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spiderwcd · 3 months

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siren lake c.b.

pairing: colby brock x mermaid/siren ! f ! reader

summary: they come to explore the haunted lake, but maybe it wasn't just haunted.

warning(s): mentions of deaths, near drowning, profanity, near-death experiences mystical creatures, etc.

w.c.: 3.3k

a/n: guys, please don't hate me!! i've been away so long, ive been having writer's block and then i've been so busy with my life and having the worst luck ever (they weren't wrong about that fanfic writer curse) but trust me! i have a lot of works saved, slowly plowing through them.

images from pinterest !

“Dude,” Sam abruptly jumped from his seat on the couch, carrying his laptop over to Colby. “Look at this.” He pointed the screen towards him, revealing his discovery.

Colby curiously averted his gaze over to the screen, reading the article that was pulled up. “W-What am I looking at here, Sam?” he inquired, raising a brow towards him.

“Well, someone sent me this article about this supposedly haunted lake,” Sam began, plopping himself next to Colby on the couch. “They say that these entities are haunting it, causing a bunch of disappearances.” He finally added.

Taking a moment, Colby glanced at the article, contemplating. “I mean, it’s worth a shot,” Colby muttered, facing towards his best friend.

In due time, they arrived in Michigan, the Land of the Lakes. Colby had been studying about this mysterious lake, finding holes in different stories. It was something unknown to him, unable to find an obvious answer here.

“Okay, so as we know,” Sam began, looking over at Colby from the driver’s seat. “This lake is in the middle of the forest, near some campsites.” Sam clarified.

Colby nodded, understanding his statement, “Don’t forget to mention the disappearances, also about the spirit that drowns first in the 80s.” He pointed out.

Sam nodded in return, pursing his lips as he attempted to dig further into his thoughts. “Oh, what about the mermaid theory?” Sam suddenly blurted out.

Colby scoffed, looking over at Sam with a slight grimace. “Seriously? Mermaids?” Colby murmured, flipping through his notebook. “I mean, sure, it’s a fun idea to entertain, but we both know that’s not real.”

“Oh hey, come on,” Sam nudged Colby, still steering the wheel of the car. “It’s nice to have an imagination here, Colby.” Sam chuckled, patting him on the shoulder before placing both hands on the wheel.

Colby shook his head, smiling as he studied the pages of research. He examined the illustration on the page, deep into toying with the idea. He shook his head once more, closing the page as he thought about the ridiculous idea.

The car came to a halt, prompting Colby to face upward to the scene. His jaw flew open in amazement, admiring the large forest surrounding them. The middle showcased a lake larger than he had envisioned.

“Woah,” Colby muttered, exiting the car to get a better view. “Did not expect it to be so gorgeous out here.”

“Even if this comes to a dead end, at least we’ll have a good time in the middle of the forest.” Sam joked.

“You must be Sam and Colby,” they had suddenly heard, causing them to avert their gaze over to the voice. “Hi, I’m Ben.” The man waved over towards the two.

The duo made their way towards their host, introducing each other.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Ben had asked them.

“Oh yes,” Sam nodded, glancing around once again. “Very nice, exceeded our expectations.”

“That’s great,” Ben chuckled, leading the two towards the cabin that peered over the ominous lake. “Cause the two of you will be staying here, so get used to it.”

Sam and Colby glance at each other for a moment, following Ben towards the door. As they entered, they studied the room. It wasn’t one of their Airbnbs, but it was still nice, grateful for a roof and not a tent.

Colby’s eyes slowly averted towards the window, as if an irresistible force was pulling him towards the lake. But swiftly pulled away at the pat on his shoulder, facing towards the grasp.

“Isn’t that right, Colby?” Sam asked him, confusing Colby.

“Huh? Oh yeah, for sure.” Colby randomly replied, going along with Sam’s story.

“Alright, I’ll let ya get to it then,” Ben sighed, making his way toward the entrance. “I’ll come back in the morning to check on y’all. Remember to check the list I left every night.” He pointed out.

Once Ben had exited the campground, leaving the duo alone in the woods. Colby let out a breath as he planted himself onto one bed, rubbing his eyes slightly.

“Well, what did you want to start with?” Sam asked, plopping next to him. “Did you want to do the intro or do more research?”

Colby peaked from his hands, looking towards Sam. “Uh, let’s just figure out our intro and record that, followed by more research,” he answered.

They didn’t waste any time, every minute counted for them. Considering the way the sun crept through the blinds and curtains, the time was very limited. Colby’s fingers started to cramp from the various writing and typing, along with the migraine sneaking in.

“That’s it,” Colby blurted, tossing the pencil down. “I think it’s time to throw the towel. I need a break.”

“Me too,” Sam sighed. “If I have to write one more thing, my head might explode.”

Colby dryly chuckled, planting himself onto his feet. “I’m just gonna go out onto the pier. I need some time alone.”

He opened the door, letting the cool wind hit his face. He quickly closed the door, walking towards the wooden structure. Colby let out a groan as he crossed his legs, overlooking the large body of water. He ran his hand through his hair, attempting to relax as he listened to the soft music of the forest.

But he lost his train of thought, a splash ringing out. Colby curiously raised his brow, searching for the source of the ripple of water. He focused in on one area, unable to take his eyes off.

Colby soon got interrupted by a ringing from his pocket, pulling his eyes away from the lake. He picked himself off the wobbling planks, retrieving his phone.

“Hello?” he answered, still glancing over towards the ominous lake.

“Colby, get in here,” Sam waved over from the window, still on the line. “I found something.”

Colby hung up the phone call, stuffing the phone back into his pocket. As he entered the cabin, Sam quickly dashed his way and shoved his laptop into Colby’s face.

“Look.” Sam smugly grinned.

Colby looked at his best friend before looking back towards the screen.

‘Sirens in Michigan?’

“Sam,” Colby tried to protest, but Sam was persistent.

“Listen, we hunt ghosts. How much different can this be?” Sam scoffed, attempting to change Colby’s mind. “Can you at least be open to the idea?”

Colby looked at Sam with a blank look, crossing his arms. “Fine, we can be open to the idea, but I’m still skeptical about it all.”

The next day arrived, prompting the boys to prepare their video at last. Colby stood at the edge of the lake, awaiting Sam to finish setting up the camera. Sam gave Colby a thumbs up, signaling everything was ready.

“Hey, what’s up guys!” Sam greeted. “It’s Sam and Colby, and we’re here at the Siren Lake in Michigan!” he panned the camera towards the lake and treeline.

“We’re here to investigate the various spirits that might be roaming the lake,” Colby began explaining. “But also, as the name suggests, there might be more than just spirits here.”

“That’s right guys,” Sam chimed in. “There are supposedly sirens, aka mermaids, in this very lake.”

“If you ask me, I don’t think there’s such a thing,” Colby raised his hands in defense, causing Sam to shake his head. “Listen, ghosts and demons have a lot of proof and we’ve seen them, but mermaids?” Colby scoffed.

“I think you’ll say differently later,” Sam smirked. “Cause one of us is gonna have to go onto the pier and talk to the said spirits or whatever roams that lake.”

The two continued to talk, making their way around the lake for a bit.

“Okay, so the history of this lake begins with a family, as most do,” Sam began. “The Bradson family had owned this lake from generations ago until the 80s.”

“The only reason they had sold it off is because they used to run a camp here until odd drownings had appeared,” Colby added. “And all of them were all men.”

“That doesn’t give us a lot of comfort, does it now?” Sam joked, nervously laughing into the camera.

“Our guide and the owner of the campgrounds will be here in a moment to explain more in-depth,” Colby explained. “He knows more than we do.”

Just in time, a car pulled back onto the dirt road. Ben exited his car, greeting the boys once more.

“Perfect timing,” Sam laughed. “We just began introducing you.”

Ben chuckled, making his way towards the two, “Almost as if I was summoned here.” He joked.

Sam turned on his camera, recording once more, “So actually, as we closed our camera, our guide just pulled in.” He chuckled, pointing it towards Ben. “Say hello to Ben.” He introduced

“Alright, Ben, we just want to know what you know,” Colby started, crossing his arms slightly. “Tell us your secrets.”

“As you must already know, this used to be a campground until the 80s,” Ben began. “Do you know why they call it Siren Lake?” He asked the two.

Sam glanced over to Colby with a grin, causing Colby to roll his eyes.

“Yeah, we might have an idea,” Sam answered.

“Well, people started talking about how the victims were all men,” Ben pointed out. “A rumor started that they were ‘seduced’ over to the water and murdered by a siren.”

“Really? Sirens?” Colby scoffed, laughing a bit.

“Yep, since the lake connects to a river that leads to the ocean, they assumed that something supernatural might cause of this.” Ben chuckled at Colby’s reaction.

“Can you tell Colby is a skeptic about mermaids?” Sam teased.

“Oh, that’s alright, he won’t be by the end of the trip,” Ben replied.

While heading to the pier, Ben entertained the group with tales of the profound history and personal experiences of different individuals.

“So tell us, have you seen the siren?” Sam asked curiously.

Ben thought about it for a moment. “You know, I have,” he nodded. “I was letting a group of guys stay here for the night. I went to check on them and they were freaking out about their friend seeing something. So I went to check out the lake because I figured they saw something and freaked out. But when I stopped at the edge of the pier, I saw something peeking at me through the water.”

“Woah, that’s so weird,” Sam muttered. “What did you do?”

“Well, I thought it was someone playing some joke, so I yelled at them to get out of the water and it was private property.” Ben shrugged. “But they just stared at me for a second so I pointed my flashlight over, which made them go underwater and splash away, and I saw bluish silver scales on the biggest fish's tail I’ve ever seen.”

Sam looked over to Colby, a smug look on his face as if he was saying ‘told you so’.

“I’d be careful, boys,” Ben warned. “Even you, Colby, sirens are no joke. They will lure you and drown you. Just be careful.”

“Thank you, Ben.” Sam thanked him, shaking his hand before letting him return to his daily work.

Sam turned over to Colby, “I told you, what happened to having an open mind?”

“I’m trying, but mermaids? It’s hard to wrap my head around.” Colby responded. “I already have enough of ghosts and demons.”

Sam rolled his eyes at his best friend. “Okay, let’s just talk about the spirits. Surely you’ll keep an open mind about that.” He patted Colby on the back, pulling out the various equipment.

Sam turned on the rem pod, placing it down onto the pier, followed by the Alice box.

“Alright guys, so we’re now gonna talk about the spirits,” Sam sighed. “There were about 3 guys that drowned. They weren’t even able to recover any of their bodies because of how deep this lake is.”

“Yeah, so their bodies could still be down there,” Colby added, shivering at the thought of it.

“There’ are a lot of theories about how these guys died, most of them saying they were drunk or under the influence. There’s also speculation that they died from how cold the water was, causing hypothermia, but of course, there’s the siren theory,” Sam stated. “Sirens, though, tend to just kill to kill. It’s said that it killed them because they were terrible guys.”

“They were awful, apparently having a reputation of being sleazy and gross,” Colby added, having a grimace grow on his face at the idea. “But we’ll try to find out through the spirit box and maybe the Estes method.”

“I think since I’m more open-minded, unlike my colleague,” Sam teased, pointing the camera towards Colby who shook his head. “I’m gonna be doing the Estes method.”

They quickly turned on the devices in hand, thinking of questions.

“Alright, Uh, is there anyone here?” Sam asked to the open, listening carefully as the crickets chirped and the night wind blew past them.

“...you…”

“Who are you referring to?” Sam responded.

“...water…”

“Yep, there’s water here. Is this where you passed away?” Colby nodded, shifting his weight.

“...rocks… drown…”

Sam snapped his head towards Colby, a confused look painted on his face. “Woah,” he muttered. Colby agreed, looking back at the Alice box.

“Who are you? Are you one of three men that drowned here?” Sam added, biting his lip as he rubbed his chin with his finger.

“...Mike…”

Colby’s jaw dropped, facing the camera. "They're not gonna believe that, but one of the men who passed away was named Micheal Anderson," Colby said, his jaw dropping as he faced the camera.

“...unknown…cold…”

Sam’s face contorted to one of confusion, looking at Colby for answers. “Maybe they’re saying they don’t remember how they died? I mean, the water gets freezing.”

Colby nodded, attempting to decipher the various words and their meanings. “Can you tell us what happened? Did you guys just die from the cold water or drown from drinking too much?”

“...none…strange…”

“Huh, maybe the siren theory was right?” Sam nudged Colby.

“Yeah right,” Colby sneered. “Maybe they died from something else.”

“...careful…”

“Look, it’s even trying to warn us,” Sam pointed out, but soon the familiar red light and blaring sound appeared from the rem pod, alerting the two. “Oh my god, that scared the fuck out of me,” Sam murmured, pointing the camera towards the flashing device.

“Is that you Micheal? Or is someone else making that flash?” Colby asked, stepping away from the rem pod as the light continued to circle.

“...pussy…”

Colby blurted out in laughter, followed by Sam. “Wow, maybe they were jerks.”

“I think maybe the Estes Method will give us a simple answer then,” Sam said, calming down from the fit of laughter.

Colby turned off the spirit box, handing Sam the bandana followed by the headphones. Once he had put them on, Colby showed the camera that Sam couldn’t respond.

“Okay, so let’s begin,” Colby sighed. “Okay, can you give us a straightforward answer to what happened here? You guys are being very hush-hush about the answer.”

“Pier,” Sam blurted out. “Something dangerous.”

“Yeah, some can say drinking and swimming are dangerous,” Colby joked. “Can you clarify more?”

“Beware of the woman,” Sam answered.

Colby felt his heart drop, unable to comprehend what that could mean. “Uh, what woman?”

“She calls for you,” Sam responded, confusion in his voice. “Watching you.”

A shiver ran down Colby’s spine, goosebumps covering his skin. “W-Wha… Watching me?” Colby repeated, hearing the familiar splashing near the pier.

Colby snapped his head up, his eyes attempting to adjust to the dark as the moonlight hit the ripples. Colby pointed his flashlight over to the deep gray water, searching for the source, just as he had done earlier in the day.

Sam continued to speak, unknowing of his best friend’s search. Colby’s feet stopped at the edge of the pier, ignoring all the sounds in the background. He let out a sigh of relief, unable to find any evidence of anything going on.

But as soon as Colby put down his flashlight, he felt large hands pressed up against his back. Colby, unable to retain his balance, fell into the deep cold waters, which had created a large splash that traveled to Sam.

Sam tore the headphones and blindfold off his head, turning around to look at Colby as he floated to the top.

“Woah, you alright, man?” Sam hurried to the edge, squatting down as he offered a hand to him.

Colby let out a laugh, swimming towards the pier. “Someone fucking pushed me in.” He muttered, reaching for Sam’s grasp.

He was about to grab Sam’s palm, but felt a tug at the end of his legs. “What the fuck, something grabbed-”

Colby’s sentence soon cut off as he got pulled under the water. He kicked the unknown entity, gasping for air as he heard Sam’s voice muffle as he called out for him.

Colby thrashed, adrenaline kicking in as he attempted to free himself. Colby looked down at the void of the lake, unable to find the source. Water filled his mouth, oxygen slowly escaping his body. His body sank, and the energy to fight slowed.

Colby had accepted there wasn’t a way out of this doom, looking up as he slowly descended into the seemingly never-ending waters. His vision slowly distorted as he examined the murky waters above him.

“Wow, I never realized it was a full moon tonight,” was all he could think about

Just as he thought it was the end, he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. A figure slowly circled him as it made its way past the moonlit waters, a glow of bluish silver reflecting as its hair sprawled around it.

Well, it wasn’t rather it; it was a woman. Colby wanted to react, but his body slowly shut down as his vision darkened. She was beautiful, her skin flawless and her long hair engulfing them as she touched his face as if she examined his features.

Colby’s vision became dark, becoming unconscious. She doesn’t remember men being this flawless, gliding her fingers across his skin. His tattoos caught her eye, something odd about painting skin to her. A frown grew on her face, looking back up at the land above as blue and red lights danced around the surface of the water.

She looked back at Colby, knowing the minutes were passing by. She quickly grabbed his arm, carrying his limp body up. Peeking over the water, she glanced around at the various people walking around. She bit her lip, brainstorming ideas.

The mermaid decided it was best to leave him by the shore, where Sam was pacing and freaking out. She knows if she does this, who knows if her identity will be safe? But something against her nature knew this one thing: she did not want the beautiful man to perish.

She drew him above the water, grunting as she pulled his seemingly lifeless body towards the wet rocks. She looked back at him, her brows furrowing as she fought within herself whether she did the right thing. Under the water once more, she dove, splashing as she vanished, making her way under the pier to observe the scene.

It wasn’t long until many flashlights lit up the shore, revealing Colby’s drenched and pale body. Sam let out a cry, watching as his best friend coughed and gasped for air as the water exited his lungs. Sam embraced him, relief washing over him as he recovered from his accident.

Colby sat at the edge of the patient compartment of the ambulance, wrapped in a towel, drowning out as the EMTs and various cops talked to Sam as he stared towards the lake. Something inside him was fighting whether he had made up the mysterious creature or, by some miracle, it was all true.

