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fridayfirefly · 3 years

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Retirement

Read Retirement on AO3

Masterlist

For Maribat March Day 21 - Domestic Bliss

The first time Marinette and Garfield ever discussed retirement was before they even started dating. For superheroes, retirement was just a fact of life. One day, if you make it long enough, you'll put down the suit and you'll never pick it up again. Maybe someone will take your place. Hopefully, no one will need to. But no matter how strong you are, not even if you're Superman in his prime, the simple fact was that someday you would retire.

"What do you think you'll do after you retire?" Marinette mused to Garfield. Out of all the Titans, Marinette spent the most time around Gar, simply because the two of them spent a lot of time in the living room. Marinette liked the ambient noise that his video games provided when she worked on her projects, and Gar liked to have someone to talk to while he played. Most of Marinette's current focus was on the embroidery in her hands, as she stitched vines running down the sleeves of her shirt, but she still took the time to start a conversation with Gar.

"I dunno..." Gar glanced up from the game he was playing. "What'll you do once you give up being Ladybug."

"That's a tough question. I used to think that I wanted to run a big fashion company, like Agreste Fashion, but now I think I want something a little more low-key. In my ideal future, I own a little boutique where I make custom clothing. There would be a fabric store and a café on the same block as me, and I would never have to leave the neighborhood."

"That sounds nice. I think I might try going to college and see where that takes me. I applied to Jump City University right before Christmas, and they accepted me. If I went, I would start classes in the fall.”

Marinette’s head jerked up as she gave Gar her full, undivided attention. “I’m going to JCU next fall!” she exclaimed excitedly. “We might have classes together. What are you planning on majoring in?”

Gar shrugged, “JCU has a veterinary program that I'm interested in. I'd be taking animal behavior, biology, chemistry, and a whole bunch of other science classes.”

“That’s so cool!”

“It’s nothing much. I didn’t expect them to accept me, anyway.”

Gar seemed oddly subdued about the idea of going to college. He was a naturally enthusiastic person, which made it very out of character for him to be so dismissive. It worried Marinette. “No, you deserve praise for your accomplishment. Jump City University is a very selective school.”

“I’m not a genius. I’m just me.”

“You’re smart, Gar, I know you are. Getting accepted to JCU is just one of the many reasons why you are brilliant.”

“Are you gonna name them all for me?” joked Gar.

His question was rhetorical, just a joke, but Marinette wasn't finished convincing Gar that he deserved all the praise in the world. “For starters, you can finish any video game in less than a day. Even the ones where you need logic and strategy, you fly right through them. Secondly, you’re a genius when it comes to animals. And it’s not just because of your superpower. You taught yourself animal behavior so that you could blend in with the animals you’re imitating. Thirdly, you pretend not to be invested in politics, but I’ve seen how you keep yourself informed about environmental policies and activism. You really care about the planet. Fourthly-“

"Alright, Buginette,” laughed Gar, a slight blush on his cheeks. “You’ve proven your point.”

Marinette set her embroidery down on the coffee table and moved to Gar's couch. "Is this game multiplayer?"

"Yep. Do you want to play a few rounds?"

"Hmm... I think I could spare a few minutes to kick your butt."

"Please. I'm going to squash you like the little bug you are."

"You wish!"

----------

The next time Marinette and Gar discussed retirement was well after they started dating. They got together in their Junior year at JCU after spending two years in relationship limbo, with both too nervous to make the first move. They finally confessed their feelings for each other after Dick and Starfire locked them in a closet together until they admitted that they liked each other. They graduated college as a couple, with Gar planning on attending veterinary school and Marinette planning on starting up her fashion business. That summer they spent a lot of time talking about the future.

"I've been thinking of recruiting someone to take over as Ladybug," remarked Marinette as she cuddled up next to Gar on the couch.

"Really? Who do you have your eye on?" asked Gar.

"Wonder Woman recently took on a new protege, Cassie Sandsmark. The Ladybug Miraculous already has some connections to Wonder Woman and her home of Themyscira. Her mother, Queen Hippolyta, was a wielder of the Ladybug Miraculous for quite some time."

"If you gave up the Miraculous would you still fight crime?"

Marinette shook her head. "I think it might be time to give up crimefighting. It's been ten years since I took up the Ladybug Miraculous to fight Hawkmoth, and six years since Hawkmoth was defeated. I wasn't ready to give up that responsibility then, but I think I'm ready now."

"When would you give up the Miraculous?"

"Soon. I talked to Wonder Woman about it last week and she's enthusiastic about the idea. I would need to spend some time getting to know Cassie, just to make sure she's a good fit, and Tikki would need to vet her as well, but I have a good feeling that she'll pass any tests of character we put her through." Marinette turned to face Gar. "I didn't want to make any concrete decisions before I talked to you. I know that we've always fought crime together, but I'm ready to move on with my life. I'm ready to retire."

Gar nodded. "I understand and I fully support your decision. I've been considering leaving the Titans as well. I know I could continue living in the Tower and attend veterinary school at JCU, but last week I got an acceptance letter from UC Davis for their School of Veterinary Medicine."

Marinette's eyes widened. "Gar, that's amazing! I remember looking into UC Davis when you were applying, and their program is nationally ranked."

Gar grinned. "The best in the country. It's too good to pass up."

"You have to go!" exclaimed Marinette. "This is your dream!"

"I think I'll send in my acceptance tomorrow," decided Gar. "Maybe we can go to Davis this weekend and scout out an apartment."

"And fabric stores," chimed in Marinette.

Gar laughed. "Anything for you, Buginette."

----------

The final time Marinette and Gar discussed retirement was years later. Marinette and Gar had gotten married and had moved back to Jump City. Marinette opened her fashion boutique, which had very quickly exploded in popularity. Gar started working for a non-profit veterinary clinic, which provided free veterinary services to lower-income neighborhoods. They had both achieved their dreams, and yet neither seemed content with their lives.

"Maybe we just need a change of scenery," suggested Marinette, leaning her head against Gar as they both sat on the beach watching the sunset. "I'm so tired of the city."

"Maybe," said Gar. "It would be nice to have a house with a backyard, rather than just an apartment."

Marinette sighed. "I know that I always said that I wanted to be the owner of a successful boutique, but this wasn't really what I had in mind. I'm so busy that I feel like I never get to spend any time with you anymore. Every day my inbox is filled with emails asking me to sell my company or expand to more locations. I'm tired of it. My passion is for making clothes, not running a business."

"I know how you feel. Every day I encounter another neglectful pet owner who brings their animal to the clinic for help but refuses to listen to me when I tell them that they need to change the way they treat their animal. It's exhausting."

"We could both just quit our jobs and move into the woods," joked Marinette.

Gar nodded, but he wasn't joking. "I've actually been thinking about that. There are a lot of remote regions with a real need for veterinary practices to provide medical assistance for the farm animals out there. I would feel a lot more useful taking care of animals that don't have anyone else."

Marinette turned to face Gar. "I wouldn't mind moving. I've been sending all of the offers to buy my boutique straight to my email archive, but I'm sure if I looked through them all I could find someone who would be able to take care of the business aspect of Ladybug Designs. I could retire from the business and design on my own time, when the inspiration strikes, instead of forcing myself to churn out design after design."

"You really wouldn't mind?" asked Gar, a hopeful look on his face.

Marinette shook her head. "I was serious about moving out of the city. There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while, but I've been waiting for the right moment. I think that moment is now. Gar, I'm pregnant."

The deer-in-the-headlights look on Gar's face was comical, to say the least. Marinette giggled, "Well?"

Gar snapped back to reality, transforming into an elephant, trumpeting his joy. He turned back into himself and wrapped his arms around Marinette. "I'm so happy! This is the best news I could have ever heard, Buginette. Now we have to move. I want our kid to have a backyard and a dog and a big driveway where I can teach them how to ride a bike and a pond where they can swim in the summer-"

Marinette cut Gar off with a kiss. "One thing at a time," she giggled.

"I think this will be the best decision we have ever made," declared Gar.

Marinette agreed. "I think that partial retirement will be good for us."

----------

This was bliss. The feeling of grass under Marinette’s bare feet as she walked back to the house from the lake, hand in hand with Gar. The sound of their daughter's laughter as she danced around them, catching fireflies. The taste of homemade apple pie and vanilla ice cream, eaten rebelliously early as Gar proclaimed, "Dessert before dinner!" The sight of the stars up above them, no light pollution to mask the beauty of the heavens. The sound of Gar's voice, whispering, "I love you, Buginette," into Marinette's ear. And as Marinette settled into her husband's arms, she knew for certain that retirement was the best decision she had ever made.

@maribatmarch-2k21

#maribat #garfield logan #marinette dupain-cheng #garmari #MaribatMarch2021 #miraculous ladybug fic #my work

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bluebellhairpin · 3 years

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The Silence In Between

Jaeger Pilot!Levi Ackerman X Engineer!Reader

Part One

A/N: I know what I said about the writing thing, but this just happened over time and I finally finished it. - Nemo

Warning(s): Injuries. Character Death. *sighs* Drfiting.

Summary:

Listening to: ‘When We Were Young’ by Take That - ‘We were drawn to whoever could keep us together and bound by the heavens above’

Series Masterlist

Masterlist

The Drift wasn’t something to be taken lightly. As years passed, Levi was the one person who knew about that the most.

From his first three-pilot Jaeger, to the one he piloted with Hange - and everything in between - he’d been through so many co-pilots that he used to think his time was coming soon. It had to be. He was too tired for it to not be.

It had been a week since he sparred with (y/n), and things were going as smoothly between the two as it had before the intense training session. But it still didn’t explain the weird feeling in his chest that he kept denying. And the fact that he didn’t really feel like dying in a Jaeger cockpit anymore.

Then, for the first time since the early-morning beating, he suited up to go fight a Kaiju. Their tech gave them the ‘OK’ that they’d drifted properly, and Hange was already sending Levi looks from his right.

“You and the engineer, huh?”

“Shut up.” He said, finishing up prepping their Jaeger to be dropped in the ocean. He caught Hange’s eyes, seeing them with a no-good glint in them.

“I’m not in your head as much as you are, but I sure as hell could see it coming.” They laughed. “You’re so dense.”

“Hange, I-”

“- Ackerman. Zoe.” Erwin said, his ever-prominent ‘I’m the Marshall’ tone cutting Levi off before he could finish his threat. “You’ll be lifted off-base in T minus 3 minuets. You’ll be dropped in the Philippine sea. You’ll be fighting a category III Kaiju, dubbed by our Loccent Officer here as Anago -”

“- Nice name -”

“- Hange. Please.”

“Sorry.”

“As I was saying,” Levi could practically hear Erwin rolling his eyes. “It’s a category III Kaiju. It’s not something you haven’t fought before, but our sensors are picking up that it’s still pretty big. And moving fast. We’ll have Warrior Titan and her pilots on standby the moment things start looking like they’re moving downhill. It’s too early in the morning to have anyone die.”

Levi wondered if there was any time for anyone to die.

By the time Levi got back to the Tokyo Shatterdome it was past noon. He was too tired to function properly. His eyes kept drooping, and his legs felt wobbly.

He hadn’t felt like that since the day Ewrin lost his arm.

Or when Furlan and Isabel died.

These things kept happening. Bad things. And it was never to him. Always to his co-pilots. He hated it. With every fiber of his being he wished he could go back and save them. To have been able to keep Furlan and Isabel alive. To have been able to save Erwin from losing his arm. To have moved that much faster to save Hange.

Sure, Hange was laying across from him in the medbay, but they might’ve as well died.

Looking back, one of the worst things about having Erwin ripped from the jaeger cockpit next to him wasn’t the fact he was sure Erwin had died - no, it was finding out he was alive and having to wait for if Erwin would even wake up. Now he was doing it all over again.

After spending the rest of his day with Hange Levi was ushered out of the medbay for the doctors to do their checks. He took the time he wasn’t allowed by Hange’s side to go to the mess hall to pretend to get something to eat. He was vaguely aware of what time it was, but when he got there he was a little surprised to find it was empty.

