#selina would be such a treat to write

[bubblesxo]

okay, for my de-aged gotham!bruce au

what if there was a new rogue running around de-aging everyone who got in their way? the trigger to turn back is unknown and seemingly random. so after bruce is de-aged, some of his old rogues are de-aged too. since their MOs are a bit different because they're at a different point in their lives (it depends for each one when they're de-aged to) bruce is their main source of information on them, meaning that the batfam is basically forced to let bruce work with them to fight the de-aged rogues.

rogues i want to include (so far): the penguin, the riddler, (of course) the joker (i want to find a way to include jerome so so so bad but i don't know how exactly yet), not sure who else as to the rogues.

but i also want to de-age selina and alfred at some point. maybe someone hit the manor at a gala or something. they play that off as when bruce was hit so bruce can walk around gotham without the cops scrambling to find bruce wayne.

#i mean including too many rogues would make it repetitive right? so that might be a good amount #i really just want to write alfred saying “right what's all this then mate?” and the consequential chaos in the batfam #they are so not used to him talking informally #selina would be such a treat to write #the jason parallels!!!!!! #the riddler and penguin would so humanize them in the bats' eyes which is probably a good thing? maybe? i mean the riddler is severely #mentally ill but the penguin is kind of just. a total jerk #to put it lightly #hmm maybe bane? #oh! OOOH!! JIM GORDON #yes yes yes i wanna write a de-aged jim gordon to s5 #i love taking characters from s5 cuz it's pulling someone from an active war zone to a time when they're all just. chilling? #the batkids seriously do not know what their dad went through like WOW #gotham tv #gotham tv show #gotham #gotham tv series #batman #gotham!bruce #bruce wayne #gotham!batman #gotham!bruce wayne #tv: gotham #gotham!alfred #gotham!jim gordon #alfred pennyworth #jim gordon #commissioner gordon #captain jim gordon #g!bruce meets batfam

[harleybarbarahandler]

hope a gotham city sirens movie is being put on the new dceu slate as we speak and that queer women are being hired to both write and direct it

#im so desperate for my live action harlivy I need it so bad #I have heard rumours that three more names have been swirling for returning after the shake up #(that being Daniela Idris and Margot which I would be more than happy for because they’re so good in their roles) #and apparently gunn said he really wanted to work with Margot again… perhaps he will listen to her when she asks for the sirens movie #but they need to get queer women in to write and direct because it needs to be good #gunn can co-direct and shit we just need the harlivy romance to be handled well #and they should be allowed to be a little gay with Selina as well. as a treat. #(or I guess a little bi in harley and selina’s cases)

[celaenaeiln]

I literally can't take it anymore. I need to get this out of my system. This is a hate-rant about why almost every single thing Tom Taylor has written is wrong.

First and foremost is the bimbofication of Dick Grayson. Tom Taylor loves to write him like this idiot who doesn't think at all. Being cheerful does not mean being dumb.

Nightwing (2016) Issue #79

"You seem unusually contemplative"? All Dick does is contemplate!

Nightwing (1996) Issue #3

His mind is always running!

Nightwing (2011) Issue #13

Nightwing (2016) Issue #38

I just picked a random issue from all of these comics and in every single one of these, Dick's planning, thinking, and strategising constantly.

Tom Taylor literally treats him like he's stupid or something.

Also the degradation of his abilities

Nightwing (2016) Issue #79

A vigilante for 20 years. Who has faced assassins, hitmen, psychos, surprise attacks, metas, and you're telling me he didn't know that a untrained kid snuck up and stole from him?

He forgot who he was, he didn't forget where he lived! Even when he was Ric Grayson, Dick had procedural memory. His battle instincts stayed with him.

Nightwing (2016) Issue #52

"Then...I didn't even know what I was doing. I took him down--took him apart in seconds."

This man is a vigilante machine when he was amnesic. Why the heck would Dick ever let his guard down?

His robin reference

Nightwing (2016) Issue #92

Even Bruce in Batman: Hush has said it-Dick was the best. His skills were the best of anyone he's witnessed which is one of the reasons why Bruce let him be Robin in the first place.

This scene is so wrong that there's a robin scene that came out before this in direct opposition of this Tom Taylor Shitshow.

Robin & Batman Issue #1

This was actually pre-robin. Bruce had him do a solo-trial run to see his skill before he made him Robin and this was the result. Compare that to Tom Taylor's scene and the result is humiliating. For Taylor.

Tom Taylor's version of trying to show that Dick loves the people comes off as him hating crime-fighting. RIP the whole Robin firing drama and Nightwing birth i guess.

Nightwing (2016) Issue #79

"We could have avoided all of this if we'd just stayed in and eaten kibble."

Nightwing (1996) Issue #3

Dick would rather die than stop crime-fighting. After Blockbuster's first attempt, his life was hanging on by a thread and he still continued crime fighting.

Nightwing (1996) Issue #91

After Blockbuster blew up his apartment, this is the single-minded determination Dick had to continue crime-fighting. This is him at one of the worst lows of his life but he refused to give up but now? He has everything and Dick wants to ignore the murder of a child to stay inside and eat kibble which - what the heck? I know he's seen as a happy character but him finding dog-food desirable is too far!

Also the idiocy of which Tom Taylor had Barbara calling the cops in Bludhaven for a stolen wallet. Newsflash! This isn't her first rodeo here.

Nightwing (2016) Issue #81

vs

Nightwing (2016) Issue #24

Nightwing (2011) Issue #23

Given how Dick's easily defeated enhanced metas and "very good" fighters, him falling down the stairs is a little to absolutely impossible to believe.

Another thing I love about Dick that Tom Taylor deciminates is his grace. Dick is the most graceful person in DC. His balance easily matches Selina's enhanced cat powers.

But yet. You have.

Nightwing (2016) Issue #83

Nightwing (2011) Issue #23

yeah. okay.

Taylor's motorbike scenes of Dick make me so mad. The boy is a pro at crazy. It's one of his best traits because he does the wildest stunts and he pulls it off.

Nightwing (2016) Issue #93

Nightwing (1996) Issue #86

He lands on his feet. He grabbed a villain mid-air, crashed into a window, and was perfectly fine. Actually no, he's not fine because he's worried about his bike's paint job.

Nightwing (2011) Issue #24

He just sailed over a whole crowd of people and started kicking butt like what he just did wasn't extraordinary - which for him is just another tuesday.

Nightwing (2016) Issue #95

yeah, tell 'er Dick.

He doesn't need someone to hold his bike.

One of the worst things in Taylor's run is how Blockbuster went down. It suddenly reminded me of Selina's stupid ideology which is why I think I got so ticked off.

Nightwing (2016) Issue #96

Blockbusters' thugs loyalty to him isn't a make it or break it deal. He's one of strongest criminal organisations and the knowledge that he owns one of the worst prisons that he could easily put his underlings into would've instilled fear into his thugs, not freedom. Furthermore Blockbuster takes good care of his people that don't piss him off. He teamed up with Nightwing in the scarecrow era in Nightwing (2016) because someone was messing with his people. He's extremely intelligent and superstrong, and he's not just going to be brought down by the knowledge that he owns a prison. It's Bludhaven. If he didn't, then there would be something suspicious given that he runs the city. It's the way Taylor dumbs down Bludhaven's villains that gets to me. Imagine him writing Batman (2016). It's like saying, "yeah the Joker was just a little misguided but he found the right way again after a stern talking to by Batman."

Nightwing is a big name.

When Dick first came to Bludhaven, one of the police officers was like we don't want your crazy here or something. Also Bludhaven loves Nightwing. They want him.

So why is everyone pretending like they don't know who he is?

Nightwing (2016) Issue #90

The police, the citizens, the villains-all of them. Dick fought Brutale and beat the crap out of him way back in 1996 comic. He's a Bludhaven regular. Just because Dick forgot who he was doesn't mean anyone else forgot him. Amnesia doesn't work that way.

Nightwing (2016) Issue #54

A whole team of Nightwings were formed during Dick's amnesic period because of how badly he was needed and missed. It's almost like the Tom Taylor run is set in an alternate universe.

I ran out of image space but what the absolute fiddlesticks is up with Dick being scared to jump. It better be a manipulation tactic but at this point I think Tom Taylor doesn't even know that Dick is manipulative.

#dick grayson #nightwing #barbara gordon #batgirl #blockbuster #ric grayson #bludhaven #tom taylor #when's the next writer coming in

[mysterycitrus]

hi! i' m really loving persephone but i was a little confused about how you're writing jason (and roy). i read through the author's note but i havent read a tonne of earlier comics yet so i just wanted to ask about your characterisation of him? its really different from other fic ibe read

hello! firstly, thank u for the question. i included that chunky list of comics at the beginning of persephone cause i knew how i was writing some of the characters (SPECIFICALLY jason and roy lmao) would be pretty different from popular mainstream interpretations of them. even if most people can acknowledge rhato 2011 was a bad comic these days, it's still (unfortunately) a foundational comic for a lot of jason fans.

the long answer is jason is a very popular character, but because he hasn't had an actual good comic since 2005 a lot has to be filled in to make him a "consistant" character. if u actually analyse any of his modern comics with knowledge of other characters, u would probably notice that: a) 99% of his relationships are stolen from dick grayson wholesale, with no development, b) 99% of what makes him popular was stolen wholesale from characters like selina kyle, helena bertinelli, and stephanie brown, and c) that everything politically interesting about his concept has been watered down to like... a sometimes angry dude who doesn't even use guns anymore.

roy is a separate issue - i truly dont believe most people who identify as royandjason fans have read anything preboot about roy, cause otherwise they'd understand that he would not do any of the things he does in rhato, and he definately wouldn't be besties with his best friends thirteen year old brother.

jason as he exists in fan spaces is a guy who is devoid of nuance, and is basically a reskinned 90s dick grayson stand in. that's not interesting to me. his original conception - the fact that he's from park row, he struggles with violence, he was a fundamentally kind person who isn't anymore because of things outside his control..... that's someone who could engage with batman's legacy in a cool way! a guy with his own moral values who does terrible things but still believes in the inherent value of his personal crusade! when i was writing him, it was important that yes, he can be quippy and fun, but he's also a person who's done a lot of fucked up things, and people aren't going to just roll over and think he's the coolest guy ever cause the writer treats him like a self insert.

the short answer is that im a roy harper fan and i haven't known peace since 2011.

#sorry this turned out way too long but i hope this answers ur question! #anti rhato #roy harper #dc comics #batfam #the ask and the answer #persephone tag

[flying-nightwing]

I gotta know.

In your professional opinion, do you think slade knows the hand on the lower stomach trick and the pillow trick?

Do you think anyone else your write for knows them? 👀

hehehheheHEHEHE 👀😏

I believe Slade knows, and knows it *very* well. HOWEVAH. Him using either entirely depends on whether or not he cares about the pleasure of the person he's having sex with. He's definitely not using the techniques on someone he's having a one time thing with, that he never wants to see again. Can't afford to have someone trail after him begging for more and/or have them recognize him out of all things because of it if he's on a mission or smth, y'know? bc yeah that will happen he's that good (man's got an ego to the moon). But if it's someone he wants around? Someone he wants to see again? He's never gonna tell them that, that's for sure but that orgasm WILL bring them back to him without fail. every. goddamn. time.

As for the other characters, Bruce knows them. And he's good at it. Selina taught him and it changed his mf life. He definitely uses them more leisurely than Slade, Brucie's a giver in bed and he just LOVES to see his partner's soul ascend from what he's doing to them. He's got a reputation to uphold and he'll literally die before he lets down a partner of his.

Dick knows too. I refuse to believe he wouldn't. But I feel like he would act like it's something incredibly normal. Like, he wouldn't even notice he's doing it, and he'd genuinely be surprised when his partner reveals it was the first time a man did that to them (eventually he'll realize that not everyone actually knows that or are bothered to do it, but he still wouldn't treat it as a special event kind of thing). He's just out there, casually raising the bar for everyone else. Dick game strong in every sense of the term babes.

Jason's case is a bit more complicated. If we take him right after his resurrection, them no he doesn't. Jason died a virgin, I will die on that hill, and whatever happened with Talia didn't actually happen I don't know what you mean. Bro's caught up in revenge and taking over a crime empire, he does NOT have the time for a game of dating and seduction. He's under so much stress, oh my god. And when he begins to chill, his partner is Roy, and Jaybird's not the one on top babes (again, HILL I WILL DIE ON). But Roy does teach him the trick so older Jay knows too. When he uses the tricks, it's already bc he trusts his partner enough to see him naked and vulnerable so it's pretty much always in a sweet way.

Since we're on the topic of Roy, well, he obviously knows. Roy "I seduced a dangerous international assassin to the point where she had my kid" Harper absolutely knows and he's SMUG about it. As the Youth™ says, bro's got rizz. He knows your exes weren't as good as him. By the time he's done with you, you won't even remember you had exes.

Tim read about it one time when he fell down a rabbit hole of research after opening the internet to (initially) look up romantic gestures idea. He tries to use it but it turns awkward the first few time, bc he treats it like any other skill and it just breaks the mood. Until he can find someone he trusts enough to practice with, he'll just refrain from doing it.

Steph knows. And she will openly criticize the men in her life that doesn't. Being ego checked by Steph is probably the most mortifying thing ever. "Oh? You don't know about those? Yikes... That's embarrassing. Yeah. Yeah no you should take down that tweet about being a sex god, yeah, you're just embarrassing yourself more now. Please stop" She's braver than any US marines.

(that's pretty much the main ones but if i forgot any lmk)

#slade wilson x reader #bruce wayne x reader #dick grayson x reader #jason todd x reader #roy harper x reader #stephanie brown x reader #slade wilson #bruce wayne #dick grayson #jason todd #roy harper #steph brown #dc #batman #robin #tim drake x reader #tim drake #dc fic

[boyfridged]

I think an really interesting thing about when they have the character's say that Bruce was saving Jason a life of crime or teaching Jason to be good is that it not only isn't true, it directly contradicts other canon.

We have at least two separate alternate time lines (caused specifically by time travel events where the consequences included no Bruce adoption) both of which were Jason was still a moral person. In Flashpoint he is a priest who believes in helping people not matter if they are church goers or not. A world without young justice has AU Jason die trying to do the right thing.

On top of that Jason is at the very least strongly implied to have taken care of his sick mother and the more recent portrayals of him meeting people from his pre-Bruce life also portray him as a caring person.

This adds up to although the writer means for the character to be right, and that Bruce is so noble for helping (failing) this poor child. They are actually being canonically classist towards Jason as what they are saying is an untrue assumption based on his background.

Selina in Gotham War saying he taught Jason to be good is her being classist. Alfred treating Jason like he was just a bad seed Bruce couldn't save is classist. Bruce and his whole reasoning that it is okay for Jason specifically to be endangered because of his background is classist.

Obviously that isn't the intent but when writers who are less classist about Jason write him these classist things aren't be true. It doesn't matter if Zdarsky retcons Jason being such a 'bad kid' when there are a bunch of other writers who didn't do that.

