#But Cass is new to the family and she got spooked and he's going to protect her because this is his current baby of the fmaily

[puppetmaster13u]

More art for @phoenixcatch7 Possessed Doll Au Someone gets to meet Black Bat for the first time- though lets be honest Cass probably spooked someone and then went running to Batdad when they started trying to figure out how she got onto the Watchtower and if she's allowed

[ms-starflower]

Spook-tober Day 1 — Decorating

@maribat-october-rarepairs

So, technically, it’s October 2nd for almost two hour here, but it’s probably still the 1rst somewhere, right? Well, I don’t care anyway.

It’s my first time writing for an event (Maribat or otherwise) and I wanted to write both prompts for Spook-tober - Maribat Month and the Maribat Rare Pairs Month, but didn’t have time to start writing before 11pm.

This one's for Spook-tober, though it could also qualify as rarepair since it's a Stephinette (is that the correct shop name???), because Steph is my Queen (Cass too, but I wanted Steph today). Though they don't interact (yet) but I think I’ll write a follow up for other days' prompt, maybe (day 9 and 21, I’m looking at you,).

Anyway, let’s start.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You sure you got the right address, miss?” The cab driver asked her with a skeptic expression. It would have been alright if the man hadn’t asked the same thing in at least twenty different ways during the ride.

“Yes, thank you Monsieur. I’m exactly where I wanted to be,” Marinette answered with a tight smile, like the twenty previous times. Giving him the money she owed him, she got out of the car to stand in front of the gigantic gate of Wayne’s Manor. The place was kind of intimidating.

Still hearing the car behind her when she reached the intercom, she turned toward it. The driver was shamelessly looking at her, probably waiting for her to get refused access.

“Are you waiting for something, sir?” She asked, tilting her head slightly.

“You’re gonna need a ride back, don’t ya? I’m already here, might as well,” he smiled at her with condescending amusement. Marinette was tempted to tell him that she would prefer to go back to the city on foot than to get into his car again. But her parents raised her better than that, so she only smiled politely.

“There is no need, sir, I really don’t know how long I’m going to stay here.”

“Yeah, right,” the man huffed, still staring at her.

Deciding to just ignore him, Marinette turned to push on the intercom’s only button. It took a minute before an elegant and accented voice responded.

“Hello, how may I help you?”

“Ah, hello sir. I’m Marinette, Jason asked me to come?”

“Indeed, Master Jason warned me to expect you.”

When the gate opened, Marinette made a point to turn around to smile and wave goodbye at the cab driver. She would cherish his dumbstruck expression for a long time.

Her victory was short lived, though, when she saw how long the march from the gate to the house was going to be. Jason better be on the brink of death. Or the world, she wasn’t picky.

When she finally got there, an old gentleman she thought might be Alfred was waiting for her.

“Miss Dupain-Cheng, I’m Alfred, the family’s butler, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Alfred said with a kind smile and a nod.

“The pleasure is all mine, sir. And just Marinette is fine,” she told him kindly, walking into the house. “Jason is okay, right? He didn’t say why he wanted me here, and I have to admit that he got me worried.”

Jason had been determined to keep her as far away from his family as he could manage before, and the sudden change was really odd.

“I see,” Alfred said slowly, closing his eyes for a second. “Master Jason is alright, Miss Marinette, do not worry. He just… Well, why not let Master Jason explain the situation to you himself. If you would follow me.”

Marinette followed him for a couple minutes through a couple of corridors, before he opened the doors to… a battlefield.

She thought that, maybe, it was supposed to be a living room, but it was hard to say, under all those decorations. They were literally everywhere. Throwing on the couches, a couple of boxes were overturned in a corner, a couple of garlands of little cartoon ghosts hanging hazradly from the chandelier. It was a mess, but she could see that someone probably tried to… decorate? Maybe? It was a really bad job, though.

Jason and a man she assumed to be his brother were battling with a plastic pumpkin and a skeleton respectively, while two more men and a woman—probably also Jason’s siblings, she heard Bruce Wayne was kind of a serial adopter— were cheering on the sidelines and a brooding teenager was glaring at them. Everyone froze as soon as they realized that they weren’t alone anymore. Alfred only sighed, nodded at her before going back to where they came from.

“Hey! Pixie! Great, you’re here,” Jason exclaimed excitedly, letting go of the pumpkin he was shoving into his brother’s face and stauttered toward her.

“Jason, in the name of everything that’s holy, what the hell?” Marinette asked with a voice deceptively calm. She could see the woman and one of the men behind Jason wince at her tone. Good.

“Well, see, we wanna decorate the house for Halloween, now that it’s time—”

“Jason,” she interrupted incredulously. “We are in September!”

“Well, technically, it’s already October in Russia,” the man that had been fighting with Jason piped up.

“Yeah, what Timbers said,” Jason said with a serious nod while Marinette could only look at him in astonishment. “Anyway, Bruce said we can decorate all the room in the Manor like we wish if we can make this one presentable, without the help of Alfred. And I really want to make a cat theme for his bedroom, so I thought; hey, you know a designer…”

“I’m a fashion designer, Jason, not an interior designer!”

“Same difference, Pixie. You’re my only hope, all of them are hopeless in terms of good taste.”

Marinette pinched the bridge of her nose, ignoring the various protests from Jason’s sibling, before taking out her phone.

“So you proceeded to send me ‘Hey Pix,” she said, reading the message he sent her earlier with a bad imitation of his voice. “‘Need you at the manor asap, urgence lvl 3’ before ignoring me, making me think that the world was probably ending—”

“World ending is at least a lvl 5, Pix, come on,” Jason interrupted with an offended expression. She ignored him.

“—Forcing me to take a cab with a absolute jerk driver—”

“Why did you take a cab? You have a car!”

“Adrien took the car, he is visiting Chloé in New York. But that’s not the point. The point, Jason, is that all of that was because you needed me to help you decorate for a day that is literally in a month?”

“Hey, Halloween is a very important celebration,” Jason’s brother, the one that had been cheering the loudest, told her with a solemn expression.

“I’m French, I don’t care about Halloween,” she deadpanned.

“I’m sorry, what?” The one Jason had called Timbers, probably Tim Drake, looked pained at the very idea that someone could not be obsessed by Halloween.

“I mean, we used to make speciales and sales at the bakery, and I’ve been to a couple of costume parties, but we don’t really pay attention to Halloween until around the 25 of October.”

“That’s sacrilegious,” Jason said, and almost all the others agreed in a way or another.

“Maybe for you, Americans,” she told him with amusement. “But it doesn't change the fact that I’m not going to help you.”

What? Why?!” He exclaimed, his eyes widening.

“Because, one, I don’t have anything to gain from it,” she said, showing him one of her fingers before adding a second. “And two, do you know how long the walk between the cab and the door had been? And all of it just for decorations?”

“Aw, come on, Pix! Bruce is going to make Alfred judge, and I have projects for the cat theme!”

“There is nothing you can say that is going to make me change my—”

“Hey guys!” A cheerful voice suddenly interrupted her, the owner barging into the room like a whirlwind. The woman was slightly taller than her, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She had a beautiful smile that brightened the room and Marinette could feel the hearts that were making their way in her eyes. The girl was cute. Uh oh. “You are decorating already?! Cool! Be right back, let me just grab my stuff!”

Then she was gone, and Marinette could only blink slowly, before turning back toward Jason.

“Alright, I’m in.”

“What? Why— Oh, no, no, no! You’re not going to crush on Steph—”

“Oh, her name is Steph? What a lovely name,” she mumbled, looking back in the direction she disappeared. “But if you don’t want my help, I can just ask for her number and let you fend for yourself with the decorations, you know.”

“Pixie!” Jason complained, making his sibling laugh or snicker at him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Fun fact: when Marinette says that France doesn't care about Halloween until around October 25th, I’m talking from personal experience. I don’t know if it’s the same in all of France, but I grew up in Paris’ region (It’s not Paris Paris, but it’s like, the places all around and we call it régions parisienne) and they don’t care about it. Where I live, the shops don’t start selling Halloween themed candy before, like a week (maybe two?? when they start early) before Halloween and the children rarely go trick or treating. (I lived in this house for ~five/six years, and I’ve never got a child knocking for candy on Halloween.)

Again, I’m not saying it was like that for everyone in France, maybe it was only my city, but I thought it funny to have this opposition between Marinette and the Batkids.

[geekotakunerd]

Me and @embracedbythesea are totally obsessed with "Encanto" and since she's writing a long JonDami saga - "Smile in a Cornfield", and sometimes I write something too, we tried to write down a parody of "The family Madrigal". But instead of Mirabel, there's Tommy (Thomas Alfred Wayne-Kent), the adoptive son of Jon and Damian.

Here's his family.

$$$

The Manor!

Secret Doors!

The BatCave!

Let's go!

We've got every generation

So full of nerve!

A value we all conserve!

This is my family

A perfect constellation

So many stars and everybody gets to shine

(Whoa!)

But let's be clear, Ma Kent and Alfred run this show (Whoa)

They led us for so many years, they glow (Whoa)

And every year our family blessings grow (Whoa)

There's just a lot you've simply got to know, so

Welcome to the Wayne-Kent Family

The home of the Wayne-Kent Family

(We're on our way!)

Wherе all the people arе happily a calamity

I’m part of the Wayne-Kent Family

My uncles Tim and Jason

They work in cooperation

Tim is Batman and Jason is Red Hood

My uncle Duke

He's Signal, in daylight he's a spook

My uncle mayor Grayson*

[Citizens of Gotham]

He prefers Dick!

He grew up in Haley circus, his puns concern us.

Oh! And those are my Grandmas, here's their deal (Whoa)

The truth is, one is a journalist, one a thief and one a queen for real (Whoa)

That's their own appeal (Whoa)

If you're impressed, imagine how I feel

(Lois! Selina! Talia!)

Welcome to the Wayne-Kent Family

The home of the Wayne-Kent Family

(Hey, coming through!)

I know it sounds happily a calamity

But I'm part of the Wayne-Kent Family

Two Kent guys fell in love with the Wayne Family

And now they're part of the Wayne-Kent Family

So yeah, Daddy Jon married Baba Damian

And Uncle Kon married Uncle Tim

That's how Clark and Bruce became my grandpas (Let's go, let's go!)

[Clark and Bruce]

We swear to always

Help those around us

And protect the Earth

And our cities

The family keeps growing

The world keeps turning

But work and dedication will keep the miracle burning

And each new generation must keep the miracle burning

And then there's Johnny, my cousin**

And of aunties I have a dozen

So many aunties in our house

So, let's turn the sound up

You know why?

I think it's time for a lady round up

Auntie Cass, Black Bat, she doesn't talk much

And then there's Babs,

She's Oracle, an hacker,

She knows how to keep in touch

My other auntie, Stephanie,

She's Spoiler

Perfect in every way

That's life in the Wayne-Kent Family (Whoa)

Now you know the Wayne-Kent Family (Whoa)

Where all the people are happily a calamity (Whoa)

That's who we are in the Wayne-Kent Family! Wada'an!***

Oh!

*In the saga, Dick is the Mayor of Bludhaven

**Babs and Dick married and Johnny - John Thomas Grayson - is their son and Tommy's best friend.

***Goodbye in Arabic according to my dictionary.

Musical reference:

https://youtu.be/Yp5nPGWWMh4

[thedeadthree]

🎄🎁🎬 for miss Elin and ⛄️🎇🔔 for miss Edelgard! feel free to leave off any if it's too many! 😊

hi vale!!!!! i hope ur doing well lovely! eeeeek your so sweet thank you so much for asking about my babies! and a safe and happy holidays to you hun! ✨🎄🤍 (this got LONG so eddies will be under the cut!)

❄️OC FESTIVE ASKS❄️

ELIN WISEMAN, mind blind

🎄- how is this character as a decorator? do they enjoy putting up decorations? do they like everything to look just perfect, or do they have a more eclectic/chaotic aesthetic with their decorations? when do they decorate?

she acts like she’s not really thrilled about the holidays most of the time, it’s a time where most people cozy up with their families, and given the state of her family at the moment it’s not a season she feels the most thrilled about. But Nick gets excited so Elin puts an effort for his sake! she knows it’s bc they spend more time together bc he’s at home! she’s not much of a decorator but all that nonchalance goes out the WINDOW when she’s asked to redecorate. you know how she’s VERY opinionated when it comes to fine art or avocado toast right? she’s that way with decorations as well! will turn into a pro art critic at a moments notice ✨😌! she kind of stands and DIRECTS the decorating? she gets a bit spooked she’s going to fall off a ladder or drop an ornament so she prefers to just direct nick to where she thinks thinks will look best. definitely likes to take advantage of all the green and pop in some silver decorations here and there! before the incident her dad and brother liked to decorate the moment December first came but now it’s like maybe a week or so before when he gets time off is when she decorates!

