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blu3haw4 · 2 years

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A Summary of all of my Stories

Hi! You can find all the works bellow here:

Now, since i've only shared my works for Clexa events (Clextober, Clexmas & Clexaweek) i'll section them as they were chronologically posted, first the link to the series and then a summary of each per event. Also the works that are from the same universe (but aren't part of an independent series) will be marked with colors, while the ones that have their own series will be marked with numbers linked to the series, so...

Scary stories - 1/2 Some not so scary stories in the cave (1/1)

Canonverse Clexa hanging out with some Skykru's for Halloween

Vampires & Werewolves - A hard decision to make (Head or Heart) (5/?) haven't updated in a very long time

Forbidden love with Vampire!Clarke & Werewolf!Lexa, both sort-of leaders of their own people (ancient rivals) fall in love.

BYOB; Bring Your Own Boo's - Hot costumes for an even hotter Halloween (2/2) Mature

Modern Setting, Marvel vs DC custom party with a Ranya centric first chapter and Clexa centric second chapter

Fall Festivities - 1/3 Ho(rny)my (3/3) Explicit

Modern setting Clexa enjoying autumn

Haunted Houses - Little House of Terror (1/1)

High School AU, Clexa & kru organizing and working on the creation of this haunted house for a school event.

SCREAM & Monster Mash - 2/2 Pauna's Nightmare (1/1)

Canonverse Clarke has a nightmare, but Lexa's there to protect her

Trick or Treat - Hot customs but Soft feelings (1/1)

Modern Setting, Clarke and Lexa going to trick or treat as they have been for ten years, but this time they don't ask for the candies (They ask each other out)

Winter Wonderland - 1/2 The Snows Magic (From Fighting to Cuddling) (1/1)

Canonverse. Clarke and Lexa have been "secretly" together for a year now. This is Clarke second winter (Christmas) in the ground and there's nothing she loves more than snow... well and maybe cuddling with Lexa.

Candy Canes - Candies are de-stressing (and so is Sex) (1/1) Explicit

Clarke Griffin is the owner of one of the biggest design company in the US, and Lexa Woods is her loyal lawyer. After a emergency call from her boss, Lexa thought it would be nice to bring some Christmas Candies... did I mention this was rated Explicit? Just checking

Christmas Carol - Christmas Inheritance (Clexa version) (1/3)

Before ambitious heiress Clarke Griffin can inherit her father's gift business, she must deliver a special Christmas card to her dad's former partner in Snow Falls, the hometown she never knew, in the process she'll discovers the true gift of Christmas. (Y'know... Lexa)

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! - 2/3 What a Warm Christmas (1/1) Explicit

Modern Setting Clexa taking some time off for themself before Christmas.

Naughty or Nice - Who's the Naughty (1/1) Explicit

Modern Setting. Clarke dresses up as Santa and surprise Lexa after a long day of work... 😈

Under the Mistletoe - The Mistletoe Plan (1/1)

Modern Setting, Clarktaven plan to use the tradicion to make Ranya happen, little does Clarke know her best friends have a plan of their own too.

Christmas Morning - 3/3 What a Good Christmas (1/1) Mature

Modern Setting. Family Christmas morning-and day.

Forbidden Love - The Horizon Rivalry, When the Sky faces the Ground (3/?) also haven't updated in a while Explicit... very Explicit

Modern Setting rival-college's soccer-team captains Clexa start off as secret-fuck-buddies, what will happen when that changes? When they start to care more than they should about each other? Can they keep it a secret? Can love wins?

Survival - Life is About More Than Just Surviving... But please don't die (2/?) haven't updated in a veeeeeery long time Mature

Canon fix it, taking over 307 while Clarke is cleaning the wound (and avoiding many deads)

Time Travel - I can't face my Demons without you (1/1)

Canonverse, taking over in the end of 613, Clarketaven use the anomaly to save Lexa, Lincoln and Shaw. Will it work to save them all without jeopardize the time and space? Will we have our heroes back, safe and happy?

Roomates - Fuck me... I mean you! Fuck you! (1/1) Explicit

High School-Enemies to Lovers AU, On a scholar trip the class is stuck in the middle of nowhere and professor Kane had to rent some rooms in a nearby motel, Raven and Anya wants to share room, leaving Clarke and Lexa to do the same.

AU - What happens in Neverland stays in Neverland (1/1)

Lexa had it hard for Clarke and the blonde can't stop herself for proving those smooth pillowed lips of the hottest girl on earth... even if she (pretend to) hates her.

CaptainSwan first kiss from Once upon a Time (Clexa version)

Historical/Drama Period - Don't want to be the Queen (2/2) 2024 update Mature

Lexa, the future Queen of the Kongeda and Clarke, daughter of one of the biggest noble families of Polis, have been best friends since they were kids. As they grow up they start considering their feeling for each other, but the world and time where they live in is not on their favor.

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice - About Pumpkin, Video Games and Kisses (1/1) Mature

Modern Setting, Gamer-Clexa have their first kiss after a failed attempt at carving Pumpkins

Witches and Wishes - At this point I am seriously considering that you are a witch (1/1)

Clarke Lexa and Raven have a tradition of going partying like crazy for Halloween, but somehow Raven is never hungover... suspicious

Sweater Weather - Not her Sweater (1/1) 1

Clarke and Lexa are pop stars on a secret relationship, Clarke likes to wear Lexa's clothes and the first concert of their tour is no exception.

Home for the Holidays - How are you so Cute, if your Family is so Scary (1/?)

Clarke and Lexa meet on the week between Christmas and New year, and the following year before their anniversary Lexa wants Clarke to go spend Christmas with her family, but they're so scary!

Rockin' around the Christmas Tree - 1/3 Who would've thought you were actually nice (1/1)

High School Clexa are obligated to spend their Christmas together thanks to their parent's friendship. They don't really like each other, but this Christmas might change things a little.

