#thanks for the prompt! <3

[ariadne-mouse]

5 min sketch prompt: fishing for mercalebs

This is the most tried and true method, according to my research.

[sydneyofalltrades]

prompt: noel and moni just working at taco bell and having to deal with annoying ass costumers

ps i love your writing and this au so much !!!

gotcha covered anon. altho i haven’t been in a Taco Bell in like nine years so this is gonna be skewed horribly. also thank you!!! <3333

“Excuse me? What does it take to get some service around here?”

Moni walked over to the cashier, sipping another can of RedBull. “Welcome to Taco Bell, ma’am, how can I help you?”

The woman behind the counter looked at her in disgust. “Do you have anyone else back there? Someone who I could understand?”

Moni gritted her teeth. “Terribly sorry, ma’am,” she said in her best Canadian accent, “I was just trying to elevate your mood. How can I help?”

The woman sneered. “I’d like a number 2 with a large Baja Blast,” she said. Moni nodded slowly.

“Anything else,” she asked.

“No, of course not. And use gloves.”

Moni sighed deeply. “That’ll be $18.43”

The woman gave her a twenty and she handed her her change. “Your meal will be here shortly,” she said, and walked into the kitchen.

“Noel, get up,” she snapped. Her brother shot awake.

“I’m alive!”

He shook his head. “What’s up, Mon?”

She handed him the order. “I’m heading back to the cashier, you handle this.”

She trudged back to the counter and took a long chug of the RedBull can. She was going to need five more if the rest of the customers would treat her like that.

“Number 2 with Satan spit,” Noel said, passing it to his sister. Moni nodded and the woman walked back to the counter.

“Finally. Give me that.”

Moni gave her the tray, and the woman glared at her angrily.

But then she was gone and Moni finally had a moment of peace.

“Ugh, I’d take a smoking break if I could,” she mumbled to herself. She needed it.

“Mon? Give me a Monster, I’m drinking away my sorrows.”

The Gruber siblings drank their energy drinks, both with heavy bags under their eyes and the crappiest attitudes.

Then they both heard wailing. Loud, ear splitting wailing.

“Not it!”

Noel ran back to the kitchen and Moni turned to him. “Oh, when I get my hands on you-!”

“Excuse me?”

Moni turned back to the counter and saw a family of four, two parents and two screaming children.

“Welcome to Taco Bell,” Moni said, slapping on a smile and her fake accent, “How can I help you?”

The mother tried to calm her children down while the father ordered. Instead of quieting, it only made the kids louder.

“You know what,” Moni said, after finally getting the order to her brother. She put on a pair of gloves and got two ice cream cones. She gave them to the children and they looked at them in excitement.

“Ice cream!!”

Moni smiled. “Here you two go!”

She looked at the parents. “Free of charge. You need a break.”

They looked at her gratefully and the kids ran over to hug her. Ruining her purple uniform with their ice cream.

“Oh, darn.”

Without the cream in their cones, the kids’ screaming only multiplied.

Noel handed the parents their meals and winced.

“Thank you for trying,” the father said. But Moni turned to the kids.

“Okay, rugrats, can it.”

They both looked at her and she glared at them. “Your parents gave you a day off, in a mall for crying out loud! So be grateful for what you have and give us all a break by shutting it!”

The kids stayed silent in fear. Moni turned to the parents. “I’m sorry, but they’re headaches.”

The parents walked off in confusion and the kids held in their sobs.

Noel whistled. “Moni Gruber, child whisperer.”

Moni rolled her eyes. “Shut up.”

[akirakirxaa]

running your finger down their spine !!! dealers choice

[Prompt list here! Set after Endwalker during the time skip before 6.1.]

She'd never felt so cold.

It was as if the snow and ice around her had crawled under her skin, chilling her to her very soul. The rot of the body her soul had been forced into felt like a sludge dripping from her spirit, dragging her down and down, suffocating her. Around her, the bodies of her friends, her family, scattered about, every Scion cut down, blood staining the snow crimson. And her body, standing among them, eyes cold and face twisted into an unfamiliar sneer and no matter how she wanted to she couldn't move, couldn't do anything as she felt the cold's claws clambering at her heart and tears froze on the rotting, borrowed face-

Akira jerked awake with a strangled cry, tears streaking down her cheeks as wide eyes took in her surroundings, her heart galloping like it might just run right out of her chest. The gentle breeze across her skin was warm; she recognized the area around her as the island Tataru had gifted her. There was no snow, no cold, no detached stare and sneering smile from her own face. She nearly jumped from her skin when something touched her arm, but when she looked next to her on her small bed she was met with the concerned ruby-red gaze of G'raha Tia.