🎁- what kinds of gifts does this character like to receive? what is the best gift that they’ve ever been given? what are they hoping to get this year?

material things are always fun! she enjoys clothes, shoes, bags, matcha making kits, avocados so she can recite the “ITS AN AVOCADO THANKS” vine, stuff like toys and outfits for annie and cass, tickets to art museums that she can go on dates with kent with *cough cough*, anything that shows she means something to you and that you KNOW was meant for her because only people that GET her would? and of course quality time with those she loves the most either going out or staying in is fine! just like making an effort is what means the most for her! kent zarneki coming in to her life looking like a byronic piece was the best gift she ever got the best gift she ever got was probably her brother honestly, the holidays are always ROUGH for her but he makes an effort FOR her, and has been in her corner since everything that happened and it’s SAPPY but it really was the best gift for her :’). a wedding ring from kenzie she’s hoping to get this year her brother healthy again and to take a nice trip to bali trip to new york to see the met and to celebrate new years with her friends and loved ones, she deserves a nice vacation you know?

🎬- what is/would be this characters favorite christmas movie?

i would say it would be a christmas carol the 1938 version! it’s a classic and she always appreciates how much art goes into making old hollywood movies as it paved the way for modern movies ✨☺️

EDELGARD VANDERWEYDEN, the fernweh saga

⛄️- when does this character get excited for the holidays? do they even get excited?

unfortunately the holidays season is the one time a year she dreads the most. she books to the brim performances, rehearsals, etc during this season to keep her busy and spend the least time in it. like elin this is a time where families get together and spend time with family and loved ones and, well, she doesn’t have that. she does but her family in europe is VERY into the holidays but more for appearances, everything is formal and there’s parties and traditions and planned outings and dinners and it’s all very MUCH and stuffy and it didn’t help much getting her to appreciate the season. when her and reese get together she’ll cut back on her workload to spend time with him bc ooo cute she admits she likes him FINALLY but she’d prefer to have celebrations be just them and being in each other’s company! (but she still sees her family in europe and of course he’s got parties so bc she loves him and her family she’ll endure them and actually enjoys it now that she has him ✨🥺)

🎇- what does this character do to celebrate the new year? do they make resolutions?

she usually flies to visit her family in cologne in germany or amsterdam in the netherlands and spend the new year with them! brings beckett along and soon reese hehe! 🤍 she actually likes new years more because it’s her optimistic side hoping for better things to come :) and and she doesn’t! why wait for january when you can just… do the things you set out to achieve is sort of how she feels? after her parents passing she makes no haste for things anymore so that may be why ✨🥺

🔔- what is their favorite christmas song? which one can they not stand?

it would definitely be piano versions of christmas songs that are her favorite! her favorite to play is what child is this? it’s beautiful and melancholic and sounds wonderful on the piano. her lack of love for the season shows here the most because most songs are maybe not what she can’t STAND but wish that she didn’t hear until the end of the year if she can help it ✨🤧

[scribble-blog]

Soulmate AU part 13!!

I meant to update yesterday, but between a long school/work day and going out with friends afterwards for karaoke, it didn’t quite happen. Oops! I’m gonna try to get everything edited in advance so updates hopefully get a little smoother for me to roll out. Thanks for reading!

First • Previous • Here • Next

“So, we’re all agreed?” Tim demanded. “I’ll go in with Robin, play a little good cop, bad cop with them. And once we’ve actually figured out how bad the problem is and what we’d actually be able to do to help, Bats can swoop in and offer a hand.”

“I do not see why we had to plan that,” Damian practically yawned. “It’s what we would have all done anyway if left to our personal inclinations.”

“And why aren’t I in the plan?” Dick asked, pouting like the overgrown child Damian knew him to be. “I can play good cop just as easily! Or swoop in after! I can swoop!”

“Swooping is... bad.” Tim muttered to himself. “I left you out of the plan, Dick, because while we play diplomats to a bunch of teenagers who’ve been saving a whole city near daily for four years without help or acknowledgement, crime in Gotham doesn’t actually stop. You and Jason and Cass are on actual patrol.”

Cass wasn’t there, Damian knew. She’d already left after the first time Drake had gone over his “plan” to start on her actual patrol. Todd looked seconds from taking the same exit, except that he’d wanted to be there too.

“Still say I should be the bad cop,” he grumbled, and Damian kicked the foot he had sticking out from his slump on the chair. He got a half hearted retaliatory kick attempt, which was enough to know that Todd wasn’t truly upset at any of them, just upset that he wasn’t getting to meet the new French heroes. “Kid can go hunt down some more scumbags and sleazeballs. Might even catch Riddler or someone at something tonight. I wanna scare the kids.”

“I told you, you’re too much of an asshole to expose to children without warning. Also, they’re still teenagers. It makes sense to send the two youngest of us in to talk to them.”

“And Riddler’s still locked up,” Father said from his spot, far enough away from them that he could maintain the illusion of not dealing with their squabbling but close enough to listen and chime in. “Try again.”

“Hmm. Harley, taking a swing at Scarecrow for shooting Ivy.” Todd cracked an eye in that direction.

“I’d let her,” Damian groused quietly to himself.

“Speaking of Ivy,” Father’s voice cut through the chatter. “Damian. Mind explaining what you were doing when you got caught up in the attack today?”

Damn.

Damian had honestly let himself hope that the meeting with the new heroes would eclipse what had happened earlier that day.

“I was touring the Gardens,” he said, not dishonestly. “I don’t see why it matters.”

“No, what matters is the fact that you have a girlfriend, and you didn’t tell me,” Dick sighed dramatically. “Where did I go wrong, Bruce?”

“You didn’t actually raise me.” Damian pointed out. “At best, you’ve been a morally guiding nuisance.”

“Jiminy Cricket?” Tim asked, grinning widely.

“Where did you go wrong, Bruce?” Dick corrected, sending a glare towards Tim.

“If you don’t wanna tell us why you were practically hanging off of the poor girl’s every word, you don’t have to,” Todd grinned. “But just remember that what we can imagine is probably far worse than what was actually going on.”

Damian suppressed the urge to groan. He met Drake’s eyes. Surprisingly sympathetic, but then he also hadn’t shared his soulmark with their family to Damian’s knowledge.

“Marinette,” he stressed her name very carefully, with the air of someone who entirely regretted just about everything that had led them to this part of their life, “is my soulmate.”

There was a moment of silence before all hell seemed to break loose.

“A soulmate? And you never told me!?” Dick practically wailed.

“Perhaps I should have pressed the issue more when the marks first appeared.” Bruce murmured.

“There’s no way that sweet girl was your soulmate, Demonspawn.” Todd, crass as ever, objected.

“I think you guys are forgetting that Marinette literally had me on the ground and pinned within the first second of our interaction.” Drake reminded them. “And based on that, I’m guessing she wasn’t lying when she told Gordon she took down two of the goons that came after them.”

“She definitely wasn’t,” Damian found himself saying almost wistfully. He’d found himself at several points that afternoon and evening replaying the memory in his head of Marinette bringing down the idiot who’d tried to bring them to Scarecrow. “Her form needs work, but then not everyone has had the opportunity to train to our standards. I’ll be amending it.”

He found himself met with several frankly insultingly bewildered looks. With a sniff he flattened his expression and did his best to look down on them even from his position as the not quite shortest.

“Oh my god,” Todd said. “She’s actually your soulmate?”

“Cut it out, Jason,” Drake snapped before Damian could. “Or should I say something about your soulmate?”

Damian watched as Todd scoffed but settled down, eyes narrowed at their brother. Dick’s eyes flicked rapidly between Damian and Tim, baffled concern evident. “Did I wake up in an alternate dimension? Like- suddenly Paris has heroes and villains for years that we’ve never heard of, Damian met his soulmate, Tim is defending him, and Damian is letting him?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Damian said, meeting Tim’s eyes and watching them light up as he said, “Tim and I have always been perfectly friendly.”

“Honestly, Dick,” Tim took it one step further, slinging an arm over Damian’s shoulders. “I know you were kind of bitter that he latched on to me when you were supposed to be the Batman to his Robin while Bruce was gone, but there’s no need to act out like this.” Damian, against all of his instincts to shove the intruder into his personal space away, leaned into the side hug, and even wrapped his arm around Tim’s waist to complete the picture of easy familiarity.

“You’re not going to trick me into actually checking if we’re in an alternate dimension,” Dick said, and Damian struggled not to grin as Todd sat up a bit straighter.

“And what, next you’re gonna say today isn’t actually Cass’ birthday? You know Alfred’s got the whole cake and everything waiting for after patrol.”

“It’s not-“ Dick panicked, grabbing his phone, checking his calendar. Tim gripped Damian’s shoulder just a bit tighter as he struggled not to break, and Todd’s eyes were narrow and gleeful.

Dick looked up, accusatory and betrayed. All three of them cracked.

“Oh my god,” Todd laughed, as Tim broke down nearly to tears beside him. Damian couldn’t stop himself from laughing too, at the look on Dick’s face. “‘I’m not gonna check-‘ Dick, it only took one more sentence!”

“It wouldn’t have worked if you’d said anyone but Cass,” Dick whined, throwing his grappling hook at them. Jason caught it easily, tossing it back before Dick could prepare for it, catching him in the stomach.

“If you’re all quite done,” Father stood finally. “Damian, make sure you invite Marinette around to dinner tomorrow. I’m sure we’re all equally anxious to meet her. For now, let’s go, before we miss the meeting time we set up.”

“Yes, Bruce,” came the mumbles from his brothers, as Damian nodded his acquiescence.

For now, they’d deal with the Parisian heroes and their crisis overseas. Once that was settled, hopefully Drake could spend some time looking into the oddities in his soulmate bond.

And dinner be damned, he’d try to keep Marinette from meeting these idiots for as long as he could.

TAGLIST:

@the-fusionist @rebecarojas07 @lowandco @kotaleartzu @resignedcatservant @alenee13 @mystery-5-5 @ladybug-182 @actual-disaster-human @loysydark @rumbelle18 @magic-miraculous @vixen-uchiha @athena452 @mochegato @ash-amg @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @thestressmademedoit @sassakitty @doriebell @toodaloo-kangaroo @myazael @theatreandcomicfreak @mer-mel @dahjokester @northernbluetongue @abrx2002 @area51qt @jessigurl-design @renscorpio @cici-schnee @multplelifes @redscarlet95 @razzledazzle247 @rosep16 @emotionalsupportginger @kceedraws @tired-butterfly @kuroko26 @catthhay @moonystars14 @shamefullove @shreky-boi @imanerddealwith @chaosace @captainmac6 @purple-people-eaters-productions @crazylittlemunchkin @weird-pale-blonde-person @bigpicklebananatree

[letyourimaginationgo]

So series is a Harry Potter and The mortal instrument cross over. I do not own any of this fandom this series is called We must join forces

Chapter 1

Letters to Hogwarts

It was a lovely day in New York  City. Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Alec, Simon, and Magnus were all just hanging out. For some reason, the daemon activity was pretty low this past few week and there was no territorial fight amongst the downworlders.

When this old man with this long as beard appeared from nowhere.

"Hello Magnus, I like this you making friends and even more I see." The old man said and pointing to Alec who was standing by Magnus in his protective position.

"First who the hell are you?" Jace said as he pulled out his sword.

"My mistake my name is Professor Albus Dumble headmaster at Hogwarts witchcraft and wizardry. I am acquainted with mister Bane hire from quite many years. I believe 15 years. But it's bean 12 years now since we have seen each other when we won the war. This wizard went to the dark side he killed everyone that came in his way and that included children. But on the day he attacked this family called the Potters because they where part of a group that was trying to resist him. He killed the parents but when it came to the baby, You Know Who disappeared into thin ay and the baby got out of it with only a scar on his forehead." Dumbledore said.

"Then why are you hire if he vanished.?” Jace snarled at the professor.

