, alright just making sure. Let’s get this over with and get home, so you can deal with whatever mess your children have created.”

“Perhaps, it won’t be so bad,” muses Diana, winding up her lasso, as their first enemy comes into range. “Your children are smart and creative warriors. Certainly, they can rescue themselves out of whatever trouble they’ve risen.”

“Oh, I’m not worried about them getting out of trouble,” says Bruce. He’s trained them better than that. “I’m worried about anyone else who might get caught up in the chaos.”

“I’m sure it will be fine,” Clark reassures. “They’re good kids.” He shoots down an enemy drone ship with a blast of laser vision. “What’s the worst they could do?”

Another shiver rolls down Bruce’s spine. Oh, he’s sure it could get very, very bad. After all, he’s trained them. But considering a giant alien tank, covered in spikes, and lobbing explosive mortars drops down thirty feet away, he feels Clark’s last comment, in all its misguided naiveté, deserves to go unanswered.

He’ll deal with whatever chaos his children have concocted when he’s back on earth.

0o0o0o0o0 (line break) 0o0o0o0o0

A day and a half later the aliens are defeated and the reigning government properly reinstated. The Justice League, given their due thanks and medical assistance, board back onto their ship and settle in for a long interstellar trip back to the Watchtower. By the time medical clears him, Bruce is barely able to keep his eyes open. When he finally beams down from the Watchtower, it is so late it’s inching on early.

Thankfully, no one’s in the cave when he arrives. His chest is bandaged, and his concussion is minor, but he’s in no mood to deal with people. He strips out of his suit and takes a hot shower. The cave’s water pressure hits the right spot on his sore and battered body. Once finished, he retrieves a pair of comfy clothes stashed in his locker, and downs a handful of extra-strength pain meds from the med bay.

He glances back at the computer. Once upon a time; ten, even five years ago maybe, he'd seat himself down and work till the sun came up. Checking and double-checking all the going-ons in his city until he was sufficiently informed. Now though he can't even begin to muster up the energy to care. He knows his children, for all that they might have caused problems he'll have to deal with once he's more awake, will have handled everything. If this city's not on active fire (which it isn't, Bruce did check that) it can wait till tomorrow.

Or, well, later today.

Bruce ambles over to the elevator.  

He sighs once the doors close, slumping against the metallic interior. A hand run across his still-damp hair hits the bump that caused the concussion; he winces. Every twinging bruise splayed across his body throbs in a synchronous agonizing orchestra. He’s been in far more extensive pain than this, more times than he can count on all the fingers and toes of his adopted children, but for some reason, he needs the elevator wall to keep himself standing.

Clark was right. They weren’t getting any younger. 

Retirement was in his future soon. If he wasn’t dead before then. 

But the mission continued, as it always did, and until Bruce could no longer rise to meet it, he would continue to fight.

But for now; sleep and extra strength pain meds.

He barely remembers walking down the corridors to his room, much less falling face first into his bed. By the time his head hit the pillow, he is fast asleep.

0o0o0o0o0 (line break) 0o0o0o0o0

Morning comes all too early.

It also comes with an unexpected wake-up call.

“Rise and shine, Master Bruce,” says a suspiciously smug voice. Bruce groans at the sound and shoves a pillow over his face as Alfred throws open the heavy brocade curtains letting in a stream of mid-summer sunlight enter his room.

“What have I done to deserve this betrayal?” Bruce hisses, brain entirely too foggy to recall if he’d done something to piss Alfred off before he left for space.

“This isn’t betrayal Master Bruce. It’s eleven-thirty and high time for your day to begin.” Bruce hears Alfred puttering around his room like a well-practiced dance.

“I just fought an army to a standstill and prevented a terrorist coup on an alien planet. Can’t I just skip existing today?” Bruce feels that is more than fair. He would like to continue sleeping.

“I’m afraid opting out of consciousness is an unfeasible course of action for you today, dear boy. However, I did bring you breakfast if you’d like to pry yourself out of bed long enough to enjoy it.” Alfred’s voice is calm and steady. The elderly butler doesn’t allow food in bed. Ever. So, breakfast in your room is as close to breakfast-in-bed that the residents of Wayne manor get.

Bruce peaks his head out from under the pillow. Sure enough, Alfred has a breakfast platter set up over at his seating nook. Fresh fruit, a fluffy omelet, steaming blueberry scones, and a piping hot French press full of pitch-black coffee.

Oh.

Oh no.

Bruce’s sleepiness evaporates in an instant. “I don’t get breakfast in my room unless I’m sick or dying, and since the Watchtower med bay cleared me, I’m currently neither of those things.” A familiar pounding pain, this time manifesting right behind his eyes and seeping outward takes up residence in his head. Bruce closes his eyes and rubs at the lids with his thumb and pointer finger.

This is his Alfred-is-about- to- give-me-bad-news headache.

He takes a deep breath, braces himself, and asks, “How bad is it?”

The elderly man doesn’t turn around, continuing to straighten the objects on the platter. It’s his own form of fidgeting. “I also have yesterday’s newspaper available for you to peruse.”

Bruce groans, smacking his head against the headboard. “The newspaper? They managed to get themselves in the fucking newspaper!”

He loves his children.

He swears he does.

But he is absolutely gonna wring their necks.

“In or out of masks?” he asks, dreading the answer. Maybe it’s in masks. Maybe he can manage the fallout without having to resort to press conferences, official statements, or-

“You have several missed calls from Wayne Enterprise’s PR team.”

“Fuck.”

“Verily.”

Throwing off the covers, Bruce doesn’t bother to hide a wince as sore feet hit wooden floors. He treads to the sitting area, draping his Batman-themed dressing gown – Dick’s most recent Christmas gift – over his clothes. Laying himself across the chaise lounge, he snags a blueberry scone and stuffs it into his mouth.

Alfred sits opposite, in the chair on the other side of the coffee table, and pours himself a cup of tea.

Years ago, the proper uptight butler would never have broken propriety to sit with his charge and eat. But at this point; he’s raised Bruce, grandparented seven traumatized children to adulthood – despite several dying and resurrecting, along the way- kept a manor house running by himself on nothing but spite and dedication alone, became the equivalent of a triage medic with the amount of stitching and emergency surgery done over the years, and been the sole voice of reason for a house full of over-dramatic-theatre-kids-turned-vigilantes.

He adds two lumps of sugar to his tea and offers Bruce the newspaper with an unreadable face.  

There are a few moments of silence as Bruce scans the words, digesting the story laid out in black and white on the pages.

“An IKEA?”

“Yes sir.”

“And whose grand idea was that?”

“I believe Master Richard’s.”

Bruce sighs. The headache intensifies.

“What were they trying to accomplish?”

“A good old-fashioned game of hide-and-seek.”

Bruce shook the paper. “How does hide-and-seek turn into property damages, worker strikes, and-” he squints at the paper. “Ball pit insurrections!”

“I’m afraid you will have to hear the entire story from the children Master Bruce, I’m not sure I could do the tale justice.”

Bruce narrows his eyes, now Alfred is just being cagey.

“Security threw them out?”

Alfred sips his tea. “No, they insisted they left voluntarily. Although, all but Damian are now banned from every IKEA on the eastern seaboard, and Master Timothy has spent the past day and a half fielding media outlets and assessing the amount of compensation this incident will require to quietly smooth over.”

Rolling his eyes, Bruce says, “This is going to fuel media speculations for weeks. Quiet is not on the books.” He grabs another scone but stops halfway to his mouth. Rereads the article. “Damian’s not mentioned.”

“No, he’s not.”

“He’s not banned like his brothers.”

“No, he’s not.”

Alfred’s face is very still.

“Alfred…”

“The children, Master Bruce.” Alfred insists again. “I assure you; you’ll want to hear the full recounting of their shenaniganry from them.”

Bruce sighs, again. “The girls would never do this to me. The girls would never get involved in something like this.”

“No…” Alfred says, slowly, reaching for a scone. Bruce covers his face with his hands and leans back against the lounge, the dull throb behind his eyes accosting his brain full force. “If you turn to page four, you’ll see a local pet shop was uncovered as a front for the Russian mob. Spoiler and Black Bat were instrumental in helping the police smoke out the perpetrators. Less helpful would be the subsequent three-hour car chase across the southern half of the city, but that’s neither here nor there.” He picks up the French press. “Coffee, Master Bruce?”

Bruce wishes he was back in space fighting the alien army.

AN: Alright that's the end of chapter 1. Should have the next one out sometime Monday. I hope you all enjoyed it! Thank you all for your wonderful comments and reblogs over the past few days. It warms my heart and makes me giddy with joy how many of you love this silly little series. I hope that this can brighten your day as much as you brighten mine.

If you want to read this on ao3 you can click here!

(Pst... If you think I'm great and my writing is entertaining, maybe check this out!)

#maribat #damian x marinette #maridami #mlb crossover #damimari #marinette dupain cheng x damian wayne #the great ikea game #the ikea verse #damientte #damianette

[my-shields-are-down]

Jeans 👖

#one word prompt #Chenford one shot

REMEMBER: a one word prompt gets you a Chenford one-shot.

===========

“Don’t do it! Dad - do not do it! You DO NOT want to go in there right now. She’s kind of having a break down.” Tim stared down at his 16 year old daughter Diana, crossing his arms and widening his stance to match hers.

His baby girl who used to host tea parties with the neighbors’ dogs and her chinchillas, who used to rest her head on his shoulder when he read her bed time stories and explained the world to her, who now stood a few inches taller than her mom, with her thick wavy blond hair and her mom’s chocolate eyes brimming with mirth and laughter behind her, well his really, most intimidating TO scowl. She was gorgeous and kind and stubborn and cranky and if the rumors supplied by her younger brother were to be believed, she was secretly dating Angela’s son Mateo and she was by far, the most popular girl in school.

Diana was blocking his entrance into his and Lucy’s bedroom suite.

“I am not having a break-down!” came Lucy’s muted and slightly muffled voice from somewhere inside their bedroom.

“You know I can just pick you up and move you out of the way, right?”

“Oh really? Pff. Maybe when I was 7 and small for my age, you could grab me by my ankles and hold me upside down while telling me I was turning into a bat! I’m not gonna fall for that now!”

Tim looked down at her bare ankles and purple toenails as if considering doing that again. His back yelling at him internally to please, do not do that again.

Diana laughingly yelled back into the room, “he’s breaking through my defenses Mom! You might want to put some clothes on!”

Tim’s heart had started bursting at her laughter, because it was musical and happy like her mom and his mom, but then his eyes got big, and turned black with desire at the thought of Lucy unclothed less than 50 feet away.

Diana watched the shift in her Dad. Watching him shine love and affection down on her before shifting to something, deep, and feral, and fierce. She really enjoyed watching her Dad love her Mom. Yeah sure the PDA was over the top sometimes, but her parents without words had shown their kids that, deep, all-consuming love, affection and respect were possible and attainable. And worth it.