Naughty List - 2/3 I can be your Christmas present (1/1) Mature

Clexa after college enjoying their first Christmas on their new apartment. 😈

Baby is cold outside & It's the most Wonderful time of the year - A trivial Storm and a few Thousand miles won't ruin our Christmas (1/1) 2

Famous pop star Lexa Woods "Heda" is stuck on Sweden thanks to a Snow Storm and canceled flights. Just when she thinks her Christmas might be over a knock on her hotel room changes everything.

All I want for Christmas is you - 3/3 Baby's Christmas (1/1)

Clexa some years later celebrating two different Christmas on their new house.

Accidental Love Confession - Don't know why I freaked out, it Feels so natural (1/1) 3

Pop stars Clarke Griffin from musical duo 'Sky G's' and Lexa Woods, solist 'Heda' have gone through hell and back to be together, yet, after three years now that they're finally together, they still freak out over the L-word

Wanna Bet? - 2/2 I Swear this are the Rules (1/1)

Canonverse Clarke teaches Lexa her arranged version of Strip-Poker

Reunited - Will this be our time? (1/?) Mature

Old long time neighbors who never told each other about their crushes for each other find each other again two years after they moved away and lost contact, both of them are looking for a new-shared apartment and head to the same place.

At work - I hate Stigma, I just wanna love you (1/?) Mature... for now

Modern Setting, fluffy CEO!Lexa & Striper!Clarke

Out of Bound - I've been akes not to (But I really want to) (1/?) Mature

Modern Setting, Clarke and Anya dated on high school. Lexa (from a privete school) only meets her best friend's ex six years later when she's supplanting Clarke's baby brother's Basketball Coach

Magic - LexaClarke (1/1)

Lexa has Wanda-like (Energy manipulation, telekinesis and telepathy) powers. She wants to tell her girlfriend but she's scared, so one morning she gets into her dreams to see how she might react.

Vintage AU - Horizon Hukop - Sneak Peak (1/1) 1

Medieval-ish AU; Clexa arguing about war strategies.

Trapped AU - Don't give up (1/1)

The story in which you don't know how nor why biologists' Clexa who barely know each other end up trapped on a crack in the ice... how will they spent the night? ... Probably not how you think (a little bit angsty)

Six Years Later - Horizon Hukop - Sneak Peak II (1/2) 2

Medieval-ish AU; Clexa spend some quality time together.

Arrange Marriage - Guess we'll have to work it out (1/?) Explicit

Clarke and Lexa live in a relatively small town and are forced to get married after Clarke's mother caught them hooking up. The problem? It was a one-night stand and they know nothing about each other.

Reality TV - BUILD Series NYU - Horizon Hukop Season One (1/1) 3

Actresses Clexa playing on medieval royalty drama getting interviewed about their character and the story of their show... and some personal questions of course.

Be gay do Crimes - Thieve's Crew (1/1)

Internationally wanted jewelry thief Lexa Woods, reclutes Clarke Griffin (RobinHood-ish thieve) to help her and what remains of her crew plan a key heist to safe the rest of the crew.

And the linked series:

Famous AU & Horizon Hukop

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hardcore-lonewolf · 9 months

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❤️‍🔥KARMA❤️‍🔥: DC's T.T. (2003) & Y.J. (2010) X-Over One-Shot Imagine

PLOT: Mouse has been missing ever since their newest member joined the Sidekick Squad and it's now Halloween. This thief got a major bone to pick with Terra when she defeated her in her disguise as Punchline, Onslaught and Incursion told her that Terra Mater was the mole right after meeting the new favorite right-hand woman of the violent mercenary. Siren managed to defeat her loved ones, took those flash drives Terra Mater has on them, and her laptop into her lair at her hometown rather than to the Council of Light and gave it back with a virus that sends the proof to the JLA. The Lucky Girl made the JLA realize that she's Siren, she's going incognito with her skills and talents to expose the Light. During that time, Mouse made the cure and switched the mind-controlling chips with it. Now it's her time to reveal her truth and show her loved ones that she's not that shy girl they once know as Mouse...she became Catgirl after her training in Tokyo with her mentor Catwoman. Will her loved ones find out the truth or not?

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Characters: S1!Young Justice League/Team (MY AU), Elder Justice League of America (MY AU), New Crime Syndicate/Gang (MY AU), Old Crime Syndicate of Russia (MY AU), etc.

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WARNING: PLOT TWISTS, RE-EDIT OF EPISODES, FLUFF, ANGST, EXPOSING RUMORS, REVEALING LIES, SHOCKING TRUTHS, ETC!

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The junior league group were still heartbroken about their former member ever since she left for Anodyne to train with her grandmother Mrs. Jolene Monet and gave them one last gift...to hear her voice. Robin would never leave her room and wore her missing item...her crystal teardrop necklace. The Boy Wonder kept it all to himself, his best friend Kid Flash could tell that the vigilante misses his crush and fellow team member.

The Team decided on Halloween to get Catgirl's number and call her on video chat. Their newest member Terra Mater was nothing like the Lucky Girl and would always use Beast Boy for any single thing, though Catgirl tends to let the Team know that she's taking the young green mutant someplace else for fun. Raven grew instantly jealous and kept a close sharp eye right on the younger blonde girl after her older best friend told her to watch her back on the newcomer.

Aqualad, Wonder Girl, Superboy, and Miss Martian will sit in silence while holding back their emotions and spoke with each other in secret. The female demigod got a gut feeling about Terra, who's hesitant on hurting Onslaught and Incursion. The Atlantean knight agreed with his girlfriend like his Kryptonian and Martian friends, they saw how Terra would dodge their hits and each member will never strike her.