"We'll the person who led You Know Who to the Potters that night was Sirius black and he has escaped Azkaban our prison. Take this there for you it explains more I only have a small window here in America before I'm braking any laws" He handed them each a letter and then disappeared.

"When..." Magnus tried to get a word in before dumbledore vanished.

"Okay, that was awesome!" Simon said with enthusiasm.

"You're such a nerd. But that's why we're friends." Clary said.

"What has this have to do with us." Jace asked

(So they all got individual letters but I don't feel like rewriting it times.)

'Dear Clary, Simon, Jace, Isabelle,

We are pleased to congratulate you have been accepted at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. You will all start ass year threes.

This might sound strange but we have some belief that Valentine and Sirius black are working together to bring back You Know Who and if that is the casse both our world are in grave danger

List of required material:

A wand (Your steel will be your wand)

A pair of brass scales

Cristal or glass vials

Telescope

A cauldron

Uniform:

Three sets of Work robes (Black)

One pointy hat (Black)

One black winter coat with gold stitching

Pair of dragon hide gloves or similar

Muggle clothing.

All article of clothing must have a name tag on it

Year three books:

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 3 by Miranda Goshawk

Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky (if attending Divination)

Intermediate Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

The Monster Book of Monsters (if attending Care of Magical Creatures)

Numerology and Grammatica (if attending Arithmancy)

Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles by Wilhelm Wigworthy (if attending Muggle Studies)

Spellman's Syllabary (if attending Study of Ancient Runes)

The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts by Arsenius Jigger

The train leaves King cross station platform 9 ¾  at exactly 11 o'clock on September first.

Ps: Magnus will teach you everything from last 2 years. Oh, and Max is also a wizard second year.

I will be expecting your letter by the end of the day

Sincerely,

Albus dumbledore.

All four letters spoke in unison once you opened it so everyone in the room could hear.

"What does your letter say, Magnus?" Alec asked still processing the content of everyone's letter.

"Well I'll be a teaching muggle history from our world looks like it's mandatory class . What does yours say, Alec."

'Dear Alec,

We are pleased to congratulate you for being chosen as a new member of our faculty hire at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and wizardry.

You will be teaching the students how to fight like a shadowhunter and also be teaching the codex, we have a copy of the codex at Hogwarts and it will be available to purchase at the bookstore.

When your family and friends will be attending your classes they will be required to help you during those classes

The train leaves King cross station platform 9 ¾  at exactly 11 o'clock on September first. You have the option of sitting in the teacher's cart or with your family and friends.

Ps: If you could please send me the required uniform for your class by the end of this week. Therefore I may add it to the list of required materials.

I will be expecting your letter by the end of the day

Sincerely,

Albus dumbledore.'

"Looks like I'll be teaching shadowhunters 101 and it's also a mandatory class. Magnus do you have any paper that I can write back to professor Dumbledore so he may add my requirements for the proper uniform for my class."

"Good idea and I will respond the confirmation that the four of you will be attending Hogwarts in September." Magnus points to the four musketeers and snaps his fingers and paper appear on the table.

"Uhm I've never accepted this. When do you suppose that I can train and where? If we go." Jace said

"Well, there is a full training room in the castle. Fully stocked with weapons." Magnus explained.

"Come on Jace don't be such a drag. It'll be an adventure." Clary said and nudges Jace in the gut.

"Owe." Jace grunted

"Jace doesn't do adventures." Isabelle spook for the first time in the last five minutes. She was still trying to figure out how the letter worked.

"Umm, I've never said I don't do adventures I said I don't particularly like them."

"Bull, you told me that you hate adventures." She replied. Jace rolled his eyes at her just as he opened his mouth Magnus raised his voice. "Shut up! I need to send a letter like it was yesterday. Issy, yes or no? Simon yes or no? Clary yes or no?"

“Yes," Clary said.

"Hell yes," Simon said.

"If Simon is going then I'm going," Isabelle said.

"I guess I'll go," Jace said.

A few minutes later Magnus and Alec came back inside from the balcony because in the wizarding world the way to send word is by none other than owls.

"Poor owl. He has to fly across the whole Atlantic ocean." Izzy said.

"He'll be fine he will arrive at Hogwarts tomorrow morning or tomorrow afternoon at the latest and Dumbledore will take good care of him once he lands at Hogwarts," Magnus said.

[whetstonefires]

Steph + Cass

I love them! They’re so great, I’m glad they have each other. Okay, the post said I was supposed to talk about how I ship them? As friends. They’re pretty much each the only real friend the other one gets to have, most of the time.

Most of Cass’ other relationships are familial, and her friendship with Superboy suffered from their attempt to date, though I wish it was remembered more often that she and Kon are friends. She has other friends but not...people she’s able to become really close to. (She seems to be developing a good bond with Duke now on Outsiders but idek this continuity, meh.)

I especially like how much they trust each other, because neither of them does that easily, not really. I like how Cass is the one who can tease Steph about not being as good as she is and have it not hurt, have it hurt less for being said out loud. I like how Cass is the only one Steph can feel is looking down on her but believe it doesn’t mean thinking she’s less.

Cass missed Steph so much when she thought she was dead.

Cass giving Steph Batgirl was one of the most believably positive superhero name hand-offs this family has seen. Probably the best one since Dick originally gave Robin to Jason pre-Crisis. I’m still writing fic with them as Batgirl and Black Bat despite what a short slice of time that actually happened in because it was such a valid rearrangement of identities. Cass wants to be Batman. I liked her making her new ID that focused on the Bat part and not the girl part, and giving Steph the step up she needed.

I hate how unless I missed it (which is always possible I’m a long way from a comics database) we didn’t ever really get to see how they made up after Steph broke Cass’ heart with her fake death. We barely got followthrough on that with Tim, afaik Cass got over it offpanel.

Now, they aren’t terrible romantic prospects for one another, I admit, despite my general disinterest in romance and resentment of the idea that it’s ‘leveling up’ a friendship.

But Steph is established as getting...anxious about her romances, suspicious that she’s going to be betrayed, insecure about her own worth, vaguely possessive. (Presumably out of a combination of observing her parents’ marriage and having dated shitheads like who knocked her up.) And of course Cass would pick up on those feelings, even if she managed them much better than she did as a kid.

While Cass is established as finding romance even at low stakes an uncomfortable and stressful extra burden to place on a relationship, one that she ultimately didn’t see any real use for, and as being spooked by sexual interest in general.

So while they might be able to hack together a perfectly nice romance in the end, the amount of drama and stress they’d be adding to their relationship doesn’t strike me as worth it even if it turned out well, they didn’t lose the friendship to the attempt, and they were both interested to begin with. I don’t think it’s one of those friendships that could transition smoothly into a dating relationship, not unless they maybe live out of one another’s pockets for ten years first.

It’s also important tho that, even though Steph is sort of semi-included in ‘the batfam’ as a unit, Cass and Steph don’t have a familial bond. They’re not like sisters except in the way close friends will say they’re ‘like sisters;’ Steph is someone Cass has external to her relationship with Bruce, and Cass is someone in the batfam who is attached to Steph on her own terms for her own sake, not contingent on Batman’s acceptance or approval, or even on her performance in the field.

(So is Tim, technically, but that relationship has been a snarl since it started with a brick to the face; neither of them can rely on it in the same way.)

There have been times in canon this has caused strain, like when Bruce was being written as an asshole as he often is when guest-starring and made Cass choose between him and Steph, but I think it’s still a vital dimension of the relationship and that bringing Steph too far into the fold collapses that distance and the freedom it supplies.

[incoherentbabblings]

An Endless Hope (2/9)

After a horrendous blizzard falls over Gotham, Tim undergoes a sharp change in character before disappearing. Upon discovering what has become of him, Stephanie sets off on a solo journey in a magic realm to bring him home, meeting some faces which seems awfully familiar along the way.

Archive Of Our Own Link Click Click!

“Our tires have gone. Cracked and popped.” Red Robin reported, switching the interior car lights on, as Stephanie pulled out a small laptop tablet, switching to checking satellite views of the city. Tim peered at his dashboard, noting, “GPS says we’re down by Stagg Enterprises and the Trigate bridge but honestly… it’s reached whiteout. We can get out and –”

“No.” Batman interrupted. “Stay put. If your tires have frozen up it’s too cold for our suits for any trek across the city. I’m not far in my car. Signal, Robin, what did you find?”

“Mr. Freeze is a dead end.” Duke said over the commlink. “He made the valid point of this not doing much for his research. He was worried about the power outage.”

Red Robin and Batgirl, sat in Tim’s redbird car, watched the snow fly around them, heating blasting out hot air to keep the car and them from freezing. Tim peered out the windscreen, whiteout leaving them blind to the world. They could leave, but it was approaching minus thirty. Their regular suits were good… but not that good. For the moment, they were stranded, waiting for Bruce and his tank of a Batmobile to come to the rescue.

“It’s bizarre.” Batgirl said, scrolling through data. “Weather doesn’t work like this. The storm is just over Gotham. That’s not…that’s not physically possible. Blizzards are usually hundreds of miles wide. Not thirty and constricted to a bay. It came out of nowhere. There’s no way the air could grow cold that fast to freeze all that water naturally. And the wind is at eighty miles per hour. Normally it’s around forty.”

“The Flash has a weather themed villain.” Robin supplied.

“I checked.” Cassandra’s quiet voice, barely audible over the storm she was standing in, came over the speakers. The screaming wind cut off when she got inside, the door of wherever she was slamming shut. “He’s in Iron Heights. It’s not him.”

Stephanie continued to look through local news, in and outside of the city, desperate for someone over social media to have spotted something manmade about the phenomena. Tim jolted next to her violently, hands flailing over the steering wheel.

“Someone walk over your grave?”

“What?”

Stephanie put down the tablet and leaned over, staring at the white surrounding them. “Or did you see something?”

“You’d think I was crazy.”

“I’ve learned not to doubt gut instincts, Red Robin. They’re there for a reason. Especially yours.” Unable to spot anything but white, she looked back at him. Like her, his cowl was down, his nose red, skin very white. He looked frightened and instantly Stephanie became alarmed. “What is it? Did you see something?”

She whirled back around, hair falling around her shoulders and back. It really was too long at this point, but Tim reached up and tangled his fingers into it. Something to hold onto. He tried not to tug on her too hard.

“I just think someone’s watching us... me.”

“What? Who? Bad guy?”

“I think I’m seeing things.”

Stephanie hummed, slowly retreating into her seat.

“I’ll bop ‘em if they hurt you.”

Colour returned to Tim’s cheeks, and he smiled. “I know.”

The sound of roaring engines became audible over the car’s heating, and a little too close for comfort, the black Batmobile emerged, parking directly in front.

“Get in you two. I can’t drag the car with your tires gone. Lock it down, Red Robin. When the storm lessens, we’ll retrieve it.”

“Go ahead Batgirl. Locking it down will take a second.”

“’Kay.” She kicked her way out, fighting against the wind. Her cape, weighted so it wouldn’t fly up and around her face in such conditions, billowed out behind her, but her hair flew up and around her face. It made her stumble a little ungraciously as she felt her way around the car, opening the door enough to slide in the back.

“Jesus.” She breathed. Batman was looking over his shoulder, checking she was unharmed.

“I told you to cut your hair.”

“Yeah, yeah. I braided it but the wind…”

Bruce grunted. “We can’t do anything. We give it two more hours to show signs of passing. If not –”

“Call in the League?”

Batman’s face indicated he was not happy with the idea, but it was still the best solution. They were trained for street level crime, not climate change.

Tim tumbled in a moment later, shaking from the cold, slapping the ice and snow that had collected on his costume. Reaching across, Stephanie took off her gloves and placed her warm fingers on his cheeks, hissing at the cold. Tim sighed and closed his eyes, shivering.

“Where’s the others?” Stephanie asked, watching Tim’s shudders lessen as he warmed up again.

Bruce set off, heading back to Bristol.

“In the city tunnels. A lot of people are taking shelter there. They’ll be heading back now. We just have to wait it out for now.”

Stephanie did not miss the loathing in his tone at such an inaction.

“We can’t do anything for the time being.” Tim stated. “But when it passes –”

“If it passes.” Batman grumbled.

“–Then we’ll work overtime to help with recovery.”

Stephanie nodded emphatically in agreement.

“It’s not good enough.” Bruce muttered.

Stephanie went to remove her hands from Tim but to her shock he actually reached up and snatched her wrists, pulling her back. Damn, he really was cold. Usually he wasn’t that grabby.