Then, with cat-like reflexes, Tim reaches forward and steps into a hug with Diana, wrapping his long arms around her, holding her close. Then before she could sink into the hug, he blows a raspberry on her neck and tickles her on her sides having effectively boxed her in with little wiggle room. Diana shrieks with laughter and instead of fighting like usual, tries the reflexive dead weight trick Aunt Nyla had shown her last week, sliding effortlessly out of his grasp to the ground before crab-crawling away and popping up again. “I’m immune to your tricks old man!”

Tim nods and points back at her with a huge grin while silently thanking both Angels and Nyla for suggesting the self-defense classes for Diana.

He then turns and enters his sanctuary - the part of the house where he feels the most at peace and at home because Lucy is here. Even after all these years, she makes his heart pound, his pulse race, and drives him crazy with desire. She’s his home in this building - their home.

“Luce - where are you love?”

“In here and yeah, I kind of am having a break-down.”

Tim pivots and heads to their walk in-closet to find Lucy sprawled on the floor in a navy blue t-shirt bra and boy short panties, one arm covering her eyes, and what looks like every pair of jeans they own strewn around her. She had been looking for something jeans related but now lay on the floor quietly crying.

Tim quickly lies down beside her and kisses her clavicle, right below where his very first Valentines Day gift still hangs around her neck. He’s given her quite a lot of jewelry over the years, but this simple gold circle on its delicate gold chain is worn almost every day since she got them.

“Honey, what’s with the jeans explosion? Aren’t you supposed to be at some garden party somewhere?”

“Yes, TJ’s school fundraiser garden party. I was there, wearing my favorite sunflower dress the one I always wear on Mother’s Day. But I was sent home for not wearing the ‘approved attire’ - jeans, a white top and a stupid garden hat covered in flowers. Apparently, I looked better than the hostess so she sent me home to change. That group clearly is still living in junior high. Ugh. It’s not my fault she’s a mean, angry, fat cow, that only fits into elastic-waisted jeans.”

“So then I get home, come up here and angrily start putting on jeans. And none of them fit! Not even my default safety jeans. The last time this happened I was pregnant with TJ. So I called the doctor to find out if that was even possible and she said no, it’s more likely due to the beginning of menopause. Then I started spiraling, thinking I’m turning into a blob who can only wear elastic wasted jeans. I understood Marjorie’s anger and then the tears came and they won’t stop. Your sexy wife is turning into a blob!”

Tim grabs Lucy and rolls them so she is laying on top of him, her head resting on his chest, and wraps his arms around her while kissing her temple. He holds her to him, lightly stroking her back, letting her cry it out. Over the years, they’ve mastered reading each other and silently communicating the kind of love and support needed in any situation. Right now Lucy needs quiet comfort.

When her breathing finally evens out and her tears stop flowing, Tim kisses her temple and says, “What did your Mom look like at your age? Your grandmothers? I don’t think I’ve ever seen elastic-waisted pants on any female in your family going back generations. Your DNA - your genes- are not programmed that way.

Which kind of is a bummer for me, because belt free, zipper free jeans? Hell yeah! A faster, easier way to get you naked? Sign. Me. Up! Why haven’t you been wearing those from the get go?

By now that’s hours, days, possibly weeks of extra naked time we missed out on because your jeans didn’t have an elastic waist band. I’m gonna sue for restitution - money, so I can take my honey on a multi-month, around-the-world-trip! A naked-time world tour, if you will.”

“You are ridiculous.”

“What I am, is stupidly, madly, deeply and completely head-over-heels in love with you. You could lose all your limbs and be a head and torso in a box and I would still be in love with you.”

“Oh god. We never should have watched that awful movie. A ‘Boxing Helena’ reference is not making me feel more attractive.”

“Ooh, but you know what will? My sex-on-a-stick husband romancing me tonight, on our back deck with candles, and fresh flowers, and something yummy on the grill. You can wear your khaki shorts and one of your snap shirts, and I can wear my sunflower dress. And you can unwrap me later.”

Tim immediately sits them both up, leans forward and kisses her silly. He is getting lucky tonight! (Well, really, he’d been lucky for a very long time).

“Diana! Grab your brothers and go to the Evers compound for the rest of the weekend- your mom and I need some time alone!”

#chenford #tim bradford #lucy chen #the rookie #tim x lucy #one word prompt #jeans #one word prompt = chenford one shot #andrea writes #i'm in chenford withdrawal #things that are awesome

[neverlostmycrown]

Evanescence - The Open Door Digital Booklet (2006). Photos by Karl Larsen and Beth Wilson.

(thanks to archive.org for the hq scan)

AMY THANKS: First of all, I'd like to thank Terry. I am so grateful for you. I never thought I would find someone who could finish my musical thoughts like you do. Thank you for your creativity, your patience, and most of all for supporting and encouraging me- as a writer and a friend. Dave Fortman, once again you've made the dream come true. Thank you for believing in me, pushing me to be my best, and cracking me up when I thought my brain might explode. Bro-tools forever. :) Jeremy- thanks for ruling it again! Its always a pleasure hanging out and working with you. A big thanks to the Record Plant- you were all so good to us. Rose, Mike and everyone- I miss you already! Dave Campbell- you are so gifted, and I will always look forward to working with you. You take our music to a whole new level, and it wouldn't be Evanescence without you. Thank you DJ Lethal for giving this record spooky, sexy thump! :) Also thanks again to Susan Youngblood and the Millenium choir for another beautiful job. A very special thank you to Baldwin Pianos for all of your support and for all you've given me. It's been wonderful! Thank you Diana Meltzer (my big little sister!) for your endless support and friendship. Thank you to everyone at Wind-up records for all your hard work, and for all the time and freedom I was given to create this album. Thank you Gary, Patty, and everyone at Haber Corporation. You've changed my life! Andy- you have listened to me, supported me, fought for me, and laughed with me. You're a good friend and a great manager- Thank you goodnight! John, Rocky and Will, you all did such a great job in the studio. Will, I can't imagine playing without you. We've had so much fun together and I'm gonna miss you so much. This sucks! Good luck and much love (special thanks to John, Rocky and Terry for staying in the band). I want to thank my sisters Carrie and Lori for singing background vocals on 'call me when you're sober.' You guys were awesome and it was so cool to have you hang out in the studio with me. I want to thank my girlfriends for always standing by me (and sometimes helping me stand) Beth, Faith and Tiff- I love you! (you too, Kim and Patty!) And Beth- I couldn't do this without you. You keep me sane and somehow make anywhere in the world feel more like home… Even Japan. (See-ma-sen!) Josh, you are my muse. Nothing inspires me the way you do. Thank you for all my missing pieces. Thank you for your strength and love. Thank you for letting me see myself through your eyes, because only then could I know that I am good enough for you. Thank you to all our wonderful fans and friends at the evboard. Thank you God, and last (and anything but least), my family for loving me, supporting me, accepting me, and always being my sanctuary. I love you!

#evanescence #amy lee #the open door #the open door booklet #digital booklet #official booklet #ilovethis #evboard #old times #text

[abyssal-ali]

RelationShip of Theseus

Pairing: Jason Todd x Stephanie Brown

Rating: M (mdni)

WC: 4.6k

Summary:

The Ship of Theseus is a thought experiment about whether an object which has had all of its original components replaced remains the same object. --Wikipedia Jason and Steph team up to go undercover at a Halloween party. They've been friends with benefits for a while, but lately...things have been changing. Maybe this Halloween they'll finally settle some things between them. For once Bruce's Bruce-ness doesn't completely mess things up!

Written for @jaystephevents JaySteph Halloween event!

Ao3 Masterlist

A/N: Thanks to @sarcasticbambi for doing a wonderful job beta'ing and making me cry from laughter with her comments<3 and to @boldlyanxious for sending me the prompts till I wrote this<3 Yes I am proud of this title I hope y'all apprecaite my genius

Jason's costume is 1995 BBC Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy's outfit that he wears when he emerges from the lake. Steph's costume is 2021 Immortal Wonder Woman's outfit.

CW: PiV Sex, Oral Sex, Dubious Use of Accessories, FWB to Lovers, mentions of drugs and alcohol, kidnapping and interrogating a criminal, Bruce isn't a good dad but he's trying...somewhat...

~~~~~&~~~~~

“Almost done!” Steph’s voice echoed from the bathroom down the hall to Jason’s living room, where he was reading on the couch, waiting for Steph to be finished with her primping.

He turned the page in his book, knowing that ‘almost done’ could mean twenty seconds or twenty more minutes.

A shadow fell over his page and he looked up, his jaw dropping slightly as he took in the sight before his eyes.

“Whatcha think?” Steph twirled, the star-hemmed blue panels of her skirt flaring out from her hips.

Jason cleared his throat, suddenly desperate for a drink of water.  “You look amazing, Steph,” he told her seriously. “Better than the real deal.”

She scoffed, but her cheeks hinted at a pleased blush. “You don’t look too shabby yourself.” She circled him, admiring his costume. “The equivalent of a slutty dress; I approve.”

“Thanks. Gotta fit in, right?” He tore his gaze from the very well-fitting gold-and-red top to scan her head-to-toe. “You’re missing something, though.”

“Hm? Oh, right.” Steph headed back to the bathroom and returned, a gold cord rope hanging off her left hip. “Ta da!”

She crossed her arms in front of her chest in an ‘X’, copying Wonder Woman’s signature pose.

Jason coughed again.

“Are you coming down with something?” she scanned him again, worriedly this time. “I can go to the party by myself, you know. If you need to stay home…” “I’m fine. If I’m staying home, so are you,” he replied, crossing the floor in three strides and kissing her hungrily. 

~~~

He pulled away, leaving her knees weak and his lips shiny with her now-ruined lipgloss. 

“What?”

“Ready to go?” he repeated.

“Oh, uh, yeah. One sec.” Steph practically ran to the bathroom to fix her smudged lips and collect her sanity. Surely she’d left it here somewhere…or maybe it fled the apartment completely when she’d exited his bathroom and saw him sitting there in his open v-neck white shirt and brown pants, the sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms as he read. 

Swiping a fresh coat of red lipstick on and blowing herself a kiss in the mirror, she shook her head firmly and made sure her cash was tucked in between her bracelets and skin. 

Growing up in Gotham, and the Narrows at that, you never knew when you or another unfortunate soul would need an emergency Uber or bribe. 

She grabbed her coat from the tree by the door and belted it firmly against the October chill. She didn’t know how the real Wonder Woman did it…she sighed, jealous of Diana’s Amazonian blood. 

Jason grabbed his leather jacket and zipped it up halfway, ignoring Steph’s side eye. Stupid Lazarus Pit. He was also always ridiculously warm; he liked to joke it was the Pit Rage keeping him full of hot air, but she preferred to think it was from how big his heart was, so full of love for everyone. It had to be proportional to his unfairly broad chest, after all.

Jason unlocked his car and held the door for her.

“Thanks.”