Colby jumped as Sam’s hand landed on his shoulder. “Dude, what the hell happened? I thought you were gone. The cops said you were lucky to even make it out of that lake.”

Colby looked up at Sam before glancing back at the body of water. “I think a mermaid just saved me.”

˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖

thank you guys for reading!

I'm sorry if it's short, Its just something I put together in one day. I do value your opinion, so please do tell me what you think!!

expect more stories soon!

#colby brock #colby brock fanfic #colby brock imagine #colby brock smut #colby brock x reader #colby brock x y/n #sam and colby #sam golbach #xplr #sam golbach x reader #jake webber #jake and johnnie #johnnie guilbert #xplr merch #xplr club #colby #sam goldbach

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mobblespsycho100 · 2 days

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which one’s toshiro and whys he autistic?

[ID: full body colored illustration of toshiro from the dungeon meshi manga. /End ID]

THIS FREAKIN GUY!!!! anyway

[ID: anonymous tumblr ask: "would def love to hear ur autistic shuro thoughts". /End ID]

awesome. rant under the cut because it will be long

So before we understand why Toshiro is the way he is we must first understand two things abt him:

1. his household situation is a very traditional clan of warriors type situation. his father is very strict and he left his homeland to go to the Island and explore the dungeon to train and become a warrior to be someone suited as the family head

2. Eastern and Western cultures of respect/propriety are different, and Ryoko Kui highlights it well even in her fantasy world.

With that in mind, heres some bullet point rapid fire thoughts that consume my current state of dunmeshi brain:

Toshiro has an avoidant personality. He fears upsetting others due to his upbringing, and rarely tells others how he feels not because he thinks they would simply understand him but because he doesn't want to seem rude and imposing / cause offense to others especially since he's not in his own homeland / hes a foreigner that should respect the land's customs, not his own wishes.

Setting boundaries is hard for everyone, but especially autistic (and some other ND, like those with Avoidant Personality Disorder) people. Those with ASD, at least in my experience, don't want to be isolated from others. So they mask.

They mask what? their desires. their true selves. their opinions. their discomfort. all for the sake of pleasing others (who are often neurotypical)

With that in mind, suddenly, what Maizuru said abt him as a child makes sense. Due to his strict upbringing, Toshiro had to more or less hide his preferences and force himself to adapt to the rigid constraints of his culture and the pressure to be the next family head, this responsibility is his burden to bear and he cannot be someone who expresses his selfish desires instead of focusing on being a strong warrior and leader

"Why did he say he hate Laios and that it should've been obvious that he disliked/found Laios' treatment of him uncomfortable??" BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS. I'm not going to write off Laios' autism/autistic coding, but its baffling (note: definitely racism and bias for white autistic ppl) to me that a lot of ppl don't see Toshiro's perspective and straight up ignores it. This is a lack of wanting to be rude by speaking up that is based on culture difference on Toshiro's part, and straight up ignorant of his microagressions/racism and lack of self awareness on Laios' end. They were both right, they were both wrong too. This is a complicated conflict that cannot be boiled down to simple ableist/the NT vs ND divide. There's something called . intersectionality. Which brings me to the next point

Toshiro never actually hated Laios. He found him uncomfortable, yes. But he didn't /hate/ him, he was speaking out because he's had enough!!! he's done tolerating Laios' racist bullshit, and he's done following the arbitrary Eastern rules of respecting others and not being rude!!! He. Wants. Laios. To Understand. What. He. Was. Feeling. Because he just had enough!!!!! alright!!! he's at his limit hes at his breaking point, the one he loves is now probably beyond saving, and this is a good time as any to break the news to Laios that he thinks that Laios is impulsive and doesn't fully understand how his actions have consequences!!! Hes right abt this. His feelings on this is valid, just as valid as Laios'

General autistic traits I find from Toshiro: his admiration of Falin's indifference towards insects ("woah shes so brave and gentle!! just like me, fr!!!"), His lack of regard for his own needs and wants (needing to sleep and eat and drink) because he was super focused on saving Falin, His lack of like drastic expression changes, his discomfort with physical touch when it's initiated without consent (see: Laios hugging ppl extra bonus art by Ryoko Kui), his manner of like speaking short and concise, people pleasing tendencies, his like quick way of combat, rule upholder/routine following enjoyer, he seems distant from others even those he consider family not cuz of like any terrible reason but hes just. someone who enjoys his own time alone like. yeah

aannnnndd. thats abt it? i think.

Big part of this is definitely me relating to Shiro as an Asian (specifically chinese indonesian) person who is probably Autistic lmao. I hope this brings more insight on why Toshiro is actually one of the silliest and epiccest dunmeshi characters ever I love him

#asks #dungeon meshi #toshiro nakamoto #dunmeshi #L 👁️‍🗨️🌫️ !#shuro dunmeshi #(help)#idk if he has tags. does he have fans here. pls say he does

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pardi-real · 7 months

Text

[AKNK] Butler in Wonderland / Chapter 2 - The Suspicious Cats?

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[Devil's Palace, Hallway]

I went out of the room… The hallway was also decorated in Halloween style. Looking at this set-up, it seems like they prepared this with great enthusiasm.

> (I have to chase the rabbits)

As I was looking around, trying to find those two… Suddenly a person fell from the ceiling.

*Close-up*

Lamli: “Alright...”

> “Woah! La-Lamli…?”

Lamli?: “Hmmm~? Who is Lamli, meow~?”

Shechire Cat: “I’m not Lamli meow~. I’m ‘Shechire Cat’ meow~.”

> “Cheshire Cat?”

Shireche Cat: “Wrong, wrong. It’s ‘Shireche Cat’ meow~. Huh? Or was it ‘Chireshe Cat’...?”

Cheshire Cat: “Shechire Cat, Shireche Cat, Chireshe Cat, Chesire Cat…”

Lam-cat: “Meh, whatever is fine meow. It’s bothersome, so ‘Lam-cat’ is fine meow!”

I was still confused that Lamli appeared so suddenly… and then two more butlers in cat costumes appeared.

Shino-cat: “Fufu… then I guess I am ‘Shino-cat’. Since ‘Yu-cat’ sounds a bit off-putting…”

Lato-cat: “In that case, then I am… called ‘Lato-cat’ or something like that.”

> “Lato and Yuhan are cats too.”

Lam-cat: “Ah! ‘Yumeow’ and ‘Tora-chi’! Look, look~ ♪ It looks like somehow a wonderful person becomes a lost child ♪”

> “ ‘Yumeow’ …?” > “ ‘Tora-chi’ …?”

Yumeow: “Um… Mr. Lam-cat. I said this during the earlier meeting as well, but… Isn’t ‘Yumeow’ a bit… too adorable…? For an adult guy.”

Tora-chi: “I heard that this is not a tiger costume, but a cat costume though… ”

Lam-cat: “It’s okay, it’s okay ♪ Whatever you call yourself, as long as it's easy to say! Anyway, it’s only for Halloween ♪”

Yumeow: “Hmm… It can't be helped. They said 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do'... Let's listen to what the senior cat has to say. I don't have many good memories with 'tigers' though... ”

Tora-chi: “Kufufu… I am a tiger who only eats parsley, so do not worry.”

> “The costumes suit you three.”

Yumeow: “Really? Thank you very much. I don’t know much about the original novel… I was worried that I might ruin the image.”

Tora-chi: “Me too… Actually, I don't really know what kind of novel it is, but I read it many times because the illustrations are beautiful.”

Lam-cat: “Heheh, so that means the one who knows most about this, is me! When you wanna know what to do next… Try to ask me, okay ♪”

> “Then…”

In line with the purpose of this recreation, I told him that 'I was looking for rabbits'.

Lam-cat: “Hm~, I see. So rabbits, eh~ Then, you are 'The Turtle’ ! ”

> “Eh, why?”

Lam-cat: “Because, you’re chasing rabbits ♪”

Yumeow: “Hmm… I feel like you have it mixed up with another story.”

Tora-chi: “Yes. Besides, turtles should not have such lovely ears. *Close-up* Hello? Are you a turtle?”

Suddenly Lato came close to my ear, I was shocked. I felt like I was being toyed with by a real Cheshire Cat.

Yumeow: “My, my. Seems like you are really shocked. My compatriots have been so rude… By the way, could you tell me your name?”

> “It's (name)...”

Yumeow: “So Lord (name). What a wonderful name… I want to take it home and make it a heirloom. If it’s alright, would you exchange it with my name?”

> “E,exchange…?”

Yumeow: “Yes. From now on you’ll be called ‘Yumeow’. ”

Lam-cat: “Wait, wait~ Don’t just exchange your names so conveniently. Look, look, Yumeow. Lord (name) seems troubled, right?”

Yumeow: “.........”

Lam-cat: “Yumeow! Lord (name) hasn’t said anything about the exchange, no?”

Yumeow: “Hmm… indeed. How regrettable.”

> (What a strange situation…)

After that, I tried to figure out where the next 'destination' will be from them… But maybe because they're playing elusive characters… The talk isn't going anywhere.

[Some minutes later]

Fennesz: ".......... The Lord didn't come to catch us… How is the situation? Haures."

Haures: "Wait a moment. I'll take a peek… Hmm. It looks like they're at the mercy of those three cat actors, apparently."

Fennesz: "That's so… Well, Lamli and Lato are free-spirited… or rather, Yuhan as well… When with those two, he matches up with their antics."

Haures: "Yeah… He looks reliable, and has good acting skills. Since Yuhan is here… I think he'll end the conversation at the right moment. Speaking of the devil, Yuhan pointed at us."

Fennesz: "Well then… Is it about time, for The Lord too?"

Haures: "Yeah. Next, we'll lead them to the garden. Let's walk so that they don't lose sight of us, but also make sure to not get caught.

Fennesz: "U, understood… Let's hurry slowly."

clack… clack… clack… *slowly hurries*

Wham!

Fennesz: "Uwah!!"

Haures: "H, hey… are you alright? Fennesz."

Fennesz: "Ahaha… I think I tripped over my foot because I was in a hurry…"

Haures: "I see. Come to think of it, the rabbit in the original work was also in a hurry… Hm… Our Lord behind us looks really surprised. Nice performance, Fennesz. Now, can you stand?"

Fennesz: “Ye-yeah… Thanks.” *close-up* (Ugh… The Lord saw me… I-I’m so embarrassed… If there was a hole, I’d crawl in…)

note: tora means tiger

and there is a reference to the Aesop's story "The Tortoise and the Hare".

I'm not sure about localizations. By the way, they really use '...' a lot

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#akuneko #devil butler with black cat #aknk

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changingplumbob · 2 months

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Foster Household: Chapter 8, Part 4

Harvey begins a midlife crisis, Carson has a difficult school day where most of the faculty are jerks, and Keira discusses her future home with Kayleigh.

With a midlife crisis threatening to over power him Harvey does his best to do the things he loves. He hasn’t fished at night for quite some time so he goes out to his boat and casts a line. Normally he sails to deeper water but tonight he is content to search the shallows.

Keira: Hey mum, is this right

Kayleigh: What do you mean honey

Keira: I’ve seen you do this figure painting like a billion times but I’m not sure I have the proportions right

Kayleigh: You do, I promise

Kayleigh (level 10 in painting) mentors Keira while she paints and in the end we have Keira’s second masterpiece!

Kayleigh: Harv, where have you been

Harvey: Fishing, and thinking

Kayleigh: Penny for your thoughts

Harvey: I just… I’m feeling old. Like life is getting away from me. I don’t think I’m going to reach the top of my career before retirement

Kayleigh: I know you’ve always been ambitious. While I can’t magically promote you, I do have an idea of something that could help you feel young

PILLOW FIGHT

Kayleigh: Take that scoundrel

Harvey: I shall never yield villain

Kayleigh: Is that so? A pillow to the face should change your mind

Harvey: Ouch

Kayleigh: Are you okay

Harvey: Sneak attack!

After a passionate battle Kayleigh emerges victorious, and the pair have some woohoo making Harvey feel young, at least for the night.

In the morning the midlife crisis hits, and leaves Harvey yearning for creativity. He gets up early to watch the sky change colour and get inspired.

Keira: Are you still hugging trash

Carson: For good luck

Harvey: I thought your first day at high school went okay

Carson: Yeah but this is the first active day. How did you find Mr Amarinth

Keira: Who

Carson: The principal

Keira: Sorry, it was Mr Booth when I was there

Harvey: Just be polite and show respect, he shouldn’t have any reason for complaint

Mrs Hensley: CARSON

Carson: Woah, woah, what?

Mrs H: Being at school and not in class? You should be ashamed of yourself

Carson: But it’s only 8am, there must be a mod problem, no classes are even on right now

Mrs H: I care not for your nonsense! I’ll let you off without detention this once but I still find you suspicious

Carson: Don’t worry, I’ll get to my classes

And he does! He’s first in with Mrs Tinker for art.

Carson as an art lover is excited to see what he’ll learn today.

Mrs T: Alright everyone, let’s get our books and- William?

William: Yes Mrs Tinker, sorry, I’m just putting it on silent

Mrs T: Make sure you do. Today we will be introducing your young minds to the idea of negative space. While many works of art focus on the clear image, the space surrounding the focal point can be used to show a design all of its own. Let me illustrate, I assume you’ve all seen the FedEx logo? I’ll draw it. Notice how the design has an arrow here. While it is not the flashy part of the logo it is used in conjunction to show the brand as a delivery service

Carson takes some time to think about this. Stuff that isn’t there being part of a bigger picture? Weird.

Mr Amarinth: Another Foster

Carson: Oh hi Principal Amarinth, how are you today

Mr A: It appears you will not be following the example of your siblings. Mrs Hensley told me you almost got detention this morning, you are on warning

Carson: But it-

Mr A: No buts! I’m observing Mrs Tinker’s class this afternoon and I expect to see you all involved in the curriculum

Mr Amarinth gets up and most of the student exchange confused looks.

Mrs T: Don’t worry, it’s a routine check. I’m sure you won’t let me down

Darwin: I’m sure I will

Carson: So how do you work this again Onyx

Onyx: Oh social bunny? It’s not too complex. You send people friend requests right? And then you can check out what they’ve been up to

Carson: What happened to catching up in the real world

Onyx: I don’t know, I guess it’s not a teen thing anymore. You settling in okay?

Carson fills Onyx in on the bizarre encounter from this morning and Onyx assures him that Mrs Hensley is simply a hard ass who enjoys scowling at the students more than teaching them.

Carson: I thought high school was meant to be full of attractive people

Onyx: What do you mean

Carson: I’ve glanced around and honestly… not finding anyone that makes my heart flutter

Onyx: I mean I’ve spotted some okay ones but we must have different tastes

Carson: Yeah. I just figured I’d be swept over by some hot senior you know

Onyx: Dude, we’re only 13, we got plenty of time to chase relationships later. Right now I’m chasing cheerleading and hopefully a horse

Carson: Right. I guess I do have scouts to keep me occupied

The warning bell sounds and the teens head off to computer science.

The class starts and sure enough Principal Amarinth is in there watching like a hawk.

Mr A: Paola! Why don’t you have your exercise book out

Paola: I can’t hold it and blow my nose

Mr A: You’re on warning! Get to work. Amie! Is that a phone

Amie: I’m sorry Mr A, my mum’s just got some surgery scheduled for now and I wanted to-

Mr A: You’re on warning!

Carson: Mr A is that-

Mr A: My name is Amarinth Carson, use it, anything less shows disrespect

Carson: I didn’t mean-

Mr A: Enough! You can think on it in detention. Don’t think I missed you doodling back there Miss Bjergsen. If you refuse to write properly I’m sure the office has some jobs you can do

Angel: *sighs* Yes Mr Amarinth

Mr A: Pancakes!

Onyx: Yes sir?

Mr A: Can you tell me the last thing Mrs Tinker said

Onyx: umm… remember to make sure it’s plugged in?

Mr A: Wrong! Tell you what, stay in detention with Carson. Perhaps sitting and thinking will do you wonders

The bell for end of day rings, most of the students head off except for Carson, Onyx and Christen.

Mrs T: I’m sorry about that everyone

Christen: Mr A clearly did not take his chill pills today

Mrs T: Christen dear let’s not stigmatise mental illness. Onyx, cheer practice will start soon. Mr Amarinth is bound to be buried in paperwork, you go and I’ll mark you as present

Onyx: *already running off* Thanks Mrs T, you’re the best

Mrs T: I’m not sure what he expects us to do with all this time

(but seriously what do you do? At my New Zealand high school detention was done during lunch breaks, no one had after school or weekend detention)

Christen: Oh we should play hangman

Carson: Actually Mrs T I was wondering if I could talk to you some more about what you were saying in art this morning

When Carson finally gets home Harvey is busy cooking and Kayleigh is stuck in her art headspace.

Carson: I’m back

Harvey: Did you have fun after school

Carson: Not exactly, I had detention

Harvey: Did you have to scrape gum off desks

Carson: No, we just talked about art. I guess it was kind of fun if I think about it

Harvey: That’s the spirit kid. With the right attitude, you’ll get through anything

Marta: Doing homework already

Carson: Yeah. Mr Amarinth basically thinks I’m a step away from getting expelled (yes I, the watcher, actually got a pop up saying this)

The homework doesn’t take too long though and Carson ends the day playing some games with Onyx, Darwin and William through the wonder of the internet. Kayleigh does more painting, Harvey does more stargazing, and Marta and Keira spend the time kissing and taking romantic selfies.