(Zdarsky: Look at this 'bad kid' before Bruce taught him morals. Ignore all the times he was portrayed as a good kid, those aren't canon anymore. Bruce is the source of all his morality. Bruce is actually less classist than Jason. This is definitely not classist writing.)

you summarized it excellently. i think it is also related to bruce projecting both his own trauma and his own worldview on jay and his background. i have written a very long post about this exactly, with receipts too. you can find it here. oh and another one, in which i explain why it would be more interesting to allow bruce to be wrong too.

and as i cited it in the above post – bruce is wrong and that fact is quite evident in-text, at least in the early versions of the story. this is also what i love so much about barr’s detective comics run – because barr calls bullshit and gets leslie to tell bruce his reasoning behind putting jason in field are unbecoming and that he is “doing it for himself.”

of course, post jay’s death that awareness has evaporated and instead we got revised versions of the story that were more than ever deadset on proving that jason did possess some fatal flaw, a violent seed that bruce did not manage to eradicate (like the issues of gotham knights, which again, i have no idea as to why they are so popular, given how malicious they are in the evaluation of jason’s fate). the latest retcons such as zdarsky’s work also fall into the trap of attempting to justify bruce’s decisions irt jason & his role as robin by diminishing jay and rewriting his story to be tainted with inevitability. even a death in the family (2020, the animated movie) provides the audience with plenty alternative endings, all of which are to make a murderer or a villain out of jason.

that is not to say that i think there should not be a sense of inevitability of jay’s tragedy at all – but its source is stubbornly misplaced for bruce’s benefit despite even the actual aditf storyline and barr’s run before placing the responsibility for it in bruce’s inability to compartmentalise his parental and vigilante duties (the chapter of aditf titled choices relates to bruce’s decision to go after the joker instead of jason; it does turn out it did not matter as jason has long been tied up in that family-vs-heroics conflict.)

bringing up the alternative versions of jay is a good way to illustrate it; in the world in which he does not meet bruce, he is not damned to participate in the cycle of abuse forever. i’m not gonna lie, i also wish countdown went in that direction and has given us more glances at realities like that. because i do believe that jason’s resolve to stop at nothing when faced by crime, the sense of obligation to do so that leaves his hands bloody, is something that was cultivated in him primarily by the robin training.

#outbox #the things i go through to answer an ask. i have to save them in drafts first to be able to post them at all??

[wateroflifefrommountains]

Oh No, Grappling Hooks!!

I've figured it out, Cassandra Cain's kryptonite. What item was used to incapacitate her during the 1st few issues of Batgirls? It was a grappling hook, she got tied up in it. Bruce probably looked into the fight and learned that despite Cassandra's ability to read body language and, in turn, dodge bullets, she CANNOT dodge grappling hooks. That's why when he decided to take her out he didn't hesitate in using it against her.

Do you want proof? It worked, didn't it?

LOL. Seriously, I dislike it when that happens but after I vent, and I vent like a MADMAN, mind you, I try to recall Stan Lee's discussion about who would win in a superhero fight. "There's one answer to all of that; it's so simple. Anyone should know this! The person who'd win in a fight is the person that the scriptwriter wants to win!"

We all knew it was going to happen. It was predictable and disappointing. It was predictably disappointing, but we were able to brace ourselves for it so the blow was not as hard.

This makes me feel a little bit better until the cringe gets to me and I start rambling again. We can demand better stories and more consistent characterizations. This is a given; however, the writers are gods of their stories and who wins is decided by the narrative they wish to tell. Gotham Wars is a conflict between Bruce and Selina as well as the stress and psychological damage the mantle places on Bruce. Hurting his kids, going too far, becoming the thing he wished to defeat, that's what the story wants to show us.

Now for the theory crafting and storytelling practice, what if they didn't turn on Batman? What if we are looking at this like an epic War Story but it's actually just Family drama? It was clear that Dick and the rest wanted to talk to Bruce before escalating any further. They are not on Selina's side per se; rather, they just do not want a war.

Here is the Thesis for Batkids [aside from Jason]. They are uncertain about what to do, but they don't want Bruce to go too far. Jason on the other hand wants to escalate things and is fully on Selina's side. [It still upsets me that Cassandra and Duke's thoughts on this were never shown]

Jason being Jason confronts Bruce and tries to beat his message into his father's skull. Bruce reacts not only by fighting back but by insinuating Jason's death. This is when things got out of hand. This is the point when his kids decide to stop Bruce, but they are not questioning the mission by stopping him here. He uttered a threat to his kid's life. That's something Bruce/Batman wouldn't do and his family knows this. So when they realize that it needs to stop, they tell him to back off and stand down.

Now that I've reread it, this could explain the battle. Bruce is not holding back and is treating his kids as criminal threats; on the other hand, his kids still treat him with care and want him to stop hitting Jason and take a damn mental health break.

The way they all get bodied is silly and uncharacteristic [rage-inducing even] but that may be intentional as they are shown as the centrists in all of this. There is a twist in the middle there though and that may lead to other things. I can't believe I am writing this, but Gotham Wars might get better. It might explore the other Batkids and if this is copium talking, then I saw potential where there was none and fabricated a good story in my head at least.

#cassandra cain #batgirl #barbara gordon #stephanie brown #spoiler #tuesday spoilers #tim drake #robin #red robin #jason todd #red hood #dick grayson #nightwing #duke thomas #the signal #damian wayne #batman comics #gotham war #oracle #bruce wayne #batman

[sugarlesswriting]

After the leak for the new Batman issue came out I've seen some Batman fans make some.... choice opinions.

Be to be fair they always have some... choice opinions.

Like guys idk how to tell you but the writing is not making him the good guy here. It's like the whole Tower of Babel incident and how fans misinterpreted the plot.

Some of the things that I have read and made me roll my eyes

'Jason deserved it.'

He did in fact not deserve to be mind fucked because he decided to work with Selina. Batman made him a god damn agoraphobic. We see him sitting down, in a prison cell, trying to convince himself to get up but can't because he is in so much fear. Have you guys ever been in a position where you know you need to move but can't because your anxiety won't let you? Let me tell you it sucks and I know that this is fiction but it just rubs me the wrong way to see how people treat this situation. (Probs because that type of anxiety hit to close to home)

'Bruce has been betrayed by his entire family so of course he's going to fight them.'

Shut up. Just shut up. We all know that it's Zur en arrh that's making him think that what he's doing is rational but no it's not. The writing shows that he is not in the right for doing so. Reading comprehension is nice and you guys would be lucky to have it.

'Selina's a dumb whore and Tini Howard is the one who made this plot happen.'

Selina's plan is dumb but your misogyny is just POPING with that one. And you guys know how I feel about people saying Howard forced the Selina plot. No Editorial told them that they wanted an event with the batfamily because it would sell a good amount of comics. That's what these events are for. Please, guys, you have to understand how marketing works. Comics have been doing this for a long time.

I feel the same way when fans bitched about Tom King and how he ruined the wedding. No editorial ruined the wedding because THEY WANT TO SELL COMICS 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻. (And this is said by someone who also doesn't vibe with Kings Batman)

I just think Zdarsky had more to work with when it came to the plot because he wanted to continue his Zur arc. Idk if Howard had anything to bring with Catwoman, but if someone who's read her work let me know if she could have done something else (genuinely curious not being a jerk lol)

I also find the premise of the batfam going against Bruce himself interesting. I just think it's neat. I liked to see how everyone reacted to what Bruce did to Jason. Like, when Dick came down HARD when he found out about Jason. How he was about to just beat the shit out of Bruces face even if he passed out. Dick had to be stopped by Tim who was trying to be the voice of reason. Damien was ditched by Bruce and we had the moment with Tim hugging Damien and telling him it's going to be okay. Then you have Bruce slightly coming back to his senses by throwing the batarang down for Dick to use.

Was the Selina vs Bruce a bait and switch to what the actual war was going to be? Because the Gotham war that involves the batfam going up against a Batman who's a danger to himself and others is a plot that I like.

#sugarless thoughts #sugarless salt #batman #jason todd #bruce wayne #selina #gotham wars #gotham war #tim drake #damian wayne

[madlittlecriminal]

Jonathan Crane request where reader is a student of his (professor Crane au ish) and also happens to be the daughter of a certain millionaire in Gotham 👀

love the idea that Bruce is with Selena at this point and when he finds out about reader and Jonathan he like

“you can’t date someone with a criminal alter ego!!”

and she’s just like “really?” As she points to Selena (who’s still in her Catwoman outfit) sitting on the couch.

Meanwhile Jason is standing on the sidelines like “date who you want sis but if he makes the slightest mistake I will kill him and pretend I always thought this was a bad idea”

Hypocrites ↦ Professor!Jonathan Crane × Student!Female!Reader

so, i don't normally write for comic accurate scarecrow/jonathan crane and I don't watch Gotham, nor do I watch Titans as I'm more of a Chrisopher Nolan kinda gal, so i apologize for any errors, BUT in my head, I'm still thinking of Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway & Cillian Murphy when I write this, so once again, I apologize

Warnings: mention of getting robbed, mention of guns, reader is Wayne's adopted daughter :)

Being a Wayne had its advantages as well as its disadvantages. Anyone who saw you, assumed you were daddy's little girl, when in reality, you weren't. He never treated you differently than his sons, except for when it came to relationships as he didn't want you to be a female version of him, however, he didn't think you would come out to be in a relationship with your professor who just so happens to be the villain he's been after.

You told your dad and Selina that you had a boyfriend and while they were ecstatic, the disgust on your father's face didn't go unnoticed when Jonathan Crane came through the doors of the mansion.

First, your dad had no idea that Professor Crane was Jonathan Crane as he thought it was a funny coincidence. Second, he was taken aback that his daughter decided to get in a relationship with her professor out of all people. Selina wasn't there as she was out doing who knows what, but you didn't complain as you knew your father was in love with her just as much as she loved him.

Plus, you witnessed their flirting when he was dressed as Batman the one time, they saved you from getting robbed. It disturbed you, but you didn't say anything. You thought out of all people, your father would be understanding, but he wasn't, and it was kind of annoying.

Jonathan rested a hand on your knee, reassuring you that no matter what, he'd be there for you. "You know dad, I would've thought you, out of all people, would understand." He tilted his head to the side. "What's that supposed to mean?" You shook your head, deciding not to spill his secret, especially knowing the truth about Jonathan. However, when he gave you a kiss before he left, your father nearly went crazy. Then, Selina came home and tilted her head to the side. "Everything okay, Bruce?"

"(Y/N) is with Jonathan Crane!" Selina gasped before taking off her head piece. "Really?" You glare at the both of them and scoff. "You better not give me a lecture about this!" She sat on the couch to remove her boots and raised an eyebrow. "Why not?! Sweetheart, he's a villain!" You suck your teeth, your anger bubbling. "Dad, why does it matter?! You're with a villain too, are you not?" Selina raised her eyebrows in disbelief at your words and Bruce rolled his eyes. "She's an anti-villain, first of all,"

"You know I do bad for good (Y/N)." You run a hand down your face. "Unbelievable. I thought you would understand, dad!" He shrugged as a scoff escaped his lips. "Well, I don't, sorry (Y/N)." Jason cleared his throat. "If I may, I have your back through this little sis, but like, if he breaks your heart, I'll pretend I was on Bruce and Selina's side this whole time. How does that sound?" Bruce glares at his son. "What?" Jason shrugs. "Hey, I'm not gonna Romeo and Juliet this whole thing, okay? If she's happy, I don't care! He just better not break her heart. My guns are always oiled and cleaned."

#dc universe #jonathan crane #jonathan crane x y/n #scarecrow x reader #scarecrow x you #scarecrow x y/n #scarecrow #jonathan crane x reader #jonathan crane x you #asks #ask #request

[pluckyredhead]

i really wanna know your ideal dc publishing cause seriously they could be doing so much and instead choose the absolute worst trashy choices

Lol thank you for indulging me, anon. I have thought about this EXTENSIVELY so sorry not sorry for the tusnami of opinions you have unleashed.

Before I get into the list, a few points to explain my approach:

ONGOINGS. I am a firm believer in the importance of ongoing series. There's nothing wrong with a miniseries but you can't get any forward momentum or character development with them because things keep getting reset to their baseline. Get really strong teams on your ongoings and let them develop their stories for years at a time. That's where all the legendary runs come from.

To that end, I am proposing a list of 30 books, which is a little more than 7 per week, which is roughly what DC publishes now (not including things like Sandman, Looney Tunes, etc.). They can add on as many minis as they want but will need fewer since so many more characters are accounted for with ongoings.

I am a strong believer in backup features - more value for your dollar and double the amount of characters included - so you'll see a lot of those.

I tried to balance what I personally think would be the most holistic representation of the DCU with what I believe will sell, so you're still going to see a lot of Bats. It should be understood that books without Bats are not going to be treated like throwaways like they sometimes are now. They are going to get top tier creators with long, sustained runs, just like Bruce always gets.

It will not be a publishing slate of all straight white guys from the 30s-60s.

Books with an asterisk* mean they will be kid-friendly. Not exclusively for kids, but appealing and accessible to young readers, the way Young Justice and its members' books were in the 90s. They can still include ongoing plots and queer characters and serious topics! They just shouldn't be relentlessly grim.

OKAY THE BOOKS!

Super Books:

Superman*: The lead Superman title, with a backup featuring starring Jon.

Action Comics*: Focuses more on the Superfamily as a whole, though the plot can dovetail and cross over with the main Superman book. (This is basically what's happening now.) Backup feature rotates between Kon, John Henry, Natasha, Kenan, Lois, and Jimmy.

Supergirl*: Why did I give Kara her own book and not Kon or Jon? Because a) DC needs more female-led books and b) I want to. The primary audience for this book is women who watched the CW show, or girls who have outgrown TTGo! and DC Super Hero Girls, NOT ADULT MEN. (Optional: Kon or Natasha backup feature.)

Bat Books:

Batman: Like the Super books, this would be the central title and focus on Bruce. Backup feature can rotate between the nine billion Gotham characters who need a home.

Detective Comics: Focuses more on mysteries/the family. Another rotating backup feature. NOTE: These backup features CANNOT star a character with their own book (Bruce, Dick, Damian, Selina, or Harley).

Nightwing: Dick sells. ;)

Robin*: Starring Damian, Tim gets a team book further down.

Batwoman: Perhaps we could try letting a queer woman write this for once? Revolutionary, I know.

Catwoman: Because she fucking rules.

Harley Quinn: Because she fucking sells.

Birds of Prey: I prefer a classic Babs/Dinah/Helena lineup but I'm flexible.

Batgirls*: If it’s too messy to have Babs in BoP and this, take her out and add Harper.

Red Hood and the Outlaws: Imagine if this book was good! In my universe, it will be.

Solo Books:

Wonder Woman

Flash: This will star Wally. Optional backup rotates between Jay, Bart, Ace, and Avery. Barry can show up sometimes I guess.

Green Lantern: Starring Hal, John, or Kyle. Whoever is the lead CANNOT also be on the Justice League.

Green Lantern Corps: Okay yes technically this is a team book. Shhh. Guy should always be on this book since he does better in an ensemble. The plot should dovetail loosely with the main GL book with an annual crossover but you don't have to read both if you don't want to. I am flexible about how to fit all the Earth GLs in (including Simon and Jessica), whether that's backup features or just including them in the GLC ensemble, but all six should always have a publishing home. Jo should get as many prestige graphic novels as N. K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell care to bless us with.

Aquaman: Jackson backup. Please let him go back to being Aqualad and stop making everyone grow up so fast.

Green Arrow: This book is currently perfect, no notes.

Blue Beetle*: Starring Jaime, though Ted may show up to be annoying if he would like. A Booster backup is permissible.

Vixen: If they have a Webtoon they should have a comic for $ too.

Zatanna: See above.

...I'm torn between Shazam!* or Stargirl* here. I feel like they both kind of fizzled? I guess it depends on which book gets the better pitch.

Team Books:

Justice League: I mostly don't care who is on this but if it's a bunch of white guys plus Wonder Woman and either John Stewart or Cyborg as tokens, AGAIN, DC gets shut down permanently. I don't make the rules.

Justice Society: This is also not allowed to be only old white guys. I know that's harder with the JSA. I don't care.

Titans: I'm going to be honest, I'm not convinced the OG/New Teen Titans can star in a decent book anymore, since they haven't done so in two decades. But I will give them one more try. They can call themselves the Outsiders instead if that helps.