He leaned in, his mouth right by her ear and his neck in front of her nose, where she could smell his smokey, spicy scent. “You’re coming back with me after this mission.”

She considered licking his neck. Down, girl. Not yet. “Was I not going to?” she batted her lashes at him and he smirked. 

“Right answer.”

He crossed in front of the car and got in. “Let’s hope this is an in-and-out mission.”

~~~

The mission tonight was to investigate a possible new drug dealer on Jason’s turf, which included Gotham U. Apparently the students were getting their drugs from this new player, not one of Jason’s men, and he didn’t like that.

One of Steph’s classmates was throwing a Hallowe’en-Eve-Eve party (because any self-respecting Gothamite knew the last couple days in October were some of the most dangerous days of the year), and she suspected the new player would be there for a prime opportunity to move their product.

The party was in full swing by the time they arrived, lights flashing, music blaring, drinks and other substances being passed around, but nothing from the newbie yet.

Jason and Steph split up to make the most of their time there.

Steph headed to a group of girls laughing. She was pretty sure she’d seen them passing something other than notes one day, and figured they were as good a place to start as any. 

“Hiiiiiii! I love your outfit!!!” she gushed, pretending to be a little tipsy already. “Daenerys, right??”

The girl nodded. “You look hot as Wonder Woman.”

“Thanks! She’s my boyfriend’s favourite hero, and let’s be real,” she lowered her voice a notch, conspiratorially, “every girl has a girl-crush on her.”

The group nodded vigorously.

“So, do you have any ideas on how to make my surprise for my guy better ?” she wiggled her eyebrows knowingly. “Maybe a li’l something to heighten the experience ?”

The girl dressed up as what Steph was pretty sure was Layla from Genshin Impact leaned a little closer, and Steph held her breath, ready for a nod to a possible dealer. “What about using your accessories?”

Steph blinked.

“Y’know,” ‘Layla’ nodded meaningfully at Steph’s lower half, and she looked down, confused. “Your lasso.”

Her wide eyes looked from the lasso to ‘Layla’ to Jason, who was across the room, disappearing into a back room. She nodded thoughtfully.

“You are a genius,” she gushed. “I gotta try this now!” she ditzed away, keeping an eye on the room Jason was in. 

A few minutes later, she heard a crash from inside the room and some muffled yelling.

Jason poked his head out a moment later and caught her eye. “Baby! He’s a bit drunk and tripped. Think you can help me get him home?”

Smirking, she slipped inside the room and locked the door, eyeing Jason’s slightly disheveled hair. She could do a better job at that…but later.

“Need something?”

He eyed her, his tongue licking his bottom lip slowly. “Yeah, found a lead. Can ya help me get him out to the rendezvous for questioning later?”

“Sure.”

Jason hauled the half-unconscious guy crumpled on the floor up and wrapped his arm behind his neck. “Taking our drunk friend home, huh?”

Steph nodded, poured her Solo cup of undrunk, warm beer down the guy’s shirt, and pulled his free arm over her neck.

“Let’s do this.”

~~~

They hauled The Guy out of the car and into the warehouse. He groaned and raised his head weakly, looking around.

When he realized what was happening, he stiffened, making carrying his weight that much more irritating, and started thrashing. “Aw hell nah!”

“Oh shut up, you’ll be fine…if you tell my boss what he wants,” Steph elbowed him gently. 

“Who’s your boss?!”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” she said cheerfully.

Jason plopped The Guy on the chair bolted to the floor. “He just has some questions for you. Answer truthfully and you’ll be fine. Answer un truthfully…” he let the unspoken threat hang heavily in the air.

With a panicked yelp, The Guy leapt up and headed for the door of the warehouse.

Steph unhooked her lasso, swung it, and watched as it floated gently over him…

And watched as it flopped on the floor. Sue her, it wasn’t like she’d ever used a lasso as a weapon before.

The Guy’s foot caught in the loop and she yanked on instinct.

He tumbled face first, bracing his hands for the fall, and she winced in sympathy. Clearly no one had taught him how to safely break a fall with minimum damage.

Jason produced a package of zip ties and dragged him back to the chair, zip tying him in place.

“If you were innocent you wouldn’t have evaded my questions earlier or tried to escape now. Want me to get my boss?”

The Guy’s frightened eyes turned to Steph, hoping her feminine sensibilities would make her more sympathetic to his plight. “Who’s his boss?” he stage whispered.

“Who runs the drugs in this city?” she shrugged, watching curiously as his face paled.

“R-red Hood?”

She nodded. “Bingo! Try continuing your streak of good luck by keeping your fingers intact and answering my colleague’s questions, huh?”

She sashayed over to her lasso, lying limply on the floor, and bent to pick it up, making sure Jason was the only one seeing her backside. She half-turned and winked, blowing him a kiss. “I’ll be waiting, handsome. The girls I talked to at the party were so helpful.”

His eyes darkened and his gaze swept over her hotly. “I won’t be long.”

He turned back to The Guy, leaning over him menacingly.

“You’re going to give me everything I want so I can get back to my girl stat, got it?”

~~~

Steph slipped out of the warehouse and drove back to Jason’s apartment, humming the snippets of the pop song from the party that had wormed into her head.

He’d called her his girl, and ‘Baby’ earlier at the party. Of course, it was probably for show, but it still made her heart warm and her panties wet.

She couldn’t wait for him to get back so they could resolve the tension that had simmered between them all evening.

~~~

Jason parked his motorbike and headed up to his apartment, his mind wandering to Steph, as it usually did when he wasn’t on a job (and even when he was on a job, sometimes). Would she still be in her costume when he arrived? Maybe naked in his bed? In the shower? 

He took the stairs two at a time and let himself in, quickly bypassing all the security.

He’d added Steph’s biometrics ages ago, when their one-night stand had become a regular, friends-with-benefits thing, which became a stay-with-me-since-it’s-late-and-this-is-Gotham, which had turned into stay-you’re-injured-and-your-mom-is-working-and-someone-needs-to-make-sure-you’re-not-concussed, which had become Steph having two drawers in his closet and bathroom each, which had become stay-when-you-have-nightmares-and-need-someone-even-if-I’m-not-here-you-can-come-and-steal-my-hoodie, which became….

He sighed, kicking off his shoes and socks and hanging his jacket up.

He wasn’t sure what they had become. A sort of ship of Theseus situation, maybe, constantly changing their relationship but never redefining it?

The glow from his bedroom lamp beckoned and he pushed all thoughts of their relationship, whatever it was, from his head, calling forth the memory of her smoking hot appearance as his favourite hero.

Steph was still in it, standing at his window and looking out at Gotham’s nightscape, though she’d taken the black wig off and was back to her natural blonde.

“Hi.” He pressed a soft kiss to the nape of her neck.

“Hi.” She turned and kissed his jawline, her hands coming up to loosen the ties at the neck of his shirt. “How’d it go?”

“Fine. He’s still alive. Just a lackey for the head guy. I got some names to check out later.” He ran his hands down her back to squeeze her butt. “You said you got some helpful info from some girls?”

He could feel her devious smirk against his neck.

“Up to try something new?”

“Always.”

Steph pushed away, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Get on the bed.”

He did so, watching her curiously. 

She crawled up to straddle him, undoing the rest of his shirt ties and opening the shirt to its fullest extent. He pulled it over his head.

She wrapped her lasso around his wrists and wrapped the loose ends around his headboard, pulling his hands above his head.

“Do you trust me?”

Of course, he did. He’d told her his actual address, not a safehouse like he gave the other Bats. He’d added her to his security. He’d told her some things no one else knew, not even Roy.

He’d never explicitly said so, though.

He met her eyes steadily. “I trust you, Steph.”

She let out a little sigh and kissed him, tugging at his lip. “Lemme know if it’s too rough.”

He raised an eyebrow at that. “You think tying me up is too rough after some of the things we did?”

She rolled her eyes. “I meant if the rope was too rough against your skin.”

“...again, too rough, after some of the situations I’ve been in?”

She gently whacked his chest. “Stop being a smartass and just let me know, okay? You’d want me to do the same, right?”

Oh, now there were some ideas to explore later…

”You have a point.”

“I often do,” she said archly, sliding down a bit to undo his pants.

With a swift, practiced yank, his pants and underwear were off in one fell swoop. She wrapped her hand around his length, the calluses from lifting weights and practicing with her escrima sliding up and down as she pumped him.

He caught his lip between his teeth as she bent to teasingly lick at the head.

“Ste-eph.”

“Ja-ay.”

She took him farther in her mouth this time, sucking just like he liked before she raised her head again.

“Why did you want to start our…arrangement?” she asked.

He blinked, nonplussed. Why did she have to ask that question now ?

“The lasso of truth knows when you’re lying,” she said warningly.

He huffed inwardly. “You’re hot, you were single, you looked like you needed a good orgasm or three.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, but returned to the blowjob.

“When did you start thinking I was hot?”

He groaned, not in pleasure, but frustration. He was right there .

“When I saw you sass B on top of the BatBurger last year and didn’t let his whole Bat-lecture faze you.”

She hummed, pleased with his answer, and he groaned (in pleasure this time). “I’m close.”

She grinned evilly. “Too bad. Why did-”

He slipped the knot ‘holding’ his wrists and wrapped his legs around her middle, flipping her under him.

“How about you have a little session with the lasso of truth, hm?”

He lifted her arms above her head, slipping them through loops in the rope and tugging firmly. Her bracelets would protect her from any rope burn.

She squirmed as he kissed his way down to the metal part of her top covering her cleavage.

“First question: how do you get this thing off?”

“Side zipper,” she nodded.

The zip sounded loud in the quiet room, the near-silent hiss from the electricity in the lamp and the slightly louder ASMR of their synchronized heartbeats and heavy breathing filling the air.

Jason peeled the top off and unclasped the belt holding the  pleated skirt up, tossing it to the foot of the bed.

~~~

Clad only in her black underwear, which were practically useless with how soaked they were by now, she could feel all the tiny air currents tickling her skin as Jason moved over her, the warmer breeze over her neck from his breath and the heat from his body warming her.

Steph really wanted to wrap her arms around his neck, but the rope prevented her from doing so. She tugged at it with a halfhearted huff as he tugged her nipple between his teeth, his large hands skimming up her bent legs to open her thighs wider.

His finger rubbed at her through her underwear, providing only the lightest touch.

She moved her hips against his hand, trying to obtain more friction.

He chuckled. “Not going to ask like a good girl?”

His hot mouth closed over her other nipple, the cool air now hitting the first one, the delicious juxtaposition making her shiver. Her panties slid down her legs to join her skirt and Jason’s thumb circled her bare clit, causing more wetness to escape her.

“More. Please.”

He moved down her torso, kissing her scars as he went until he reached her soaked slit.

“Hmm, you like being a good girl?”

“Only for my bad boy,” she sighed breathily as his tongue circled her clit expertly.

She really wished she was untied; the feeling of Jason’s curls in her fingers as he ate her out was one of the best feelings.

His shadow of stubble rubbed against her inner thighs, the tiny prickles adding to the experience. Jason’s tongue circled her dripping entrance, then slipped in as his thumb took over stimulating her clit, driving her closer and closer to the edge of climax.

He pulled away and she almost kicked him.

He licked his lips, grinning evilly. “Not so fun being on the receiving end, is it?”

Luckily for him, he replaced his tongue with his cock almost immediately, thrusting slow and hard.