"I want Cat back in the cave now beloved, Robin's been depressed for the past month that I stayed with him every night and held his hand while he slept...that's how bad it is. He got nightmares and worried about Cat...Robin seriously loves her, not as a friend or family, he has romantic feelings for her." Wonder Girl stated while holding his hand.

"My love, I truly agree with you, Robin's feelings for Cat hasn't left his system and it's messing with him. Black Canary sent an update last night on Cat's whereabouts and told us her training on Anodyne. This could be the solution love, Robin reuniting with Cat and telling his feelings to her." Aqualad told her in response.

"Either way guys, we gotta find out who's the mole cause Will found Roy and brought him back home thanks to Jade. Not only that...Jade pointed out that the Light led the mole to us and put mind-controlling chips on the League. They haven't activated yet, which means somebody has been helping our mentors and could be an ally of Will." Superboy said.

"If they didn't activate, that could mean they got a spy as well helping us and gave the League the cure before it all happened. Will and Jade did have some points about their new ally who gave them the cure, they sent us the Light's next plans for the New Year's Revolution from 2010 to 2011." Wonder Girl added. "Based on how the League's reactions and what they'd almost done, our mentors got those chips out and sent them to Star Labs for further examinations."

Miss Martian felt her phone vibrate, she takes it out and sees Catgirl's number on it. She froze with shock and excitement before she presses the green answer button. The female Martian puts it on speaker and sees that it's a video call.

"Hey guys," the Team froze with disbelief to see Catgirl with her natural ginger orange hair down and grown out over her shoulders.

"Sup Mama, how's Anodyne?" Beast Boy asked while turning into a cat.

"Anodyne's been very great Gar, I learned a lot here and mastered my mana. I missed y'all guys, I was calling to say Happy Devil's Night and early Halloween. I got good news to say and tell, so be prepared...my grandma's letting me go home back to Earth tomorrow...permanently. I finally unlocked all of my powers," the Team smiled and begun mentally cheering. "I know Robin's been hurting a lot, it's my fault that he's that way...I'll make it up to him and tell him how I felt. I love Robin so much, he's the only person I can see my future with...my family even told me that my visions aren't lying to me, I've found my destined soulmate and I've never thought it'll be him. When you see Robin, tell him that I said that I love him and I'm coming home. Okay, I gotta go hurry up and pack my things...this family reunion drove me nuts. Bye guys, I miss y'all."

Miss Martian hangs up and the rest sighed in thought. Cyborg and Starfire went to find the Boy Wonder, who heard the conversation and was smiling. Rocket and Zatanna sat next to Artemis, talking about a girl's night out with Catgirl in it at last.

Terra Mater was frowning and silently seething in rage. She got everything locked and hidden in her own hands for the Light, which was good for now since her master's favorite henchwoman got it from her to send out for the Light. She has to wait until Halloween to betray the Team and expose her lies.

On Planet Anodyne, Catgirl put on her Punchline disguise while handing the JLA the proof and evidence they need against their enemies. The Dark Knight ruffled her hair and she nods up at him with a serious look on her face. His godchild grew confident and strong during her training in Anodyne, he's proud that she'll be there for his adopted son and become part of his family.

"On Devil's Night, I'll be capturing the Team and getting Terra Mater to confess her secrets. Once I'm all alone, this face paint comes off and this will be the end of Terra's reign. She tried multiple times to hack into the Super Computer and everything at each of our headquarters. I've been updating our bases by shielding our technology with viruses and codes that it can only unlock to my grandmother." Catgirl explained to the JLA.

"And this is why we loved you for your hacking skills and super intelligence Eva." The Lucky Girl nodded as she puts on her gothic makeup and platinum wig. "Your amulet my dear."

Catgirl puts on her amulet and it transformed her from the White Kitten Thief to Punchline. Punchline took a deep breath and opens a portal to the docks. The JLA let her enter through the vortex and she mouthed out that she needs them fully prepared with inhibitor collars alongside power neutralizers.

As soon as Punchline gets on Earth's ground, the portal closes and she puts her poker face back on for her rebellious acts. The Rebel Princess of Crimes & Scenes begun her reign of terror while licking an ice cream cone, cackling and giggling with fake sinister madness in her own veins. Punchline does some parkour through Gotham City and found her targets...Onslaught and Incursion.

"There's my favorite clown!" Frostbite said with a grin on his face.

"Sup my peeps," she greeted him before back-flipping off the ladder and onto her feet. "This old man and those stupid bozos sent me to capture a couple of junior league scumbags. Here's the catch in Savage's quote..."If Gaia doesn't bring me that information by midnight of Halloween, she'll be "punished" by her daddy dearest...Deathstroke." What a load of bullshit."

Onslaught and Incursion begun chuckling in amusement by Punchline's blunt statement about Gaia, Terra Mater's actual identity and villain alias. The clown villainess took them to the warehouse, where they found an armored tech aircraft that Punchline stolen and upgraded with weapons. The clown villainess opens the door and tosses a rocket missile launcher that was combined with a homemade bazooka cannon to Devastation.

"That's my favorite toy there Deva, it can blow up a whole bank and gives a light show of pain on those stupid cops. It got a missile filled with the toughest stuff I can get from Ace Chemicals, one big blow and BAM! Those goodie two-shoes will be laughing and screaming to their deaths." Punchline said.

"Nice," the hybrid commented with an evil smirk.

"Who wants to see what this baby can do?" Punchline suggested with a wicked smile.

Onslaught and Incursion smirked in return. They got into Punchline's aircraft and she started it with one click of a button. The abandoned warehouse's doors slid open and she took off through them.

The villains wooed in excitement and corruption while Punchline flew them in the skies. Frostbite stood up from his seat and whispered an idea that made the clown villainess smirk. Punchline presses the blue button and it drops a giant metal can of Punchline spray into Arkham City.