The next day Harvey starts tending his garden, which is one of the activities that will help curb his midlife crisis. The bees don’t even attack him today!

Carson: Mum

Kayleigh: Yes Carson

Carson: I‘ve been thinking, I’m basically an adult now. I should be able to go wherever and do whatever, just like my siblings did as teens

Kayleigh: Well I’ve no objection. Get out there if you want to, teenage years are for trying things

Carson: So I can go to a nightclub (flashback to this nonsense)

Kayleigh: If you think you can get in, sure, go for it

Harvey has elected to stay in Sulani for his fishing shift today. While there’s a nice, secluded cove nearby Harvey decides to try out the spot in the bay. He gets some familiar fish and snags a rare bluefin tuna. Of course Bluefin Tuna are endangered so he quickly throws it back.

Kayleigh: How is the house hunt going

Keira: Slow. We’re not sure if we want a small solo place or an apartment

Kayleigh: I can see benefits for both

Keira: Exactly! We’ve got enough for a small place but an apartment could be more discreet

Kayleigh: Well yes and no. In apartments you always have nosy neighbours. Plus there’s the problems of noise

Keira: I guess. I just don’t know if I’m adult enough to handle leaky pipes or fried electronics by myself

Marta: You won’t be by yourself carino, I’ll be there

Keira: Yeah but not all the time, you’ll have work to

Kayleigh: Oh I have an idea. Your dad and I will take Carson out for dinner, and you two can practice being the only ones in the house. I suspect you’ll handle it better than you think.

Marta: How about it carino? Date night at home

Keira: If you’re there it sounds perfect

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#sims 4 #the sims #the sims 4 #R0808 #ChangingPlumbobStorytime #FosterHousehold #HarveyFoster #KayleighFoster #CarsonFoster #KeiraFoster #MartaRomero #OnyxPancakes

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mollymagician · 9 months

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I actually finished the second chapter of my weird little street artist!Dream AU

I am so proud of myself. Like, so proud, guys.

*************************

A week passed. Slowly the sunflowers faded from the New Inn’s bricks, distorted and worn away by rain and curious fingers.

Hob had spent a good amount of time scrolling through the various social media accounts run by enthusiasts dedicated to cataloging Dream’s work and any bits of personal information that they could gather about the artist in question, which was: nothing. Zero.

Well, aside from one blogger who claimed to have seen a shadowy figure lurking around one of the murals at two in the morning and described them as…tall.

Yes, tall, Hob thought. Legs for days. And the hair’s got to add at least two inches.

Matthew was right, he had been out of touch lately, but this sort of thing wasn’t normally in his wheelhouse anyway. He appreciated art and what it meant to the world but he had enough personal artistic ability to fill the tip of his pinky finger. Literally. He’d broken the ice with more than one tough group of students by illustrating his lecture on the fly with horribly drawn graphs and chaotic stick figures. Still, he could recognize talent when he saw it.

He had a few favorites saved on his phone. On the side of a building just off Richmond Green, an expanse of blue and white, shot through with swirling figures in every earthy shade—children, it took Hob a moment to realize. Children running against a vibrant blue sky. Tucked just out of sight of the bustling crowds at the Tower of London was a flowing mass of sunset hues shot through with streaking dark figures that could only be ravens.

On the side of the old derelict White Horse Tavern, where Hob had spent a good chunk of his youth faffing about with his mates, a white figure leaping against emerald green, rampaging, like it had escaped it’s hill in Uffington and didn’t plan on being caught again.

The talent was obvious…but that wasn’t all it was. Hob remembered reading a line somewhere—it’s not what a horse looks like, it’s what a horse IS. It’s what they all were, these weird works of art, weren’t they? Things distilled down to the essence. Yes, the artwork was arresting. Yes, the man who made it was just as striking. But Hob couldn’t explain the feeling that there was something there beyond what he was seeing, like a magic eye painting with a third hidden layer, and just as frustrating.

Or maybe month and a half into his sabbatical from what he jokingly referred to as his ‘side hustle’ was long enough for his brain to be going a little stir-crazy.

Then one morning, it happened again.

“Woah,” Matthew said. “That sure is…something.”

They stood staring at the new mural spanning the Inn’s northern wall. Radiating tongues of yellow and orange emerging from a peculiar dark background. The wall was smooth here, and the image had less of the feel of stained-glass and instead was a tumult of swirling line and color.

“I can’t tell if this means you shouldn’t take any more flirting advice from me, or my flirting advice is 100% on point.”

Hob slanted him a look. “I didn’t take any flirting advice from you, if it makes you feel better,” he said.

“That’s probably your best bet, actually.”

“Even if I had, I don’t think he’d threaten to burn down the place because I used the worlds worst pickup line on him.” Hob stepped up to the wall, reaching up to trace the shape of the image carefully without touching the easily-smeared strokes. “Look, here. The way the light curves here…the mantle. It’s a—a hearth, a fireplace. Like the one back in the old White Horse. See?”

“Oh,” Matthew said. “Huh.”

This strange offering was on a side of the building hidden mostly from public view, between the glorified storage crate they called Dar’s Gardening Shed and a stacked pile of unused planters. He didn’t think there’d be any gawkers this time, Hob himself had only happened upon it that morning by chance. Of course, Dream seemed to favor out-of-the-way locations, were there were swaths of empty wall and not many observers around to interfere. But this felt different. This felt…personal.

As Matthew lifted his phone to snap a shot, Hob said, “Hey. Uh. Maybe don’t post this one.”

“What?” he squawked. “It’s free advertising, dude. Why not?” At Matthews perplexed look, Hob could only shrug.

He didn’t have to wait long for it to click “Oooohhh. I see.”

“Matt.”

“Aww.” Matthew followed him back around the front of the building and through the main entrance. For all he looked broad and soft-edged, once he latched his brain on something, he was relentless. It was like being pecked to death by ducks. Pecked to death by something, anyway. “Oh come on, man, it’s adorable.”

“Matthew, zip it.” Hob ducked past the bar, hoping he could make a quick exit into the kitchen. This wasn’t a conversation they could have out here, not if he wanted his dignity intact. Any moment now—

“Not that I’m not a fan of anyone telling Matt to zip it, but why are we telling Matt to zip it this time in particular?”

Hob sighed. Too late, he was doomed.

Dar’s russet head poked through the kitchen doors, followed by the rest of her, busily tying on an apron. They’d just opened for the day and only a few regulars had so far trickled in, at least, which meant there would be minimal witnesses to what he was about to endure.

“Our resident mysterious artist left him a token of affection on the wall in the alley and he wants to keep it all to himself.”

“Ooh!” Dar said brightly. “Tall Dark and Spooky strikes again!?” Matthew handed her his phone where the photo of the yellow and gold flames swirled in miniature. She gave a little whistle. “Oh my!”

Hob dragged a hand over his face. “It’s not a token of affection.”

“Wanna bet?” Matthew pulled out his wallet and waggled it. “Bet you ten bucks. Pounds. Whatever. Shit. What country am I in?”

“—and he’s not our mysterious artist,” Hob continued, undeterred.

“He’s decorating your pub and he likes my tea,” Dar said decisively. “That means he’s ours. Sorry, I don’t make the rules.”

“Actually I’m pretty sure most of the time you do.”

Hob wondered if noon really was too early to start drinking.

“I’m sure he’d be fine with the attention,” Matthew said, “considering that he’s dropping this stuff all over town.”

“No one knows anything about this dude, Matt,” Hob argued. But. You do, a little voice whispered in the back of his mind. You know how he likes his tea, you know his hands look cold, you know his eyes are the bluest thing you’ve ever seen— Hob shook it off and plucked the phone from Dar’s hand, closing the screen and poking it back into the front pocket of Matthew’s shirt. “You didn’t see the look he gave me last time he was here. Maybe he doesn’t actually want any kind of attention at all.”

“Well,” Dar said, flipping a dishtowel over one shoulder. “I can guess at least one type of attention he wants.” She looked past Hob and jutted her chin towards the door. Slowly, trying to be nonchalant and failing, Hob turned to glance behind him.

…you know his eyes are the bluest thing you’ve ever seen and he keeps looking at you with them…

Dream edged in through the door of the pub, cautiously, and headed straight for his usual table. He moved, Hob thought, as though the space around him was packed with rickety shelves covered in teacups. Slow and precise. Or, as Matthew would say, like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. As soon as his eyes met Hob’s he glanced quickly away and busied himself with pulling the ever-present sketch book from his satchel.

“WELP I should be—“

“Oh look, I’m just gonna head—“

Hob watched in resigned amusement as Matthew and Dar both suddenly discovered they had somewhere else to be and nearly ran into each other trying to get there. He sighed, and set about making a cup of tea.

He didn’t know what possessed him, this time, to make a second. Or to sit down, easy as you please in the chair across from his stranger, as though they had a standing date. Maybe a little of his old confidence was coming back from wherever it had been banished to over this past exceptionally shitty year.

Dream, who had been very studiously ignoring him for the last five minutes, actually gave a startled jump when a mug appeared in front of him, followed by a whole other human. He watched Hob with an expression of guarded surprise as he settled into his seat, cleared his throat, and extended a hand across the table. “Robert Gadling. I, er, hope you don’t mind me being wildly presumptuous.” To his delight, Dream reached out, slowly as though he was expecting to be bitten, and met his hand. His grip was firm, but cold. Hob resisted the sudden fierce urge to take his hands and wrap them around the mug of tea he’d just set down.

“I don’t mind, Mr. Gadling. I. Was.” He looked down at the blank page open in front of him, seemingly at a loss for words.

“I’m sorry for interrupting you,” Hob said. “I just wanted to come over and thank you, I suppose.”

Dreams eyebrows crept up. “Thank me?”

“For the—“ Hob gestured over Dream’s shoulder. “Artwork. It’s remarkable, really.”

Dream opened his mouth to speak, closed it. Tried again. “You don’t mind,” he finally stated, not quite a question.

Hob huffed a laugh. “Do I—? No I don’t mind at all. It’s brilliant. I needed something to brighten up this bastard of a winter and you’ve done a spectacular job of it.” Dream glanced away with what appeared to be a blush coloring his worryingly pale face. “I just had one question, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“No. Please.”

“Why us?”

Dreams head tipped questioningly to one side and Hob hastened on. “I wondered how you choose your…locations. There’s always some inspiration, isn’t there? Was just curious what it was about this old place that inspired you twice.”

Dream stared at him for a moment, a parade of emotions flickering across his face so quickly, it was impossible to parse them. His eyes dropped back to the table. “I came by chance. I was out looking for. Inspiration, as you said, I suppose.” He spoke like someone who hadn’t in so long that he’d lost the knack, Hob thought. A crying shame, with that voice. “I saw you, and your employees. Laughing together. Often. I was…interested in your experience.”

“Friends,” Hob said. Dreams eyes flicked up to meet his briefly and he smiled. “I inherited the place. Been in the family for generations. Doesn’t really feel like mine, you know? It belongs to the community at this point, I’m just here to keep the paperwork in order. Knew I’d be taking it over one day, but if I didn’t have friends helping me out here who knew what they were doing I’d have made a complete mess of it.” Hob realized he was prattling on, as he was wont to do, and took a gulp of tea in an effort to rein in his mouth. “I’m sorry. You said you were interested in our…experience?”

Hob watched Dream move his fingertips over the surface of the blank sketchbook page, producing a gentle rhythmic susurrus. “Yes…I…have had precious few of my own. I find inspiration in watching other’s appreciation for life and this place…there’s so much life to appreciate here.” Oh. He was blushing. It was fucking delightful. “I hope you don’t find that. Intrusive.”

“Of course not,” he said. “It’s literally what we’re here for.”

Dream said, “You were very kind, Mr. Gadling. The last time we spoke. It was…it’s own kind of inspiration.”

Ohhhh dear. Oh good grief. He was in trouble. Hob had no idea what his face was doing. He couldn’t even imagine. He coughed to clear the sudden tightness in his throat. “Call me Hob,” he said. “Everyone else does. No one uses my proper name unless I’m in trouble for something.”

“Hob.” Dream said. His mouth curved into the smallest of smiles. Something in Hob’s gut gave a little delighted jump and warmth bloomed, down beneath his breastbone. “My name—is—“ He paused and swallowed. Hob could see him battling forward through something, some wall, and had the irrational urge to cheer for him. “Dream” he finally managed. “You may call me Dream.”

The warmth in Hob’s belly grew, filling his chest. Knowing the name was nothing compared to being gifted the name. “Well, Dream, you’re welcome to come back anytime. Avail yourself of the blank wall space.” Hob grinned, hopeful. “And the experience.”

Dream was silent for a moment, then took a quiet breath. “The tea is also very good.”

It startled a laugh out of Hob. “That’s Dar’s doing, she blends it. Grows some of the herbs herself out there in the spring. She’s got a terrific hangover remedy if you ever need it.”

“I don’t often drink alcohol but I will keep that in mind.”

From the corner of his eye, Hob had noticed the steady motion of Dream’s fingers against the paper turning jerky and irregular. Now he’d abandoned it altogether in favor of twisting them together over and over. His shoulders were tensing, rounding a bit. Ah. It was time, Hob thought, to let him experience his inspiration from afar. But they’d made a start. He thought it was a good start.

Hob picked up his half-drunk mug and lifted it in a little salute. “Right then, I’ll…just leave you to the—the creative processes.”

Dream wrapped his hands around the mug in front of him, just as Hob had imagined, though without his own curved over top of them. “Until next time, then.” And there it was again, that faint smile.

Hob beat a retreat back to his flat. He was only halfway up the stairs when his phone began buzzing its way out of his pocket. Dar, as expected.

Okay we want the story. Spill!

Goddammit. I think I owe Matt a tenner

Told you

…………………..

Next time came later that week, when Dream appeared with his sketchbook and awkward smile and absurdly sexy voice, which Hob coaxed out of him for ten whole minutes before it was obvious he needed a break from human interaction. Hob gathered his small victories where he could.

The warm feeling in his gut, it stayed with him. It was gentle, soothing, some invisible softness blanketing all the rough-edged hurts he’d collected over the past year. It was…striking.

Which was why it was so profoundly obvious to him the moment it was gone.

The day started off wrong-footed in a dozen small and frustrating ways. It was one of those bloody wretched freezing winter days, devoid of snow or any kind of charm, with a biting wind that seemed hell-bent on causing as much trouble as possible. The Inn was busy with customers who mostly just seemed fed up with the outdoors and wanted to forget it existed for awhile.

Hob was helping out behind the bar, pulling orders for a surprisingly rowdy pre-dinner crowd and keeping an eye on one customer in particular—red sweater, surly expression, toeing Matthew’s cut-off line for acceptable drunkenness. He just caught Dream stepping in, huddled in a coat that didn’t look near heavy enough and looking even more like a frozen scarecrow than usual. Quickly he threw together Dream’s usual order, with the addition of a large muffin on a plate, and hurried over. “My friend, hello. I have a job for you today.”

Dream’s brows lifted slightly as Hob set it all down in front of him. “A job involving…muffins?”

Hob grinned. “We started bringing things in from that new bakery down the street, Gilbert’s, maybe help give them a boost. Matthew’s idea.” He nudged the muffin forward and grinned. “Taste test for me, give me a report later.”

Dream opened his mouth, but a crash and raised voices in the direction of the bar drowned out whatever it was he was about to say. Hob looked over his shoulder and swore. “Excuse me, I’ll be back.”

It was Anita, a friend of Dar’s, only two weeks on the job. She stood frozen in the middle of a circle of broken glass from a dropped tray and bystanders who were half out of their seats with the look of folks obviously ready to start throwing punches but unsure how to go about it. The man in the red sweater had one hand locked around her wrist and what could only be described as a leer on his face.

Coming up on them, Hob heard her furious “…I said shove off.”

Red Sweater slurred, “I see you talkin’ but ‘m not hearing anything worth listenin to, yet.”

“Oooh, bad idea mate,” she said. And then Hob’s hand was coming down on his forearm, fingers digging, and he released her with a pained shout.

“Out. Now.,” Hob said.

“Fuck you arsehole, what, you own the place?”

“Actually, yeah,” Matthew said, stepping up to Anita and gently pulling her out of range.

“He does.”

Hob leaned in close and growled, “It’s not that loud in here, I know you heard me.” He shifted his grip to grab a handful of red wool at the back of the man’s neck and pulled. “You can leave now, or I can walk into the back and just let the regulars decide how to sort you out.”

The man wrenched himself out of Hob’s grasp and honked a few more drunken obscenities around at no one in particular grabbing his coat and staggering off. Hob watched him go, resisting the urge to fling him bodily through the door. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Dream, his head bent over his sketchbook, pencil moving intently.

It was pure dumb luck that he saw what followed, it happened so quickly.