~~~

Steph wrapped her legs around his waist, moving her hips to meet his. 

“You looked hot as sin tonight, Steph,” he panted in her ear, kissing down her jawline.

In retaliation, she licked up his neck like she’d wanted to do earlier, simultaneously tightening around him and causing him to groan, low and deep. “You really want to be done soon, don’t you?”

“I’d take it as a compliment, hot stuff.”

He moved faster, taking her challenge.

In retaliation, she tightened around him again.

He watched for the flush in her cheeks to spread down her chest, her breathing to quicken, and her legs to loosen around him before his final harshest thrusts.

She came with a cry of his name, her mouth dropping open and her muscles quivering, setting off his own orgasm.

Jason made sure to collapse beside her, not on her, reaching up to loosen the loops in the rope and free Steph’s hands. 

He kissed her swollen lips gently, pulling away only to softly reclaim them.

She curled closer, sliding her arms around his chest to gently run her nails up and down his back and comb through his messed-up hair.

"You're so warm," she murmured.

He kissed the top of her head her forehead, the tip of her nose. "Just for you."

~~~

Jason woke when Steph slipped put of bed, but decided to stay put for now.

He faintly heard the sounds of her showering, then drifted off again to the clangs from the kitchen as she rummaged through his cupboards for some breakfast.

He woke for a second time when he heard the door open and then shut, as if Steph was trying to sneak out.

She'd never done that before, so he immediately jumped out of bed, pulled his discarded pants on, and headed after her.

He jerked the door open and paused at the sight of Steph and Bruce at the foot of the stairs.

They didn't appear to notice him yet, so he quietly pulled the door shut and snuck closer, using the first stairs to hide.

"...here?" Said Bruce.

"None of your business," Steph crossed her arms over the shirt she was wearing–a Gotham Knights tee from his closet– and raised her chin. Between her wearing a shirt two sizes too big, her wild hair, and the marks visible on her neck and chest, he was pretty sure the so-called World's Greatest Detective could make a guess as to Steph’s reason for being outside his apartment. "Why are you here?"

"I was making sure you both were safe after the party last night."

"Oh, so now you're stalking us?"

Bruce grunted. "You two have been partnered on missions often this past while. It was unusual."

"Oh for goodness' sake, B, just come out and say you've lost whatever trust you had for me, and that you still don't trust your own son !" 

"This is not about trust, Stephanie, it's about making sure you're both still safe and not compromised."

Jason could practically hear Steph roll her eyes.

"That is trust, Bruce. Trust us to tell you if we're unsafe or in trouble. We have enough contingencies for if we're compromised in any way. Our only interactions are with you for our night shifts; you have no right and no need to snoop around our life if we don't share things with you. If we're a team, you have to trust us to do our part in informing you if anything inconveniences our job. We have to trust you to do your part, which is to trust us, and to have some work-life balance! Maybe if you actually trusted us and let us work as a functioning, non-codependent team, it would work and your protégés wouldn't die."

Steph's finger was jabbed firmly into a Bruce's designer suit at the end of her rant.

"Now, if you absolutely must know, I'm in love with your son and what we do outside of our working hours is none of your business. The mission last night went smoothly and there is nothing to report. Everything is under control. Go get your overpriced black coffee and maybe use that to down a chill pill while you're at it."

Steph turned and stomped back up the stairs, just missing Jason duck back inside his apartment.

He looked up from the kitchen counter where he was whisking eggs, pretending to be surprised to see her.

"Oh, you're back."

Steph huffed and leaned against the counter, watching him pour the eggs into a pan.

"Bruce knows something is up with us, and he found out about this apartment somehow."

Jason added some sliced sausages to the eggs.

"Okay."

She stared at him in confusion. "That's all?"

"I'm planning on visiting him later. We can hash it out then."

He flipped the omelet and poured two glasses of milk, sliding one over for Steph and taking a sip of the other.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Of course. You?"

"Yup."

Steph sipped her milk in silence, watching him cook.

He slid a plate with toast, omelet, and fruit over to her. "Bon appetit."

~~~

Jason knocked on the open door as he strolled into Bruce's office in Wayne Manor, dropping into the chair in front of his giant desk.

Compensating for something, Bruce?

"You and Stephanie?" Bruce asked.

"Steph and me."

Bruce looked him over consideringly. 

There was a long silence, finally broken by Bruce's sigh. "I hope neither of you get hurt."

Jason blinked. Was that a hint of caring?

He stood and headed for the door, pausing in the doorway.

"How'd you find the apartment?"

Bruce looked up. "Cass saw your car returning from the party last night when she was on patrol." He hesitated, then added, "She said you both looked happy and told me she'd followed you to the apartment. I wanted to see for myself, so I came by this morning and met Steph in the stairwell. She told me to trust you both more and that she loves you."

"I'm aware. Thanks, B."

~~~

"How'd it go?" Steph paused Gilmore Girls when Jason came home.

"He told me Cass saw us and said we looked happy, so he came to see for himself. He also told me the gist of what you lectured him on this morning."

"Oh?"

"He didn't need to, 'cause I heard it all myself."

" Oh ?"

Her voice was a bit higher now.

He crossed the floor and crouched in front of her, wrapping the discarded lasso of truth around her wrists and taking her hands in his.

"When did you fall in love with me?"

"The night I had that nightmare about Black Mask and came over, and I called you on my way and you immediately dropped your patrol to come comfort me. When I got here and waited for you, and the lock let me in. That was the moment I knew I was in love with you, but I'd been falling since before we slept together the first time. Probably since you got me Pentabux on our second patrol together." She sniffed and brought her hands up to wipe the tear spilling from her eyes, but Jason beat her to it, cupping her cheek in his hand and wiping the tear away with his thumb.

He unwrapped the rope and looped it around his wrists, yanking it with his teeth and placing his hand in hers. "Ask me."

She took a deep breath and sniffed again.

"Do you love me?"

He met her hopeful gaze steadily. "I love you, Stephanie Brown."

"When did you fall in love with me?" She gritted, biting her tongue to stall a new batch of tears.

"When I saw you comforting Damian in Batcow's stall last year; October 21st. But like you, I'd been falling for months before that. That was just the moment I knew I'd love you until the day I die."

His eyes were getting a little moist too, and Steph yanked the rope off his wrists and pulled his face to hers, mixing their tears as they kissed.

He lifted her into his arms, her legs instinctually wrapping around him as they moved down the hallway to his room. 

~~~

She barely felt her back hit the bed, consumed by his kisses and heat between them.

He peeled her shirt over her head, pushing her back against the mattress and leaning down to trail kisses down her neck.

Her nails hooked under his shirt and she yanked on it till he took it off. His nimble fingers headed for her bra; next, her underwear and sweats were jerked off in one fell swoop, then his followed.

He kissed his way up her legs, sending trails of heat rushing through her veins to pool at her centre.

Steph tugged at his hair till he came up to press his soft lips to hers, to work his way back down her body.

He nipped at a hickey from the night before, pressing his thigh between hers for her to grind against as his calloused fingers tugged at her nipples.

He bit her pulse point gently before moving up to her mouth, claiming it with his. "I love you, Steph."

"I love you," she gasped, feeling her climax building rapidly as she rode his thigh, still sensitive from the previous night. "I love you I love you I love you- Jason!"

He would never get tired of that view, Steph flushed and panting, relaxed and satisfied and looking at him with eyes full of so much love .

He pushed in slowly, closing his eyes at the feeling of her tight, welcoming heat. He moved slowly, lightly, pressing kisses to her face and neck.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping him close enough to her that he could hear her heart beating in time with his.

He slid his hand down her curves to her clit, rubbing steadily until she reached her peak, where he followed immediately after.

“I love you.”

“I love you too. So much.” She traced the lines of his face with her index finger, her touch feather-light.

“Bruce said he hoped neither of us got hurt. I think he might like you a bit more than you think.”

Steph wiggled up to be eye-to-eye to him on the pillow. “Really?”

“Yep. That’s all he said. I expected a bit more threatening or maybe a reminder of both of our screw-ups, but I think maybe what you said to him earlier got to him. I’m proud of you for standing up to him and maybe even knocking a bit of sense into him,” he squeezed his arms tighter around her.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, hooking her leg over his and sighing contentedly. “Let’s just stay like this for a bit.”

“Sounds good to me,” Jason agreed, closing his eyes and breathing in the smell of her lime shampoo. 

