superredranga

[delilaha]

Midnight Snakes

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Ponyboy wakes up in the middle of the night starving, and when he goes into the kitchen for a snack, he finds an unwelcome guest.

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Hi everyone! This is my first post on Tumblr. You can find more of my works on ao3, wattpad, and ff.net where I’ve posted a lot of other things (usernames are in the description). Unfortunately, if anyone here recognizes me from ao3, i’m currently on a 30 day suspension because of a requests page (which i literally took down in july) that wasn’t allowed to be up because it wasn’t an actual story. So i decided to start posting here as well! Everything i post will be put up on ao3 eventually, though <3

Also a little later on in the story there will be descriptions of a snake being killed so if you don't like reading that type of stuff (or just snakes in general) you probably shouldn't read this lol

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When Ponyboy woke up in the middle of the night in his pitch black bedroom, the first thing he processed was the ravaging hunger in his stomach. And it wasn't the type of hunger you'd feel when you're just simply hungry after a long, few hours of not eating. It was that sharp, stabbing pain in your abdomen that makes it feel like something is about to explode if you don't get your hands on something edible in three seconds.

So Pony clambered out of bed, being careful not to wake Sodapop in the process, who was snoring away. He put his hands out in front of him, trying to avoid anything that he could bump into on the way to the door because his eyes hadn't adjusted yet and the room around him was still completely dark. He felt his way to the door and opened it slowly, slipping through the doorway because he knew if he opened it too much it would let out a loud creak and wake up the whole house. He shut it tightly when he got to the other side, satisfied when he didn't notice Soda's snores wavering.

Ponyboy then walked down the hallway, rather fast for someone who just climbed out of bed a minute ago. He cringed when he stepped on a creaky floorboard, squeezing his eyes shut and saying a quick silent prayer that it wasn't too loud. But Soda could sleep through a tornado if he was allowed, and it's not like Darry would crucify him if he caught Pony up looking for a snack. But they all know how grumpy he gets when somebody wakes him up when he doesn't need to be awake. It's almost funny really, and Soda and Pony love to tease him in the morning for it. But not so much in the moment.

He continued moving when he didn't hear anyone stir, sharply turning around the corner and into the kitchen, ready to feast on the first thing he could get his hands on.

Then, through the dim light of the kitchen, his eyes landed on the toaster. And suddenly, the thing Pony was really craving was toast. Something short to make and not necessarily loud either. Perfect!

Ponyboy walked over to the counter and pulled out two pieces of white bread from the little bag, placing them haphazardly on the countertop. He went to grab the toaster with two hands, to bring it out more from where it was pushed more towards the wall, when suddenly, his fingers grazed something that seemed to be coiled behind it. For a split second, he thought it was just the plug and was about to pull it out farther, until from the corner of his eye he saw the actual plug laying to the side of it through the darkness of the room, nearly falling off the edge of the counter.

This set off a million different alarms in his still sleepy mind, and he ripped his hands back immediately. Pony didn't feel anything move, but he swore he felt the scaley, thin tail of... something. He didn't even want to think about the possibilities of snakes right now. So instead, took two apprehensive steps to the side closer to the wall, and reached a little bit behind him to flick the light switch on.

He blinked rapidly to let his eyes adjust as light flooded the room, and caught sight of the toaster. It looked so innocent just sitting there on the counter, but he could've sworn there was something hiding behind it. After all, this wouldn't be the first time they've found scaly creatures in the house, especially around this time of year. But even then, it was usually just a common house gecko that sprints away at the speed of light if you even went near it. Ponyboy silently pleaded that it was just his imagination just playing tricks on him as he inched back towards the toaster, planning to snatch it away to reveal whatever's behind it.

When Pony stopped he was still relatively far from the counter, his arms elongated just enough to grasp the front sides of the toaster. He took a deep breath, and held onto it tighter, a little more at ease when he didn't see anything shoot out from behind it.

But that pinch of calm washed down the drain in an instant when he pulled away the toaster to reveal a dark brown colored snake, coiled in on itself. And huge, at that, despite the fact it was curled into a ball. Ponyboy just stood there and stared at it for a second as it lay unmoving, and he wondered, hoped even, if it could be dead. But all of the sudden, the toaster plug smacked the ground as it fell off the counter completely, causing the snake's head to shoot up from where it was buried in itself, and Pony flinched so hard he practically jumped.

'It's awfully ugly,' he thought as it stared at him for a second that felt like hours, its black, beady eyes, unblinking and unmoving. But obviously it woke up and chose violence because it quickly opened its mouth to bare its fangs and hiss, showing off the white of its mouth. Oh, God. A Cottonmouth.

Ponyboy dropped the toaster with a loud bang and let out a short, shrill yell when the snake's head snapped forward a few times, chomping it's jaw down as if it were imagining to be biting down on Pony's flesh.

In seconds, stumbling could be heard from one of the bedrooms, probably Darry's. His bedroom door slammed open and his heavy footsteps came running down the hallway. He practically skidded into the kitchen, hair tousled from sleep and muscles tense expecting to find an intruder. But instead, he found his baby brother shaking in his boots with the toaster at his feet, staring at something Darry couldn't see from where he was positioned.

"My God, Pony, what happened? It's three in the morning, what are you doing-" Darry began to lecture him, but cut himself short when he saw the limbless spawn of satan on the counter.

"Holy shit," Darry muttered under his breath, grabbing Pony's shoulder and taking him back a few steps.

"I was up looking for a snack and I found it behind the toaster... I'm sorry I woke you up," Ponyboy told him, voice shaking slightly and eyes blown wide, still fixed on the snake.

"Just.. okay, just stay put." Darry said, raking his hand through his hair. Pony nodded and started to chew on his fingernails, watching as Darry tried to inch past the snake to cupboards under the sink where the pots and pans were held. But the snake striked again, narrowly missing his forearm after it silently slithered to the edge of the countertop when he went to reach for the knob to open it.

This caused Darry to screech and fall back onto the ground, something that would've been funny if they weren't facing a deadly predator. The noise scared Pony out of his skin and caused him to scream too, possibly louder than the first time, as Darry scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping over the stupid toaster that was still on the ground. He grabbed Pony by the shoulder and dragged both of them back a few feet, watching as the snake slithered around the countertop.

Just as soon as they were back a safer distance, the familiar sound of a bedroom door slammed open and footsteps ran down the hall.

"What's going on?" Soda exclaimed, darting into the kitchen pretty quickly for someone who probably woke up literally ten seconds ago.

"There's a damn snake that nearly bit my arm off," Darry said, pointing to the snake on the countertop, the other hand splayed out in front of Ponyboy to keep him away from it. Darry looked away for one second to meet Soda's face, when suddenly, Pony let out a gasp.

"Look!" He said, pointing at the snake, which was starting to make its way off the countertop, half of its body dangling off the side. Darry whipped his head back to see the snake staring right at them, a murderous look in its small, black eyes, and its pink tongue sticking out every few seconds.

Darry was about to give up, he figured he could just hole him and his brothers up in his room for the night and call some guy to find it and kill it in the morning, until Soda shouted "I got it!" from behind them.

He was just hardly able to get him and Pony out of the way before all of a sudden, a random, white dinner plate was flung through the air and hit the snake head on. Glass shattered everywhere and the snake flopped to the ground instantly. They stood around in silence for a second, watching to see if the snake would make another move, but luckily it never did.

"Well, you're welcome," Soda spoke, posing with his hands on his hips like he just saved a baby from a burning building.

"Jeez, Soda, don't you think that was a little violent?" Pony asked, crouching down where the remains of the glass plate and snake lay, Darry following in suit.

"What? It was a quick death. Plus, he was threatening us." Sodapop said matter-of-factly, shrugging his shoulders.

"You still hungry?" Darry asked, flicking away a piece of snake carcass that was on the floor and smirked at Ponyboy, who grimaced and shook his head immediately.

No, he was definitely not hungry at all anymore.

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[gilbirda]

Friendly neighborhood vigilante. Chapter 27

BatmanxDP crossover. JasonxJazz

[Read on AO3] [Read on FF.net]

Based on this post

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Jason knew it was going to be an interesting day when loud knocking woke him up way too early than when he was supposed to wake up.

He glanced at his phone, wondering if one of his more annoying siblings had decided to torment him for fun, but there were no new messages.

“I know you are there! Open up!”

Jason had half a thought to ignore Danny until he gave up. Or phased through the door—

“You know I can just phase through this thing, right? I’m being polite— this is me being polite and respecting boundaries. So open this door and let me in!”

He groaned loudly and sat up on his bed. “Whatever, man. Come in or welcome to my abode or whatever you guys need to access.”

Surely enough, after a few seconds Danny walked in looking at him with an eyebrow raised. He wasn’t even fazed by his naked chest and the scars on his skin.

“Did you just call me a vampire?”

He shrugged. “Jazz was a bit weird about permission to enter the first time she came over.” He yawned. “And made the same face when I asked about the vampire thing.”

“That’s because Vlad is a creepy vampire wannabe.” Danny crossed his arms and leaned on the doorway of his bedroom, watching him get up and walk to the bathroom to freshen up. “Ghosts can be weird about entering territory when it’s about a haunt, but you are too weak to make a claim yet.”

Jason hummed, washing his face and deciding to talk about his ghostliness later. Maybe this could be a good chance to bring up the idea of that visit to the yetis.

“In any case, Jazz has no actual reason to be weird about coming into your apartment… apart from the fact that she likes you.”

Jason looked up and glanced at Danny’s reflection in the mirror, watching him with a small smirk. Was the shovel talk going to happen now? He sighed. Better get that over with.

“Why are you here, Danny?”

The younger man uncrossed his arms and glanced away, thinking. Was it that bad?

Finally, he looked at him with new resolve, his blue eyes steeled with determination. “You are treating me to lunch.” It wasn’t a question.

“Am I?”

“Yes. We are going to this Batburger place that everyone talks about online.”

Jason walked back to his room and picked up his phone. It was almost one in the afternoon. No wonder he was hungry. He shrugged and went to get some jeans and a shirt, ignoring the burning stare of his guest on his back.

Soon they were on the move to the nearest Batburger that was just around the corner. It was the only one that ventured into the Narrows and it showed — Red Hood had stopped a robbery in this place enough times that he knew the day and night shifts by name, and had gotten enough free burgers as well.

Danny was quiet the whole way, checking his phone and humming and/or groaning at the texts on the screen.

Once at the Batburger, both placed their order and Danny abandoned Jason to pay as he searched for a place to sit down. Jason didn’t miss how the chosen booth had perfect vision of the exits and was away from any windows or prying eyes from the staff.

He checked his phone one more time, but he didn’t magically have more messages from Jazz that could offer a light on what Danny intended to get out of interrogating him. He was pretty sure by now that a shovel talk was not the goal of the conversation, which opened the question, what the fuck was Danny’s deal with the silence and seriousness.

Finally, their order was done and he brought everything to their booth, noticing that Danny left him the disadvantageous seat that made him face only Danny and give his back to the door. He didn't like it, but would survive just this once.

“Okay,” he didn’t beat around the bush, “whatever it is, just say it.”

“How do you know I have an agenda?”

Jason didn’t even grace that with an answer. Surely Danny must know his poker face was non-existent. He had seen Jazz make better faces, and she was the one who body slammed a thug in front of one of Gotham’s vigilantes and then pretended to be a normal human.

“Okay, okay. World’s best detectives.” He made a dismissive gesture and shoved a bunch of jokerized fries in his mouth. “Hm. These are good.”

They were good, despite the name. Jason loved the damn fries. Still looking Danny in the eye, he picked a fry and slowly bit into it.

“This is not a shovel talk.” Danny started, carefully sipping his drink. “I don’t— Jazz can date whoever she wants and unless you give me reason to think you’d hurt her in any way—”

Jason kept his face totally blank, flashes of her bruised wrist coming to the front of his mind, but Danny narrowed his eyes and stopped eating, interlacing his hands instead.

“I see.”

Jason swallowed. Did he know? How much did he know?

“Jazz told me. About what happened.”

“And?” He tried to act nonchalant, but he knew if Danny could read him when he kept a blank expression, he could see through his attempt.

“Relax. She barely said anything about you. Which,” his eyes glowed green, “tells me more than what she could actually say in words.”

“What do you mean?”

He took his time, grabbing his burger and taking a bite of it. He also chewed slowly, smirking, knowing that he was being a little shit by making him wait.

Finally, he swallowed. “You are not going to eat? The burger is pretty good.”

Jason picked up his burger and bit down, eyes fixed on Danny and his little smirk, waiting what he would do next. He somehow didn’t feel like it was an interrogation and more like he was being watched by a predator taking its time to delight in their prey’s fear.

“I know about the gun.” Jason choked. Danny didn’t move or showed concern. “I know about Batman’s and your interrogation. I know how you treated her.”

Jason felt cold, but kept it together and took a sip of his own drink trying to recover from almost choking to death.

“I—”

“I’m the one talking.” He leaned in, picking another fry and putting it in his mouth. “Again, Jazz didn’t tell me much but I know her and I know how to read her.” He chewed, eyes still glowing green. “I need to know what happened.”

“But you said—”

“I need to hear it from you.”

Jason could almost visualize the crown burning over Danny’s head. He was talking to the King, not his girlfriend’s younger brother.

He briefly considered trying to hide, or maybe offer a shitty excuse, or maybe a watered down version of the facts — but Danny had already let him know he had ways to know he was bullshitting him.

He sighed and bit more of his burger.

He knew Jazz valued Danny’s opinion, but in the case of the young king deeming his acts enough to keep them apart, would she go against his wishes and still want him? There was a real possibility that after this conversation their already complex relationship became even more impossible.