He was even more surprised when - after he’d made himself comfortable at one of the many tables, nursing a mug of untouched tea - you stumbled in, looking as worse for wear as he was.

Your tech overalls were tied haphazardly around your waist, your hair was messier than usual, and there were shiny grease stains all over your hands, forearms and tank top. If he squinted he thought he could see some on your cheek too. But your appearance wasn’t entirely unusual.

He still liked it - only because it was normal. No other reason.

What was unusual was that you were pouring hot, tar-like coffee from it’s urn into your bowl instead of the evening’s soup - of which was located on the other end of the room. You were tired. Very tired. Levi wondered what the hell you were working on to get you so exhausted.

He watched you turn from the urn, still unaware of your ‘not-soup’ situation, and somehow navigate to take a seat on the table next to his. You sat right across from him, one table over, and still hadn’t noticed him staring at you yet.

He also watched you raise your full spoon to your mouth. He had thought about saying something. But the thought of your reaction also crossed his mind, and he decided to go with staying quiet instead.

Unfortunately the only reaction he got was you looking very confused.

“It’s coffee you dumbass.” Your head shot up, meeting his eyes almost instantly. You rolled your eyes.

“Yeah, I know that now. Dumbass.” you said, dropping the spoon to simply drink straight out of the bowl French-style. “How’s Hange going?” You asked, voice much quieter, and much more gentle than you’d ever used with him before.

“Hange -” he started, letting out a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair, “- Hange is okay. At least from what everyone keeps saying.”

“Good.” you hummed, “And you?”

“What about me?” He asked, bringing his mug up to his lips to take a long and unsatisfyingly cold mouthful of tea. He set the cup aside, scowling at it.

“I’ve never piloted a real Jaeger before, Ackerman, but I do know that when things like this happen to one of the pilots, they actually happen to both.” He looked over at you, squinting. “So how are you?”

He didn’t think he’d been asked that in a while.

“What,” Levi said, “did you just say?”

Erwin sighed. He knew this was coming, Levi could tell he did because he sighed. Erwin moved, his chair squeaking across the floor of his office as he lent forwards to address Levi more seriously.

“You and I both know Hange won’t do well in a Jaeger anymore.” Erwin said. “As much as you know I’d hate to say it, you should seriously consider the possibility of finding a new co-pilot.”

“I’d rather not.”

“I know.”

“I’d rather retire.”

“I know.”

“Why can’t I retire?” Levi asked. He knew the answer to that too. He just wanted to finally hear it.

“You’re too big of an asset to just,” Erwin gestured, “let go. Your knowledge of Kajiu’s and skill in a Jaeger is unparalleled. Only Miche and Nanaba come close to your level and they’re -”

“- on maternity leave. I know -”

“- so having you out of commission right now isn’t something my higher-ups are keen on.”

A couple beats past. Erwin and Levi kept looking at each other. They both also knew the solution to this new problem - finding Levi a new partner.

“We need to bring in the engineer.”

“Don’t.”

“We have no choice, Levi.” Erwin squinted at Levi. “You weren’t so defensive the other times.”

When Isabel and Furlan were replaced with Erwin. When Erwin was replaced with Hange. It was true, Levi barely battered an eyelid at them all being replaced - mainly because he did know them all fairly well before they joined him in the drift. They were all originally from the same batch of cadets. With you, however, it was a little different.

Sure, he did know you - for a couple years now - but he also knew that your connection ran deeper than just being ‘drift compatible’. That scared him.

“I’m tired, Erwin.” Levi lied. “I just want it to be over.”

“We all do, Levi.”

“Huh.”

Levi raised his eyes at you.

“Is that all you have to say?” he said, “‘Huh’?” You quickly caught yourself, wiping your dirty fingers across your jumpsuit, and shaking our head.

“No, no, no, sorry,” you stuttered, “I just - it’s only just kicking in.”

He asked you to be his co-pilot.

Hange had woken up yesterday afternoon, and there was nothing anyone could do about the lack of an eyeball they were now suffering from. They were no-longer fit to pilot the left hemisphere, seeing as the injury would be a hindrance. But you as a replacement for the dominant side of a Jaeger?

“I can’t do that.”

Levi blinked at you.

“What?’

“I can’t pilot a Jaeger, Ackerman.” you said, shaking your head again. “Not one of such high of a reputation at least. I -”You were cut off by Levi grabbing your arm, yanking you away from the crew working on the Warrior Titan, and into a very small, and barely lit space.

That bastard pulled you into a supply closet.

“Listen brat, and you better listen pretty damn well -” he said, his grip still tight on your arms, “- you train like a pilot. You want to be a Ranger, and this is your chance. In this world you make decisions - your choice is either one you agree with, or you regret. Make sure you don’t regret a single thing.”

His words were dead serious, and you were planning on taking them seriously. But his eyes - they were saying something you couldn’t understand. Become a Ranger, live life to the fullest, regret nothing. Stay an engineer, stay safe, regret nothing. He was telling you to say yes, and to say no, at the same time.

And he was also very, very, very close to you right now. And there was too little room inside that room.

So you ran away.

Not even a few hours later, Marshall Erwin himself came to find you - and you made sure to put yourself somewhere where even the other engineers would struggle to find you. But he found you anyway - crammed in the space between a Jaeger’s breastplates and it’s reactor core.

Bastard.

“Ranger Ackerman said you didn’t respond too well to his offer.” he said. You sighed, dropping your tool in your lap. “Why did you run?”

“I don’t really know.” You wiped your forehead with your arm, and then rested your hands on your hips as you looked up at him. He looked back at you, steely eyes softening, and he took a moment to sit down with you.

“You don’t have to know, so I’ll rephrase.” he said, “Does it not feel wrong?”

“No! God, no.” you said quickly, waving a hand out at him. “No it feels right. It’s just, it’s scary. The idea of going into that cockpit with him when he’s had so many others go through his brain like that. You, and Hange, as well as the other two he started with - that’s already more people than any other pilot in our history. I…”

“You don’t know if you can handle it.” Erwin finished. He stood, smoothing out his clothes and brushing off the dirt, then looked down at where you still sat. “If it helped ease your mind, he wouldn’t have talked to you about it at all if he didn’t think you could do it.”

“They’re not coming.”

“They have to.”

“They won’t.”

“Jeezus Levi, have some faith. I know the new copilot thing isn’t something you want to do but try to not act like you’ll miss me in your head that much.” He almost liked the idea of Hange being back in the med bay rather than watching from up in coms with Moblit.

But deep, deep, deep inside, he was glad that Hange was awake now.

After Erwin went to talk to you, he went back to Levi and they spoke a little more. Levi agreed to being nice on your first day. But inside he was adding if you even showed up.

“Better quit daydreaming Ackerman, or I’ll start piloting this hunk without you.”

He swiveled his head, turning to the left to see you standing there waiting to get ‘locked’ into place. Unfortunately, you looked really good in the drivesuit, and that was unfortunate only because you would know he thought that in, like, five minutes.

You’d know everything in, like, five minutes.

“You’d better be ready for this.” he said, looking over at you with an intensity only an Ackerman could pull off. “Don’t make me look like a fool.” A smile slowly creeped onto your face.

“You know, technically I’m in charge. You should stop bossing me around.”

“Oh damn -” Hange’s voice cut through your coms, “- I like this one Levi.”

“Shut up Hange.”

You’d prepared yourself for the drift.

Erwin had given you a file the night before, barely an hour after you went to him and said you’d do it. It was a lot of paperwork, and a surprisingly vague amount of information.

But was it enough?

Levi had been through hell and back, and now you’d get a front-row seat to all of it. But at least you were a little prepared.

You guessed, also, that Erwin gave Levi some info on you too. Not that there was a lot of it. Or any of it. Not compared to what was in his head anyway.

“Initiating the neural handshake in three… two… one…”

A jolt went down your spine, through your arms, to your fingers and down to your toes. Memories flashed behind your closed eyes, blurry and rushed.

Playing outside with your father.

Reading with your sister.

The first kaiju reached the news.

Not being comparable with anyone in training.

Sparring with Levi a few days ago.

You sucking in a deep breath. No chasing the rabbit. Let the memories go. Then Levi’s memories hit.

Growing up with his mother and uncle.

Kaijus.

Living at the shatterdomes.

Losing his friends. Again. And Again.

You stumbled where you stood, opening your eyes and looking over at Levi. He was already looking at you, asking if you were okay without speaking. You nodded, letting out a shaky laugh as you smiled.

“This is amazing.” you gasped.

“I know.” he said, but you heard a different reply. ‘Just like you.’

You heard a lot, felt more too. The overwhelming emotions you got from drifting with Levi was more than you expected. He felt more than he let on.

“How about taking her out for a run?” You offered, distracting yourself from overthinking about everything too much with the buttons and screens around you.

“What do you think Levi?” Erwin asked.

“You ought to know what I think Smith. They wouldn’t have offered otherwise.”

“Copy that Ranger,” Erwin scoffed, “We’ll get you ready to go out.”

A beat passed, you side-eyed Levi, letting a giggle slip. He huffed beside you, and the jaeger weight shifted with you as you both lent your weight on a different foot.

“What now?”

“You like how my shoulders look in my tank top, huh?”

“You like staring at my ass so we’re even.”

Series Taglist: @tanyeonn

Series Taglist is Open!

#levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman one shot #attack on titan x reader #attack on titan one shot #aot x reader #aot one shot #pacrim au #iin between #shingeki no kyojin x reader #shingeki no kyojin one shot #snk x reader #snk one shot

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yanderepuck · 4 years

Text

The mansion in the 21st century

For the sake of our sanity we are going assume they are all still alive in the 21st century since we don't know when everyone was turned (just that Will was first)

We're also gonna pretend that Sebas is still around(I don't think he'd accept being a vampire???? But for the sake of this he's gonna be here)

Arthur is his full whore self and is with guys and gals. He put the bi in bitch

Leonardo is also bi(historically there's no record of him ever being with a woman)

Imagine the shit posts on social media

Arthur has an Instagram and he posts about everyone's life, even using their names, but no one takes it series

A few times a week Arthur does something called "where is Leonardo sleeping today?"

Vincent uses tiktok for art

Theo has been able to get in contact with more artists all over and be able to sell their art. It's made it a lot easier for him and even though it's a lot more work he enjoys it

Dazai is also a shit poster, only he asks weird things that keep you up at night

But Dazai also publishes short stories. Probs has a blog.

I could also see Dazai basically running an animal shelter in the back yard. He gives off Disney princess vibes. Only it's like ducks, a bunch of birds. A horse or two and some sheep.

Will has probably moved back into the mansion since everything he has done has been forgotten by society.

He finds it odd how kids in schools study is plays and have to analyze it. He's just like "everyone's gay and every other line is a dick joke???" But he still doesn't speak normal.

LEONARDO GOT BACK INTO PAINTING.

Leonardo and Vinc would both have a tik tok and Instagram to show off their work and their hella popular

Isaac wanted to keep a low profile, but since the internet isn't face to face with people, he's able to publish his findings without having to actually deal with society. He's just social awkward okay

Sebastian also has a blog. He calls everyone his roommates and he's like "you'll never guess what my roommate did today"

Arthur collects mugs.

During that Italian hand meme, everyone paid more attention to Leonardo to see how often he does it

He does it too often and he doesn’t realize it

At some point Dazai HAS yelled “DO IT FOR THE VINE”

He was probably yelling at Theo

Want to know whats really dangerous?

Shakespeare learning modern slang

No one in the mansion knows what he’s talking about in the first place. Then suddenly he goes “For never was a story of more woe. O bard Alexa, play us Despacito”(I will not take credit for that. I remember reading that phrase LONG ago)

Isaac says “Me” “Same” and “Mood” a lot

He sees garbage on the ground and goes “It’s me”

Dazai is into anime don’t @ me

Also. Napoleon is also bi as all hell

Drunk or not him and Sebas have made lip contact at least once

Imagine what Mozart could do with music now.

