#meeting the fam

[teatitty]

It's way funnier to me to imagine that Geralt is the one who desperately wants Dandelion to winter at Kaer Morhen with him but Dandelion keeps saying no on the simple grounds that it's too fucking cold and do you want me to die Geralt? Do you want me to get hypothermia and fucking die?

And Geralt's like "please I am begging on my knees I will cuddle you every night to keep you warm I just need to prove you actually exist"

[bluerosefox]

Ghost Marriage Allows More Than One!

Tim wakes up in a hotel room in Vegas snuggled against a chest but he wasn't surprised.

He had been in the Sin City for a WE meeting and had brought Bernard along the trip since Tim's birthday was just shy a few days into it and well he wanted to spend time with his boyfriend since most of his family were off world (Dick, Jason, and Bruce all had important missions and they all apologized for missing out and Tim couldn't blame them he understood and he himself couldn't get out of the Vegas meetings no matter what he tried to do.) Or couldn't come to join him (Damian had school as did Duke and Alfred was taking care of them while the others were gone. Steph and Cass were out of country working with some important things with Babs and again he understood.) (Did it still sting yes but they all promised to make it up when they got back, Alfred even promised a coffee cake just for him)

So yeah, Vegas meeting trip turned somewhat birthday fun with his boyfriend. And since Bernard has always been good with encouraging Tim to try things it came to no surprise that during their stay he had managed to convince Tim to try drinking for the night.

Yes terrible influence Bernard was sometimes, but he did make a point. Tim was an adult now and sometimes it's okay to at least try adult dumb stuff, he didn't have to like it and could stop if he really didnt want to but he can at least say he tried it once. That it was okay for Tim to let go of his vigilante brain and just have fun in the one city that was made for it.

So try Tim did. Just for the night.

So yeah, Tim wasn't really surprised when he woke up the next morning, alcohol aftertaste on his breath, head pounding, nose scrunched up from the light of the sun peeking in from the curtains, and snuggling himself into a rather chilly chest...

Wait...

Chilly?

Tim opened his eyes when he realized that. Bernard never felt cold to Tim when they would snuggle, no he was always warm, like a warm heating blanket. It was why Tim loved snuggling him. Why was he-

Tim's eyes widened when he saw not blonde hair on the body in the bed with him but black hair. He almost flung himself off the bed from him startling awake and watched the one he had been snuggled next to mumble in his sleep and turn over.

Tim felt pure dread as he continued to stare, his stomach turning as his thoughts got bad, oh god..God... did he... oh no, no, no no. Oh where was Bernard- FUCK did he really-

Tim flinched when he heard a door open and snapped his eyes towards it. He felt his mouth go dry when he spotted his boyfriend coming out of what was the bathroom of the room and had just finished taking a shower from the sounds of left over dripping water and from the towel he was using to clean his hair.

Bernard stopped in his spot when he noticed Tim staring at him before he gave Tim a very uneasy chuckle, his eyes darting towards the sleeping body on the bed "H-Hey, good morning T. I see you... uhh seen our guest."

Tim felt ready to cry, to beg for forgiveness, but the only sound that came out was a strangled sound because of course he fucked up and ruined one of the best things that ever happened to him and-

But before he could spiral further into his anxiety and dread Bernard kept speaking.

"So ummm. Do you also remember meeting Danny at the bar, getting really tipsy, hanging out, having fun and then like going to a ghost bar with him so he could really drunk because he's like half ghost. And I mean like a legit ghost bar, like we saw Elvis and Marilyn Monroe there and they were like floating. Then we all got like super mega drunk and then... maybe kinda sorta got ghost married... because ghost marriage allows unlimited spouses cause you know, already dead doesn't matter and it's also almost permanent cause again the whole dead thing... Or did I hallucinate all that last night and we just brought in a random stranger to bed?" He asked his voice unsure as he looked between Tim and the stranger Danny in bed before lifting his hand up and showing Tim a glowing ring on it. "I'm pretty sure I didn't dream it up because I kinda woke up with this, and it refuses to come off."