This wasn't the first time she'd woken from nightmares, and it'd be far from the last. The first time it'd happened when she was sharing a bed with Raha, she'd scared the life from him with the way she wailed as if injured, remembering the agony of the Light. Now he was used to the waking, but he never seemed to get used to how shaken she was in the aftermath. Without words, he folded her into his embrace and she buried her face in his chest, Raha diligently refusing to flinch at the scrape of her horns against his skin.

"What happened?" he asked, but he really meant 'which was it'.

"He killed you all," the sound was muffled in his chest, but he heard. "He killed all of you and I was too late." He rested his head on hers and ran his hand up and down her back soothingly, a low, reassuring purr vibrating through her horns.

"We're all here," he soothed. "You did make it in time, and we never believed he was you in the first place. It was never going to happen that way." He slowly readjusted them, tucking her back under the light covers, never letting go. She clung to him like a life raft as he ran his fingers lazily up and down her spine, trying to reassure with touch what she did not trust in words.

"Sleep, Starlight," he murmered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Everything will be brighter in the morning." When he pulled back he saw she was looking up at him, the fear in her amethyst eyes not quite abated.

"What if I just go right back into my nightmares?"

"Then I'll be here to pull you out again," he pressed his forehead against hers, breathing evenly in the same space she was. "I promise." Hesitantly, she closed her eyes, and he never let go, not even after her breathing evened and her hands loosened.

And when she woke the next morning, everything was a bit brighter.

[lauriel-lunar]

When Frodo awoke, the ground was alarmingly soft and warm. He sucked in a breath and scrambled to his senses, sitting bolt upright.

As he did, he pushed off the layers of blankets. He was not on the ground after all. He was in a bed: a vast Man-sized bed, in a house, in Minas Tirith. He was alone.

Frodo rubbed his arms, gazing out the high window into a pitch night for a long moment. He thought, and wondered, and chastised himself for feeling so empty when he had been provided such a luxurious shelter, more vittles than he could want for, healing salve for his wounds, and the safety of his friends. Under a pile of blankets, far more than what scarcity he had grown accustomed to, he felt colder than ever. And he missed Sam; he wished to simply turn and see his dear face, or to feel his arms securely wrapped around his middle. All other comforts felt wrong now.

With a sigh, he descended from the bed. He padded silently down the hall, where he found a candle flickering dimly in the kitchen — and Sam himself at the counter, looking thoughtfully at the moon.

Frodo stood in the doorway, almost hesitant to intrude upon such an intimately personal moment. Just as he was debating whether to announce himself as any polite hobbit should, or to simply go back to his room before he was noticed, Sam turned and offered an understanding smile. His eyes were warm and honeyed in the dim light, inviting him in.

"Can't sleep either, Mr. Frodo?"

Frodo gave a soft shrug and slowly came forward, out of the shadows.

“I can’t get used to it. Sleeping in a bed.” He came up to the window that Sam had been looking through. A tree from the garden reached with bare branches, black into the indigo sky. Moonlight flooded the garden. “What about you? Why can’t you sleep?” 

Sam gave a shrug of his own, walked to the window and set the candle between him and Frodo on the sill.

“Oh, just…” He put a hand on the sill, drummed his fingers there for a moment. He looked up at the moon. “It’s this moonlight. Sky was black, night an’ day, for weeks. And now the sky is clear and the moon is bright as if there weren’t no darkness at all. Never thought I’d have to get used to the moon again. Never thought I’d see the moon again.”

He turned his gaze back to Frodo. His eyes were so warm and his face glowed in the candlelight- but the moonlight silvered his hair, catching his curls in light like white fire. He was beautiful to look upon. But the moonlight was like the unknown, spilling through the window in sharp beams between them. 

“You’ll see it again, but you’ll never look at it the same way again,” Frodo murmured, and his words surprised himself.

Sam was quiet for a moment. His hand no longer drummed nervously. The candle flame flickered, but he was very still. 

“It don’t mean it’s changed,” He whispered.

They locked eyes and said nothing for a long moment. Even the flame had gone still.

“Do you look at me the same way?” 

Sam swallowed hard, but he did not look away. 

“No.”

Frodo could feel his heart slowly sinking, but tried to hide his disappointment. Of course, Sam could not respect him anymore. Not after his failure. Knowing his weakness. Frodo glanced up at the moon. The same moon that dangled over the Shire, languid on misty spring nights such as this. The Shire would not be the same, either. Not for Frodo. Frodo hadn’t expected to return home, and in the end, Sam had become his home. 

Frodo took a deep breath, let out a shuddering sigh. It was okay that Sam had no love for him. Whatever was left for Frodo to do in this life, it was unknown, and he could walk into the unknown alone. 

“I understand,” he finally said, looking back at Sam. “You’ve seen me in the dark.” Softly, he leaned and blew out the candle. The smoke furled and rose in unhurried lines. Frodo and Sam were bathed in moonlight only. 