He still loves his piano. Nothing is better than physically playing an instrument

He probs went viral for a hot minute when Arthur posted a video of him playing piano

Comte is even more of a tired mom.

HE’D SO BE A PINTEREST PERSON

You know how people make board for their friends?

He does that with everyone in the mansion

I honestly know nothing about Jean and Napoleon. I’m sorry for their lack of content. Plz add things for them.

Imagine everyone playing Mario Kart

Not every week because they all have lives outside the mansion. But at least once a month they have a game night

None of them are really TV people. They’ll watch movies but that’s about it

They’d all watch documentaries on themselves, and point out everything that is wrong, and even be like “where the fuck did they get that from?”

Because I have watched documentaries on him. Often a Da Vinci documentary will mention was arrest with sleeping with another guy. The rest of the guys are waiting for him to call that bullshit and he’s just sitting there eating popcorn.

Meanwhile Will is in the back like “Eyy! Me too!”

“Did that really happen?”

“What? Me getting arrested? Yeah”

“No, well yes, but did you sleep with another guy?”

“Yeah”

“Was he worth it?”

“I don’t know which one their talking about”

Chaotic bisexuals everywhere

Arthur however has watched the BBC Sherlock series.

Arthur and Dazai would probs watch the most tv out of all of them.

I say this cause Dazai would be into anime and Arthur got hooked on NCIS

Arthur write quite a bit of short stories that he’s gotten published

Will would love that goddamn Leonardo DiCaprio version of Romeo and Juliet. I hate that movie with a passion

Also, I can’t imagine how many jokes they’ve managed to come up with about Leonardo DiCaprio to Leonardo.

If Arthur and Mozart can stay up for days with coffee, imagine what an energy drink would do to them

All of them in modern fashion???? HOT DAMN

Will likes the Titanic

I see Theo being the one that’s into MARVEL and DC movies

Imagine showing Vinc Bob Ross

Leonardo and Isaac are Tony Stark(Ironman) and Bruce Banner(Hulk)

Everyone in the mansion is into conspiracy theories .

Comte himself is a conspiracy theory

One night Napoleon is like “Guys. Look. Aliens” and they all watch conspiracy theory videos.

It’s the one thing they can all agree on that they have in common

Vinc and Leonardo also enjoy pinterest because of all the art/crafting/diy things they find.

Arthur 100% listens to ebooks

THE MANSION IS A POKEMON GO GYM. But they aren’t all on the same team so battling can get serious some days

They all still have pets

Honestly. At any point in time, not just modern. They made fun of each others accents.

Lets be real. Will would end up liking anime too

SNapchat filters on the guys?? The dog filter on Theo??? Flower crown on Vinc??? Face swapping everyone with everyone???

One of them is bound to have a candle obsession and I want to say its Comte. Only he buys them and doesn’t burn them. Sebas ends up slowly taking candles from the stash and burning them in a few rooms.

The music room smells like chocolate but Mozart can’t find the candle.

Leonardo's room is even more cluttered. He has too many hobbies.

Vinc making his own paint??? I’d love.

Theo and Arthur cried a little when their favorite bar shut down.

Masterlist

#this is a long one but i know its gonna have a second part #there's no way i'm done with the guys in modern day #too many possibilities #also sorry about no Napoleon and Jean #I don't know their personalities at all #I only interacted with NApoleon in isaacs route #and i've never interacted with Jean #ikemen vampire #ikevamp #cybrid #ikemen series #plz add your own hcs #i like to read them

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riseofnightwing · 4 years

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One and Only - Dick Grayson Imagine

summary/ request: hiiii can I request some dick x titan!reader where she founds out about dawn e dick’s past and gets jealous??? you are amazing

pairing: Dick Grayson x Titan!Reader

Notes: Anony, it’s here, finally! i hope you like it xxx thank you so much to @boyy-wonder-grayson for helping me a lot on this and always being the best of the friends.

warnings: implied smut and i think it’s just this

Y/n knew Dick for as long as she could tell, and he knew the girl more than herself would ever do. She became a member of the Wayne/Batman family a little after him, when she lost her parents in a fire. She was alone when Bruce found her; the old man trained the girl until she became the vigilant she is today.

They grew up together, they learned things together, he saw her growing up and turning into a beautiful woman, but mostly a good superhero. She was Dick's first and probably only true love.

Dick, Y/n and Donna thought the world deserved a team of young heroes doing everything to help people; so they created the Titans. Hank, Dawn and Garth came a little bit after and with them the team was complete.

They fought the bad guys and things couldn’t be better. They became known, respected by their mentor from the Justice League. They were on the path to become the next big superhero group.

One year after the team was formed, Y/n had to leave to help Bruce. Gotham city was darker than ever and the Dark Knight needed her help so she left, knowing that the boy she loved would take care of the Titans and make them grow as a true leader.

Being apart from Dick would be hard, but they knew that ignoring a call from the guy who raised them was never an option. Saying goodbye hurt and he just prayed time passed fast so she could come back. Y/n didn’t want to leave the boy she grew so fond of. After years of being on his side, leaving was going to leave a hole in her heart, but she was first a hero and if Batman needed her, she would be by his side. Even if that mean leaving the love of her life behind. At least just for a while.

“stay safe, boy wonder. I’m just one phone call away” she said when she left the tower with a goodbye kiss on Dick’s lips.

Two years after she left for Gotham City, Dick decided he had to move on, and it was at the same time that Dawn and Hank had broken up. They've been together since the beginning of this adventure, but with the kind of life they had it was easy to recognize that they were different, maybe too much to be together.

They thought it was better being apart. Dick and Dawn got closer, he helped her to go through it and they started something. He liked her a lot, but he could never say it was like the fiery passion he felt for Y/n.

Dawn was nice to him, they had a good time together and it was more than enough for now.

A few months later they had the bad luck of crossing patha with Slade Wilson and it ended up with Garth’s death, the heartbreaking episode of his death broke the titans and they swore they would make justice for their friend.

Dick was drowned in his heartache. He wanted revenge. He promised himself that he was going to be the one to stop Deathstroke, no matter the cost. Dawn asked him to be batman and he would gladly do it, he did what the man he knew so well would have done, he went ‘till the end.

Y/n didn’t leave his mind even for a second, she was a missing piece to him, it was always like there was a gap by his side that was there ever since she left and could never be filled;

He missed how she would always be on his side while they researched for informations, how she would be the one to clear his mind when it got blurry, he just missed her, while in Gotham, Y/n tried to be strong, for her mentor, she tried to pretend the distance wasn’t killing her, but the fact that he was okay and following the hero life as he loved to do kept her in peace.

Dick worked hard trying to catch Slade, he researched until he found the the only thing that could affect him enough to be caught: his son, Jericho Wilson. Dick followed him, learned about him and in some point he was almost his best friend, the boy got to know the team. Using a kid wasn’t right, but losing Garth was too cruel for even thinking about this.

He definitely wasn’t a good boyfriend to Dawn, he barely slept with her anymore, he just worked non-stop until he got what he wanted. Their relationship was fading day by day, the boy tried to do better but he couldn’t do more. He was like a ghost.

The titans were focused on getting Slade by approaching to Jerichó, but what they didn’t know was that it would end up in the tragedy of losing the boy. If the titans were broken when they lost Garth, they were even more now, because the kid had died because of them and Dick took all of the guilty for leading this. He felt like trash, nothing made sense to him anymore and Dawn broke up with him, leaving the tower along with Hank and Donna. It was okay to him, after all, she didn't have to support him on his darkest time and with no resentments, she left.

Despite everything, Donna knew he would need someone to help him, so she called Y/n telling her everything that happened, the episode with Jerichó and how deep he went to make justice.

“He need you, y/n” that’s what wonder girl told y/n in the morning the old titans left, and she went running to the tower without asking anything more. She knew Dick enough to understand he needed her to get together all the broken pieces.

It was night already, but Y/n got in San Francisco faster than she thought she would, making her way right into the building. Dick was sitting on the couch, too shaken up to react, and when the elevator door opened, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, was she real?

“Y/n” he said getting up without taking his eyes off her. He wouldn’t take the risk of closing his eyes and noticing she was a mirage. She looked so beautiful, he thought when he walked to her, taking her in his embrace.

“Hello, Boy Wonder” the girl said in his arms.

He kissed her. There was so much to say, but not right now, they just wanted to enjoy each other like the old times. Dick felt like there was a sight of hope now that she was there and batman would need to excuse him, because now she was his again and he didn’t mean to let her go.

He grabbed her hips pulling her closer to him. She didn't complain when Dick's hand found their way inside her shirt, she welcomed them with enthusiasm. It's been so long since they've seen each other and this kiss was prof of it. The more they kissed the hotter it got. Hands touching every bit of skin, and their mouths never separated from each other. She sighed when Dick placed her back against the couch and kissed her deeply trying to convey how much he missed her all those years. It's like he couldn't get enough of her and that night he showed her that many, many times.

They were lying on the couch now. Y/n had her head rested on Dick’s chest while he caressed her back. There were only the sound of their tired breaths and a thin blanket covering their lower parts.

“I’m glad you’re back you know? I don’t know if i would take it all without you here” he said with still hoarse voice from the sex

“You definitely would. But i’m here to make sure of it” y/n answered looking at him this time and giving him a small kiss on the lips “There’s nothing we can’t fix together like we always did.”

The girl assured him and a little after, when things came up to her, there was an unsolved thing in her mind and she needed to talk to him about

“So...you and Dawn?” y/n asked Dick surprising him. It wasn’t that she wanted to ruin the moment, but she didn’t want to stay here with hidden feelings about anything.

“You found out about it, huh?”

“I did..Well, when I asked Donna how you were doing, i also listened to things that i’d rather not to” She said a little bit insecure about where this conversation was going to end “it’s fine if you don’t wanna talk about it, i just-”

“Hey, it’s not a problem, i’d tell you sooner or later” he knew her too much to know she felt insecure about what happened between him and Dawn. “But you should know that you don’t need to feel insecure about anything, you know? It was never like what we had or what he have, nothing could come even close to this. It was like my heart was too full of you to even open to someone else. Yes, we did have something, but it’s nothing you should worry about; you’ve always been my biggest love.” He said, trying to assure y/n

“So...nothing to worry about?”

“Nothing to worry about, babe. You took my heart with you when you left, i hope u can give me back now”

“idiot” she laughed at him and he kissed the girl

“You saw my darkness and never ran, you stayed and helped me. That’s certainly something that only you would do. So no, you don’t have to fear anything, you’re the one and only to me.” Dick could understand y/n’s feelings, he would feel exactly the same or even worst if it was with her, but once she understood what she meant to him, she would never feel like this anymore

“And you know what? I am purelly full of joy, because i am missing nothing. No one has more than I do now.” Dick said and she felt better, like it was always what she needed to hear to finally be in peace about it.

#dick grayson #dick grayson x reader #dick grayson x y/n #dick grayson imagines #dick grayson imagine #dick grayson one shots #dick grayson headcannons #nightwing #nightwing x reader #nightwing x y/n #dc nightwing

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timdrakequotes · 5 years

Note

Hey! Was wondering if you could pull up some of Tim’s serious/inspirational quotes.

1. ‘One of the things I’ve learned is that it gets bad for everyone sometimes. Superman, Batman–everyone. I remember I’m not alone. I remember things do get better. Sometimes on their own, most times when you work at them. And when I have trouble remembering those things, I find people to talk to. […] Your folks, an old friend, even a trained counselor you’ve never met before. Someone who has a totally different perspective because they’re not as close to the problems as you are. Maybe they give you advice, and that’s great…or maybe they just listen. Sometimes, that’s all you need. Anyway, that’s how I deal with it when things suck. And it works.’ –Tim Drake (Robin #156 – The High Dive)

2. ‘Get up. Get the hell up. You don’t get to quit!’

–Tim Drake to himself (Robin #167 – The Promise)

3. “You know what? You never made me Robin. I made myself.”