He felt a pinch in his chest, the familiar resentment he felt the previous night coming back full force. Was all of this worth it? Was she worth it? Worth of being stared down by this unnerving creature, ruler of another dimension, who could easily smite him out of existence?

He watched his hands, almost feeling the touch of her skin. His scarred knuckles softly caressed by her fingers as they watched a movie. The familiar weight of her hair as he pushed it aside to kiss her.

Jazz was… She was… Jazz made him feel wanted. No conditions, no fine print, no agendas. After thinking about it, he was more and more convinced that Jazz was not the kind of person who hid a secret plan or exit strategy. That she was as broken as he was, forced to be a warrior since teenagehood and stumbling through life searching for purpose.

He understood they weren’t so different after all, so maybe she understood that side of him too.

Jason looked up at Danny, who patiently waited for an answer. His small smile betrayed that he knew about his internal turmoil, and was just humoring him while he gathered his thoughts.

“I love her.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

He nodded. “I don’t— She and I—” He grumbled, one hand ruffling his hair. “I have been betrayed before, and when Bruce came forward with all that stuff… I thought I was being deceived again.”

“You didn’t ask Jazz if it was true.”

“I didn’t. It was just too perfect. Made too much sense.” Danny narrowed his eyes. “I understand now that it was all bullshit, but I found out then that Jazz gave me that damn green stuff and I don’t how much you know about me, but me and the Lazarus Pits don’t have a good history.”

Danny nodded and bit his burger. His eyes also stopped shining. “She saved your life, you know.”

“I know.”

He remembered waking up and finding her eyes watching him. He dismissed them at the moment, but they had been clearly shining green. If he wasn’t so focused on the euphoria of being alive and with her, he would have stopped and accepted that there was a lot more than meets the eye with Jazz.

It didn’t make sense to dwell on that now.

“I already owe her too much.” He admitted after a moment. “But I will repay her with my life if needed.”

Danny’s eyebrows went to his hairline and he started laughing. He slapped the table, laughing so loud that the other patrons of the Batburger were looking at them now.

He sighed. Danny found that even more hilarious and continued laughing.

“Oh man, that’s… You don’t need to be cute with me.” He wiped the few tears gathered in his eyes. “And no need for such declarations of love. Or staking your life on it, pal. When you die, your ass is mine. With how contaminated you already are, and with a previous resurrection, you are definitely one of my subjects when you die.”

Jason had suspected it, but this confirmed it. He wouldn’t know peace even after he died.

Okay.

Whatever. He would deal with that later.

“Jazz and I talked, after what happened. I apologized. I— I won’t do that again. I don’t… I know I’m not exactly—” He stopped to glare at his food. He wasn’t getting anywhere. He breathed in and tried again. “I’m not boyfriend material. I'm a crime lord. I can be violent. When I came back to Gotham, I introduced myself to the criminal Underworld by arranging a meeting with all the lords and giving them their second in command’s heads in a duffel bag.”

Danny nodded along but didn’t say anything. If he was judging him, he wasn’t showing.

“Jazz says she understands my work and from what we learned yesterday maybe she does, but still —”

“Why are you dating my sister, Jason?”

He looked up, and somehow he couldn’t see anything human in Danny. It wasn't just his eyes, it was… everything. Shadows coalesced around him and the bright fluorescent lights from the ceiling blinked in and out of existence. Danny himself looked older, bigger, sprawled on his seat like he was sitting on a throne and lazily watched him from above.

If it were another situation, he would have tried to find out what tricks he used, what kind of magic he possessed to do this to him and not raise alarms in the Batburger.

“What do you mean?” He cleared his throat, feeling it dry, but couldn’t move a finger to reach for his drink.

“If you are such a dangerous man… If you understand you are not ‘boyfriend material’ — “ he made the air quotes “ — and cannot provide the stability or security my sister needs… Why are you still with her?”

Because he loved her? Because she understood him? Because she wasn’t trying to change him, like everyone else?

He couldn’t choose which one to say. And somehow he knew that “love” wasn’t a good enough answer for the Ghost King.

Danny’s left eye twitched. He leaned in. “What tells me that you won’t wake up one day and realize she’s not worth it, Jason? That one day you won’t think that you actually want to go back to the severed heads and the recklessness?” Jason felt his breath leaving him with every pointed question. What was Danny doing? “How can I be sure that my sister is a priority for you?”

As the King leaned back on his seat, Jason could finally take a much needed breath. He pondered the words, how familiar to his own thoughts they were. He had decided that he would let the insanity of Jazz’s life permeate in his, that it wasn’t such a big deal, that they would deal with things as they came.

But was it ever so simple?

Nothing was simple with Jazz. Or with him. He knew that he could never have any resemblance of a normal relationship with a civilian, and even hero relationships had a high chance to fail — the Mission, after all, took place over everything else. Bruce had taught him that, on top of his crime fighting knowledge.

He had already given up by the time he met Jazz, but he said yes because she was supposed to be something simple, something temporary. Mundane.

Was she really those things? Simple? Temporary? Mundane?

No. That’s not what she was, and that’s not why he got into a relationship with her.

Danny’s eyes followed him as he controlled his breathing, the green changing colors as he probably followed his inner turmoil.

“So?”

Jason licked his lips. Why was he staying? Why was he willing to try?

“She chose me.”

Danny arched an eyebrow. He wasn’t expecting that answer.

“She wants me. That day, when I—” he swallowed “ — When I pointed a gun at her and asked her questions like she was some kind of criminal,” he closed his eyes, haunted by her hurt eyes while he accused her, “she was honest when she said she wanted me. Everything else I could easily tell she was hiding something, but about her feelings… there was no deceit.” He remembered her phone, the lock screen picture, his smile. “It could have been anyone else, could have been my own brother, but she chose me.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“It does. It really does. I hurt her, I questioned her, I threatened her, and yet she wanted me. She wanted to give me a chance. I won’t let it go to waste.” He let his shoulders drop, trying to ease the tension. “Not going to lie, I am… wary of this whole Ghost Royalty business, and I know it won’t be easy, but nothing has ever been easy for me.” He shrugged. “I have always had to work harder to get what comes easy for everyone else. I was born here, in the Narrows, and I grew up on the streets.”

“Bruce Rich Dude adopted you.” Danny nodded and looked aside, and the death grip the young man somehow had on their surroundings was eased. The lights stopped flickering.

Jason rolled his eyes at the theatrics. “Yes, but it was short lived. Just like me.” He smiled at Danny’s chuckle. Jazz wasn’t kidding about the death jokes being a norm in her life. “I was murdered at fifteen years old. When I came back, Brucie had another kid taking my place.”

“That’s rough buddy.”

The illusion was completely broken. They were back at the Batburger and Danny was just a guy eating his lunch again. No more eldritch horrors.

“You said this wasn’t a shovel talk.” Jason pointed out, reaching for his drink.

“I wasn’t intending to, honest.” Danny shoved the last of the fries in his mouth. “It’s difficult, you know — being her brother and the King.” He said as he chewed. The contrast of the Ghost King threatening him and not even five minutes later loudly chewing fries without any care wasn’t lost on Jason. “I just…” He made a vague gesture.

“It’s nice that you care.”

Danny glanced at him, surely noticing how charged that sentence was, but didn’t comment on it. “I’ve never seen her be so… careful.” He tilted his head, just like Jazz does. “No. That’s a lie. The last time she behaved like this was when she was covering for me.”

“Covering?”

“Protecting me from our parents.” His eyes glazed over a little bit, remembering. “She doesn’t appreciate dishonesty; but she would cheat, lie and fake smile to Jack and Maddie to keep them away from me.” His eyes were bright blue when he focused back on him. “Just like she tried to pull with me to protect you, bird boy.”

Jason chose to ignore the blooming warmth in his chest and finished the rest of his burger. Danny chuckled, probably knowing what he was thinking. It was getting annoying not being able to hide like he was used to.

“I appreciate your honesty,” the younger man said, placing his head on his hand and resting his elbow on the table. “Your story checks out with what she told me.”

“So you are fine with it?”

“No. Not in a million years,” his smile was definitely threatening, “but somehow you are what my sister wants and she was willing to fight me for you so… you have my interest.”

“Not approval?”

He hummed. “We’ll see about that.” He looked down at the table and lazily pushed aside the empty box. “Keep making her laugh and I will reconsider.” Maybe he noticed Jason’s confused face because he added: “I haven’t heard her laugh in ages.”

“You are joking,” he rolled his eyes, “she laughs and giggles all the time.” Danny wasn’t smiling. “What—”

“You don’t know how she was back there.” His smile turned sad. “I didn’t know how much she was hiding— No, I did know, but I didn’t want to think about it. My sister… She told you about David, but she didn’t say what happened after that. What happened after she killed for the first time. After… everything.”

Danny’s eyes became watery. “I didn’t ask and she didn’t tell me. Every damn time she came back, gave a report and pushed through. I kind of got used to her not coming to me for all this stuff, so I never…” he looked away. “I should have done something. Especially after David. I knew shit went down but I didn’t know it was… that.”

“And what happened? Did she swear off romance?”

“Nothing. She did nothing. She powered through it like she does with everything else — she says she is ‘fine’ and focuses on everyone else, bottling up her emotions, and crying alone when she thinks nobody hears her.”

“Why? Because it's a weakness?”

“Because right after she broke up with him, we had a Siege. I feel like the worst brother ever, but we couldn’t afford her being out of the battle, and then we just… never talked about it?”

Jason hummed and picked up what remained of his burger, shoving it into his mouth as he considered the new piece of information.

He didn’t know how much she wasn’t sharing about her past; but again, there was a lot he wasn’t talking about his. It wasn’t unreasonable for him to be ignorant of aspects of her life at this point.

“In a way,” Danny interrupted his thoughts, “I think it is a good thing she ended up with someone like you.”

Jason lifted an eyebrow. “Someone like me?” A vigilante? A zombie? A criminal?

“She always waited for Robin to fly in and sweep her off her feet. I know this. I’ve read her diary.”

Jason froze. “I’m not Robin.” He growled.

Danny lifted his eyebrows. “You are Red Hood, which is way cooler.” Right. Danny was a fan. “And the Gotham hero she likes the most.”

“I thought you were the fanboy?”

The other chuckled and leaned in. “She had been researching you guys for a while before coming here. Boards, papers, internet forums — anything you can think of, she got her hands on it. She tried to hide it, but her rants about Red Hood were significatively longer than the others. She always said that the finesse and smarts of the execution of Red Hood’s exploits in Gotham were fascinating.” He sipped his drink. “She didn’t mention a duffle bag with severed heads, though.”

Jason didn’t even try to hide the blush. What was the point?

“It’s not public information. The others don’t know about this.” He considered it better. “Or I think they don’t. Bruce is not very keen on sharing with the class if he does.”

“But he has to if he wants us to work together.” Danny continued, eyes fixed on something behind Jason. “Tonight we are going through all the prep for the Justice League meeting… and meet up with the Spirit.”

Jason perked up. “Tonight?”

“Yep.” Danny sipped his drink, but there was nothing else but ice. He looked displeased.

“Can I join?”

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[buffygiles]

tumblr user buffygiles' buffy/giles fic rec

hi, friends. i know i said i'd do this last week but i am nothing if not a procrastinator. i've come across some wonderful works throughout my years in and out of the fandom, so i wanted to compile them into a easily read post (for my own future reference, as well as anyone who might come across this in the future and find it helpful). in order to keep everyone's dash clean, i'll be putting the recs under a read more. lastly, if there are any fics you love that you don't see on this list, feel absolutely free to send them to me so i can read them and then add them to this post! there are over 2k bg fics on ao3 and i've only just barely scratched the surface of them. not to mention the og ones on ff.net. i'm always excited about new material to read.

rec format: fic title by author (rating letter, word count) - synopsis [my own personal thoughts/ramblings]

so! in no particular order:

I Need A Bad Idea by Skyson (WIP E, 550k) - Giles finds Buffy after she’s run away into the city, and instead of a scolding and dragging her back home, he supports her. They spend a few days together, reaffirming their bond and their friendship, forging a new and more mature respect between them. In the months to follow, that has a ripple effect on how they handle the coming events in their lives. [starting out very strong here. this fic was recommended to me just a few weeks ago in the bg discord server and i happily let it take over my life for a few days. if you're looking for something long to throw yourself into for a bit, this one is perfect!]

Friends and Lovers by LadyRa (M, 30k) - An AU story of what happens if Angelus didn't kill Jenny, and how that affects, over time, the relationship between Buffy and Giles. [there's going to be a LOT of LadyRa on this rec post. i have found so much joy in their work and the way they write both buffy and giles. this fic in particular was so so cute. i love them being absolutely obsessed with each other and i love meddling joyce having to nudge them to realize their feelings.]

A Different Life by LadyRa (M, 47k) - Buffy is given the opportunity to make a wish. Then she is told she must undo it and give up the life she always wanted. [this fic didn't hit me until the day after i read it and i couldn't stop thinking about it all throughout work that i came home and reread it. i think it's so beautifully written and i love curator giles so much. someone asked me to point out soulmate au fics so if that was you, here's one!]

A Day of Surprises by littleotter73 (T, 7k) - When his niece finds herself without a babysitter, she asks Giles to step in and take care of her daughter for the day, only Giles has no experience with babies. Thankfully he has a very helpful Slayer with babysitting experience. [was in the mood for a cute fluffy baby fic and thats exactly what this is]

Moral Flexibility by LadyRa (E, 11k) - Giles gets turned into a vampire.  He’s ready to take over Sunnydale now, with Buffy at his side. [i am begging BEGGING any writers who might see this to write more vampire!giles. everything i wanted from an undead watcher. this is a good quick smutty read if you're on the hunt for one.]