“Aye, I’ve seen your darkness,” Sam whispered. He reached his fingers out gently to touch Frodo’s. “And I’ve seen my own. And mine came when I thought I’d lost you.” He stepped forward so that their faces were close. 

“Truth is,” Sam continued, taking both Frodo’s hands in his own, running his thumbs along his knuckles. “I don’t like bein’ away from you. Even just to sleep. And I thought I was just worried about danger, but we’re safe now, and I don’t. I don’t want to be parted from you. And, I love you.” The words came out light and quick, and his blush was visible even in the moonlight. “And so,” he stammered, “I can’t sleep. But if I stay up, it’s almost like keepin’ watch. Like I’m protectin’ you, still.” He stared down at their hands. 

Frodo’s heart thundered away in his chest. He could not have heard true. But here Sam was, unable to look at him. Frodo could hardly breathe. He leaned forward. He kissed Sam’s mouth. The softest kiss, softer than candleflame. The world dropped away- all Eӓ was silent. 

“Let’s keep watch together, then,” And he kissed Sam again.

***

(I’m sorry this took me so long to respond to! I hope you enjoyed it! If you ever send me another, I promise to respond more quickly! <3 <3 <3)

[sycopomp]

Ooh! A mystery project you say? Hmm, how about either 1 "This is going to hurt" or 25 "Bite down on this" ? (I just really like the hurt comfort of someone trying to help their friend or loved one go through necessary pain in order to heal dkjfghkfjg)

Dawn was slow to break, but you were patient. The electric cracks and pops felt like sparks against your ear drums, but you turned your head away rather than watch Moon writhe in the grass. His claws tore into the soil as he buried his face in the ground and growled out his pain, shoulders hiked up and back arched as he kept one burning red eye locked on you all night. You didn’t return his gaze, simply kept your distance after he took that first swipe at you when you arrived on the scene.

You could put the pieces together, staring at the paw prints in the dirt, the tufts of fur he’d torn from their pelts– and the most obvious piece of evidence. Looking out toward the cadaver, you pondered what to do with the wolf’s remains. Probably take it out into the woods and bury it; you didn’t want to do it too close to your property, lest something pick up the scent and try digging it up. Bad enough that a pack had even ventured this close.

Letting your eyes drift over the fence, you watched the flock as they dozed huddled close together. The fact that they were asleep at all meant the wolves hadn’t gotten too close.

Lowering your gaze, then turning it toward Moon again, you forced yourself to watch the shudders wracking his frame as he bared his fangs, oil leaking from his missing arm, wires hanging ragged from the chunks they had taken out of him. 

A breeze rustled the leaves, and his eye darted away, pupil dilating to a pinprick, tension rippling through his body. Ready, ready, ready, ready. You knew there was nothing there. 

You felt tired just watching him. 

Let the sun rise.

As the light spilled over the horizon and blanketed him, the change came over them; more painful than usual, for all of the damage, and when Sun woke he was gasping, the sound staticky and wretched like a sob. “Easy,” you soothed immediately, and he whipped his head around, eyes filled with hurt and fear. “I’m here.” 

Your words seemed to reassure him; you wouldn’t say that if you had done this to them… which, why would you? He knew better than that, but fear was a fickle thing. “W-w-w–” The word rattled in his throat, and he looked down at himself, recoiling in horror.

“Don’t,” you started, then stopped. Moving forward, slowly then with confidence when he didn’t lash out like Moon had, you crouched down and laid a hand on his arm. “There were wolves,” you explained quietly. “They attacked the flock. Moon protected them.”

Sun looked up at you, eyes widening with worry before softening in relief. Then, there was pity, gently lacing his one arm around himself as though he could hug his lunar counterpart. “O-o-h-h,” he murmured, voice box crackling. “M-mo-o-n…” 

You chose not to tell Sun what Moon had been like for the past few hours. Wired, wild. He hadn’t let you near enough to help, hadn’t been able to say a word through the fury, the fear. “C’mon,” you sighed, resting your hand over his. “Let’s get you fixed up.

“This is gonna hurt.” 