–Tim Drake on Batman (Robin #100 – The Price of Justice)

4. ‘All of us. We’re not the costumes. At the end of the day, we’re just a bunch of scared guys trying to fight through the fear and leave the world a little better than we found it. People always ask,“Why Young Justice?” I’ll tell you why: Because we’re so damned glad that we found each other, that we hold on to each other like life preservers as the flood waters rise. We don’t get more complicated than that. We don’t have to.’

–Tim Drake (Young Justice #55 – I’ve Got A Secret)

5. ‘Maybe…maybe it was the pressure. When you’re fighting for what you believe in–for what’s right–you find out just how alone you are. Every time you face up to evil, you have to beat it. But you only have one life…and you can’t afford to lose it. It’s a knife-edge not many can walk. Sometimes…even heroes fall.’

–Tim Drake (Batman #466 – No More Heroes)

6. ‘I don’t like people putting us in a box. Telling us what we’re capable of. Telling us who we are. I chose to become Robin, nobody picked me.’

–Tim Drake (Teen Titans #4 – Breaking the Rules)

7. “I hear a lot of loose talk about “justice” these days. Maybe we should talk more about peace.”

–Tim Drake (Robin #26 – The Hard Lessons)

8. “Despite how cold and empty I actually feel, I go out of my way to keep it lighthearted. Because I’m not going to surrender to the void, no matter how attractive and comforting it seems. The all too welcoming abyss. That dark place where Batman lives.”

–Tim Drake (Robin #132 – Fresh Blood Part One of Four: Too Many Ghosts)

9. “I can feel it now, like Batman used to. Electricity and guilt, shadows and sadness, kinetic energy and hope. It’s my city now if I want it to be. Not Dick’s. Not Bruce’s. Mine. But to make it that way…to make it right…what will I have to become? So many choices…but what will be my decision…?”

–Tim Drake (Red Robin #26 – What Goes Around…)

10. ‘If I were no longer Robin…that would mean that no more innocent people are being threatened. No more criminals going around breaking the law. No one was living in fear of their lives. No more crime or wrongdoing. It would mean that mankind had entered Utopia, and I’d be happy for humanity. Because that would be the only circumstance under which I’d quit the game.’

–Tim Drake to Young Justice (Young Justice #7 – Conferences)

11. Robin: [to Jack Drake’s grave] I’m tired of pretending that not having you here isn’t killing me. That every time I lose someone else, it doesn’t take a little part of me with them. Before…before it happened, you told me it was all worth it. This life was all worth it, and that I should never question it. Well, I’ve been trying…please believe that I’m still trying…but every day I have to find another reason to put this mask back on. Sometimes it’s for Bruce. Sometimes for Conner, but a lot of times, I do it for you. Because you were brave enough to understand the man I wanted to be. And you lost your life because of it. If I was just some normal kid with some normal life, you’d be alive today. Maybe Mom would be alive today. Were your lives really worth all the others I’ve saved? God, how can I even ask that? Dad, I used the night of your death as a reason–no, as an excuse to turn into someone else…and I came here tonight to tell you it won’t happen again. I’ll never give up, Dad. Not while there’s a breath in our bodies–neither one of us will ever give up.

Batman: [above Tim on a tree branch] No. We won’t.

Robin: We’ll get stronger. We’ll get faster. We’ll get smarter. We’ll honor you, and everyone else we’ve lose. We’ll die before this happens again. We won’t forget. And maybe some day… Maybe you can forgive us.

Batman: Goodnight, Jack. I’ll take it from here.

–Tim Drake with Bruce Wayne to Jack Drake (Robin #167 – The Promise)

12. ‘I don’t care if I am afraid–I can still act!’–Tim Drake to Scarecrow

(Batman #457 – Master of Fear)

13. “Here’s the thing: no one can predict their own future. The best a guy can do is to look to those who’ve been much longer on the same path as him, and see what a life of walking that path has done for them. For me, those people are Bruce and Dick.

You see what I’m getting at? Bruce has been on the job the longest. It’s slowly driven him madand eaten the human part right out of him. But what about Dick? Surely a guy like him can’t dedicate himself to this line of work and keep a level head on his shoulders? I wanna yell “He can!” But I can’t forget the glimpses I’ve seen recently of the same kind of monster eating at Dick, too. Little things that, looking back now, I can remember seeing in Bruce a few years ago. Should I call them “early warning signs”? Do I dare to assume it’s a disease I can’t catch with time?”

–Tim Drake (Robin #100 – The Price of Justice)

14. ‘You can’t have a friendship without trust…nor a relationship…nor a teammate. Take Batman for example… He trusts me to keep his secrets, to cover his back. I trust him the exact same way. He knows that I’ll always consult him on anythinghaving to do with those secrets, and vice versa. Because of that implicit trust, our relationship works. And it’s unique.’

–Tim Drake to Secret and Spoiler (Young Justice #30 – Round Robin)

15. “No time for ego, hurt feelings, petty disagreements…it’s all in the past. I need help. I can’t do this by myself.”

–Tim Drake (Red Robin #9 – Collision: Part One of Four)

16. “Hesitation…second guessing…self-pity… Leave them behind. They’re death now. Use what you know. Remember what you learned. Be smart. Stay alive. Save the girl. Remember what Shiva taught you…what Ducard taught you. Remember how Dick moves so effortlessly. Remember Conner’s own special “techniques.” Remember what Bruce did. Use it all now. Win the next fight and the one after that before you get there. Remember everything your teachers gave you. Don’t be any of them. Be all of them.”

–Tim Drake (Red Robin #8 – Council of Spiders: Part Four of Four)

17. Tim: Robin is a symbol just as much as Batman is. It isn’t just a symbol of the law, it’s a symbol of justice. And Batman needs a Robin.

Batman: What I do is dangerous.

Tim: I know.

–Tim Drake with Bruce Wayne (Young Justice Secret Origins – 80 Page Giant: Little Wing)

18. ‘Of course we’re going to do this. I said it looked tough, not unbeatable.’

–Tim Drake to Secret (Young Justice Secret Files and Origins – Take Back the Night)

19. ‘“Never fight angry.” I didn’t know what it meant until tonight. He wasn’t talking about style or common sense. He was talking about weapons. Honor. Purpose. That’s what helps you survive and win. When all you bring to the fight is anger…you’ve already lost.’

–Tim Drake (Robin #25 – Sophomore Lethal)

20. ‘If you’re asking if I plan to continue as Robin, the answer is yes. I’m more determined now than ever before. But don’t for a moment think I’m now like you, Bruce. I’m not about to let these losses turn me into another copy of you–grim and vengeful and closed off from most of what keeps us human. Steph and Darla and my Dad died in a war worth fighting–made even more so because of the terrible price they paid, not in spite of it. I won’t squander their sacrifice by quitting again. So, if you’ll still have me, I’m Robin, and I’m in it for the long run.’

–Tim Drake to Bruce Wayne (Robin #132 – Fresh Blood Part One of Four: Too Many Ghosts)

21. ‘This is the deal. You want us to be part of the Teen Titans, this Tower has nomore rules. We get enough of them at home. We won’t sit on the sidelines. We won’t be treated like inferiors.’

–Tim Drake (Teen Titans #6 – War and Peace)

22. ‘We know we’re right, but what’s the point in being right if we’re not willing to fight for it?’

–Tim Drake to Red Tornado (Young Justice #18 – Revolting Developments)

#answered

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jlalafics · 5 years

Text

Part Four of “Rent Control”

We’re at the end...sort of. I’m a little nervous about this part and will be hiding with Toddler J (actually we’ll watching The Great British Baking Show in bed).

Please enjoy and I’ll see you at the epilogue!

If you haven’t read the other parts, follow the links below:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Summary: Katniss Everdeen has found the perfect home in San Francisco—great neighborhood, an easy commute and, best of all, it’s rent controlled. There’s only one problem; the landlord will only rent to a married couple.

Enter Peeta Mellark.

_____

Rent Control

Part Four

“Katniss! Get out here!”

Effie was getting impatient.

“I’m coming!”

Katniss stared at herself in the mirror, her hands dancing over the delicate fabric. Effie was right; the silhouette was still in fashion. Thanks to her mother, Daphne, and Effie, the gown fit perfectly to her body.

However, when she looked in the mirror, Katniss felt like a fraud.

A beautiful couture fraud—but a fraud, nonetheless.

“Come on! Come on! Come on!”

This time it was her mother.

With a sigh, Katniss stepped out of the Abernathy guest room and into the living room.

There was a collective sigh as the three older women gazed at her in all her bridal glory.

She turned to the mirror that Effie had placed in the room to take a real look at herself.

The gown was off-white, sleeveless, with a modest V-neckline. The skirt was made of tulle while the top half was a satin bodice with a tulle overlay. It suited her olive coloring, making her skin look even richer and her dark hair lustrous.

Her mother’s contribution was the periwinkle blue band on the gown’s waist so she would have her ‘something blue’ while the jeweled flower resting on one side of the band was from Daphne. It would be her ‘something new.’

“It’s missing something,” Effie said as she approached her. Reaching into her pocket, the woman pulled out an ornate pearl hair clip. “This was my mother’s. She wore it on her wedding day—” Effie swallowed shallowly before continuing. “—I wore it for mine.” She then arranged it so that it clipped back one side of Katniss’ long locks. “And, now you’ll wear it for yours. It’s your ‘something old and borrowed.’”

“Oh Effie.” Her hand went to the delicate clip. “I couldn’t possibly—”

Effie shook her head. “A long time ago, we found out that it would be difficult for us to have children.” She let out a shaky breath. “And, now it seems unlikely—but I’d like to think that if I had a girl, she’d be similar to you. I mean, you have Haymitch’s coloring and your scowls are very alike!”

Katniss wiped her eyes before giving Effie a smile in the mirror.

“I’d be honored to be your pretend daughter…even though you would have to had been around 17 when you had me!” Katniss replied.

Effie tapped at her nose. “Somewhere around that age.” She kissed Katniss’ cheek. “You look beautiful.”

Katniss looked at herself in the mirror; she did look beautiful—as radiant as the sun.

It wasn’t real though.

And, then she could no longer face her reflection.

++++++

Peeta knocked on the closed door of Johanna’s boutique, spying Katniss in the window. Giving him a drawn smile, she placed the till back into the register and rounded the counter to let him in.

He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something had shifted in their relationship. Katniss was different; it wasn’t that she was any less affectionate. When they were alone, they had more than their fill of passion—lately, maybe even more so.

That fire in Katniss, however, seemed to have dimmed since that first dinner with their families.

“Hey,” she greeted him as the door was opened and he walked in quickly. “Johanna just left and I’m finishing up.”

“Do you need help?” he offered.

“You just finished up next door,” Katniss responded. “You still want to help?”

“Of course—if it means we get some time to ourselves,” Peeta said. “What do you need? I can fold or arrange the shoe display…”

He gave her a playful grin and Katniss let out a laugh—it felt good to hear it. She had been off in her own world, at times, and Peeta wanted nothing more but to make her smile.

It wasn’t hard to admit that he lived and died for that smile.

“How about you wipe the mirrors in the dressing rooms and then run the dry mop through the floor?” she suggested instead. “Cleaning supplies are in the back.”

Before long, they fell into silence. Peeta could hear her arranging the hangers on the various racks in the store as he wiped down the mirrors.

“Katniss?” he found himself calling out.

The shuffling of hangers stopped. “Yes?”

“What’s going on with you?” Peeta knew that he was treading a thin line. There was no response. “I can feel it. You’re pushing me away. Not physically—” He placed the rag down and pushed himself onto a seat in the small dressing room. “It’s just that I wake up every morning and then we lock eyes…you used to give me this smile—a smile just for me. You don’t do that anymore…”

He looked down at his folded hands, waiting for her response.

However, there was only silence.

“I’m sorry.”

Peeta looked up to find Katniss in front of him, her gaze on his hunched figure.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked her.