Soon the only noise heard through the apartment were two soft, rhythmic snores.

~~~~~FIN~~~~~

Curious about or a fan of JaySteph? Come join our 18+ JaySteph Discord Server! @jaysteph-server

#jaystephhalloween2023 #jaysteph #fic #ali writes

[smalltownfae]

Favourite Opening Lines:

“He came one late, wet spring, and brought the wide world back to my doorstep.” - Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb

“In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three.” - Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

“I lost an arm on my last trip home.” - Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

“No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream.” - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

“Let’s start with the end of the world, why don’t we?” - The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

“The  unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone.” - The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” - The Hobbit by J.R. R. Tolkien

“I’ll make my report as if I told a story, for I was taught as a child on my homeworld that Truth is a matter of the imagination.” - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

“Marley was dead, to begin with.” - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.” - A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Favourite Ending Lines:

Careful with spoilers.

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” - Animal Farm by George Orwell (Name a more iconic ending. You can’t.)

“If Hundreds Hall is haunted, however, it’s ghost doesn’t show itself to me. For I’ll turn, and am disappointed –  realising that what I am looking at is only a cracked window-pane, and that the face gazing distortedly from it, baffled and longing, is my own.” - The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (Killer reveal)

“Oh,Constance,” I said, “we are so happy.” - We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (this has the same effect on me as the ending of the movie Midsommer)

“I When they entered, they found hanging upon the wall a splendid portrait of their master as they had last seen him, in all the wonder of his exquisite youth and beauty. Lying on the floor was a dead man, in evening dress, with a knife in his heart. He was withered, wrinkled, and loathsome of visage. It was not till they had examined the rings that they recognized who it was.” - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

“In the darkness, two shadows, reaching through the hopeless, heavy dusk. Their hands meet, and light spills in a flood, like a hundred golden urns pouring out the sun.” - The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

“Wolves have no Kings.” - Royal Assassin / “We dream of carving our dragon.” - Assassin’s Quest / “She settled into it and continued towards her destiny.” - The Mad Ship / “The past is no further away than the last breath you took.” - Fool’s Errand / “Perhaps having the courage to find a better path is having the courage to risk making new mistakes.” - The Golden Fool (all by Robin Hobb)

“Hoping that this time it will remain a lullaby. That this time the wind will not hear. That this time – please just this once – it will leave without us.” - Chocolat by Joanne Harris

“And Cat, though he was still a little lonely and tearful, managed to laugh too.” - Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones

#favourite first sentences #favourite last sentences #favourite lines #booklr #I probably forgot some

[lindszeppelin]

LA girlie here who can speak to the Los Feliz comment about it being not as pap friendly/suburb etc.

LA is huge. There’s more mailing addresses that don’t say LA than there are that have Los Angeles in the addresses, despite that all of them are considered LA. Los Feliz, North Hollywood, Burbank, Encino are all apart of LA but have their own zip codes.

Los Feliz is interesting bc it’s both a fairly nice part of town but not to the level say Beverly Hills is. There’s some gorgeous old Hollywood mansions but there’s also tons of homeless people, older apartments that are nothing special or have fun character, and a mixed bag strip mall etc. Celebrities do live there (I believe Dax Sheppard and Kristen Bell famously live there) but it’s a pretty low key vibe.

And that’s the exact reason I’m writing, bc I’m sure many people don’t care about LA geography and zip codes but wanted to establish that for anyone who was curious 😂 It’s probably an attractive place for some celebrities to live bc it is low key. There’s a fun vibe-y strip that’s the “downtown” part of it, but there’s no Nobu or Ivy or anything like that. It’s NOT a paparazzi haven. So when I kept seeing Kaia doing her damn pap walks with yoga pants and/or green juices, I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes. Home girl/her team/whatever called the paps bc no paps hang out there- trust me I used to be there weekly if not more than that. It’s a quiet yet citified neighborhood with a few restaurants, bars, and shops of different genres but nothing too ritzy . There’s a diner called House of Pies across from a 7/11. It’s not fucking Rodeo drive. It’s beautiful, but it’s just a place with an assortment of people and establishments. Everyone has a story where they’ve seen a celebrity walking around there (I saw Pete Holmes once) but all anecdotes me or my friends have weren’t reported in the tabloids, in photos in magazines, or whatever bc it’s just celebrities living their lives away from paparazzi and that’s very doable in Los Feliz. It was the most absurd thing on earth to see 20 pictures of her outside Jenni’s ice cream as if she’s princess Diana bc that’s not the scene there.

Cannot speak to why Austin moved or Kaia’s thoughts on being there, but LOL to the idea that she just got randomly papped when she there. As if. LMFAO.

Hope this was fun/helpful/useful information.

LA girlie, thank you for commenting and adding in your valuable 2 cents! That was my understanding of Los Feliz, that it's a sort of "antiquated" vibe that has a lot of private residences and its away from the hustle and bustle of the main city y'know. I think that vibe fits Austin so well, which is why he lived there in the first place. And of course I remember as well Kaia calling the paps every damn time she was down in Los Feliz. That is not Austin's vibe at all, in my humble opinion.

This was extremely helpful, it's much appreciated! It's a shame he got papped outside the front door of his new home. This is the problem now that he is more inside the city. I'm sure Kaia is thriving now that he is more central to the action. But he seemed to enjoy living in Los Feliz. It's a quaint type of vibe, it's away from the paps, he can live his life in somewhat secrecy. But not anymore now that he moved. But anyway, thank you yet again for your comments!!

#lindsay's anon asks

[redemptivexheroics]

@inkdreamt​

Steve was at home with Diana having a glass of wine after just finishing dinner, just enjoying each other’s company, which was more and more these days since the twins moved on to college, he was just telling Diana an old story before the war when his phone rang and he looked at it and saw it was Kassandra. “Its our daughter” Steve said as he answered but his face looked worried as Kassandra was freaking out on the phone. “Kassandra slow down, breath, what do you mean your brother’s missing, when was the last time you talked to him?” Steve said as he looked over to Diana who he knew could hear Kassandra perfectly. Suddenly Kassandra hung up and was standing in the living room. 

“I looked everywhere dad, I checked his dorm, checked with his friends, the campus, everywhere that Jason likes to hang out and no sign of him, Ares is out there looking for him, so is Athena but so far, nothing. I tried calling and texting but got no response” 

Kassandra said as she sat down, she was panicking, she didn’t know what to do, she didn’t know if her parents would be angry, all she knew is she had to find Jason, he had to be alright. “I’m sorry” 

#Steve Trevor #Kassandra Trevor #Gods Among Us [DCEU Crossover] #Diana #inkdreamt

[rainbowriddler]

Dianakko Week 2022 - Day 2: Sports/Competition

@dianakko-week

Wife Material

Melancholy…

That’s what Lotte was feeling—had been all day, in fact.

With a heavy sigh, she removed her glasses to clean them with the handkerchief in her pocket.  Her latest reread of Nightfall lay forgotten in the grass beside her as she absentmindedly wiped her lenses clean.  After a time, she held her glasses up to inspect them.

Good enough, she supposed, slipping them back into place.

She heaved another sigh and glanced down at the book beside her.  Oddly, she had no real motivation to read it, and she gazed forlornly at its cover.

She gave yet another sigh and slumped against the tree she sat beneath, hanging her head dejectedly.

“Jeez,” came a voice from above her.  “If you keep that up, I might even start feeling bad…”

Normally, Lotte would have been surprised to hear Amanda above her.  Today, though, she simply looked up into the branches to find the girl lounging amongst the leaves and shrugged her shoulders at her.  But even that almost seemed like too much effort, and Lotte let her head loll to the side as she dropped her gaze to regard the few others in the courtyard.

There was a rustling above her (and a bit of swearing), and a moment later Amanda was hopping down to sit beside her.  She settled in a very unladylike manner, one knee propped while the other lay on the grass, and her arm draped over her knee.  She sat silently for a bit, but Lotte could tell she was keeping a close watch on her from the corner of her eye.  But when Lotte failed to offer any explanation for her mood, Amanda switched tactics.

With an exaggerated sigh, she stretched her arms over her head and leaned her back against the tree beside Lotte’s.  “So,” she started, somehow managing to convey concern even through the practiced carelessness.  “What’s eating you?”

“I guess…I’m just a little homesick is all.”

Amanda nodded with a light grunt.  She could totally feel that.  “It’s hard, bein’ away from home.”

“Yeah…” Lotte agreed somberly.

They sat in companionable silence for a while, watching the sky and the other students together.  Nightfall continued to lay neglected on the ground.  Lotte didn’t even know why she’d bothered to bring it.  She was missing home so badly it was even making her stomach queasy.

“I think I miss our family trips the most,” Lotte confided.  “It’s about the time of year we would all go see Eukonkanto.”

That got Amanda’s attention.  “A-oo-what?”

Lotte spared her an amused smile before telling her, “It’s a wife-carrying competition.”

Amanda sat up, all excitement at the sheer ridiculousness of this revelation.  “Wife-carrying?”

Lotte, of course, recognized the devilish expression on Amanda’s face.  Even so, she carried on with a brief explanation of the sport and related a few funny anecdotes about the times she and her family had gone to see the competition in person.

“It’s silly,” she admitted, “but I miss it.”

“Oh-ho-ho!  Don’t you worry, Lotte!”  Lotte was briefly worried when Amanda abruptly jumped up from the ground and brushed the grass off her bottom.  “I am on it!”

The thumbs up Amanda gave, coupled with the fiery look in her eyes and the absolute Cheshire grin across her face filled Lotte with a sinking sense of dread.

--------

It wasn’t long before Amanda returned with a handful of others in tow, the notable exceptions being Diana and Hannah.  Apparently, they were otherwise occupied and would be along shortly.

In any case, Amanda gathered those present into a small circle near the tree Lotte sat beneath.  Sucy and Barbara sat near Lotte, offering easy smiles that put the girl more at ease than she’d been all day.

“Amanda!” Akko whined.  “You said we were gonna play a game!”

“Oh no…” Lotte muttered.

But it was too late to stop the nonsense that was about to ensue.  She watched with a strange sort of embarrassed intrigue as Amanda puffed her chest and proudly crowed, “You got that right!  We’re gonna do some wife-carrying!”

Barbara balked, squawking, “What?” just as Akko deadpanned a, “Wut?”

The FWAP of Lotte’s head smacking into her palms was audible to the entire group (and even a few students lingering nearby).  Beside her, she heard the “Kekeke!” of Sucy’s snickering.  But even as embarrassed as she was, she couldn’t keep the smile off her face.  She was actually…glad for Amanda’s antics here, and found herself giggling lightly as well.

And in that moment, Lotte realized she didn’t have to feel as lonely as she had been.  She had a family right in front of her.

A loud, and mostly dysfunctional family, if the ensuing commotion surrounding Amanda’s explanation of the sport was anything to go by, but a family nonetheless.

“All right!” Amanda concluded after her brief overview of Lotte’s brief overview.  “Races are run two at a time!  Who’s facing me?”