Candy Man by gilesbabe (T, 23k) - Ripper turns Buffy's world upside down. [can never go wrong with a band candy au, and i personally will never ever have enough of ripper]

Second Chances by LadyRa (M, 19k) - Giles dies. Ethan brings him back, but he’s not the Giles Buffy knew. [the mixture between giles and ripper here is incredible. man of buffys dreams and honestly mine as well]

Into The Dark Ages by Sadbhyl (E, 33k) - Visiting London after her stay in Italy, Buffy makes a wish that takes her back in time. In this time, her boyfriend is Ethan Rayne, and his partner in crime Ripper seems to have a certain claim on her attention as well. [I have many mixed feelings about this one. i loved the relationship of the three of them, i will always love any glimpses of both ripper and ethan, plus the smut was great. my only downside was that i didn't love the ending. so it's on my list of rec's for everything but the ending! still totally worth the read for the rest of the story though. consider this me begging writers to also write more multi-chapter fics for giles/buffy/ethan]

With Arms Wide Open by jaybird023 (WIP 280k, E) - It's been a few weeks since Sunnydale sunk into the desert leaving all of the Scooby gang up in the air at what to do with their lives. Buffy's decided to settle down with Dawn in Rome, trying to live her own life, and forget about the things that have gone wrong between her and Giles. Just as she's settling into a routine working for the Italy branch of the new Watchers Council she finds out she's pregnant. There's only one problem… she hasn't had sex since over a year before the potentials started showing up at her door in Sunnydale! [no spoilers but the home giles builds for them all <3 i wont ever recover!!! again, to the person who asked: definitely a soulmate au!]

One Wish by LadyRa (M, 16k) - For revenge, Ethan makes a flippant wish of Buffy’s come true. [great hurt/comfort read. TW: mentions of SA but no actual SA]

And It Shall Come to Pass by LadyRa (M, 52k) - The Council wants a Slayer again at its beck and call and Buffy's not interested. Will Giles pay the price? [it was fun to read an evil faith one (as much as i love her!!) and i would also consider this one to be a soul bond au]

♡

and as im finishing up, im realizing this is mostly a shrine to LadyRa's writing. please like and reblog if you've found this rec helpful, and again, if theres any fic you think i should check out please send it my way. happy reading!

[vicioux]

ICHIHIME FIC RECS

i can't believe i've been reading ichihime fanfics for literally 10 years ✌️ my favorite flavor is definitely pining with a touch of angst, but i am also a sucker for just them giggly all over each other! thank you bleach TYBW anime revival for bringing me back to these two cutie patooties and an even bigger thank you to all the writers that have been keeping the fandom alive all these years (especially in the earlier days back in the wild wild west of ff.net and LJ lol) y'all are amazing 💖 happy reading everyone p.s you can find the rest of my fic rec lists here

🍓 alternate universe 🍞

THE BRIDE OF THE DEATH GOD by caledon A plague descended upon the village, and to appease the God of Death they offered him a bride as a sacrifice.

THE DEVIL'S PLAYTHING by marshmallowbirb High-schooler Kurosaki Ichigo discovers that he isn't as human as he once thought - and neither is his classmate, Inoue Orihime.

THE RELUCTANT BRIDEGROOM, DEATH by marshmallowbirb On a sunny summer morning, the young goddess Orihime gathers flowers on a hillside.

STARCROSS'D by child of the ashes In the vampire palace of Los Noches, there is no greater curse than beauty, and no greater crime than love.

NEXT VISIT by aurona x She can see him only with autumn comes, that man of the deep blue tree. And over the years, her love for him grows.

MOTHERHOOD by ashe flyght Orihime's family is financially unstable. So when Japan's most in demand actor, Kurosaki Ichigo offers her an unusual job will she accept it?

FINE LINES by lastlynotleast Ichigo is a tattoo artist and Orihime has skin he could draw on forever.

🍓 multichapter 🍞

THE BOND BETWEEN US by ritsu-san Post Ch. 352: Ichigo and Orihime are left to figure out this strange bond they share.

TIL DEATH DO US PART by marshmallowbirb Deemed too powerful, Ichigo is sequestered in Soul Society after defeating Aizen. Ten years later, one of his human friends dies.

THE CLOCKWORK SWITCH by sesamerolls (1 // 2 // 3) “Kurosaki-kun?” She wanted to bite back her words. This person couldn’t be him. He was a few inches taller, broader, and manlier than the youth who gave her daifuku just minutes before.

🍓 oneshots that will make you feeeeel 🍞

DEMAGNETIZE by ghosty If opposites attract, then what does that mean for us?

TACTILE by mrhooty Orihime has accepted that her boundaries will never be respected, but Ichigo is too good of a friend to allow that.

AFFIRMATION by sesamerolls Ichihime from the beginning to the end.

HOME IS WHERE THE SUN SETS by awkwardspaceturtle Using the word ‘beautiful’ didn’t seem like enough; nothing he could ever say out loud would tell her how she really looked in his eyes.

BUILD A HOUSE IN PARADISE by zabiume Ichigo and Orihime move in together.

PAPER HOUSES by zabiume Mostly, he just wanted to know if she was okay, if she was eating well and passing her courses and if, when she went to bed at night, she had someone to smile about.

PROMPTFILL by zabiume Truth serum induced angst.

PROMPTFILL by captainrukias-husband Ichigo writes a poem for Orihime.

TEMPTARE BEAST by mayelisa As Orihime watched in horror as Ichigo took on that form again, she had a sinking feeling that this day wouldn't turn out at all like she had planned.

MEMORIES IN THE RAIN by garden of magnolias If I were the rain, could I connect with someone's heart, as the rain can unite the eternally separated earth and sky?

ALWAYS SUMMER by folle Orihime is calling, calling, and Ichigo doesn't know how to not answer, except in the most important way.

BECOMING WHOLE by lovelycollision He loves her in various ways, during different stages of his life. It's after the war when he realizes that he's in the third stage, otherwise known as the beginning.

🍓 outside POV looking in 🍞

ELEVATING by sesamerolls “Okay, let’s theoretically agree Ichi-nii has a girlfriend,” said Karin, resting her palm underneath her chin.

SIMPLY BY MEASUREMENT by sesamerolls When it first began, he pretended not to notice.

PROMPTFILL by scribblles Ichigo screwed up his befuddlement into a distinctly grumpy expression. “For your information, I wasn’t daydreaming, I was thinking. Worrying, actually. And it’s about a friend. Who… happens to be a girl.”

🍓 funny fluffy oneshots 🍞

OF MICE AND MEN by garden of magnolias Ichigo realizes that getting rid of a mouse in his and Orihime's apartment is a lot more complicated when it involves his girlfriend.

I REJECT! by scribblles Keigo has a rare moment of inadvertent correctness.

RUMOUR HAS IT by fictionaryplace Ichigo and Orihime have important news, but decide to have a little fun with their friends and family before coming clean.

DELAYED REACTION by crystal dawn Orihime is feeling under the weather. Against his better judgment, Ichigo suggests she visit his father's clinic.

ICED FRAPPUCCINO by hedonysms Ichigo and Orihime get a coffee. Ichigo is simultaneously an emotional sap and a horny, utterly repressed man.

STARTING FRESH by kay sincere Ichigo doesn't have a resolution for the new year himself. But it does come to his attention that his friends could use his help.

NOSEBLEED by deathberryhime Where that little smile would have done more damage than intended to.

OUR BREATHS IN PERFECT HARMONY by iwillhaveamoonbase When Ichigo's friend talks about a cute girl at a bakery, Ichigo agrees to introduce them with no idea that the girl in question is his girlfriend.

WELL WISHERS by adverb_slut It turns out that shinigami are not so great at gift-buying, especially for a four-week-old baby.

THE ART OF SHIPPING by alice hattercandy In which, everyone ships. Even Ichigo.

🍓 anything and everything by these authors 🍞

SESAMEROLLS CAPTAINRUKIAS-HUSBAND ZABIUME (tumblr // ao3) SCRIBBLLES CRYSTALDAWN / MARSHMALLOWBIRB (ffnet // ao3) ORIHIMES RITSU-SAN (more on their LJ sunburnt-wings) TRAGICOMEDY (more on their LJ explicates)

[kigozula]

As Long As We're Together - Sokkla Saturdays 2024

Day 3

FF.net & AO3

To all the hopeless romantics who fear not finding love.

Who would have seen this outcome for their love life? They didn't find love in their twenties. And now in their thirties, accepting this match proposed by their families didn't seem wrong.

But would they be able to learn to love each other?

Sokka already felt a spark he couldn't quite place.

"I declare you husband and wife!"

Azula looked unreadable. Although now that he gave it more thought, she looked like she didn't expect much from him or this marriage. From anyone in this world. She acted like that since their engagement. He so wanted to prove her wrong.

Sokka wondered how he got so lucky to marry a woman with such stunning eyes. And face. Her hair too. And her lips were just beautiful.

He leaned in and pressed a tender and promising kiss to her forehead. Which was as beautiful as the rest of her details. His kiss lingered more than he planned.

-------

After the ceremony they were brought to their now shared room. Sokka never teared his eyes off her. He felt that sparkle again and a strong sense of protectiveness over his bride.

"You seem unable to look away from me." Azula said, standing in front of the mirror while taking the ornaments off her hair. "Already regretting marrying me?"

"What... No!" Sokka replied without hesitation. "Quite the other way around actually."

Sokka walked up to her. Azula instinctively turned to face him. He was handsome. Strong and from what everybody else around her said, a good man. She knew him and his friends from seeing them from time to time.

After the war, Azula withdrew herself. She spent much time alone, with books and art. She didn't trust she would get a good man and didn't believe love would find her one day.

As much as she tried to focus on those thoughts again and keep her expectations from low to zero, she couldn't help but feel slightly overwhelmed and excited by the deep gaze of her husband.

Sokka took her hands in his and stroked them with his thumbs.

"I will do anything in my power to make you feel forever safe and make you happy Azula. I promise." he said confidently.

Azula smiled. But it wasn't a happy one. It was one of those smiles that secretly told "Yeah, right".

"I mean it! I could've said no Azula. But I chose to marry you, because I wanted to." Sokka said.

She couldn't bring herself to ask why, so she said: "Sokka, don't be too hopeful, I don't believe in a good marriage with love and understanding and patience. I don't believe you will stand by me no matter what."

Azula pulled away and turned around to walk away from him. But Sokka was faster. He took hold of her arm and turned her around. They were so close. Azula thought their noses were touching. And she was right because he leaned even closer and pressed his forehead to hers. His hold of her arm loosened, and he held her by the waist now. As if scared she would walk away again if he let go.

His gaze was so intense, Azula just gazed back. She felt hot under them and started feeling things she couldn't describe with words.

"I am Sokka. Your husband." He said "Your" so firmly. As if he were angry that she couldn't see it. Couldn't see him. Believe him. "And I am the one who will make you see how much he values you and this marriage. The one who will never let any harm come to you and the one who will always stand by you."

He spoke softly. But the words were so firm on his lips, she felt something on her spine.

Neither of them moved. They stood there silently. With hot gazes.

A brand-new book started today in Azula's life. This time, it wouldn't be that of other people's love stories. No. This book was Azula and Sokka's love story. And it would be one of the happiest and best ever.

[thgfanfictionlibrary]

Teen and Up Rated Fics Masterlist (13)

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12 /

Created: January 28th, 2024

Last Checked:—-

All's Fair-wineredroseblossoms (ao3) Summary: “I dream of you,” he said, his voice husky and desperate. Somehow, the space between them had shrunk to nearly nothing. He was so close he could smell her scent: honeysuckle and soap. It was intoxicating, maddening. His lips grazed the shell of her ear as he murmured. “I dream of you, and such dreams as I would never speak of to a soul, save … save for the woman who inhabits them.”

but the rain is always gonna come (if you’re standing with me)-starryprose (ao3) Summary: Katniss, Peeta, and the rain. Based off the prompt “One character is caught in the rain someplace & they are contemplating what to do when their partner comes running out of nowhere with an umbrella & they go home together.”

Christmas Wish-burkygirl (ao3) Summary: Katniss has only one chance to be able to give Prim the Christmas she deserves, a talent contest sponsored by the local radio station. Still grieving over the recent death of his father, Peeta is spending a quiet day in the bakery when a bittersweet Christmas song drifts over the radio, stirring up a longing for his lost love. This songfic is a one-shot from the Flying Solo universe, inspired by Michael Buble’s cover of All I Want for Christmas is You.

Come Morning Light-crazyundeadfairy (ff.net) Summary: A very AU take on Peeta's rescue in Mockingjay.

Happy Birthday Peeta (Perfect)-endlessnightlock (ao3) Summary: Jrosely requested a surprise party for Peeta. Katniss and Peeta have been best friends since they were little, and on Peeta's birthday things change between the two.

If We Met Up at Midnight-Mollywog (ao3) Summary: Had the messenger arrived a day earlier, he would have been greeted by a yellow flag above our door, and had to turn back, summons undelivered. The odds, however, are not in my favor.

Impressive-burkygirl (ao3) Summary: A prequel to The One, in response to the prompt: “Well that’s the single most impressive thing I’ve ever seen someone do.”