Katniss knelt in front of him, her hand going to the nape of his neck. “No, you didn’t do anything.” She pressed her forehead to his. “It’s just been hard with our parents, your brothers, Prim…the fact that we’re supposed to get pretend remarried in like three days. It’s a lot.”

“I miss you,” Peeta admitted. “I mean, you’re with me—in my arms, in our bed—but you’re also a thousand miles away.”

She bit her lip anxiously before looking into his eyes.

“I know that I’ve been distracted, but there’s been a lot on my mind,” she said. “This whole wedding…and our families being so bonded now…it’s become bigger than us.”

He nodded in understanding. “I just don’t want to lose…us.”

“Scoot over.” Peeta shifted to give her space on the seat. Instead, Katniss sat on his lap. “You haven’t lost me. I guess I miss what we had before all of this craziness. I miss waking up to quiet mornings, lounging in bed and binge watching something on Netflix, Farmers Markets…you know this is the first time in almost two weeks that it’s just been us.”

“It has, hasn’t it?”

Katniss wrapped her arms around his neck. “Right now, I’m part angry, part exhausted, part horny…”

“Why are you angry?” he asked.

“I just want to find Gale and punch him in the nuts,” she muttered. “Him and his dumbass mouth—”

“Find me an address and I’ll come along with you,” Peeta said and Katniss grinned. “As for being tired, Prim told me before I left for work that she’s going out with Johanna and my brothers tonight for some sightseeing. I can draw you a bath so you can get some of that tension out.” He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “As for being horny…”

She shifted, straddling him, and Peeta groaned.

“I’m wearing these new linen pants,” Katniss started, her lips going to the side of his mouth. “They’re supposed to feel like I’m wearing nothing at all.” She moved along him and a sliver of heat ran up his spine. “What do you think?”

“How about you close that curtain and we make a comparison?” Peeta countered, his hands already reaching for the button on her waistband.

Katniss grinned. “Of course. Anything for a customer.”

++++++

“I hate you so much right now,” Johanna told Katniss the next morning.

Prim, who was shuffling through Katniss’ closet, turned to her sister and new friend.

“What did Katniss do?”

“You had sex in my store!” Johanna looked to Katniss, who looked down at the bridal magazine on her lap. “Don’t deny it! My morning lead just texted and asked why there’s handprints all over one of the dressing room mirrors! She says it looks like someone was trying to recreate that car sex scene in Titanic!”

“Glimmer is so dramatic,” Katniss replied. “It was not that bad.”

Johanna turned to her; arms crossed. “So, you don’t deny it?”

“No, I don’t.” Katniss closed the magazine before meeting her eyes. “It’s been weeks since Peeta and I have been alone. There are people in every nook and cranny of this building—and it was either against the mirror or on the seat. That cushion is disgusting!”

Johanna suddenly pulled her to her plush chest.

“I’m so proud…my little Katniss has finally done the dirty at work! It’s a milestone, you know.”

Katniss snorted. “Don’t get too excited. We did it at the coffee shop before all this craziness happened.”

“Gross!” Johanna grimaced. “Which roast was it on? I prefer no jizz in my coffee.”

“That was more than I needed to know,” Prim said. She met her sister’s eyes. “So, how are you doing? I know you and Peeta have agreed to continue on after…but this ceremony has kind of thrown a monkey wrench into your plans.”

“It has,” Katniss agreed. “But, what can we do?”

“I don’t know. How about admit that Peeta is stone cold in love with you?” Johanna said. “I mean, come on!”

“Love?” Katniss had a sudden interest in the bedspread. “We like each other, and we lust for one another, but love is a whole different spiral that we can’t get into.”

“Can’t or won’t?” Prim questioned. “I know you. Ever since that dipshit Gale broke up with you to sample what California had to offer, you’ve closed off. You were a romantic once—you followed a boy all the way to San Francisco—”

“And, what did that get me?” Katniss burst out.

“Open those pretty grey eyes, Katniss! It got you Peeta!” her sister countered. “And he is a hell of a lot better than Gale Hawthorne ever was for you.”

“I know.”

The bedspread was suddenly stained with tears.

“And it’s because we’ve stayed within the bounds of friendship. Anything else could be a disaster.” Katniss met her sister’s somber eyes. “And I’d rather have him everyday just as he is, than to not have him if it all falls apart.”

“Shit.” Johanna wrapped her arms around the Everdeen sisters. “This just became more complicated than a simple screw in my dressing room.”

++++++

“Where’s Katniss?” Peeta’s mother asked.

“She, Johanna, and Prim are having some girl time,” he informed her as they walked down the busy neighborhood, full of storefronts and restaurants.

“I think Katniss is going to be a great addition to the family,” Daphne told him, linking her arm through his. “She’ll be really good for you. She is really good for you.”

“Mom.” Peeta turned to her in e. “I want you to be happy for me because I am doing things for myself and I’m trying to prove that I can run a Mellark Bakery all on my own here. I don’t want you to be happy for me just off of who I married.”

“Peeta, I am happy for you,” his mother responded. “When we first arrived, there was a look in your eyes. I could see that you have come into your own. Katniss—she might not be all of the reason, but she is some of it. The Peeta I remember couldn’t even commit to a time to visit his mother and father.” She stopped and turned to him. “Now, he has committed himself to the love of his life.”

Love. There was that word again.

More and more the word played in his mind. It was the whispered word that escaped his lips whenever he woke up to see Katniss lying next to him.

“Thanks, Mom.” Peeta stopped to look around the busy street. “Where are we?”

“Your business proposal somehow made its way onto the breakfast tray that Effie and Haymitch gave your father and me this morning,” his mother said. “There was also a printout of this listing.”

Peeta looked up at the storefront. It was a two-story brick building with large display windows flagging the entrance door. It wasn’t much; but with a good layer of paint and from what he could see of the inside, a good layout and design for the interior, it could be something great.

“What do you think?” Peeta turned to his mother, who watched him in anticipation. “Do you think that this would be a good location for the first west coast Mellark Bakery?”

“It’s perfect,” he said in awe. “Good neighborhood, close to retail, and easily accessible.” Peeta grinned at his mother. “Who gave you the printout?”

“There’s only one person who would know where you kept your business proposal,” Daphne said, a small grin on her lips. “Consider this a wedding present.”

++++++

“Katniss!” Peeta slammed the door behind him. “Are you home?”

“Yes!” came the response from their room. “Are you alright?”

“I’m perfect! Wonderful even!”

The papers had been signed just this afternoon and he, Peeta Mellark, now owned his own bakery space. Yes, he would be paying his parents back until the end of time, but it would be all worth it to run his own business—and Katniss would have their space to design the best-looking bakery that San Francisco had ever seen.

Not to mention, he made a kickass cheese bun.

He froze in his tracks, sensing something…off. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

He whipped around at her voice and the air left his body.

There Katniss stood in her wedding dress. She awkwardly held the skirt as she walked towards him.

“Effie and my mom did the final fitting,” Katniss explained. “What do you think?”

His mouth rose in a grin and Peeta reached for her hands, his eyes roaming the satin and tulle gown, before meeting her anxious eyes.

“You’re beautiful.” Katniss flushed at his words. “I thought I wasn’t supposed to see the bride in her gown.”

“Well, we’ve pretty much said ‘up yours’ to tradition,” she replied. “What’s a few minutes of you seeing me in this get-up?”

Peeta lifted her chin to look into her deep, slate eyes. When did he start caring for nothing but her happiness?

It might have been forever.

It probably would be forever—even when this charade ended, and they separated.

And, suddenly he ached.

“May I kiss the bride?” he asked, bringing her close.

Katniss nodded. “Of course.”

Their lips met, chastely at first, before his bride pressed forward to deepen the kiss.

He lost himself willingly to the taste of Katniss…an eternity could have passed—and he couldn’t give a flying fuck.

The knock came abruptly.

“Peeta! Get your ass out here!” It was Bran. “We’re meeting up at Beetee’s for beers!”

“I forgot that our parents demanded that we spend the night apart before the wedding,” Katniss said. “Prim and Johanna should be here any minute.”

“Of course,” he replied as they pulled apart.

Hesitantly, Peeta walked backward towards the door, his gaze on her.

She raised a brow at him. “What?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget the sight of you in that gown for the rest of my life.”

Peeta quickly turned to walk out the door before she could even respond.

++++++

Katniss couldn’t sleep.

Next to her, Prim and Johanna were knocked out. Her sister wore a tiara in her tangled locks while Johanna sported a hat with an outrageously large penis. A half-eaten tray of cookies baked by her in-laws laid between the two.

It was while watching The Wedding Date that they had drifted off. However, sleep did not come for her so Katniss remained awake, tense in the thoughts of tomorrow.

Getting up, Katniss reached for a sweater from the closet, carefully leaving the bedroom so she wouldn’t disturb her sister and friend.

She couldn’t breathe…she just needed to get out.

That’s how Katniss found herself walking down the stairs onto the main floor and into the backyard.

The sight before her almost brought her to her knees.

White chairs had already been set out for the ceremony; a good number of friends and neighbors were excited to attend. To each side of the apartment building, long buffet tables were set up as Annie’s staff would be arriving midday to set up for the reception. At the end of the right side was a singular table for the wedding cake.

It was unbelievable how it had all fallen together.

She continued down the aisle and towards the lush flower archway where the ceremony would take place. Haymitch had set up a platform before it so that Beetee, who had volunteered as officiant, would have a place to stand before them.

At the end of the aisle, Katniss settled on the steps of the platform, looking around.

It was exactly the kind wedding she had dreamt of—except in her dreams, she wasn’t drowning in guilt.

A breeze hit and she wrapped her sweater tighter around herself and let out a breath.

“How the hell did I get here?”

“I was about to ask myself the same question.”

Peeta.

He made his way down, smartly wearing a puffer jacket and not the flimsy crap that she had donned.

“Couldn’t sleep?” she asked as he joined her on the step.

“Nope.” Peeta looked out at the scene before him. “I couldn’t sleep after all the marriage advice our dads and Haymitch decided to give me…by the end, it was extremely graphic.”

“Gross.” Her head went to his shoulder. “So…tomorrow?”

“It’s after midnight so more like a few hours from now,” he replied.

“I wish it could’ve been different.”

The admission had come out suddenly.

“How?” he asked after a moment.

“Like we would have actually been dating and then you do the whole shebang—tell me how deeply you’re in love with me and get down on one knee.” She sighed. “Isn’t that how all love stories are supposed to happen?”

“I think love stories are what a couple makes of them,” Peeta said.

“And, how do you think our story would’ve gone?”

“I’m not sure.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I just know that I would love you till there was no breath left in my body.”

Katniss swallowed the sob threatening to escape her lips.

“That’s all anyone could really ask for—someone till the end.”

“Ride or die,” Peeta agreed.

She snorted. “How very Fast and the Furious of you.”

Tell him.

The treacherous thought screamed in her brain, but her logical—fearful—thoughts fought it. Her heart couldn’t bear the thought that he might not feel the same, that they would hurt each other, and that she would lose him.

So instead, Katniss pulled away.

“I better go up. Prim and Johanna might sleep eat all your parents’ cookie and choke to death. That would be a real bummer on the wedding.”

Peeta nodded. “I’m just going to spend a few more minutes here.”

They reached for one another, their mouths meeting, and Katniss pressed everything she felt into that kiss—the happiness, the fear, the pain—but most of all, the love.

When they pulled apart, Peeta’s eyes were closed, a smile on his lips. “Wow.” He met her eyes. “I’ll see you at the end.”

Katniss stood. “I’ll see you at the end.”

Shakily, she made her way down the aisle and was halfway through when—

“Katniss?”

She whirled around to see Peeta staring at her.

“Sunset. It’s my favorite part of the day. Our families and friends would be there. I probably wouldn’t get down on one knee though—”

“Because you have a trick knee from a track injury,” she said. “And, your favorite color is that orange that happens to the sky at sunset. I wore—”

“You wore that dress on our first date because it resembled the color,” he finished for her. Her breath caught seeing that look in his eyes. “And, you looked beautiful—but well to me, you were always gorgeous, inside and out.”