Tim went silent for a moment, wide eyed as he stared back at Bernard before the pounding headache he had hit him harder than ever when the very memories of everything Bernard had said came flooding back to him. With a gasp Tim quickly looked st his own hand and sure enough on his finger was a matching glowing wedding band on it, his eyes snapped towards Danny... Danny Nightingale? Or was it Phantom? said his name was and spotted another matching one as well.

"B is going to kill us." Was the only thing Tim could muster up to say.

[dclovesdanny]

Super Brain Dead

3/3

Danny always hoped his soulmates wouldn’t hate him. as the experiments continued, all he could do was pray and hope that his soulmates would not hate him and curse himself for getting caught by the GIW.

They were in the middle of another experiment on him when the alarms sounded. Danny was aware of agents rushing around and yelling, but he could barely focus through the pain.

The door was busted down, and he could barely make out the members of the justice league. He mostly focused on red hood, the EO signature, toxic, but real. He winced as red hood undid some of his bindings, not noticing how red hood’s eyes went wide at the side of the injuries.

Red Hood picked him up bridal style before tapping his helmet.*Guys, I think I found Red Robin and Superboy’s soulmate* was the last thing Danny heard before he slipped off into unconsciousness.

[possibly-not-a-ghost]

Fake Cryptids, Real Ghosts

Ok, so dp x dc/batfam because this AU has me by the throat but what if it's the fake cryptid batfamily AU who never joined the JL.

Just...imagine it. The Batfamily has been protecting Gotham quietly but fiercely by scaring the daylights out of criminals as creatures that go bump in the night. A bit of stage magic, frightening method acting, contortion, a whole language comprised of chirps, growls, and body language, and the best tech possible and you've got a recipe for striking fear into the hearts of everyone.

They've got shrines on the rooftops, vaguely on the JL radar (Cause really, who's gonna believe that Gotham, one of the worst cities has a demon problem? Constantine? Homeboy took one look at Gotham and went Nope.) and they're protected cause any self respecting Gothamite wouldn't go spilling the beans to Outsiders. The Bats keep them safe. Who would believe them anyways?

Enter half dead, half alive Danny Fenton.

Danny Fenton who has a best friend's named Tucker and Sam who find out about the Gotham Cryptids, and go absolutely ham on research because here lies something,a bunch of someone's who are Other. Maybe they're creepy but they're cool and they're Heroes and they help people.

Sure, at first it was an attempt from Sam and Tucker to help their best friend feel less alone in the face of other, more 'normal' heroes and people out there in the world. Maybe they try to further bury the Bats online cause if anyone understands keeping on the down low, it would be Amity Parker's. For awhile, Danny Fenton, sometimes Phantom is simply happy to know he's not alone.

Then he's outed and his sister who's long since been ecto-contaiminated is put at risk there's nowhere that seems safer. Gotham is a chaotic city, even without the Bats factoring in. After all Gotham has (Demons-Spirits-Creatures?) The Bats already. Who would care if a halfa and his sister hide out there? As long as they're respectful of their territory, it'll be fine right? Besides, they've got to warn the Bats anyways about the GIW and government. They're coming after ghosts, who knows if they'll be next? Spooky things have to look out for each other after all.

Cue shenanigans as Phantom who stops hiding all of his creepier traits as a ghost walks up to the Totally Human but Faking it Batman with really thoughtful gifts for all of their shrines (And one fruitcake), no heartbeat and an earnest plea for a safe haven in their Haunt because the Ancients taught him manners and the importance of respecting another entities territory.

[dead-girl-tells-stories]

DC x DP Prompt

"I may think of you softly from time to time. But I’ll cut off my hand before I ever reach for you again."

//Arthur Miller, The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts

Trust me, I know it's just a quote but I believe that this would be such a good concept for the Demon Twin AU.