Of course, Akko shot right up and pumped her fist in the air, “I’ll go!  But, uh…” she glanced over the rest of the group doubtfully, sizing everybody up.  “Who are we gonna use for wives?”

The same grin that had sparked dread within Lotte just a short while ago resurfaced on Amanda’s face.  “Oh, don’t you worry,” she said with a wink.  “They’ll be coming any minute!”

Lotte didn’t understand what she meant right away and, judging by the expression on her face, neither did Akko.  But just a few moments later, a streak of blonde caught Lotte’s eye from the open corridor surrounding the courtyard.

“Oh!” she squeaked, immediately recognizing Diana and Hannah as they stepped out onto the grass.

Amanda turned to the duo and hollered, “Well, speak of the devils!”

Akko, eyes lighting up, dropped the bottom of her fist into her palm with a soft plap, “Ah!”

Normally, Lotte would have warned them.  Normally, she would have scolded Amanda and Akko for even thinking of involving the girls in something so ridiculous.  Normally, Barbara would have, too.  But, just like Lotte, she simply sat and watched as Amanda played Diana and asked her for some temporary landscaping magic.

“It’s for a game Akko and I wanna play!” she explained, conveniently leaving out the roles Diana and Hannah would be playing in said game.  “Please?”

It was clear she was about to decline, but then Akko jumped in on the begging, giving her best puppy eyes to the young prodigy.  “Pleeeaase, Daiana?” she asked, purposely exaggerating her Japanese accent.

Barbara facepalmed beside Lotte, whispering, “Ohh, she’s such a sucker for that!”

“For what?” Lotte asked, even as Diana tried to stutter out an excuse about rules and regulations and…

“She won’t admit to it directly, but she’s soft for when Akko’s accent slips through.”

“What a nerd,” Sucy added.  Then, to Jasminka, “Don’t you think?”

Jasminka laughed a little bit, unwrapping a small candy, “It’s cute.”

Constanze nodded.

Still, none of the girls warned Diana and Hannah as they worked together to create the one-meter pool and fences of two different heights.

“Nice!” Amanda complimented, while Akko stared in awe with a half-whispered, “Wow!”

Diana brushed a bit of hair away from her face, more out of habit than any real obstruction of her vision.  “It’s not the fanciest, but it should suffice for whatever little game the two of you are playing.”

Hannah agreed with a self-satisfied nod.

…Which is when it all went south.

Without warning, Amanda lurched forward, grabbed Hannah, and threw her upside-down over her shoulder as she took off running.  “Last one around the courtyard’s a flat-foot!” she called over her shoulder, Hannah screaming all the way.

“HEY!” Akko yelled after her, waving a fist in the air, “Amanda, that’s cheating!”  Then, without a moment’s hesitation, she turned to Diana.

Suddenly very wary of the determined sparkle in Akko’s eyes, Diana took a step back, “A-Akko,” she warned, voice wavering.  But when Akko stiffly offered a quick bow and said, “Daiana!  Yurushite kudasai!” with an earnest intensity that she rarely heard, she couldn’t help the weakness in her knees.  It didn’t stop her from shouting when Akko immediately drove forward and slung her over her shoulders.  Crush or not, there was no way she was going to take this quietly.

Even if she was going to enjoy every minute of it.

------------

They’d lost, of course.

Even with Akko’s impressive strength and speed, Amanda’s head start had given her and Hannah the advantage.

“Best two out of three!” Akko shouted at her friend.

“No way!” countered Hannah.  “You guys lost, fair and square!”

“Seriously?”  Diana offered a glare towards her teammate.  “That was hardly fair!”

“Don’t complain!” Hannah pointed a finger in Diana’s face (somewhere on the sidelines, Lotte and Barbara gasped at the boldness of such a move), making the blonde flinch backwards.  “At least Akko carried you so your skirt wouldn’t flip up!”

“Hey!  You know it’s no picnic having your face on my butt!” Amanda defended herself.

Hannah had the decency to blush at that.  “Oh, like I’d want your butt in my face to begin with!”

“Two out of three!” Akko demanded again.

“Fair’s fair,” Diana agreed.

“Fine!” relented Amanda.

Hannah crossed her arms, “You’re on!”

----------------

It turned into an afternoon full of laughter.  Somewhere through the races, the crowd of students had grown—some even participating while Akko and Amanda rested between runs.  It was something Lotte took great joy in (it really did start to feel like the real thing), and eventually she didn’t feel so homesick after all.

During her friends’ races, Lotte and Barbara gossiped about Diana’s obvious crush on Akko, and how they weren’t altogether sure if Akko was completely oblivious or not.  They commented on Amanda and Hannah’s love-hate relationship and whether they would eventually grow out of the hate portion or if they had too much fun with it.

By the time any of their professors happened by, it was much too late to put much of a stop to their little impromptu event.  Chariot even managed to convince Professor Finneran to join in the fun through some crazy alignment of the stars with nothing more than a cheery, “If you can’t beat ‘em…” and half a smile.  The whoops and hollers that rose from the gathered girls as Chariot and Finneran lined up beside Akko and Diana was deafening.

Neither of the younger girls had anticipated the adults playing dirty, Finneran casting a quick spell to make the ground slide beneath Akko’s feet just as she was entering the pool.  Poor Akko splashed into the water face-first, Diana dragged along after her.  A moment later saw Akko, dripping and cursing after her teachers.

“Of all the dirty—”

Diana coughed and sputtered as she broke the surface just after Akko, whipping her soaking wet hair out of her face and brandishing her wand as she commanded Akko to get back on her feet.  She was red-faced and angry, but a little bit of cheating wouldn’t stop her!

Akko slung Diana over her shoulder again and took off through the rest of the pool.  The moment she picked up speed again, Diana growled a spell that shot forth from her wand, creating a magical tendril that captured Chariot around the ankle and tripped her.  She thrilled at Akko’s cackle as their professors crashed to the ground.

Unfortunately, their victory was short-lived.  Just as Akko was catching up to them, Finneran managed to free Chariot’s ankle and they recovered, taking off at top speed.

And heavens above if the girls hadn’t forgotten just how fast Chariot was!

--------------------

High above the courtyard, Headmistress Holbrooke watched the proceedings with a witchy little laugh.

#dianakko #diakko #Diana/Akko #dianakkoweek #diana cavendish/akko kagari #diana cavendish/atsuko kagari #akko kagari #atsuko kagari #akko #diana #diana cavendish #lwa #fanfiction #fanfic #my fanfiction #my posts #lwa fanfic #little witch academia

[diana-fortyseven]

September Roadmap babyyyyyy

Here's the link to the blog post.

Let's go over it together, shall we?

Elusive Target Arcade

September 1

To kick off September we have new Elusive Target Arcades with a very illuminating unlock. In this Arcade players will take on The Infiltrators which consists of: The Paparazzo, The Stowaway, and The Collector. With these come one complication – you may only change disguise once. Players can also go head to head with: The Twin, The Politician and The Black Hat in The Illusory Elusive Target Arcade. In this batch pacifications are limited. 

The first batch sounds more interesting than the second one, but both feature two of my least favourite complications.

Yeah, I don't know what to say to this. Can't we get one of those topless raver outfits NPCs in Berlin are wearing instead?

It doesn't look bad, it's just... There are a few outfits in this trilogy I want to get before we go full GTA Online.

September 15

Come September 15, you can complete your Ducky Collection with the stylish “anonymous” Lucky Ducky Suit. Don’t be fooled by this lovely, soft yellow hoodie, decorated with a cute “duck” motif. Though it might show that your blood is yellow – be bold, because you know it’s stone cold. Black skinny jeans included. Complete one of the new Elusive Target Arcades The Blusterous or The Bombastic – and the suit is yours. Good duck.

But... You didn't tell us which targets we'll get??

This outfit is actually quite adorable. Not something 47 would choose to wear if he had the choice, though. Maybe Diana got it for him so he has something cosy to wear for their weekends at home.

Featured Contracts

September 8

It’s time to go island hopping in this upcoming batch of Featured Contracts. The theme is Visit Ambrose, and takes players back to the newest location in HITMAN 3. Visit Ambrose is a tricky theme, its main focus is the new HITMAN 3 location. But that being said, if you can find a sneaky way to frame it around Visit Ambrose without use of the level – it still counts.

Looking forward to those, even though I've fallen a bit behind on featured contracts since they stopped adding unlocks.

Elusive Targets

September 16: The Rage

Your target’s codename is ‘The Rage’ and he’s back in Chongqing once again. He’s a former middleweight champion who’s on the run for taking one fight way too far. He didn’t get the nickname ‘Crusher’ for no reason, so make sure you stay on your toes for this one.

Actually a nice target. Happy to see this one's a Year Two Edition target (all of them are), so I get to kill him again. Not sure how to do it this time, though.

September 23: The Stowaway

It’s time to jump on a boat and go back to the Isle of Sgàil to find this elusive target. Your target is Jimmy Chen, a cynical and paranoid tabloid journalist who literally kills for a good story.  Your mission is to eliminate him and recover his dictaphone. But be careful, and don’t let him spot you – because this target has some unique behavior and will react to your presence.

I feel like I've killed this target way too many times by now. Maybe I'll let him change his disguise and move on a few times. I usually kill him while he's still wearing his starting disguise.

September 30: The Surgeons

Your targets are Dr. Pavel Frydel and Dr. Akane Akenawa, brilliant and unethical transplant surgeons. They’ve arrived at the hyper-exclusive GAMA facility in Hokkaido, where they’ll be for 10 days starting September 30. One surgery went wrong, and they made a very powerful enemy. A billionaire who lost his son. Your client offers a substantial bonus if the targets are eliminated in a manner appropriate to the death of their former patient. Poetic justice? Good luck. 

I like them! They're interesting, they have funny dialogue, and I like that they hang out and walk around at different locations.

Free Location: Hokkaido

September 22

The Free Location Rotation gives all players the chance to enjoy a location from the World of Assassination. This time you’re going to Japan to visit the hyper-exclusive GAMA facility in Hokkaido. You have 10 days to enjoy everything the location has to offer. From the hot springs to life-saving surgery. Time to beat your old high score on Doki Doki Pow Pow. Have fun.

That's nice for people who don't own Hitman 2016. There'll be lots of whining on Reddit anyway, though, especially since you have to own all three games to play the Arcade.

TL;DR

Not a bad month, but the roadmap is missing information on the second group of ETA batches, and... Yeah, September is both 47's and Diana's birthday month. I would've lowkey expected something more birthday-themed.

Hey, maybe Diana got him the ducky hoodie as a birthday gift?

#Hitman #Hitman 3 #Hitman 3 Year 2 #Hitman September 2022 #Hitman Fandom

[shannyh25]

“No, I can’t say I’m sorry,” said Marilla, who sometimes wondered how she could have lived before Anne came to Green Gables, “no, not exactly sorry. If you’ve finished your lessons, Anne, I want you to run over and ask Mrs. Barry if she’ll lend me Diana’s apron pattern.”

“Oh—it’s—it’s too dark,” cried Anne.

“Too dark? Why, it’s only twilight. And goodness knows you’ve gone over often enough after dark.”

“I’ll go over early in the morning,” said Anne eagerly. “I’ll get up at sunrise and go over, Marilla.”

“What has got into your head now, Anne Shirley? I want that pattern to cut out your new apron this evening. Go at once and be smart too.”

“I’ll have to go around by the road, then,” said Anne, taking up her hat reluctantly.

“Go by the road and waste half an hour! I’d like to catch you!”

“I can’t go through the Haunted Wood, Marilla,” cried Anne desperately.

Marilla stared.

“The Haunted Wood! Are you crazy? What under the canopy is the Haunted Wood?”

“The spruce wood over the brook,” said Anne in a whisper.

“Fiddlesticks! There is no such thing as a haunted wood anywhere. Who has been telling you such stuff?”