The man was stalking unsteadily towards the exit, which took him directly past Dream’s table. As he neared it, Dream looked up and made the most peculiar gesture with his hand—Hob nearly missed it—as though he were lifting something from the table in front of him and flicking it away.

The banana peel hit the floor just as Red Sweater came parallel with Dream’s table. His shoe hit the peel, and in true slapstick fashion, his foot shot out from under him and he landed flat on his arse.

A wave of snickering passed through the crowd. Someone in the back hooted, “OH SMOOTH.”

Red Sweater scrambled to his feet, gave the room in general the finger, and slapped his way out the doors. The usual buzz of the Inn resumed as everyone went back to their conversations. As though an absolutely impossible thing had not just occurred right in front of them.

“What a dick,” Matthew said, appearing at Hob’s side with a broom. “Hey, you okay, boss?”

“What? I— yeah.” Hob shook his head. Nodded his head. Dragged his fingers through his hair. “Is Nita okay?”

“She’ll be okay, I think, she’s taking a break. You sure you are? Because you look like someone just slapped you with a fish. Hey! You know, there’s a word for that? It’s—“

“Hold that thought, Matt,” Hob said, reaching out to pat him absently on the shoulder. Feeling cold prickling across his skin, he made his way over to Dream’s table.

The table was empty. The tea sat untouched. The muffin was missing. Dream was gone.

Hob bent and picked up the banana peel, staring at the thing dangling limply in his hand. It was. A banana peel. Slightly squashed from being tread on. He didn’t know exactly what he’d expected, but that’s what he had. Feeling slow and stupid, he looked down at his feet and there on the floor—a steak of yellow, like chalk ground across the wood.

“What the hell?” he muttered.

Standing there by the door, he felt the cold rushing in, chilling him for the first time in what seemed like days.

Suddenly he was moving, ducking into the kitchen and through the back employee door. Turning the corner, he skirted around the odds and ends that littered the narrow space and pulled back to look at the wall where the orange flames had swirled.

They were…gone.

“What the bloody hell?”

The piece was still there, mostly, a little worse for wear. Hob could see the framing background details, but the flames themselves were gone. Instead there was nothing but empty space, clean bare wall, not even traces of clinging pigment left behind.

The wind blew sharply down the alley, and Hob shivered.

#dreamling #the sandman netflix #dream of the endless #hob gadling #dream x hob #dreamling au #street artist!Dream #A Translation of the Dream

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cosmicbrowniefan · 2 years

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Idk how I just noticed your pinned post but your fandom taste?? beyond immaculate.

I am humbly asking if you perhaps have any hcs for a gravity falls!au for stranger things, and/or a hogwarts!au 👀

beck, we simply have the best of taste. and yes i do have headcanons

disclaimer: fuck jkr

gravity falls au hcs:

so. will and el are the mystery twins. we been knew

visiting hop in gravity falls, oregon, for the summer of course

the rest of the party happens to have summer jobs at the mystery shack

(why hopper hired them all, he will never know. to this day, it is still one of the best and worst things he's ever done)

i think that the other party members (max, mike, lucas, and dustin) have a little mystery club. a gang, if you will

i think they have journal 3 and they give will and el a brief evaluation before inviting them in to the club

when will and el have their first supernatural encounter and end up defeating the gnomes with a leafblower, the party knows that they're perfect for their club

will and el are just. stunned. to hear about all the stuff that goes down in gravity falls

they love the lore and yeah they might've just fought off a shit ton of gnomes but WOAH there are that many other cool things here too??

of course they have to avoid the watchful eye of hopper

but their friends and fellow employees steve and robin (wendy and soos respectively) help them sneak around and figure things out

the party lets will and el borrow journal 3 to look over

when el sees the page about vampires, she's immediately convinced that mike is one

and while will waves it off and says that that's ridiculous, he can't help but wonder as well

el takes it upon herself to ask max who just laughs and says that they're explored that idea many times, but it doesn't seem to be true

the golf cart is the main form of transport for the party

you're probably wondering, how on earth do six people fit in a golf cart??

well, easy enough answer there: lucas and max in the front, el and will in the back, mike hanging on the side, and dustin on top

they strap dustin in with bungee cords because they've had a few accidents too many

i think max is able to send bill cypher back into oblivion with just one dirty look

bill cypher may be like a demon of multiple worlds, but he has other worlds he can take over that don't involve the wrath of max

el plays matchmaker just like mabel does, but she gets max involved in it too

these girls are the finest matchmakers in all of gravity falls

well. until it came to mike and will

they tried several times to get those two together but god they were both so helpless, el and max just gave up eventually

MIKE FELL FIRST AND MIKE FELL HARDER.

this cute little nerdy boy obsessed with all the cryptids?? who keeps drawing them as they fight them all summer and adding more illustrations to the journal?? has his heart.

will spends most of his summer learning more about this stuff and getting excited about it

he does. think about mike. maybe just a bit

but he often tries to push those thoughts aside bc there's no way mike would like him back AND he has monsters to focus on

until one day lucas casually asks will how he and mike are doing and will is like ????

lucas thought they were dating

okay maybe he knew they weren't and just wanted to stir the pot but still it was enough to make will open his eyes

mike meanwhile has finally broken down and gone to the girls for advice

to which he is greeted with both enthusiasm and a speech of "if you EVER hurt MY BROTHER..."

but yeah. mike ends up asking will out finally

on pioneer day as well, mike asked will if he would go out with him or if he'd have to settle for marrying a woodpecker

will happily agreed

but anyway

lucas punches a pterodactyl in the face

i could go on and on but that's the limit of my brain atm. i love gravity falls. i love stranger things. this was lovely to think about

hogwarts au hcs:

ok so sorting the party into their houses is difficult as fuck. i can honestly see a valid argument of putting the party members in almost any house, and i'm totally here for that discussion, but for this hc set, these are the houses i'm putting them in:

mike: slytherin, will: gryffindor, dustin: ravenclaw, lucas: hufflepuff, max: slytherin, el: gryffindor

dustin is muggle born but god that does not stop him from learning and absorbing everything he can about the wizarding world

el has a cat, mike, lucas, max, and will have owls, and dustin has a toad

the toad's name is scribbles

idk why, it just is

also lucas and will play quidditch!! lucas is a keeper and will is a chaser

fred and george did not pass the maurauder's map to harry. they passed it to max and will

max and will have not told a soul that they have it, but they use it to their advantage and love it

mike and el have a competition of collecting chocolate frog cards

who has the most, the rarest ones, the most diverse set, etc

el is winning btw

lucas thinks the toothpaste every flavor bean tastes good

they all have some wonderful wizarding talents as well

as i said before, will and lucas are on the quidditch team, so they're good at that

lucas is also great in care of magical creatures

he loves every single one of those animals and knows just how to calm them and care for them

el has a real knack for herbology!!

she actually wants to come back and teach it after she graduates

el also. wants a pet mandrake

dustin is a potions MASTER

he learns all these tricks and does them so well that he could practically write a second edition of the half-blood prince's book

mike is good at charms!

he loves all those little helpful spells that just make life easier, ya know

those are the best

max is FANTASTIC at transfiguration

she can turn anything into. anything

in fact max has this little business (that might not be entirely safe or legal for her to do by wizarding standards, but she does it anyway)

she helps transfigure body parts of dysphoric trans hogwarts students

shh don't tell anyone

mike got the most O.W.L.s.

no one knows how, but he did

also max once locked umbridge in the room of requirement

"it was what i required at that time! it wasn't my fault, i swear!"

oh you know how i said dustin has a toad scribbles

he also is in the toad choir at hogwarts

he and scribbles both have voices of angels

when they're old enough, lucas and el get put as head boy and head girl

will is a prefect

mike flirting with him shamelessly and will trying to stay professional but he can't help but melt at his boyfriend's dumb little attempts to catch him off guard

sometimes he gets so flustered from mike's flirting that he can't remember the password to the common room and he has to wait for someone else to come back to help him

setting them in the year of triwizard tournament rn

lucas is the hogwarts champion!!!!!! bc who tf else i mean come on he's perfect

will drawing banners for lucas and mike charming them to animate

byler dancing at the yule ball :(((((((

ugh god i. i love them

again i could go on and on but that's the limit of my brain for tonight

hope you enjoyed!!!!!!

#stranger things #stranger things headcanons #byler #byler headcanons #the party #the party headcanons #stranger things x gravity falls #stranger things x hogwarts #hogwarts au #gravity falls au #stranger things x harry potter

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sunshine-vx · 4 months

Text

Across Space, Time and Dreams (ASTaD) (Ch. 21)

(Blankshippers DNI)

(Please refer to beginning of chapter 1 post for complete list of CWs/TWs)

(Extra notes: Yippiee, I've actually posted the next chapter like I said I would today! Hope you guys like it! It's a tiny bit rushed, there may be a few edits I have to go back and do, but I did look it over so hopefully it's not too bad lol)

(This chapter's illustration done by @moonlightalpha666 !)

(Reblogs are appreciated!)

Ingo and Emmet sat down beside each other, Looker taking a seat across from them.

"I am not allowed to give out too much information, but what I can say is that I work with and am very much aware of space-time phenomena." Looker explained, "Your case is exceedingly rare and socially unheard of, but not impossible, however much is still unknown about the specifics of it all. That said, I believe there is a way to prove a certain phenomena present here.”

Looker reached into his pocket, taking out a Pokéball. He clicked it, a pink and purple, peaceful-looking Pokémon forming from the blue light.

"A Musharna?" Emmet commented, confused.

"Yes. You see, both of you put a large amount of emphasis on these supposed dreams that you have been having while you were being questioned- if said dreams are true to your word, then it could be used as evidence.” Looker explained

“If my hypothesis is correct, this Musharna here will use its powers to look at your recent dreams, and see if any of them match up with your claims. This is the only way to be able to confirm what you say about these dreams of yours as true. I assure you, it is not dangerous, and does not affect the mind at all.”

"Are..are you sure?" Ingo stuttered.

"I would not suggest a procedure if it put either of you in danger, especially considering the circumstances already at hand." Looker responded.

"Alright, then, uh, what do we do-?" Ingo started.

Musharna floated towards Ingo, its body glowing, and Ingo's own reflecting the same effect.

"Just stay still. You will feel a slight tingling- that is normal." Looker answered.

Ingo was a bit caught off guard, almost slipping. Emmet began to get up to help his brother, but Ingo put up his hand to tell Emmet it was okay, who sat back down apprehensively.

Ingo felt a bit dizzy and heavy, although he assumed that was natural. He closed his eyes to help himself stabilize.

After a moment, the heaviness suddenly lifted, and he opened his eyes to see his twin glowing instead now, the Musharna having quickly floated towards Emmet while Ingo had recovered.

Ingo's eyes widened, prepared to do what he had to do, but he told himself it was fine. Following a few seconds, the Musharna floated back to Looker, and Emmet stopped glowing. Emmet breathed out, clearly surprised.

"Wow! That felt weird!"

"Yeah. And- woah! Look at the Musharna's mist!"

The Musharna's mist looked almost galaxy-esc, with many different colors scattered within it.

"Interesting. Very, very interesting." Looker murmured, "Musharna, show me what you found."

Musharna hummed in response, and Looker began to glow this time, the detective closing his eyes.

Ingo and Emmet watched nervously, and after a few minutes, Musharna floated a few inches away, Looker no longer glowing. He opened his eyes, and following him staring out into space for a moment, Looker took out a notepad and a pen, scribbling down notes.

When he was done, he clicked his pen again, before setting it down on the table.

"Good. Very good. Thank you, Musharna." Looker lifted Musharna's Pokéball and returned it inside, stuffing the Pokéball back into his coat's pocket afterwards.

"What did you see?" Ingo asked.

“It seems the procedure worked! And, what you described does indeed match what I saw!" Looker announced.

Ingo and Emmet smiled.

"That is amazing!" Emmet vocalized.

"Indeed. Now, there's a few more things that need to be done here." Looker spoke.

Looker took a small stack of papers and slided them across the table to Ingo.

"Ingo, you are aware you were sent to the past, correct?"

"Yes, I am aware." Ingo answered simply.

"Good. Read the papers I gave you. They are documentations that the police- and Emmet- theorized may be speaking of you, and things you may have been affiliated with. See what you can decipher." Looker instructed.

Ingo blinked, and took the papers in his hands. Emmet leaned over Ingo's shoulder, scanning the papers as well.

"This is what I was talking about." Emmet voiced, "I found some things in a history museum, and when I kept looking, there were more things I discovered."

Ingo only nodded slowly, focused on what he was reading.

As Ingo continued reading, he felt his chest tighten and tears prick at his eyes, but he blinked them away.

The papers spoke of a strange man in the Pearl Clan of Hisui. He was said to have an amazing ability to tame Pokémon, and even battle with them. He had habits and customs that were foreign to Hisui, but that the man simply did anyway. For a time, he served as the Noble Sneasler's warden, and worked at Jubilife Village to help create a battle institute there. It even showed sketches of the Warden Bracelet he wore now.

It was him. It was absolutely, 100%, without any doubt, him.

"Yes. That is you, right, Ingo? It must be." Emmet commented, sitting back in his seat.

After another moment, Ingo put the papers down and slid them back to Looker.

"..Yes. Yes, it is. Wow, that's..that's incredible." Ingo spoke.

At this revelation, Ingo felt almost unsettled. Thoughts and questions came to his mind, but he shook them away. Right now, he needed to focus on the present moment. He'd ask Emmet about it later.

"Yes. Everything adds up, doesn't it?" Looker added, "One more thing, and we will be done here."

Looker placed a strange device on the table, and activated it. It began projecting footage in the air, the same way Emmet's device on his wrist did.

"Can you both confirm that you remember these events?"

Looker played the same footage Emmet had showed Ingo. But then, he played two other things as well.

One was of Emmet walking down the Subway Tunnels. He seemed focused, determined on doing something. There was a glow reflecting on Emmet from off the screen. Emmet began to walk towards whatever was giving off the light, before the footage cut out, and he was gone.

Then, another tape. The camera was focused on the sidewalk beside one of the main rails. The screen began to bug out, and looked strange. It cut out, and suddenly, Ingo, Emmet and Chandelure were all there. Then, the footage ended.

Emmet and Ingo simply nodded. It wasn't too surprising that they had footage of other things- including their return- as well.

Looker continued. "Good. Very, very good. Emmet, while you were supposedly in the past as well, you were also seen in the present. How?”

“A Zorua. Gym Leader Elesa found one right after I had left, and it was able to pull off taking my place until I returned. She knew because Depot Agents Cloud and Jackie contacted her due to seeing me go through the portal on camera footage. Only they knew about it.”

Looker nodded, scribbling a bit more on his notepad.

“I think that is all. You will wait in the front of the Station, and when we give you our final statements, you may all leave. I will escort you two there."

Drayden, Elesa, and Depot Agents Cloud and Jackie watched as the projection of the camera footage ended, disappearing back into the device.

"Yup, that's what we saw on the cameras, alright." Cloud stated.

"We didn't want to cause any further panic or jump to any conclusions, so we contacted Emmet's family before anything else." Jackie explained "Thankfully, Ms. Elesa knew what was going on. She had informed Mr. Drayden, and had a plan to make sure nothing got out to anyone else."

Looker nodded and wrote down in his notepad.

"Emmet told me about a Zorua taking his place while he was away. Is that this 'plan' you speak of?"

"Yes, sir." Elesa, who stood next to the Depot Agents and Drayden, answered.

"I see. Well, it's clear that the 'current' Emmet is the real one, and that this Zorua is no longer impersonating him." Looker spoke, "However, due to safety protocol, might I ask you to show me this Zorua, if possible?"

Elesa nodded and reached into one of the pockets on her puffy yellow jacket, taking out a Pokéball a second later. She clicked on the contraption's button.

"Come on out, Zorua."

From the bright blue light that ejected from the Pokéball, Zorua formed. One of its ears twitched as it looked around the room.

Elesa took a step towards the Zorua and crouched down in front of it, giving it a pat on the head.

"Hey there, bud. I know you're probably a bit confused right now, but can I ask you a favor?"

The Zorua tilted its head in response, as if to ask what Elesa wanted.

"Well, we have to show a few things to this man here," Elesa motioned towards Looker, "including how you were able to turn into Emmet. Is that alright? It's so he can make sure everything is in order."

The Zorua paused for a moment, seeming a bit perplexed, but then it went from a sitting position to standing on all fours, stretching, as if saying, 'alright then'. Elesa stood up and stepped back.

After a moment, the Zorua's eyes began to glow, and it started to transform, its look taking on the appearance of some almost-shapeless, dark mass. Then, it began to take another shape. The mass became more pronounced and specific, quickly sprouting limbs, a head, and even clothing.

Only some seconds later, the Zorua's eyes stopped glowing, settling into a silver shade, as it finally stopped transforming.

Now, the Zorua had taken on the form of Emmet. It looked pretty much exactly like him. Perhaps those who were especially close to Emmet could see that something was off, but being backed up by Elesa, Drayden, Cloud, and Jackie, the Zorua had managed to slip under the radar undetected.

It was still shocking to Elesa and the others, and even as a professional, Looker seemed a bit in awe.