Like, I just imagine a scene where Danny and Damian are standing across the street from one another, Gotham traffic bustling between them. The sky is dark, and the rain is pouring. They have places to be just like the people they were blocking by standing in the middle of the street. But at that moment there was no fear, hatred, envy, or jealousy between the two. Only soft sorrowful longing as venomous green meets electric blue.

But the moment is broken when their respective families come up to them asking what's wrong. They both say it's nothing and move in the opposite direction, barely acknowledging each other's presence.

[iwanttoshareamorange]

I recently watched Batman and Superman battle of the super sons

And there was a moment where Damian was told the teen titans voted that he was not allowed to officially join the titans

None of the batboys are in the movie, which is a tragedy but basically what I’m trying to get at here is Tim voted Damian out because that’s what siblings are for

[kikie-e3]

...... Pinescone.... 2024

💥*explosion noises*💥

[midnight-els]

For All Mankind | Margo and Sergei / 1995 and 2003

We will. We will see each other again.

[isalabells]

>> [Margo] seems to be such a tightly wound individual. So I was wondering if you could talk to us a little bit about the roots of her tension. Because she seems like there’s so much repression, she’s holding so much in, but she expresses it through little moments that mean volumes when they come from her.

In season 1, there is this really kind of dynamite scene between Molly Cobb and Margo. And it’s right after a sim goes wrong, and Molly storms out, and Margo says, ‘What are you doing in there?’ And essentially, Margo says, ‘No no no, you have to be perfect.’ There is no room for air because, you know, a guy can mess up and he’s gonna get ten more tries. A woman messes up once, and that’s, you know, you’re done. So I think to a certain degree what you are seeing is that [...] Margo has to play things close to the vest. Because she knows […] she can’t make a mistake. So I think in some ways what you are seeing is her tracking something, or maybe something flickering across her eyes where there’s a little bit of reaction, but then she’s gotta cover that. And I think what’s been kind of interesting is that you see for three seasons how that evolves, as she becomes more and more powerful, and also more and more seasoned. I think sometimes, too, another interesting thing is as you become more experienced, there are certain things that maybe you show a little bit more about what you think, because you’ve seen so much and there really isn’t someone that is above you anymore. But then, in season 4, because Margo’s kind of thrown back to the bottom of the pecking order, she really has to keep everything buttoned up. And I also think that’s because Margo’s playing the most intense game of chess. Literally her life is at stake. And I think once she’s been interrogated and then becomes part of Roscosmos, she just never knows how  the tectonic plates beneath her feet are shifting. I think that’s part of it, too – she doesn’t know how much of it is safe to share. She’s always been a very private person, but I think in season 4 it’s really– now I’m working for a woman who if you really cross her once, you’re gone. […] And that’s one of the reasons that I felt like it was so fun to play all of the scenes in episode 6, in the storage room. You get to see this picture of her, up close, where she’s not having to kind of mask what she thinks.

[pistachi0art]

cold blue duo 👥

[officialrapunzelfitzherbert]

help me get out of poverty after fleeing a red state!!!

hey yall!!!

as you may know, i recently moved up to the northeast from the south. i loved florida and i'd done everything i could to survive down there as long as possible, but due to my disability i'm unable to drive. without public transportation, the only place i could work was a minimum wage job that kept cutting our hours. i'm so thankful for the support i got in order to get me here - i truly wouldn't have made it any longer without you.

i'm here, i'm housed, i'm working one part time job and looking for a second one, but between paying my movers and still being on another lease for the next 3 months because they dropped at the last minute that we couldn't sublet, i really don't know what else to do other than ask for help.

i've done everything i can on my own! i took out a loan to move but it ended up not being enough and i might not be able to get another one before rent is due. i tried to donate plasma but i won't be eligible without a doctor's note and i still don't have insurance. i've taken as much freelance work as i can find. a scheduling mixup screwed me over on my hours this month and i've exhausted all my other options.

i've started a gofundme with a very lofty goal - please know this is long term for the worst case scenario! i don't expect all of it, but there are smaller short term goals i need to meet.