[ky-landfill]

First I love your art. It's GORGEOUS

Second please please please please do some jayroy. I beg you

Luv you

[triplehearts]

We’ll take turns to untangle the knots

Though our hands may be tied

It’s all a part of the plot

[erwinsvow]

an idea… rafe and shy reader having sex for the first time

everything's overwhelming with rafe, but this is particularly so. you thought you were completely ready for it, from the way you had handled everything else so well. in fact, rafe was the one taking things at the slowest pace possible, trying to make sure he didn’t pressure you into something you weren’t ready for.

you didn’t like it—thought he was trying to be something he’s not. he’s gentle with you but never like this, never to this extent. it must be a big deal then, sleeping with rafe, giving him your virginity, you finally decide, if he’s acting so differently about it.

in fact, you think you’ve been ready to give it up since you first started dating him. rafe brings it out of you, coaxes a different side of you out with gentle words and soft touches. you’re going mad over it. you can’t count the amount of times you’ve crawled into his lap at any given opportunity, anywhere the two of you are alone—his truck, the couch in your living room and at tannyhill, the hidden booth at the country club. you’re begging for it, not sure how much more obvious you can get.

you finally decide tonight’s the night—following a nice dinner with the two of you. you had spent extra long getting dressed up, a pretty white lingerie set on underneath your blue dress, all done up for rafe. finally back at tannyhill, entire body vibrating and tingling with excitement, you don’t wait another moment, crawling into rafe’s lap and kissing him hard. you take off your dress and rafe stops just for a second to take in how forward you’re being.

“hey,” he finally breathes against your lips, pulling away. “c’mon, you’re not ready for this.” 

“yes i am!” you whine, impatient and horny, feeling rafe get hard underneath you. you want him to be able to do all the things you know he wants to do, want them done to you. “i am, i am-” and you lean back to kiss him, ending up pinned underneath him before long.

he knows you’re not, but he plays along. you’re so wet already he doesn’t have to do much, but he makes you cum all over his fingers anyways, hoping it’ll satiate you.

“please, rafe,” you moan against his mouth, pushing in for another needy kiss. “wan’ it inside. please.” and he does know you, knows everything about you, but even he can’t resist when you say things like that.

you watch with big eyes while he lines himself up with your wet hole, hovering over you. you think you’re so ready, that three of rafe’s fingers inside you should be comparable to what you’re about to feel, that you’re more than prepared. your eyes squeeze shut when rafe pushes inside, all the air leaving your lungs. you try to moan out but it’s more of a gasp than anything else, one that rafe swallows into a kiss. 

your eyes get watery—it’s just habit. it hurts, too, because rafe is so much bigger than you expected. you bite your cheek, looking up at rafe through teary eyes and clasping a hand over your mouth—you don’t want to admit that he was right. 

“c’mon kid, give it up. y’not ready for this, i know you,” rafe says, leaning in close to your ear to whisper it quietly. he’s not even half-way inside you.

“i-i can take it,” you hiccup. you hate disappointing rafe.

and it’s not that he doesn’t want to—he does, desperately so, wants to fuck you within an inch of your sanity every time you walk into a room and look at him with your shy eyes and sweet smile. he wants to break you, wants you cumming on his dick until there’s nothing left in your head, no shyness left in your heart. but he wants it when you’re ready for it, not like this.

it only takes another minute, you finally admit you’re not ready, and rafe pulls out of you. you feel like crying, terribly sad and dejected, wishing you could just be normal for rafe for once, be what he wants. 

“stop,” he says, wiping away a stray tear. his arm rests over your stomach, trying to get you to lighten up. “when you’re ready for it, i’ll fuck you until you can’t think. s’just not today, kid.”

you finally agree when he says that, getting over it because you know without a doubt in your mind—rafe knows you better than you know yourself.

[becca-e-barnes]

all i can think about is bucky literally BEGGING to eat your pussy. just on his knees, calling himself a needy slut, just looking up at you with puppy dog eyes while he just begs for your pussy on his mouth. ugh.

Men who are this into eating pussy have a special place reserved for them in Heaven. Hearing someone beg to go down on you is life changing when they know what they're doing 🙈

But you're so right, Bucky would be so willing to degrade himself like that just to be allowed to go down on you. He'd be on his knees, trying to ignore how full his balls feel, begging for you.

"P-please." His voice is so quiet you almost start to question if he said it intentionally. "I need to taste you. I can't think about anything else."

His cock twitches despite how heavy it looks, flushed and angry against the pale skin of his thighs.

"Really?" You tease, tilting his chin up with two fingers so he's looking at your face, rather than your body. "Tell me exactly what you're thinking. Describe it to me"

He doesn't miss a beat. "I'm thinking about how soft you are, how warm and silky your cunt feels under my tongue. I'm thinking about burying my tongue as deep inside you as I can reach and still wishing I could get deeper. I want to feel how wet you are but more than anything, I want to taste how wet you are. I want to dream about it for the rest of the week. Every time I stroke my cock I want to be able to remember how you taste."

Precum drips from his tip and you're not sure you can deny him much longer. Not when he's making it sound so appealing.

"Do you even hear yourself?" You do your very best to act like you don't love the sound of every word that has just come out of his mouth.