Katniss managed a smile. “Goodnight, Peeta.”

“Sleep well, Katniss.”

But, for the rest of the night, sleep did not come.

++++++

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…”

Katniss was getting married today.

Okay—not really married, but really recommitting herself in front of her friends and family.

Not to mention, the film and camera crew her parents hired.

Prim and Johanna had given her a few minutes to herself so that she could settle her nerves. Her hands moved over the skirt, smoothing non-existent wrinkles.

She made a picturesque bride; her makeup had been done perfectly, just some eyeliner, lipstick, and concealer because Effie had almost fainted at the dark circles under her eyes. Her mother and Daphne had sprayed and pinned the pearl clip into her hair before putting one more ‘protective’ layer of hairspray—a bird could crap on her head and the stuff would probably slide off from the slickness of her locks.

Johanna had given her a NuBra to wear and Katniss chuckled knowing that Peeta would have more than likely insisted on removing it.

There was a knock on the door. “Katniss, are you ready?”

It was her Dad.

She rushed to open the door and her father stepped in, looking rather dapper in his tuxedo.

“My God, sweetheart,” he breathed. “You’re a dream.”

Katniss looked at him nervously. “Really?”

“Okay, it’s kind of my nightmare. I’ve been dreading this moment for twenty-four years,” her dad admitted. “But your mother and I couldn’t be happier. You picked a good one.”

Katniss nodded in agreement. “I really did.”

Her father held out his arm. “You ready?”

Taking a deep breath, she took his arm. “Let’s do this.”

++++++

Stepping out into the backyard, Katniss let out a breath, a tremble rushing through her at seeing the number of guests.

Together, she and her father began their walk. Somewhere—violinists?—her mother’s influence she was sure, played ‘La vie en rose’ as they made their way down the silk carpet sprinkled with pale pink rose petals.

Her eyes went to the guests; Cinna had come all the way from New York while she saw that some of her parents’ colleagues had made their way over from Connecticut, as well. Closer to the front, Katniss saw Wiress—invited by Beetee as his date—who gave her a bright smile. Thresh, who stood next to Glimmer, was eyeing the pretty blonde.

Her eyes watered seeing Effie and Haymitch. Effie immediately burst into tears seeing Katniss in her gown and she thought how her landlord must be imagining what might have been for her and Haymitch—if life had been fair on them. Haymitch with his protective nature would have made an outstanding father and she had no doubts about Effie’s maternal instincts.

Katniss realized how much she had come to love them like family.

Then, there were the Odairs; Finnick looking dapper in his navy suit while Jack matched him perfectly with his own miniature version. Annie had recovered nicely from pregnancy, beautiful and glowing with Sarah and Rose in her arms.

Johanna and Prim were her bridesmaids, wearing sage green dresses and matching chignons. They both beamed seeing her. Bran and Alex made dashing groomsmen in their grey tuxedos, each swoonworthy in their own right.

Then, there was Peeta.

Katniss couldn’t help but tremble at the sight of him.

“You okay there?” Stephen asked his daughter, feeling her shiver.

“Yes, just more nervous than I thought,” she replied.

He chuckled softly, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek.

“How can you be nervous when you have a man looking at you like that?”

And, yes—Peeta looked unbelievably handsome, wearing a suit matching the charcoal of her eyes.

However, it was the look in those blues of his—that earnest, full look that made her feel like she was floating on air.

Peeta stepped forward and her father embraced him before taking both their hands to clasp them between his own.

He looked between them. “Take care of each other.”

Quickly, her father joined his mother’s side.

Her eyes went to Peeta’s, who grasped her hand. “You okay?”

“Are we really doing this?” she asked as they stepped up the platform where Beetee waited.

“Whatever happens,” Peeta said, his eyes already knowing her thoughts. “I’m with you.”

Her hand went to cheek. “Just trust me.”

“Of course.” He turned to press a gentle kiss into her palm. “Always.”

They both turned to her guests.

“We have something to say,” Katniss began.

“Can’t this wait?” her mother asked.

“No…no…” They stepped down from the platform as Katniss shook her head. “We can’t.”

“What is going on?” Daphne said tightly. “Are you having second thoughts? It’s a little late for that. You two are already married.”

“No, Mom.” Peeta looked to her and she nodded. “We lied to you…to everyone. We’re not…actually…married.”

“You see,” Katniss started. “My lease was up at my last apartment and Peeta couldn’t afford his since his roommate was going to be leaving. Then, we both just happened to see this ad for this wonderful apartment—”

“Except that tenants had to be married and so we told them we were,” Peeta finished. “We made up this fake love story and took pictures at City Hall. And, it just snowballed when everyone showed up and you all planned this beautiful wedding.”

Katniss’ gaze went to Effie and Haymitch, their expressions unreadable, and she felt her heart squeeze in pain.

She and Peeta betrayed them and they would most likely never forgive them.

“And, we just couldn’t bear to hurt all of you,” she said. “Because we fell in love with you.”

Finnick furrowed his brow from his seat. “Me? Sorry guys, but I’m taken.”

Katniss choked back her laugh. “Not you! Well, kind of you and Annie…and just everyone.” Peeta squeezed her hand. “We grew to love every one of you and you became family to us. This building, all of you—you are home to us.”

“But, what about you two?” Her father asked. “You’re not in a relationship?”

“That’s kind of tricky.” Her eyes went to Peeta’s. “But the point is that the marriage was not real…we’re…not real.”

There was silence.

A long silence.

Somewhere there was the faint sound of an ambulance—probably coming just in case there was bloodshed.

“Bullshit.”

Katniss shot up in shock. “Excuse me?”

Annie looked her straight in the eyes.

“Bull. Shit.” She shifted, handing Sarah to Finnick, who had just made Jack cover his ears. “Hold on.” Annie adjusted Rose against her chest, undoing the buttons of her dress before guiding the baby to her nipple. “Okay, I’m ready to continue. It is absolute bullshit that you two aren’t honest-to-God in love!”

“Annie, I’m honestly having a hard time computing your words with your boob hanging out,” Katniss retorted.

“Well, I’m feeding my child, Katniss,” Annie argued. “Because I love her and that’s what you do for people you love. You take care of them—just like you and Peeta take care of each other.”

“You know…” She and Peeta turned to Beetee in front of the archway. “She does have a point.”

“You too?” Peeta replied incredulously.

“Actually, we all find it surprising that you’re not in love with one another,” Christopher informed them.

“We do like each other,” Peeta assured him.

Daphne shot up. “You’re lying!” She pointed an accusing finger at her son. “I know you, Peeta. I knew you were lying when you were eight and told me that the neighbors’ dog ate your father’s birthday cake and I know you’re lying now about not being in love with Katniss.”

“Mom, I think there’s a big difference between eight-year-old me and me now,” Peeta responded.

“You were a better liar before,” Bran pointed out with a smirk.

“It’s all over your adorable Mellark face,” Alex said.

Peeta turned to her, his complexion pink at his family’s blunt assessment of his feelings.

“You know I care for you, right?” he asked.

Katniss took his hand. “Of course, I do.”

Peeta started, his gaze on their joined hands and something shifted in his stare.

He suddenly shook his head, letting out a small laugh.

“I really am an idiot.” Peeta looked to her, his eyes warm. “Katniss, I am in love with you.”

Katniss felt her chest constrict at his words. “What?”

“I think about how after this you’re not going to be next to me when I wake up in the morning—”

“Aww,” Prim cooed.

“And, those nights when we’re in bed—”

“Yeah, nobody needs to hear the details,” Stephen interrupted.

“But the point is that I want you in my life,” Peeta said. “I want to be with you for as long as you’ll possibly have me.”

Katniss stood silent, her hand dropping from his grasp, as those last words fell from his lips.

“Katniss Everdeen!” Her mother stood from her seat. “Say something.”

Peeta loved her.

And then, as sudden as a flash of lightning, she realized what she wanted.

“Effie, Haymitch.” Katniss looked to her landlords, she and Peeta’s practically surrogate parents. “Do you forgive us?”

The couple look at one another, communicating silently, before turning to them as she held her breath.

“We do,” Haymitch said finally.

“However, you can only stay in your apartment…” Effie’s lips rose in a small smile. “…if you continue on with the ceremony.”

Katniss turned to Peeta, taking his hand once more. With her other hand, she lifted the skirt of her gown.

“What are you doing?” Peeta asked.

Slowly, Katniss knelt, going on one knee in this gown seemed impossible but she was making it happen, before him. “It’s sunset.” Her eyes went to everyone in front of them. “And, we’re with our family and friends…and I love you. So, Peeta, will you?”

After a moment, Peeta replied, a wide grin on his lips, “Get up here so we can finish this.”

Carefully, they got Katniss to her feet before joining Beetee in front of the archway.

Beetee looked between them. “You two realize that this isn’t an official ceremony, right?”

She and Peeta look to one another, before nodding at Beetee.

It was real enough for them.

End of Part Four

Next: One year later…

Right now, I’m a glass case of emotion.

I’ll see you at the epilogue.

-JLaLa

#Rent Control #Everlark #Everlark Fanfiction #Part Four #any guesses on what happens in the epilogue?

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tessatechaitea · 5 years

Text

Teen Titans Spotlight #9: Changeling

I feel like this is the first appearance of the Changeling logo.

It's as if General Immortus knew that one day Niles Caulder would be just a head! Or, more probably, Grant Morrison fucking remembered this one panel and thought, "I'll turn The Chief into a disembodied head!" Unless it was Rachel Pollack who did that. What am I? The Doom Patrol wiki?

Cliff Steele has just been on another adventure where his body was torn apart. At least I'm assuming it was because whenever he or Red Tornado are in a super hero battle, they usually get torn to pieces. Somebody's got to be and you can't do it to Batman. But Cliff is tired of it and he's ready to retire to a ranch in California. I wonder why Grant Morrison's run didn't take place there? Cliff and Garfield wind up at the New York Zoo because Garfield wants to fuck the lioness and Cliff wants to buy hot dogs that he can't eat.

Based on the repartee between Robotman and Changeling, I don't think the crowd are the only people to mistake Cliff for Cyborg.

The previous caption was a criticism of the writer, Paul Kupperberg. Was it too subtle? I know it wasn't on the level of Ann Nocenti criticism where I once questioned how she survived the surgery that replaced her brain with Jello pudding but sometimes you need a little subtlety in your life. Like when you want to masturbate but all you have on hand are your sandpaper masturbation gloves. I don't know if that final sentence had anything to do with subtlety. I think it had more to do with me introducing the public to my new invention! It, um, needs some work.

I first read Changeling's line as "You're obviously a fat." Not because I often misread the fuzzy text of old comic books but because I saw the kid in the first panel and my brain began thinking, "How do I make a hilarious and inoffensive fat joke about this kid?"