$235 by October 1st (loan payments, monthly bus pass)

$1900 by October 4th (previous goals + late September rent and October rent)

$4500 total (previous goals + Florida rent for November and December - this will only be needed if I don't get a second job Or approved for another loan by November! If I somehow end up meeting this goal and then end up getting the loan and the job then any extra funding will go towards paying off my debt.)

yall have helped me once before and i wish i didn't have to ask again. i know the need everywhere is so great right now and we're all one missed paycheck away from losing everything. but if i can make it through these next 3 months then that's the best shot i have at getting out of the financial hole that being disabled in a red state had me in for so long.

thank you for being here!! love you all!!

(and if you'd like to support me financially AND get some art out of it my etsy shop and commissions are both open)

[starlitangels]

So let me get this straight

You named your child after a brand of electric fans

And yet

You had the audacity

To make him feel so bad that he ran away

Because he had air magic

What The F^&*?!?!?!

[toasterdrake]

if ben and sammy get to be dino parents so does robin. manifestation circle for firecracker appearance in ct s2

[machinegrl]

[whispersinthedawn]

Fluttering fireflies (Pt 1)

“You only have one tail,” Triton said in disappointment.

As the first words that his immortal brother could have said to him, it could have been a lot worse. In fact, if Percy considered all the ways it could have gone, Triton could have begun the conversation by picking out all the features that made him young, weak, an upstart god, and undeserving of existing let alone setting tail in the palace.

And so, Percy cheerfully pointed out, “Look on the bright side. At least I have two eyes.”

“Why does that matter?” the god asked blankly.

Well, it mattered because two eyes weren’t always a guarantee when one happened to be born the son of Poseidon and a mortal turned nature spirit. Then again, when the alternative was being a cyclops, Percy would have preferred being the ordinary merman he was pretending to be rather than one of Triton’s beloved two-tailed merpeople.

“He’s perfect the way he is,” Poseidon interrupted before Percy could open his mouth and let a quip fly.

“Of course,” Rhodes agreed. “I didn’t know you and mother were planning to have other kids though.”

Considering the number of children Poseidon had, Percy rather doubted any amount of planning had been involved, ever, but he held his tongue.

He wasn’t a son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, after all.

“Ah well,” Poseidon hedged.

“Not again,” Kymopoleia burst out, slamming her hands on the table. “Once again, you’ve gathered us here to celebrate your virility under the guise of celebrating a new addition to the family!”

Before Poseidon could do more than puff up in offense, Kymopoleia sneered, “Has it ever struck you that you keep having more kids but none of the old ones ever come to visit? Maybe if you put a halt on having more kids and focused on taking care of the ones you already have, you wouldn’t have to keep creating more to hide the fact that everyone but a newborn hates you?”

“Depends on the newborn,” Benthesikyme input judiciously. “Some of them are born with a startling degree of perspicacity.”

“So you have problems with him too?” Percy asked curiously.

That brought his arguing half-siblings to a stop.

“Too?” Kymopoleia inquired after a cautious pause.

Percy nodded.

“What did he do, promise you the world only to end up locking you up on an island?” Rhodes threw a jibe at Poseidon.

“Call you his prince and then treat you like a glorified errand boy?” Triton shot archly.

“Marry you off to a mortal and forget you exist?” Benthesikyme smiled.

“Or was it even worse?” Kymopoleia grinned with sharp teeth. “Create a being in his image only to retroactively realise that he’s really not all that and the kid’s just too destructive to have around his precious?”

“What are you anyway?” Rhodes followed up curiously. “A shark hybrid that has lungs instead of gills, a seaweed creature that requires meat to survive, a whale that can’t digest water? What problems has your parentage saddled you with?”