Longest Night-LastLeaf (ao3) Summary: I know it's him without even having to turn around, though I'm still shocked he's here. Peeta Mellark isn't exactly the type to slum it in the Seam. But here he is, bundled up in a long, dark wool coat with large buttons down the front, a fine maroon scarf snugly knotted at his throat. I don't see Peeta outside the bakery very often, but every once in awhile I might run into him at the public market in Town. When that happens, he'll give me a lopsided grin and a friendly “Hey, stranger,” but, even though we've gotten to know each other a little bit in the past year or so, we rarely talk about anything personal. On the night of the Winter Solstice, Katniss finds a way to help Peeta Mellark.

On the First day of Christmas…-oakfarmer (ao3) Summary: District 7's tradition of 'Christmas' has spread to the post war District 12. Peeta tries to help Katniss embrace these new strange customs. Hoping a few of them may bring his true love some cheer during the winter season.

Side Project-Ronja (ao3) Summary: A collection of scenes written for "the Project", but removed for various reasons - usually pacing and for sheer length. Not necessarily compliant anymore with the rest of the story.

[seyaryminamoto]

Scenes of a Peaceful World: Sokkla Saturdays 2024

Day Two - Pleasure

Rated: M

On FF.net//On AO3

The fire that burned in Sokka's throat would ease up in time… for now, though, it served as a painful but welcome reminder of what he had succeeded at doing on that momentous day.

Ten full courses of ramen were more than any normal person could handle. Spicy ramen? It was madness, but madness they had jumped into eagerly, with eyes wide open.

There was also the fact that, with the dragons' appearance, the whole matter had evolved into a full-blown festival in the streets of Firelight Town instead of a mere visit to the Dragon's Casserole – Jiare's restaurant. The name, naturally, pleased Xin Long: he and his draconic siblings basked in even more spicy ramen than Sokka or Azula had…

The kids had eaten recklessly as well, if not the spicy variety of ramen. They had gone to sleep already, in the room the three of them would share, while Sokka and Azula had their own quarters at the inn. Their social station merited the very best rooms for their family's use – and the parents certainly wanted privacy in case matters between them took the turn they often did…

It happened rather quickly after the mandatory nap resulting from eating in excess: Azula had woken Sokka upon leaving their bed to head to the bathroom. An attempt to cuddle and fall asleep again resulted in conversation, which then spiraled into far more intimacy than they'd meant to go for, just yet.

"I… I'm quite ready now," Azula laughed, legs spread, as her husband lapped at her folds greedily.

"You sure? I can go on for longer…"

"You've eaten a lot today, love… and I'd like some fun with another of your best assets now."

"Heh. One of my best assets, is it?" he smirked against her groin. Azula laughed. "My wife's a pervert."

"You're pleased that I am… don't pretend otherwise."

Sokka chuckled, rising over his wife on the bed, kissing her heartily. Their round of lovemaking took place once it was dark outside, with the voices and sounds of rambunctious laughter and song drifting upstairs from the inn's tavern and the town's streets. It only happened, too, because the children were fast asleep, and most likely would not wake until morning. Thus, hidden away within the room they had locked up, for good measure, they were free to indulge in their intimacy with abandon, with Sokka sitting with his back against the bed's headrest, the pillow cushioning his lower back, his legs flexed so Azula could sit on his lap, grinding against him as she rode his shaft.

She moved slowly, indulging in every blissful sensation, eyes half-lidded, lips parted and often engaged with his in long, lazy, deep kisses. Their motions, slow and smooth, starkly contrasted with those of their earlier years: quick bursts of energy, impulse, chasing a release as soon as possible, for who knew when would be the next time they could get away with their wild escapades?

No such troubles plagued them anymore. They could take their time now. They could savor the pleasure, beat by beat, without worrying about what the future might bring.

Sokka's hands roamed over her flanks, settling on her hips at times, dropping to her rear later, rising back to her breasts and fondling them mischievously, too. She swayed against him, arms locked around his neck, breathing deep as her sultry moans spilled out into their kisses.

"The more we do it this way… the more it grows on me…" Sokka chuckled, brushing his lips against her neck, sucking on it teasingly. Azula moaned and sighed, eyes fluttering closed as she leaned into his touch fully.

"Maybe we're getting… old…?" Azula suggested, with a teasing smirk. Sokka chuckled.

"Good. That was the point," he smiled. "Growing old with you… spending our lives together."

"Ah… we did promise each other that, didn't we?" Azula chuckled, brushing his hair with her fingers before kissing him long and deep.

Pleasure rushed between them, coursing and rising, ebbing as their arousal built and soared. Sokka's hips thrusted upwards eagerly once he felt his release approaching, and Azula's panting, accompanied by her erotic moans, triggered his climax mere instants after she found her own.

They didn't stop kissing even so. Their closeness didn't cease, didn't diminish, as Azula slowed the thrusting to a halt gradually, pressing her body fully against his. Their lips hardly had parted when they smirked mischievously, at the same time.

"Always the best reward for finishing the Spicy Ramen Challenge," Azula decided. Sokka chuckled.

"Agreed," he said. "Though… I still finished first."

"While crying because the spice in the final bowl was too intense, yes…"

"Hey, now, Jiare amped it up just to give you an edge, I know she did…"

"You accuse our esteemed ramen connoisseur of being biased?" Azula gasped, feigning outrage. Sokka chuckled. "How dare you…!"

"She's biased, just as much as I am," Sokka smiled fondly, cupping Azula's cheek. "I love you."

"And I love you," Azula smiled. "I love picking unnecessary fights with you, too."

"I'm aware. Always have been," Sokka kissed her softly, pulling her close for a tight hug. "Just saying… if she's biased in your favor, it's something she and I have in common."

"Does that mean you relinquish the victory to me? Are you biased still, when it means you'd lose…?" Azula asked, amused. Sokka snorted.

"Hey, now. There are limits to my generosity…"

"No doubt," Azula laughed. Sokka chuckled, hoisting her off himself only to press her on her back against the mattress.

"I won't give up… but I know you won't, either," he said. "Meaning… we'll have to come back here next year to settle who won."

"Ah, next year, then?" Azula smirked. "I look forward to it."

Sokka dove in, as enticed by her smiles as ever: they were ready to seal that new deal in the most pleasant way, succumbing to each other one more time.

[guessimwritingficsagain]

Kintsugi (the golden roses will bloom prettily in the space between your ribs) Chapter 7

Summary : You'd met Joel a year ago. Then you learn he and Tess are gone from the Boston QZ. You go find Jackson on your own. (Change of summary incoming)

Warnings : Mature content, MDNI, murder attempt, pining, ANGST, canon violence.

Tags : Just ask, and if I've forgotten you, do not hesitate to remind me.

Special note (copied from AO3) :

This is the end.

This story was supposed to be something like 4 or 5 chapter longer but, as I said on Tumblr a few days ago, I have the feeling that this fic is not exactly liked and while I usually don't care about what's popular and what's not and I'm happy to not be popular, just happy to do my little thing in my corner, I've been wondering about my place in the fandom, considering the patterns that are more and more popular these days (I didn't say this in my Tumblr post because I was upset about something else and I would not have worded it right).

And I know that when I start looking at the numbers and wondering why people don't like my work, it's that I'm uncomfortable, not in the right headspace. So I'm killing the fic. This ending is not the on I had in mind but that was the only way I could end it.

Thank you to everybody who has liked it/engaged with it. It has meant a lot to me, especially considering that what was once a OS became a fic because some people asked for it.

Fanfiction is a place of experimentation on many levels. It's also a place of connection. I'm glad I got to write what I wrote, even though it didn't speak to many people. But connection, something I'd known in the glory days of ff.net, is not in the cards for me anymore. So I'm taking a bow. Thank you everybody. I don't think you'll see me around for a while.

Chapter 6

———

Life with Joel is strangely domestic, made of cups of coffee shared in the morning, when the light that shines through the kitchen window makes the curls on his head glow so beautifully you want to run your fingers through his hair. 

You don’t, afraid to touch him, to give those feelings of yours, feelings you’ve had for too long, something tangible to hold on to. If you’re afraid of them being rejected, you’re even more frightened of them being accepted. 

Soft, caring Joel scares you, because you don’t know him. 

He, though, is not as shy. Always the same, like it’s second nature for him. 

You’re drinking coffee, and the he comes up to you, and his fingers tangle into your hair, the nails slightly scrapping you. He doesn’t tug but his handle on you is firm when his mouth finds your temple, presses a kiss there, as he whispers :

‘You’ll feel better soon.’

You don’t know who he says it for : you, or him. It sounds like it’s for him, but even though you’ve been feeling fine, you’re always tired. Always wary of the front door, unable to bring yourself to leave the house. It’s like everything’s off kilter, like you’re missing something, like a shadow permanently in the corner of your eye that disappears every time you try and look at it. 

Like Joel knows something you don’t. 

Everyday Joel kisses you on the temple and leaves for the day. He usually tells you

I’m on patrol with Tommy, today. Missed the idiot, I haven’t seen him enough lately, but don’t go telling him that. 

Ellie drops by when she can, during the day, filling you in on the gossip around town. Sometimes she brings comic books, and reads them to you- all the better, she’s much better than you at doing the voices. 

Joel always come back quite late, but you’ve kept his food hot and you watch him as he eats and tells you about his day., your chair close to his, and he sometimes lets his thumb graze your cheek and this is what you wanted but-

It scares you, now that it’s here. 

It scares you because there’s a nagging feeling it won’t last, even though everyday you see more and more of your stuff in Joel’s house, like he’s moving you in. 

Tonight, he comes to bed and puts that vase you’ve repaired a long time ago, before he and Ellie got here, right on your nightstand. He gets under the covers and sneaks his arm around your, whispering in your ear :

‘I’ll find some nice flowers tomorrow.’

You hum, content, the pull of sleep too enticing to resist. 

You hear the thumping on the front door, feel Joel get up but you pay it no mind. He’ll be back soon enough. 

———

Joel closes the door behind him, carefully, as not to disturb you. When he turns around, Tommy and the doctor are looking at him, faces weary. It’s Tommy who speaks first, voice low as if the nurses around around discreetly listening in anyway. 

‘You can’t keep sleepin’ here, brother. Won’t help her wake up.’

Joel dismisses him with a shake of a head but the doctor :

‘She’s not getting any better, Joel. I think she’s not gonna wake up.’

Joel leans on the wall of the hospital room, arms crossed against his chest, deep breaths in an out because if he doesn’t calm down he’s gonna lose it and Tommy knows, by the way he holds himself, stern, hard, ready to strike should Joel want to make the doctor shut up. 

The back of Joel’s head hits the wall, and he sighs. 

‘Gimme’, he starts, and stops, and hates how his voice wavers. ‘Gimme tonight. Tomorrow I’ll go back home. But, just tonight, please.’

He’s begging, he can hear it and he hates that too. But it gets them to agree, gets them to leave, and for a second he thinks of going straight back to bed, back to you. Instead, he leaves, and walks, walks and walks, and he finds flowers he thinks you’ll like, muttering an apology here and there when he gets into someone’s garden, 

Sorry, it’s for-

He never gets to finish the sentence, the looks of sympathy enough. 

He makes his way back flowers in hand, looking like a young man going on his first date, awkward and nervous. He hopes- really hopes- you’ll like the flowers.

———

You hear them talking, downstairs, on the porch, but from the bedroom up here you can’t quite figure out what they’re saying. 

Doesn’t matter, you think, snuggling your pillow. Joel’s gonna come back and he’ll tell me. 

You fall asleep like that, waiting for him. 

———

It’s pretty, he thinks, looking at his work : the vase is an old thing, Patterns of white and blue that were once broken but now mended with gold that you put here. The flowers are mismatched but in the moonlight it’s almost as if they’re glowing and if thinks you’ll like it. You never minded a mess anyway. 

He gets under the covers, puts an arm around you, presses a kiss right below your ear and that’s when he hears it-

The silence. 

He doesn’t even panic. He doesn’t even- 

He doesn’t-

He presses a hand right in the middle of your chest and there’s nothing. 

He leaves his hand there, scoots the closest he can, and he holds you. 

He presses a kiss on the back of your neck, and then a second, and then a third, and then-

He cries. 

———

Taglist

@pedritobalmando @amidjarin @ajeff855 @justpedropascal @sara-alonso @sarahjkl82-blog @amidjarin @sara-alonso@justpedropasc@mrsbentallmadge @farfromjustordinary @hnt-escape @kirsteng42 @ace-27749 @pocket-of-possibilities @missladym1981

[sumiink]

Sumi's Fic Recs

I've been saving a list of fan fiction I like for years now and thought I should share it!

Fandoms include Danny Phantom, DPxDC, Batman, DCMK, BNHA, and Miraculous Ladybug, Legend of Zelda (Linked Universe), Mob Psycho 100, and Genshin Impact. Links, summaries, and comments under the cut.

Danny Phantom

Phantom of Truth by Haiju

NOTE: An edited/updated version of the sequel (Shadow of a Doubt) is also on AO3, but not finished. The finished, unedited version can be found on FF.net here.

Summary: Locked away in a secret government lab with Phantom as her sole object of study, nothing stands between Maddie and the truth... except, perhaps, herself.

Review: You can’t talk about Danny Phantom fanfic without bringing up Phantom of Truth. This one defines the vivisection genre. It’s written in Maddie’s perspective and you can see her character in every little detail of the writing.

Treading Water by TheFullCatastrophe

Summary: "This is the story of why we had to start calling Danny Fenton, Danny FINton. Get it, Danny? 'Cause you have FINS? Oh, I kill me." - a summary by Tucker Foley.

Review: Mermaid AU! Another classic fandom fic, this one with great worldbuilding and some dark, realistic vibes that make the ghosts (well, mermaids) really feel dangerous.