"I do. I sound like a shameless, filthy, desperate slut. The type of slut who wants to kiss and lick and worship your sweet pussy until you're so sensitive you have to force me to stop." His hand wanders between his own legs, tugging his stiff length to the mere thought.

He's not above begging and you know that. He'll draw this out as long as he needs to until he gets his way but there's very little sense in that when you want this just as much as he does.

"Lie on the bed." You give him time to make his way over before following, lining yourself up just above his face.

You take a second to smooth his hair, enjoying the feeling of his freshly shaved face against the sensitive insides of your thighs.

He's looking up at you, your eyes meeting his. "Thank you." The relief in his voice is clear right before he grasps your hips and pulls you down onto his mouth.

Fuck, he's incredible. This is the mouth you dream about when you're alone. His tongue massages your clit, stroking back and forth before dipping into your fluttering entrance. You swear he must feel what he's doing to you. You feel your cunt clenching and rippling, your muscles contracting in response to the pleasure and for a second you wonder if he can tell.

He's hungry for this; he has been for hours. He's moaning and slurping obscenely, his tongue buried in your cunt. You don't even need to look over your shoulder to know that he's alternating between fucking his own fist and gripping the base of his shaft tight enough to stop him from spilling his release all over himself too soon.

It's very hard to tell which of you enjoys this more.

[rafesmuse]

https://www.tumblr.com/rafesmuse/743661178308427776/rafe-cameron-the-type-of-boyfriend-to-keep-your?source=share

this!!! but you’re Sarah’s best friend. Rafe being a dick constantly finds a way to flash your nudes in front of her. One day she asks when you got that tattoo because she’s never seen it before. You think no one but rafe should be able to see that tattoo, when the realisation hits you turn bright red and you definitely shout at him about it later that night but he’s too busy trying to undress you to listen

link!

omg pls he’s such a fucking dickhead sdjdkdkd like that man does not give a fuck! he’d be with sarah in the house when he ‘accidentally’ drops his wallet with your nudes inside of it and acts like he doesn’t notice so she picks it up for him. “rafe you dropped your wa- what the fuck is this?” “oh whoops, im just so clumsy, aren’t i?” he’d reply sarcastically with a smug smile on his face as he snatches the wallet from sarah’s hand.

“i didn’t know you had a tattoo” sarah would later bluntly say when you’re hanging out together, completely catching you off guard. “what? i- i mean, i do, but how do you kn-“ your eyes instantly widen when the realisation eventually hits.

so later that night, you storm into rafe’s room, shouting, while he just lazily sits on his bed, scrolling on his phone. “RAFE CAMERON, I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD. why the FUCK did sarah see those pictures?!” “jesus, relax baby, it was just an accident, a’ight?” he snaps back as you now sit next to him on the bed, still glaring at him with an infuriated expression. “rafe! those are meant for your eyes only!” he’s too busy now attentively pulling the traps of your top down, not even paying attention to what you’re saying anymore. “yeah yeah, i’ll be more careful next time, got it. now, c’mere and let me make it up to you.”

[ansonmountdaily]

Captain Christopher Pike's outfits in STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS → Season 1 - 2 (requested by anonymous)

(Young Lieutenant Pike in the field jacket and red operations uniform is from a 1x06 "Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach" deleted scene on the Season 1 dvd. It's a little flashback scene with Pike in a shuttle. It ends with him beaming back to USS Aryabhatta, the ship he served on at the time with Number One/Una.)

Star Trek: Discovery outfits here.

[sydneyofalltrades]

if we can still request moni stuff could you write her and mischa just smoking and talking ?♥️

YES!! you may ask for absolutely anything bc i love them sm and also miscast shit we got it

Moni walked out of the school building, watching the other students leave with their friends, finally glad another week was over. She appreciated the weekend, but it gave her nothing to do.

Unless the town’s Ukrainian bad boy asks her if she wants a hit. Then she’s pretty busy.

“Hey, Mon!”

Mischa ran over to her, and she saw people wince and walk off. They didn’t know him the way she did. They way he opened up to her.

Moni smiled. “Misch! What’cha got for me?”

He dragged her behind the school. “Figured we got an hour or so before teachers catch us. Here.”

He handed her a joint and she took it. “Alright, what’s up?”

She lit hers and saw him mirror the action. He shrugged.

“It’s tiring,” he started, “I just- parents don’t understand me, life is always being shitty. Nothing makes sense. I hate it here. I’ve been here a while and I still hate it.”

Moni nodded and let him talk it out. They both hated how forced their lives could be.

“It’s not that they don’t give me space, they don’t try to get to know me,” Mischa huffed angrily, “They stuff me in the basement and don’t want to figure out who I am. They don’t ask how my day’s been, if I’ve eaten, they just-“

He sighed and took a drag from the cigarette. Moni didn’t have that kind of home life, when her mother was around, she did ask about Noel and Moni’s day.