"And can it speak?" Looker questioned.

As if to answer him, the Zorua opened its mouth.

"I am Emmet. I am a Subway Boss. Follow the schedule, safe driving."

Looker's eyes widened. "Fascinating." He whispered before going to write in his notebook.

"And how did you teach it to do all that?"

"I showed it pictures, videos and audio." Elesa explained, "It took a few days to get to where Zorua's impersonation was good enough, but thankfully, I was able to use the excuse that 'Emmet' and I were still on our trip. Zorua here seems to be a fast learner."

"There were some people who noticed something seemed off," Drayden added, "but they were able to be convinced when they were told it was just something like sickness, or an off day, and nothing more."

"Who all knows at this point in time?" Looker questioned.

"Myself, Elesa, Ms. Cloud, Ms. Jackie, Ingo and Emmet are the only ones who know." Drayden answered, "Well, as well as you and some other police officers, as well as the Zorua itself."

Looker hummed to himself, scribbling down notes in his notebook. Then, he tucked it and his pencil into his coat pocket.

"As someone whose duty it is to keep peace, I serve not only people, but Pokémon, as well." Looker vocalized, glancing at Elesa. "Does this Zorua have a name?"

"Well," Elesa replied, "I asked, and it said it likes the idea of being called 'Kurzen'."

Looker nodded, then turning to face Kurzen the Zorua, who was still posing as Emmet.

"Kurzen," Looker said "if I may, I have some questions for you. Surely, you can speak without being told what to say, yes?"

Kurzen only stared for a moment. It would be difficult to decipher what it was thinking, and Elesa began to worry it may not cooperate. But then, after a moment, Kurzen responded.

"...Yes. I can speak human language fluently."

Looker smiled, seeming both happy at the answer, and impressed.

"Brilliant. May I ask you those questions, then?"

"Just a moment please. I would like to be in my main form for this- it comes off as more genuine, no?"

Kurzen voiced, before beginning to transform again. It quickly reverted back to its form as a Zorua.

"There we go." Kurzen's ear twitched, "Now, go on. I am listening."

Looker, although having just witnessed Kurzen speak moments before, still seemed a bit surprised that in its Zorua form, Kurzen continued to speak so casually. Regardless, it wasn't a detriment to the investigation, so he went with it.

Looker flipped his pencil in his hand.

"How did you end up with Ms. Elesa?"

"Well, I spotted Elesa when she was on a late-night walk, mumbling to herself about what could happen if people found out someone was gone, and if only this someone could be at two places at once. So, I offered my help." Kurzen replied.

Looker nodded, writing down on his notepad.

"So I'm assuming your capture wasn't forced or harmful, nor your task of impersonating Emmet?"

"Not at all. Again, it was me who offered to help. It took a bit of communicating- Elesa was quite confused at first, and I did not know much of anything regarding the details of the situation other than a few things I had overheard, but we quickly came to an understanding, and a plan!"

Kurzen yapped, tapping their paw on the tiled floor, "The task given to me was perhaps a bit intimidating at first, but doing good takes courage- plus, I love a good challenge, and I quickly got used to it! In fact, it was fun to be able to do something new for a little while! So it worked out!"

Kurzen's golden eyes glistened, a happy look on their foxy face. "A day or two after I met Elesa, I asked her if she would catch me, and she did!"

"Alright then. That is good to hear. Might I ask what your motives for helping were?" Looker questioned.

"Well, you see...I am no fool, but I like to believe in the goodness of people and Pokémon, and the idea of embracing life,” Kurzen said, “I like to help others and just have harmless fun, although I've rarely been able to do that so directly- until I met Elesa."

Looker hummed to himself, continuing to write down notes,

"I see, I see. How can we be sure that you do not have any ulterior motives, Kurzen? Will you impersonate Emmet again, or someone else?"

Kurzen shook its head, "I have no intentions of impersonating Emmet- or anyone else- unless it becomes necessary again in the future, in which I'm sure Elesa or someone else here tells me if that is so. I understand it sounds suspicious, coming from a Zorua. We have a reputation of being tricksters, and I admit, a harmless prank every now and then is certainly fun!"

Kurzen snickered deviously, shook their fur out, and straightened their face, "But in the end, I only want to help people, have a nice time, make friends and enjoy life. I was able to help someone, and in doing so, I made a good friend, and I'd like to keep that friend."

Kurzen glanced at Elesa, their ear twitching and tail swooshing, before returning their gaze to Looker, "I feel that I can find more meaning with her help, and I think that would be wondrous."

A bright smile began to cross Elesa's face.

Looker nodded, thinking to himself for a few moments, before finishing writing and putting his pencil and notepad away in his coat pockets.

"I see, then. There is no evidence against your claims, and things seem to line up. So I will take your word for it. However, I have one request, for all of you."

"What would that be?" Drayden asked.

Looker conveyed, "Kurzen- you said that you would be willing to help in regards to impersonating individuals, should it theoretically be helpful, in the future?"

Kurzen nodded.

"In that case- should something like that occur for whatever reason, I want at least one of you to alert me of the situation, how it will be dealt with, and other details, and I will let it happen without consequences, should I see that fit. And please relay this to Ingo and Emmet, as well, and make sure they understand, if I don't tell them myself." Looker continued, "Do you all understand? Does that seem fair?"

"That seems alright to us, sir." Cloud spoke

"We'll be sure to let you know." Jackie added.

"Of course." Kurzen answered.

The others echoed their similar sentiments.

"Alright then. That is good. Thank you." Looker said, "I believe that is all.”

Looker took his notepad and pencil and placed it in one of his large coat pockets.

“I will escort you all to the front area of the station, and you will wait there. Once I and the other officers are done going over everything, we will give you our final statements, and then you may leave. Follow me.”

Kurzen pranced over to Elesa, looking up at her with big eyes. Elesa chuckled and picked Kurzen up, holding it in her arms.

“Did you really mean what you said? About me being your friend?” Elesa asked.

“Of course! I would hope that you feel the same way, no?” Kurzen replied.

“I do, absolutely. You've been a great new little buddy.”

“Thank you, Elesa. That means a lot to hear.”

Elesa nodded and took out Kurzen's Pokéball from her jacket.

“I know this kind of thing can be a bit exhausting. Would you like to return to your Pokéball for a bit?”

Kurzen's tail swished, “Yes, please. I am a little tired.”

“Alright, then! Oh, also, I have to ask. Are you always going to speak human language?”

“Only when I feel like it is necessary. In fact, I think I'll stop right about now- it's getting a bit tiresome.”

“Hahah, that sounds fine with me either way. See you later, Kurzen.”

Kurzen let out a yip in response, Elesa then tapping Kurzen's head gently with the Pokéball. Once Kurzen was securely resting inside, Elesa faced the others and prepared to go on.

In the front area of the station, Ingo and Emmet waited patiently. As Looker led the other four down a hallway and into the front, Cloud's eyes widened and Jackie gasped. Despite every bone in her body telling her to run at Ingo and twirl him around, she resisted. Cloud and Jackie shared a glance with each other, then with Elesa, then Drayden.

Finally, Looker stopped a few paces away from the twins, and the other four behind him.

"I will return." Looker said simply, before leaving down back the same hall they came from.

Ingo and Emmet moved their gaze to the other group. Emmet blinked, noticing the two Depot Agents, a bit surprised, although his smile widened.

Ingo opened his mouth to speak, before his eyes landed on the two Depot Agents, and he was rendered temporarily speechless.

The two individuals took a few more steps forward, stopping in front of Ingo.

"It's good to see you, Boss. Sorry we couldn't make it sooner- the subway is a bit hectic without you and Emmet's help." One of the people spoke with a soft smile. She was tall and muscular, with poofy hair, and kind eyes.

The other person- a shorter, skinnier girl with short, ginger hair, waved, her hand shaking, as if she couldn't fully believe what she was seeing.

"Depot Agents Cloud and Jackie. Our Assistant Subway Masters." Emmet said.

Ingo nodded, as if that information had already registered somewhere in his brain. Tears clouded his vision once more, and just like that, the questions came spinning through his head. He opened his mouth to nervously speak, but at least some of his concerns were able to be put to rest this time.

"It's okay. The others told us everything." Cloud explained. Ingo felt a confusing jab in his heart- he was relieved that he didn't have to break the news himself, but the sadness behind the two Agent's eyes was undeniable- and that pained him. He blinked the tears away.

"Everything? As in, everything, right?" Ingo wanted to make sure they knew. Before anyone could answer, however, Jackie began to walk towards Ingo, stopping in front of him, her head lowered.

Ingo was a bit confused. "Jackie?"

Jackie murmured, then raising her head to make eye contact with Ingo, tears rolling down her face. She hugged Ingo tightly.

"Boss, I don't know how much you recall, but the Subway station...everyone there, even if they don't say it, we're like a family. That's all I've got when it comes to that, so I'm counting on you to remember like Emmet says you can. Okay?"

Ingo felt a wave of emotions hit him. Now, tears began to flow down his face as well. He glanced over at Cloud, who only smiled, her eyes watery as well.

Ingo looked back at Jackie, who was still clinging to him, before returning the embrace and speaking softly,

"Of course. I promise, I would never abandon any of you."

Once Jackie had stepped back, Cloud approached Ingo and put a sturdy hand on his shoulder. She wiped away a few tears that stained her face.

"Take your time, Boss. I know it's all in there. We'll be waiting for you."

Ingo smiled, taking one of his hands and placing it on Cloud's wrist.

"And I can't wait to see you all again." Ingo spoke. Tears were freely falling now, and Ingo didn't really make much of an attempt to stop them. "Oh, and Cloud? There's no need for formalities, okay? At least, not now."

Cloud chuckled at this. Ingo gave Cloud's arm a pat with his hand, and this time, it was Ingo who initiated an embrace. Cloud was taken aback, but her small smile widened, her eyes becoming misty again. She returned the gesture, firm but gentle. After a moment, the two broke the hug. Ingo moved his hand from Cloud's wrist, Cloud patting Ingo's shoulder before lowering her own hand, taking a step back.

Jackie returned to Cloud's side, glancing up at her, the taller Agent giving the smaller Agent a reassuring grin. Jackie smiled softly in return.

"Thank you two, for understanding. I can already feel things coming back to me." Ingo spoke, "I'll be back in this family of ours in no time. That is a promise."

Jackie beamed, clasping her hands together, and Cloud nodded, her smile unwavering and brighter yet.

“Thank you, Boss.” Cloud replied.

“We care about you.” Jackie said.

Ingo's heart felt warm, “And I care about you. Thank you.”

There was a warm feeling in there air, and despite some cold feelings of uncertainty, they knew things would turn out alright.

“I hate to interrupt, but-” Elesa continued, “How did everything go for you two, boys? Everything went well for the four of us, so there's no reason to worry about that.”

“Oh, that is good to hear.” Emmet answered, “Everything went well with us, as well. I also believe there is no need to worry.”

“Good.” Drayden spoke.

After a bit, Looker returned into the area and approached Ingo, Emmet, Drayden, Elesa, Cloud and Jackie

"The other officers and I have made our conclusions; For now, until, and if, something else comes up, you are all free to go." Looker articulated, "We may be in contact with you vaguely, but other than that, you will not have to worry."

The group all seemed relieved and glad.

"Thank you so, so much, Detective." Ingo stated.

"We are verrry grateful for your help!" Emmet added.

Elesa, Drayden, Cloud and Jackie echoed their similar sentiments.

Looker smiled, "Of course. It is my duty, after all. Oh, and Emmet?"

Emmet made a "hm?" noise in response, a bit confused.

"I told the guards the truth, and they understood, and were not upset. I returned everything to how it should be, and no one else will be told. We have both been pardoned. Your information will be useful. Thank you, sir."

Before anyone could say anything, Looker turned on his heel and walked steadily in the other direction.

Ingo, Elesa, Drayden, Cloud and Jackie glanced at Emmet, who smiled nervously.

"Okay, so I may or may not have tried to steal the Lustrous and Adamant Orbs and replace them with fakes the Lake Guardians gave me." Emmet explained "Uh, Looker. He helped me. If I would give him information on space-time stuff in return. N-No one was hurt!"

"Goodness! You have got to tell us more about what happened later!" Elesa exclaimed.

"You did so much for me…thank you, Emmet. Truly, Emmet, you are incredible. I cannot thank you enough.” Ingo spoke

Emmet chuckled nervously, "Of course, Ingo! Eheh…so no one's upset?"

“No. I mean, you said no one was hurt, right?” Drayden replied.

“Right! Thank you all for being so understanding.” Emmet responded.

Then, there was a beep that came from Cloud and Jackie's Xtransrecievers. Cloud frowned, and Jackie made a disappointed clicking sound with her tongue.

“I suppose that means we should go…it is unfortunate, but there is work to do.” Cloud said.

“We are sorry. We will try to see you again as soon as possible.” Jackie vocalized.

Ingo felt a bit sad that the two Agents had to leave so soon, but he wanted to try and find a bright side.

“Well..I'll see you both again in no time. And then, I'll be able to see the subway system again- I'm looking forward to that.” Ingo expressed.

Cloud's smile returned, and Jackie let out a breathy laugh.

“We'll make sure the subway is in tip-top shape!”

“Only the best for the return of our beloved Boss Ingo.”

The two Agents exclaimed as they left, walking down the sidewalk. They waved their hands high, and Ingo and Emmet waved back.

Once they were out of sight, Emmet opened his mouth to speak.

“They could not wait to see you again. I tried my best to explain everything to the best of my ability. I think it went very well, all things considered.” Emmet spoke. He noticed that Ingo did not respond, and he turned to Ingo. Cloud and Jackie also looked worried, now.

“Ingo, are you okay?”

Ingo felt both a pain and a soothing warmth in his heart. His eyes were closed and damp. Upon hearing his brother, Ingo opened his eyes and wiped the tears away. He smiled.

“Yes, I am okay. I just needed a moment to process that. I am..I am very glad that I got to see them again.”

Emmet nodded. Then, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Ingo! You have not seen our home yet! That is absolutely what we have to do next!" Emmet announced, "How does that sound? Elesa, Uncle Drayden, will you come?"

Ingo's eyes shined, too, and he smiled. His home…he couldn't wait to see it!

"Yes, bravo! Excellent idea, Emmet! Yes, let's go!" Ingo vocalized.

"Of course I will come." Drayden answered.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Elesa avowed.

And with that, Emmet, Ingo, Elesa and Drayden exited the station. Emmet led the way, Ingo by his side, Elesa and Drayden trailing closely behind.

Ingo took in the sights around him. He marveled at them, his heart filling with all sorts of glee and other emotion.

But, after a bit, an unsettling feeling rose up in Ingo. He hesitated, before whispering something to Emmet.

"Emmet? Those papers Looker showed me? He suggested you knew where their contents come from." Ingo remarked "Do you…do you think I need to worry about all that right now?"

Emmet was a bit taken aback, but replied anyway, "If that is what you want to do, I have an amount of the books some of those documents were from at home, still. I will need to return them soon, but if you feel like it's important to think and do something about something that's come up, then you absolutely can do so. I will help, too."

Ingo thought for a moment. Something was bugging him a little, and he felt like he kind of knew what and why, but ultimately, he decided against addressing it.

"I appreciate that a lot, but I think I'll wait." Ingo stated, "Besides, in a couple of months we'll be back there, so I can get even better answers there."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I am sure."

Emmet nodded and his smile widened. He raised his voice back up to normal level.

"Alright, then. Here, how about I show you a few sights around town on our way to our home? They will probably be verrry nostalgic!"

"I'd love that!" Ingo exclaimed, his voice back to normal level, too, and his mood risen back to good heights.

And so they kept walking.

Chapter 20

Chapter 22 (Work In Progress!)

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albatmobile · 1 year

Text

The Art of Rehabilitating Snowbirds Chapter 8

𓅪 After not hearing from Roy or Jason for five years, you suddenly find yourself taking in extra income as a babysitter for Roy and Jason's child.

𓅪 Rated: M | TW: mentions of alcohol/weed | 10.2k includes: Damian and Jason train you (gray sweatpants, enough said), you hang w roy and Jason while the batfam is out of town and steamy shenanigans w jayroy occur (shotgunning and drunken making-out yall)

fem!Reader x Jason Todd x Roy Harper [masterlist]

Chapter Eight: I Wanna Be Your Man | ao3 - wattpad

THEN

It calmed down for the most part after the party, with Damian not refusing to let you escape from your promise to learn self-defense.

“At least just the basics until you get them down. After that, I can show you the impressive moves they attempt to illustrate in those pathetic comics of yours.”

You ignored his ever-present cynicism, “Really?!”

Damian rolled his eyes, “Yes, really. Bruce had us taught by the best in kidnapping defense and retaliation. I know some pretty cool moves.”

He motioned you forward onto the central mat in the manor’s extensive gym.

You laughed at his terminology. “Even if you show me, it won’t matter anyway because you’ll never play superheroes with me.”

“Aw,” He pretended to pout at you, “you’re right. Now come get your ass beat.”

“Whatever,” You huffed but , regardless, stepped toward him to copy his stance.