“Nobody,” confessed Anne. “Diana and I just imagined the wood washaunted. All the places around here are so—so—COMMONPLACE. We just gotthis up for our own amusement. We began it in April. A haunted wood isso very romantic, Marilla. We chose the spruce grove because it’s sogloomy. Oh, we have imagined the most harrowing things. There’s a whitelady walks along the brook just about this time of the night and wringsher hands and utters wailing cries. She appears when there is to be adeath in the family. And the ghost of a little murdered child haunts thecorner up by Idlewild; it creeps up behind you and lays its cold fingerson your hand—so. Oh, Marilla, it gives me a shudder to think of it. Andthere’s a headless man stalks up and down the path and skeletons glowerat you between the boughs. Oh, Marilla, I wouldn’t go through theHaunted Wood after dark now for anything. I’d be sure that white thingswould reach out from behind the trees and grab me.” listened in dumb amazement. “Anne Shirley, do you mean to tell me youbelieve all that wicked nonsense of your own imagination?” “Not believe EXACTLY,” faltered Anne. “At least, I don’t believe it in daylight. But after dark, Marilla, it’s different. That is when ghosts walk.”

“Did ever anyone hear the like!” ejaculated Marilla, who hadlistened in dumb amazement. “Anne Shirley, do you mean to tellme you believe all that wicked nonsense of your own imagination?”

“Not believe EXACTLY,” faltered Anne. “At least, I don’tbelieve it in daylight. But after dark, Marilla, it’sdifferent. That is when ghosts walk.”

“There are no such things as ghosts, Anne.”

“Oh, but there are, Marilla,” cried Anne eagerly. “I know people who have seen them. And they are respectable people. Charlie Sloane says that his grandmother saw his grandfather driving home the cows one night after he’d been buried for a year. You know Charlie Sloane’s grandmother wouldn’t tell a story for anything. She’s a very religious woman. And Mrs. Thomas’s father was pursued home one night by a lamb of fire with its head cut off hanging by a strip of skin. He said he knew it was the spirit of his brother and that it was a warning he would die within nine days. He didn’t, but he died two years after, so you see it was really true. And Ruby Gillis says—”

“Anne Shirley,” interrupted Marilla firmly, “I never want to hear you talking in this fashion again. I’ve had my doubts about that imagination of yours right along, and if this is going to be the outcome of it, I won’t countenance any such doings. You’ll go right over to Barry’s, and you’ll go through that spruce grove, just for a lesson and a warning to you. And never let me hear a word out of your head about haunted woods again.”

Anne might plead and cry as she liked—and did, for her terror was very real. Her imagination had run away with her and she held the spruce grove in mortal dread after nightfall. But Marilla was inexorable. She marched the shrinking ghost-seer down to the spring and ordered her to proceed straightaway over the bridge and into the dusky retreats of wailing ladies and headless specters beyond.

“Oh, Marilla, how can you be so cruel?” sobbed Anne. “What would you feel like if a white thing did snatch me up and carry me off?”

“I’ll risk it,” said Marilla unfeelingly. “You know I always mean what I say. I’ll cure you of imagining ghosts into places. March, now.”

Anne marched. That is, she stumbled over the bridge and went shuddering up the horrible dim path beyond. Anne never forgot that walk. Bitterly did she repent the license she had given to her imagination. The goblins of her fancy lurked in every shadow about her, reaching out their cold, fleshless hands to grasp the terrified small girl who had called them into being. A white strip of birch bark blowing up from the hollow over the brown floor of the grove made her heart stand still. The long-drawn wail of two old boughs rubbing against each other brought out the perspiration in beads on her forehead. The swoop of bats in the darkness over her was as the wings of unearthly creatures. When she reached Mr. William Bell’s field she fled across it as if pursued by an army of white things, and arrived at the Barry kitchen door so out of breath that she could hardly gasp out her request for the apron pattern. Diana was away so that she had no excuse to linger. The dreadful return journey had to be faced. Anne went back over it with shut eyes, preferring to take the risk of dashing her brains out among the boughs to that of seeing a white thing. When she finally stumbled over the log bridge she drew one long shivering breath of relief.

“Well, so nothing caught you?” said Marilla unsympathetically.

“Oh, Mar—Marilla,” chattered Anne, “I’ll b-b-be contt-tented with c-c-commonplace places after this.” Lucy Maud Montgomery quotes- Anne Of Green Gables.

Follow me for more inspiration! 💜💜

#anne of green gables #anne shirley cuthbert #marilla cuthbert #follow for updates #follow for follow #lucy maud montgomery

[blurrycow]

HI DISCLAIMER. THIS POST IS THE ENTIRE PLOT OF MY ORIGINAL STORY. IF YOU STEAL ANY PARTS OF IT I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND MAKE A SWORD OUT OF THE FORGED REMAINS OF YOUR BONES.

anyway hi! i wanted to post scenes from my original story but you guys dont have context, so i wrote down the entire plot last night. Here it is, four pages of fuckery!

Prologue explores senator Tritny Silver. We get a glimpse into her past and how she became senator. We meet the other senators. We see her make the law, although it is not clear what the law is yet to the reader. 

We cut to ash. Ash is a poor but blissfully happy ten year old child living in a gross trailer park, kind of like adam parrish. Ash gets home from hanging out with his friend and his parents tell him about the law, which we find out in all its horror- families must ship out one child to work in the country’s army. In ash’s case this is tonetra, the country run by surprise surprise- tritny silver

So ash leaves and is reasonably distressed. 

And then we cut to xander

Except xander has already been shipped out and he’s on the train to rankolay

(rankolay has been famously attacking tonetra in bombing and attacks)

There is a girl on the train with him. Her name is Anthea Jackson and she helps Xander escape by jumping off the train into Grifixth. Xander is Okay (I promise). He finds a homeless shelter and stays there for as long as possible. 

and then we cut to anthea because of course she is important and appears again

Anthea is just chillin in the train, resigned to her fate when Cricket comes onto the train and talks to her. He recruits her for the Underground Society, which is a group run by Prentiss Amtrite (former Representative (like the leader under the Senator) of Rankolay with Mikael Feliks) focused on taking out the senators

nEW POV we meet Diana, who works with the Rankoliks. Her mom and dad are trusted workers there, and Diana learns of her mother’s plans to launch a bomb onto Grifixth. Of course Diana is Not Cool with this and decides to stop her mother from releasing the bomb

On her way to stop her mom and destroy the bomb she runs into Kaylah, who is trying to sneak in to dismantle the bomb aLSO because she was eavsdropping and wanted to stop it

(they are both sapphics but im bad at writing that stuff so it is not directly stated) 

They don’t end up dismantaling the bomb (remember, it is going to decimate Grifixth! And that is where Xander is!)

Cut back to Ash, because he is great and also aroace

He is sixteen now! time skip who lmao

He is best friends with a guy in the tonetran army with him, who is called Finley. Finley is a sweet bean who deserves the world, and Ash is also a sweet bean who deserves the world. They are a pot of smushed mashed refried beans that deserve the world. They should hold it together I think

Their general who is named Soleil tells them to go investigate what Rankolay is up to because ever since the Bombing Of Grifixth a few years ago, they have had muted activity and basically are being very sus. Sussy bakas. Anyway sol is like ‘go investigate, because you guys are stupid and expendable’ so ash and finley go, and,,, yeah they get captured. No surprises there. The rankoliks experiment on them to see what superhuman powers they will get so they can inject it into tHEIR armies for the war vs tonetra that is Soon To Come. 

Finley is shot trying to escape, (spoiler alert he dies) and Ash manages to escape, after the scientists who captured them injected the weird stuff in his veins. Originally I had him get powers after this but now I’ve just decided it heightens all his senses to an insane degree

Ash escapes!

Cut back in time to Kaylah and Diana, who meet Xander where all the prisoners are (because YEAH HE GOT CAPTURED TOO. ALL THESE GUYS ARE DUMB WHAT THE SHIT) (but seriously it was because after the bombing rankolay looked for survivors and they found him) 

(Diana and Kaylah free him :D) 

The trio rescues a bunch of other Rankolik prisoners (including but not limited to: Oliver, Alister, Prism, Lia, and others if i remember) 

One of the prisoners (monalee sampson who spoiler alert is general soleil’s sister) has a house that belonged to her late aunt that is still intact in the part of grifixth that wasn’t completely destroyed by the bomb. They go there for refuge. Mona’s aunt called it the Mission, so that is what it is referred to throughout the book. 

Cut back to Anthea, who is meeting Prentiss. Prentiss is basically like ‘are you good’ and anthea says yes and so now they work together to assassin people yay

Cut back to the present AKA the timeline with Ash and by now it is far enough in the future that the Mission is an established organization. Ash sees a poster for it and decides to go there to hide. It is good because it seems like Mona’s adopting a new kid every minute. Shes only 23 good god she cant handle these 29 adolescents 

Xander opens the door and is a little bitch to Ash but Ash is not dettered! He instead is depressed and insistent because Xander for fucks sake his best friend in the world just got shot to death by the enemy let him in good lord

EVERYONE IN THE MISSION (besides kaylah and diana) has heightened senses from the rankoliks, some at a worrying degree

Mona does let him stay because she’s much nicer than I will ever be and because she has more time than i ever will

(Xander is fifteen here)

Heres the deal on the key players in the mission:

Kaylah: nice. She’s very very nice. Compassionate. A bit of a doormat person. Doglike personality.

Diana: Cynical but overall pretty chill. Likes computers, and also sleep. Does not give a fuck about 80% of her adopted siblings. Kind of like tori from heartstopper but older ig 

Alister: sweetest guy alive. Always asking how he can help. Very smart and the peacemaker of the house. Best friends with Prism, for some reason. 

Prism: largest asshole to walk the earth. Lost her brother to the rankoliks and they werent able to free him in time when they escaped. She thinks this makes her entitled to be a dick. It does not. She is Mean

Mona: runs the place! Empath and also a little bit overwhelmed 24/7, which is reasonable. She should hire a babysitter tbh. Always rushing all over the place. 

Anyway 

Ash meets the fam and basically is very tired and wants to be left alone which is fair because his best friend just died and hes overwhelmed as fuck

Cut to xander! Timelines have now aligned and there will be no more time jumping

He tells mona about how the Underground Society contacted him today to ask about pairing up to murder Senator Mikael Feliks (because hes an asshole and a shit leader) (remember what I said about the Mission being sort of influential now?) 

Mona rejects them because even though feliks is a bad leader, his Representative is even worse and she doesnt want him to take over office

Anyway prentiss demands an audience anyway so monas like FINE and Xander goes with her to meet with the underground society including Anthea and Cricket. Anthea is like OMG ITS YOU TRAIN BOY and Xander doesnt recognize her because its been like four-ish years, christ, but she still knows who he is. Anyway they do resolve not to kill Feliks (with much convincing) 

We have a couple depressing Ash flashbacks for filler (and to get more of a feeling of who Finley was when he was alive. So we can be sadder that he died.) 

While mona and Xander are meeting with the US prism is negotiating with the rankoliks to get her brother back

(she told them that if she gave them the mission’s location, they would give her her brother)

Anyway xander and mona get back and the whole place blows up (thanks prism!) 

Mona dies. She is the only casualty and the only mother some of them have ever known. Kaylah is taken! Prism also does not get her brother back, because the rankoliks were lying all along. 

Xander is Pissed and shoves Prism off a cliff

(she’s saved by Alister!) (no she doesn't die. Yes she's still an asshole but now she feels Shame) (good) 

They go to save Kaylah, all 29-ish of them. They resolve that the only way to save the world from the Labs forever is to blow them all up. Diana goes on a killing spree and murders all the guards. Alister helps her. Then Diana goes to rescue Kaylah 

She sees her mom as she’s going back. (atm Xander is hooking up the dynamite)