“Sometimes ‘not good enough’ is all we can do.” Tim bit back.

Holding her breath, noting the tension in the car rising with the steady hot air being blasted, Stephanie pinched Tim’s nose, desperate to break the potential argument. Tim looked at her, a little outraged. Stephanie ignored him, speaking to Batman,

“Whoever did this – if it is a who – we’ll hold them to account.”

It really wasn’t good enough, and Bruce did not respond. The drive back was odd, Bruce relying on technology to navigate through the city. As soon as they cleared the bridge however, visibility resumed. It was a blizzard – a bad one – but nothing compared to what seemed to be only growing in intensity over the three main islands of Gotham.

When they arrived back at the cave, Stephanie asked Alfred to take a look at Tim, worried about his body temperature. She snuggled up to him, arms wrapped around his waist, cheek to cheek, as she tried to erase his shivering.

“Honey, why are you so cold? We weren’t exposed long.”

“Just feel cold. Like in my bones.”

She rubbed his back, trying to friction up some heat.

“Cuddle away then.”

“You’re like a furnace. It’s nice.” He sighed.

Alfred came over, took one look at Tim and shrugged off any major concern.

“Just a chill.” He confirmed after taking Tim’s temperature. “Take a warm – not hot – shower.”

“Sure Alfred.”

He went to walk off, hand around Stephanie’s, but she dug her feet in.

“It’s okay. I’m okay. I’m gonna wait for the others to come back safe.”

Tim blinked, then looked down at his grip. She wasn’t showing it, but with a dropping sensation in his stomach, he realised how tightly he was squeezing her. Mechanically, finger by finger, he let go.

“Yeah. Sorry. I’ll be a little bit.”

She smiled, worry leaking through, and he dashed off. She flexed her wrist, hissing a little at its stiffness. Tim was just spooked by the weather, she told herself. Nothing more.

The others returned soon enough, following the city sewer systems back to the cave entrance. Tim eventually came back too, in warmer clothes, dry hair and a calmer disposition, and everyone sat by the computer, and waited.

*****

“How certain are you of this lead?” Tim asked three mornings later.

Bruce ran a hand across his face. It had been a long three days, Wayne Enterprises was going to be funding quite a number of building sites and repairs to basic utilities over the coming weeks, but for now, the weather had calmed enough for people to emerge from the lockdown. The streets were now filled with people enjoying the snow, to which Tim couldn’t blame them. There was something beautiful about freshly fallen snow and a horizon which blurred the line between sky and ground.

“Not very,” Bruce admitted, approaching the piano. “Hence why I’m only taking Robin with me.”

Damian’s little chest puffed out – proud to be the chosen one to accompany his father. Bruce looked at Stephanie, Tim, Duke and Cassandra as he spoke, deliberately holding their gaze to convey the importance he held their task.

“You four are remaining in Gotham. I’m trusting you to look after it until we get back. There shouldn’t be any major operations. The river is frozen, and many roads are blocked still with up to six feet of snow. But still, do what you can.”

“Be safe.” Cassandra urged.

Stephanie gave a tiny wave to Damian, who’s hand twitched to return the goodbye, but thought better of it, and he tutted and turned to follow.

Uncomfortable silence filled the house as the clock closed behind the two, leaving the four remaining members of the family stood awkwardly.

“Now what?” Steph asked, pushing back the heavy curtains to peer outside. “College is cancelled, no schools, no work… At least the snow has stopped. Should we monitor for problems or take a break… just for an afternoon.”

She looked back to smile at Duke, Cass and Tim, tilting her jaw outside. Cassandra clapped her hands in joy. “I saw on the tv people playing in the snow. I never have before.”

Duke gave an encouraging noise. “Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Snowball fight.”

Tim looked reluctant, until Stephanie elbowed him in the gut and agreed with Duke, saying, “Yeah. Sounds good. Need a bit of levity right now, huh?”

She raised her eyebrows, and Tim got the message.

“Oh! Yes. Sounds good!”

His tone was forcibly cheery, but he would warm up to the idea when actually outside, Stephanie thought.

Alfred, with the hearing of a bat, poked his head around a door frame. “Please wrap up warm, and shower when you are finished to bring your body temperature back up.”

“Can we have coco, Alfred?” Cassandra pled, eyes big as dinner plates.

“Yes, sounds a lovely idea. Try to get some joy from the terrible weather please, all of you.”

Cassandra burst off to get wrapped up, the other three trailing behind.

Stephanie laughed at Cassandra’s exuberance, trying to get her shoes on quicker. The Manor, built on the hill in the way it was, meant that the five feet of snowfall hadn’t reached the back door and steps. It did mean though, after some shoving by Cassandra, the door heaved open. She ran out, throwing herself down the stairs and onto a hug pile of freshly laid snow. She faceplanted with a shriek of joy, quickly creating snow angels. Stephanie trotted after her, calling,

“Cassie, have you ever made a snowman before?”

“No!”

“Me either. Help me?”

Tim watched for a little while as the girls – for a lack of a better term – frolicked in the white snow. Cassandra stood out more against the white, dressed from head to toe in black, Stephanie in that blinding white, purple and green jacket blended in a little more with the landscape. He was quite content to just sit on the salted steps and watch, but a solid smack to the back of his neck, snow and ice sneaking down his collar, made him squeal.

Duke laughed, “Bad form, dude! Gotta keep your eyes peeled!”

“Jesus!” Tim choked out, reflexively grabbing a pile of snow and flinging it back weakly. A snowball fight ensued.

Alfred watched the four from the kitchen window, more than a little delighted at the childish screams of joy that made their way across the Estate. At least some people were finding joy in such miserable weather. As an adult, snow only meant pain.

Transport difficulties, concerns about plumbing and electricity, would the roof cope? What if there’s flooding? Need to clear the sidewalks and drives and roads. Is there enough food to keep us going long enough for the storm to pass?

So many worries.

For children, it only meant wrapping up warmer, maybe missing a week of school, and games outside.

Never mind, let them enjoy it for a little while longer.

Alfred noted that flurries of snow had begun to fall, though immediately he could tell they snow was larger and slower falling than the other night. Still, the four had been outside for a couple of hours by this point, perhaps it was time for them to come in.

He moved away from the stove, turning off the heat on the milk, and making his way to the door to call them back in to warm up.

He managed to get the door open only to be met with a violent shriek from Tim, his body falling to the floor and curling up in a ball.

Instantly the frivolity stopped, and Stephanie burst across the snow. She wrapped around him, pushing his hand away from his eye. Cassandra and Duke hovered around, nervous and unsure.

“It wasn’t me.” Duke begged, “He was looking up, I didn’t throw anything at him.”

Stephanie cooed, trying to see the damage.

“What happened? Is it your eye? Did something get in your eye?”

“Get him inside so we can take a better look,” Alfred urged. “I worry the weather is only going to deteriorate.”

Alfred quickly put on the fire in one of the sitting areas and sat Tim down on the rug. He still had the heel of his palm pressed to his left eye socket. Cassandra and Duke continued to hover, nervous at the damage. Stephanie came through from the kitchen with a cold compact in case there was any swelling. She knelt in front of Tim.

“Can I see?”

Tim gave her a suspicious look, which she didn’t understand. Reaching him, she went to peel his hand away, and he flinched back. Her outreached hand froze in mid-air.

“Does it really hurt?” She asked. “Do we need to get to the hospital somehow?”

“No. I don’t want you touching me.”

She shook her head, reaching for him again. She tried to gently tease, “We can’t fix it if we can’t see what’s wrong. It’ll just take a second.”

Stephanie pushed back his hair from his forehead, as she always did to comfort him. She heard Cassandra gasp before she realised what happened, but Tim recoiled at the touch and – even worse – slapped her hand away from his face.

“I mean it. Don’t.”

It had been a while since he had directed such a sharp rebuke towards her. Her palm stung with the force he had smacked her with. Immediately, she entered a panic.

“You… Okay. I won’t. Sorry. Sorry. I’m sorry.”

His sneering look did not fade, and it made Stephanie get up off the floor. She passed the cold press to Alfred, who Tim, still looking supremely uncomfortable, allowed to examine the damage.

She left the room and the manor, sitting on the steps to try and calm down. Weird how one sharp word could make her feel like she was five years old again. The falling snow muffled the sounds of the Estate, and everything was eerily quiet, save the sound of her panicked breathing.

Immediately Cassandra came out and joined her, wrapping her up in a hug.

“I didn’t mean to hurt him.” Stephanie whined.

“I know.”

Stephanie leaned down, forehead resting on Cassandra’s bony arms. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologise to me. He’ll feel bad later, and you can talk it out.”

Stephanie nodded, knowing Cassandra was right. In the meantime, she flexed her hand, the one Tim had hit so sharply.

“He’s yelled at me before…”

“But never looked at you like that?”

“No.” Stephanie’s lip quivered. “I’m overthinking it.”

“You aren’t yourself when you’re in pain.”

Stephanie nodded fervently and frantically. “Right, right.”

They sat still for a while, listening to the silence. Then the door opened once more. It was Tim. Immediately Stephanie was on her feet. His eye looked fine, not even bloodshot or swollen.

“Are you okay?” She asked. He looked at her, suspicion gone but now a little bored and pouty.

“Fine. Listen, can we go home now?”

“Home?”

“To the apartment.” Tim shuffled in place, looking disgruntled. “I’d drive myself but Alfred won’t let me. My eye is fine.”

Confused, but deciding to not make a scene until they were alone, Stephanie nodded. “I’ll have to go slow. I don’t know how much of the roads have been cleared.

“Whatever.” He murmured, looking distracted.

Cassandra gave Stephanie a look which was a little unreadable. Stephanie gave her thanks to Alfred, and waved goodbye to Duke.

The drive back was painful in every possible way. Stephanie’s little purple car was sturdy, but she still went much slower than normal. Tim curled up in his seat next to her, head pressed to his knees. She could see that with one hand he was aggressively clawing at the centre of his chest, near his heart. Neither spoke for the duration of the drive.

When they got parked up, he slowly and stiffly got up and out. Stephanie grabbed her phone and messaged Duke that they had survived the journey.

She arrived in the apartment after Tim, finding him looking around the space with his lip curled. He didn’t look impressed with the place, as if it wasn’t his own home that he had decorated and lived in.

She sat her bag down by the door, and walked over to him.

“Sweetie, are you sure you’re okay? I hurt you earlier.”

“No. You didn’t.” He said, moving through to the kitchen. Whatever he was looking for wasn’t to be found, and he migrated upstairs to their bedroom. She followed, anxious about leaving him alone.

“Can I see your eye? I’d feel better taking a look myself.”

He sighed like she had asked the world of him and plopped himself at the foot of their bed.

“Hurry up, then.”

She approached him like she would a rabid dog, turning on the overhead light so she could properly see. Gently, she rested her fingertips on his cheek and brow bone.

Like he said, there was nothing amiss.

“What happened?” She breathed. “If nothing hurt you –”

“You’re really warm.” He interrupted. His disinterested look became hungry, and Stephanie dropped her hands, only for Tim to catch her wrists. His fingers were frozen, which should not have been the case after a car ride where the heating had been keeping them toasty. Stephanie felt a lump of ice form in her gut.

“Tim, stop it. What’s going on?”

“Cold.” He murmured. He squeezed her wrists tighter, tight enough to make her twist out of his grip in fear. Immediately he stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling into to her. Stephanie became stiff, listening to him licking his lips and mutter, “You’re warm. Hot. Need…”

Backing off just enough to look her in the eye, his expression twitched, and naked panic appeared for just a moment. Trying to maintain a poker face, Stephanie released herself from his grip, unnerved. Removed from her warmth his apathy returned, and the tenseness in his posture fled.

Confused, Stephanie massaged her wrists, and tried to buy herself some time.

“Go take a nap and warm up. Okay? Just… Just go take a nap.”

He smiled at her, but not warmly. It was mocking. “Yes, mother.”

The feeling of dread only rose and spread. She felt like there was a permanent clump in her throat. Finding there was nothing she could say that wouldn’t result in an argument, she just turned and left, leaving Tim’s sardonic smirk behind.