"That's for ditching me you cocksuckers!" It exploded in seconds and several thugs begun laughing hard while screaming in terror.

Onslaught and Incursion laughed hard as the thugs passed out cold like stone. Punchline flew them to the nearest bank in Gotham City and tossed them some gas masks. The clown rebel nods for Devastation to fire the missile, the half-Titan fires it and it went off in seconds when it drops to the floor.

"Damn it! These jackasses are here to ruin shit! Let these bitches feel the motherfucking taste of payback!" Punchline said after dropping another cherry bomb and it got all the cops in a matter of minutes.

All fifteen villains minus Punchline were sent down by ladders right before the bomb exploded and it got members of several police squads. Many innocents were screaming in terror and laughing hard in pain. Onslaught and Incursion watched as every citizen got knocked out dead/unconscious by Punchline's newest invention.

"Gaia would absolutely love Punchline, they'll get along well." Tommy Terror commented.

"Agree twin brother," his younger twin sister Tuppence Terror replied.

After Punchline told Joker that she put the world on blast with her spray on the communicator, the Clown Prince was proud of his hit-woman and was laughing at how she built cherry bombs with her perfume spray in it. The clown rebel got some clear mist popoed into her mouth in dissolving capsules and kept her gas mask off except for her face paint. Once she heard her targets come back with all of the loot, Punchline caught a bright red aircraft and knew the Bio-Ship was landing on the next rooftop.

"Seriously," the clown rebel muttered under her breath before landing her ship and flipping down on the sidewalk with swiftness.

"Hey sidekicks, meet our newest member Punchline." Gizmo introduced the clown villainess, watching her land gracefully and standing on her two heeled boots.

The Team sees an unfamiliar member of the villains and realized that this was Joker's new sidekick Punchline. She was looking gothic, corrupted, and evil with laughter and jokes. When Punchline licks her plump lips that was coated with matte black lipstick, Wonder Girl could see the metal piercings of Snake Eyes on her bottom lip and the Venom on her blue tongue.

"Is that y'all been dealing with this whole time? A couple of lame sidekicks hiding behind the cowardly shadows of their stupid mentors?" Superboy wasn't pleased with Punchline's words and the rest was offended by the rebellious clown villainess.

"Sadly," the super-intelligent genius inventor answered.

"How boring, though...I did like that gray little mouse you guys all know about." Punchline said, holding the Lucky Girl's mask when she was once Mouse, and the sidekicks froze to see human blood and burn marks on it.

Robin recognized it and caught the small little splashes of fresh blood on the domino mask. The Boy Wonder was now shaking with shock and anger. Punchline's done the most shocking and unthinkable thing that every villain wishes to do.

"What did you do to Mouse, you heartless monster?!" Punchline chuckled darkly while smirking at the livid sidekicks, winking at the Boy Wonder with a seductive look.

"Punchy here...did the most amazing thing villains always wanted, the death of that bratty rodent...by playing Russian Roulette." Blackfire said.

'No, it can't be true...' the Boy Wonder thought with fear and rage.

"Her death in my hands...earned me this spot in their band, that poor little squeaker was crying and begging for her stupid little friends to come rescue her, aw...those annoying sobs got on my damn nerves." Punchline said, hissing angrily when she mentioned the tears and cries "Mouse" let out for the Young Justice Team.

Memories of Mouse being with each member except for Terra Mater flashed through their minds, her helping them with many things and reassuring everybody that she will heal their pain away. The sibling-like bonds they formed and the hugs she gave them before she left for Anodyne. Robin was still shaking in rage while Punchline gave him a little wink and lick her lips again.

"Here's how I killed her...I slit her pretty throat wide open, cut her pink tongue out of her tiny mouth into small pieces, made her choke on her own blood and broke all of her bones. I would've made her my plaything and break her like a doll, but her suffering a slow and painful death got me satisfied enough until I played my game. Russian Roulette, that last bullet went through her heart and ended her life forever." Punchline told the Young Justice Team, earning chuckles from Onslaught and Incursion.

'She's so dead,' the demi-goddess thought while clutching her sword and shield in anger.

"That little girl was so cute bleeding, so...I kissed her and she tasted better after she died...as a selfish hero...protecting y'all dumbass idiots from me. As for her fucking body," Robin's glare hardened with anger as he tries to not snap and attack Punchline with a murderous intention. "I took her corpse, stab that tiny bitch multiple times...and I burned it down to her grave till she was nothing but some cinder fucking ashes to my boss's...cigar...tray."

Robin immediately charged for Punchline with an enraged growl, who quickly dodged and begun deflecting the Boy Wonder's merciless hits. The rest followed their friend's lead and went after different people. The clown rebel led Robin up onto the rooftops and ran away while the Boy Wonder rushed after her.

"COME BACK HERE YOU EVIL BITCH!!" Robin yelled angrily.

"Aw, is the poor little birdie mad?" Punchline taunted him, getting his anger pumping with his adrenaline. "Don't worry Tweety, Lil Miss Mousy loved you so much that I gave that brat her first kiss."

Their rooftop fight continued while their own teammates fought each other and try to win the fight. The Boy Wonder was jabbed in his Adam's apple hard and got punched in the gut. He gasps and coughs for air while Punchline knelt down to his level.

"Fly away Birdie," the clown villainess whispered evilly. "Fly away."

Robin was suddenly hit into the night sky and Punchline hit a vital point with her two fingers, sending the Boy Wonder into Superboy who caught him right on time. The Boy of Steel caught a pair of Kryptonite daggers in the female clown's hands and kneeled down with a weakened grunt when she got much closer to him. Punchline smirked with a sinister intent and shot some tranquilizer darts at each sidekicks.

"Ack!" Robin groaned in pain as Punchline grabs his face, he growls weakly and went wide-eyed when she kisses him dead on his lips.