“Well, would it help if I did?”

Mischa looked up. “Hmm?”

Moni pulled her cigarette out of her mouth. “If I checked in on you. When your adoptive parents don’t. Maybe that would help.”

Mischa paused for a second. The smoke from the blunt distorted his features, but she knew he was lost in thought.

“Sure. If you want. Don’t force yourself to, it’s not worth it.”

Moni sat next to him. “Misch. You’re the rudest, loudest, most rebellious bastard in Uranium. But you’re also my friend.”

She placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. “Friends help each other out. No matter how much it takes.”

Mischa smiled. “Thanks, Mon.”

They sat there, behind the school building, smoking and talking, until they were both caught and given a price of two weeks of detention.

[luxaofhesperides]

“You know, I never realized how true the ‘eyes are the windows to your soul’ thing was until I saw yours.” + fluff + cafe AU ; requested by @kiv1!

He’s sure Danny didn’t expect to see him every other day after he casually mentioned that he had gotten a part time job at a local cafe. However, as his friend, it is Duke’s moral duty to only get coffee from that shop while Danny is on shift, specifically to annoy him. 

Also, so he can support his friend, but being annoying takes priority.

It’s a routine now, for both of them. Danny clocks in for his shift and an hour later Duke is strolling into the cafe with his eyes locked on Danny’s. The rest of the baristas always shove Danny up to the register when they see Duke, taking over whatever order he was making. Even some of the other regulars turn their attention up to the counter, hoping for another few minutes of entertainment.

Danny sighs as he gets ready to input Duke’s order. It’s never the same one, because Duke would hate to be predictable and make things easier for Danny, but it has the side effect of making him realize that some of the expensive, seasonal drinks are really good. 

It’s a bit hard on his wallet, but it’s a price he’s willing to pay for teasing Danny. 

“Hey,” he greets cheerfully as he leans against the counter, grinning at Danny.

Danny sighs again. “What can I get you today, random customer that keeps bothering me.”

“A latte, but make it sweet somehow. And iced.”

“What size would you like?”

“Let’s go with medium today.”

“Anything else?”

“Yeah.” Duke leans closer to Danny, watching as he fights down a smile. “I just gotta say that you got gorgeous eyes. You know, I never realized how true the ‘eyes are the window to your soul thing’ was until I saw yours.”

Danny considers this for a moment, then shakes his head. “It kind of sounds like your trying to steal my soul through my eyes.”

“Why is that what your mind goes to?”

“Well. I watched Coraline last night.”

Duke stares at Danny, taking in the dark circles under his eyes. “...Didn’t you say that movie gave you nightmares as a kid?”

“Yeah! And it turns out, it gives me nightmares even now!”

“And ruined my pick up line,” Duke complains playfully.

“It was too cheesy anyways,” Danny replies, putting Duke’s order into the screen. It prints a moment later, no doubt with some bizarre name since Danny refuses to actually name Duke on his orders, and then recites the price. 

He pays and watches as Danny slaps the order onto a medium sized up, then tosses it over to the barista making the drinks. He’s not actually sure what her name is since she refuses to wear a name tag, but she always gives him a wave and also a rating of how good his pick up lines are.

“Seven out of ten!” she calls out to him today, then gets started on making his drink.

“I don’t see why you don’t flirt with anyone else,” Danny says, “I’m pretty sure my coworkers like your pick up lines even more than they like me.”

“Why would I want to flirt with them? Danny, I’m literally only here to bother you.”

Danny rolls his eyes. “Yeah, trust me, I know. My good looks just keep pulling in business.”

He says it like a joke, but it’s true. Duke has noticed it. Danny’s coworkers have noticed it. His manager noticed it and now has him out on the floor every shift. If they can get him to work on the chalkboard sign outside, or wipe down the two tables out front, then they do it, because Danny is Midwestern to his core and it’s very charming in a place like Gotham. He smiles at people as they walk by, happily answers their questions when they ask him what the cafe serves, recommends food and drinks for them, is generally a bright and nice person to everyone who comes near the cafe. 

His cute looks draw people in, then his personality makes them stay. 

It’s all customer service, of course, because Duke never gets the cute, sunny Danny. He’s left with the sarcastic, rude, and funny Danny that’s been his friend since they met in junior year of high school. 

“Your eyes are really pretty, though,” Duke says, “Very blue. Sometimes green. It’s no wonder people keep falling for you!”

Danny reaches across the counter to shove Duke away, but he’s blushing, so Duke is counting it as a win. “Shut up. Now you’re just lying. My eyes are never green.”

“Yes, they are. Danny, I’ve seen them multiple times. They’re green sometimes.”

“No? My eyes have literally only ever been blue. They’re the bluest blue to ever blue. They don’t just turn green.”