Young Justice*: They also maybe need a new name because they are all legal adults, but this is Tim's book. I'm highly skeptical of success here as well but I think the right creative team could make something really soapy and New Adult and queer work. Please keep in mind that there are nine trillion characters in the DCU who are roughly Tim's age to draw from; the "Core Four" (ugh I hate that term so much) can all be members but they are not the only members. (Cassie cannot be the only girl and it cannot be all white.)

Teen Titans*: Damian's team! I vote for characters like Emiko, Ace, and Jackson here, but I'm flexible. THE AUDIENCE FOR THIS BOOK IS MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, NOT PEOPLE WHO GREW UP ON WOLFMAN/PEREZ. Jesus, DC.

Suicide Squad: I truly do not care about this book but we need to do something to appease the edgelords.

The New Gods: I'm thinking EPIC, I'm thinking KIRBY, I'm thinking SIMONSON. Everyone talks in a serif font and it should be impossible to explain out loud with human words. It's what Kirby would want.

So there it is, there's my pitch. Again, this doesn't cover minis (Elongated Man miniseries WHEN), event books, etc., but I think it gets most of the key players on the board!

(And yes, I know I left the Legion out. I'm sorry. But not very sorry. They can cameo in Kara's book.)

#comics #meta

[riddle-me-ri]

My cat fell asleep on my arm and that got me thinking of you could write a fic about reader falling asleep on the various ozzies XD how would they react and what would they do?

(Btw I absolutely love your writing I check your blog everyday to see if you've written anything new and it's always such a treat when you do 💝)

A/N: first off I am absolutely here for the cats invading everyone’s personal space and claiming human limbs as beds, as well as the fact there were two similar themed requests (same anon? Maybe possibly?) I hope y’all don’t mind I sorta combined the two of your requests because…yeah they were really similar rip. I will link the backstory to Farrell!Penguin’s drabble in his section, and the other Ozzies will be original.

Penguins Reacting to Reader Falling Asleep on Them:

Arkhamverse Penguin: 

Well, what was he to expect? That coat he wears is comfy inside and out. 

You were sitting beside Oswald at the head of the long dining table. 

You heard some parts of the conversation, but it didn’t take long between the dullness of the topic and the cacophony of voices to all sound one in the same. You barely make out what Ozzie’s saying as your eyelids eventually get too heavy to hold open any longer.

Oswald was in the middle of giving an order when he felt the slightest weight on his upper arm. Everyone grew silent when they notice you’ve actually nodded off. Some men stared in shock, if they were to fall asleep during a meeting…Oswald wouldn’t hesitate to knock them out for good. 

They weren’t you though. You had him wrapped around your finger like a vine to a branch. He glanced over to you. The scowl on his face perking up to a soft endearing smile towards you. He immediately lowered his voice, but still delivered the order in a stern tone. If any of his men raised their voices even the slightest, he’d shush them. 

“Keep your bloody voice down!” He hissed. “Can’t you see my love is sleepin?”

Reevesverse/Farrell Penguin:

Click on Farrell Oz's header for the full backstory on how the reader managed to pop a squat on Oz’s lap.

Needless to say, you got pretty comfortable in Ozzie’s lap. You reveled in the closeness, being wrapped up in his warmth and clean but not overbearing cologne. You even gained the courage in your newfound comfortability to put your hand over his that was cupped around your waist. Oz quirked an eyebrow at the gesture, but smiled and let you hold his hand. 

Once his friends went off to go dancing with their dates for the night. You enjoyed the one on one time with Oz.

Between the stories shared and the drinks sipped. Time passed faster and it got really late. You don’t remember how or what, but your eyelids were slowly closing like the red curtains at the end of a play. Oswald was so soft, warm, inviting. No matter how hard you tried you couldn’t resist. 

Selina walked passed handing Oz a wad of cash but not before giggling softly. “Looks like your date’s decided to take a cat nap.” 

Oz furrowed his eyes until he looked down. Sure enough, you were snoozing away. You hand on his chest, the hand on his hand slowly losing it’s grip on his. He couldn’t help but mimic the smile you had on your face. He moved his hand that was on your waist over your free hand, to keep holding it to your side. Oswald grew to like holding your hand. 

He chuckled softly. “Yeah, it’d appear so.” 

“You want me to clear a spot on the couch in your office, boss?” Selina offered. 

Oz looked up at her and nodded. “I’d appreciate that.” 

Selina nodded back with a smile, but not before stealing a glance at you. “I think they’re a keeper. I’ve never seen you smile so much in one night.” 

Oswald glanced back down at you. Your body completely lax against his, you’re breathing even. You must feel so content with him. He must make you feel safe…

He brushed a stray hair off your cheek and tightened his hold on you. “Yeah…I was just thinkin’ the same thing.” 

Gotham Penguin:

“What I’m trying to say is…this war CANNOT and should NOT persist. Why must we shed MORE blood, WASTE away more lives!” Oswald was on another passionate rant, to no one in particular but it always helped his mind come up with the solutions. 

“Ehh..boss…”

“What, Butch?” 

Butch pointed to you on Oswald’s left side. He turned to you and almost jolted out of his skin. 

Y-You were asleep. Gently resting along his shoulder. Your steady breathing caused the tiniest of hairs on Oswald’s pale skin stand up. 

“H-How long was I talking?” 

Butch glanced at his watch. “A little over 2 hours, boss.” He gave his employer a lopsided smile. 

Oswald’s eyes widened. No wonder you dozed off, but he didn’t suspect…he never suspected. You would find him…cozy…inviting. 

“O-Oh…that..that explains it..” Oswald whispered, worried that even the slightest hitch in his voice or twitch in his body will jostle you awake. He can’t say he’s quick to remove you away from him though.

Butch chuckled. Fully aware of the feelings you and Oswald had for each other but refused to act on. Whilst it was adorable, it was equally infuriating. 

“Good night, boss.” Butch began making his way up the stairs to the spare bedrooms in the mansion. 

“W-Wait! B-Butch..” He hissed. “W-What do I do about them?” 

Butch shrugged, but continued to walk off. 

Oswald was about to yell at Butch to come back and help him, but the slight tension in his body caused your head to squirm on his shoulder. 

Well, this wasn’t one of the most uncomfortable places to fall asleep. He leaned back in the plush cushioned chair, your head still glued to his shoulder. Oswald reluctantly laid the side of his face on top of your head. 

He couldn’t help but chuckle in warm delight. 

Yeah, there were way worse conditions to take a nap in. 

BTAS Penguin:

“Oh look, my dear! A gorgeous little dove–oh!” 

He looks down to see you nestled into his chest, with one hand clinging to the lapels of his suit jacket. 

You and Oswald were taking a small rest on a park bench. You enjoyed these special little moments with Oswald. Just the two of you taking a stroll through the park, talking about nothing, looking at all the birds that come your way. 

It was still early in the evening, and it was fair to say you didn’t get the best sleep last night. 

Oswald gulped at the close proximity. W-Why would you sleep on him? Surely he wasn’t the most..comfortable cushion. You had a better chance leaning your head over the bench, or resting on the bench’s armrest. 

Yet, you didn’t do any of that. 

You sought out for him, resting your body into his without so much as a second thought. 

You…you really do like him.

Oswald couldn’t help but smile widely in glee. He could jump up in joy, but he will refrain so he won’t wake you up. He noticed the birds nearby chirping more than usual, as if they’re sharing in his delighted mood. 

He wrapped his arm around you and gently squeezed you, so you were closer to him. His heart almost swelled when he saw you smile and snuggle your head closer to him. 

Oswald kissed the top of your head before resting his chin on top of your head. 

TNBA Penguin:

The night was electric. It was a special night at the Iceberg Lounge. Oswald was premiering a brand new performance act for the club. It took months of preparation and discussions, but it was finally happening. 

The night couldn’t have had a better turn out. 

Oswald was seated next to you in one of the half circle booths facing the stage. Once the act was over, Oz couldn’t help but notice you went rather quiet and his shoulder felt more heavy. He glanced down to see you snoozing away. 

Any other time and if it’d been any other person he would be offended at such a rude display. However, he knew the cause, and how he was part of it. You put just as much hours into setting this up and getting this to work more than anyone. 

Plus, he couldn’t help but enjoy the small palpations his heart was doing. He always enjoyed the idea of having you by his side. The idea of you being intimate enough with him to hold his hand, kiss his cheek, or…doze off on top of him. 

This…this was a good start to making his idea…his dream of you two become a reality. 

Oswald leaned up slightly off the back of the booth. As gently as he could, he readjusted himself so that he was laying back into the booth instead of sitting up straight. He grabbed your spare jacket that you rested on your lap and wrapped it around your upper body. 

Oz gave you a small peck on your cheek. 

“Thank you, my dear…for everything.” He whispered softly in your ear, silently hoping you heard him. 

Telltale Batman:

You were so excited to see Oswald when he said he was coming back to Gotham City. Tossing and turning in your bed from excitement it was safe to say the rough three hours of sleep you got were finally catching up to you. 

You and Ozzie were hanging out in his new apartment. After getting him settled in to his new digs. You guys ordered take out and grabbed a couple movies to watch on the couch. The food was long gone and you were in the middle of the second film. 

Oz couldn’t help but notice you had gone uncharacteristically quiet. He glances down and sees you snuggled up against the pillow and his lower abdomen. Your breathing was even and your eyes were closed.

Always the one to mess with him, earlier you had rested a pillow on Oz’s lap and laid your head there to watch the films. Oz scoffed at you but didn’t make you budge. Now he was sort of regretting that decision. Only a little bit though. 

One of your hands was gripping the edge of his black shirt and the other was wrapped around his waist. 

God, you really were so adorable. Why the hell did you ever hang on to a low-life like him? No assets, no money, no estate…just a name that used to mean something…be worth something. 

Even if he never quite understood you. He appreciated your presence in his life all the more. Oswald did not ever want to think about a life without you. He’s already lost Bruce, if he lost you too…he really wouldn’t have anybody else. 

Oz leaned over you as best he could. Snatched the remote he turned the TV off and he gently slid his lap out from under you. He watched to make sure the sudden movement didn’t wake you. You ended up just nuzzling into the pillow. He chuckled. 

Oz scooped his arms under your body and slowly lifted you off the couch. He carried you into the one bedroom with a king mattress. He recalls the small argument with you over his sheet and comforter colors matching the pillow cases. It makes him laugh internally to himself. 

He pulls back the covers and sheets and laid you down gently into the mattress. Oz tucked you in, occasionally glancing at your eyes making sure you weren’t waking up. Before he left to crash on the couch, he took another glimpse of your sleeping face. 

Oswald smiled, brushing your hair gently out of your face. He got up to his feet, but not before kissing your temple. 

“Sweet dreams, love.” 

One Bad Day Penguin:

The Iceberg Lounge had just closed after another successful night. You were helping Oz with his book keeping. Everyone talks about counting sheep to fall asleep…but what about counting and crunching numbers. 

It had to have been about five in the morning, when Oswald all of a sudden felt a sudden weight on his back. You two were sitting back to back of each other, occasionally checking in on each other and making sure everything was in order and adding up. 

However, he never expected you laying back and nestling in his back. Oswald couldn’t help but admit, you were warmer and more inviting than any blanket he’s ever owned. 

“Hey, sweetie…you wanna call it a night?” He asked softly. 

Your only response was some slight squirming and wordless murmuring. 

“Ah..I see.” Oz responded sarcastically. In moments like these he wished he was more physically capable. He would carry you up to your room in the upper floors of the lounge. 

But maybe I can make it to that couch…

There was a violet loveseat on the other side of your office. As quickly but seamless as he could, Oz spun around on his chair to catch you before your body fell from the lack of support from his back. Oswald jumped off from his seat, and slowly used the wheels of your chair to roll you over to the couch. 

Once the wheels met the edge of the couch, Oz cupped his hands around your neck and lower waist. Using all his strength he moved you from the chair to the couch. Thankfully the transition didn’t disturb you. 

Oswald took a deep exhale in relief. Now he got to take a good luck at your sleeping face. 

It should be a crime to be this cute. It should be an even harsher offense to have someone so precious like you work for the likes of him. However he enjoyed your company too much, call him selfish but you made him happy. You made him feel like a human, deserving of happiness and love. Call him selfish if was ever going to give that up. 

He didn’t even notice him crossing his arms on the couch. Slowly, he lowered his head to rest on top of his folded arms. Just watching you peacefully sleep. 

You were able to peacefully doze off in his presence. Oswald began reminiscing on all his memories with you, and just how joyful and content he was in each one. 

Oz slowly drifted off to sleep too, dreaming of the past with you and the future that has yet to make itself known. But if you were there with him, Oswald was more than ready for whatever the future holds.

#ri writes #ri almost added one more penguin into the mix but #I was worried these were getting repetitive rip #the penguin x reader #oswald cobblepot x reader #arkhamverse penguin x reader #reevesverse penguin x reader #farrell penguin x reader #gotham penguin x reader #btas penguin x reader #batman the animated series penguin x reader #tnba penguin x reader #the new batman adventures penguin x reader #telltale penguin x reader #one bad day penguin x reader

[clementine-writes-things]

Daddy Issues - E.N

Summary: Y/n had a terrible childhood growing up. We won't go too into it, but she just really lacked in loving parents. Because of this, she just wanted someone to love her and treat her right, never getting love growing up. She also had a hard time trusting men. Well, until Edward Nygma that is. She fell hard for him and she knew it. Y/n loved everything about him, the way he talked to her, the way he looked, spoke, acted, smelled, everything. But she could never work up the courage to admit her love. And she didn't need to. Because he already knew. She was just too oblivious to see it. And that's why he loved to tease her. Until one day, he decided that teasing wasn't enough... (Takes place in Season 3 but Edward has long hair in this cuz I said so <3) Also, I know Jerome didn't hang out with these people and he was in Arkham in season 3, but I haven't included him in a fanfic yet so he's gonna be in this one. (P.S: I had a lot of fun writing this, adding in very funny comedic bits and more characters because I want to experiment with adding more characters instead of focusing on just two, yk? So I'm sorry if this sucks...)

Content Warning: Daddy issues, daddy kink, sir kink, weed, slight blood, knife, alcohol, flirting back and forth, explicit language, sexual themes, suggestive dialogue, fluff, steamy fluff? Idk how to explain lol you'll see. Y/n is 25 and Ed is 30 in this. Jerome and y/n are besties in this and I love it. (Edward knows about y/n's daddy issues) Possible part 2 if this is received well.

Word count: 7,910

Songs for Inspo:

Daddy Issues - The Neighbourhood (y/n)

LET ME SEE YA MOVE! - Lumi Athena, cade clair (edward)

Say Yes To Heaven - Lana Del Rey (y/n)

Smoke - Cowbell Cult, Joehdah (edward)

all I want is you - Rebzyyx, hoshie star (y/n)

In My Head - Bedroom (both)

Megalomaniac - KMFDM (edward)

Lovers From The Past - Mareux (both)

kitty phonk - soviss (song on headphones plus I just love this song)

party addict - kets4eki, Nosgov, kojo (edward)

Honeymoon - Lana Del Rey (y/n)

GOOD LOYAL THOTS - Odetari (edward)

Killer - Mareux (edward)

ecstasy (slowed) - SUICIDIAL-IDOL (their relationship dynamic)

HYPNOTIC DATA (SLOWED & REVERBED) - ODECORE, Odetari (edward) (song that plays in club cuz it fits perfectly)

Ultraviolence - Lana Del Rey (y/n)

(oh my god I am so lucky to have found this gif wtf there are barely ANY good gifs of him with long hair. this is like getting a super shiny limited edition pokemon card...they should have let him grow even a SLIGHT stubble...)

READ BELOW CUT

It was normal for Barbara Kean to keep her doors to her club open for her friends. We'll not necessarily open. Her friends had keys to the club, so all they needed to do was unlock the door, walk in, and lock it behind them. Not only was it a club, but on the upper floor was a whole apartment like area. Instead of walls separating it from the club, it was an iron railing, allowing you to look down on the club. There was a spiral staircase on each side of the club, leading up to the next floor. This is usually where her friends would hang out. Most of her friends just had to tell her if they were coming over. All except for one, that is.