Modern Day Ghost Girl by MemoryWriter

Summary: Wendy Manson, 14-year old freshman in Casper High. Recently she's been able to sense ghosts, and on the day Wendy's paranormal curiosity gets the best of her, her project partner and ex-best friend Shane happens to follow her. When she meets a mysterious ghost in the abandoned apartment, what of her identity will she be discovering?

Review: One of the first fics I ever read, so it holds a special place in my heart.

Outside Looking In by Ellen_Brand

Summary: Casper High's new psychiatrist has some interesting interviews ahead of him.

Review: A great outside perspective into Danny. Also I just like Cade!

Phantom’s Sketchbook by AkoyaMizuno

Summary: Mr. Lancer finds himself in an unparalleled situation, he has access to something which can give him incredible insight into the personal workings of Amity Park's local ghost teen hero, Danny Phantom.

Review: Another fandom classic! A must read for the student/teacher relationship between Mr. Lancer and Danny.

You Should Be Dead by SapphireDragon11

Summary: Dash and Kwan are horrified to discover they've accidentally killed their classmate, but perhaps even more so when he shows up at school the next day. With his secret on the line, Danny soon discovers Dash and Kwan are the least of his worries.

Review: An epic story of Danny going up against incredible odds! One of my absolute favorites!

DPxDC

But I Want to Be Let In, Not Out by TheWritingOwl

NOTE: Actually a series of one-shots!

Summary: Growing up with the Fentons, Danny resigned himself to the fact that he would never see Damian again. However, when he gets summoned to Gotham after becoming the Ghost King, he finds himself reuniting with his long lost twin.

Review: Some nice demon twins au with batfam elements- all the stuff I like in a DPxDC fic.

close enough to be whole again by hailsatanacab

Summary: “If you ever find yourself in danger, go to Bruce Wayne. He will help you.”     His mother had loved him, in her own way. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have helped him escape. If she hadn’t, she would have dragged him back to the League of Assassins, to Grandfather. If she hadn’t, he’d be dead.     She loved him, but she loved the League more.     Jack and Maddie Fenton loved him too, they did, but they loved their work more.     They loved their work more.     --     After his parents react poorly to his reveal, Danny escapes to the only person he thinks can help him - Bruce Wayne. He doesn't know what to expect when he gets there, but it has to be better than where he is, surely? He certainly doesn't expect to be reunited with his long lost twin brother Damian. It's funny how things work out that way.     Danny is 16 years old, not Phantom Planet compliant

Review: More angsty demon twins AU with secret identity shenanigans, what’s no to love?

Recognized by AgentIanLegend

Summary: When they heard the fateful words "Recognized: Robin - B01," nothing could have prepared them for the web of secrets which would unravel as Daniel Fenton and Richard Grayson search for answers.

Review: An epic story will all kinds of twists and turns. Very will written with great pacing and tight storytelling!

Batman

hand in unloveable hand (a chokehold) by britishparty

Summary: Tim Drake is eleven years old when he’s grabbed off the streets of Bristol while he’s on his way home. It will be okay, he tells himself: they’ll call his parents, and they’ll pay the ransom, and he’ll get to go home.

There are pictures of Batman and Robin on the camera he was carrying. A lot of pictures.

They don’t call his parents. They call Black Mask.

- or: the one where Black Mask kidnaps Tim and tries to groom him into a ruthless heir, and Tim tries to figure out how to destroy him from the inside out.

Review: Tim is great in this. This one is full of scheming and mind games and all that good stuff.

From When He Sprang by WereDog15

Summary: January 2012. For the last four years, Jason Todd has been living on the streets of Gotham, doing whatever he can in order to survive on his own. But one night, as he emerges from his dwelling in Gotham’s underground tunnels, he encounters the legendary dynamic duo of Batman and Robin.A little bit of help can go a long way, but Jason's world is ripped apart as he is unintentionally put in the path of one of the deadliest secret societies that the world has ever known.Discover the story of the event that changed their lives forever, and put Jason on the path to becoming the second Robin.

Review: THIS FIC. It’s creative, it’s dark, it’s gory - this one makes me feel like I’m back in middle school reading The Hunger Games for the first time. This fic does not pull any punches.

Liminal Spaces by Calamityjim

NOTE: A multi-part series with some extra one-shots too

Summary: Bruce's habit of collecting strays is not limited by dimension. Or When Young Justice Batman comes across an angsty, seemingly abandoned by his Batman Tim Drake, he decides to step up to the plate and parent the crap out of him.

Review: Oh this one is a long, epic story with all kinds of twists and turns. And lots and lots of emotional batfam moments.

A Gentlekid Thief by Blazonix

Summary: Tim didn't mean to become the notorious thief Red X; it just sort of happened. Just like how he somehow wound up being Batman’s greatest nemesis - his therapist. He would like to remind whatever higher forces are out there that he is still only 12.

Review: Funny and clever!

From the Shadows by Wolfsbanesparks

NOTE: Shazam crossover

Summary: All Billy Batson wanted was to survive a particularly rough week living on the streets of Fawcett City. The last thing he was looking for was a new family. All Bruce Wayne wanted was to learn a bit more about his upbeat teammate under the guise of official Wayne Enterprises business. But he could never turn his back on a child in need. Especially one as surrounded by mystery as Billy. OR   Billy gets adopted by the Batfamily while trying to deal with a strong magical enemy.

Review: I’m always a fan of gen fic that also has an overarching story and great villain!

Shutterbye by katiesparks

Summary: The more I research it, the more I know it has to be true. Dick Grayson is Robin. And that means Bruce Wayne is Batman. All the pieces fit. I move my Dick and Bruce Wayne things into the Batman and Robin box and buy an extra lock for it.

Review: One-shot written from a young Tim’s perspective. The writing style really brings his character to life.

Surveillance by smilebackwards

NOTE: A multi part series

Summary: Tim knows antagonizing Lex Luthor wasn’t exactly his safest move but the point is really driven home by the bullet to the shoulder. Or: The AU where Jason never died and Tim is a civilian who contributes to crime fighting by taking surveillance photos and leaving them on the desktop of the Batcomputer.

Review: Gotta love some ‘stalker Tim gets involved in hero stuff without actually wearing a cape’ stuff.

Detective Conan & Magic Kaito

(Don’t) Believe What You Know by discordiansamba

NOTE: This fic is actually a rewrite, buuuuuut I saved the older, longer version if you want to read that one instead. Available here (I just copy and pasted it, so formatting may be a little weird)

Summary: For as long as he's known him, Hattori Heiji has always seemed to gotten mixed up in cases with a sort of... supernatural touch. Honestly, Conan's never thought much of it- it's not as if the things that go bump in the night are actually real, and they've got countless cases behind them to prove just that.But after getting mixed up in a strange case in Osaka and learning a disturbing secret from Heiji's past, its left Conan wondering if there's more his friend isn't telling him. So he does what any good detective would- investigate.He's just... not sure he was ready for the answers.

Review: I am a huge of discordiansamba’s writing! It very descriptive and the stories tend to have a lot of interesting moving parts. This fic in particular is great for its worldbuilding and the magical, dangerous adventures Heiji gets involved in. And Heiji trying to hide stuff from Conan always makes for some good tension.

Blood and Snow by discordiansamba

Summary: Heiji Hattori has never believed in the supernatural. Things like vampires have always been a bunch of nonsense to him. But the supernatural is about to prove itself very real.

Review: If you like the last one, you’ll like this one too – another supernatural adventure focusing on Heiji!

Unprofessional Opinion by Ellen_Brand

Summary: A series of psychologicalpersonality profiles of our boys... with guest shrink Cade Maboroshi!

Review: I just like Cade! And an outsider’s perspective is always fun, especially in this writing style.

The Case of the Magic Bullet Murder by MirrorandImage

NOTE: Technically a sequel, but I didn’t read the first one and wasn’t lost. There’s also a third fic that’s good too!

Summary: As always Conan stumbles across another body; and this time the prime suspect is this high school kid named Kuroba Kaito. Sequel to The Case of the Hidden Epidemic.

Review: We get to see Conan interact with Kaito, and that always makes for fun secret identity shenanigans. And we even get to see Kaito get involved in solving a case!

Insanity, Apparently by Taliya

NOTE: A series of one shots

Summary: Takagi Wataru would like to register a complaint to whichever deity thought it would be hilarious to toss him into odd situations with Kaitou KID. Repeatedly. Because this was far beyond his pay grade.

Review: A fun story with a mix of characters you don’t see very often.

Be a Better Me by Lisa_Telramor

Summary: Kaito thought that the Robot Incident ended with the destruction of his copycat robot. He couldn't have guessed how wrong that assumption was when he is injured months later.

Review: Wonderfully angsty and doesn’t shy away from the horror of Kaito’s new reality.

Guide you home by Tobina

NOTE: Uses Guide & Sentinel tropes, which I’d never heard of before but I guess it used to be popular in fanfic in the 90’s? Basically Sentinels have superpowers and Guides help them control it. The two tend to be lifelong partners, but it can be romantic or familial or platonic.

Summary: As a Level 5s Sentinel and skillful detective, Kudou Shinichi helps the Tokyo Police Department whenever they get stuck with a case, his Guide Ran at his side to ground him when needed. After a KID heist, it becomes clear that Guides are dissapearing and Shinichi and his western counterpart Hattori Heiji are knee-deep into the case, especially because this one hits far too close to home for comfort. When then even phantom thief Kaitou KID gets involved, things are bound to get... interesting.

Review: A GREAT story that does a good job with worldbuilding and characters’ relationships. While it focuses on Conan, my favorite part of this fic is the arc the Kaito goes through and the way this story takes a look at his motivations and moral compass.

It's Raining Men, Hallelujah by Asuka Kureru

Summary: Conan already has some kind of corpse magnet power, but when Heiji is in his orbit the corpses actively come to them. From above. Witness.

Review: A fandom classic! Short and hilarious.

Inconceivable by joisbishmyoga

Summary: In the face of a DNA analysis Kaito can't deny, he begins uncovering the rest of his family's secrets. Too bad he's not the only one looking.

Review: An epic story that has a takedown of the Black Org AND twin AU, what’s not to love?

Secrets in Indigo by Sinnatious

Summary: A throwaway comment about Kaitou KID’s eye colour sets Kaito on an uncomfortable path of discovery.

Review: I can’t give too many spoilers! An overall great story with great writing as Kaito discovers secrets and also tries to keep them hidden.

The Young Royals of Deduction by joisbishmyoga

NOTE: One shot

Summary: The Exclusive Interview with Four Children Taking the Investigative World by Storm

Review: Short but fun!

My Hero Academia

The Thin Gray Line by A_ToastToTheOutcasts

Summary: The beauty of the era of quirks wasn't the amazing abilities; it was that nobody sane would even entertain the thought that Kuroko, the most wanted vigilante in all of Japan, was Quirkless.

Review: A vigilante AU with a badass Deku (or, in this case, Kuroko) who puts the whole Hero Commisison to shame. The rivalry between Deku and Bakugou is so intense in this fic, I love it.

Yesterday Upon the Stair by PitViperOfDoom

Notes: When you’re done with this, there’s also a fun related one-shot by another author called U.A. Unsolved by kabukichou (ameliafromafairytale)

Summary: Midoriya Izuku has always been written off as weird. As if it's not bad enough to be the quirkless weakling, he has to be the weird quirkless weakling on top of it. But truthfully, the "weird" part is the only part that's accurate. He's determined not to be a weakling, and in spite of what it says on paper, he's not actually quirkless. Even before meeting All-Might and taking on the power of One For All, Izuku isn't quirkless. Not that anyone would believe it if he told them.

Review: An epic story full of secrets and ghosts!

Hero Class Civil Warfare by RogueDruid (Icarius51)

Summary: Heroes lead by Bakugo. Villains lead by Midoriya. Seven days prep time. Three days for Izuku Midoriya to show why they should be glad he's not a real villain.

Review: Badass Deku going all out and scaring his classmates. This one uses nearly every character from class 1-A and 1-B and manages to make everyone have an impact on the story!

Tales of the Jade Mantis by Chess_Blackfyre

NOTE: A multi-part series

Summary: The adventures of Inko Midoriya, Number One Vigilante in all of Japan, and her complicated relationship with the Number One Hero, All Might. However, it's not all about kicking butt and taking names, watch as the telekinetic in the leather jacket struggles with things like brutal mentors, working in customer service, and trying to be a good single parent.

Review: The only fic I’ve found with Inko as a vigilante! Quite the journey, this one goes over her career as a vigilante and what comes after when Izuku suddenly has a quirk. I love the weird adventures Inko gets up to and the interesting people she meets. One of my all time favorites!

Monochrome Skies by QuantumPoint

Summary: Midoriya Izuku died four years ago. Midoriya Izuku dead in a housefire when his mother didn’t notice him come home early. Midoriya Izuku dead because heroes failed to hear the screams of a scared child. Midoriya Izuku dead alone and scared.His mother mourned him but went on with her life. The heroes swore to be better, but still made the same mistakes. And for four years, everyone believed he was until Aizawa caught sight of a well-known vigilante and decided to investigate. Everyone believed it until Yagi bumped into a kind child on the street and tried to give him hope.

Review: I can’t say much because spoilers, but if you’re an artist, read this.

brilliant lights will cease to burn (by my hands i’ll reignite them) by novalotypo

NOTE: It’s a Card Captor Sakura crossover, but honestly I’ve never seen that and as far as I can tell this doesn’t have much to so with that show. It’s BNHA characters and world with some Card Captor magic elements.