He had never made her uncomfortable before. Never. He had been angry with her. He had argued with her. He had yelled at her, belittled her, and once or twice in moments they never spoke about, he had been physically violent with her (the unspoken excuse was, both times, he didn’t actually know it was her… as if that made it acceptable). But never had she been made to feel unsafe. Tim was predictable in his moods. Whatever was going on frightened her. She shouldn’t have come back alone with him.

Maybe she could message Cass or Duke…they could get here in around an hour and…

While her mind raced, she resolved to make some comfort food for dinner. She opened the fridge, finding casserole beef that would be out of date in two days, an onion, a carrot, and three potatoes.

“Good enough.” She muttered and set to work.

Two hours later, as the stew continued to cook slowly in the oven and she was washing the dishes, Tim came downstairs quietly. He made his way over to Stephanie, finding it a little amusing how she tensed up when he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Stephanie managed to not gasp out loud when he pulled her long hair out of the way and pressed kisses to her neck, but she couldn’t help the involuntary goosebumps and risen fine hairs. He was frigid.

“How are you feeling?” Stephanie asked.

“Had a nap.” He rested his sharp chin on her shoulder. “I made you worry, didn’t I?”

She said nothing at his patronising tone, not sure what to say. Yes, and you still are. What the hell is wrong with you right now? But no, she was trying to be good and not respond and set off an argument.

“My eye’s fine.” He continued.

“That’s good.” She said, slowly leaning back so she could take off the rubber gloves. The moment she did, one of his hands snaked down to intertwine with her own. That did make her gasp, and flinch, but his grip on her waist tightened.

“What are you making?”

“Some stew to warm you up.” She replied, voice aggressively chipper.

Tim looked over to the oven, unimpressed.

“It stinks.”

Somehow that was the breaking point for Steph, who threw her arms back and moved away.

“What is your problem, huh?”

He looked back, almost gleeful. “You’re upset.”

“No shit I’m upset! Something’s wrong! You got something in your eye that made you fall to the ground in pain and now it’s nothing? You are physically cold as ice and you’re just being a pain and mean and childish and –”

“Childish. Childish?” He looked to the side as if he had a bright idea and moved away, back into the living room. “I thought you wanted that.”

“God, Tim, what are you blathering on abo—”

She cut herself off as he stood next to the windowsill with the flowers. It had been a couple of weeks since they had brought them home, and they were doing well, even with the general lack of sunlight. Tim stared at them like they were weeds, with nothing notable or pleasant about them, then he smiled maniacally.

With a carelessness comparable to a toddler throwing a tantrum, Tim pulled his red roses off the windowsill, the pot crashing and soil flying everywhere. Stephanie couldn’t help it, she screamed, stuck in place by the kitchen.

“Tim, no! No! Why would you… No don’t! Please don’t!”

His hand was hovering over her lilac flowers. His awful smile froze, then fell away, leaving an equally awful emptiness. His hand trembled, and his fingers instead stroked the petals. Stephanie twitched, half ready to body slam him if he threw her plant on the ground.

His hand fell away, and Stephanie – shamefully – began to cry. He had left her roses alone but wrecked his own.

“Why would you do that?”

He looked at her like she was stupid for not getting the joke. “They’re so ugly. And I thought it would be funny. Your face.”

“Funny?” She sniffed, eyesight blurry and nose running. She couldn’t bear how bored he sounded, how mean he was being.

“When you get all angry and hot.”

“Tim! You don’t do that to someone you care about!”

“Care about you? Do I?” He blinked, uncomprehending. He had gotten distracted again and was looking out the window at the snow.

She shrieked, feeling like she was talking to a brick wall or an uncaring five-year-old. She rushed over to his wrecked plant, trying to pack the soil together as best she could. Tim watched her for a moment, then kicked the spilt soil and plant. Stephanie flinched away, staring at the scattered dirt. Intentionally or not, he’d hit her hands that were trying to salvage the situation. It was such an unnecessarily spiteful and painful thing to do, that finally she’d had enough. Stephanie got up, and shoved Tim.

“Stop it.”

He didn’t look satisfied with her reaction anymore, and asked, “Do you want me to leave?”

“I want you to stop being so fucking cruel.”

It was like her words were literally going in one ear and out the other. It was like he wasn’t even talking to her, rather he was talking at her. Or he was talking to someone (something) else. “I’ll go then. I’ll go. I’m bored.”

She watched, mystified, as he put his shoes back on. He looked at her once and tilted his head like a confused dog, then moved back towards her. Still crying, she choked out,

“What are you –”

He kissed her, once, desperately. She flinched away, feeling violated for the first time in years. It seemed he was not happy with the kiss either. He looked off to the side, sucking on his tongue, musing the flavour. He shook his head once.

“No good.”

Stephanie stared, heartbroken. Tim just shrugged, like the entire thing was nothing more than a mild conversation about the weather. Grabbing her car keys. He opened the front door, giving a half-hearted farewell. And then he was gone. No coat, no gloves, no scarf. The snow flurries had picked up once more, as had the wind. He was going to very quickly freeze out in the open dressed like that. Even if he did have the car, getting stranded was a real possibility in the storm.

Hating him, but also petrified, Stephanie resolved to drag him back inside. She’d make him sit down, shove the stew she’d made down his stupid throat, then call Batman. She didn’t care what he and Robin were doing at the South Pole, something had gone very wrong back home.

Stephanie grabbed the apartment keys and grabbed her own shoes, running after him. The lights flickered, a power surge apparently occurring due to the storm, and she tripped over their pile of shoes at the front door and she tugged it open.

“You dick!” She screeched to the howling wind. No sign of Tim though, or her car. She jolted, confused at how he could have pulled out of sight that quickly. Already the tire tracks were covered in a fresh layer of snow. Her confusion quickly returned to anger.

Fuck him, she thought spitefully, slamming the door shut and going back inside. Getting back down to see what of his roses had survived his abuse. She cleared space in her own box, hoping that they would take in their temporary home.

She then went to call him, for once being the first to crack after an argument of theirs, only to realise before she clicked his face that his phone was still in his jacket that was hung on the rack.

He really had left the house with nothing on him but the clothes on his back.

She didn’t know what to do. She’d been an idiot during their time at the Manor and had left behind her suit, leaving her stuck inside with nothing warm or secure enough to go hunting for her purple car. As several hours passed, the more her anger made way for pure grief.

That wasn’t Tim. Never in a million years would he be that cruel. Angry yes, spiteful sometimes, but not callous. And he did care about her. She knew that for a fact. More than she believed almost anything else. Even when their relationship was at its worst, he had said, word for word, that he still loved her.

He wouldn’t make fun of her until she cried, he wouldn’t hit and kick her, he wouldn’t wreck a present that he knew was important to her, he wouldn’t be such a self-absorbed brat.

The wind screamed outside, and Stephanie blinked.

Freak storm. Tim’s adverse reaction. The pain in his eye and drastic mood swing.

The whole thing stank of something unnatural.

It was next to nothing to go off, but she had to try and see where that line of thought would lead. First things first though, she needed Tim to come home.

But he didn’t.

Panicking wouldn’t do any good. Tim could look after himself. Even in a storm like last night. Her little car was given to her by Bruce. It was as sturdy as a tank. He would be fine.

But still. Stephanie panicked and did not sleep that night. Instead she sat in the living room, drinking mug of tea after mug of tea, watching her roses and the snow blowing outside through the window. Occasionally she’d burst into tears, not sure what to do or what to say. She could brave the storm, maybe? But Tim didn’t have a key. What if he came home and couldn’t get in? What if he found a phone and called her, would she go to him then? What if, what if, what if?

Stephanie wondered briefly who people coped not knowing where their loved ones were before mobiles became extensions of their arms.

Maybe he’d just left Gotham, gone out of the city and away from the storm. It was minus twenty that night, again unbearably cold. Stephanie sat still, grief stricken, and waited for Tim to come home.

He never did.

Come the morning, she started her hunt, looking at the CCTV footage of Park Row and the neighbouring streets and businesses, but found nothing. The footage blinked, showing Tim exiting the apartment, then he and the car was gone, and it was Stephanie poking her head out to yell.

It was like he had shut the front door behind him and vanished. Or it would have been, if not for the fact that that blip of a power surge had happened at an awfully convenient time.

She messaged Cass and Duke, who confirmed that he did not return to the manor. A quiet enquiry to the Titans showed he had not made his way West either. The storm over Gotham that night was almost as bad as the first. He would have died if he did not find shelter.

The stink of the unnatural grew.

Her grief turned to panic, and two more awful days passed. The three of them took to frantic searching across the city, but a fresh layer snow made tracking her car difficult. Even worse, the GPS system installed by Bruce on her car (a safety precaution to now where she was at any given moment) wasn’t working. It hadn’t since Stephanie and Tim had arrived at the apartment.

Duke checked the different homes the Drake’s had owned just in case he had holed himself up there. The townhouse, the mansion in Bristol, but nothing. Cassandra and Stephanie had checked every safe house in Gotham, but no luck.

Duke wanted to inform Batman. Whatever lead Bruce was chasing, this was doubly important. One of his children had gone missing. Cassandra disputed Duke. Bruce had an entire city to worry about, adding Tim’s disappearance would not make him more urgent. If anything, it would make him sloppier. Nothing made Bruce more irrational than his family in danger. Let him tackle the issue with a clear head. The three of them in Gotham could find Tim.

But three days later, they hadn’t.

So Cassandra conceded, and the awful call to Bruce was made. Stephanie did not speak to him, but judging by Cass’ face after the conversation ended, it had not gone well. She relayed the information that his own search had been a dead end and would be home before the evening came round.

This served to make an anxious bubbling a permanent fixture in Stephanie’s gut. Surely if Bruce was coming home, the problem would be resolved?

A problem she had allowed to happen. Letting Tim just waltz out into a blizzard great job Steph.

No-one blamed Stephanie, though she certainly blamed herself. Tim’s roses were not taking to their shared space with Stephanie’s, and it felt like a miserable metaphor of how their relationship was seemingly incompatible.

What the actual hell had happened?

Staring at the roses, and hating herself a little, she decided to go speak to one of the few people in Gotham who maybe would have a clue about what was happening to the natural world.

Poison Ivy had a connection to the Green, whatever that was. It was a shot in the dark, but maybe Pamela would have heard something through the literal grapevine about what was causing the horrendous weather. From there, maybe Stephanie could chase a lead to Tim, and bring him home.

Alive. Preferably.

[witchsblackfox]

Escape to The Circus

~A Cure?~

Summary: Almost done? I think not!

Note: Chapter is definitely a little short compared to the others. But I am stumped. Should I make the last chapter 19 or make it to 20 and see where it leads us from there?

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

Selina spent all week with Ivy in the biological garden over the Wayne Industry. Apparently Marinette has tried to leave the manor all Saturday nor has she been eating properly. This worried Selina more.

"There has to be something that can fix her. Do you have a plant that enhance her hunger? Or break whatever in her head that is making her think the worst thing imaginable?" Ivy just gave her the "will you shut up" stare and continued to combine a cure. Selina paced back and forth reading her copy of the file.

 

"Cubozoa is a jellyfish, so he'd have to have a way to get one or even be around one. Where could he find one?" Selina spoke to herself as she walked over to her phone and started looking for aquariums who house jellyfish.

 

"I got it!" Ivy shouted and held up a vile of light green liquid. "This should get her to at least eat." Selina Jumped up and down almost throwing her phone out of her hand.

"Great! Let's take it to Mari."

                                         øøøø

It was already the 30th and everything that week wasn't going as planned. Marinette's wound on herf lot was good as new, only a scar took it's place, and she just kept on trying to leave. 

Damn it... Cole is waiting for me and we have a performance for Halloween to rehearse for! She stomped around in her room trying to figure out a plan. I got it! She slammed her fist in to her hand and smiled. She put on her light blue romper with the see through train and slipped on socks carrying her boots down stairs. She kept her hair down holding ribbons in between her lips as she skipped down the hallway and sat on the stair railing, sliding down it like Mary Poppins did. As she landed at the bottom of the steps she found Mr. Pennyworth blinking at her then smile. 

"Hello Miss Marinette. Are you hungry?" She gave him a nod with a smile. "I made French toast and eggs sunny side up." Her smile grew wider as she moved the ribbons to her hand and said thank you. He turned around and lead her to the dining room where all four boys sat with Cass, Selina, and a red head woman waiting for her. 

'No school today?' Mari asked Cass. She smiled shook her head. 

'Dad is keeping me out for the next week. Something about wanting me to stay home with family.'