I just realized I should mention the writers and artists of these old issues since they're not on the cover. The artist is Dan Jurgens and I already mentioned the writer. I don't know what inkers do so I don't remember who the inker was. And the one thing I've always refused to do in my comic book reviews over the last eight years is to mention the letterer! Mostly because I always hated reading letters from fans who praise the writing and drawing and then offer a throw away line about how easy the typeface was to read thanks to Costanza or whoever! Oh, and I actually really forgot about the colorist until just now! That was Adrienne Roy! Who better to color some kid green than good old Adrienne! Cliff walks off in a huff when people begin to actually recognize him. He should have thrown in a few "Booyahs" and offered to show off his white noise cannon. Um, wink, wink! I'm not proficient at flirting. Before Robotman can find a quiet bathroom stall to wish he could cry in, Mister 104 attacks! I know. You're thinking the same thing I'm thinking, right? What happened to Misters 1-103? Oh, and probably, who the fuck is Mister 104?! But then I'd be disappointed if a Doom Patrol villain showed up and I recognized that villain. Their villains should get a "What the fuck?!" reaction at least ninety percent of the time. That's another thing the television show got right! How many scenes have Crazy Jane shouting "What the fuck?" and then Cliff responds with "What the fuck?" and then Crazy Jane is all "No, fucking seriously! What the fuck?" and then Cliff is all "What the fucking fuck fuck fucking fuck?!" The show uses the F-word a lot! Luckily Changeling remembers who Mister 104 is and thinks through Mister 104's entire origin for us. It turns out Mister 104 can turn into every known element on the periodic table. He's only Mister 104 because that's how many elements were on the periodic table in 1965 when he first appeared in Doom Patrol #98. Except when he appeared in that issue, he was Mister 103. So either he hadn't looked at a periodic table since 1961 when he first attacked the Doom Patrol in 1965 or Arnold Drake, the original Doom Patrol writer and co-creator, fucked up. Or maybe there was a plot reason for it in the story, like Mister 103 just despised Helium or maybe Superman paid him to never turn into krypton(ite)? Still, this is 1987! He should be Mister 109! I didn't learn all of that from Changeling's thought bubbles! Some of it I learned because Mister 104 mentions that when he last encountered the Doom Patrol, he was left as "a mass of free floating destabilized atoms" and the editor helpfully noted that took place in Doom Patrol #106. In 1987, I would have just thought, "Oh, okay. Whatever." But in 2019, I can use the Internet to find out all about that issue! Suck it, me in 1987 who didn't learn anything new or helpful in any way and who couldn't pretend like you were super smart and knew all about the periodic table because you didn't have Wikipedia like a stupid idiot! Ha ha! Apparently Mister 104 appeared in other comic books I've read (like The Doom Patrol vs. Suicide Squad Special) but it's understandable that I don't remember him. Partly because he may have been going by Atomic Man or Atomic Master and also because he's just kind of stupid. But stupid in just the right way that Doom Patrol villains should be stupid!

Don't read this text if you're trying to avoid spoilers for Teen Titans Spotlight #9: Changeling!

It looks like Mister 103 first takes on the name Mister 104 here. But what's odd is that he tells Cliff, "You might remember me: Mister 104!" And Changeling thinks, "That's Mister 104!" I guess Paul Kupperberg couldn't abide the fact that Arnold Drake fucked up and he had to correct him. I bet he was fuming for over twenty years! He probably got a job as a comic book writer simply to fix this mistake from his childhood! But then, I suppose everything can be explained away by simply invoking Crisis on Infinite Earths. That probably changed things somehow.

That's your argument for why you'r going to win this fight?

During the battle, Mister 104 turns into a lot of different chemical compounds, proving that he was indeed a molecular engineer. But Robotman manages to thwart each of his different shapes with punches, proving that nerds just can't win in physical combat. Eventually, Mister 104 sets a fire that traps the fat kid from earlier who didn't have enough sense to get the fuck out of the way. Interrupting the battle is a scene where Mento plots the downfall of the Teen Titans with the help of his captive, the star of the next issue of Spotlight, Aqualad! Back to the fight, Changeling saves the kid and drops him off by the hot dog stand. He sees some canisters and the fat kid says, "Those? But that's just soda gas!" Who the fuck calls it soda gas? I lived through 1987 and I don't remember ever saying, "The soda gas in this soda really hits the spot!" Maybe calling it carbonated water or carbon dioxide or carbonation would have given the game away too early! Changeling appears as a giant ape wielding cans of carbon dioxide to smother Mister 104's flaming fury. And this time instead of transforming into some other element, he's knocked out cold! Way to go, soda gas! Teen Titans Spotlight #9: Changeling Rating: C+. The entire point of the story was to show that Robotman's estimation of Garfield Logan has grown and that he now sees him as a real hero. I guess the reader is suppose to think, "Yeah! If Robotman can admit that Garfield is now a real hero and not some jerk off jokester who causes more problems than he solves, I should probably think that too!" And since I'm a totally average comic book reader, I'm totally a Garfield Logan fan now! He isn't obnoxious and annoying at all in the way I thought! He's a real hero! Not as big a hero as soda gas but still pretty great!

#Changeling #Teen Titans Spotlight #Teen Titans #Beast Boy #Doom Patrol #Robotman #DC #DC Comics

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backpfeifenguy · 6 years

Text

BBRAE Week 2018 Day 4: It’s 3AM

Beast Boy opened his eyes, something he was pleasantly surprised by. After all, when somebody loses consciousness due to blood loss in an alley, they don’t exactly expect to wake up. He was in a lot of pain, which made sense, all things considered. But he was familiar with pain; on a scale that included his time with Doctor Register, this rated as a five out of ten, six when he moved too suddenly.

“Dude,” He moaned to nobody in particular. “What happened?”

“Nothin’ good, Grass Stain.” Vic answered, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Blood loss, fractures, burns… you’re lucky to be alive.” Beast Boy looked around the dark infirmary, seeing Raven in the bed next to his.

“Is Raven okay?” He asked the instant he saw her. “She’s not hurt, is she?”

“Is Raven- Is Raven okay?!” Victor spluttered incredulously. “You have a brush with death and you’re worried about her?” He shook his head, smiling to himself. “She’s fine man; a couple bruises and a bad case of exhaustion.” He smiled reassuringly. “She just needs a little rest, B.”

“Healing me must’ve taken everything she had.” Beast Boy murmured. “She said she wouldn’t let me die.” Suddenly, a spectre of recollection reared its ugly head. “Oh no…” He groaned.

“What’s wrong, man?” His best friend asked, concern, possibly even panic, in his voice.

“I can’t believe I told her all that!” The changeling whimpered.

“Told who?” Vic enquired, sounding equal parts worried and annoyed.

“Raven!” Beast Boy exclaimed.

“...Well damn, now I’m just curious.” Victor shrugged. “So what’d you tell her, Grass Stain?”

“I told her that I love her.” He groaned.

“Okay, Am I missing something?” Victor asked after a moment of confused silence. “Because I don’t see what the problem is.”

“She’s gonna freak out when she wakes up!” Beast Boy exclaimed angrily. “I can’t believe I just sprang it on her like that!”

“Seriously, B?” Victor scoffed. “You’re worried that your girlfriend, the empath might not have been ready for you to use the ‘L’ word?”

“She probably wasn’t ready for me to start talking about marrying her!” Beast Boy squealed.

“You’re not wrong.” Raven deadpanned.

“Raven?!” Gar squeaked “You’re awake?”

“And that’s my cue to leave.” Vic muttered, leaving slightly faster than Gar felt was necessary.

“Did he seriously just bail on you?” Raven asked.

“Yep, he bailed.” Gar confirmed.

“Some friend he is.” Raven muttered shaking her head. “So… are you okay?”

“Not too bad,” Gar shrugged, wincing as he did so. “I’m not doing too great, but I’ll live. You okay?”

“Just tired.” Raven replied simply. “You took my beating for me, remember?”

“Vaguely.” Gar chuckled.

“Well… I guess we’d better address the elephant in the room.”

“I can’t shapeshift until I’ve healed properly,” Gar stated bluntly. “Otherwise I’d be an elephant right now.”

“Of course you would,” Raven rolled her eyes. “Because Azar forbid you actually take this seriously.”

“You want serious?” Gar asked, taking his girlfriend’s words as a challenge. “Fine, let’s get serious. We’re in the infirmary, and Vic’s probably eavesdropping, but who cares?”

“If he is, he’ll regret it.” Raven replied, a warning for their friend. After a moment, they heard the sound of an extremely heavy man running away on feet made of metal. “Victor’s gone, and so is your excuse to avoid awkward conversations.”

“Fine,” Gar groaned; he really wasn’t ready for this conversation. “What’s first?”

“You nearly died.” Raven said flatly. “You nearly got yourself killed being an overly sentimental idiot.”

“They said they were demon hunters!” “Gar responded, trying his best not to let his irritation show. “They landed a hit on you, and I went kind of nuts, okay? It wasn’t a conscious decision.”

“It was one sloppy punch.” Raven pointed out. “They weren’t exactly cutting me to ribbons.”

“My instincts didn’t seem to care.” Gar shrugged. “And honestly, I agree with them.”

“It was stupid and reckless!” Raven snapped.

“And burning yourself out to heal me wasn’t?” He shot back. “Besides, we both know that isn’t the real issue here.”

“You’re right,” Raven agreed. “It’s not. When you were… injured, you said that you loved me.” She blushed faintly; god, he loved that blush. It was something that the rest of the world didn’t get to see, a moment of openness, a reminder that, around him, she felt comfortable letting her guard down almost completely. “And, well… did you mean it?”

“Can’t you tell?” Gar asked, genuinely confused. “You’re an empath, after all.”

“I need to hear you say it.” Raven said, almost pleading.

“I meant every word of it.” Gar replied simply. “I love you, and I’ll keep saying it as many times as you want me to.”

“And the other thing?” Raven asked, her voice hopeful and her face terrified. “Did you mean that too?”

“...Screw it.” Gar shrugged. “I wish I could’ve gotten this right, but hey, why start now, am I right?” He hoisted himself off of the infirmary bed, wincing as various body parts lodged complaints. “No time like the present.” He felt the wound in his thigh reopen as he lowered himself to one knee. “Raven, I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?” At first she was silent, and Gar felt himself beginning to worry that he might have made a mistake.

“Yes.” She whispered. “Yes!” She threw her arms around him. “I love you too, so much it feels like I’m going crazy.” She kissed him, soft and chaste. “Of course I’ll marry you.” Another kiss, considerably less innocent. “And if you weren’t still injured, I’d rip that hospital gown right off of you and--”

“Rae, as much as I’d love to hear the end of that sentence,” Beast Boy reluctantly interrupted his fiancee (fiancee!). “We’ve got an audience.” He pointed to the door, where Kori, Dick and Victor stood.

“Oh no,” Their leader smirked. “Don’t let us stop you. Just pretend we’re not here.”

“Dude, it’s 3 AM!” Beast Boy exclaimed. “Why are you guys even awake?”

“I asked Vic to tell me when you guys were awake.” Dick replied.

“And I was awoken due to my being asleep beside boyfriend Richard after a vigorous session of lovemaking!” Kori offered cheerfully, causing Dick to blush to the roots of his hair. Kori had once told Beast Boy in confidence that she knew how much it flustered Dick when she was candid about the physical side of their relationship, which was why she was so candid about it in the first place.

“I was going to ask you for information on your attackers, but the debriefing can wait until morning.” Nightwing said, clearly eager to change the subject.

“It sounds to me like you already got some debriefing done while we were out cold.” Beast Boy snickered.

“And it sounds to me,” Victor interjected. “Like Raven was planning to do a little debriefing of her own.” Beast Boy could feel himself blushing.

“Oh, what glorious news!” Kori exclaimed, flying in and sweeping Beast Boy into a hug like a hydraulic press.

“Star,” Raven said levelly. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather you didn’t suffocate my fiancee.”

“Oh!” Starfire released him. “My apologies friend Garfield, I did not mean to cause you harm!”

“It’s cool.” Beast Boy croaked.

“I guess congratulations are in order.” Dick began, smiling earnestly. “We’re all happy for you.”

“You won’t be happy for long,” Beast Boy snickered. “After all, you’ve got a lot of explaining to do when Star starts to wonder why We got engaged before you did.” And just like that, their fearless leader went white as a sheet.

“I, uhh… I should go.” Dick stammered nervously. “You guys need your rest.” And with that, he bolted, with Kori in hot pursuit.

“Two down,” Beast Boy smirked. “One to go.”

“You ain’t shiftin’ me that easy, Grass Stain,” Victor grinned. “Unlike Bird Boy, I don’t turn tail and run from unexpected emotional intimacy.”

“Vic,” Raven began, her tone patient. “You know I care about you.”

“Same to you, Rae,” Victor smiled warmly. “You’re like my little sister.”

“I know,” Raven nodded. “I’m counting on it. Because if you don’t give us some privacy until morning, I’ll begin to describe Garfield and my sex life.” She sounded deadly serious. “In graphic detail.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Victor replied, narrowing his eyes. “That’d be getting way too personal, and you don’t do personal.”