Percy tapped a finger on his chin, taken aback by the plethora of complaints. “Um,”

“He’s a god!” Poseidon input forcefully before Percy could come up with a palatable answer. “The newest one in the world, in fact.”

So new he was only eighteen years old. Practically infantile, really.

“What are you a god of?” Triton inquired, leaning back in his chair with an assessing gaze.

“Don’t know,” Percy answered uncomfortably. “I just make storms.”

And have disturbing dreams, create volcanic eruptions, and accidentally destroy bridges. Percy was destruction in a nutshell, really.

But even offering a watered-down version of his skillset or lack thereof didn’t stave off the outburst.

“So not only is there a new god in town, it’s also my replacement!” Kymopoleia shouted.

“I’m not a replacement!” Percy burst out, shaking his hands wildly. “I’m not even god of all storms or anything! Just hurricanes. On land.”

Kymopoleia stared at him incredulously. “Wow. You’re not even a subordinate. Just born, and you’re already halfway to dead.”

“Stop being so dramatic,” Poseidon commanded. “He’s a god, he’s your brother, and you’re going to include him while carrying out your duties.”

“So … you mean not only do I have a snot-nosed little brother, I have to babysit the kid now?” Rhodes concluded.

“Don’t take it personally,” Percy commiserated. “First I heard of this was when he came to my birthday, for the first time ever, and gave me a sand dollar and a tour around the palace with my family. Funnily, he never mentioned just who was going to be part of this family trip.”

Benthesikyme sighed. “He’s insensitive that way.”

“At least you’re all getting along, even if it’s about how much you resent me,” Poseidon said, sounding unsure whether he ought to be worried about that.

Percy dared to pat his father on the elbow. “Get used to it,” he advised. “That’s how all well-adjusted siblings bond.”

***

An AU where Percy is born the youngest god. Will be ultimately Perpollo but Apollo hasn't entered the scene yet.

Read on Ao3

Next

[puhpandas]

Stuck in the Loop

(2,764 words)

(Gregory convinces Evan to go on the biggest, scariest roller coaster in Hurricane. It goes just about how'd you expect.)

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"With sprinkles on top?"

"No!" Evan insists.

"Oh, come on!" Gregory deflates, running in front of Evan when he tries to get away from Gregory and getting in his face. "Go on the Red Death with me!"

Evan rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "No, Gregory. It's literally called the Red Death! Theres absolutely nothing you could do to make me get on that death trap!"

Not only does the name do nothing to make Evan want to get on it, but it's the scariest looking coaster in the park. Evan doesnt like coasters, or even rides in general, but when Gregory had heard about the complete lack��of rides Evan had gotten on an at amusement park, he hadn't stopped bugging him about it.

But Vanessa is off somewhere with Freddy, probably getting snacks, and Evan is left to Gregory's pestering alone.

"But doesnt the name sound cool?" Gregory asks, grinning. "They say a kid who got on it got his brain turned to mush because it went so fast and that's why they called it the Red Death."

Evan quirks a brow, finally stopping in his tracks so Gregory doesn't have to chase him anymore. "Wh-- what does that even have to do with the name though?"

"Um, because it was red and bloody and the kid died?" Gregory says like its obvious, shrugging at him.

"And that's what's supposed to make me want to get on it?"

Gregory sweatdrops, looking to the side. "Uh, well--"

"No thanks." Evan says, briskly walking past Gregory and gripping his cotton candy. "I dont really want to die on a roller coaster today. Much less to a head injury."

"Oh, come on!" Gregory whines, chasing behind Evan and gripping his bag. He has to yell over the sound of a coaster when Evan's walking caused them to get too close to it. "It'll be fun! I promise!"

"Not for me!" Evan yells. "I hate roller coasters!"

And its true. Last time Evan had gotten on a roller coaster, it had been a few years back, and it was because his parents hadn't cared enough to sit with him while Michael got on one of the big, scary coasters, with loopety loops and straight vertical drops, but he couldnt be left alone. So when he was forced to get on the coaster with Michael, he had thrown up all over his older brother.