'I see! Then think we can go to the park today?'Cass's eyes lit up then turned to her brothers. They were watching Mari as if expecting her to do something crazy. Cass eyed them suspiciously, then turned to Selina. Selina was also watching Mari in the same manner, only the red headed woman didn't seem to give much mind. Cass sighed then began to eat. 

Marinette stared at her plate, trying to figure out what she was eating. Mr. Pennyworth said it was French Toast and eggs.. But... This looks like... Green vomit and burnt toast. She gave a twisted expression but picked up her fork and cut into "vomit" turning green seeing if break and drip apart off her fork. She felt sick, she knew Mr. Pennyworth put time into making her breakfast, so she closed her eyes and quickly took the fork into her mouth and swallowed it down. She tried to keep from thinking about the food she threw into her mouth. It taste like... Eggs... But... I feel sick.. She felt everyone's eyes burrowing into her and opened her own looking down at her plate finding the vomit and toast replaced with sugar covered French toast and yolk covered eggs. 

It's really eggs and French toast... Excited and hungry she ate it hastenly forgetting all about her table manners as she ate.

                                         øøøø

No one around the table was sure what to expect. When Ivy and Selina came back early this morning with a little vial and insisted Alfred make Marinette's food separate. They weren't sure it would work, but it had to be enough to at least get her to eat. They all waited at the table for Mari to come down to join them. The boys knew she would want to go back today and unfortunately what they are doing is complete kidnapping. When Marinette came down and joined them at the table ribbons and boots in hand, they watched her carefully. 

'No school today?' She asked Cass who shook her head. 

'Dad is keeping me out for the next week. Something about wanting me to stay home with family.' Cass said rolling her eyes slightly. 

'I see! Then think we can go to the park today?' Cass liked the idea, they hadn't had time together since Mari was in a semi coma. 

Damian leaned into Dick and whispered into his ear. Jason sat ready to jump at the chance to catch her if she ran for the door, and Tim just sipped his coffee watching over the cup. Cass turned to look at them to be brushed off. She scowled then turnes toward Selina and Ivy to receive the same response. I'll just wait for father to come home and ask. Alfred placed the plate of French toast and cooked egg in front of her and Mari and began to eat it. Mari however, just stared at it. Her face twisted and even slightly turned green. I wish I knew what she was seeing. Jason and Dami said she sees the food or drink in front of her differently and it makes her not eat.

She cut into the egg first, watching the yolk errupt all over the dish then quickly put it in her mouth and swallow. Each person at the table leaned on the edge of their seats staring at her hard. When Mari opened her eyes, a glow of green flashed in her eyes but was replaced with wide bright blue eyes. She smiled and devoured everything but her plate. Everyone gave a relieving sigh and began to to eat themselves.

Poor Alfred had to made Marinette two more plates of food but he seemed to be happy to do so. He went ahead and had Mari join him in the kitchen as he made them. Selina cleared her throat and everyone who stayed looked to her. 

"This is a temporary situation. Without knowing how long she had been taking the drug and at what dosage, I was only able to counteract the appetite suppressant she was given." Ivy spoke in a soft voice for only the table to hear. 

"What did you give her?" Damian asked first.

"Because she was given cocaine and Hoodia Gordonii, a catus-like succulent, I wasn't sure it would work. But I pretty much gave Marijuana." Ivy shrugged. 

"Wait, you gave her a munchie drug to counter an addictive mind tripping drug?" Tim asked baffled for a second. "Doesn't that add to the addiction?" 

"I won't get into this with you, however it got her to eat. The Hoodia Gordonii is greatly used in Africa to suppress hunger and make you feel full with only one bite. That was what I was countering Timothy." Ivy spoke with vinegar. "From my understanding of plants, the Erythroxylum coca, or cocaine plant, stimulate the brain and can help alter the mind of anyone under the influence."  All four boys fell back in their seats and stared at their hands. 

'So, you're saying Mari was, sorry is drugged this entire time and none of you have done anything?! You're freaking Robins!' The boys stared at Cass in disbelief. 'I learned about the drug addiction stuff just last week. Mari might not know she's addicted... What if she looks like two-face?' Cass's eyes was really wide. The image in her had made her shudder.

"We are working on it, the problem is like Ivy said, we don't know how long she has been in this state, and as far as we know it could have been from the beginning of time." Tim spoke up. Jason came out of his mind and spoke next. 

"Cass, Dick and Damian are following an investigation that is related to Mari's situation, if they can find out who did it then it will be easier to get a cure for her. Tim and Selina are working with doctors and Ivy to create a cure for Mari." Damian settled in his seat trying to not get angry. 

'Mystry Circus leaves the day after tomorrow. You're running out of time!' Cass was holding back her tears, angry and worried expressed all over her body and words. 

"Hey, we promise you that we will find a way to help Mari. Even if it means, we kidnap her. Again." Dick said earning a coughing snicker from his brothers and Selina. Cass sighed got up from the table walking toward the kitchen and peeked in to see Mari happily eating her third plate. She turned around toward the boys, making herself look taller and older. 

'She better be marrying one of you after this. Otherwise I will when I'm 18.' She said confidently then walked off to her room to change for the day.

                                         øøøø

Selina and Ivy laughed hard against the table. After wiping away the tears that were made, Ivy stood up. 

"I believe it's time I go. I'll work some more on the hunger remedy. Maybe we can re-alter her mind to see what she is told is in front of her." With that Selina walked Ivy to the door and gave her a hug. 

"I'll find that jelly fish for you. It's going to be hard unless I fly to Australia." Selina whispered in her ear then walked back inside and to the boys. "So, who's going to marry my sister?" Each men looked at each other almost glaring then turned to Selina and raised their hands.

                                         øøøø

The man clapped his hands together and sat with Mr. Casso. 

"Thank you for housing me and my pet. Tomorrow night will be our last with Mystry Circus." His voice melted in his ears. "You have been such a huge contributer to my cause." The man walks away from the Ring leader's tent and headed to the red tent, making sure everything was back to normal in her tent and even pulled out her blackadybig leotard and skirt on the bed. He sniffed the article of clothing and sat on her bed, remembering their night together and smiled.

"This will be magnificent performance. In fact it will be to die for." He said to himself stroking the bed as if Marinette was there.

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

@starry-bi-sky @zebrabaker @wuvpancakes @18-fandoms-unite-08 @weird-pale-blonde-person @vivilakitty @novicevoice @northernbluetongue @luciferge @krispydefendorpolice @nomiegnome @persephonebutkore @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @magicalfirebird @unabashedbookworm @vixen-uchiha @dorkus-minimus @dur55 @disneyfoxuniverse @caffeinetheory @drarryismylife101 @shamefullove @yuulxd @moonlightstar64

[artisticvicu]

Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober 2020 - Day 26: Hide

Tolnoran smiled at him. “That’s all we can ask.”

Elias approached, whatever conversation he had been having with Lora now over. Lora, for her part, gestured for Bethany as Artemis caught sight of Cass returning with the healer from before. Bethany left his side as he returned his attention to his uncle and Tolnoran.

“Tolnoran, is there any-”

The words stopped abruptly as Elias’s head snapped towards where Cass and the healer were coming from. Artemis followed his uncle’s attention with his own, finding Cass had stopped as well. The healer either hadn’t noticed whatever it was that had grabbed Cass and Elias’s attention or hadn’t cared much about it. The healer knelt beside him but didn’t say anything. Maybe he misjudged the healer’s take on the situation.

His gaze snapped away from the healer as he heard the faint echo of something that sounded oddly like-

“Was that gunfire?” Bethany whispered.

Dlmor growled low under him as he watched Belvren take a step in front of Lora and his sister.

“What the hell are those idiots doing?” Cass snapped, though the volume of her voice wasn’t much louder than what Bethany’s had been.

“Cass,” Elias spoke up among more echoes of gunshots. “Where is Leader Fox?”

She looked back at him, a new touch of confusion pulling at her expression. “Council last I heard. Why?”

“Is he aware of Artemis?”

At first, she didn’t react but from one moment to the next, she lost the color in her face. “You don’t think…”

“If word of what Artemis has done has reached him, I wouldn’t be surprised.” The man’s gaze narrowed. “Not that it explains the gunshots.”

“Uncle?” Bethany called out, the man’s title drawn out and tight with accusation and worry.

“Tolnoran.”

The man was already moving to Artemis’s side. “Already on it.” Tolnoran knelt at his side, arms slipping under him as the man looked to the healer. “Follow quick and quiet. We have to hide.”

“Of course,” the healer spoke, their expression determined. Their words were so soft, he would not have been surprised if Tolnoran had simply assumed what they had said.

Tolnoran picked him up, pinning him to the man’s broad chest. Dlmor shifted into a smaller, lanky form that reminded him of the Cyor lacking the second set of paws before scaling Tolnoran to curl on Artemis’s chest. He covered the small ball of fur and noted that despite the position reminding him of a creature hiding from danger, Dlmor’s eyes were open wide with its gaze out on the hallway as Tolnoran turned.

The gunshots were getting louder.

“Elias, what’s going on,” Bethany demanded, her words wavering around the edge. “Where is he taking Artemis?”

“Bethany, go with them.”

“No! What’s going on?!”

Whatever his uncle’s response was, it was too quiet for him to hear. Shouting started to be heard under the gun fire even as Tolnoran rounded a corner and left the hallway behind. He held Dlmor close. Tolnoran was being incredibly careful but the movement still agitated his head that by the time Tolnoran slipped into some room and there was the sound of a door closing, he was fighting the urge to vomit as his head tried to murder him.

The healer’s voice drifted into his awareness. “This isn’t good. Set them down over here.”

“Anything I can do to help?” Tolnoran asked, his voice low and sounding a bit strained to Artemis.

“Not sure.”

He was laid down on some flat surface but his head was cushioned by something soft. For a long moment there was nothing but silence outside the collective breathings. Not that he was completely aware of his surroundings after the first stretch of silence. Dlmor shifted on his chest, drawing his attention back to the world around him. The gentle Transference agitated the low level headache he had but he appreciated being told that he had dozed off again. There wasn’t much concern in the Transference. Instead, he got some of Dlmor’s exhaustion. He rubbed at the fur under his hand.

“What of the other two?” the healer asked in a soft whisper.

Another gentle Transference; if it had any effect on his headache, it was too slight for him to notice. Bethany and Lora had arrived quietly a few minutes prior. Artemis was impressed Bethany hadn’t immediately demanded his attention upon arrival. 

She had wanted to but whatever had spooked them into hiding had startled her into silence. That pulled concern out of his chest but Dlmor didn’t know the answer to his unasked question. Neither woman spoke about what they had seen.

“Ysle is still in the hallway. They’ll show them where to go when they get close.”

He wondered if the “if” was implied or if he was the only one to think it.

Something started scratching at the door. Or, at least, he thought it was the door. He opened his eyes into the mostly dark room as Dlmor got off his chest. There was some sort of light source but it took a long minute before he realized it was Dlmor and not some normal light source. He heard Tolnoran mutter, “Thank you, Dlmor,” before he heard the door click open.

There was the sound of a brief scuffle and something squeaked. He sat up slowly, carefully, finding himself on top of a table. By the time he got his gaze on the door, it was closed. Dlmor had something pinned, teeth clamped around its throat. He noticed the healer putting a hand on his shoulder but they didn’t coax him to lay back down. It almost felt like they were using him as their lifeline, though he couldn’t figure out why it felt that way.

Dlmor’s fur was as dark as the rest of the room but the individual strands that peppered it like glitter were glowing. It looked like the portion of the night sky had been molded into some vague creature shape. Gone were the dark blue eyes replaced by eyes the same strange every-color silver as the fur strands that now looked like stars. The majority of the light coming from Dlmor were coming from its eyes as if each eyes was a full moon in that molded night.

“What is it?” Lora asked the poorly lit room. Whatever creature Dlmor had pinned was obscured by Dlmor’s body.

“It looked like a Cyor,” Tolnoran offered, “but I’m not sure. Dlmor?”

“It’s a Ruhn mimicking a Cyor,” Dlmor growled. “And no, I am not letting it go. Not until Artemis gets over here.”

The downside to those every-color silver eyes was the lack of pupils so if Dlmor was focused on him, he had no idea. Still, he moved to the edge of the table and dropped his legs over the edge. The healer gave his shoulder a brief squeeze, offering in a soft, “Go slowly,” before withdrawing.