The clown rebel put some tongue within their forced kiss and pulls away with a smirk. Robin gasps for breath and coughs as his teammates were horrified when Punchline begun violating him with her mouth. The fifteen sidekicks passed out while Terra Mater stood up and laughs with the clown villainess.

"Nice one Punchline, I see why the gang loves how heartless and corrupting you can be." Gaia commented.

"Doesn't matter what the fuck I can do, get them in Zephyr, I got some new toys to break and dismantle for Luthor. You guys stay on watch and wait for your rides back to the Light. Is that clear?" Onslaught and Incursion nodded before strapping each unconscious hero tight. "This is what Christmas is really all about...their murders and your unfaithfulness Gaia, time to reveal the truth and why you did it all...thanks to your help, I finally got payback on that useless coward. We got more time to celebrate till our reign of chaos and torture begins on December 25th at midnight sharp."

The Young Justice Team wakes up restrained and held captive within Project Cadmus Laboratory. They instantly sees Punchline sitting in front of them with Onslaught and Incursion beside her, caressing Mouse's broken replica mask and smiling evilly at it with madness. Robin struggles to get free for some vengeance, but was electrocuted when the clown rebel presses a blue button on her remote controller.

"ROBIN!" The Boy Wonder stops struggling and glares straight at a giggling Punchline.

"Merry Christmas kids, how's your little nap time?" Punchline mocked them, laughing hard when they gave her hardened glares. "Keep doing that, it won't bring the Lucky Girl back...oh wait, she's already dead!"

Punchline cracks up hard and sighs happily afterwards while wiping a fake tear from her left eye. She fiddles with her customized daggers around her black lab cloak and crosses her legs together while sharpening her fingernails. Beast Boy tried to transform into animals, but he sees inhibitor collars and power neutralizers on him along with his loved ones.

"YOU MONSTER, WHERE'S TERRA?!!" Beast Boy yelled at Punchline, who smirks happily and gave him a cocky look.

She coldly presses the magenta button and Beast Boy screams in pain. Punchline stops pressing it and puts the remote controller back in her front pocket, zipping it up and crossing her arms to her ample chest. She gave him a fake pout and it slowly shifts into a crazed look when she tilts her head a bit.

"Oh...you mean your little girlfriend," she replied to him with a sinister look. "Well...you little hemoglobin, wanna hear a bedtime story before I drained all of your blood out with this machine and make some clones out of it for the Light?"

The others were confused and concerned for themselves getting cloned by the clown rebel. Raven and Zatanna tried their magic to break their loved ones free, but they saw that there was magic cuffs on their wrists and ankles. The rest saw all of their weapons hanging on the shelf that's labeled as Punchline's Death Row.

"WHY DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH TERRA?!!" Punchline smacked her plump lips before going close to Raven's chamber with darkened eyes and a blank look on her face.

"You should remember something about a cat pointing out other clues to who's the real mole was before she died...Trigon's selfless little girl," the Azarathian Cambion was shocked and frightened cause Punchline brought up her horrid father. "Think about it, Mouse broke the case, which gave me the opportunity to kill her before it's too late...who was the last person to arrive back in your base? Who tried to get inside her room and be put under her designation number? Huh?"

Rocket and Breach froze when they both realize what Mouse warned them about having new members...risks of having a spy for the Light in their base. Kid Flash mouthed out to Artemis that it was truly Terra Mater who tricked them and made Mouse suffer her tragic death in the hands of Punchline. Lumus grew mad with Beast Boy until she presses the chartreuse and magenta button again, stopping to let them breathe.

"Not every villain lies you idiots, Terra's the main reason why your Lucky Girl's now dead and long gone." Terra Mater was the mole this whole time, Raven begun raging through the mind link and Miss Martian cuts her off from it.

All of her remaining teammates could see the female cambion about to snap and beat up Punchline for killing her best friend. Zatanna could feel her mother Unia's powers corrupting her due to the rage from Punchline's taunts and mockery on them. Wonder Girl gave both magic users warning glares, which made them snap out of their raging fits and calmed down.

"Here's more news though, Mouse's body is lost inside the Lazarus Pits and being used for a new sacrifice. After the old man bring her back from the dead, they'll hand her off to the Dagon and give him a host. The most powerful being in the universe beyond every single dimension...an Anodite." Wonder Girl gulped nervously when she heard the name Dagon and whispered no with fear.

"Do you realize you're putting all of us including yourself in danger?!" Punchline shrugged with a blank look at Zatanna's exclamation.

"So? Nobody's stopping me," the Boy Wonder gave the female clown widened eyes and raised eyebrows. "If I was them, I would've been like..."Let's take the female Martian, she got enough power to kill!", and do that suggestion instead!"

Miss Martian gave the clown rebel a petrified look and continuously shakes her head no while Superboy growls angrily at Punchline, not wanting his Martian girlfriend becoming a sacrifice that could end the world. The female clown rolled her green eyes at the Boy of Steel and opens the door to reveal the mole in her apprentice suit. Beast Boy snarls amgrily at his ex crush and she smirks evilly at him in response.

"Okay the rest of you savages, y'all deserve to bask in the glory of what these oldies couldn't do in one night and get your break...take as much as you want. I don't care for the money, I just love making heroes suffer and killing them after they are weak. Christmas is almost here, my present to y'all is their deaths...and their weapns." Punchline told them, earning appreciative looks from Onslaught and Incursion.

Gaia stood beside Punchline, handing her the flash drives of information and locations of each superhero. The clown rebel nodded and pat her back in respect. Punchline begun using her hacking skills to send the files and information over to the Bat-Cave instead, watching Gaia point at Beast Boy with a disgusted look on her face.