Her mom tries to convince her to come back home. Diana says no and drops the match. 

She, her mom, and the Labs all go up in an explosion. 

(she dies.)

Epilogue. dinner time at the mission. Everyone minus diana and mona are at the table.

The end :)

#ngl i think this was the most gen z sounding thing ive ever written in my life #my writing #original writing #ocs #my ocs #writing #writers on tumblr #im a little terrified that someone's gonna steal this #please dont steal this it took me two years to work all of it out #im honestly so proud of all this. These babies are my life's work

[natto-axolotl]

idk if u still do this anymore but do u have anymore brawlhalla hcs to share? special for Ember, Dusk, & Jaeyun? haha if u don’t just ignore this ask

ahh sorry for getting to this so late!!! and i always have hcs i just dont have a good place to share em wkdnbdkwn (readmore cause it got too long HAHA)

Ember

she's deeply empathetic, and also a great problem solver!!! a miracle worker when it comes to defusing conflict. now if only that would work on whatever the hell diana and mordex have

eats trail mix, has not been able to shake the habit of sporadic snacking in lieu of actual meals

T A L L (stolen from someone on twitter)

doesn't 100% forgive nor blame dusk. due to (in my hcs) being left at the fangwild's mercy as its guardian since she was 7, ember knows only bits about the conflict between the aesir and the elves, so to her dusk just kinda jumped out of the blue all riled up. after learning about his background it somewhat mitigates her righteous anger at Being Killed, and all that

has a sort of 6th sense when it comes to distortions in the fabric of the universe (having lived in one her whole life)

semicanon but does recurve archery!!!

good with a knife and knowledgable about hunting, neither picky with her food nor squeamish about live slaughter

can and will eat bugs

dumbest stunt done post-death is probably trying to hookshot using diana's bow and falling

fairly uninvolved with the gossip mill of the tournament, only tunes in if it's relevant to her desire to go home or if ragnir and the rest of the fangwild gang are also involved

sees ragnir as a brother, dusk as a mildly annoying but fun companion at best and asshole at worst, and arcadia as a peer and weirdly enough, a teacher (despite arcadia technically being her junior)

fangies (bmg fight me on this)

eager to learn about novel technology but often can't seem to find a use for it. and then someone got her into photography

lots of scars, but the permanent one that killed her is a bruise on her chest, in a swirl the same shape as the one on dusk's orb

val, mordex and dusk are the people she dislikes the most

dusk

let's get it out of the way, there's a lot wrong with this man but the most pressing one is that he has a frankly bruised beyond repair ego and that's what makes him so insufferable

high metabolism and abuses it to the point where he has drank nothing but coffee once and. paid the price dearly!!!

also related, but faints and gets dizzy easily due to the whole "in prison for 400+ years" shtick. grody scars as well

easier to say who he likes than who he doesn't. tolerates ember, tries to actively avoid arcadia, will draw blood over simple conversation with ragnir. him and ulgrim have bitter, bitter emotions between each other.

would be heavily susceptible to victor frankenstein's entire story arc

tolerates hanging around the "evil" legends, but everyone there knows that they don't really like each other and are just using other people to further their own goals. miserable people all the way down!!!

was not aware of how sexy his sideboob was until someone pointed it out after he died.

is generally unaware he's considered attractive. styles his hair like this out of habit not because it makes him look like a bad boy type

regards kor with a weird mix of pride, disgust, shame, hope, and genuine love. kor's basically his son, but he's also a machine of war that was designed for one goal, which it failed, and that technically makes kor defective. but dusk can't really bring himself to call kor that, not when he's found his niche.

has tried to take val apart multiple times. in an alternate universe (maybe after the world ends) dusk would've ended up in robotics

before his imprisonment, dusk's hair was long and worn in a variety of styles. now it's too short to be braided with practicality in mind.

his orb doubles as a massage gun, bluetooth speaker, hot water bottle, keyboard, night light, morse signaler, and metal detector, among other things. think nautica's wrench from mtmte, and he's always adding more shit to it.

dumbest stunt was openly shittalking thor when he joined the tournament and registered with orb. dusk had to be picked out of the cracked concrete for the next 5 days.

wrists are pretty fucked from 200+ years id manacles, and the Killing Scar is a cut running from dusk's collarbone to his left thigh, left by orma (arcadia's sword)

hss taken to baking (much to kaya, cassidy and zariel's glee). secretly finds it enjoyable. don't tell anyone.

once drank so much coffee he died from a heart attack

knowledgable on older asgardian legislature, history and culture, which gets him the affectionate title of nerd

prev hc ties into a bigger hc where nix and Asgard are locked in a legal battle to see if they can loophole a way for the reaper to safely reao nai, whereas asgard wants to stress and strengthen the pan-pantheon protection it has in its einherjar. like legally blonde but with dead people and 1 blonde

likes seasoned porridge. still working uo spice tolerance, he ate something too pungent and started crying.

ignores the rumor mill as much as possible. if it were up to dusk the only thing he would like to hear about is the intrinsic working of the divintiy of asgard, but instead he gets hot goss abour whether or not two people are snogging.

Jaeyun

actually not too great of a person. if we're looking at it practically, makes sense as he's a merc, he's gotta be able to take any job for some cash. and he has murdered or attempted to before???

was once part of the civil service before calling it quits and becoming a soldier. not as good at law and boring bureaucratic work as some other legends, but knows the basics and would like Not to go back, please!!!

knows a fair bit of ambient magic manipulation, but nothing bigger than moving rocks and creating wind.

one of the most prolific betters among the legends and almost perpetually broke. do not let him find out about gacha games.

high wis low int. clever as hell but can be dumb as balls.

due to his habit of taking odd jobs jaeyun knows random bits of knowledge and is a very empathetic person; after you've seen so much you start to find patterns and bright spots in the lives of people around you, big or small

looooves grilled and street food: cheap, easy to eat on the go, filling, and flavorful. sundae with tteokbokki after a long day of work is jaeyun's ideal of a comfort meal.

jajeongmyeon might not have been introduced when jaeyun was alive but you bet your ass he loves it when he finds it in valhalla

prolific tax evader and embezzler in life, will take ur mammoth coins after dying

compared to dusk and ember jaeyun is not hung up about being dead at all. it's a natural part of life, and though he is a bit sad the fact that he's done so much in kife to be considered notable for valhalla is enough to keep him happy.

a decent bargainer and reasonably charismatic. not as good as mordex or Caspian, but he does have a definite pull to his personality that you can't help but overlook his war crimes and bad money habits for

hates cats. terrified of asuri. thinks butterscotch is secretly helping fait as part of a greater coalition of cats against him.

very awkward with Jiro like "heyyy howsit been since i tried to kill you" awkward

hes Big and its not just all muscle im sick and tired of people drawing him skinny. LET JAEYUN BE CHUBBY

has tried to snowboard on his sword. fell, broke his nose, stayed inside the rest of the day

embezzles out of habit, not the worst liar bit he does jump to half-true coverups most of the time

#brawlhalla #headcanons #natto blabbos #natto writes #natto answers #ask #anon #ember #ember brawlhalla #brawlhalla ember #dusk #dusk brawlhalla #brawlhalla dusk #jaeyun #jaeyun brawlhalla #brawlhalla jaeyun #SORRY FOR THE LATE RESPONSE I HOPE THIS IS ENOUGH FOOD TEEHEE #i had a lot of fun trying to flesh em all out with these :D #i hope you like them!!! #also catch me on discord at natto 8856 for more headcanons #my hcs

[tonopahfallshq]

Name: Cole Monroe Age: 37 Occupation: Mechanic Time living in Tonopah: 22 years Neighborhood: Webster Village Gang Affiliation: Sons of Silence - President Face Claim: Charlie Hunnam

Biography: (tw: death/murder )

Diana Monroe was a Tonopah Falls native who made her living working at Lust Gentlemen’s Club. She was especially known for her Marilyn Monroe act, a show that quickly earned the attention of none other than Jeffrey Decker. It didn’t take long for them to engage in a sexual relationship behind his family’s back and well out of the public eye. About six months into their affair, a positive pregnancy test popped the picture perfect bubble Diana thought she’d been living in. As expected, Jeffrey was furious and more concerned about his public image than the child she was carrying. Immediately, and without a second thought, he demanded that Diana get an abortion– even if he had to pay for it, but she refused. And so he made her go away.

Packing every bit of what she owned, which admittedly wasn’t very much, Diana left her home, her brother Michael, and everything she’d ever known just to keep Jeffrey’s threats at bay. She eventually settled in Knoxville, Tennessee, and soon fell into the same old habits she couldn’t outrun no matter how far she strayed from Tonopah Falls. Cole Michael Monroe was born on April 14, 1985– a month and a half early and tweaking on his mother’s cocaine. Not expected to survive, Cole spent the next several weeks in the NICU, undergoing a number of different surgeries and fighting for his life until he was healthy enough for discharge. He mostly raised himself. Diana was either too busy, too high, or too depressed to be the mother Cole needed her to be, but it did little to quell his love for her. Day after day, he cared for his mother and tended to her more than she ever did for him.

Cole stayed in and out of trouble all throughout his childhood and early teens. He often got kicked out of school, even had a couple stints in juvenile detention. But his world stopped on its axis when, at fifteen years old, he found his mother dead in their mobile home following a heroin overdose. After Diana’s death, Cole was directed to the next of kin– his uncle, Michael Monroe. Michael and his wife, Laura, willingly took Cole in and brought him back to Tonopah Falls to live with them. Michael, a founding member of the Sons of Silence and owner of Reaper Crew Auto, quickly indoctrinated Cole and the young teen fell in love with club life almost instantly.

He started out as a hangaround then began prospecting at eighteen. At nineteen years old, Cole patched in as a member of the Sons of Silence and never looked back. Cole got into some trouble at twenty-six years old. He was arrested for attempted murder and aggravated assault, and handed a ten year prison sentence after nearly beating to death the abusive ex-boyfriend of a close friend. Prison took a toll on Cole. Not only was his uncle killed in a driveby shooting during that time, but the injuries Cole sustained in prison and the amount of hours he spent in solitary confinement began to wear on him.

After five years inside, Cole was released on parole at thirty-one years old. He spent the better part of the next year trying to piece his life back together and pick up where he left off. A few years later, the SOS fell into turmoil, with their president colluding behind the club’s back with Los Bandoleros in a bid to line his own pockets with cash. Once discovered, the former president was immediately removed and dealt with, and the club was left at a crossroads. With their future hanging in the balance, they turned to Cole for guidance. On the eve of his thirty-fifth birthday, he was voted in as the new president of the Sons of Silence. Since then, he’s been working hard to put the club first and stay on top of the ever present feud between the Sons and Los Bandoleros.

Headcannons:

Cole has yet to discover that his father is Jeffrey Decker– and that he has two half-siblings.

He struggles with sleep and will frequently end up at Stargazing Station just to pass the time and pick out various constellations. On that note, he wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up– obviously that didn’t happen.

In his spare time, Cole is a boxer and will frequently fight at the local gym.

He loves peppermints and hates anything lemon flavored.

#cole monroe. #sons of silence. #male. #tfhq.characters