His legs took his weight without any trouble.

The floor was cold against his bare feet and for the short stretch between the table and Dlmor he wondered where his shoes had gone. He had been wearing shoes, right? No, maybe he hadn’t been. He couldn’t remember as he knelt beside Dlmor. Dlmor growled, though whether at him or the Ruhn was beyond him. He ran a hand over Dlmor’s head before tracing the creature’s snout down to the Ruhn. It was still holding its mimic when his hand settled against some portion of it. The creature flinched under his touch and he felt Dlmor press against it more. Without thinking, his other hand pressed into Dlmor’s jaw on a point he swore he hadn’t known about that made the creature release the Ruhn.

Dlmor whined as the Ruhn made a mad dash for safety.

His hand closed around it in a sure but painless grip as something fell off his tongue. He didn’t register what it had been but he had felt his mouth move with it. The Ruhn immediately pressed into the floor dropping its mimic. Oddly enough, out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Dlmor pressing into the floor as well. It made the desire to know what he had said flare but Dlmor either didn’t hear that desire or chose not to share it.

“Dlmor,” he spoke up instead, not up to dealing with that until things were calmer, “you can speak with the assorted creatures, right?”

Dlmor caught on to the purpose behind his question. “What do you want to know?”

“Why it tried to get in here and if it was sent by anyone specific.” The slight frown on his face deepened. “And if it’s seen any Olnvorox.”

Even with those eyes lacking visible pupils he could tell Dlmor’s gaze flickered up to him before focusing on the Ruhn. The Ruhn started to struggle in his hold for a good minute before calming, though tremors coursed through its body. Dlmor sat back, a frown on its dark face.

“Well?” Tolnoran asked in his stead.

“It is not every day you run into two Bound Ruhn in one day,” Dlmor offered as a starter. “It’s Bound to the healer here. An Olnvorox had caught it briefly, disrupting its connection to the healer.” Dlmor’s attention was on him again as he let the Ruhn go. “Though, whether it is a different one or the one you killed, I’m not sure.”

“Trill,” the healer spoke out as they scooped up the now Cyor Ruhn and hugged it tight to their chest. “Oh, Divine, am I glad you’re ok.”

Dlmor turned its gaze to the healer. “If it helps, they’re safe. Someone the Ruhn notes as family is with them.”

He could barely make out the healer nodding in response. Tolnoran turned a frown onto the healer. “I thought you were Boundless.”

The healer shook their head. “No, not Boundless. Trill usually stays with my kid siblings as a pseudo babysitter. They don’t really need Trill to be there - they’re good kids, able to keep out of trouble - but it’s easier knowing that Trill’s there in case something does go wrong and I can do my work easily enough without Trill there.”

“How young? Your siblings.”

The healer glanced at Tolnoran before curling more around Trill. “Six and nine.”

Confusion flashed across Tolnoran’s face. “And what of your parents?”

A dark look flashed across the healer’s face as they met the man’s gaze. “Not everything is sunshine and roses, Sir. Some of us here are here because we have no other choice.”

He half expected Tolnoran to push but whether the man had planned to or not was disrupted, though by what was unclear as the man turned and opened the door without prompting. He caught the look of determined panic on the man’s face before it was obscured by the door. As soon as the door was open wide enough, Ysle came dashing in followed quickly by Cass and Elias. Tolnoran’s hands were immediately on Elias pulling the smaller man’s weight off of Cass as Chief shouldered the door closed. Both Lora and Bethany got to their feet at the sight of the new arrivals. Dlmor pressed into his side, once again the size he was used to. He buried his fingers into the long fur at the back of the creature’s neck, oddly numb to the whole ordeal before him.

“What happened?” Tolnoran softly demanded, half guiding, half dragging Elias farther into the room and sitting him against the wall. The healer knelt beside the smaller man, checking the massive injury on Elias’s side where the man was pinning a bundle of some dark fabric.

“Crell,” Cass spat. “They’ve gotten in and we’re not sure how. On top of that, Elias’s suspicions around Leader Fox was right: he wasn’t part of the initial gunfire we heard but he’s got a call out for Artemis’s head.” She glanced at him. “Sorry kid.”

He shook his head as Chief nosed his free hand. He rubbed the Jaun’s head. “Why does he want my head?”

“Someone who can control Second Plane creatures that isn’t under his control is a threat to him,” Elias ground out. The man sucked in a breath from something healer did but barely seemed to notice he had done so, continuing, “He’ll make sure you can’t be captured and used against us if he can’t have you under his thumb.”

[completelypeccable]

Two for One Deal

Part 1

Barbara knew a lot of things.

She was a genius tech wizard and had saved everyone’s lives more times that they could count based off her observation and intel alone. Square up “worlds greatest detective.”

So yeah, she knew a lot about a lot, and none of the Tall Broad Handsome crew could reach her level.

But she honestly didn’t know what to think about this.

Richard flipping Grayson.

Smile that could defuse a bomb? Eyelashes thicker than the steel plating of Switzerland’s Large Hadron Collider? Hands the size of a small country but gentler than dove feathers?

Yeah. That bastard.

She hated him. And his pretty eyes. And his squishy nose. Stupid.

Ugh.

She just couldn’t always understand him was the problem. She could take down half the criminal underworld in a single night, but it was that emotional- kill her now- acrobatics he pulled that always left her breathless and just half a step behind. Considering her living was being two steps ahead of the game... It was unnerving sometimes.

She just didn’t get it. How he was so completely gone over that insufferable little brat.

Barbara tried to be rationale, she knew she was talking about a literal child, but that squirt was the most arrogant, violent, entitled little menace on the planet.

She didn’t hate him per se, but being in the room with him for more than five minutes? Not ideal.

But Dick acted like he was the Hallmark Good Boy of the year or something. Loved the kid. It was so weird. Now, Barbara wasn’t as emotionally constipated as, say... the Batman...

She leaned forward and pressed her face against her hands.

The Batman.

Oh Bruce, she sighed. Leaving all of these orphans behind. It had been so unexpected.

How does a legend die?

They were all reeling. Which was why she was spending the week here of all places.

She was just trying to keep her guys together.

Barbara was upset, grieving, of course, but she knew her hurt was nowhere near the others’- not like the ones who lived with him and stuck by his side this whole time. Not like his kids.

Damian she couldn’t figure out. He trained a lot, but he was the least of her worries. Tim holed up in his room. He barely ate, barely slept. He only stared at the wall or researched with a single minded fury. Jason alternated between savage beat downs in the streets and disappearing for hours to who-knows-where. (Barbara did. He was doing chores or reading in the third floor office behind the couch. Like a toddler.) Steph was trying not to start a new gang war and barely passing muster. Cass kept watching movies over and over and desperately teaching herself words. She would find a body and curl up against them to cry or just lay in a sad little lump. And Dick...

Dick. He was a mess. He was trying so hard to keep everything together, but he was also taking everything on his own shoulders and practically collapsing. Barbara couldn’t stand it, the way he kept falling apart as soon as he thought he was alone. He didn’t even try to ask for help, he just broke himself into pieces again and again.

So Barbara stayed. Picked him up off the floor, tried to hold herself together and keep an eye on everyone at once.

She took off her glasses to rub her eyes. Looking back toward her screen and her never ending vigil, she noticed that there was a protein bar on the table next to her.

Huh. She wouldn’t complain. The last meal she ate was honestly too far away to reach in her memory.

Munching away, she flipped through camera views: the labs, 42nd Street, the kitchen, Memorial bank front view, the family room, the atti-

She flipped back. On the couch, Dick sat curled forward sobbing into his hands.

It was heartbreaking.

Jason popped his head in the room.

“You hear it too?”

“It’s Dick,” she sighed, waving at the screen in front of her. “I was just about to head down.”

The large black boots thudded evenly toward her, thumbs hooking into belt loops.

“I was on my way down. Goldie.. well, Dicktopus has been trying to be everybody’s everything. Been waiting on a breakdown.”

“You’re not mad at him? For trying to be Batman?”

Jason scowled, glancing from the screen to the corner. “Bastard’s gonna kill himself. Course I’m pissed.”

Barbara just watched his face. Sometimes people forgot Jason... well, he was still before-Jason even when he was angry or unstable. Pit-Jason was put to rest, but when those big feelings came out, everyone still tended to spook.

“I’m just gonna-“

“No, it’s fine, I was already-“

The tinny cries cut off abruptly, and they both stared.

Dick was sniffing, wiping his face with his arm.

“Didn’t see you there, buddy,” his smile was disgustingly fake.

Damian stood awkwardly for a moment. He watched Dick with wide eyes.

“I’m just gonna-“ Dick made to stand up and Damian pushed him down.

“Stop,” he ordered. “Stay.”

Six pairs of eyes followed him out of the room. Dull clanks came from the speakers. Dick furrowed his brow, scrubbed his face, but stayed on the couch.

In a moment, he was back and marched in with... a bowl of cereal?

“You have not eaten in 36 hours. You will grow weak and useless if you continue in this manner,” he scolded, shoving the bowl in Dick’s shocked face.

He blinked up at him, and Damian’s scowl deepened.

“It is not poisoned. Look,” he hastily sipped the milk.

Dick stared. Slowly, large hands took the bowl, gently touching the small fingers.

He paused. His mouth opened, shut, huffed. Dick smiled a wobbly thing at the kid and took a bite. The crunch, crunch, crunch echoed in the silent halls. Cereal. He got him cereal.

Damian crossed his arms and looked pointedly at the door.

Tears began their way down the man’s face again, and he set the bowl down to wipe at them.

“Thanks, kiddo,” he whispered.

Damian shifted from one foot to the other, glancing to the other side of the couch. Dick shifted just slightly. A pause, and Damian sat next to him, a foot away. Dick grabbed the bowl. He finished it in less than a minute, then put it back down and leaned against the cushions.

Damian scooted close, pressing slightly against his arm.

No one moved. Dick froze. He glanced down, not even turning his head. Barbara held her breath.

Damian stared at his hands.

“Touching... touching people makes the burning in your chest... makes it hurt less?”

“Yeah,” Dick murmured, eyes wide in disbelief.

“Yes,” came the echo.

Damian picked up Dick’s hand and placed it on his back, scooting closer still.

Dick breathed deep, gently, gently pulling him against his side in a halfway hug.

He began to cry again, his face resting on Damian’s head. It was softer this time, and he held the small boy with reverence.

Barbara looked at Jason, wide eyes mirrored on the other face.

They felt like they were invading a private moment.

Jason scuffed a toe on the carpet. “Well, looks like we’re not needed here.”

Barbara nodded dumbly.

“I’m gonna go... finish my thing.”

As his footsteps faded, and the screen switched to watching Spoiler knock a man’s teeth out, Barbara glanced at the wrapper in her hand.

She hadn’t gotten it for herself.

She smiled. Maybe sometimes she could be wrong.

[armsdealing]

* COURNEUVE’S INNER CIRCLE.

The Inner Circle comprises Renaud’s most trusted, reliable, and committed members. They’re his main vessels, and they oversee everything that happens in Courneuve, both the place and the organization. Over the decades they’ve seen members come and go, including losing some prior IC-level members as well, but as of the last twenty years the line-up has stayed solid. 

These people come from all sorts of backgrounds, from all sorts of time periods, but they’ve got two things in common -- their skillset is appealing to Renaud, and they’re willing to go the extra mile. They also all happen to be quite susceptible to Renaud’s possession, with the rare quality of being able to meld their minds with him. As a result, Renaud influences their personalities, but they also influence Renaud’s.

Warnings underneath the cut for: talk of drugs, crime, violence, alcohol, etc.

CASSANDER LANE.

He was originally an immigrant in France in the early twentieth century. When he met Renaud he was on deathrow for murder. After accepting his deal, Renaud worked his influence to make the charges on him disappear and forge him a new identity: Cassander Lane, born in Saint-Malo.

He doesn't disclose much on his past pre-Renaud and he is in fact largely a mystery to most of the inner circle, even those that have known him for decades. Besides the deathrow thing, the other thing they do know is that he was involved in the manufacturing of heroin in Corsica, and the trafficking from Corsica to other parts of the world. This would explain his deep knowledge of opium-based products. 

Not known to anyone but Adrienne is that he was also partook frequently in his own product as well as alcohol. He’s developed a distaste for it, though he’ll still dabble.

He’s closest to Adrienne because of the time they’ve been together in this. He’s also on good terms with Marcos.