"I wanna smack that damn smirk right off your face," the female archer scoffed at Gaia, speaking in a cold and blunt tone.

"Sorry Artemis, but it's already too late...you and the rest of these losers here will lose everything while I get the credit I de-" Gaia was cut off by Punchline who kicked her hard across her face, knocking her out and tying her up.

Punchline shushed the Young Justice Team as her eyes glowed pink and mana wrapped around the doors, locking them shut with a tougher metal. She takes a deep breath and uses her powers to close the doors till they're impossibly indestructible. The sidekicks were confused as Punchline mutters a few curse words and mumbles a noise cancelation spell in Latin.

"YOU -" Punchline gestured them to not talk by holding the remote controller, which made them silent and watched the clown rebel put Gaia down on her chair.

"Before you fools say anything, I'm maybe that evil but not enough to kill innocents...your best friend's still alive somewhere." The Boy Wonder was confused and scared for a moment cause Punchline just brutally hit Gaia hard with a knockout superkick.

"No, she's not! You're lying you crazy chick! You killed her cold-blooded!" Kid Flash yelled in denial.

Punchline clicks her tongue in annoyance while rolling her eyes at the speedster, she slowly takes off the sacred amulet her grandma gave her for this mission and the disguise comes right off of her body. The Young Justice Team froze to see Mouse, who's now known as Catgirl for the first time with new looks, such as the bright green cat eyes, and the platinum white wig covering her natural ginger orange hair. The Lucky Girl then pressed the clear button on the remote controller and let all fifteen sidekicks go.

"HOW?!! THE LEAGUE TOLD US YOU DIED WHEN YOU CAME BACK HOME!!" Lumus asked in shock, hugging his best friend tight.

"Three words Lumi...made of magic," the Lucky Girl answered as she takes off the restraints on each hero. "I told them that I'm secretly going undercover as Punchline to get tons of important information and steal a lot of files from the Light. It worked out very well, but we're still dealing with the mole problem until Gaia have confessed everything when I got security cameras and trackers on me from Batman during my personal mission. She can't escape from the truth now, I needed an illusion that'll make me look dead and have somebody else disguised as Punchline in order to make it true. Knowing all of you will complicate things for me, the reason why I brought both Onslaught and Incursion here to Zephyr for this purpose...this is where the League gets everything from. Gaia nor her comrades can't hear us speak, but I got a bone to pick with somebody else...she better know that Boy Wonder has always been mine first and never will be hers. Isn't that right my pretty little birdie~?"

Robin was about to say something, but was blushing hard as he realizes that Catgirl was the one who kissed him hard and gave him his first kiss. Kid Flash snickers at the reddened cheeks on Robin's face, giving him a high-five while ruffling his hair and hugging Catgirl. The Lucky Girl accepts the hug and pulls away before she snaps her fingers, causing the door to the Death Row shelf to open.

"You're such an evil genius Cat, no wonder Gaia hates you so much." Catgirl nodded at Artemis's statement in agreement before grabbing something from her bag and turning it on. "YOU WOULDN'T DARE!!"

The half-Anodite held Gaia down and pinned her on her stomach. As soon as Superboy hears the loud buzzing sounds of an electric device, he snaps his head and smiles mischievously when Catgirl shaves all of Gaia's golden blonde hair off. The Lucky Girl stood back up and held up all the natural strands of blond hair in one gloved hand, dropping them like snow onto Gaia's face on purpose.

"Never mess with my loved ones Gaia, this is what happens if you do!" Catgirl shouted at her, shaving off her eyebrows and turning off her electric razor-sharp clippers.

Raven begun laughing hard, which made the rest of the Team shocked cause she never laughs and smiles. Beast Boy hugs Catgirl and she kisses his forehead. He smiled at the sibling love she gave him and turned into a puppy, licking her cheeks.

"Love you too Beastie," the Lucky Girl whispered to Beast Boy's ear before putting him down and opening a portal.

Catgirl erases Gaia's memories about her loved ones and allies before replacing them with ones she can only keep. Miss Martian and Superboy sees the proof that the Lucky Girl, every single fake moment Gaia made with everyone from the Team. Catgirl absorbs everything and trades it for her version of memories that contains hatred.

"That's for my stuff," she mouthed out angrily. "And you'll never see the lights of day the same way ever again."

Catgirl tosses Gaia through the portal and closes it shut immediately. Aqualad gave the Lucky Girl a disapproving look as she cancels the spell and their enemies can finally hear again. The female white-haired vigilante points at the door and nods at her leader.

"I don't approve you doing things like that Catgirl," she gave her leader a raised eyebrow and smiles when Wonder Girl gives Aqualad the same deadpan look he got from the tomboyish demi-goddess one time for his overprotective behavior on her. "But Gaia deserves it from you as a clear message to our enemies."

Catgirl immediately rolled her gteen eyes and let Superboy hold her close to Miss Martian. The two telepaths smiled at each other with joy, though the female Martian let her back in the mind link and the Lucky Girl went livid after Kid Flash mentioned her former height again. Catgirl smacks him in the back of his head with her hand and he yelps in pain, rubbing it from the firm impact as Artemis and Robin laughs at him.

'Who wants to beat up some bad guys and go back home?' Catgirl asked them, grabbing her whip and sword Kusanagi. 'Zee, Rae, time for a magic trick.'

Raven and Zatanna stood side by side with Catgirl. They held her hand in theirs and their eyes begun glowing. Darkness, light, and ethereality begun circling around them as the Trinity of Magic begun chanting their spells.

"Aperi Lanua!" The three circles of magic energy combined as one to form twilight tendrils and it opened the doors wide. "Dimitte Sigillum!"

The seal breaks and the three magic users were free. Catgirl saw her pink mana turning back to pure magic energy, which made her smile with relief and amazement. The Lucky Girl begins levitating from the floor and flying towards Nova, going after the youngest Star Sapphire from the Violet Lantern Corps.