That wasnt a fun day for Evan.

"I'm plenty content just looking at the sights and pretty lights." Evan says. "Better than getting a headache all day."

"Okay, look." Gregory starts, holding out his hands, and Evan knows this means hes going to offer a deal that isnt really fair enough to be considered a deal. "How about this."

Evan sighs. "Oh, boy."

"Hear me out!" Gregory insists with placating hands. "You go on the Red Death with me," Gregory begins, pointing at Evan, and then himself. "and I wont bug you about a ride again all day."

To Evan's surprise, Gregory's proposal actually gets his attention. "Really?" He asks with wide eyes.

Gregory grins. "Yep!" he says. "This one coaster, and I wont even mention the Ferris Wheel."

That causes Evan to perk up. The Ferris Wheel is the bane of his existence. Not since he'd gotten on one as a younger kid and been stuck at the top for what felt like hours, scared out of his mind of the heights with his Father of all people. Michael would tease him, but his Father had barely a drop of humor in his body, and everything he'd said about Evan's fear was cold, harsh, and brutal.

Now Evan likes the blinking and flashing neon lights, that are always present on the Ferris Wheel, and always spottable from anywhere in the park. Especially when it gets dark and they shine all pretty like. But he's only been able to enjoy those from the ground, never on a high enough coaster with his eyes open and not squeezed shut with fear of plummeting down a two hundred foot drop, so it's not enough to stave off his hatred for the ride.

"Not once? Wont try to force me on it?" Evan ventures.

Gregory almost looks offended. "I would never force you on a ride. What do you take me for, a monster?" He furrows his brows, then holds out his hand to shake. "No mention of the wheel, or any other rides you dont want, and I'll buy you a funnel cake."

Evan's eyes sparkle, and he grasps Gregory's hand and shakes it at the promise of a funnel cake. "Deal."

Gregory grins almost as bright as the flashing lights at the prize games, and Evan doesnt actually realize what he agreed to until they're standing in line, and he can see just how far the Red Death travels high into the sky.

Evan feels queasy as the line moves forward, and the sight of the straight down vertical drop and loopity loops vanish from sight after entering the boarding area. "Oh, no..."

Gregory just claps him on the shoulder, and smiles. "Exciting, huh?"

Evan shakes his head and trembles as he watches a group in front of them be sent off on the coaster. "If you call feeling like you're gonna throw up exciting."

"Itll be fun." Gregory insists, but then meets Evan's eyes and gets serious, voice hushed over the excited chatter of the guests they share the line with. "Hey, you get on this coaster with me and dont like it, I wont ask you to get on another one, okay?"

Evan furrows his brows. "I thought that was already the deal."

"I mean it, though. Seriously." Gregory pushes, smiling. "I want this to be fun. And if it isnt, then I won't suggest doing something you didnt like again."

Evan just stares, and definitely doesnt tear up a bit when Gregory is nothing but sincere. "I-- Um-- Alright." Evan stutters, wiping at his eyes. "I'll try it, okay? I'm just... not that into feeling scared for fun. I already feel that way on my own enough."

"I get it." Gregory tells him, and holds him in a side hug when it's their turn to step up to the weird cart sculpted like a dragon. "Oh! Looks like we're next!"

Evan feels any sense of peace drain out of his body, replaced with anxiety now that its actually happening. "Oh, um-- Well, I--"

Gregory just steers him to a seat near the middle, and hands their bags to the attendant. "Nope. Too late. It's already happening." Gregory says good naturedly.

"Oh my god." Evan chokes out when hes strapped in, tight, secure, and pressed up against Gregory's shoulder. "Oh my god."

"It hasn't even started yet." Gregory laughs. And as if on queue, the ride pops and lurches, and Evan is only half aware of the embarrassment that colors his cheeks when he shrieks.