Summary: Midoriya Izuku is quirkless. This, he knows very well.This is also what he knows:Weekends and vacations are reserved for walking neighborhood dogs. The elderly are the most powerful people on Earth. Local gods are picky eaters. Trust is a feeble, feeble thing. Magic cards are incredibly difficult to seal, especially when the world thinks you're a vigilante. Heroes are not magicians, but magicians can be heroes.Becoming a cardcaptor wasn't on Izuku's bucket list, but he'll be damned if he doesn't make the best out of it.

Review: Deku doesn’t have a quirk, so he gets sucked up into some magical card captor responsibilities and goes all out, as he does. This one has an analytical Deku, otherworldly magic, creepy villains, and some tension between a vigilante Deku and hero society as a whole. One of my absolute favorites!

Quirk: Knife! by brightredwings

Summary: Izuku Midoriya is unlucky, to say the least and life hasn't exactly been kind. Things weren't so bad in the beginning, but once he was diagnosed quirkless, well, it all went to shit. Everyone grew to hate him, even his best friend and own father.Was it really that impossible to become a hero without a quirk? It doesn't really matter because to Izuku, the term hero is flexible. He'll be his own hero because he's learnt from his own experience, people are selfish and the only one he can rely on is himself.Left alone to fend for himself in the world, Izuku goes out to change things on his own terms, despite his methods being slightly illegal. Keyword, slightly. It's only illegal if he gets caught, right?

Review: A long story with great arcs for a lot of League of Villains character, and a beautiful ending. Some pretty intense angst with happy endings for everyone.

Roses are red and they taste like shit by Unbreakable_Red_Riot

Summary: Katsuki was really fucking sick of the smell of flowers.

Review: Ah, yes, KiriBaku with hanhaki disease. Mostly from Bakugou’s point of view, so you get to see all his frustration and a ton of drama. Also looks into some other characters like Midoriya and Todoroki, which is a nice touch.

The Beauty of a Beast by starofgems

Summary: Once upon a time a lonely beast lived in a manor deep in the forest. He dreamed of the day his true love appeared to break his curse... When a beauty finally appears in his life, it is not quite as he imagined. For who could have thought a beauty would be more of a beast. Or The beauty and the beast AU nobody asked for but here it is.

Review: A very sweet love story. (KiriBaku)

The Deaf Hero: Deku by BeyondTheClouds777

Summary: His whole life, Izuku was told that he couldn’t do it. That he should give up while he still had the chance. That someone like him—Deaf, Quirkless—could never become a hero.But Izuku wasn’t going to give up. Not now and not ever. (OR, the one where nearly everything's the same, but Izuku is Deaf.)

Review: Right what it says on the tin. Deku’s added deafness creates more tension between Deku and Bakugou, his classmates, and even other heroes. Things get angsty but Deku always stays determined, which I love.

Miraculous Ladybug

Where Have All The Heroes Gone and Where Are All The Gods? by Anthemyst

NOTE: This is actually part 5 of a series, but I just started with this one and didn’t feel lost. Just know that in this story, Gabirel isn’t Hawkmoth. Most of this was written before Season 1 ended, I think.

Summary: On their fourteenth birthday, the Agreste triplets' world is turned upside down. Their government has been overthrown, their city taken, and superheroes all over Europe have suddenly and mysteriously vanished-including, to their shock, their parents. They'll need to work together, and become the heroes Paris needs, if they're going to save both their parents and their country.

Review: A next-gen fic that got me into ML fanfic in general! It’s got a fun dystopian vibe and the Agreste kids are all fleshed out very nicely. One of my absolute favorites!

Not A Bit by CaptainOzone

Summary: "Sometimes, being a brother is even better than being a superhero," says author Marc Brown. Félix Agreste has been both, and he can't have said it better himself. (AKA The Brothers AU I wanted to read but had to write myself when I realized this AU has a depressing lack of fic to its name)

Review: I’m always a fan of fic that has Marinette and Adrien AND Felix and Bridgette.

Legend of Zelda (Linked Universe)

Looking for Group by Tashilover

Summary: People want to be a Hero so badly, they're willing to bribe, lie, cheat, and beg. Twilight knows there's a Hero amongst the people in this college town. It's just a matter of finding them.

Review: The modern setting keeps things fresh, yet this story is still full of legends, danger, and a fight of good vs evil!

Mob Psycho 100

tomorrow isn’t always another day by suitablyskippy

NOTE: One shot

Summary: It’s like Reigen’s been waiting for the question. He stops dead on the pavement, grips Mob by the shoulders, and stares down into his eyes with an expression as haunted as though every ghost the pair of them has ever exorcised has taken up residence behind it. “Mob,” he says. “Mob,” he says again. “Tell me, Mob. Look at me and tell me. Tell me truthfully. Do I look cursed to you?”Mob looks at him, and tells him truthfully. “No.”“Well, you didn’t look very long,” says Reigen. “Let’s just stand here for a moment, like so, and you can have another look, a nice long look, and really think about it...” (There's nothing strange about being called back to exorcise the same haunted photocopier six days in a row. It must just be a very haunted photocopier.)

Review: THIS WHOLE CONEPT IS HILARIOUS

Genshin Impact

Traveler’s search for Scaramouche by Scuriel

NOTE: A choose your own adventure story!

Summary: Ei wants Traveler to search for Scaramouche and get back her gnosis. They have many decisions to make along the way.

Review: Don’t see something like this very often! There are actually a lot of different outcomes.

[caitylove]

20 questions for fic writers

I was tagged by @holy-ships-x-red-lips! Thank you so much for the tags. You have given me a lovely way to procrastinate right now. :)

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? Only 16, but there are also fics out there on LJ that I was too lazy (or were just too bad) to find on the group events I posted on and port over. There are also some other ff.net fics on another account that I forgot about, but were from when I was in high school so totally not bringing those over either.

2. What's your total Ao3 word count? 78,839. I expect that to drastically change once I start publishing my one long wip...

3. What fandoms do you write for? Currently I mostly write Battlestar Galactica (spaceparents ftw) and some The Closer/Major Crimes (I'm a Brenda/Sharon heathen. ) But in the past I wrote for Rizzoli and Isles and Grey's Anatomy. There's also some X-files fic out there and a CSI one somewhere.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Caffeine (Rizzoli & Isles): What happens when Maura consumes an excessive amount of caffeine?

So major note this fic is literally like 12 years old. And super short. And honestly not good lol.

Break All The Rules For You (The Closer/Major Crimes): Sharon Raydor has a list of rules she lives her life by. But Brenda Leigh Johnson very might be the catalyst for her to break each and every one.

This is actually my current active posting WIP. I'm amused it got so many kudos so fast. Guess I'm not the only heathen out there. :)

Frak Me Red (Battlestar Galactica): Wanting Laura to feel good about herself, Bill finds her the perfect gift and they spend an exciting weekend away on shore leave aboard Cloud 9.

Part of my Cosmetics Series. This was a blast and like 70% pure smut.

Pain Management (Battlestar Galactica): Dealing with pain during her cancer treatments, Laura is suggested an unorthodox treatment plan.

This was actually my first fic back after a ten year writing hiatus... :) Never let anyone tell you that you can't return after a long time away.

Spray and Stay (Battlestar Galactica): Laura has a secret addiction that is slowly running out and she can't help but show off her addiction to Bill.

The first part of my Cosmetics Series. Also 50% smut. :)

5. Do you respond to comments? Absolutely. So, I work from home and like responding to them instead of working sometimes.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? So I don't have a ton of angst honestly. So I guess the ending of Auburn Sunsets, Starlit Nights (Battlestar Galactica) is the angstiest? (Or meanest?)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? So like 80% of my stuff is smut... so they all have HAPPY ENDINGS. *snicker*. But I guess I'll go with Frak Me Red ?

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not really. Probably did on some of my old FF.net stuff but don't care enough to go back and look.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yes. Like thats half of what I write. :)

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? Not in a long time. But once upon a time I wrote a Grey's Anatomy Zombie fic that had a Doctor House appearance. Its somewhere on LJ. It was BAD, but I am so tempted to find it now for my own amusement.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I am aware of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope. Feel free to reach out if you want to tho.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? No, but definitely open to it.

14. What's your all time favorite ship? So probably Bill/Laura(Spaceparents) from BSG. But Also have a soft spot for Sharon/Brenda (The Closer), MSR (The X-Files), Swan Queen, Janeway/Chakotay, Femshep/Garrus, to name a few.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Love Games. My 12 year old the Closer fic I never finished. May rewrite it one day but I will never just finish it as it exists today.

16. What are your writing strengths? I like to think I do a lot of emotional introspection well. And Smut. I can do smut.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Honestly, I struggle with dialogue.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? As long as its translated or explained, I'm fine with it. Probs would never do it, cause my language skills suck, but wouldn't mind reading.

19. First fandom you wrote for? CSI! I wrote a Grissom/Sara fic back in the day. I was in like High School.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Thats like asking me my favorite children! My favorite is one I am still writing and haven't published yet, The Symposium of the Stars. One day it'll make an appearance.

But for published? I really loved Auburn Sunsets, Starlit Nights. I have a soft spot for it.

Tagging: @lavenderknivess, @mimine666, @madelineusherspearls. @ofhouseusher, @cryscal, @fracktastic, and anyone else who feels like it :)

[ankahikoibaat]

Twenty Fanfic Writer Questions

tagged by: @reconstructwriter tagging: EVERYONE no but seriously okay @heatherfield @lowkeyed1 @littleblackraincloudofcourse @firstelevens @peterbenjaminparkour @bizzybee429 @cypresssunn @thesecondbatgirl @mid-nighttiger @noneedforbloodpressure @brachiosaurus-on @monjustmon @thegreencarousel and anyone else (i don't remember if i've ever done this before.)

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?  about to be 230 on Thursday! (what up, plan on hitting 250 before the end of the year.)

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?  466,023 words!

3. What fandoms do you write for?  ....too many. whatever hits my fancy when it comes to the whumptober prompts but main focuses are Pride And Prejudice, Willow, DC, Star Wars and The Vampire Diaries.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? screaming at the cold, say the words as such, our hearts are hungry, this is where the heart lies and going up against it all. the fact that all of these are Star Wars fics and four out of the five are from NTCM. pls.

5. Do you respond to comments?  yes! I've set aside one day a week - Wednesdays - to respond to comments (and then a fic chapter or oneshot goes up on Thursdays.)

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?  so there are actually a few that end angstily, some not on AO3 (I-F, I miss you.) but I've transferred at least one of those over here too so - Humari Adhuri Kahaani and Woh Miley The for them. and then love is not a victory march (ColdAtom I love you.).

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?  oh! most have happy endings? so? i won't list them all. i am particular to the ones where i have Palpatine explode. that's always fun.

8. Do you get hate on fics?  not on fic though i have gotten comments that have made me go "you could have just not said anything". some people nitpicking the way i chose to write characters - in both the Star Wars and Pride And Prejudice fandoms.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?  so i challenged myself to do this a few years ago and i've written a bit but not much? i prefer writing around it for the most part.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?  none here but Haule Haule my beloved nonsense.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?  YES! it was a couple of Primeval one-shots.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?  way back when i was writing on ff.net @bhavvyyy and i started a fic that we never completed lmao.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?  ....... okay look, for the most part i'm a multishipper but Swanfire and PremHeer my beloveds.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?  i will finish the TVD fic some day - but the time travel Star Wars fic i haven't posted anywhere is one i hope to finish but i haven't touched it in literal years.

16. What are your writing strengths?  i think i do well at bringing out emotions. i've made enough people yell at me for it!

17. What are your writing weaknesses? keeping to a plot. outlining. finishing a draft of my novel.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?  absolutely done it will do it again i used to write fic for a Hindi serial and did full on dialogue in Hindi.

19. First fandom you wrote for? i think it was Charmed to be honest. it's been almost 20 years...

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?  this is liking choosing a favorite child (except in this case the fics won't yell in my ear for not choosing them but STILL). so i will turn the table on you and let me know which is your favourite of my fics you've read.

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Fluffy Fridays--Chapter 176: The Intervention

Fluffy Fridays—Chapter 176: The Intervention

Summary:   A series of unrelated, fluffy one shots featuring Killian Jones and  Emma Swan and the relationship that makes us all swoon. Will contain  both canon and AU stories. My contribution to Operation Rainbow Kisses  and Unicorn Stickers (aka, my attempt to drown out the season 4 finale  angst with ridiculous levels of fluff.)

Other Chapters: (from the beginning) (previous chapter)

Tagging a few people who may be interested (Let me know if you want to be added or taken off the list): @sailormew4 @annaamell @flslp87 @emmateo26 @bethacaciakay 

@ultraluckycatnd @effulgent-mind @ilovemesomekillianjones @kat2609 @brooke-to-broch 

@missgymgirl @galadriel26 @the-lady-of-misthaven @charmingturkeysandwich @jennjenn615 

@laschatzi @kimmy46 @snowbellewells @iamanneenigma @daxx04 

@nickillian  @gillie  @britishguyslover @ginnyjinxedandhanshotritafirst @kmomof4

 @linda8084 @golfgirld @captain-swan-coffee @searchingwardrobes @hollyethecurious 

@laughswaytoomuch  @allyourdarlingswans  @winterbaby89 @facesiousbutton82 @therooksshiningknight 

@lfh1226-linda @tiganasummertree @jrob64  @anmylica @booksteaandtoomuchtv

 @i-will-sing-no-requiem @bluewildcatfanatic @laianely

(ao3) (ff.net)

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Notes:  A little over a year since my last installment of fluff?  Sorry about that!  All I can say is that the muse has been a fickle mistress.  Happy (belated) 4th of July to all that celebrate it.  Enjoy some holiday themed CS-enjoying-their-happy-beginning fluff!