The two begun engaging in fists and blasting energy rays at each other. Nova throws an enchanted fist made from energy, but Catgirl absorbs it and teleports behind her. When the blond-haired Star Sapphire turns to face her, the Lucky Girl lets out a sonic scream and it sent her feet away from her for Starfire to kick her across the floor into her older twin sister Blackfire.

Breach does a step-up Enziguri on Mammoth and Superboy punches the younger twin before they used their super strength on him. The two meta-humans nodded with smirks and ducked on time for Holocaust to get hit instead. Breach electrocuted the male fire-meta while kneeling down and absorbing the metal on the floor.

"Hey you over-sized oven, laugh this one off!" Breach yelled out before swinging his mallet-shifted hand into his face. "And that's for burning my gal!"

Catgirl senses the JLA, so she lets them enter her portal and her fifteen friends froze when they caught their mentors appearing. Onslaught and Incursion were shot with tranquilizer darts from Catgirl before losing consciousness. The Justice League handcuffed all sixteen villains and took them to the main exit, silently thanking Catgirl for cracking the case.

"It's not over Catgirl, wait till I-" the Lucky Girl's mouth went open and her jaw dropped in shock when Raven punched Gaia right across her face, knocking her out cold.

"I'm proud of you for doing that Mama," the cambion nodded with a soft smile, running back to Beast Boy's arms and hugging him.

The Green half-Martian smiles while blushing and purring in joy in his tiger form. Catgirl went to them and joined the group hug with rest behind her, doing the same thing to Beast Boy. The sixteen heroes pulled away and headed outside to see the Bio-Ship waiting for them.

"So Robin, are you going to tell Batman about your girlfriend~?" The Boy Wonder blushed and told Kid Flash to shut up, but was suddenly being held upside down by a pink mana tendril. "Hahaha!! Got him good Cat!!"

The rest of the Team laughed with the speedster as Catgirl sat criss-crossed on her pink mana platform and was smiling at him with a loving look on her face. She kisses the Boy Wonder softly on his lips and felt Robin smile from her affection on him. The Lucky Girl lets him down and was lifted up in his arms, earning a flustered look on her face.

"Take us home Boy Wonder," he grinned and use his grappling hook to guide them away.

"Y'all heading home already?" Artemis asked them, smirking as Robin held Catgirl bridal style.

"Yep, he needs me as much as I need him gal. See y'all in the morning...love you guys!" The Boy Wonder begun swinging away with a proud look and taking his Lucky Girl with him.

Robin cackles while carrying and swinging away to the Bat-Cave with his new lover in his arms. Catgirl held onto him and lay her head on his chest. She kissed where his heart was and the two vigilantes headed to the Bat-Cave in one piece.

"Let's head back to the mountain, Cat did pointed out she's been having full access there since she got there." The rest nodded before getting on the Bio-Ship.

"Me too Princess," the demi-goddess gave Lumus a set of hardened eyes. "Me too."

Wonder Girl instantly snapped and sent Lumus flying through the starry night sky by one low blow kick. The rest of the guys in the ship and their girlfriends watched in shock as the watch user was screaming in terror throughout his launch. Aqualad pulls his lover close while she glares at the others in warning and they sat down on their spots.

During their nightly stroll around Gotham, the new young couple heard screaming and saw Lumus flying towards them. Catgirl's round pupils in her green eyes turned into feline slits and she swung her whip at a different direction. Robin watched his new girlfriend maneuver the watch user into the skies again and open a portal back to the Bio-Ship.

"Was that Raven's doing?" Robin asked her, who shook her head no.

"Kaldur's the only person who can Opal by her royal title Princess, Matt pushed that rank way too far." Catgirl answered, watching Lumus slid down the floor of the Bio-Ship and crashing into the front...face first. "At least, he's back in the ship. We should continue heading back to the Cave..."

The two begun rushing back through Gotham City and going through stealth mode while smiling at the moonlit sky that glowed bright with the stars. The Boy Wonder spun the Lucky Girl around and twirled her around as she giggles gleefully. Robin and Catgirl shared one last kiss before dropping down into Wayne Enterprises by a secret entrance...what a good night for love.

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melodiiesxfmadness · 1 year

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( au 001: the grimm diaries. )

full name: Bianca Noelle Pena-Pérez nicknames: Bee, Anca, First Noelle, Peña, Pérez. date of birth: April 24th, 1985 place of birth: Todos Santos, Mexico hometown: La Crescenta, California Residence: Washington, DC ( neighborhood: Anacostia ) Religion: Roman Catholic, lapsed Height & Weight: 5'7" & 136 lbs. Hair & Eyes: Dark brown & blue. relationship status: multi li. highly selective. ( chemistry × understanding of how multi li / being a responsible wp works. )

Skin tone: almond nationality: Chicana ( her parents became naturalized citizens in 1990 ) ( Mexican-American ) heritage: Mexican/Salvadoran ethnicity: Hispanic parents: Agata Maritza Pena-Pérez ( Mother, alive ). | Gerardo Rodolfo Pérez ( Father, alive ). siblings: Adán Darío Pena-Pérez ( older brother, alive ), Félix Iván Pena-Pérez ( older brother, alive ), & Javiera Socorro Pena-Pérez ( younger sister, alive ). orientation: bisexual ( male lean ), greyromantic. gender: female species: mortal/grimm

A Grimm (Ger. "wrath") is a special person who possesses incredible powers, such as being able to see the true form of Wesen even when the Wesen don't want them to. For centuries, Grimms have taken it upon themselves to police and hunt the Wesen population and to protect normal humans from the unknown threat around them. Grimms are all descended from human knights that participated in the Fourth Crusade, where they found a treasure that apparently needed protecting. Grimms are never referred to as Wesen, and all Wesen seem to group them into a "not us" category, so whatever Grimms are, they are not Wesen. Grimms' strength can also be measured in the fact they can casually take down Wesen who possess superhuman strength, such Jagerbars or Klaustreich, and can easily overpower humans.