Y/f/n.

Y/n grew up on the streets of Gotham, not having a great family life. Her mother had died when she was very young and her dad had no love for his own daughter. One day, he left his daughter when she was 13 and never came back. That's when she started living on the streets. Barbara met her through Selina Kyle. She told Barbara that y/n helped her survive on the streets and Barbara appreciated y/n for that. Once they met, the two became very close. Now, y/n was free to go into Barbara's club whenever, sometimes even climbing through the windows. Who do you think taught Selina all of that? Though, don't think that y/n was a criminal. She hated stealing. Selina knew this, which is why she would usually help get food for y/n. But now, Barbara was helping too. Barbara, being friends with a lot of 'super criminals' was looked at as odd for being friends with a sweet kind girl like y/n. But, when everyone met her, they saw why. Ever since then, y/n became sort of an 'honorary' member of the 'group'. It was almost comical really, she would sometimes end up walking in on a meeting about a heist or a murder plot and she'd pretend not to hear and just get some cereal and watch a movie. Which is exactly what y/n had planned to do that day. Well, mainly just go to Barbara's. She wasn't sure if she wanted to eat cereal.

With a large leap, she launched herself onto the balcony that was attached to Barbara's club. She stood up fully, stretching out her back as she walked into the club. She had headphones on, listening to her music as she walked in, not paying attention to who else might be in the room. She nodded her head back and forth, tapping her hip to the rhythm as she walked across the floor, looking at the music that played on her phone. The music playing through her headphones was so loud that anyone around her could definitely hear it too. Eventually, she looked up and her eyes got wide as she saw people sitting at the bar. There was Oswald, which she had slowly become friends with, Barbara of course, Victor Zsasz who surprised her by being pretty chill when he wasn't killing people, Jerome Valeska who shockingly enjoyed y/n's company and did his best not to talk about 'violent' things around her. What was even more surprising is that y/n had become very good friends with the crazy clown. But, the only person that caused y/n to blush was..

Edward Nygma.

She shivered, looking at everyone stare at her. Barbara was saying something towards her, muffled by the music. However, y/n still flustered from Edward being there caused her to not notice. She gulped, waving awkwardly to everyone causing Barbara to facepalm. She turned towards the people at the bar, saying something to them before she walked over to y/n. She waved in front of y/n's face, snapping her fingers. Y/n flinched, shaking her head. Clearing her throat, she took the headphones off and put them around her neck, the music still playing. Barbara was the only person y/n wasn't shy around. It wasn't like she wasn't talkative, but she got a little shy every now and then. Especially around such devious criminals.

"H-Hi..." She said awkwardly.

"Hey honey, you ok? I didn't expect you to come over." She commented.

"Yeah, well, it's been raining pretty hard outside lately. I figured it would be ok if I came in here for a bit?" She said.

"Oh shit yeah, you're soaking wet and shivering! Of course that's ok honey. Do you want to take a hot shower too?" She asked, concerned for her well-being.

Everyone at the bar looked at the balcony outside through the glass door. Wind was blowing heavily and rain was pouring down by the gallons. They felt cold just looking at it.

"That would be n-n-nice. I th-think I left a change of clothes here too. I'll ch-change into th-those after I shower." She said, shivering as she walked up the staircase, leaving dribbles of water on the floor behind her.

Barbara sighed to herself, shaking her head. She walked back behind the bar, taking a sip of her wine. Jerome cackled in his usual creepy way, even though he had no intention of being creepy. Barbara tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" She asked.

"It's just hilarious. Every time she sees us she freezes up and is surprised every single time. It never gets old." He laughed.

"Yeah, well, I don't think we're the ones making her get like that." Oswald said, looking at Edward.

"Hm? Oh, sorry were you talking to me? All I heard was this annoying bird squawking." Edward replied dully.

Jerome cackled loudly and Victor chuckled next to him, taking a sip of his Shirley Temple. Yes, this man asked for a Shirley Temple at a bar. He loved them and he was not ashamed of it. He grabbed the maraschino cherry and bit it, throwing the stem away.

"You aren't gonna tie it in a knot with your tongue?" Oswald joked in his usual snarky tone.

"Shut up." He grumbled.

"I just think it's funny that she thought we we're having an 'evil meeting' when we're really just having drinks together. How that girl survived on the streets is beyond me. She's too sweet for this city" Barbara sighed.

"That's for damn sure." Jerome added.

The group started to chat again, discussing every day things. They talked about things that ranged from the weather all the way toward politics. If random people on the streets saw them talking at a bar like this, they would think they were plotting a murder and run away screaming. And while they did do that sometimes, they still were friends and liked to have normal conversations as well. It wasn't that strange to think about, really. After around 30 minutes went by, Barbara looked up towards the balcony. Y/n was taking a while.

"She's taking a long time..." She said.

"You think she slipped and fell in the shower?" Jerome laughed, finding it funny but also slightly worried as well.

"No. Well...maybe..." Barbara's eyes widened.

As if right on cue, y/n came down the spiral staircase, hand gripped tight on the railing as they came down. Her change of clothes was a pair of soft pink sweatpants, a pair of fluffy socks, and a black shirt that was one size too big for her. On the shirt was a picture of Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad with the word 'babygirl' underneath it and a pink bow on his head. (pls that's so real) Her headphones were once again over her ears and her hair was completely dry, suggesting that she took a while so she could blow dry her hair. Turning to everyone she waved, giving a very wide and cheesy smile.

"Is that my shirt?" Barbara asked.

Everyone looked at the shirt and Jerome burst out in laughter, no surprise. Victor smirked in amusement. Oswald just sipped his martini with an eyebrow raised. However, Edward kept his eyes on y/n, taking in her features with his dull and tired eyes. Y/n took off her headphones.

"No actually, it's MY shirt that YOU keep stealing. Jesse is MY babygirl. Keep your paws off my husband." Y/n stated, kissing two of her fingers and placing them on Jesse's lips.

"Your husband?" Barbara asked, placing a hand on her hip.

Jerome got up from his seat, walking 'sophisticatedly' towards y/n. He placed an arm around their shoulders. Clearing his throat, he held his hand out to everyone, as if making an announcement.

"Lady and gentlemen, this...meth addict and drug dealer is y/n's husband. I was there when it happened. I practically gave her away." He stated.

Oswald chuckled and took another sip of his martini.

"Wait, what? What does that even mean?" He asked.

Edward stood up from his spot, walking over toward the opposite side of the bar so he could face y/n and Jerome. He leaned back, propping his arm up on the counter, glass of scotch in hand. He found the conversation interesting. Y/n blushed when she saw him look at her and wink.

"Well, y/n would you like to explain? You are the wife after all." He said.

"Y-Yes, thank you Jerome. Well, one night when I was staying over here, I decided to rewatch Breaking Bad for the....what is it? 12th time?" She asked Jerome.

He held up both of his hands, counting each finger. Once he was done, he bent over and pretended to count his toes. He rubbed his chin, tapping his foot on the ground.

"Carry the one, divide the 2, move the decimal...14th actually."

"Yes, 14th time. Well, Jerome was watching it with me. And I , who was totally not sleep deprived-"

"Yeah, and I was definitely not high." Jerome added, crossing his arms over his chest in defense.

Everyone collectively rolled their eyes. Even right now he smelled like weed.

"Yes, I who was not sleep deprived looked at Jerome and said... 'I wanna marry that little bitch.' and pointed to Jesse on the tv." She said confidently.

"And as her friend who was not high, well, naturally I supported the decision! So I helped y/n write her vows and wham bam thank you ma'am. Married. Case closed. She kissed him and everything." He finished the story.

Edward tilted his head down, looking at them through his glasses. Chuckling he took a sip of his scotch and placed it back on the counter.

"Kissed him? Y/n, did you kiss the TV?" He asked, staring at her.

"Um..." She mumbled.

"My client would prefer not to comment on that. And if you saw any tissues on the ground near the TV it was NOT because I was crying. I do NOT cry at weddings." He said.

"Yeah, he does NOT cry at weddings." She repeated.

The room got real silent, the only sound being the wind and rain outside. Jerome coughed very loudly and exaggeratedly, breaking the silence.

"You guys are fucking weird." Barbara said.

"Thank you!" Jerome said.

"Alright, I gotta get going. I have a hit I have to do tonight. Client wants it to be real bloody. Like guts everywhere and bones broken an-" Victor looked up.

Jerome had covered y/n's ears, glaring at him. His scarred face making him look like a muppet as he frowned. Victor chuckled.

"Uh, I mean. I gotta run errands. Anyways, I'll see you all soon. Nice seeing you y/n. Good luck with your uh, marriage. He's a real catch." He winked, walking up to her and punching her lightly on the shoulder before leaving.

"I must be going as well. Pity. I was truly enjoying this conversation. Very riveting hearing your drug induced wedding. But, alas, I am required else where." He said.

Standing up, he gave Barbara a hug and also gave y/n one. With his limp, he grabbed his cane and left the building as well. Barbara shrugged.

"Anyone else leaving?" She asked.

"I was hoping I could stay here for the night. Is that ok Barbie?" Y/n asked, calling her friend by her nickname for her.

"You already know the answer to that, hun." She winked.

"Oh! Can I stay too!" Jerome asked, jumping up and down.

"Ugh, you can't stay the night. But you can hang out longer if you want."

"Fair enough."

"What about you Ed, you staying too? I've got to go out and do some business about the club. Make sure our supplies are still good and coming in on time."

He shrugged, sipping his scotch. Truthfully, he didn't know if he wanted to stay longer. But, then he looked at y/n and smiled. She blushed instantly. That's when he made up his mind.

"Sure, why not. I've got nothing else to do."

"Oh boo, ruining our fun." Jerome fake pouted.

"You mean interrupt your Breaking Bad session?"

"Maybe..." Y/n and Jerome said in unison.

"Alright, well you kids have fun. Mom has to go out and provide for the family. Y/n sweetie, remember don't eat too much sugar tonight or you won't sleep." She joked, grabbing her coat and purse as she walked out.

"Oh whatever." Y/n rolled her eyes.

"We can still eat sugar, right?" Jerome asked, leaning in her ear.

"Fuck yeah." She said, fist bumping him.

"Oh joy, I get to hang around a lunatic and a stray street girl hyped up on sugar. Lucky me." He groaned, following them upstairs.

Y/n and Jerome had already ran up the stairs completely. Jerome sat down on the couch, getting Netflix hooked up so they could watch Breaking Bad. The two of them had only started rewatching the show 3 days ago and were already starting season 3. They really did love the show, and Jerome honestly found Jesse Pinkman to be quite attractive as well. So, the two friends would never admit it, but they shared Jesse as a husband. Edward looked towards the kitchen and saw that y/n was looking through the fridge with her headphones on. He smirked, noticing how she was swaying to the beat of whatever she was listening to. He looked back towards Jerome and they made eye contact. Jerome, along with everyone in the group, knew how y/n felt about Edward. And Jerome knew a lot about his friend, he didn't just know that she liked Edward, he knew exactly why she liked Edward. He knew what she liked about him.

"Y/n's been talking about you a lot man." Jerome said.

"Hm, really? Interesting." He said, hanging up his coat on the coat rack along with his hat.

"Yeah, won't shut up about you."

Edward hummed, sitting down in the armchair. He clenched and unclenched his fists, his knuckles sore from getting in a fight with someone earlier. He groaned softly.

"Look, I'm telling you this because I know y/n needs a push. Y/n plans on coming here again tomorrow night, since the club is going to be open to the public. You should go too." He said, queuing up the episode.

Edward nodded.

"Alright, I will."

"Cool, I know she'll be surprised, but she'll still love to see you."

Jerome looked over the couch, seeing that y/n was still in the kitchen. He stretched out and yawned, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a tube of red lipstick. He applied it to his lips, puckering them and making a kissy face to Edward. Ed just rolled his eyes in return. Jerome couldn't be serious for more than a minute at a time.

"Y/N HURRY UPPP! I WANNA SEE JESSE!" Jerome groaned loudly.

"SHUT UP I'M MAKING A SANDWICH! AND DON'T MAKE A JOKE ABOUT ME BEING A WOMAN IN THE KITCHEN!"

"Fucking damn it..." He pouted, crossing his arms over his chest as he slumped into the couch.

Edward chuckled, standing up from his spot and walking into the kitchen. Approaching y/n he reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder lightly. She turned around, ready to fling mayo into Jerome's face. But, when she saw Edward she froze in place, a blush crossing her face. He smirked, slivers of his teeth peeking out from under his lips. She took off her headphones, turning the music off.

"Need some help?" He offered.

"U-Uh, no I'm ok. J-Just cutting off the crust on Jerome's. H-he doesn't like it." She stuttered.

"Hm. Ok. Well I'll just keep you company then." He said, leaning against the counter, facing the living room.

Y/n swallowed a lump in her throat as she grabbed a knife from the knife block. Shakily, she sliced the crusts off of the bread. She couldn't stop shaking knowing that Edward was so close to her. Not fully focused, she went to cut the last bit of crust off and sliced the tip of her finger slightly. She winced, dropping the knife on the counter. Edward noticed, walking over to her. Softly, he grabbed her wrist, moving her hand towards him so he could see it better. Blood trickled down her finger, a dot falling on the floor.

"I-I wasn't paying attention. I'm s-sorry..." She quietly sobbed.

Edward furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as to why she would apologize. He lifted her chin up, rubbing it softly with his thumb. She looked up at him through slightly teary eyes. He smiled at her softly.

"Why are you apologizing, y/n?" He asked.

"I don't k-know..."

Edward hummed.

"Do you know if Barbara keeps band-aids here?" He asked, using a napkin to wipe the blood off her finger.

"U-Um, yeah. There." She pointed to a cabinet.

Edward grabbed her other hand, motioning for her to hold the napkin on her cut. She did as he showed her. Smiling, he opened up the cabinet and saw a box of band-aids. Taking one from the box he opened it up, putting it over y/n's cut. He made sure it wasn't too tight nor too loose. Once he was done, he used his thumb to wipe a tear from under her eye.

"Why don't you go sit down, hm? I'll bring these over." He asked, but it was more like a strong suggestion.

She nodded, mouth slightly ajar. He watched as she walked over to the couch, sitting next to Jerome but close to the chair where Edward sat. He smiled to himself when he saw that. He grabbed the sandwiches, an even wider smile on his face when he realized she had laid out two more pieces of bread in case he wanted a sandwich. He wasn't hungry but he still appreciated the thought. Walking over to the couch, he gave the two of them their sandwiches.

"Thanks dad!" Jerome cheered.

"Shut up." Edward grumbled.

He sat down in the arm chair, one leg crossed over the other as he rested his arms on each of the armrests of the chair. Jerome played the episode, his attention automatically focused on the show. But, y/n was watching Edward. He had removed his gloves, placing them in the pocket of his pants. She could see the very subtle veins in his hands, only now they were highlighted from the light of the tv. She looked down at her band-aid and looked back up towards Edward. She felt her heart melt and her stomach turn into a knot. Maybe he sensed this or maybe not, but he turned to her at that moment, his face was expressionless except for the slight smile that tugged at his lips. Y/n blushed, quickly looking away from him.

For the rest of the night, they continued to watch Breaking Bad. Once it got really late, Jerome left after giving y/n a hug and saying a goodbye to her Jesse Pinkman shirt. Leaving just her and Edward. She looked at him, still sitting in the arm chair.

"Um, are you staying longer?" She asked looking at the ground nervously.

He sighed deeply, tilting his head to the left. His legs were spread slightly, his strong hands gripping the edges of the chair softly. Edward looked y/n up and down. Not in a sexual way, he just found her nervous attitude and shy posture to be entertaining.