He bent his knees slightly and you followed suit. “Elevate your heels a bit.” He came around behind you and kicked lightly at them, forcing you to balance on the pads of your feet, “Good.”

You cleared your throat at his unusual praise, pushing down the butterflies that fluttered against your stomach. Now was not the time to be getting horny, fucking weirdo. This was about your safety.

“Alright, now that you’ve felt out the stance a bit, I’ll show you a strike.”

He demonstrated where to place your hands in front of your face, bringing his arm across his chest to push in between your chest with enough force to send you tumbling backward.

“Woah!” You caught yourself before you tripped. When you returned to the original stance, you tried to emulate him as best you could, but when you made contact with his chest, he didn’t budge in the slightest. You let out a disappointed sigh and tried again but to no avail. “How come you didn’t move?”

“You have the strength of a toddler, that’s why. Any other obvious questions you want answered?” He showed you how to make a fist by taking your hands into his and curling them just so. “Watch my legs as I punch.”

You saw them shift in tandem with the movement and replicated it, lifting your heels off the mat just slightly. Then you were off in a flurry of fists and dodges that made you feel like you’d jumped straight from the pages of your favorite comic books and out onto the gym mat.

A particular punch of his had you stumbling back and tripping over a stray weight with a yelp. Damian attempted to catch you, but your leg extended out in a way that ended up tripping him in the process. Damian ended up landing right above you with his weight on his hands that lay on either side of your head.

He tilted his head slightly at your flustered face and leaned in closer.

Your breath unwittingly hitched when his lips seemed to hesitate over yours as if he were contemplating what it’d be like to close the short distance between your mouths and taste your rosy lips.

It’s quiet aside from your faint, overexerted breaths. Time seemed to have frozen you in your position as your widened eyes stared up into Damian’s half-lidded hazel eyes.

“I’ve never kissed anyone before,” He finally broke the silence.

You swallowed lightly as your eyes searched his for any answers, but all you found was thinly aroused contempt.

“I haven’t either.”

You both seemed to have revealed your ace of hearts and, thus, were left in the tension of the aftermath.

He nodded before finishing the lesson like nothing happened. “I’ll be in the showers. They’re open stalls, so I’ll go first. In the meantime, it’s imperative you cool down and stretch.” He showed you a few good ones before leaving you to your own devices.

Damian was off in the showers and you were bending down into the cobra stretch he’d shown you when Jason found you.

“Why are you working out in that?” You followed his eyes as they raked over your revealing sports bra and short workout shorts as you arched off the ground.

“What’s so wrong with it?” You breathed into the stretch, attempting to ignore him. You could hear the water running loudly from the other room and tried to focus on that as you finished your cool down.

He knelt down and tapped your nose, making it impossible to ignore him, “Bit whoreish.”

You gaped at him but recovered quickly enough to impress him, “Leave the fashion policing to Dick, Jay.”

He fake gagged as he stood off to the side to observe you, “Please never call me that again.”

“What?!” You huffed and stood up, realizing you weren’t going to be able to do any cooling down with Jason in the room. “But you let Roy call you that.”

He looked around the gym theatrically before landing on you once again with his mirthful slits of green, “Don’t see Roy in here, soo.”

“So, only Roy can call you Jay,” You started listing off on your fingers. “Only you can call me babe and only Roy can call me princess?”

“Something along those lines, yeah,” He shrugged as if it were obvious.

“Do you just pick random days to be a cunt, or is this just like an everyday thing now?” You eyed him up and down with faux judgment. “Because it seems like it’s an everyday thing.”

“Fuck off and come fight someone who actually knows what they’re doing. How about that?” He tilted his sharp jaw towards the center of the mat and motioned you to follow him. “Show me your stance.” You laughed but, nonetheless, followed him to replicate what Damian had shown you. Jason immediately tutted as he looked over your form, “Keep your legs shoulder-width.”

That was the same thing Damian had said too. “Why?”

Jason kicked lightly at your feet and you closed the distance between them, “Your legs seem to be your strongest asset.”

“Are you hitting on me?” You joked, but he merely rolled his eyes.

“Anyone can see that you’ve got killer legs, so use them to your advantage.”

You blushed at the off-handed compliment and nodded.

He started moving around you with a cadence that reminded you of a dance and you tried to follow suit but were dragging slightly due to soreness in your legs from your previous sparring with Damian. You did perk up pretty quickly once he threw his shirt off, leaving him in just his grey sweatpants.

Damn, that outline was doing things to you…

You didn’t have much time to appreciate his athletic build before he broke into a sprint your way, tackling you to the ground with a resounding ‘thud.’

“Agh! Jason, what the fuck?” You attempted to lift your arms off the mat, but Jason had you pinned with one hand. “How the fuck is this training me? Get off of me, you fucking fat ass,” You pushed at his heavy form, but it was in vain.

“Get me off then, babe,” He shifted his grip as he smirked down at your struggling form. “Find an object, an anchor, in the room and steady your breathing.”

You didn’t have time to catch the innuendo. No, you were too busy squirming below him while attemptingt to find your anchor and regain a steady air supply to your lungs at the same time.

“You’re too heavy,” You heaved pathetically against the overbearing weight of his chest.

“Try shifting your hips like this,” He used his free hand to tap at the base of your hips where your underwear began. He then lifted off your body with his free hand, “Then move them like you’re bucking.”

He demonstrated how to shift them from side to side while hovering over you single-handedly.

You watched his hips move above your own, but they quickly trailed up his to each of his rippling biceps: one on your hip, the other on the right side of your head.

“Bucking…” You trailed off, watching as he lowered his weight back onto your chest.

“Yeah, just like I showed you,” His breath fanned across your face as you came tip to tip with his nose.

You thought back to what Damian had said about not having kissed anyone and wondered if it would still be true for you by the end of Jason’s training session.

He seemed expectant, so you shifted from side to side under him, albeit distracted by the intimacy of the position, something he noticed immediately. One look at your distracted gaze and rosy cheeks was all Jason needed to see. He wasted no time in hopping off of you.

You coughed lightly when you sat up and inhaled dramatically to play your arousal off, “Fucking hell, dude,” You winced, rubbing at your ribs where his weight had been predominately on. “What does Alfred feed you guys?”

“You should know. You’re here almost every day, which, I might add, also makes you a fat ass.” He reached out a hand that you accepted easily and he helped you to stand.

“Touche, Todd.”

It was Jason’s turn to leave you in the gym when he heard Roy calling from down the hall. You don’t stay alone for too long, however, as Damian emerges from the showers mere moments later.

You attempted to sneak up behind Damian and attack him using what Jason had just shown you, but he simply yawned and flipped you onto the mat with a heavy ‘thunk.’

“Oof!” You had the breath knocked straight out of you. “How did you see me coming?”

“What did I say about obvious questions?” He said your name, not bothering to help you up.

You couldn't help but chuckle at the stark differences between the Wayne boys.

You assumed it was just you and Damian now, so you tried out some of the things you’d noticed while training with Jason. Damian instantly settled into his stance to meet you.

“You really want to try fighting me again? You’re either dumb or have a death wish,” You giggled with glee. He sounded exactly like some of the comic book characters you kept up with.

“I’ll take my chances.”

He smirked and drew you forward onto the mat once again.

“Fine. I appreciate your enthusiasm, though not much else can be said of those shit punches you keep throwing,” He took the time to show you the proper way to make a fist again and how to follow through with your legs. After that, you were back in the game.

Damian was really playing superheroes with you. No fucking way.

“You should’ve never taught me these moves, Damian. Someday, soon, I’ll overpower you.” You managed to land a pretty decent hit on his stomach, which he gave you the pleasure of stumbling backward in an exaggerated manner that left you smiling at his theatrics.

He snorted but continued along, “Infidel, I should have you hung for saying something as sacrilegious as that.”

He returned a barrage of attacks that you eventually managed to dodge after you understood the little patterns within his movements.

“You’re growing predictable.”

“So are you,” He swept you off your feet, landing above your head. He pretended to whip out a sword before pointing what would be its imaginary tip at the jugular of your throat. “You’re a pathetic excuse of an adversary. I-”

“No way,” You both looked up at Jason’s voice to see him and Roy snickering with an amused Bruce behind them.

Damian quickly dropped his arm that was holding the imaginary sword and attempted to flee the room, but the crowd outside the door wouldn’t let him.

“You losers are actually playing make-believe superhero?” Jason had to hold himself up on the wall at what he’d walked in on. “This is actually too good. I don’t think I should’ve seen this.” He shifted suddenly to bar Damian from exiting.

“Shut up!” Damian hissed, once again attempting to push past Jason’s bulky form, but it was fruitless with Roy right there behind him.

Bruce had long left you guys to your antics, though it was obvious how glad he'd been that you and Damian were playing if the huge smile on his face was anything to go by.

“You’re definitely never living this down, hellspawn,” Jason made to mess with Damian’s hair. “Though, it is nice to see you act like a kid for once.”

"I'm no kid, Todd," Damian smacked his hand out of his face before he could ruffle his hair again and spat. “Do not mistake that.”

He sighed and helped you up from where you lay on the floor, “We’re never doing this again.”

You frowned big before shooting a deadly glare Jason’s way.

“Sorry, babe. We can always role-play later, don't worry that pretty little head of yours.” It sounded more like Roy’s banter than anything, but it still made your body flush the same.

You hated the control they had over you.

Jason finally relinquished his position in the doorway, finally allowing his youngest brother to pass. Damian didn’t bother with another word as he exited the room like a bull, slamming his bedroom door soon after.

You’d attempted to follow after him, but the locked door coupled with his pissy mood, meant Damian was out for the count. Taking the loss, you doubled back to the showers, knowing if you stood there any longer, you’d only be wasting your breath.

Roy and Jason are still there waiting for you when you come out in leggings and a crop top. “Where’d Damian go? Still holed up in embarrassment?” You shrugged. “You’re not embarrassed?”

“Hell, no,” You answered honestly. “You guys already know I’m a freak, so why should I care?”

“We do know that, don’t we, Jay?” Roy teasingly wagged his eyebrows at you.

“Shut up,” Jason smacked him.

They shuffled around awkwardly and looked at each other after that.

“What?” You asked somewhat impatiently. It wasn’t like them to act like this.

“We just wanted to check in on you after that thing in the apartment.”

You froze before beginning to pick at the hem of your shorts anxiously, something they both noticed easily.

“Have you talked with your parents about it?”

You lied in a vain attempt to get them to drop it, but they seemed like they already knew you'd try it before you knew yourself.

Knowing this, you still lied nonetheless, “Yeah."

You hadn’t talked to them since your first day of school when they asked you why the fridge was so empty. At the time, it’d been the first time you’d seen them in two months. You remembered rolling your eyes at their complaint, knowing that once they left, they’d just be gone for a longer amount of time.

“We just don’t want you to be scared to go back," Roy continued on with what Jason didn’t say, trailing off bashfully in a way you’d never heard before. "And that we’re always here for you, you know? You don't have to face it alone. Not when we're here.”

Alone.

How much did they know?

You felt your defenses fly up before you could stop them.

“It’s so like you guys to come back and be randomly friendly like this.” It slipped out before you could stop it, but you stuck with it.

You couldn't help but feel like a toy that they played with when they felt like it. Easily discardable. Why would they care if you felt alone?

“What do you mean?” They looked genuinely stupefied at the sudden shift.

“What do you mean 'what do I mean?' You guys totally blew Damian and me off at the party, acting like we don’t hang out too.”

They became sheepish at that. “You’re so young.”

“You should be hanging out with someone your age like Damian, not us.” Jason agreed.

You were over it.

You refused to listen to their bullshit any longer and regretted not just saying ‘thank you’ to Roy in the first place.

“Whatever, are we hanging out or not? Damian ditched me, so if I’m sticking around, it'll either be with Bruce and Titus or you two fucks.”

It went unsaid that you really didn’t want to go back to your apartment. This was how you ended up roped into squishing between the two of them on a couch in the game room. After all the physical exertion, it was more of them playing the game and you cuddling them until you fell asleep with your feet in Roy's lap and head tucked against Jason’s.

You’d continue your lessons a few times a week and found that you were getting significantly better each time.

Sometimes Dick would join you with Damian and Jason. Other times, it'd just be Damian or Jason alone in the gym with you. Damian had gone back on his rash statement in the gym with Jason and Roy, electing only to indulge in your superhero fantasy when no one was with you and only after he’d double-checked to be sure.

You weren’t complaining.

•

Toward the middle of the year, it was just you and Jason at the table.

“Where is everyone today?” Tim hadn’t even been there to greet you at your locker and the only thing Damian had texted you was that he wouldn’t be at school for a day or so.

“Some family vacation thing,” He replied simply, not looking up from his book.

You flicked at his book at forced his eyes to meet yours, “So, why didn’t you go then?”

Jason rolled his eyes lightly, “Something about father-son bonding. Nothing that concerns me, anyway.” He tried to seem unbothered by diving right back to his book, but you could tell something was eating him up.

You frowned, wondering what that meant exactly but switched the subject anyway, “So what are you reading this week?”

Jason changed books like Roy changed girlfriends. “Dickens.”

You scoffed, “You should recommend Tim books. He needs the sleep.”

“Cunt,” His eyes glimmered with mirth.

“Jason!” You gasped in faux offense. “You absolute, fucking Dickens fiend.”

Who knew all of the Wayne’s were such assholes?

Oh, wait, you did.

“You should still come over. You know, even though Damian and Tim won’t be there,” He stuttered out the last part, leaving you to tilt your head at his uncharacteristic behavior. Jason always seemed so sure of himself, it wasn’t like him to act so nervous around you.

You shrugged not seeing the difference, “I’m there every day basically, so, sure.”

You both laughed a bit as the bell rang. Jason grabbed both of your trash, throwing it out before coming back to the table to where you and his bag remained. “I’ll meet you after school by your locker.”

“Still no bike?” You called after his retreating form.

He shrugged, turning around while still walking, “Until I ‘learn to behave myself,’ I’ve lost privileges until the New Year, babe.” You knew he had to be quoting Bruce and had to laugh a bit at his accurate impression. He turned back to face the direction he was walking in before you could say anything and sent you off with a tiny salute, “See ya later, kid.”

•

“How are you still this drunk after seven periods?” You questioned a highly intoxicated Roy, who’d shown up to school still drunk from the college party that had apparently happened last night.

Typical Roy. He showed up drunk or high to school at least twice a week if not more.

It was something you were getting used to, but it concerned you, nonetheless. Jason never brought it up thought and you didn’t think you were necessarily close enough to Roy to say anything, so you just kept your mouth shut. That didn't stop you from shaking your head at him when you noticed.

You’d only heard about the party after Roy wouldn’t shut up about being invited. You sighed; obviously, a freshman couldn’t go to a college party, so you were left to take it in through the details Roy dished out.

He wobbled slightly as you walked over the uneven gravel of the Wayne Manor driveway. You and Jason quickly came to his aid and helped stabilize him.

“I wanna go to the next one,” You whined lightly, knowing they’d only object.

Roy just groaned, laying his head on your shoulder while you and Jason continued to support him inside. “Your voice is so annoying right now, princess. I’m sorry to break the unfortunate news to you.”

"Fine then," You quickly dropped your arm from around his waist to let him stumble to the floor. “Carry yourself.”

“Okay, okay,” He winced, motioning for you to come back. “Get your angelic vocal cords back over here.”

“How sweet,” You rolled your eyes sarcastically but, nonetheless, slid your arm back around him to where it rested against the warmth of Jason’s own. “I still think you’re hamming this up just so Jason and I will hug your perverted ass. There’s no way you could’ve managed around that big ass labyrinth of a school on your own for eight hours in this pathetic state.”

“Just call me David Bowie, sweetheart.” He let out an over-exaggerated moan that had you and Jason looking at each other in amusement. “And, so what if I’m a touch-depraved little boy?”

You’d so caught him, but you obliged anyway, knowing his hoe-ass was the furthest thing from touch starved. His connect-the-dot heap of hickeys lingered, never faltering in their angry red color amongst the splatters of freckles across his neck. It was common knowledge that on any given school day, Roy could almost always be found making out with someone in the hallway, up in the projection room, or behind the bleachers at any given point of the day.

Yes, double standards. They exist and they suck.

“Sure you are.” At the same time, you couldn’t exactly complain about close contact with two of the hottest guys you knew. When you got inside, you noticed how quiet it was. “Is Alfred here?”

"No," Jason pointed in the direction of the stairs with his sharp jaw and you followed, “he’s just out running errands or something.”

“Just the three of us? Suddenly I’m feeling a lot better,” Roy winked and straightened up to carry himself up the stairs, leaving you and Jason to huff. “What? It’s not like I’m as heavy as Dumbo over there,” He hitched his thumb over his shoulder at Jason’s scowling form.

Instead of rising the the bait, Jason fake gasped, nudging you roughly in jest, “What a rude thing to say to a lady.”

“I hate you both,” You huffed, moving past both of them to stalk off to the library. You didn't need anyone to guide you anymore. No, you were becoming very familiar with the manor and all its inhabitants. You sat down on the couch with Jason while Roy elected to fall to the floor with a loud thud you guys ignored. “And to think I still do your homework for you, Roy,” You teased right back.