Emma swiveled back and forth in her chair at the sheriff’s station before bringing her mug of hot cocoa with cinnamon to her smiling lips.  She couldn’t seem to stop smiling.  She was so happy it almost–but not quite–scared her.

Two months ago she’d won the final battle with the Black Fairy, and the next day, she and Killian had headed out on their honeymoon.  With the town finally at peace, she and her brand new husband decided to take a long overdue and much needed break for some of the steamiest and most romantic R & R she’d ever experienced.

They’d had no real destination in mind, no specific plans.  They’d simply boarded the Jolly Roger and set sail (after Emma had once again put a cloaking spell on the magnificent vessel.  After all, they might get some stares sailing an eighteenth century vessel around the Land Without Magic.)  They’d largely followed the East coast, Killian after all, being fascinated to learn of the journeys and stories of this realm’s pirates of old, and had ended up in the Caribbean.

Emma’s smile widened as she remembered the couple of days they’d spent in Savannah, and in particular, Killian's reaction to the famous Pirate’s House restaurant.  He’d been fascinated with the history and pirate memorabilia, of course, until he’d learned that the institution bragged of its connection to Captain Flint.

“That absolute ponce?” Killian had scoffed. “He’s the one they idolize?  He makes bloody Blackbeard look like a worthy opponent.”

He’d been so adorably flummoxed by the reaction to Flint, that she’d immediately taken him back to the Jolly and had her wicked way with him.  (Not that she really needed much of an excuse.  This was their honeymoon after all.)

They’d returned to Storybrooke last Friday, taken the weekend to settle back in and returned to normal life this morning.

Normal life.

They actually had a normal life.  They’d had a full two month honeymoon with no frantic calls from Storybrooke talking about a new villain in town.  They’d returned to a normal, sleepy little town that wasn’t under a curse, a memory spell or any other enchantment.  Life was just…normal.

In fact, it was so normal that Regina had instituted monthly town meetings, and in the last one, the town had made plans for Storybrooke’s first annual Independence Day celebration, as the Fourth of July was right around the corner.

“If we’re gonna be a part of the Land Without Magic now,” Granny had argued, “we best start doing normal Land Without Magic things.”

“Maybe start by not calling it the Land Without Magic, sister,” Leroy had grumbled.

There was to be a parade, a big town festival, fireworks.  The whole patriotic thing.

Emma had so much work to do in order to coordinate security for all of it, but she couldn’t be happier.

(Maybe a certain husband who she couldn’t seem to get enough of had something to do with that happiness, but who could blame her, really?)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Two days later, Emma was awoken by a sweet and rather passionate kiss from her husband.  Outside their window came the boom of a firework exploding.

“They’re still at it?” Emma asked, pulling slightly away and shaking her head.  “I don’t know who’s setting off those fireworks, but this is getting to be overkill.  The whole big display last night–and the night before–were kind of understandable given the time of year, but it seems like they never stop.”

“Aye,” Killian agreed.  “It would seem we have a veritable pyromaniac within our midst.”

“Well at least the 4th is tomorrow, so maybe they’ll knock it off after that.”

“Perhaps so,” Killian said with one final, lingering kiss, punctuated by another loud boom from outside. “At any rate, we’d best be up and at ‘em.”

Emma gave him a heavy lidded look.  “You sure about that?  I was kind of thinking we might need a little more….rest…this morning.  After all, last night was pretty….acrobatic.”

His grin turned wicked, before he leaned down and kissed her again. (Boom! from outside)  “Something tells me if I returned to our bed, we wouldn’t be leaving it until noon–but we wouldn’t be getting much rest.”

She shrugged and grinned.  “What’s wrong with that?”

He laughed.  “What’s wrong with that is that Regina will have our heads if we don’t attend the mandatory town meeting she called for nine a.m. sharp.”

Emma pushed herself up and tossed off the covers.  “I suppose you’re right,” she grumbled. “But I say, the minute we’re free, we pick up where we left off last night.”

“You’ll have no complaints from me, love.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The first thing Emma noticed when she and Killian arrived at Town Hall hand in hand, was that someone had strung a big sign over the raised podium that said “Intervention.”

Was it just her, or was this town getting even weirder?

The second thing she noticed was that when they sat down beside her parents, David and Mary Margaret wouldn’t even meet their eyes.

“Okay, you guys, what is going on?” she asked.

Her mom gave her a big–way too big–smile, and simply said “Guess you’ll…I mean we’ll…find out.”

Emma was on the point of asking for further clarification, when Regina walked briskly to the podium and banged the gavel.

“I think we all know why we’re here,” she said grimly.  “We have a problem, and something needs to be done about it.”

Emma and Killian gave each other a bewildered look.

“Are we missing something?” he asked.

“The fireworks,” Leroy said.  “We’re here about the constant, round the clock, fireworks.”

For some reason, the dwarf glared at them ferociously while saying it.

Yeah, this town was definitely getting weirder.

“We were just talking about that this morning,” Emma said.  “Please tell me we don’t have some new, patriotic villain in town.”

“Nothing quite so dramatic, Mrs. Swan-Jones,” Regina said.

“So you found the culprit?” Emma asked.  “Why not just confront him–or have me arrest him?  What’s with the whole big town meeting?  And what’s with the ‘intervention’ sign?”

“That’s why we’re here, honey,” Snow said, her voice far too sunny.  “We…um…we think we figured out what’s going on.”

For some odd reason, beside her, David groaned, loudly, and muttered something like “I don’t want to be talking about this!”

“Okay….” Emma said, drawing out the word.  “Anybody want to elaborate?”

“It’s quite simple,” Rumple said, from the far side of the room. “We’ve noticed that you and your pirate have been exhibiting nauseating levels of affection.  PDA, if you will.  We believe the results have been rather magical and explosive and, in short, have led to our dilemma today.”

“You believe we are to blame for the festive displays all day and night?” Killian asked.

“Wait, this is an intervention for us?” Emma asked at the same time.

“We first noticed the fireworks after you came home from your honeymoon,” Aurora said.  “Small things at first–sparklers when you kissed her cheek, escalating up to…well…”

“What precisely were the two of you doing last night at approximately 10:15 pm?” Regina asked crisply.

Emma’s face flamed while Killian’s grin turned positively sinful and David…well, David turned a sickly shade of green.

“We were… we were,” Emma spluttered.  “Come on, Regina! We’re newlyweds!  What do you think we were doing?”

“Would you like all the sordid details, Your Majesty, or would a summary suffice?” Killian asked cheekily.

Beside them, David put his head in his hands muttering “Make it stop!”

“That’s what we thought,” Regina stated matter-of-factly, ignoring Killian’s question altogether.  “And did you notice when the fireworks display started last night?  Did you notice how it grew in intensity about half an hour later?”

“Oh my gods,” Emma muttered, imitating her dad, and burying her face in her hands, wanting nothing more than for the floor to swallow her and her husband whole.

“We aren’t blaming you, honey,” Mary Margaret said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.  “We all remember what it was like to be newlyweds.  Your dad and I couldn’t get enough of each other.”

Surely this had to be in the most awkward town hall meeting in the history of the world.

“But,” Zelena said, “we need to find a way to put a stop to it.  If my toddler is awoken in the middle of the night, one more time, I might have to turn wicked again.”

“If I’m understanding correctly,” Killian said, “you believe that when my wife and I show each other physical signs of affection–when we’re intimate–we create magical fireworks?”

“Indeed,” Regina said.  “And thus the intervention.”

“Ridiculous!” he stated.  “Surely my wife would realize it if she were performing magic.”

“Maybe not,” Granny said, reaching into her bag for a fresh skein of yarn to continue her latest knitting project.  “You both seem so consumed with each other, you don’t notice anything else around you.”

“There is a way we could test the theory,” Belle suggested.  “An experiment, if you will.”

Killian’s eyebrows rose.  “Surely you aren’t suggesting we engage in…relations…right here in town hall?”

Belle’s face flamed.  “Of course not!  A simple peck on the lips would do.”

Leroy began tapping his water bottle with his pen in the way wedding guests do when they want the newlyweds to kiss at a wedding reception.

Killian gave her a glance, and she shrugged.  “I guess it couldn’t hurt.”

He leaned down and gave her a quick, chaste kiss.  At the front of the hall, a sparkler materialized and began buzzing through the room.

“Whelp, I guess that gives us our answer,” Leroy said.  “The question is what are we gonna do about it?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that night, Emma lay in Killian’s arms, idly stroking his bare chest.  “Well that had to be one of the most embarrassing mornings of my life,” she said.

Killian nodded and then chuckled.  “Did you get a gander at your father’s face throughout the ‘intervention’?  I thought he would keel over from apoplexy.”

Emma laughed.  “Serves him right after my mom’s comment about their own activities as newlyweds.   So, do you think the town’s solution actually worked?”

Following Leroy’s question this morning, Killian had stated vociferously that under no circumstances would he stop making love to his wife, short of her refusing his advances.  Emma had then further traumatized her father by insisting–equally vociferously–that she didn’t see that happening any time soon–probably never.

Several rather ridiculous suggestions had been tossed out, including Zelena not-so-helpfully stating she’d have been more than willing to curse Killian’s lips again if only she still had her magic.  

Finally, a workable solution had been agreed upon.

Regina would put a magic dampening spell on both Emma’s and Killian’s lips until they had left the honeymoon period behind.

“Just their lips?” Leroy scoffed.  “I think you ought to curse their nether regions too, just to be sure.”

Fortunately, Regina had stated in no uncertain terms that she had no intention of getting anywhere near either of their “nether regions”.

And as soon as the spell was applied the town hall meeting had mercifully come to a close.

“Pardon, love?” Killian asked, bringing her back to the present.

“The magic dampening spell,” she said.  “Do you think it worked?

“There’s only one way to find out,” he said, swooping in with a kiss for the ages, the kind that made her knees weak and had her forgetting her own name.

When the kiss ended, he pulled away, and they both listened closely.

Silence.

“Looks like we’re in the clear,” Emma muttered, reaching up to bring him back to her.  “And now that we don’t have an entire town of voyeurs knowing exactly what we’re up to, I’d say it’s way past time we get back to the fun.”

[ongreenergrasses]

20 questions for writers

tagged by @lesbianlotties, thank you! I was just thinking about how I’m actually proud of some of my writing so this is an opportune time

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

85. Because I’m certifiably insane, 27 of those have appeared since March.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

507,722. when I hit a million I’ll have a party (read: lie down on the floor and cry for a little bit)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

obviously thg but I have two slowly progressing fics for the old guard! they’re slow. but they will happen

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

almost a thing that my heart could endure. i was genuinely on the edge of orphaning this, like i was going to sleep on it and orphan the next day, and that night i got the most stunningly beautiful comment on it. it felt like some sort of sign. anyway i have a love hate relationship with that fic but i am begrudgingly coming around to the truth that it’s maybe not that bad

and so they did. now idfk why this one got as popular as it did but people liked it apparently

this is the way i’ll love you. has one of my favorite chapters I’ve ever written in it and i believe someone also commented that it was one of their favorite chapters in fanfiction

the sun persists in rising. you know what i did today? i was in my car on the way back from a crazy experience (bc my life just lurches from crazy experience to crazy experience) and I was singing Dream Girl Evil very loudly and thinking about this fic (bc i embarrassingly do still think about it) and then I said you know what ongreenergrasses. You should be proud of that. and i am.

on loyalty. now this is definitely the second best fic on this list, and i do credit it with being the fic that made me get more comfortable with OCs. so that’s cool because then it paved the way for directly above, which is the best fic on this list.

5. Do you respond to comments?

i sure do!! you leave me enough comments, i will write you back every time and we will eventually be in each other’s DMs and we will become friends. that sounds vaguely threatening

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

oof probably hallowed ground. that ends on a depressing note

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

the sun persists in rising! the whole point of that fic is a happy ending

8. Do you get hate on fics?

once and it was such a funny incident…I know now that people will rally behind me if it happens

9. Do you write smut?

I’m not good at it but yes I do. and one improves through practice ig? (real talk, some of my earlier smut is so bad that i literally cannot read it. which is unfortunate because my worst smut is the one i got caught writing on a plane and then had to post bc otherwise all that shit would be meaningless and i teeter on the edge of at least archive locking to limit eyes on it every day)

10. Do you write crossovers?

i used to and since i have at this point lost all my fucks i might again. if you want to see my crossover it’s on ff.net

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

afaik no

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

no

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

yes! @kitkatsandrainbows and I have one that’s just. sitting in google docs. which is my fault because i keep forgetting to edit it but eventually we will post it and it will be a beautiful continuation in the vein of our increasingly more intense dead dove horrible things that bring us such joy to write. it’s literally done it just needs to be edited smh

14. What is your all time favorite ship?

i am a multishipper extraordinaire but like. from Sherlock Holmes i come and to Sherlock Holmes I will return. i love whatever insane relationship those little gay men have going

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

there’s one wip for good omens that i keep genuinely forgetting about. so that is indeed an issue

16. What are your writing strengths?

honestly dude at this point i feel like it’s just me throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks and what sticks is increasingly horrifying things. i don’t think there’s some inherent strengths or even improvement there i think I’m just getting increasingly unhinged

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

everything? everything. it used to be plot but i think that’s. is it no longer an issue? maybe it’s still an issue idk

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language during a fic?

i am firmly in limited pov camp now because after strictly limiting my pov and getting such a strong reaction I was like oh yeah this slaps. so since i now write pretty rigid limited pov, I don’t write dialogue in another language in fics. I have lots of opinions about it but this is already long

19. First fandom you wrote for?

first fandom I wrote for was Doctor Who. first fandom i posted for was Sherlock

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

i really do love them all, some definitely more than others, and some were certainly more work than others, and this one isn’t really my favorite but i can say for sure that none have inspired more raw glee in me than this bitter earth did. i’m doing my part for thg cannibalism era

tagging @districtunrest @districtscare @the-sun-and-the-sea @anosrepasi @lyricfulloflight @thefloatingwriter @ghoulangerlee and anyone else who’d like to 🌸

[aquietwritingcorner]

Bite Down On This

Title: Bite Down on This Day: Febuwhump 2024, Day 3 Prompt:   Bite Down on This Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count: 1431  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating:  T Characters: Raphael Warning: NA Summary: Raph’s taken a hard hit, leaving him with some of the worst pain he’s felt in his life, thanks to a dislocated hip.    Notes: I might have watched several videos on how put a hip back in place before writing this ^^;   ff.net || AO3

_________________________ 

Bite Down on This

A guttural, pain-filled scream forced its way out of Raphael’s throat as he hit the edge of the rooftop, his plastron grazing it, his hip taking most of the hit, and went skidding across it. The pain from the hit was blinding. But what was worse was that it wasn’t ending. Raph had taken hard hits before, but the pain usually faded at least a little. But this? No. His brothers were over on the other rooftop, still fighting, and Raph could barely comprehend that through the pain radiating from his hip.