"Do you want me to?" He asked with a slight seductive tone, eyes peering at her through glasses.

Y/n's eyes widened, her legs shaking slightly beneath her. She swallowed a lump in her throat, shocked that he asked that question. She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, knowing that his dark tired eyes were watching her. Edward awaited her response, fixing the sleeves of his shirt.

"U-Um, I'm not s-sure..." She stuttered quietly.

"Oh?" He asked, teasing her.

"I-I don't k-know if Barb w-would want you t-to. I-It's her p-place..." She mumbled, making eye contact with him for a split second.

Edward nodded.

"Mmm, that's fair. You're quite responsible aren't you?" He cooed, walking towards her.

At this point, y/n was trembling completely. She felt her heart race as he got closer and closer to her. His body casting a shadow over her. She started tugging on the bottom of her shirt, fists clenched up from her nervousness. Edward looked down and saw, gently grabbing her hands, rubbing his thumbs over her fingers.

"You're shaking, why is that y/n?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"It's j-just cold in here..." She lied.

"Mmm, no. That's not it. It's pretty warm in here." He corrected.

Letting go of her hands, Edward brought one of his hands up to her face. Using it, he tilted her chin up. His eyes looked into hers, gazing deep into her soul.

"What's the real reason, hm?" He trailed his thumb down her chin and back up to her bottom lip.

He felt y/n breathe heavily, her eyes looked up into his. She couldn't speak. She was breathless from the situation. Her heart was racing 99 miles per hour and her brain felt fuzzy from being in his presence. Edward sighed, tugging her bottom lip down slightly as he dragged his thumb off her lip.

"Hm, I guess it's just cold." He said, grabbing his jacket from off the coat rack.

Sliding his coat on, he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his gloves. Y/n watched in complete silence as he put his gloves on. Casting her a glance, he put his hat back on as well. He tilted his head slightly to the right, looking at her.

"Make sure you stay warm tonight."

Y/n snapped out of her daze.

"A-Are you leaving?" She asked, sadness evident in her voice.

"Well you decided to be responsible, which is good. So yes."

"Y-Yeah..."

"You're good for being responsible and respecting your friend. I'm proud of you." He said, brushing hair out of her face with his gloved hand.

Y/n audibly sighed, her knees shaking under his touch. Edward smirked and y/n cursed herself silently.

"Yeah, you're good. Aren't you?" He asked, giving her a slight smile.

Y/n just looked up at him, caught up in a trance.

"Hm? Well are you?" He repeated.

"Y-Yes, I am." She answered.

"Mhm, there you go. Make sure you get some rest tonight, ok?"

"O-Ok, Ed..."

"Good girl."

Without another word, Edward walked down the staircase, his shoes clacking against the metal. Slowly, y/n made her way to the banister. Leaning over it, she watched as Edward opened the door to the club, looking up at the her. He didn't say or do anything, just looked at her. And with that, he left, leaving y/n looking down longingly at where he once stood. The club felt empty without him and y/n felt her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach. Sighing, she sat down on the couch, grabbing a blanket and pulling it up over her. The warm embrace of the soft material comforted her as she thought about the way Edward looked at her. His dark eyes bore into her, a cold yet comforting gaze. His hands were rough, but when he touched her skin they felt like the softest satin money could buy. She missed his touch already. Craved it. She yawned, her eyes growing heavy as she fell asleep on the couch. Her dreams were filled with thoughts of Edward, some kind and caring, others lewd and erotic. If only those dreams were reality.

~

That morning y/n woke up, her eyes squinting as the sun shone down on her through the large window above the door to the balcony. A chuckle could be heard from behind her. Turning around, y/n slowly got off of the couch, her mouth opening wide as she yawned. Barbara stood in the kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty." She joked.

"Mehmehmeh meh meh mehmeh..." Y/n mocked.

Barbara rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her coffee. Y/n rubbed her eyes with her hand, using the other one to grab the pot of coffee. Grabbing a cup from the cabinet, she picked up a mug and filled it with the hot beverage. She blew on it, the steam warming up her face.

"You sleep good?" Barb asked.

"Fuck no." She groaned.

"Oh? Why?"

"Um, weird dream..." Y/n trailed, pink dusting her cheeks as she remembered her dream.

"Uh huh. Well, Edward is downstairs. He asked to see you." She said.

Y/n nearly spit out her coffee.

"R-Really?!"

"No. Just wanted to see how you'd react." She giggled.

"Oh, fuck off."

"You love me."

"Yeah yeah, whatever. You got any plans today?" Y/n asked.

"Not really. Just setting everything up for the club tonight. Why?"

"Just curious. I think I'm going to come to the club tonight. A little socializing might be fun." She replied.

"That's good! You have an outfit to wear? If not we can always go shopping together." Barbara suggested.

"No, I have something. Thank you though."

"No problem. Well, I've gotta get to work. Calls to make. Feel free to stay longer or if you have to go right now that works too. I'll see you tonight?"

"Yeah, for sure. See you later, Barbie."

Y/n groaned, placing her coffee mug down on the counter. She tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes. She yawned once again, finishing her coffee and placing the mug in the dishwasher. Going to the bathroom, she brushed her teeth, changed into a new shirt and jeans, and left the club.

For the rest of the day, y/n spent it going to the park and picking flowers. The place where she would hang out when she wasn't at Barbara's was Selina's place. As a thanks for letting her stay, she would pick flowers and put them in a vase at Selina's place. At first Selina didn't care for it, but it grew on her. She especially liked when y/n snagged a few daffodils. As she went back to Selina's, she walked in the door and was surprised to see her there.

"Oh, hey Cat." Y/n said.

"Hey girly. What's up? Nice flowers." She said, watching y/n put them in a vase with water.

"Thanks. I was wondering if I could borrow some of your makeup? I'm going to the Sirens tonight." She asked.

Selina put down the cat she was petting, letting it run across the room. A smirk grew on her face as she stood up and walked towards the vanity in the room. She reached in a drawer, grabbing a bag and pulling it out, placing it on the vanity table.

"You meeting anyone there?" She asked.

"No? Like who?" She asked, sitting down at the vanity.

"Oh, I don't know...Edward?"

Y/n looked towards her, eyes wide.

"N-No! He's not even gonna be th-there!"

"Hm, ok. Well, I hope you have fun anyways."

Y/n stuck her tongue out at her as she looked towards the vanity mirror. She put on her eyeshadow, using a skin tone as a base and putting glitter on top of it. It was subtle, but it would glow in the club lights. After that she applied eyeliner, doing a puppy liner look. Then she put on her mascara, blush, a little highlight on her nose, and pink lip gloss.

"Does this look ok?" She asked, turning towards Selina.

Her friend walked up to her, looking at what she had done. After looking for a few seconds, Selina smiled and nodded. Y/n grinned from ear to ear.

"Looks great. What are you gonna wear?" She asked.

Y/n stood up, going over to the wardrobe. She opened it, moving hangers to the side as she looked for the clothing she wanted. After a little time, she found it. A soft pink dress that ended just under her mid thigh. It had a small white lace bow that was tied on the back of it on the waist. Granted, it wasn't a perfect outfit for a club, but it was the 'fanciest' thing she had. Selina had snagged it from a really hoity toity store a few weeks ago. Holding it up, she looked at Selina.

"I like it. It's very cute, very you."

"You don't think people will look at me weird?" She asked.

"Who cares if they do? Do you want to wear the dress?"

"Well, yeah..."

"Then that's the only thing that matters. Wear it!" Selina reassured her friend.

"Yeah. You're right...what shoes should I wear?"

"Wear sneakers. Piss the rich people off and be comfortable at the same time."

"Ooh, I like that."

"I know right, it's a great idea."

Selina picked up the cat that she was petting early, deciding that she didn't get enough love from the cat and needed to pet them more. Y/n grabbed her outfit, looking at her phone for the time. She saw that it was another hour until the club opened. But, she could show up early if she wanted. After thinking for a bit, she decided to bring her clothes to Barbara's and just change there when she felt like going down to join the club. As she packed her outfit into a duffel bag, she slid on some socks and sneakers.

"You heading out?" Selina asked.

"Yeah, you gonna be ok?"

"Do you know me?"

"Good point. Alright, well just make sure you eat something ok? I'll be good on food since I'm going to Barbs." Y/n explained.

"Yes mother."

"Oh shush. I'll see you later, Cat." Y/n said, grabbing her duffel bag and leaving the building.

Y/n climbed down the fire escape, landing on her feet as she jumped off. The streets were growing dark quickly, causing y/n to pick up her pace. Anyone in Gotham knew it wasn't safe to be out at night, especially if you lived on the streets. Y/n has had too many experiences to take any more chances.

~

Y/n opened the balcony door to the club, closing them behind her as she entered. Barbara, who was all dressed up and sitting at the bar, looked towards her. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Do you ever use the main door?" She asked.

"Nope."

"Figures. What's in the bag? A body?"

"What!? No! It's my clothes!"

"Kidding, hun. I figured that's what it was. You getting changed here?" She took a sip of her drink.

"Yeah, gonna go do that now. The club opens in a few minutes, right?"

"Yeah, can't wait to see your outfit. Go change quickly!"

Y/n smiled, rushing up the staircase nearly tripping over a step. Barbara heard her close the bathroom door, grinning to herself as she walked to the main doors. Opening them up, she gave welcoming smiles to all the people that walked in. What started as a trickle of people quickly turned into a rush of people coming in. The club was full. Not packed entirely, but close enough. It was at this time that y/n came back down the staircase in her dress. Barbara walked up to her, looking at her outfit choice.

"Cute! Better than everyone else's outfits. Barf city." She fake gagged.

"You really think so?" She asked.

"Of course. The sneakers are a nice touch too. I should have worn some too, but I have to 'represent'. Boring."

Y/n chuckled, giving her friend a hug. Barbara hugged her back, giving her a quick peck on the cheeks as well. When the two friends stopped hugging, they walked over to the bar. Barbara ordered a grasshopper and offered y/n one. But, y/n shook her head, instead ordering a glass of cranberry juice. She didn't plan on getting drunk in a place that was full of strangers. You never know what could happen. Even if it was at a place you were familiar with. Too many weirdos. Y/n held onto her drink at all times, hand over the top of the glass when she wasn't drinking it.

"You gonna dance? I put some of your songs on tonight's playlist since you said you were coming over. Thought you might appreciate them." Barbara asked.

"You did? Barb, you're so sweet. I'll definitely dance when a song of mine comes on. Will you join me?"

"I'd love to. But, with these heels? Not likely." She chuckled.

Y/n nodded, giggling. She took a sip of her cranberry juice, finishing the glass. Placing it on the counter, she used her thumb to wipe a drop of the liquid off her lips. Barbara laughed at the sight, though, her laugh slowly fell and her lips turned into a subtle smirk as she looked behind y/n. Y/n was confused, not sure what she was looking at.

"Hello, Nygma. I didn't know you'd be here tonight." Barbara said.

Y/n felt her whole body freeze up, her shoulders tensing. Her interactions with him from last night replayed in her head like a slideshow. She felt a chill go down her spine and she swallowed a lump in her throat.

"Thought I'd swing by, I was already dressed up." He replied suavely.

"Well, enjoy the party. You too y/n, I'm going to go greet people." She said, winking at y/n before walking away.

Y/n mentally cursed Barbara for leaving her alone with Edward. Granted, they were in a club full of other people, dancing and drinking. But, being so close to him made her feel like he was the only one in the room. He made her nervous.

"It's rude to ignore someone, you know..." He commented, his voice smooth like velvet.

Y/n turned around suddenly, her face heating up as she made eye contact with him. He flashed her a small grin, the tip of his canine getting caught on his bottom lip slightly. Y/n moaned mentally, looking him up and down. He wore his usual attire, but his posture made him look like a whole other person. It was like pure magic.

"S-Sorry, I just d-didn't expect you to be here..." Y/n admitted.

"Hm, you look nice. That color suits you."

Y/n blushed, trying to hide her face.

"Thank you. You look nice too." She replied.

"Yeah? Well, thank you."

Edward looked down at her shoes, chuckling to himself when he saw that she wore sneakers.

'Cute.' He thought to himself.

He raised his gloved hand up, holding two fingers out. The bartender looked over, walking over to him. Edward placed some cash on the counter as he leaned against it.

"Scotch on the rocks, please." He asked.

The bartender nodded, putting ice in a glass and pouring scotch into it. Taking the cash, he slid the drink over to Edward who grabbed it tightly. He tilted his head back slightly, letting the burning liquid trickle down his throat. Y/n watched as his adams apple bobbed up and down, his jawline prominent as he swallowed.

"Staring is rude too." He stated simply as he put down the drink.

Y/n quickly looked away, focusing on a part of the wall across from her. Edward looked towards her, adjusting the hat on his head. He smirked, watching his hands as he clenched and unclenches his fists. Y/n flickered her eyes towards them, looking away once again as quick as possible.

"Sorry..." She mumbled.

"There's no need for that, y/n. You just need to learn some manners..." He smirked suggestively.

Y/n's eyes widened, looking up at him. Edward returned the gaze, taking a sip of his scotch while he did so. He phrased what he said just casually enough to not be considered a sexual comment. But, he emphasized the last part, making sure y/n picked up on his double entendre. He felt proud when he noticed that she did indeed notice it.

Barbara walked over, breaking the sexual tension between the two of them. She tapped y/n on the shoulder, getting her attention. Looking at her, y/n smiled and greatly appreciated her interference.

"One of your favorite songs is playing next." She said, turning to Edward after.

"You should dance with her. Y/n asked me to dance with her but I can't since I'm greeting people." She said.

Y/n looked up at the ceiling, frustration evident on her face. Her grip on the counter tightened, her knuckles turning white. Edward smirked at the sight, turning towards Barbara and noticing that she winked at him.

"Sounds fun to me. Y/n's music is always intriguing."

"Great! Just thought I'd come over and let you both know. Have fun!" She said before leaving.

Edward looked back towards y/n, his eyes meeting hers. He had a mischievous glint in his eye and y/n picked up on that. Reaching down to his glass, he took another sip of his scotch. He sighed, gliding his tongue across his lips as he watched her fidget with her hands before him.

"Do you wanna dance with me?" He asked.

"What? U-Um, yes. Well, maybe..." She stuttered.

Edward used two fingers to lift her chin up. He smiled down at her, gliding his hand across her jaw, tracing the bone with his thumb. Y/n shivered underneath his touch, goosebumps rising on her skin.

"You're shaking. Just like last night. Are you cold again?" He asked.

"N-No, not this time..." She sighed.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Then what's the reason this time?" He asked playfully.

She looked at him, biting her lip softly. Edward hummed, his lip tugged up into a small smile. Y/n didn't need to say anything, for he knew what her answer was just from looking into her eyes. Her heavy breathing being her number one give away.

"Hmm, not a verbal confession but, your eyes tell me enough. Perhaps I'll get you to admit it by the end of the night." He said ominously.

The song that was currently playing faded out, signaling that y/n's song was about to play. Grinning, Edward held out his hand, gesturing for her to take it. She did, albeit slowly, and he led her to a spot where they could dance. Edward, not sure what the song was just swayed his body slightly, hips going with him. It was a subtle dance and fit his persona well. In a whole club full of people grinding and dancing like no tomorrow, he was there doing minimal movements. Y/n, who was known to dance like a maniac, decided to just sway in synch with Edward. The bass from the song rumbled the ground, shaking through their bones. Edward listened to the lyrics as best as he could in such a loud and crowded setting. He realized how well-fitting this song was for their current scenario. Smirking, he reached forward and placed his hand on the small of her back, causing her to jump slightly. He pulled her close to him, his glasses glinting in the purple light of the club. Y/n moaned softly, slightly drowned out by the music, but she was close enough to Edward that he could hear it. He leaned down towards her ear.