“Gar does,” Raven replied simply. “And I’m giving him permission to do so effective immediately.”

Beast Boy grinned evilly as his best friend turned to face him, fear in his eyes. “You know I’ll do it.”

“You win, you win!” Vic shouted in a panic, backing out the door.

“We’re way too good at messing with them.” Gar noted.

“Absolutely.” Raven agreed. “This sort of power is sure to corrupt us.”

“You sure it hasn’t already done that?” Gar shot back.

“You might have a point.” She smirked. “So…”

“So…” Gar chuckled. “What now?”

“I’ll be blunt;” Raven replied. “I’m thinking that I’d prefer a long engagement.”

“Works for me,” Gar shrugged, trying and failing to keep a huge, giddy grin off of his face. “I wouldn’t want you to rush into anything.”

“And I’ll want to see this ring you’ve ‘already picked out’ before you buy it.” She stated plainly.

“Makes sense.” Gar nodded. “After all, you’ll be the one wearing it.”

“I suppose we’ll have to tell Titans East and all the others.” Raven said, seemingly going through an internal checklist.”

“Heck, tell the villains while we’re at it.” Gar joked.

“But for now,” Raven said. “I say we get some sleep in a bed that’s actually comfortable. Mine, for example.”

“It’s like you read my mind.” Gar grinned, throwing one arm over her shoulder.

“And just to be clear,” Raven said, her tone carrying the merest hint of mischief. “I retain the right to act on my previously-stated intentions vis a vis that hospital gown.”

“Thank god I heal so fast.”

#bbrae week 2018 #bbrae #Teen Titans #beast boy #raven #cyborg #nightwing #starfire

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eddiejpoplar · 7 years

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One Week With: 2017 BMW M760i xDrive

LOS ANGELES, California — Ten seconds and a quick stab of the throttle reveal that the 2017 BMW M760i xDrive is no ordinary M Performance car with a small handful of performance add-ons and some carbon fiber appliques. It’s a rip-snorting, tire-squealing land yacht for the affluent, the dictatorial, and those who’ve always wanted BMW to build an M7. The more you think of it as BMW’s M7, and not a regular 7 Series with a silly long name, the more you’ll start contemplating a bank heist to pay for one.

Don’t believe the M7 hype? Just look at its specs. BMW swapped the 445-hp twin-turbocharged V-8 of the 750i for the absurdity of a Rolls-Royce-derived 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V-12. Unlike the Rollers, which have to make do with just 563 hp in the Dawn and Ghost, BMW’s version offers a far more prodigious 601 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque—enough to exit low-earth-orbit.

Hitting 60 mph takes a hair’s breadth over three seconds thanks in part to the M760i’s xDrive all-wheel drive system and gummy Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, which glue the bruiser to tarmac and asphalt. BMW states the M760i’s top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph, but the physical speedometer affixed to the car’s dash reads a take-off speed of over 200 and we’re inclined to believe the veracity of its claim after our short time in the driver’s seat.

These are proper M numbers—numbers that belong in the same breath as the M2, M3, M4, M5, and M6. But if the numbers don’t make you a believer, getting behind the wheel will.

Aboard the BMW on tight California back-roads, the Michelin tires and adjustable sport-tuned suspension permit the big sedan to stick to the pavement with little drama. Here, where corners are strung together with the severity of a shark wound, the titanic sedan feels more similar to its much smaller kin. Its heft is undeniably felt, but there’s an unshakeable agility to the M760i that’s very M3-like and thoroughly enjoyable.

That personality gives you the confidence to dive deeper into braking zones, turn harder, and throttle out with lightning-like speed and authority. I’d seriously hesitate to challenge the M760i on a racetrack as here, along the snake-like Californian highways, it feels like it would be difficult for a host of modern, more purpose-built sports cars to out-run or out-maneuver the supposedly luxury-oriented sedan.

One small quibble I can almost overlook—almost—is the steering wheel’s girth. For the last few years, BMW steering wheels have gone from perfectly pencil-thin to Gatorade-bottle-thick. The M760i is no different. As such, I never developed confidence in my hand placement while tackling the tight switchbacks.

Nevertheless, while the M760i’s handling makes it feel smaller than it is, once the twelve-cylinder engine and its twin-turbos spool up, you’re glad it has that longer wheelbase.

Put down through a sublimely quick 8-speed automatic transmission, the M760i’s acceleration isn’t like a supercar’s, angrily shouting as the world goes plaid. Rather, the twin-turbocharged V-12 propels the M760i with a force that feels like tectonic plates smashing into one another, pushing aside pieces of each other’s landmass in its wake.

There’s a sense of urgency, but not a sense of harshness. Think of it as the anti-911 Turbo S, where launching from a standstill feels as if you’re damaging your internal organs. That’s not the way of the M760i. Power builds and builds and builds until you’re doing extra-legal speeds stupendously far from where you started. It’s addictive and you’ll find yourself cruising on the highway well above the fastest legal limits in any state of the Union, just as you’d find yourself in any of its real M siblings.

But the M760i needs to be so much more than just a locomotive M car to be a success; it also needs to maintain the quintessential luxury formula of the 7 Series. That formula means transporting the 7 Series’ various owners and/or clients speedily in spacious comfort, devoid of sound, vibrations, and all other senses. A 7 Series should be a perfectly sealed safe, protecting and cosseting its occupants from the outside through thick doors, acoustic glass, and indulgent leather. And BMW’s M760i almost checks each of these boxes.

Inside, the bank-vault-like doors close with a commanding thud, sealing occupants away. Outer noise, whether it is from wind or the throngs of the unclean masses, is practically nonexistent. There’s just a hint of wind noise that comes through near the B-pillar at around 90-95 mph, but fret not, as the M760i comes complete with one of the finest audio systems on sale today and will drown out every ounce of road and wind noise that’s able to seep into the cabin.

Equipped with the standard Hi-Fi Harmon/Kardon audio system (a1,400-watt Bowers & Wilkins system is available for $3,400 extra), the 16-speaker, 600-watt system is truly wonderful. High notes are crisp and bass notes suitably rumbly. I played concertos by Phillip Glass, Run the Jewels’ bombastic lyrics, operatic solos by Peter Hollens, and the party-starting lyrics of “Do Something Crazy” by Outasight. Nothing became distorted. Even reaching the upper echelons of the speaker’s volume capacity, myself singing along (definitely not in harmony), the music came through crystal clear. You just settle into the indulgent leather seats and let the music wash over you.

What isn’t tailored for anyone without a fetish for masochism, however, is the car’s iDrive system. When BMW first launched the iDrive system years ago, I worked at one of the company’s dealerships. It took five people two hours to figure out how to change the radio station. Somehow, in the interim, BMW has made the system even more impervious to consumer use; for instance, the simple task of pairing my iPhone.

It’s a routine I do on a nearly daily basis. Most systems take a minute. The BMW took nearly twenty—for comparison, I timed Ford’s new Raptor at just 30 seconds the day after I got out of the BMW. I thought I had paired my iPhone on the first try, but nothing worked. Not my phone, not my music, nothing. I unpaired it, re-paired it, unpaired it again, almost gave up, attempted to re-pair the phone, swearing it would be the last time and finally succeeded after finding the right command.

Feeling triumphant, I then made the mistake of looking for the M760i’s massage function—a mistake of biblical proportions, excuse the hyperbole. But buried under layer after layer of menus, and another twenty minutes of damning the iDrive to hell, I finally found the massage seats controls. I may come from the generation where tech literacy is second nature, but this system is maddening to learn even for a millennial such as me.

Where the car falls slightly, however, isn’t in the impregnable interface—that can be learned—but rather after you’ve turned off the serpentine canyons, switched back to Comfort mode, and began cruising along on your daily commute.

In the M760i, BMW made a M7, unfortunately building something slightly antithetical to the 7 Series’ image of luxurious comfort in the process. On uneven pavement, like the kind you get in nearly every state in the U.S. of A., it transmits far too much noise and harshness back into the cabin for the thin royal bloodlines BMW targets with the 7 Series lineup. Our roads aren’t the pristinely smooth ribbons of tarmac that Germany and the rest of Europe enjoy, and that’s a big problem in a car optioned with 20-inch rims and nearly painted-on Michelin summer performance run-flat tires.

Tooling around town, it never delivers the ride quality the 7 Series is known for, let alone that of its main competitor, the S-Class, which, even in S63 and S65 AMG trims, is buttery smooth. While it could never deliver racecar levels of jitteriness, no matter how well the suspension’s “Comfort” mode is able to keep up with the ruts, pitted, and uneven pavement, there’s too little meat on the tires for the suspension to work with and impart a ride that befits its occupant’s stature. A tire with more sidewall would go a long way to helping smooth out the M760i’s ride. The available 19-inch wheels and associated all-season performance run-flat tires could aid in decreasing the relatively harsh ride.

When I was first wrestling with the M760i, I thought the car had too much of a split personality. On paper, the big Bimmer should be everything any monarch, head of state or dictator would ever want. It has a quiet yet powerful twin-turbocharged V-12 that feels as if it relishes in wafting you 3,000 miles to your summer castle and a presence that projects power and control. When I found that it lacked the basic luxuries of ride, comfort, and quietness that a 7 Series should offer, I thought it needed to choose from among its multiple personalities. Now I realize it just needs to have the right name.

If it were up to me, I would keep the upgraded V-12 engine, but add the smaller wheels and tires with more sidewall, and a softer-tuned suspension—a proper M760i. BMW could then label the car we tested a proper M7. But until BMW finds a focus for its top-spec 7 Series, I’ll pretend the “-60i xDrive” fell off the badge and it just says M7.

2017 BMW M760i xDrive Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $157,695/$171,895 (base/as tested) ENGINE 6.6L twin-turbo DOHC 48-valve V-12/601 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 590 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed dual-clutch LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, AWD sedan EPA MILEAGE 13/20 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 206.2 x 74.9 x 58.2 in WHEELBASE 126.4 in WEIGHT 5,250 lb 0-60 MPH 3.4 sec TOP SPEED 155 mph

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jesusvasser · 7 years

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One Week With: 2017 BMW M760i xDrive

These are proper M numbers—numbers that belong in the same breath as the M2, M3, M4, M5, and M6. But if the numbers don’t make you a believer, getting behind the wheel will.

Nevertheless, while the M760i’s handling makes it feel smaller than it is, once the twelve-cylinder engine and its twin-turbos spool up, you’re glad it has that longer wheelbase.

2017 BMW M760i xDrive Specifications

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robertkstone · 7 years

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One Week With: 2017 BMW M760i xDrive

These are proper M numbers—numbers that belong in the same breath as the M2, M3, M4, M5, and M6. But if the numbers don’t make you a believer, getting behind the wheel will.

Nevertheless, while the M760i’s handling makes it feel smaller than it is, once the twelve-cylinder engine and its twin-turbos spool up, you’re glad it has that longer wheelbase.

2017 BMW M760i xDrive Specifications

<a href='http://www.

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jonathanbelloblog · 7 years

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One Week With: 2017 BMW M760i xDrive

These are proper M numbers—numbers that belong in the same breath as the M2, M3, M4, M5, and M6. But if the numbers don’t make you a believer, getting behind the wheel will.

Nevertheless, while the M760i’s handling makes it feel smaller than it is, once the twelve-cylinder engine and its twin-turbos spool up, you’re glad it has that longer wheelbase.

2017 BMW M760i xDrive Specifications

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jesusvasser · 7 years

Text

One Week With: 2017 BMW M760i xDrive

These are proper M numbers—numbers that belong in the same breath as the M2, M3, M4, M5, and M6. But if the numbers don’t make you a believer, getting behind the wheel will.

Nevertheless, while the M760i’s handling makes it feel smaller than it is, once the twelve-cylinder engine and its twin-turbos spool up, you’re glad it has that longer wheelbase.

2017 BMW M760i xDrive Specifications

#IFTTT #Performance Junk WP Feed 4

0 notes