He’s an extremely good safecracker and designs plans and strategies with clockwork precision. He runs the building efficiently, acting as the landlord and the most visible member of the circle inside the building. People are actually convinced he’s Renaud himself.

A quiet, mild-mannered guy. He always seems to be thinking of something. 

ADRIENNE SAO.

Out of them all she's the one that can use Renaud's illusory powers the best. even better than Cassander, though she's not been around as much as he has. She can make people hallucinate even while they are awake and sometimes tap people out of their senses... which is great for espionage because she can just make people not hear or see shit. She could be right in front of you and you wouldn't be able to notice up until she touched you, which is when the illusion breaks down.

She's got as much a mysterious background as Cassander, perhaps even more so since she reveals nothing. As far as everyone else knows she was born and grew up in Paris and she has no living family and that's about it. 

There’s more than passing reason, however, to believe she comes from a couple of early-Cold War spooks that worked for French intelligence.

Her fighting style is greatly based on both Karate and Hapkido, both disciplines which she's mastered.

The right-hand. She’s closest to Cass for obvious reasons, and Dahlia bc she's cute.

Blunt, callous, cruel, assertive. Sees the world as one big playground. Though Cassander designs the plans, it is Adrienne who executes and leads them to completion. 

MARCOS TORRALBA.

His childhood was spent in Juarez, Mexico until he was on his teens, then he moved to the capital to live with his grandmother after his parents’ passing. 

From the start he showed a talent for languages and entrepreneurship. He was good at talking his way in and out of places. He had an impressive grasp of English at mere 10 years old and often acted as translator, messenger or spy for a few unsavory characters in his hometown. 

On his teens he took a different approach and started learning languages from a professional perspective, which was something that his grandmother stressed for him. He perfected his English and enrolled in French classes. He studied tourism in college. 

Of the circle he probably has the cleanest background, second perhaps to Dahlia and no one else. He's had brushes with the illicit side of things but he's kept things legitimate. He worked as a translator for businesses at the same time as he started to learn other key languages like German and Japanese. 

His "recruiting" process was likely.... simpler or less flashy than others maybe. He was lured by the idea of wealth and "wrongness" of the whole thing. He became more committed as he went along. 

Renaud got him the job at the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome, or at least put the right things on the table to make it happen and let Marcos do the rest. He wanted to turn Marcos into his asset, which was a familiar (but not unwelcome) feeling. He was great for the job of concierge — charisma, sociability, creativity, a natural helpful air, a trustworthiness to him. Marco's role, given by Renaud is basically information gathering by any means necessary for blackmail/recruitment purposes. 

He's pretty seductive and uses that as a weapon as well. The horror aspect of Renaud is downplayed, and instead it's the lustful/enticing side of his "magic" that's played up. He’s a freak.

DAHLIA BOUHOUCHE.

Dahlia had the most normal background of the whole inner circle. She wasn't prone to criminal activity before her recruitment and she led a fairly ordinary lifestyle previous to it. 

She wasn't so much lured by riches or power as she was lured by Renaud himself. Her relationship with Renaud is.... How can I say this.......... More emotional? Like if I had to say which one actually had feelings for Reanud, it would be her. That isn't to say she is legitimately in love but that she might be more devout from that angle. And in the other hand we have the fact that Renaud could be considered protective of her. He’s fond of Dahlia.

Not unlike Marcos she has a more welcoming air to her. She seduces and manipulates people. She has a great persuasive ability, definitely enhanced by Renaud. She seems the “weak link”, and this serves a purpose -- it makes people underestimate her, when she’s also pretty formidable in her own right (in no small part thanks to Adrienne’s involvement).

She's closest to Adrienne and Marcos. Adrienne has a dominant, leader personality that she responds to well and Marcos is just likable and friendly in general. She gets along with Cass and respects him for being the main vessel, but they're not close. And Matthew's vulgar demeanor is kinda off putting so she doesn't go out of his way to talk to him.

On her own she's pretty sweet and quiet, she might give off a shy air when she isn't on a "mission". She seems the most humane of them all. She doesn’t live in the building, but in a more strategic flat in the heart of Paris with Marcos. Both of them frequent Courneuve, though. 

MATTHEW SPECTOR.

Rough, mob-riddled background. He enlisted in the French Foreign Legion to leave that behind. 

After a few years of active duty he suffered a life threatening injury in combat, which finished his military career. He was given French citizenship due to Français par le sang versé, French by spilled blood. 

In reality, Matthew would've most certainly died if it weren't for Renaud. Renaud essentially saved Matthew's life in exchange for his services - he's got elite military training, and is probably the most skilled fighter bar Adrienne, where she has a bit of an edge. 

He's skilled with long ranged killing techniques and clean murders but specializes, by own admission, in torture and butchery. 

He's sadistic, cruel and ruthless beyond compare. He is likened to an attack dog. He doesn't care about material goods as much as the others and is instead there for the possibility to freely enact violence. 

He was the last one to join the inner circle and doesn't have as strong a relationship with the others as they have amongst themselves. He has a bit of a rivalry/antagonistic relationship with Adrienne but since she's higher in the hierarchy he does as she says and considers the banter entertaining. He gets along well enough with Marcos (Marcos has the ability to get along with anyone, for which he sometimes acts a mediator/voice of reason in this group), and thinks Dahlia is alright but he doubts they'll ever be best friends. Cass intrigues him, but Cass intrigues everyone tbqh he's weird.

Although he most often takes an offensive stance, he leads the crew that protects the complex from aggressive outsiders, and they make a point to keep tenants safe from any threats looking to ‘take down’ Renaud. 

[kalanixochoa]

Bitten

Muses Involved:

Jenna - @snowwhitesullivan

Kalani - @kalanixochoa

Synopsis:

Kalani goes for a jog late one night. He is attacked by Jenna while in her wolf form, causing her to bite him on his upper bicep. 

Kalani: Kalani could feel his anxiety running high. The bulk of that was the school year, not far off from beginning again. Which meant less free time, and more time in his tiny cell. Part of it also was with Sage. Things were bad a few months ago, but it didn’t compare to the current state of their friendship.  He tried not to think about it, but lately it had kept up at night, restless, tossing and turning. Back home if that happened, he’d go for a swim to relax himself. He didn’t have a lot of time to do that though, it was nearly 10, and his curfew was in an hour. He’d only have about 10 minutes to enjoy the water.  Instead, he figured he’d go for a run to try and tire himself out. He put on a sleeveless t-shirt, and some athletic shorts, and started jogging. He headed deeper and deeper into the brush. After a while, the bound seer stopped. It sounded almost like someone was following him. Or at the very least, near him.

Jenna: Earlier in the day, Jenna had received horrific news. Her pack back home... her family... had been attacked by hunters. While the hunters had been dealt with and all tracks covered, in the end her little sister had been killed along with some cousins and other distant relatives. The grief was almost too much to handle. With the full moon that night, her emotions were running on high and she wasn't feeling well enough to be in her human form. She'd left a note for Cassian to not look for her tonight, she needed time alone to think about everything she'd found out. As soon as it was penned, she ran out of the cabin and into the woods, shifting mid-stride. Hours later, as the sun sunk below the horizon and the moon rose, she began to feel a little confused. Had her encounter with the hunter last year been the reason for this attack on her family now? Was it all her fault? Jenna's mind easily drifted back to that night, the one where she'd been hunted and ultimately shot. Her back where the bullet had went in ached and burned as if it had just happened. Falling to the ground, she whined in pain for a few moments before she limped herself up and began to stalk the hunter who'd shot her. He was near. She could smell him... hear him clearly in the trees.

Kalani: Kalani furrowed his brow. The silver moonlight gave more illumination than usual in the dense forest. But even so, he couldn’t tell what was causing the sound. Was he being stalked? Or was it simply just another jogger, alarmed at the sound of the bound seer. Maybe they were just as scared of what was out there as he was. Kalani walked softly, trying his best to move silently, despite his large frame.  His head swiveled about, trying to spot just where exactly the sound was coming from. The hair stood up on the back of his neck, goosebumps running up and down his forearms, signifying that something wasn’t quite right. One might call out, to state their intentions, but he couldn’t, now was not the time to break his vow. The slave reached over, pushing some brush aside. Maybe someone needed help? Because they also didn’t call out for him. Maybe they physically couldn’t.

Jenna: Jenna heard him quiet his movements. He knew she was clear. She moved silently in a large circle around him, finally spotting the huge mass of a man. His back was to her, so she couldn't see his gun, but she knew he had it. Her back still burned... throbbed with the bullet. When he reached over the bushes to look for her, she took her opening. Running as quickly and as quietly as she could with her eight years of wolf training, she pounced on his back. Digging her nails into his shoulders and hips, Jenna snarled and then snapped at him. She'd gone for his neck, but got his arm instead. The metallic taste of his blood filled her mouth and throat, egging her on to get a shot at his neck. Shaking her head with her mouth and teeth still latched to his arm, she felt the tear of muscle.

Kalani: Kalani’s back was to the moonlight, which didn’t help his vision as he went to look for whatever it was that was out there. He squinted hard, searching for the source of the rustling brush. He turned around, thinking to check someplace else. But it happened in a flash, before he could even realize it, something pounced at him. He looked back, but couldn’t even tell at first what it was, just a ball of fur lunging at him. He crashed to the ground, and got to his knees, trying to get free as the animal pinned him down. As he moved, he could feel it’s teeth in his flesh. Kalani wasn’t sure if it had just bitten him, or if moving it had been what tipped him off. Regardless, he still tried to get up, hearing his muscle rip in the animal’s teeth. He grunted in pain, but if he didn’t try and get free, there was a good chance things would get worse for him. He reached back with his free arm tugging on the fur between it’s ears to help him git up. So the animal wasn’t hanging off him by it’s teeth. As he stumbled up, he started to lumber as fast as he could.

Jenna: Things started to become clear again, slowly. The hunter wasn't fighting her... wasn't trying to kill her. Sure, he was trying to get her off of him, but there were other ways to do it more effectively... especially if he was a trained hunter. In fact, it was his attempt to run away that pulled her from her alternate world. The floor was dirt and grass covered, not white with snow. It was hot in temperature, not freezing. Releasing her hold on him, she fell to the ground on all fours and finally saw the man for who he was. A slave. Oh Gods, what had she done? She'd attacked an innocent... bitten him, scratched him... basically sentenced him to death. "I... I'm so sorry... we should... I should get you help..." she called out to him telepathically.

Kalani: Finally the animal released it’s jaw, blood pouring from his wound, an oval of deep teeth marks etched in his upper arm. His hand immediately went to cover it, trying to stop the bleeding as best he could. Kalani could have sworn he heard someone speaking to him, but his head was swimming, he didn’t look for it’s source. He didn’t even look back at the animal, he simply took off, running through the forest. It couldn’t have been 20 seconds later before he started feeling lightheaded. But he had to reach campus at least, or else he wasn’t sure when he’d be found. He could hear something behind him again. Was it the animal, wanting to finish him off? Kalani wasn’t so sure that was the case, seeing as he trudged through the forest at a slow pace. He physically couldn’t go any quicker than a light jog. He was close to passing out.

Jenna: Jenna was pretty sure that he couldn't make sense of everything. It was always a little jarring to hear someone speak to you from within your own head for the first few times. He was still running away from her, though considerably slower now. She was sure she could track him anywhere now, but she knew she couldn't leave him. Following him slowly so that she didn't spook him further, she screamed out telepathically to mate. "CASS! I NEED YOU! PLEASE!!" She was sure that her panic was able to be felt by all the members in the pack, but more specifically him. Jenna could tell that the mystery man was close to passing out. He was moving really slow now. She moved closer, quicker, to try and help ease him down to the ground when he finally did go down. "I'm so sorry... I never meant for this to happen..." she whimpered to him.

Kalani: Kalani lumbered further, his feet shuffling in the brush now. He placed on his hands on a nearby tree, using it for support as arm was stained crimson now. The bound seer was hunched over, breathing heavily, trying to fight the darkness that interrupted his vision. He heard that voice again, tilting his head up to look for it. He turned back, it was almost as if it was coming from the animal as it watched him there. Kalani took a few steps further before stopping. It was as far as he could go, his legs literally couldn’t take another step. Instead he dropped to his knees, then slumped into the earth below.

Next thing Kalani remembers is waking up in his hospital bed.