"You like that?" He whispered, tightening his grip on her.

She whined, nodding her head softly. Edward chuckled to himself, feeling confident in the strobe lights and loud music that surrounded him. The feeling of her close to him making his heart race and stomach turn.

"Why don't you tell Edward what you think of him?" He strongly suggested in her ear, his hand trailing up her back.

She stuttered, nervous from the situation. Edward tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. He placed a kiss underneath her ear, letting his breath fan on her neck.

"C'mon, I know you can do it. I believe in you. Tell me, do you love me?" He cooed.

Y/n let out a shaky breath, nodding softly.

"Yes..."

Edward grinned from ear to ear, his hand trailing up to the base of her neck. The two of them were still swaying to the beat of the song. He stopped abruptly, rubbing her neck with his thumb.

"Good job, darling. I'm proud of you." He praised.

"Proud of me?" She repeated.

"Of course, y/n. So proud." He reassured.

Y/n just stared at him, mouth slightly ajar as she spaced out. His words caught her off guard. No one had ever said they were proud of her before. Her heart skipped a beat. Edward chuckled, cupping her face with his hand.

"What are you think about, hm?"

"You."

"What about me?"

"I want you to kiss me..."

Edward raised an eyebrow, amused at her bluntness. He once again rubbed the base of her neck with his thumb, watching her close her eyes in pleasure.

"You do? Me? A vicious criminal? Aren't you scared of me?" He smirked.

"Of course I am..." She gasped softly.

Edward placed his hand on the middle of her chest. He closed his eyes as he felt her heartbeat. It was racing, fast. Groaning softly, he opened his eyes and leaned in close to y/n. She leaned in too, eyes closing. He chuckled.

"I'm not kissing you here, darling. Why don't you come with me..." He said.

She nodded, following him close behind. Edward led her up the spiral staircase, not caring who was watching them. He didn't care if people got suspicious or spread gossip. 'Did you see the Riddler has a new girl?'. He could care less. Once they reached the top of the stairs, Edward placed a hand on her hip.

"Do you have a bedroom here?" He asked.

She nodded, pointing to the door on the left in the hallway. He nodded, grabbing her hand softly and leading her to it. Opening the door for her, he let her go in first. When he was inside, he closed it behind him, locking it for good measure. He turned back to y/n, seeing how nervous she looked. Smiling, he looked over the room, eyes landing on a chair. Walking over, he sat down on it, legs spread slightly. Y/n looked at him, her chest heaving. Sighing, he removed his coat, placing it on the floor, not caring if it got dirty. Edward took off his hat as well, tossing it on the bed. His slightly long and messy hair was revealed more, causing y/n to stare at it for a little while. She always loved his current hair style. It suited him so well. He rolled up the sleeves of his white button up undershirt. The muscles and subtly veins in his forearms catching y/n's attention.

"What did I say about staring, y/n? It's bad manners."

Y/n nodded.

"You were so good last night, are you going to be good for me again?" He asked, head resting against the back of the chair.

"Yes daddy..." She sighed softly.

Edward felt butterflies in his stomach when she called him that. He smirked, tilting his head to the side slightly. Y/n walked closer to him, a small amount of distance between them still.

"Daddy?" He repeated.

She immediately backed away, her eyes wide. Her face turned red from embarrassment. She sat down on the bed, hiding her face in her hands. Edward found it amusing. It was quiet for a little bit.

"Do I make you feel acknowledged, y/n?" He asked, breaking the silence.

She lifted her head up.

"What? Um, I guess so, yeah..." She sniffled.

He gestured her over with his hand, smiling when she walked over to him. Reaching out, he placed his hands on the back of her thighs. Y/n blushed at the touch.

"Do I make you feel loved?"

She nodded.

"Yes..."

"That's all you've ever wanted, isn't it? To be loved?"

She nodded again.

"You never got that growing up, did you? Poor thing..."

She shook her head.

"I'll love you, y/n. Like you deserve to be loved."

"You will?" She asked.

He nodded, patting his lap. She swallowed a lump in her throat as she slowly sat down on his lap. He groaned at the feeling of her on top of him. Edward moved his gloves hands up to her face, rubbing it gently. She pressed her face gently into his touch.

"You're so pretty, y/n. You know that?" He cooed.

"You are too..."

He chuckled.

"You think I'm pretty?" He questioned.

"Uh, no. Um..."

"No, it's ok. I take that as a compliment. I've heard if a man is called pretty it's the highest compliment." He said.

She nodded.

"You want me to kiss you, hun?"

"Yes please..."

"So polite..."

Edward moved his left hand down to her hip, placing his hand gently on it. His other hand slithered to the back of her neck, holding onto it firmly yet gently. He looked down to her lips, then back to her eyes. Without saying anything, he brought her towards him, placing his lips softly onto hers. She moaned quietly, muffled by the kiss. Leaning into the kiss, she placed her hands on his chest. Their lips moved against each other in synch. Fireworks went off in both of their stomachs. After a few more seconds, Edward pulled away from her. His hand on her neck moved back towards her face, gliding his thumb across her bottom lip.

"Good?" He asked.

"Amazing..."

Y/n moved closer to him, her leg brushing against his crotch as she did so. Edward groaned, his pants starting to feel tight. Y/n leaned down, kissing him again, catching him off guard. He smiled into the kiss, grabbing her shoulders and pushing her off gently.

"And what are you doing?" He questioned.

"I want more..." She said.

"Oh no, not this soon sweetheart. I'm not going to do that to you. I still need to take you out on a few dates before we can even start to think about that." He said, rubbing her thigh gently.

She frowned, upset at first. But as she thought about it, she agreed that that was the best thing to do. She appreciated that he didn't expect or even want sex from her right away.

"Can we do something else...?" She asked, curiously.

"Hm? Like what, hun?"

"Like..."

Y/n leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head against him. Edward, caught off guard, just smiled at first. He laughed, placing his hands on her back. With one hand he rubbed circles into her back and with the other he trailed up to the back of her neck and held her against him. Y/n sighed happily, her heartrate slowing down as she relaxed.

"Tired?" He asked, amusement in his voice.

"Mhm..." She mumbled softly.

"Then you get some rest, sweetheart. I'll hold you for as long as you need."

~

(sorry if this is formatted weird or if there are spelling errors, its 1 am and I'm TIRED <3 so deal with it. lmk if you want a part 2!)

#fanfic writer #writers #fanfic #gotham #the riddler #writers of tumblr #edward nygma #dc universe #daddy issues #i love edward nygma #i love him so much #i love him

[aingeal98]

Last post about gotham war until the next thing it does to annoy me but like the thing is I do actually love batfamily conflict. I hate the complete lack of depth, happy family stuff modern comics try to do due to how pervasive it's been recently. (except for wfa because it's purpose is lighthearted fluff and it mostly has decent character writing for it's genre).

But then Gotham war comes along and is like ok cool I'll give you conflict and angst! Except it also lacks any depth! Bruce is possessed by an alternate personality which let's him do horrific things while avoiding accountability and Selina and Jason get to be a little bit interesting but the rest of them? So far it's as bland as the comics where they all pose for family group shots and say one line each and barely have any individual personalities.

The whole reason I enjoy angst and drama is because of what it reveals about the characters and so far the main takeaway for me has been that none of these writers are sharing character notes with each other. Bruce Selina and Jason change personalities in noticeable and confusing ways every time the writers change. Duke and Cass have not had a single opinion other than trying to get Bruce to calm down a smidge (And of course it's those two that get shafted. Of course.) Dick, Tim, Damian and Steph... Maybe they'll get more to do.

I'd be pleasantly surprised if we get more discussion on the issue that's suppose to be causing the conflict because that would involve a) actually taking the topic of people pushed into crime due to poverty seriously and with nuance and b) treating the batfam characters like individuals with their own opinions instead of a marketing tactic to try and make the event more prominent than it needs to be.

#dc #dc rambles

[wambsgansshoelaces]

Juvenile

Dan Eagan x Reader

errr so this is pretty shit but I promised a post so uhhh I’m sorry I promise it’ll get better just let me het into writing veep style I’d love to take requests 🙏🏽

pls don’t cringe too hard have fun I love you dan pls kiss me dan

Word Count: 1.452k

“Oh, fuck off,” you repeat for what you feel like is the thousandth time. Working for the VEEP is obviously a dream come true- you’d worked your entire life for this, and you’re damn good at your job too.

But of course, a man has to fuck it up for you.

Some jerk has come up from some senator’s office to talk with Selina, and unfortunately for you, he’s snagged right onto you on his way there.

“You kiss the VEEP with that mouth?” he asks, depositing himself on your desk, fuck-ass grin plastered on his face. You suck on your teeth, trying not to lose your shit. You make a weak attempt at ignoring the interloper, instead waving at Ed after he smiles at you shuffles into Selina’s office. “What’s Mr. Dry Spaghetti doing in there before me?”

“Madame Vice President has her priorities,” you reply simply, starting on some paperwork.

Instead of fucking off to wait his turn, like you’d hoped he would, his ass stays firmly on top of the pretty wood of your desk. A shame, you think, the wood is being desecrated.

“More time for the two of us, then?”

“I’d prefer not to.” You don’t look up from your work.

“Oh, come on.”

“I have work to do.” You abruptly stand from your desk chair, crossing the room to pretend like you’re doing something. Mike thankfully gives you a brief respite from what’s about to turn into a living hell, asking you about the difference between matcha and green tea. “What’d Selina ask for?”

“She asked for green tea, but I can’t tell if she means like the ones in the Arizona cans or like tea that’s green, which would be matcha, wouldn’t it?”

“Well, matcha isn’t tea,” you say back, a smile finally gracing your face. “So I’m assuming she meant green tea.”

“Do I just say that? I want some green tea?”

“That’s typically how you order things from places, yes. Where’s Gary? Isn’t this his job?”

“Probably having an anxious breakdown in a bathroom,” Mike mutters.

“Sounds more like you.”

“Where’s Dan?” he asks, changing the subject. “He’s supposed to have a statement for me…” He trails off, walking away from you and the conversation.

To your disappointment, your happiness is short lived. You feel a hand ghost on the small of your back, and it seems that Senate boy hasn’t gotten the hint.

“Do you need any help? I can make quick work of whatever it is you’re doing.”

“No, I’m fine,” you say harshly.

He takes you by the hip this time, turning you to face him. “How about we go out, then? Brunch? Lunch? Anything.” Your face flushes, your lips begin to form a scowl. Before you can yell at him, cuss him out, anything, Ed shuffles his way back out of Selina’s office and beelines it to you. He awkwardly pushes himself in between you and Senate boy, swatting his hand off of you.

Ed shoos the Senate boy into Selina’s office, giving you a pat on the shoulder on his way out. You murmur your thanks and goodbyes before wandering back to your desk to work in peace.

You manage to get a bit of work done, but your focus begins to waver as you hear Selina’s voice rising. Mike rushes back in, doing that goofy run of his, and pushes one of Selina’s office doors open. He barely gets to speak before he’s interrupted.

“Ma’am, I have that green tea you wa-”

“If you don’t have the fucking draft by tomorrow, ma’am, you’re in a WHOLE new black hole of shit-”

“You really think you can talk to me like that? I’ll have you know-”

Mike backs away from the doors, letting them click shut. He places the cup on your desk. “Your problem now. Where the fuck is Dan?”

Senate boy follows Mike closely out the door, practically screaming obscenities, and the ink on one of your documents suddenly becomes the most interesting thing you’ve ever seen. “And don’t think I’ll forget how the Vice President treated me as a honored guest,” he shouts, voice tripping in venom. “And for the record, I never wanted to go out with and ugly fucking bitch like you, anyway.” You blink, barely registering the words spat in your direction. “Fuck off, Eagan, so I can come for your job so shit can actually get done here.”

He shoves past Dan, who’s standing in the doorway with his jaw ticking. “Oh, eat shit,” he mutters back. “Was he talking you you?” He comes over to you, setting the statement Mike’s been running after all morning gently on your desk.

“He’s just butthurt,” you manage, face heated. While you hadn’t taken anything he’d said personally, because Senate boy looked like an ingrown toenail and had the maturity of a spring onion, he’d made a scene in front of the entire office. And your ego wasn’t small enough to not be a bit bruised. You take Selina’s forgotten green tea and quickly run it to her. Dan follows, hands stuffed In his pockets.

“That’s Dale? From Senator Warrith’s office?” he asks, watching Selina pinch the bridge of her nose, wordlessly accepting her drink and demanding you and Dan piss off from her office.

He follows you back to your desk, his eyes staying on you. “I don’t know his name,” you say exasperatedly. You tap at the documents Dan’d set on your desk moments earlier. “Mike’s been looking for these.”

He leans against your desk as you sit down. “I know. That’s why I gave them to you.” You can’t help but smile, properly filing the papers away to be put on Selina’s desk. “What, are you just going to let him talk to you like that?”

“What can I do? File a complaint?” You scoff. “There’d be more use in me sending letters to Santa.”

“I’m not going to let him talk to you like that.” He cards a hand through his hair. “You’re on the Jonad drive.”

“You’re going to bully him?” you ask, laughing.

“Of course I’m going to bully him. It always works.” He raps once on your desk with his knuckles before he straightens out. “I’m going to go visit Shrimp Dick.”

“Shrimp Dick? That’s the best you can do?”

“Shrimp Dick is the least of what’s going to happen to him. It’s factual, too.”

“Can we stop saying shrimp dick? I’m on the phone,” Sue states, expression sharp.

“Point is,” Dan continues, keeping his focus on you, “you will be avenged.”

You make a face. “What are we, twelve? This is all so juvenile, Dan.”

He shrugs. “Just making sure you know.” He adjusts his tie, taking a few steps in the direction of the exit, before turning right back to you. “You’re not ugly. Or a bitch,” he says too loudly. His face pinkens. “Just making sure you know.”

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

Later that day, you’re running between buildings, trying to get ready for a prep release, when you hear your name murmured in conversation.

“I don’t give a shit if he’s that goose that fucking lays golden eggs, Senator Warrith. He harassed a close colleague of mine, and I can’t even begin on his attitude towards Madame Vice President.” You can recognize Dan’s voice. You’ve been hearing it for long enough. “I mean, he walked in like he owned the place, disrespected everyone, shouted at Madame VEEP, and threatened me, so by proxy, her. I really don’t see how you can tolerate anything of the sort.”

You try to make it past them unnoticed, but the two finish their conversation as soon as you’re near. Dan peels away from the senator, falling into step beside you. The two of you stay in a comfortable silence for a bit before he speaks. “I’m sorry if anything I did made you uncomfortable.”

“What, you? You didn’t do anything wrong.” You both stop before the press room, stealing moments for yourselves. “You hit your head? I’ve never heard you apologize to anyone before.”

He smiles at you before ducking his head down to inspect his dress shoes. “Dale won’t be around anymore.”

“It wasn’t that big of a deal, Dan.”

“Naw, nobody liked him, anyway.” He brushes an imaginary speck of dust off of your shoulder. “They also found evidence of fraud. Which I might’ve pointed them in the direction of. They also all call him Shrimp Dick now.”

You reach out, pulling his blazer shut and straightening his tie. “Well, thank you for caring.” You even out his collar. “In your own little neurotic way.”

“I like caring about you. It’s… nice.”

#dan eagan #dan eagan x reader #dan eagan oneshot #veep #veep x reader #veep fic #veep hbo #cries I’ve lost my writing power

[francisofgotham1]

Catholic Bat Family 2 (Inspired by @incomingalbatross)

Alright, we're back on this thing again. So, as stated before, this is inspired by @incomingalbatross's posts and asks about the Bat Family being Catholic and I really liked, so I'll write about my ideas on it. If you wanna see her posts, go check out her blog. Also, if you wanna see the Bat Family Confirmation saints, click here.