"Oh my god!" Evan says more forcefully this time, when the attendant says something Evan wasnt listening to, and the ride starts moving. "Gregory!"

Gregory just cackles when Evan is already pushing himself into the seat of the coaster before it's even gotten going. "Red Death! Red Death! Red Death!"

Gregory's chanting is joined in by others on the coaster, and Evan shakes his head when Gregory looks at him expectantly, a grin on his face.

"Look, you can see Vanessa from here!" Gregory says, looking over the edge of his side and waving.

It's only now that Evan un-fuses himself with the seat, and leans forwards to catch sight of Vanessa and wave, too.

But he'd chosen the exact same time that the coaster begins the drop.

The coaster lurches, and Evan only has enough time to look forward before Gregory is raising his hands in the air, and Evan is left grappling for purchase when the coaster leans forward, and begins to drop.

The nearest solid object turns out to be Gregory's arm, and Evan's stomach does flips when hes thrown downwards, down a completely vertical drop.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" Evan shrieks, barely heard over the wind whipping around his ears and through his hair. Evan feels his heart jump into his throat, and his gut into his ribcage when their cart sails towards the ground. Evan can barely see what's going on around him, too busy trying to hide his face in the event that it may teleport him off and deliver him straight to solid ground.

Through Evan's own screaming, he can hear Gregory cackling and whopping, and when he finally peels his eyes open, Gregory has one arm in the air, the other being clutched by Evan, and Gregory turns to him.

"Isnt this fuuun!!" Gregory screams through the noise of other guests shrieking, and the coaster rattling along the rails.

"I--" Evan goes to speak, but the coaster lurching again throws him forward, and he shrieks again, grabbing Gregory's arm with his other and wrapping his ankles around Gregory's calf. "I'm gonna die!"

Gregory screams with laughter at that, and he let's Evan cling to him like hes the only thing standing in between Evan and death.

Evan thinks that this is it, his soul has left his body and is heading to heaven when the coaster flips them upside down.

Gregory whoops with joy, but he grips Evan a little tighter. "This is the best part!"

Evan begs to differ, but he can't say so because hes too busy screaming his voice out.

Evan squeezes his eyes shut when he can see the sky beneath him and the ground above him, and he feels nausea crawl up his throat when the coaster lurches, and knocks him and Gregory against the protective railing.

He and Gregory Oomf! when they slam against the solid object, and Gregory makes an upset noise when the coaster slows down.

To Evan's horror, the coaster squeals against the rails, and slows to a stop.

Gregory doesnt say a word. The only sounds are other guests conversing in disappointment and the coaster popping and letting out steam.

Evan gapes as the coaster stills completely, and leaves him and Gregory hanging upside down, on the highest point of the coaster, stranded.

Evan holds his breath, completely frozen in shock, and Gregory gapes as well.

"Um." Is all Gregory can say. "Um. I think. I think we're um."

"Stuck? Stranded? Trapped?" Evan finishes for him.

Gregory scratches behind his head, hair hanging above his head. "Yeah. That."

"What's going on?" Evan can hear some others murmer. "Are they gonna fix it? When are they coming to get us?"

"How long are we gonna be stuck here for?" Evan asks Gregory, trembling when he can feel himself hanging off of the seat and his iron grip on Gregory's arm and the protective railing.

"...I don't know." Gregory says after a moment, sounding dejected.

Evan sighs out shakily, not daring to look above him, lest he see exactly how high up he actually is. "Oh boy."

Gregory turns to him, cheek pressed up against his shoulder. "Evan, I'm-- I'm so sorry--"

"Its okay." Evan cuts him off, and ignores the brewing anger inside of him, because this is exactly why he doesnt like roller coasters, and he'd told Gregory so. He sighs, and tries to be kind for his friend, who doesn't deserve any malice. "Its okay, Gregory."