“Hey! Jason said it, not me, babe,” He stopped suddenly and winced at Jason.

Jason was already looking down at him with annoyance, “Thought we talked about that, Harper.”

Roy ran a sheepish hand through his greasy strawberry locks. “Sorry, Jay,” He then looked at you, “Sorry, princess.”

You shrugged, remembering how when you’d trained with Jason, he’d gotten upset with you for using Roy’s nickname on him.

“All good,” Jason appeared to be content but was still squinting a bit at Roy’s slumped form on the floor. “What’s wrong? I thought you already admitted you were faking it.”

“Yeah, the walking part. Thanks, by the way.” He shot you guys a wicked smirk before grimacing and rubbing at the spot between his eyebrows. “But yeah, I’m still pretty fuckin' hungover.”

“That’s what happens when you do five body shots in a row,” Jason reprimanded.

“Worth it,” Roy covered his eyes with his hand and smirked again. “‘Sides, it won’t matter for long if Alfred and your pappy are out.”

“He’s not my dad,” Jason’s tone left no room for argument. Roy instantly backed off without another word.

There it was again.

You looked up from the homework you’d pulled out while they reminisced over the college party they’d gone to and see Jason attempting to look busy doing the same, but his eyes were unfocused.

“Roy, what’s your assignment?” Jason looked at you gratefully and Roy followed your lead in changing the subject.

“We’re doing short stories, so I picked the shortest one.”

You shuffled around excitedly, motioning for him to hand you his laptop. “Gimmie,” You already knew his password and entered ‘BatmanrulezR0binDr00lz’ with a roll of your eyes. Taking one look over his paper, your face squinted up in disgust. “Roy, what is this?”

“My genius analysis, ba-princess,” You and Roy looked over to Jason, whose embarrassed gaze quickly forced itself downward at his predictability. “It’s about how being equal isn’t everything people crack it up to be and shit.”

You and Jason share a knowing glance.

You scroll through the pages of the text again with brows furrowed together in concentration. “On the surface, for sure, but when you look deeper, it’s about how total control over society is damming and destructive to those not in charge.”

“Total control?” Jason sat up and took the computer from your lap. “Maybe if you were a freshman, you'd think that. Oh, wait.”

You snatched it right back. “Maybe total control wasn’t the best terminology,” You tried again, starting to type, “but unchecked power. Think, in our terms, Batman per say and all the debate that goes on over how much control, er, power he has and who’s there to check it? Same with all of the other superheroes. That might be an interesting angle?” You titled your head innocently at Roy, who merely chuckled at the cute sight.

“Sure, works for me. As long as it sounds like me.” Roy picked himself off the floor and headed toward the door. “Back in a flash.” He gave you a wink and made the Flash’s starting running pose before disappearing out the door. The redhead quickly returned with his pale, freckled arms filled with bottles of alcohol. Meanwhile, you and Jason were still arguing over his paper.

“And then, what of the ending? That’s still about unchecked power? Or is it about how people and love persevere even in the face of totalitarian adversity?”

“If you’re referring to the ending of the TV program, then yes, I could see your point, but,” You pointed to the last paragraphs, “The actual ending goes back to Harrison’s parents and them not remembering that they've witnessed their son die as a result of government brutality. Complete use of parallelism in the beginning scene. Roy, are you writing this down?” You didn’t have the laptop in your hands, so you needed him to capture the information before you forgot what you were saying.

“No, but, woah, you guys need to chill out. If you keep this schtick up, I might start to think you guys actually liked each other,” He wiggled his brows, looking between you and his scowling best friend beside to you.

“How does that even make sense?” You wrinkled your nose at his nonsense.

All you guys did was argue and pick on each other all the time.

Jason agreed with a passive glance at his nails. “The kid and me? Pass. Besides, the demon child would no sooner sacrifice my soul to the pits of hell.”

“Bit too late for that, eh?” Roy dropped the bottles next to Jason and nudged him in the shoulder to show him something long and brown in his hand that you couldn’t quite see.

Jason snorted, finally surrendering the computer over to you so he could follow Roy out to the balcony, “You write his C-worthy paper then, brat.”

You blushed at the new nickname and just let yourself being confused, realizing this was probably one of those things they wouldn’t explain to you, but it was whatever.

You were used to it at this point.

Hell, if you hadn’t known any better, you might think they were together. However, Roy’s flirtatious nature and Jason’s more reserved one, meant there was no way it would ever work.

You finished typing your preliminary notes and outline for Roy before shutting the laptop to to see what they were up to outside. As soon as you stepped outside, you smelled the distinctness of fireworks in the chilled air. “What is that?”

You, of course, knew it was weed, but you didn't know how they were able to be so chill about smoking in Bruce’s house so freely. Sure, he’d been gone a day, but after that? You could practically visualize him coming home with Tim and Damian and following the scent like a bloodhound, knowing exactly what had gone on up here in an instant.

You didn’t want to disappoint him again… but… if you just sat with them… that wouldn’t be too bad, right?

“That’s a blunt,” Roy popped the bottle on the Whistle Pig as he answered your question. “Don’t do drugs.”

“Maybe you should follow your own advice,” You laughed as he chugged directly from the bottle before handing it off to Jason, who did the same. It was an arduous task to sit down while his Adam's apple was bobbing so temptingly when you were so close. Your decision to perch yourself at the end of the lounge chair he was on had clearly been a mistake. “I don’t know how you guys do this shit.”

“It’s easy,” Roy shrugged. “Don’t do drugs.” He repeated again as he hit the blunt and exhaled through his freckled nose.

You laughed at his hypocrisy, “I’ve never smoked before, so I don’t think now would change that, regardless of Bruce being gone or not.” You shivered at the memory of him reprimanding you after the party Jason and Roy had thrown. “But, I won’t say no to a drink.”

“Good to see you without a stick up your ass for once, babe,” Jason said.

“Amen to that,” Came Roy’s already tipsy cheer. “Here’s to our good girl!” You blushed but cheersed nonetheless, cringing immediately at the taste. They both laughed, “If you’re not into the whiskey, try this.” He looked around dramatically at the large selection he pulled but apparently wasn’t satisfied. “Hold on,” He ran downstairs only to return with a blue bottle of wine.

“What is it?”

“Moscato, princess,” He popped off the cork with an extremely dangerous-looking pocket knife, then grabbed a huge, expensive wine glass. You’d had red wine before, but this one was chilled and bubbly looking when Roy poured it.

You eyed the fizzing liquid suspiciously. “It’s a fucking Tuesday,” You complain mildly but admit the wine is good x. You hummed in approval at the sweet taste. “It’s basically just sparkling apple juice.”

You were toast.

“That’s when it’s dangerous, though,” Jason confirmed your worries in such a serious manner that it caused you to face him directly.

You could already feel a pleasant warm bloom in the depths of your stomach and the heat swelling in your cheeks. You could blame it all on the alcohol, sure, though you couldn’t deny the beauty of your company nor anyone that walked around these halls for that matter.

You nodded and began sipping slower as you watched the clouds that passed by. “What were you guys talking about before I came out here?”

“Nothing,” They both said a bit too quickly to be true, then glared at each other.

“Alright then,” You sighed and let them leave you out again. You couldn’t help but sometimes feel that they didn’t want to hang out with you, but other times they sought you out, which confused you, to say the least. But, hey, at least you were hanging out now... right?

Roy seemed to sense your dampened mood and quickly tried to rectify it. “We were just talking about classes and how without you two, I probably wouldn’t be passing English. Hell, probably any of my classes, for that matter.”

“Well, glad you keep me around for something,” You pointedly sipped, leaving Roy to wince. You knew he was thinking back to how you voiced similar concerns in the gym all those months ago.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Roy looked at Jason for backup, but Jason remained transfixed in fiddling with his lighter. Roy’s emerald eyes bore into yours with sincerity, “We like you. A lot.”

“Sure have a funny way of showing it," You huffed in annoyance. "One day, you guys want to hang out with me and the next, you guys are ditching and dissing me.”

“First of all, we always diss you, babe.” Jason tipped the now lit blunt in your direction.

“Yeah, and you ditch us too.” Roy pointed out, moving to snatch it from Jason.

You considered both of their points, realizing you were probably just getting in your head.

“Whatever. I hate when you guys are right.”

“Get used to it,” Roy said your last name with a wink that left you rolling your eyes.

You really didn’t know what to talk about and they were extra quiet today. If Jason hadn’t specifically invited you over earlier that day, you definitely would’ve felt like you were intruding on them. “Isn’t Bruce throwing a gala here next week?”

You’d been careful not to say 'dad,' considering you didn’t want to ruin the mood further, but you’d been curious. All everyone in school had been talking about was the elusive guest list, while others bragged that their parents were included at the top of it.

“Why? You want an invite or something?” Jason seemed amused that you’d even brought it up in the first place.

“I’m not allowed to go anymore ever since I drunkenly tried to kiss the mayor,” You snorted loudly at Roy’s confession and quickly moved to cover your mouth. “No, you can laugh. It was pretty funny. Brucey was pissed as ever; you’ve seen it. You know when he gets that little view in the left corner of his forehead?” You did know and laughed again, “Exactly.”

His green eyes stood out almost alien-like against the red that now stained the whites of his eyes. You looked at Jason, noting much of the same.

“Roy’s forgetting to mention he almost pissed himself too.”

“Did not,” Roy pushed at Jason’s shoulder, knocking him into you. You knocked his shoulder back and he knocked his shoulder back into Roy, who repeated the process all over again until everyone was too busy cracking up to shove anymore.

“What the fuck is wrong with us?”

“We’re drug slinging heathens, obviously.”

“Sure, whatever that means,” You waved off Jason's odd response in favor of begging Roy for another drink. He wiggled around the empty bottle before leaving to grab another for you.

“You should really slow down.”

You still felt warm, but you honestly felt fine. It really was like juice. The buzz you’d felt earlier had already passed and you knew you’d be fine with another glass or two. Besides, it’s not like anyone was here or home to care, but you did want to remain cautious even if you did trust Jason and Roy.

“I know, I just like how it tastes,” You whined slightly, causing him to smile.

“We weren’t really talking about you when you came out, you know?” Jason sipped at the whiskey whilst looking at you out of the corner of his emerald eyes. “Roy and I just get into shit other people might not understand’s all.”

You giggled, “I knew I felt some tension between the two of you.”

“What?!” Jason said incredulously, looking frantically behind himself and back into the house to see if Roy had returned, but the coast was clear. “There’s absolutely nothing going on there at all. Roy’s definitely straight.”

You couldn’t tell if Jason was trying to convince you or himself.

“Oh, yeah. For sure,” You agreed, but you knew he saw the knowing glint in your eyes.

You both knew Roy would fuck anything with a pulse; gender be damned.

Even back in the parking lot of the diner, you’d made him flustered when you told Roy and him to stop teasing each other with gay. It was obvious Jason was going through something, but, hell, who wasn’t when every direction you looked in was filled with charming, extremely hot men.

It really was a burden, but it was one you didn’t mind bearing.

“Like you know anything.” You merely sipped your drink, leaving him to furrow his brows in annoyance. “I bet you’d tell me you didn’t know Damian liked you or some dumb shit like that, so who are you to tell me about tension?”

“Damian doesn’t like me.”

Jason seemed like he was ready to facepalm. “Alright, well, now you can’t tell me shit because you’re obviously blind,” He shook his head at your cute giggle.

“If you need me to help you with your promposal to Harper in Spring, just let me know. I’ll be sure to keep my calendar open.”

“Calendar open for what?” Roy came back out, causing both of you to stiffen at his entrance. Roy chose to ignore the reaction it in favor of filling your glass back up. Once filled, he grabbed for the blunt in Jason’s hand before sitting back down with a satisfied puff on it.

You recovered quickly to wiggle your brows up and down as you looked between the two of them.

Roy looked like he wanted to kill you, “Oh, sure. You pick up on that, but not-” Jason quickly covered Roy’s mouth with a damning glare. “What?! You didn’t even know what I was gonna say, Jay,” Roy complained against Jason’s hand but made no move to remove it.

That was until...

Jason cringed and withdrew his hand as Roy seemed to lick at it.

They tussled around a bit more, but you ignored them in favor of staring at the blunt. You couldn’t deny that, after a few drinks, you kind of wanted to try it.

“I’m fifteen now,” You mentioned lightly out of nowhere, breaking the rough housing they'd been in the middle of. “It was my birthday a few weeks ago.”

They were off of each other in an instant. Roy pouted in an overly dramatic manner, though Jason suddenly seemed genuinely upset.

“Princess, why didn’t you tell us?”

Did you really think so little of their friendship?

“Did Damian know?” Jason’s low voice cut through the quiet blanket of chilling air that wafted around the balcony.

“No,” Your face scrunched up at his random question. “Why would that matter, though, when you guys keep secrets from me?” You motioned between the two of them as you brought your glass to your mouth. Literally, Jason had just told you they had their secrets.

“Well, happy belated then,” Roy shrugged while Jason seemed to be in the midst of an internal battle you couldn’t begin to understand.

“Thanks…” You trailed off and motioned for Jason to hand you the blunt. “Now, let me try.”

“Woah, no,” Roy smirked as he snatched it out of Jason’s hand, who seemed like he was going to pass it whilst caught up in the haze of his thoughts. “We’re not going to corrupt you even more, especially when you’re already buzzed.”

You felt betrayed by the rosiness on your cheeks. The bright stain was as much alcohol as much as it was hormones. “Am not.”

“Are too,” Roy mimicked you and snatched the second bottle of Moscato from your hands when you attempted to ignore him in favor of pouring more. “Not that it wouldn’t be fun to see you let your hair down again, but you shouldn’t feel like you have to do this just because we are.”

You pouted, “I love that you’re being responsible and all, for once, might I add,” He huffed, “but I know what I’m doing, Roy. You’re not my dad.”

He winced slightly, making you want to take the last part back.

“Alright, princess,” He wiggled the cork out from where he’d shoved it back into the bottle and over-poured another glass for you without another word.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to freak out like that,” You apologized, feeling awkward at your sudden outburst. You weren't used to having anyone watch out for you. It made you feel somewhat uncomfortable even though you knew Roy had the best intentions. You were just fucked up, but you didn’t need them to know that. “I just.. I know I can take care of myself, is all.”

He nodded and you knew you’d gotten your point across.

“You smoking then, or what?”

It was a peace offering.

You grinned, taking the blunt he offered you naively.

“Just inhale a bit, actually, here,” Jason plucked it from your hands to inhaled it himself.

“Hey!” You objected as he grabbed it from your grip, but he leaned in and motioned you to do the same, “Uhh.”

He held the smoke in his mouth as he spoke with tiny streams leaking out from the corners of his closed mouth. “Just try to swallow it,” His cheeks remained puffed out as he grabbed the back of your head and brought your lips to his.

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……..

You subconsciously pouted your lips to meet his in a kiss, but he merely pried them open with his own chapped ones to slip the smoke he’d been holding in his mouth into yours.

You blushed at the fact he’d been trying to help you inhale and you’d just gone and kissed him. If he noticed, thankfully, he didn’t say anything. That being said, you knew your bright blush gave everything away.

You self-consciously tucked a strand behind your ear, feeling a pressure steadily building from the burning in your lungs. You sputtered into a coughing fit that had you glaring at the two cackling men in front of you. The tears streaming from your face only served to make them laugh harder.

“Oh, jeez,” You placed a tentative hand on your head when you felt a slight fog forming that you’d never experienced before. It was like someone had covered your brain with a weighted blanket.

Weird.

You must’ve said it out loud because they both laugh again, but, by then, you were already feeling a bit paranoid that you would somehow get in trouble.

“You guys can’t tell Damian about this. Or Dick,” You hastily tacked on Jason’s sexy cop brother, thinking it’d probably be best he that he didn’t know either. “Got it?”

“You’re the only one who snitches around here, anyway.”

“You try lying to Bruce Wayne’s face, then get back to me,” You said, crossing your arms indignantly.

“I do it all the time, you’re just weak.” Jason insisted though a quick glance at Roy seemed like he completely agreed with you.

You laughed into your cup, “He looks like he could just rip you in half or some shit,” You emulated the action, “but, at the same time, he’s just sort of a himbo.”

Roy chortled at that, “Himbo, I’m gonna use that. So, what does that make Jason?”

“Jason’s like an angsty little Wednesday Adams with a skunk stripe,” Your face morphed into Jason’s typical scowl. Roy howled, forcing himself to calm down only after what semed like minutes of rambunctious laughter.

“Do me next!” You were now both full-on dying of laughter at Jason’s unimpressed deadpan.

“You’re just Roy,” You shrugged. “Fucking weird and always horny.”

“Hey, I’ll cheers to that,” You nudged Jason to join in, which he eventually did, albeit with an eye roll, further adding credibility to the characterization you’d given him.

"Please, sir," You finished the rest of your glass and motioned to Roy for more. “May I have some more, please?"

“Fuck you,” Jason shook his head at your Dickens reference.