So, with that out of the way, let's get creative! (Before we do, though, I would like to establish that Bruce is a good dad in this because that's how it should be).

So far, we've established:

Bruce's origins and current faith (Very Strong).

Alfred is Anglican

Father Brown is in this universe (and so is Flambeau).

Selina started antagonistic towards it, but thanks to a nudge from Bruce and her sister Maggie, she develops her faith on her own.

Dick is "umbrella" at first and not very formal, but joins the Church after Final Crisis (a lot of angst in this)

Jason was fiercely Catholic and wanted to become a priest before dying. When he returns, he's angry a both Bruce and the Church, but slowly he starts reconciling with both (beginning with Jason cleansing at Lourdes). He still wants to become a priest (maybe).

Tim is Protestant, likes debating, is church friends with Clark, and probably converts Kon. Also, the TOUGHEST NUT TO CRACK IN THIS WHOLE THING!

The family splinters after Final Crisis, leaving many dysfunctions unresolved.

Dick and Damian come into the faith while Bruce is "dead", and Jason returns to it, becoming the spiritual leader of the family (kind of).

When Bruce comes back, he and Jason finish mending their relationship and talk about Jason wanting to be a priest.

That leaves us with a couple of things/people to set up: Cass, Steph, Duke, the Rows, what happens to Bruce in the time stream, how Tim comes into all of this (if at all), and more.

First things first, let's talk about the other people.

Cass I feel like she would want to follow into the faith not only because Bruce is Catholic and he's the first person (besides Barbara) that ever treated her well. But because how her code follows very closely with the idea of forgiveness, redemption, and fierce defense that Catholic Christianity is known for (much like Bruce). And personally, her Confirmation saint has to be St. Joan of Arc.

She definitely found a denomination in Hong Kong or Macau, though

Steph is more tricky. From what I remember of her, she is friendly, fierce, calls people out on their bull, has a terrible home life (dad is abusive and a villain, mom is an addict), and clashes with Bruce a lot. She has a strong bond with Cass, Tim, and Barbara, which makes me think that she maybe leans more towards Protestantism but is not devout at all. She still respects the faith of Cass and the others, tho.

However, once she starts going to college, she walks by the campus church and something just... I don't know, starts calling to her. Maybe it's all of the lessons Bruce and Jason gave, maybe it's a reminder of the quiet chapel at the Manor, maybe it's all the times she listened to Damian talk about his lessons, but regardless of what it is, she begins hanging out at the church and talks with the campus priest. Eventually, she comes to Bruce and asks her to be her Godfather and Sponsor.

Duke...I honestly don't know. He seems to be a passionate kid that was raised by parents with good morals, so I wanna say he's Episcopalian, but I don't know. Anyone is welcome to suggest or add to him.

Harper and Cullen would be very angry at the world and would be very shocked a finding out Batman is Catholic. That turns their whole world on its head, and while they eventually come around to it, I don't think they would ever join the Church.

And finally (for today), Tim. He, as stated before, is the toughest nut to crack in this universe. That's because he's just so naturally skeptical of everything, likes to find answers from scratch, and just doesn't have a need to go looking for it. The only thing that I can come up with is looking into the Dominican Order, who's whole thing revolves around education and academia. And since Tim is the most affected by Bruce's "death", that might cause a giant rift in him. He goes to Ra's for help, suffers from a giant crisis of faith, and eventually stumbles upon a Dominican monastery. There, he begins researching and politely debating with the friars, eventually discussing these adventures with a playful but very intelligent priest in England.

This is getting pretty long, so I'm gonna stop here for today. Everyone is welcome to look into the other topics of discussion, share ideas, recommend new ones, and even make a post of their own (just remember to add proper credit. Even though this is not a school assignment, what starts here ends there). Just please remember to keep it civil. Don't forget, this was inspired by @incomingalbatross. Go follow her, she is awesome and posts about things beyond Batman (Doctor Who, Psych, Father Brown, Ranger's Apprentice, etc.).

Anyways, have a good one!!

#batman #dc comics #batfamily #bruce wayne #catholic #jason todd #batfam #christianity #damian wayne #dick grayson #cassandra cain #duke thomas #stephanie brown #harper row #cullen row #batdad #bruce is a good dad #father brown #hercule flambeau #tim drake #selina kyle #batcat #bruce x selina #headcanon

[slxsherwriter]

Write by the Moon

Fandom: The Gates, 31, A Good Day For It

Pairing: William Colcott x Selina (OC), Doom-Head x OFC, Norman Tyrus x OFC

Word Count: 6,416

Warnings: Demonic rituals, murder, killing

Author's note: This is part one of my reincarnation/soulmate AU fic featuring three Richard Brake characters. Not Beta read as always, so any mistakes are my own. This part will cover William and Selina. As his wife isn't alive in the movie, I decided to treat her as an OC. It is set up to show snippets of their life and the other parts will follow suit. Hope everyone enjoys.

The bar was busy, as it often was on a Saturday evening. Men and women, both reputable and dishonest, mingled about, sharing drink and food. Sheep in a herd, begging to be culled. William Colcott was that wolf in sheep's clothing. Setted at the bar, he was patiently biding his time, looking for the latest victim to satiate that spiraling darkness that resided within. The one that had been cultivated at a young age and had become an ever looming presence throughout his life. Long ago, he had learned that it was far better to give in and indulge in the need. It was what he was good at, even if no one seemed to suspect a thing. After all, the first kill had extinguished the idea of finding his soulmate. Who could be bound to a dark soul like his? Foolish ideas were given up, the mark on his chest ignored for years. 

As he observed the room around him, however, that self-imposed denial came to a rushed end. A slow but steady warmth began to bloom. Deep within and across his skin. The sort that brought about a long forgotten sense of comfort. The sort that had briefly been had when he was a young child, sitting in his mother's lap, listening to her read him stories of King Arthur and the knights of the round table. Was it possible? 

Fingers unconsciously tightened against the handle of his mug, breath stuttering as there was just a moment where he lost himself in the feeling. Indulging in what he had thought he would never be privileged to have. Reality came crashing back after a moment, William gaining his breath back and eyes now almost wildly darting around the room. Desperation never suited any inch of his life but that was what gripped his heart. She couldn't escape and she had to know that he was here. But where? 

A grin, open and free, came to his features unconsciously when his eyes landed on her. Ah, there she was. Far too pretty to be a victim, though such things had hardly proven a matter of concern before that very moment. There didn't seem to be anyone that was accompanying her, leaving an opportunity for him to ensure that she knew right where she belonged. Taking a final pull of the mug, he set it down on the counter before picking his way through the crowd of bodies that now meant absolutely nothing to William. 

"Is this seat taken?" He asked as he leaned down just a little bit, not wanting to shout over the voices of the others. When she looked up at him, he just knew that she felt it too. The way that her eyes dilated, the barely audible gasp that escaped her lips. The warmth only grew now that he was in such a close proximity. There was something else, though, something that he couldn't put his finger on as he looked at the woman. It took her no time to compose herself, though, as if the slip-up had never happened before she smiled at him. 

"I supposed it is now." It was all the invitation that he needed, sliding right into the chair before anyone had the chance to interrupt them. His first thought this close up was that the color of her eyes couldn't quite be deciphered. They seemed to shift subtly each time the light hit them differently. He immediately waved over one of the barmaids to grab her attention. He allowed her to order first before getting himself a second drink. He might as well enjoy himself since this was where he was keeping himself until she was done with the evening. 

To sort out the chaos that was ruling his mind in the moment was impossible. A million thoughts were flooding in all at once, leaving him unsure where to even begin. 

"Perhaps we should start with the easy things before moving onto the elephant in the room." Her voice broke William out of his self-induced haze, and he chuckled softly.  

"Forgive me," he said, "It seems that I am perhaps a little more ill-prepared than anticipated." The light sound of amusement couldn't be missed over the noise that surrounded them, even when it should have been drowned out. Hypervigilant to every reaction, that was what it was. 

"Hardly something that can one can be faulted for. After all, it has turned into a rather unexpected evening, wouldn't you agree?"

"Unexpected but far more pleasant than I had hoped." Briefly, he wondered where her mark was. The thought that instantly followed was that if it was settled in a private location, he didn't want anyone else in the bar seeing it, knowing where it graced her body. That was for him and him alone. All in due time. They hadn't even exchanged names, but the tangible tension would see it's conclusion. There was no doubt in any ounce of his being. Holding out his hand for the woman, he decided that they needed to quickly remedy the first problem at hand. "The name's William." Never before had he desired to meet whatever expectations from an appraisal that another had given, but as her eyes trailed over his face, William wanted nothing more than to meet them for her. 

"It's a pleasure, William," she offered in return, placing her hand in his. Bringing it to his lips before she could retract it, lips brushed over the knuckles. There was a hint of something burnt lingering on her skin. One that he couldn't place but hardly mattered. "Selina." Ah, a fitting name. However, it was not the only thing that he wished to learn about her. 

"A beautiful name for a beautiful woman." Another laugh, and there was a lightness in his chest, as if it was easier to breathe, easier to simply exist by the sound alone. There wasn't any resentment for the way that she was making him feel. William knew that there were things that would have to be sorted out, that complications would arise once that darkness crept back in, but for now, he would embrace the light that she brought. 

"Quite the charmer, aren't you? Drinks, compliments, if I didn't know better, I would say that you were looking to get me alone." Oh, she was almost perfect. He liked a little sass and feistiness in his women. 

"Now, that just wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me, would it? Hardly befitting the situation." 

"Of course, silly me to think such things." He braced his elbows against the table and leaned in. The wood still separated them, but William wanted to close that gap. Needed to in all reality. The compulsion was far too strong to be overcome and ignored. The banter had eased his mind and loosened his tongue. 

"A complaint wouldn't pass my lips if that was how the night were to end." In response, she leaned in. The action wasn't what was anticipated, but he rolled with it, taking it as a positive sign that they were falling onto the same page. "Does it feel the same for you? A pleasant warmth that you could sink into and never let go?" Curiosity got the better of him, and the question slipped. It was far more vulnerable and open than what the man was used to being, though he supposed that was something that would come with the territory of getting to not only know but have this woman as a constant in his life. 

Plenty of people were open about the subject of soulmates. What was felt, what was thought, how their life seemed to switch around in unexpected but not unwelcome manners. William wouldn't give up his life's work or activities just for Selina. But something in his gut told him that he wouldn't have to abandon it all. Something that would be proven true or false with a further exploration. 

"It's a softness," she started and William couldn't tear his attention away. The bar could have been burning around them and it wouldn't have mattered if she still spoke. "A gentle warmth that seems to emanate from my very soul itself. A warmth of comfort and safety." It seemed she had been just as taken if that honest answer was anything to do by and he was thrilled. Safety. That stuck in his mind like a spoke in mud. She would always be safe from him, from the darkness. Nor would anyone dare lay a hand on her. 

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

Selina had impressed the importance of this onto William several times over the last week. He was to be quiet and simply observe. If he spoke anything, he could risk the integrity of the ritual. Among other dangers. He took it seriously since she seemed so invested and dead set on making him understand, both the dangers and what she did.

Having never been a particularly religious man, William had at first thought that her insistence was cute but nothing more than superstition and foolish belief. Still, there was something in her being that drew him in, more than just the fact that they were soulmates. As if there was recognition of a darkness that matched his own. 

What harm would it come to humor her and see what this was all about himself? William had finally agreed to watch a ritual, putting forward effort to understand this part of her life. It was incredibly important to her and a part that she hadn't wanted to keep hidden forever. 

Standing in the corner of the room, he made sure that he was entirely out of the way as she settled a few more things at the table. Some herbs that weren't recognized, a candle that was halfway melted down already, an old copper bowl, and a knife. One that William could appreciate as the dimmed lights in the kitchen of their home caught the edge just right. There was a question that sat burning on the tip of his tongue, but he had sworn that he would remain silent until she gave the signal that it was okay to speak once more. Attention shifted off of the items that had been laid out to the woman herself. That something that he hadn't been able to fully understand hung heavier in the air, as if it was a physical presence in the room. Something besides just the two of them. A silly notion. But not one that he didn't so easily brush aside this time.

A further draw to her very being. Almost like he was seeing Selina for the first time all over again. A sense of awe that was so absent from every other aspect of his life. She settled at the table now that everything was laid out. Silence reigned for several long seconds. Patience was thin at the best of times, but he forced himself to not fidget or speak a word. 

Then, after what felt like hours, Selina was finally moving once more. William watched as she moved with a practiced ease, the same sort that he had when he was out with a victim. It spoke of years going through the same motions, guided by muscles that had long ago memorized just how and when to move. Some of the herbs were placed into the bowl whole, others crushed, others burned. The candle was lit. Movements told him that she was letting the melted wax fall to the table in cruiated patterns before a small amount of wax was poured over the mixture before being placed carefully, deliberately to the left. William had to bite the inside of his cheek as he watched her bring the blade up. She wasn't going to do what he thought she was?

Her palm opened easily, cleanly. The knife was sharp. Yet, she didn't make a sound. His eyes never left the clenched fist as she held it over the bowl, though now, she was muttering something. Words that he either couldn't entirely make out or understand. William wasn't sure which it was at that very moment. 

In seconds, none of that mattered. The temperature of the room dropped significantly and immediately. Hairs stood on the back of his neck, his stomach rolling as bile rose in his throat. A reaction that wasn't expected but uncontrollable. Selina was relaxed as ever in her seat. A smile sat on her lips, one that could barely be seen from the angle that William was at though he could tell it was there. That sense of a physical presence grew. The animalistic primal part of his brain screamed danger, instinct demanding that he slither further back into the shadows. There was nowhere to go, though, his back solidly against the wall behind him. Moving meant disruption, and that was simply not an option. Something was happening here that he didn't understand, but Selina appeared perfectly in control. Ruining that could mean harm to her. An unacceptable consequence of any movement on his end. So, William stayed as stock still as he could, as if he was simply waiting for a victim to pass in front of him.

Then, there was movement. Not from either of them. A shimmer of the shadows, something that caught the very periphery of his vision. It slithered away, vanishing as he blinked. Blood rushed by his ears, the sound near overwhelming as suddenly that darkness seemed to form right in front of Selina. His heart clenched, skipping a single beat as the expectations of violence soared. 

It was with tremendous effort that William remained glued to his spot, the echoes of her voice reminding him that any movement or interference bred more trouble. Selina wasn't cowering or attempting to move away. That subtle smile remained across her face before her head tipped forward in a small greeting. Lips were moving, but he could not hear what words were being exchanged, as if there was some invisible wall between them, blocking out all and any sound. The darkness never took on more of a form than a black, hazy block in the air, at least to him.

So much for not believing in any of this. Before his very eyes was proof that another world existed. One that Selina was intimately familiar with and of which she possessed extensive knowledge. An apology was in due order. Once everything was finished and it was safe once more to speak. 

The entire thing lasted about fifteen minutes. Gradually, warmth seeped back into the room, and light seemed to brighten. Blinking, William was able to break away from the wall, moving to the table where Selina was now cleaning everything up. No words were exchanged right away, not as he sat down and ran a hand over his face. Where was the best place to start? Safety. Not his but hers. That was a priority for him. He had to know that when she did this, she would remain safe. Often enough, it happened when he wasn't around, which was fine with him. What could he really do anyway? Against spirits and demons, his knife was likely useless. She remained silent, allowing him to take that time to gather his thoughts and form a proper sentence.

"I take it as long as you aren't interrupted, then these are rather safe rituals for you?" Her eyes brightened, the smile he was granted as bright as the morning sun. 