"No, its not." Gregory insists, swinging forward to try to get in Evan's line of sight better, and Evan tries to ignore the bolt of fear shooting through his stomach when Gregory is displaced for a moment. "Its not okay, Evan. You said you didnt want to get on, and that you hated roller coasters, and I still forced you to get on one."

Evan squeezes his eyes shut, mouth dry. "I said that its okay, Gregory."

"I just wanted you to actually have a chance of having fun at an amusement park." Gregory continues, and when Evan opens his eyes at the emotion lacing his friends voice, he can see Gregory's upset face. "You've only ever been with your dumb family, and they suck too bad to let you be comfortable at a place like this."

Evan shuts his mouth, staring at Gregory with misty eyes when he keeps going.

"Every time you've gotten on a ride, you've always had Michael making you as scared as possible, and your Father ridicules you and makes you feel terrible." Gregory's voice cracks, and to Evans horror, he can see a twist in Gregory's lip, and his friend looks at the ground, er, well, the sky.

"I just wanted to give you a good experience. I just wanted you to have the opportunity to decide what you do and don't like, without your family breathing down your neck about it."

Evan's eyes swim with tears, and Gregory laughs humorlessly, neck twisting around and face scrunched up when the setting sun gets in his eyes. "Look where that got us."

"No." Evan mutters, voice thick. "This isnt your fault, Gregory. It's bad luck, sure, but..." He trails off. "I'm not angry at you. I could never. I've already had more fun with you than I ever did with my family. Please, just..." He wipes a tear away with his sweater. "Dont feel bad. You did nothing wrong."

Gregory smiles softly, but still shifts in discomfort. "...Thanks. But were still hanging upside down on the highest coaster in the park with no clear sign of rescue any time soon."

Evan nods at that, because its true. "Freddy's probably freaking out." Evan points out.

A laugh bursts out of Gregory, and he twists his head, as if he could see Freddys malfunctioning head from all the way up here. "Ness probably is too. I wouldnt be suprised if shes giving the employees a piece of her mind right now."

A laugh rips itself out of Evan, too, real and genuine, and his cheeks hurt from how much hes smiling (probably from how much he screamed, too), despite the situation they're in.

Eventually, of course, Evan gets a headache, and all Gregory can do is try to distract Evan from it while the employees take their sweet time rescuing them.

The sun, at some point, had begun to set, and right as Evan has resulted to resting his eyes all while trying to ignore the pounding in his head from the blood rush, Gregory slaps his arm repeatedly.

"Hey, Evan. Check this out." Gregory says, soft in awareness of Evans headache. Evan peels his eyes open, squinting at the bright light, but looks to where Gregory is pointing.

Evan's eyes open fully when he sees the sight in front of him.

Just over Gregory's shoulder, the sun has set over the park, casting a dark shadow across the attractions, but the sky itself is a beautiful painting of pinks, purples, and yellows, the sun at the center of it all.

The lights of the park glow and flash, the neon lights accentuated in the dark. From where Evan's sitting, he can see kids trailing after their parents as the guests file out of the park, some skipping and jumping, some holding giant prizes, and some asleep on their parents backs.

But the Ferris Wheel is what really grabs his attention. The lights stand out and glow against everything else like it's a beacon, and they flash in patterns and colors that captivate him from the beauty. Evan is able to see it in all its glory from his spot on top of the coaster.

Not to mention the unusual circumstances of being able to see this view upside down.

Evan gapes at the sight of it all, not uttering a word as he just absorbs it. Gregory is quiet as well.

Its peaceful. Just watching the sun set. Watching the lights glow. Watching the result of families heading home after a long day of fun, filled with love.

"You were right about preferring the sights." Gregory mutters after a while, some of the final remnants of the sun peeking through his hair and forming a halo around him. "This is awesome."

For some reason, Evan splutters a laugh at that, and it only intensifies when Gregory grins at him.

Maybe they are stranded on the scariest coaster in the state, thousands of feet off the ground and hanging upside down with no indication of a rescue coming soon, but it isnt so bad when Evan has Gregory.

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