His hands went to his leg, partially on instinct, and he let out another painfilled cry as they touched it. No good. He couldn’t touch it. He couldn’t move it. He couldn’t make it do anything. And the pain was some of the worst he’d ever felt—and he’d experienced some pretty bad pain before.

Something thudded on the rooftop, and Raph forced himself to look towards it. The big Foot Ninja, the one who had hit Raph with enough force to send him over here, had joined him. Raph bared his teeth at him, but he knew that he didn’t stand a chance against the man. Not right now. Still, he gripped his sai and, trying to breathe through the pain, he let out a growl.

The Foot Ninja was not intimidated. He walked towards Raph, and held up the axe he carried, clearly intent on bringing it down. Raph grimaced. No. No! He wasn’t going down like this! He flung his sai, but with the pain he was in, his aim was off. Instead of it hitting the man in the throat, one caught him in the arm, and the other grazed his neck. It made the man fall back slightly, but only enough to pull out the sai and raise the axe again.

And Raph could do nothing but pant in pain.

Suddenly, Leo slammed into the Foot from behind, sending him tumbling away from Raph. Within seconds Mikey and Don were there, too, barreling the man down and making sure that he wasn’t going to get up to hurt Raph or any of them again.

Raph watched from where he laid, breathing heavily and shaking from the pain.

“Raph!” Leo whirled and ran over to him. “Raph, where are you hurt?”

“M-my leg,” Raph ground out. “My h-hip.”

Leo’s eyes quickly traveled down to Raph’s leg, and he grimaced. “Think you can stand?”

“I… I don’t think… I can move, Leo,” Raph said.

“We can’t stay here,” Leo said, moving around to reach for Raph’s shoulders, clearly intent on moving him. “Let’s at least get to some cover—”

“Don’t move him!” Don’s voice rang out sharply across the rooftop.

Leo startled. “But Don we need—”

“I know, Leo,” Don said, but his face was grim as he looked Raph over. “But we can’t move him yet. If I’m right, Raph’s got a dislocated hip, and without the proper equipment, we’re only going to make it worse.”

“Something tells me we don’t have the proper equipment,” Mikey said, putting his nunchucks away.

“We definitely don’t.” Don was already kneeling by Raph, looking at his leg. “And this definitely looks like a dislocated hip, from the way his legs are different lengths. Looks like a posterior dislocation—the femur, the leg bone, pushed backward out of socket—seeing how his foot and knee are rotated inward.”

“It hurts—like—shell,” Raph said, through gritted teeth.

“Alright, Don, then what do we do? We can’t stay here,” Leo said. “The Foot will be back soon, and we’re in no shape to keep fighting, especially not with Raph down.”

Don looked at Raph’s leg, looking, somehow, even more grim. “Logistically? The easiest thing to do would be a reduction—putting it back into place. Physically? The quicker we do it, the better, because of less damage, but…”

“But?” Leo prompted.

“But we don’t have any painkillers to give him and doing that is going to hurt. A lot,” Don said.

Leo was quiet for a moment. The Foot had been chasing them all night. They’d beaten back one patrol, but it was likely that another would find them soon. And they were in no shape for another fight.

Leo’s face settled into a firm look, and he looked down at Raph. “I don’t think we have any other choice,” he said.

“Raph?” Don asked.

Raph was pale, sweaty, with pain playing across his face. But he nodded. “Do—do what… ya gotta…”

Don nodded and set to work. “Okay. But Leo, Mikey, you’re going to have to help me. Leo, when I tell you, I’m going to need you to put pressure here,” he said, indicating a spot just above Raph’s leg, “so that the hipbone doesn’t move.” Leo nodded and moved into position.

“Mikey, you’re going to have to help hold Raph down. And not just when I’m doing the reduction, but even when I’m manipulating the limb.” Mikey nodded, and moved to where he could put most of his weight on Raph.

“Raph…” Don reached into his bag and pulled out some rags that he quickly rolled together. “Bite down on this. Trust me, you’re going to need it.”

“I need it now,” Raph said, but he let Don put the rags in his mouth, already starting to bite down on them.

Don looked up at his brothers, taking a couple of deep breaths, but nodded. “Alright. Here we go.”

Don worked his forearm under Raph’s knee, and Raph tensed, letting out another cry of pain. Mike pressed down on him, keeping his brother still. Slowly, Don moved his brother’s leg until his thigh was ninety degrees to the rooftop, and his calf was bent at a ninety-degree angle. Raph let out muffled cries of pain as this happened, biting the cloth and trying to breathe. Mikey kept him pressed down to the rooftop and kept a quiet stream of encouragements and chatter going.

“Alright, Raph, I’m going to need you to do your best to relax,” Don said.

“Relax?” Mikey said, and Don shot him a look.

“Relax this muscle,” Don said. “It’ll go back in easier if the muscles are relaxed.”

Raph was breathing heavily through his nose, but he nodded. With enormous willpower, he did his best to relax that leg and that hip as much as possible. Don waited until he was sure, and then nodded at Leo. Leo put his hand on Raph’s hip, causing another noise of pain to come through the rags. Don, kneeling for the leverage he needed to do this, counted.

“One. Two. Three.”

On three, he moved, twisting the leg so that the femoral head popped back into the socket. Raph felt nothing but pain, and even through the rags he was biting down on, his scream echoed across the rooftops. As soon as the hip was back in place, though, his whole body sagged, and he gasped for breath.

“Good job,” Leo said, even though his face was pinched in sympathy for his brother.

“I’m not finished,” Don warned. “I need to make sure it went in correctly.”

Raph nodded faintly, and Don proceeded, making sure that Raph’s legs were the same length, and that he had a safe range of motion. Raph let out little noises of pain as Don did this, still biting down on the rags. Don let out a sigh of relief, and carefully laid Raph’s leg back down which Leo and Mike took as their cue and got off of Raph, too, Mikey taking the rags from their brother’s mouth.

“It seems to have gone smoothly,” Don said.

“That will have attracted a lot of attention,” Leo said. “Don, can we move him now?”

Don nodded. “Yes, but carefully. We don’t need to let him put pressure on that leg yet, at least as much as possible, and he’s going to need to rest it.”

“Well, that’s going to make getting down from here and walking home fun,” Mikey said, peering over the edge of the roof.”

“We’ll make it,” Leo said. “Raph, are you ready to move?”

“No,” Raph said, already struggling to sit up, “But I’ll do what I’ve gotta.”

Carefully, the brothers helped Raph up and towards the edge of the roof. It was tricky, but Raph too stubborn to give up. Carefully, and as quietly as they could manage, the brothers slipped off into the night and down into the sewers, leaving behind the remains of a battlefield, and the echoes of Raph’s muffled screams.

[coal15]

So for the tens and tens of people out there following my WIPs, I apologize that it's been ages since I posted another chapter. At first it was just a monster case of writer's block but then a potentially devastating health crisis came up--for now it looks like I'm at least not staring down the barrel of imminent doom, but it has been a teensy bit distracting. I'm trying to get the creative engines revving again, but it's slow going. I don't wanna force things and end up cranking out garbage chapters, but it's hard not to pressure myself. So to lift my spirits and maybe re-ignite some confidence, I've decided to post links to the works I'm most proud of.

**fandoms represented below the cut are Heartstopper, 9-1-1, Good Omens, Sleepy Hollow, and The Magicians. Comments welcome but certainly not required (she says whilst mewling in the general direction of her inbox)

Protected. The Magicians, Queliot. Explicit but also full of romance and cuddles. If I had to pick one project as my "crowning achievement," it would be this baby. It follows Queliot's entire life together. 11 chapters. **it even got mentioned in a list on syfy, I had no idea until someone pointed it out to me in the comments, and yes I did 100% squeal about it for days even though it was just a tiny blurb on the list

Inconvenient Mistletoe. Sleepy Hollow, Ichabbie. Porn With Plot. (lots of plot) This was the first fanfic I ever wrote. Had no intention of publishing, but in a sudden fit of daring I posted it to ff.net and it got such an enthusiastic response I kept going. Covers the whole Apocalypse and a few years beyond. Every fic I've written since then owes its existence to this one. 17 chapters.

Of Guilt and Victory. Heartstopper, Nick and Charlie. General Audiences. This one is strange in that the story is what it is because Nick can't bear the thought of finding out someone has un-alived themselves when he knew it might happen and did/said nothing to intervene. This is in regards to Ben but at NO POINT is he forgiven for what he did nor sh*tty behavior in general, but this idea just fell into my mind based on what a beautiful golden retriever of a human Nick Nelson is, and the story evolved from there. It's odd, but I'm proud of it. 7 chapters.

A Series of Odd Proposals. Heartstopper, Nick and Charlie. General Audiences. This is one of those WIPs I mentioned. 8 chapters so far. It follows them through adulthood. In the chapter I'm currently writing their daughter is sixteen.

*Discalimer re: my 911 fics* yes I've written for both buddie and bucktommy, if it offends you that I've done such a thing the solution is easy: don't read them.

All's Well That Ends Well. 911, Buddie. Teen and up audiences. The whole thing pretty much revolves around the evolution of their love story from present day into old age. 10 chapters.

Buck's Gonna Buck. 911, Bucktommy. Mostly GA, but there is a brief mention of sex toys to I tagged it teen and up. These three "chapters" are just short, ridiculous drabbles. 1) Buck's POV getting ready for a date. 2) Tommy's POV getting ready for the date. 3) The date. Just silly fun. We haven't had much time w/them yet but I'm hoping to write more for them in s8 when there's more material to work with.

All Roads Lead Back. Good Omens, Aziracrow. Teen and up. One of those obnoxious WIPs. Starts a few weeks after s2 ends. 11 chapters thus far and we're tits deep in a rebellion against The Metatron in Heaven and searching for the true Almighty. Also, Muriel is a badass.

The Long Way Home. The Magicians, Queliot. Teen and up. Eliot embarks on a desperate mission to bring Quentin back from the underworld. Angst, danger, adventure, longing, romance, humor. Even a musical episode ********Okay, so this one is unusual in that I was just about to start writing the LAST DAMN CHAPTER when the pandemic hit. And how had I planned to end it since the very beginning? Well our heroes would win the war of course, but as a last act of vicious revenge before defeat the Library was gonna . . . wait for it . . . unleash a deadly pandemic upon the world and kill millions. I came up with this ending long before the pandemic, but . . . yeah. Nope. But I couldn't think of a better idea either. So it just sat there without an ending and thanks to everything else going on in the world I totally forgot about it for like a year. And when I did remember I still couldn't come up with anything better than my original idea. Should I finish it and stick to the original plan even though it's SO on the nose? I am super open to alternative suggestions here, because if it had an ending I absolutely would have listed it right up there with Protected. Currently 12 chapters. Again, alternative ending suggestions super welcome!

[philosophicalparadox]

We really need to bring back the concept of Fandom Manners for the new generation that didn’t have to live through the Flame Wars on FF.net

In case no one else knows this: it is considered profoundly rude to comment about your conflicting interpretation of a character, to the author, whose fic you are reading.

I understand it from young tweens and teens to an extent. 1, they didn’t grow up with all that nonsense and 2. 13 year olds are very sensitive about their interests at large. I remember being 13, and feeling similar compulsion when reading a fic where I did not like the authors interpretation of a character.

But you must understand: no matter how well intended your comment addressing this may be, IT IS RUDE/DISRESPECTFUL TO THE AUTHOR.

Now, if one is Confused by the characterisation and wants an explanation/update, I personally am all for that in my own works. However, generally speaking, it is NOT anyone else’s place to police others HC’s or interpretations, and an author owes you no explanation for their interpretation.

I have fresh-out-of-Ao3 experience with this, as of this morning, though I chose to respond to it as a confusion event rather than criticism. Normally I do not respond to these and merely delete them, but there seemed to be some genuine confusion about a direct canon event I was referencing wrapped up in it, so I elected to explain.

However, it’s still RUDE to posit anything like “I disagree with your interpretation of a character” IN ANY WAY.

Mind, I’m not actually that upset— I get the impression this user is very young, and am giving them the benefit of that doubt. They’ve had plenty of questions for me so far and I’ve enjoyed answering them, to boot, so I can’t entirely believe it was said in bad faith.

But. The youth need to learn. I don’t miss the DLDR warning days to avoid vicious criticism from ugly trolls and antis that live under bridges. This type of behavior is how we got there in the first place. Please don’t bring those days back.

Please.