"This is one that I have been performing for years and have built a rather comfortable rapport with the being that you saw. Now, I am not foolish enough to believe that I can control him. But I do know that it is far better to have an offer ready and keep him satisfied with respect and sacrifice than anything else. So yes, that one in particular I would say is safe." That left plenty of room for interpretation, William wasn't blind to the way that she had answered but worked around the question at the same time. If she felt confident enough, then he would have to take her word for it. 

"And there are others?" 

"Rituals or beings? Either way, the answer is many." Selina reached out, her hand settling over his and giving a small squeeze. A reassurance in a way and a grounding attempt. "I have a few I tend to stick with. It's just…easier that way." William felt that there was something else that she wanted to add on at the end but opted to leave it be. Remembering something, he reached for the hand that she was keeping close to her being and turned it over. The slice across her palm wasn't deep but it would need to be wrapped to stave off any chance of infection.

"Let's get that wrapped, love." The task was a settling enough motion that he was able to get himself back to a composed state, thinking through everything that he had seen and what its implications meant for their feature. It seemed that he would have some learning to do over the next few weeks. 

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

Looking into the mirror, the unfamiliar jitters of nerves were beginning to become rather annoying. William wasn't sure what the source of such an unusual feeling was, but it didn't seem to want to stop. There was a deep refusal to believe that it was stemming from the fact that today would be the day that he and Selina married. No, it certainly could have nothing to do with that. There was simply nothing for him to be nervous about when it came to the event. Still, as the blue of his eyes stared back out at him from the glass, there was little other reason for it to be present. 

He and Selina were soulmates. A thought that caused his hand to rise unconsciously, fingers lightly pressing over the mark that was over his heart. She wouldn't abandon him now. There would be no cold feet, nothing to stop them from making it official in the eyes of the government. 

The two had been living together for almost a year now, having been together since that fateful night in the bar nearly three years ago. They were tailored for each other, slotting into the routines and patterns of life seamlessly. The sort of actions that many others wished that they could have and held jealousy over. William counted himself lucky for having found her at all but in a way blessed by some sort of being out there that they fit together so perfectly. Not God, no. He had no bearing here. Maybe one of those beings that Selina often spoke to or dealt with indirectly. That was a far more feasible explanation. 

William found himself chuckling and swiping a hand through his hair one last time. It was foolish to waste another second standing in front of the mirror and overthinking things. They had to be at the courthouse on time or risked having the entire thing pushed off to another day. That would leave the woman simmering and scowling for the entire night. A mood that he did not want to have to navigate. 

A simple ceremony had been decided long ago. Neither had family to be concerned with when it came to the union. They were left to decide what they wanted and how they wanted it. The agreement had come easy. He nor Selina had felt all that comfortable with the idea of being married in a church. For a multitude of reasons, with her practices being ranked rather high on the list. Besides, what was the point in having to give money to such an institution when it was just the two of them? It would bring up questions or sympathies that they didn't have the patience or tolerance to handle. Which left getting a civil marriage. The most important part was legal recognition anyway. They had been married in all but name since they had found one another. 

William moved towards the front door, hearing movement upstairs. Selina was still getting ready. It was a good thing that she hadn't been waiting on him. He was only waiting a few minutes before she made her way down the stairs.

"Radiant as ever, my love." The compliment fell naturally from his lips and as always, he was granted that warm smile that lit up her entire face. 

"Forever the charmer, even on the day of your wedding." He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her once she was close enough, using the leverage to draw her body closer yet to his. A gentle kiss was pressed to her forehead. The only one alive, in existence, to experience this side of him. Or, the one that this side only existed for, came alive for was more likely. 

"Cannot go failing my duties now." As she relaxed against him, William ran his fingers lightly over her left shoulder blade, where her mark was hidden beneath the gorgeous blue dress she had chosen. The action was almost instinctual at this point, having been repeated over and over until he could have found it and traced it with his eyes closed. "Come on, we have a carriage waiting." He had to pull away first, a smile saved her and her alone present as one more kiss was dropped to her head. 

The carriage ride was relatively quiet, William keeping an eye on the outside world while stealing glances at the woman across from him. His soulmate and soon to be wife. Her presence always brought that pleasant warmth to his chest, but the thought of calling her his in every way possible just made it all the stronger. The little smile that she couldn't seem to wipe off of her face only added to the atmosphere. A look he had placed there, a sense of pride swelling up at the knowledge. For a brief second, he felt like a boy again, having gotten away with stealing a candy bar and riding the high of having the best thing possible. That was what Selina was. The rest of the world hadn't recognized it, and he had stolen her away before anyone could. Destined to be with him, yes, but bound together on such a deeper level. He had made her his. 

The carriage came to a stilted stop outside of the courthouse. Time for the rest of the world to know what he knew. Stepping out, he was quick to turn around and offer his hand, even when she didn't need the help.

“Ready?”

“More than ever.” Pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles, William grinned before leading her into the building. 

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

The shivers wracked his frame, uncontrollable spasms that allowed no rest. It had been that way for hours. Days almost. William had lost track of the time in the fever induced haze, mind skipping in and out of consciousness, but never truly resting. In lucid enough moments, he hated the way that he felt weak and felt useless. He couldn't even get himself out of bed to get to the bathroom. In the non-lucid moments, shadows moved and formed figures, horror that his mind couldn't entirely comprehend appeared and threatened him. 

William coughed violently. The rattle in his chest was worrisome, but Selina couldn't do much more. The medicine from the doctor should have cured his symptoms three days ago. The recent illness sweeping through London has been like a second coming of the plague. Bodies were dropping faster than most could keep up with. Thankfully, it wasn't to the point that they were building up in the streets just yet. Her fingers brushed along his clammy forehead, frowning at the heat still radiating. If the fever didn't break soon, there would be bigger things to worry about. 

She hadn't shown any symptoms yet. A small blessing. If she went down beside him, they might as well call an end to it. Pushing up from beside the bed, she moved to make some tea. It would calm her, and if she could get anything down him, help soothe his throat at the very least. 

Standing in their tiny kitchen, the pot for tea boiling, she let out a slow sigh. If William didn't get better…. As soon as the thought came, she was quick to try and banish it. He hadn't succumbed yet. He wouldn't. Her William was strong and as stubborn as they came. He would make it through this and be back to his normal self. And if not? There were other options. Her eyes strayed to a few of the books that she kept close at hand in the kitchen for when rituals needed to be performed. Death could not part them. She just hoped it wouldn't come to that so soon. 

Selina was pulled from the dark path of her thoughts when the kettle whistled. Making up two cups, the action was soothing. A routine that was familiar amongst the days of unfamiliar motions. Moving back to the room, she was pleased to see him with his eyes open, appearing far more lucid than he had in days. Her chest instantly felt lighter. Though, she wasn't foolish enough to believe that they were out of the woods. 

“It's good to see you awake, love.” She spoke gently. Likely, his head was bothering him given how feverish he had been. And still was. She could see the sweat beading along his brow. “I've made some tea. Do you think you could get some down?” Standing beside the bed, she held it out and watched as shaky hands took the warm cup. She winced at the pained look that came from him at the simple act of taking a sip. Still, it was seeing him do something other than lay there and moan in pain. She wouldn't be picky. Selina reached out and brushed her hands along his forehead, pushing back the sweat soaked hair. William's eyes fluttered closed at the touch, leaning into it. 

“You need more rest.” Not an observation as much as an order that fell from her lips. One that he was in no shape to disobey, and they both knew it. All stemmed from worry. Worry that he wouldn't get better. Worry that he would be taken from her. Worry that some force out there wouldn't allow them to be together, no matter what she tried. 

A low, tired hum was the response given. The man took a few more slow sips of the tea, hands less shaky than they had been when he first reached out. Her husband was a strong, stubborn man. Selina took comfort in that knowledge and seeing a visible improvement. Even if it didn't last all that long. 

“Have you slept at all?” His voice was hoarse, rough from the crying out he had done thanks to his fever dreams. That and lack of use. A gentle smile was given.

“Some. You are my greater concern. I'll sleep once I know you will wake up again.” As devoted as he was to her, she was as equally devoted to him. Her fingers continued the soothing actions against his scalp, hoping to ease him back to sleep. His body needed it, even if he had been barely conscious for three days. Proper rest would help heal him. The rattling in his chest with each breath he took shook her. The sounds were far from the powerful man that she knew. Almost made him sound frail, weak. But, she kept a brave face, not letting on those thoughts. If she gave it, they might come to light. 

William eased back once more. It didn't take long for his eyes to close and his muscles to go slack. Sleep took him under, though this state should be far more restful for him. Hopefully, this lucid moment meant that the fever was going to break soon. 

She watched, feeling fiercely protective over the man in the bed. Not the first in her life. No, she had been that protective over family. However, this may have been the first person, not blood related and certainly the first person in her adult life, that those feelings had appeared. It had taken a little time to get used to, understand, and control them. A little longer than she would have liked, admittedly. A dangerous time. Selina knew what and who she had ties to and the inherent risks that came with that. To herself and others around her. The simple fact that he was her soulmate had been well worth it. She had sensed the darkness that lingered within, the predator just underneath the surface. Drawn to it as much as she was him. Both the bond that fate had woven and the beast within. 

Finishing the tea, Selina let out a small sigh. Her eyes ached. The strain of staying awake for so long was starting to set in. Sleep would soon be unavoidable. The wheezing that came from William was enough to leave her unsettled though, which meant no sleep just yet. The mark on her shoulder felt warm. Not the pleasant warmth that came when they were together. No. More like a fevered warmth. A shared suffering. She shook it off the best that she could without getting too comfortable. A little longer was needed before she could allow herself to rest. At least until his breathing settled into something more aligned with normal. He had been conscious but it wasn't enough of an improvement for her to let her guard down entirely. 

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

The evening was cold and damp, rain falling as often was the weather these months. With his jacket pulled tightly around himself, the figure marched through the back alleys, listening, waiting. A predator hiding within the shadows. The nightmare that those among the London streets still feared. His name may not have been known, the press hardly getting their hands on the deeds that were carried out. No, he was far too meticulous for that. As much as the hysterics would be enjoyable to watch. Fame hardly mattered, though, to William. It would have complicated too many things. 

The itch had become too much, and William had needed to go out. Just one kill, and he would be back in the comfortable warmth of their home. It gave Selina time to carry out what she needed to as well, without any worry of being interrupted. 

There was less focus on finding the perfect victim that evening. It simply mattered that his blade was stained red. There had been a sense of complacency and comfort that had settled in after the Ripper killings had stopped. A security that allowed his work to become that much easier. Individuals were emboldened to walk alone in the streets once more. Shortcuts were taken where they had been avoiding any alleyways where light couldn't reach. The perfect combinations of elements that brought his prey right to him rather than him having to stalk anyone and drag them into the shadows without notice. Sure, his killings brought about whispers, and the memory of the Ripper still created that nightmare, but it was not enough for anyone to be able to pay proper attention to what was happening around London.

The kill had come with just a small struggle, the sort that helped keep things interesting without being too much of a hassle. A brief slap across his face and a claw mark made to his wrist before the end had come and the body was dumped. A sigh of satisfaction escaped William as he cleaned his blade against the clothes of his latest victim before stepping back into the shadows and leaving the body hidden among the trash, likely not to be found for several days. After the rats and other vermin had gotten their fill. 

Now that the urge had been quieted, he was looking forward to being home. Spending the remainder of the night, holding his wife close, was the perfect end to the night. His steps were light as he moved through the streets, now among the rest of the population and lights that lined the streets. No one would give a second glance, weather aside. Everyone was in an eager state to get home at the late hour. His shoulders relaxed further when his home came into view, chuckling softly to himself as his pace quickened even further. 

William would have known something was amiss, even if it wasn't for the burning cold that spread out from his soulmark; the lights were off, and Selina's absence from the table in the small kitchen was acutely felt. Eyes wandered around the room, looking for whatever might be out of place, anything that would give him the slightest hint as to where his dear wife was and what had happened. A feeling of dread built from deep within his chest, constricting his lungs and robbing him of his ability to breathe. It was all wrong, and his hand reached for the knife that was kept hidden beside the door, on the off chance that someone was foolish enough to enter their domain. Not the same he used for killing, lest anyone connect the two. Plausible deniability if he used something from the home. 

He could smell the burnt herbs that had been recently used. Selina had done some sort of ritual recently. As planned. That did not give William any sense of comfort as it normally would, not when her smiling face wasn't there to greet him at the door, ensuring that he had not harmed himself. A habit that she had developed early on in their relationship, one that had amused him to now end but had become so ingrained in their lives that it's lacking just heightened that sense of dread. 

The thoughts of a ritual gone wrong flashed across his consciousness but was quickly dismissed. No, Selina was far too practiced and versed to have something go so horribly wrong. Her skills were refined and honed from years of study. She had taught him what to look for as a precaution, and there wasn't a feeling lingering in the air or any sign that it had been such an accident. Something else was at play here. 

Creeping through his own home as he would a victim's, William strained his ears and his eyes for any sign of Selina. Nothing downstairs. The fireplace was dead, not even a hint of embers that would have signaled that she lit it for warmth now that the colder winter months were here. Up the stairs he went, knife at the ready. Still, no sound and the cold was only spreading further, practically invading his lungs with ice. 

As much as he longed to call out her name, it would give away his position. That was when he heard sounds coming from the bedroom. A sound that he knew well enough. Gasped, gurgled breath. No longer could he truly control his actions, rushing forward. The door slammed open, smashing into the wall behind it, causing the man that was straddling his wife with filthy hands enclosed around her neck to jump. Red. It was the only thing that covered his vision as he lunged forward, not giving the man a chance to properly react. Blade met flesh, digging deep into muscle, unforgiving and with a practice precision. His subconscious mind already knew that it was too late, allowing his fury to be unleashed on the man before him. It hardly mattered who he was, or what intentions that he had come to the house with. This waste of a human had stolen his soulmate from him. 

"A wife for a wife," the man below him snarled, the last words that he spoke as William sliced the blade across his throat, not deep enough to cause an instant death. Let the bastard feel what he had done. Panting, he dropped the blade and scrambled for Selina. 

"Selina…" His voice soft, there was a shaky note to it that had never been present before in his life. Pain underlying it all as the ache and agony was setting in. "Please, no…" Gently, he slid one hand under her head while pulling her into his lap, his free hand gently stroking her cheek. The stillness to her body was a clear indication that his worst fears had been realized, that she was truly gone. Curling himself over her form, William let out an agonized sound into the emptiness of the room, heard by no one but himself. Gone. She was gone. 

He had allowed himself to grieve, to cry and feel that nearly all consuming sorrow for no longer than a few minutes. The ice from his soulmark kept him grounded in reality, in the knowledge that she was gone. But that didn't mean that she was lost to him forever. The thought nagged the back of his brain and as his breathing began to even out, a new rush of determination came over him. 

William wouldn't allow the world to tear her so easily from him. No, there was still far too much for them to do. 

"I'll fix this, I promise you. We will be together again. Just give me a little time, love." The words spoken so softly held such intent. A vow far more than a promise. He had learned a few things from her over the years when it came to the occult and the dark beings that resided in the world just outside of their senses. A deal could be made. Whatever sacrifice was worth it. His soul was already damned. Living without her was not an acceptable inevitability. 

First thing was first. He had to clean the mess on the floor beside their bed. With a gentle kiss to her lips and then her forehead, William forced himself to pull away from Selina. Throat still constricted, it took just a moment longer for him to be able to look away from her still, lifeless body and turn his attention properly to the lump of flesh on the floor. Shame that he couldn't have made him suffer longer.

So be it. William knew that there were things that could be harvested from the man to be able to aid his quest. The rest? It would be tossed to feed the rats and stray dogs that ran the streets. 

#slasher writing #horror writing #richard brake #richard brake characters #william colcott #the gates #31 #a good day for it #william colcott x ofc #doom head x ofc #norman tyrus x ofc #soulmate au #reincarnation au