They squint at each other for a long moment, trying to figure out who’s wrong and in what way. Duke’s pretty sure Danny’s wrong, since he can’t exactly see his own eyes, and Duke has spent an embarrassing amount of time just admiring how nice they are in different kinds of light. But also, they are Danny’s eyes, so he should know what color they are.

Then Danny’s coworker is setting down Duke’s drink on the pick up counter, giving Danny an excuse to get back to work.

“One medium oatmeal cookie iced latte for Cornelius Aggravating Douglas.” He holds up the drink and makes very direct eye contact with Duke, holding out the drink towards him.

“Did you really have to make the initials ‘Cad’?”

“Yes.”

“Fair enough,” Duke says, making Danny crack a smile. 

“Are you heading out after this?”

Duke grabs a straw and sticks it into his latte, swirling it around some. “That was the plan, yeah. Got a few library books to pick up. Why?”

“I got approval for a half shift today, so I’m off in like ten minutes, if you wanna wait for me.”

“Hell yeah, dude! I’ll wait outside so I don’t distract you with my flirtatious winks again.”

“Get out of here,” Danny laughs. Duke lifts his drink in a quick toast, then gets out of there. He takes a seat at one of the tables out front, content to just people watch as he slowly sips his latte.  

It’s cloudy out, but not raining, which is always a plus. As much as he’d like to see the sun, these kinds of days aren’t so bad, either. The wind still carries a bit of a chill, but the spring is steadily warming things up. There are tons of people out, a constant rush of movement, but a few do catch sight of him, then look towards the cafe, their steps slowing down as they think. Most keep walking, but Duke does manage to get a few to go in just by taking a long sip of his latte to really enjoy it.

Really, he should be getting compensated for the work he’s doing to draw people in. Danny’s not the only one who can do it. 

Bruce keeps offering him money, so he doesn’t need to get paid, but maybe he can convince the other employees to talk Danny into accepting one of his pick up lines so they can go on a date one of these days. 

It’s become a bit of a joke, but the first time Duke used a cheesy pick up line on Danny, he was being absolutely serious about it. He definitely shouldn’t have used a pick up line he found from a website centered on relationship advice, but he panicked and needed some extra help. 

Instead of smoothly asking Danny out on a date, Duke froze up, blurted out the pick up line, then had to laugh it off with Danny and pretend it was a joke. 

He still wishes he was able to ask Danny out properly before, but he’s also glad that they got to spend more time as friends, getting to know each other. It’s easier to be with him now, no longer so tongue tied and flustered. 

Duke gets to fluster Danny now, which is much better. 

And maybe one day his pick up lines will work! Sooner or later Danny’s going to question why he keeps doing this, and then he’ll connect the dots and understand what Duke feels for him.

As it is, he has yet to connect shit. 

“My eyes are definitely blue,” Danny says as he walks out of the cafe, messenger bag slung over his shoulder. “I checked while I was putting my apron away.”

“You’re still on that?”

“They’re blue.”

Duke gestures for Danny to come closer. He complies and leans down, letting Duke cup his face in his hands. He checks, considers, then checks again, and says, “They are indeed blue.”

“Told you they weren’t green,” Danny says smugly, pulling back. 

“And I said they were green sometimes. Now clearly isn’t one of those times, but they do turn green!”

“I don’t think you should be allowed to say any eye-related pick up lines until you admit that you were wrong and didn’t know my eye color.”

Shaking his head, Duke stands up and pushes in his chair. “Just wait, I’ll catch it sometime and prove it to you.”

“Sure, whatever. Don’t you have library books to get?”

“Yeah, you coming with?”

“Obviously. Why else would I leave my wonderful job where I am left alone to make drinks in peace?” Danny knocks his shoulder against Duke playfully, then reaches over and steals his drink right out of his hand. He takes a sip, makes a pleased hum, and drains half of what was left in the cup. 

“Hey!” Duke moves to take it back, which is naturally the exact moment Danny takes off running, effortlessly dodging everyone else on the sidewalk. He takes off after Danny, using his powers to make sure he can move out of the way of anything or anyone who gets in his path. 

They’re past the block when Danny starts to slow down, taking another sip of Duke’s latte. 

He puts on a final burst of speed and all but tackles Danny into the mouth of an alley, reaching for his cup. “Gotcha!”

“No!” Danny wails dramatically. He takes a step back and Duke watches as his power kicks up again, showing him a vision of Danny stepping on an empty can and falling back. Except he doesn’t really fall back? His foot rolls back on the can for a second, then goes through the can and settles back onto the ground where he catches his balance. Through the entire three second fall, Danny’s eyes are a bright green, brighter than Duke’s ever seen them.