You weren’t yet two full bottles in, but you’d practically been chugging the Moscato like juice, leaving your head a bit clouded. A quick glance at Jason and Roy’s lax states told you they were feeling it somewhat, too.

“You want another hit?” You looked over at Roy, who was now holding the blunt.

In your haze, you half realized you should be pulling down your skirt that had been riding up, but you couldn’t find it in you. Especially not after you noticed both of them eyeing the newly bared skin of your thick thighs. You couldn’t deny you loved the attention.

“Wannaother hit?” Roy tried again.

“What?”

Roy motioned to the blunt in his hand with a smirk. “Want another hit?” He over-articulated his words this time, leaving you to giggle a bit.

“You gonna assault my mouth too?”

“Ask and you shall receive, princess,” He inhaled and held similar to how Jason did, but this time you knew what to expect.

You got up languidly from the lounge chair, handing Jason your drink in the process before bending over to trap Roy between your arms in his seat.

If they were going to play, so were you.

You kept your eyes slightly open as you tilted your head and met his mouth with pliant lips. He moved easily against your them, scratching slightly as he did due to his chapped lips before finally releasing a steady stream of smoke into your mouth.

Similar to your previous hit, you immediately began coughing, quickly vanquishing whatever confidence you’d built up into the chilling evening wind.

You rubbed at your throat that burned from the inside, retreating back to your seat to quell it with a sip of your drink.

“Fuck, that shit hurts.” Your head felt even more underwater now, but you liked it.

“Don’t do drugs,” Roy repeated his catchphrase of the night. You and Jason to both cackled.

You rubbed a bit at your arms, looking longingly inside at the warm library.

“I’m cold.”

“Go inside, then.”

“No,” You answered Jason petulantly.

Jason looked at you questioningly. “I’m gonna tell Dick and Damian you smoked if you start acting like a fucking brat now, babe.”

“Stop calling me a brat,” You pouted with crossed arms. “Besides, I like it.” You looked underneath your ass to see if you’d somehow sat on Wonder Woman’s lasso of truth. That was the only reasonable explanation for your random bout of babbling, right? At the sight of the empty space, you realized you only had the alcohol to blame.

“Ew,” Jason shoo’ed you away with his hands as if you were a fly. “Get back you foul, hormonal cretin.”

“Hey! Don’t talk to Roy like that,” You slurred slightly. “He’s sitting right there, you dumbass.” They both seemed thoroughly amused by your tipsy antics.

Eventually, they put out the blunt, gathered the bottles and headed inside.

Roy immediately took it upon himself to scour through the shelves of books in search of Jason’s hidden novels, insisting he had to have some cringy shit hidden somewhere, but you doubted it. He was definitely just a classics guy in your eyes. Off on your own, you perused each row, never having taken the time to do it before.

You quickly realized, however, that your buzzed state wasn’t necessarily the easiest conditions to read in.

“You’d like this quote, you Wilde fiend.” You felt Jason’s warmth sidled up behind you before his voice ever reached you, using your earlier insult from school against you. “‘Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring.’”

Your breath was completely caught in your throat by the time he finished the quote.

His eyes danced lazily across the page as if it were merely for show, like he’d already known what words to say without actually needing the text in front of him.

You tilted the book towards you, reading over the scribbled notes Jason had left in there. “I love A Woman of No Importance.”

“Because it’s so fitting?” He raised a wry brow at your glare.

“Oh, haha. Hey, what’s this?” Your eyes squinted at the scribbles in the margin next to the quote as you tried to decode through the slight illegibility of Jason’s handwriting. “'Remember for them?'”

“Huh?” Jason’s eyes widened dramatically as he yanked the book from your reach, “That’s old.”

“Old? Like last week, old?” You pointed amusedly to the comment in the same color that he’d dated back to last Monday. “Who’s them?” You repeated your question. “Remember what?”

You’d never seen Jason really pay any mind to any of the girls at school. You'd honestly, at this point, considered him gay and a hopeless romantic for Roy’s unreachable playboy heart.

Speaking of Roy.

“Are you guys making out over here or something?” His gravelly voice traveled through the many rows until it reached the game of tug of war taking place between you and Jason over the Wilde book . “I found a hidden gem!” He singsonged, finally catching sight of the two of you and practically skipped across the remaining distance. “We have a special treat tonight, lady and gentleman.”

“Are you not a gentleman as well, Roy?” You glanced at the book cover and were surprised to see a taboo, Canva-esque book cover and grinned widely at Jason’s nonplussed face.

Classics guy only, your ass.

“Oh, princess. You should know the answer to that by now is no,” He winked at you before opening the book dramatically, adjusting invisible glasses further up onto his nose. “Ahem, Jason here has this quote highlighted and underlined.”

“Give me that,” Jason's flailing grip missed Roy, who danced around you for protection.

“But it’s soo steamy, Jay. You wouldn’t want us to miss out on this beautiful piece of literature.” He began to read, leaving Jason absolutely red.

Jason pushed you out of the way and tackled Roy to the floor, who continued reading the quote, anyway. “‘For her, an orgasm felt more like a sneeze, certainly not the earthquake her friends described. What would that feel like to be so overwhelmed- OW!” Jason socked Roy in the stomach, but he merely let out a brief groan before continuing, “”as to actually scream?’ Oh, Jay, you absolute dog.”

You wished you hadn’t been so affected by Roy reading that. What was making it all worse was knowing that Jason had highlighted the section in the first place. It also didn’t help that you were still buzzed and slightly high, nor the fact that Jason and Roy were currently toppling over each other on the floor.

They came to a head as Jason had Roy pinned in an inescapable embrace you’d also had the misfortune of experiencing.

“We gotta keep you on your toes somehow, babe.” Jason, who used the power in his position over Roy, lost focus as he was too busy staring at you combing through the book shelves to notice that Roy had gotten into prime position. He used the new momentum to knock Jason off with a ferocious thrust of his hips.

Jason quickly followed after him as Roy escaped off in your direction.

You eyed them, half-interested from between the gaps in the books but continued mulling around to inspect the plethora of titles the library offered.

“I think Ihave an even better one than Roy’s and I know Jason’s seen the movie.” You walked over to their panting forms on the floor while holding up Call Me by Your Name. “Now, I could read some steamy, peachy shit,” Roy whistled appreciatively from beside you. You looked down to where the redead had slumped against you and one of the shelves to stay out of the way of Jason’s half-hearted attacks. “Don’t tell me you’ve seen the movie?”

“It’s a classic,” He tried to hide his embarrassment through a curtain of his red hair but failed miserably.

“It came out in 2017, Roy…” You pointed out, much to his chagrin. “That hardly labels it a classic.”

“Jason made me watch it!” He tried again as Jason tackled him back to the ground. You barely managed to jump out of the way in time, sufficiently managing to avoid becoming a casualty in the attack.

The way they were looking into each other’s eyes, you wouldn’t be surprised if they actually did like each other. From where you stood, it seemed like they were mere seconds away from making out right then and there on the library floor.

“Liar! You wanted to watch it,” Jason retorted quickly, “and you liked the peach scene, fucking homo-oh.” He stared at your disapproving glare and attempted to rectify his insult, but it was too late, “Sorry.”

You ignored his apology. “For two guys who regularly call each other gay slurs, you both sure seem pretty cozy.” They stilled. Jason took Roy looking over at you as a chance to buck him off the top again. “It’s okay. I was about to diss you in a quote, anyway,” You cleared your throat and placed your finger on the page you’d been looking for. “‘People who read are hiders. They hide who they are. People who hide don’t always like who they are.’ So basically, Jason hates himself and hides in books.”

“Sounds about right,” Roy confirmed with a baiting grin.

Jason huffed, snatching the books you and Roy had been holding before either of you could react. “I think we’ve all had enough reading for one day. Besides, I need another drink.”

“Amen to that,” They both wrinkled their faces at you. “What? I’m not drunk! Drunk people can’t read… Or wait, is it that you can’t read in dreams?” You continued to drunkenly ramble while Jason and Roy steered you toward the cough to sit. “I think I remember reading in a dream once, though, so maybe not that either.” They were both staring at you. “What?”

“Yeah. You’re good on drinks, doll-face.”

“What’s with all the new nicknames?” You pouted faintly. “I like ‘babe’ and ‘princess’…”

“Oh, please don’t tell me you’re gonna act like Jason about these dumb things. It’s just a nickname, babe, princess, doll-face, brat.” The last one seemed pointed, almost like Roy was judging your reaction to being called it.

You squirmed a bit, seeming to confirm his whatever suspicions he’d surmised. He bit lightly at his chapped, bottom lip, glancing away as if lost in thought.

Soon enough, they began to play a video game on Jason’s computer. You quickly became disinterested when the movement of the camera made you feel like you were going to puke.

You groaned softly as the weight of the evening settled heavily across your body. It was as if the time rushing by had finally caught up to your body. You felt every pounding second as if it now took double the time.

“You good?”

You mumbled something that made them shake their heads.

Your head felt like it was on a rollercoaster. A quick look at Jason and Roy proved that they weren’t sober either as evidenced by the way they swayed and constantly shifted their weight to stay sitting upright.

You couldn't help but giggle at the sight.

Fuck them.

If they were going to laugh at you, you would do the same for their drunk asses.

The minutes ticked by agonizingly slow as you stared at the sides of their concentrated, albeit lazy gazes. They were zoned out, half-interestedly playing whatever shooting game Jason had downloaded, but you were getting restless for some reason.

You felt like you needed to do something.

To do them.

They chattered on about stats about whatever gun Roy’d found and continued to do so for the next few minutes, but all you could focus on was the steady warmth that crept along your body the longer you watched.

You needed them.

You bit your lip lightly at the thought and looked at your hands before either could notice the shift. They were both steady and you figured that was a good sign. Your heart and clit both pulsed rapidly at the thought alone of going up to them and taking what you wanted.

Maybe this was the ‘them’ Jason had been referring to. You couldn’t quite disagree. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring.

In your drunken haze, you quietly slipped off the couch and onto the floor.

The light that radiated from the computer was the only light on in the room and glowed against Jason and Roy’s faces.

No one had spoken to you in, well, too long, in your opinion.

You were going to change that.

You craved their attention, craved the warmth and dizziness it always left you with.

You must’ve not been as quiet as you thought because soon they both took notice of you. You hesitated only briefly before crawling languidly across the floor with a mischievous glint in your eye that neither could ignore.

“Woah, princess. What dooya think you're doin'?” Roy slurred slightly as you stretched over Jason’s lap to grab Roy’s face and bring it to yours.

You brought your lips to hover over his, giving him the chance to back down.

“You talk so fucking much, Roy. Can you just shut up for once?” You asked breathlessly, staring into his slitted viridescent eyes.

He hesitated for only a moment before whispering into the minimal space, “I think I can do that.” It was husky, slightly scratchy, leaving you to smirk at just how affected he was by your presence.

You closed the distance easily, moving your lips against his in an unhurried fashion, savoring each and every searing touch as your lips worked against each other in the most delicious way. The heat you’d felt earlier pounded against your lower stomach, dripping down to stain your underwear with slickness.

You whimpered slightly into the kiss, shifting across Jason’s lap further to get a better angle, but stopped when you felt Jason’s arousal pressing into your lower stomach to gasp.

You reluctantly broke away from Roy’s lips to address a wide-eyed Jason. He swiftly feigned nonchalance, but it was quickly ruined by the way he looked anywhere but down at his lap.

You, on the other hand, couldn’t look anywhere else.

His cock strained thickly against the tightness of his uniform pants. You were confused how he could be hard because of you when all he ever seemed to do was insult you.

“But, you hate me…”

“I don’t hate you,” He rasped against the evident arousal in his voice. That was all the reassurance your submerged mind needed. Without wasting another second, you surged forward to tackle him to the ground where you then straddled him in your drunken haze.

He brought your lips to meet his, cutting off whatever dumb retort you’d been concocting before it could even form.

You gasped against his firm lips and quickly tilted your head to a better angle as his tongue flicked languidly against your own. It was sloppy, erotic and doing things to your body you’d never felt before. You rested your forehead against his, staring down at his hazy green eyes riddled with lust that easily matched your own.

He gave you a mere moment to breathe before he was pulling you back in for a head-spinning kiss.

You needed more.

You whined when his hands come to rest slightly below the dips of your waist, teasing against the sides of your ass.

“Most guys don’t fancy double-dipping, princess,” Roy chuckled from next to you, drawing your attention briefly, only to be brought back into it by Jason biting teaingly at your lower lip.

You didn’t have time to worry if Roy was actually mad or not, you just moaned louder into your kiss with Jason, arching salaciously against his chest. It was a compelte reversal of him crushing you against the mat in the gym all those months ago.

“Doesn’t seem to bother either of you,” You broke away and face Roy to confirm he was joking. The sight that meets you assures you that everything is just fine.

Roy was a pathetic, panting mess, not bothering to hide how he palmed himself through his pants as he watched you take charge on top of his best friend. You whimpered, eyeing him up and down before Jason drew your attention back to him. To reward Roy for being so good, you bent back down slowly into Jason’s chest, arching your back as you did so to give the readhead a good view as you brought Jason’s lips to meet yours once more.

“Show me you don’t hate me,” Your voice came out sultrier than you’d meant it, though you blamed it on the liquid courage.

Regardless, they were eating it up.

Or, so you thought.

One moment Jason was gazing at you with a burning passion and the next he looked completely constipated. You tilted your head in confusion, opening your mouth to voice it, but before you could, he was already turning away from you to focus on the ceiling above.

“I think we’re all a bit too drunk for this right now.” Your stomach dropped at the blatant rejection with your face notibly falling. He seemed like he wanted to reassure you, but was biting his tongue. You shrunk back to sit on his lower stomach and his hands immediately pushed off the floor to right himself, bringing you face to face. “Get off,” It was coarse and choked and you had no choice but to follow his demand.

Even though he said he didn’t hate you, it sure seemed like he hated you. You turned to Roy for support, but he was in a similar state of looking anywhere but at you.

“Sorry,” Your adrenaline was crashing hard. You yawned lightly as you wobbled unsteadily to stand up, only to trip forward, onto the couch with an oof! “I’m sorry,” You whispered as your head pounded in pain.

You didn’t realize your eyes were closed until your nodding off caused them to flash open, though you only managed to keep them open for a few, measly seconds. Before you knew it, you were resting your head against the back of the couch to quell the pressurized dizziness that was suffocating your brain.

The rest was an inexplicable haze of warbled voices and tunnel vision.

•

You woke up with a heavy blanket on top of you and the light streaming through…?

You looked around at your surroundings blearily as you rubbed at your eyes. You were still in the library.

You groaned as you sat up and nearly knocked over the aspirin that had been placed next to your head and you gratefully took two with the water on the coffee table.

“What the fuck happened?” You sat with your heads in your hands as you tried to recall your last memory of the night, but everything was so hazy.

You remembered the quotes and…

You sat up in an instant. The kissing.

You stood up, searching for Roy and Jason, only to realize you were alone.

Had you actually had the balls to kiss them last night??? No fucking way. You shook your head, not believing for a second anything actually happened. There was no way it hadn’t all just been one hell of a drunk dream.

A quick glance at your phone proved that you were already running six minutes late to homeroom.

Shit.

It was going to be one hell of a day.

•

You didn’t know how Roy did it every day.

Seriously.

You were hungover and all you wanted to do was curl up in a pitch-dark room and hibernate for a week. You winced, rubbing between your temples in an attempt to quell your raging migraine, but it did absolutely nothing. The school's obnoxious fluorescent lights stabbed you in the eyes, leaving you to squint and cover them with your hand the entire first half of the day.

Even art class with Damian was so unbearable that, two minutes into the tutorial, you had to lay your head down. Damian questioned this, but you ignored him, much to his dismay.

You didn’t see Jason or Roy the whole day, but Tim and Damian were both back and quick to tell you that you looked like shit as soon as they caught sight of you.

“Feel like it too, thanks for that,” Tim patted you on the head in response which you instantly batted at. “Don’t make me look worse. My hair is the only thing going for me today.”

“Whatever, Booster Gold,” Tim nudged you jokingly, “What have you been up to?”

“Yeah,” Damian gave you a disapproving once over as he said your name. “I’m gone for one night and come back to see you looking like you’ve walked through a tornado.”

You blushed, “Just did homework s'all.” You tried to play it off, but you could tell neither were buying it.

“I hope you didn’t go to a party without me,” He analyzed your face as you answered. Meanwhile, Tim stood off to the side, watching your interaction like he was observing two animals interacting in the wild.

“I promise it was no party,” You shook your head as you willed away the dreams (???), of last night in the library. “Just homework.”

“Just homework, then.” He didn't sound convinced. If anything, Damian sounded hurt. You, however, were more focused on trying to survive the day- not focus on all of this recent jealousy you’d been experiencing from Damian.

“Yup.”

These Wayne boys and Roy were seriously going to be the death of you.

Fuck.

A/N: last lines sum up the entire fic basically lol- so excited for the story to get started! stop by and let me know what ur thinking!

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#jason todd x reader #reader x roy harper #damian wayne x reader #reader x jason todd x roy harper #jayroy #my fic: the art of rehabilitating snowbirds #my fic:ars

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