His vision fades away and he moves to catch Danny, taking the chance to watch carefully as Danny’s foot does indeed go through the can. He quickly brings his gaze up to Danny’s eyes, which are green, but not inhumanly bright like they were in his vision.

Is the green not perceptible to normal humans?

He can probably only see it due to his powers. Which means he somewhat inadvertently outed himself as a meta.

Whoops!

Might as well just bite the bullet.

“Hey, do you have powers?” 

Danny chokes, shoving Duke away as he coughs and tries to clear his throat. He looks panicked, wild-eyed, searching for an escape route. “What? No. Why would I have powers? Maybe you have powers, have you ever considered that?”

“I mean. I do have powers. That’s why I’m asking.”

“Hold up. Stop talking. You have powers?”

“And your eyes are green sometimes.”

“That’s. No, they’re not,” Danny lies. It’s a very bad lie, seeing how on edge he is, and as much as Duke hates making Danny feel like that, he did get some bad habits while training with Bruce and this is one of them: the need to keep pushing, chasing after clear answers regardless of what the cost is. 

Duke shrugs, taking a sip of his latte, down to its last few mouthfuls, acting casual. “If you say so. But my powers don’t lie, man. As much as I wish they would, sometimes.”

“...Can we not do this out here?” The defeated tone Danny speaks with makes Duke hate himself. But he needs answers now. He needs to know if Danny is like him, if he’s safe, if he needs help. He needs it more than he needs Danny to like him at all. 

“Sure. I know a few quiet places we can talk.”

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Danny mutters. “Did my eyes really give it away?”

“Yeah. I mean, to be fair, I also didn’t realize until literally right now, so I don’t think anyone else will figure it out just from staring into your eyes.”

“See, this is what happens when you keep flirting when you don’t mean it. Secrets get pulled out into the open and it’s bad for everyone!”

Duke lightly punches Danny’s arm, trying to lift the mood. “Hey, who said I didn’t mean it?”

“What?”

“Who said I didn’t mean it when I flirt with you?”

Danny blinks at him, confused, then says, “I mean, no one I guess. But it’s pretty obvious?”

“I only flirt with you, you know.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Duke says, trying to ignore how his voice shakes slightly. “There’s another one of my secrets. Can we call it even now?”

“Oh!” The shock of the revelation distracts Danny from his earlier nerves. Which is great, because now Duke is the one who’s nervous. It’s worth it, though, seeing the pretty blush come to bloom on Danny’s cheeks. “So all those pick up lines—”

“Yeah.”

“And the pick up line made you realize my powers!” 

“These pick up lines are doing the most,” Duke agrees. And then he realizes, “Hey, you what this means? I was right! Your eyes are windows to your soul!”

“I’m going to hit you,” Danny says, already winding back for a solid punch. He lets Danny hit him since it’s only fair for the stress he caused; as a meta, Duke knows how important secrecy is, how the difference between life and death can be just how well his powers are hidden. 

“Are we even now?”

Danny considers him for a moment, then sighs. “Yeah, I guess. Let’s be done with this for now, okay? Let’s go to the library.”

He refuses to entertain any conversation about powers or Duke’s feelings for him. It’s nice to spend time with Danny, but by the end, Duke is sure he can feel his heart start to crack in half. A sleepless night awaits him when he gets home, moving past his cousin’s attempts to talk to him in favor of flopping face down onto his bed.

But the next day, Danny grins at him when he walks into the cafe. He doesn’t have a new pick up line, choosing instead to act as calm and casual as possible to give Danny some space.

Also breaking routine, Danny insists on personally making Duke’s drink, writing something onto the cup before he fills it up with a floral tea. 

You’re so fine, you made me forget my pick up line, is scrawled on the side of his cup when he gets it. 

“Enjoy your drink, Cutiepie the Third,” Danny says with a shy smile.

“The Third?” Duke repeats, relief making him feel lighter than air, “Who are the first two?”

“Don’t worry about it, cutie. Get to class!”

Duke lets Danny chase him out, and holds in his laugh when he hears Danny’s coworker screech, “What was that?!”

Yeah, they’ll be fine. In the meantime, Duke needs to see if apology pick up lines are thing. Danny definitely deserves one.

[fluffyfangirl]

So... @mikeslawyer, I hope I did your ask prompt justice! (because I loved it, thank you so much for it). (Continue for without the doodles.)

[obsessedwithstarwars]

Jazz gets death threats working at Arkham Asylum. She thinks they’re hilarious. I mean, it’s hard not to laugh when you’re technically considered Queen Mother of The Infinite Realms. In her mind, the notes are basically telling her to go home and hug her brother/child.

The Batfam are growing increasingly concerned and confused as to why she doesn’t take these threats seriously.

[biblically-accurate-dca]

day 16: object head !