Grimm abilities: Grimms possess many powers; the most commonly used one is their ability to see Wesen when they are woged, but only if the Wesen is startled, scared, angered, or stressed, or something else happens that disrupts the Wesen's concentration. They are also able to see woged Wesen on film recordings. Grimms have absolutely no influence over this ability. Grimms have one to two extra cones in their eyes compared to most people, which allows them to see things most people can't, such as Wesen. A Grimm's ability to detect Wesen is not limited to sight; Nick Burkhardt demonstrated the ability to detect the presence of Rosalee Calvert and Andre, despite having been temporarily blinded by the latter. Later, he describes a sort of subtle electric tension in his jaw and forehead when there are Wesen nearby. This "sixth sense" alerts the other perceptory senses, in effect amplifying them. Due to Grimm's differences in nature, they react differently to Cracher-Mortel spit than other people. The rage stage comes much earlier, and the Cracher-Mortel is unable to control them. They also still possess their Grimm powers, making them very dangerous. Nevertheless, despite being disoriented and confused, they are still calmer and don't just charge at people to attack them like other humans and Wesen under the control of a Cracher-Mortel. Grimms also possess slightly superhuman strength, durability, agility, reflexes, speed, and even morphallaxis. This allows them to go toe to toe with any Wesen, except Siegbarste, and survive things that would kill a normal person. Grimms' strength can also be measured in the fact they can casually take down Wesen who possess superhuman strength, such Jagerbars or Klaustreich, and can easily overpower humans. Grimms' durability is particularly notable; several times, Nick shrugged off blows from creatures with incredible strength. For example, when facing a Schakal, the creature smashed a toaster on his head, but he recovered in seconds. He was even able to escape from a beating with a Siegbarste, with the worst of his injuries being a few bruised ribs. It has also been shown that the blood of a Grimm can destroy the animal part of a Hexenbiest. In essence, the Hexenbiest becomes human after this and is no longer a part of the Wesen world. It is currently unknown if this will work on other members of the Wesen world. Furthermore, it is unable to work if it has been performed before or if the Hexenbiest has Grimm blood in their veins, as was the case with Juliette and Adalind due to both having had Nick's blood in them, making them immune. Grimms also possesses greater resistance to arsenic's drug-like effects and are thus able to resist the effect of the Coins of Zakynthos. Additionally, Grimms seem to have a natural aptitude for fighting, particularly against Wesen, and with ancient and medieval weapons. They also possess incredible observational abilities and keen instincts. There also seems to be some natural aptitude in the Grimm lines of artistic talent as there are many detailed pictures in Aunt Marie's books from the other Grimms, and Nick has an aptitude for drawing as well. When blinded, Nick's hearing is enhanced to the point of hearing things from a distance, as he was able to hear Rosalee coming and Hank's conversation with Wu on the phone despite being far away. He was also able to hear a fly buzzing on the ceiling, as well as destroy many objects thrown near him with his kanabo when he and Monroe were testing his hearing.

languages: Spanish ( Mexican, native ), English ( as a second language ), Portuguese, Italian. allergies: mango. celery. favorites: music genres / artists: reggae, tejano, dinah jane, citizen queen, música latina. tattoos: piercings: zodiac sign: Taurus.

staffed at: MedStar Washington Hospital Center occupation: Trauma certified registered nurse (TCRNs) degree: bachelor's of science in nursing, RN-to-BSN Purdue University Global ( class of 2009 ). additional job training: two years in the RN Critical Care Training Program at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital. occupation description: Trauma nurses provide triage, diagnosis, and care for patients with critical injuries and illnesses. They provide immediate emergency care including CPR and first aid, prepare patients for surgical procedures, and assist in emergency surgical procedures. salary: $77,901 ( yearly ), $1,498.09 ( weekly @ 40 hours ), $37 ( hourly ). work schedule: 7:00am to 7:00pm - monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, saturday. ( off friday & sunday ) occupation responsibilities: Providing triage, diagnosis and care for trauma patients, and preventing secondary complications. Handling serious injuries and illnesses, such as car accidents, suicide attempts, and heart attacks. Preparing patients for emergency operations and assisting surgeons in the operation. Distributing emergency medications. Working with urgent care patients and traumatized family members. Managing a chaotic and stressful work schedule. important link:001 important link:002 important link:003

#( character bio: bianca pena pérez. )#( additional verses. )

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writingmochi · 2 years

Text

chapter iii teaser

cast: grunge kid!yeonjun ✗ art student/painter!fem.reader

synopsis: you’re an out-of-place art student living in your childhood hometown, pursuing your dream of becoming a painter. one day, you were given a mysterious responsibility as you try to not get your childhood best friend killed

genre: coming of age, college/university au, childhood best friend au, supernatural au, angst, fluff, mature content (sensitive topics and eventual smut)

based on: video game life is strange (2013)

word count: 152

release: out now

taglist? right here

masterlist

you didn't realize it's almost midnight as you can't see the moon from your open window, almost reaching the center point of the sky . you feel the calluses starting to form on your fingers where your brush sits. your eyes observing the painted colors on the canvas then you got distracted by a frantic set of knocks and a thud. thinking that it was minjeong, you put away your brush and palette and open the door to find,

"yeonjun?"

"hi, (y/n)..."

yeonjun in a sleeveless white ac/dc shirt with ripped jeans and chains hanging out the side. his tattoos, big and small, now more prominent, leaning against the wall beside your door. you lean in closer and whispered.

"what are you doing here?! you're not supposed to be-"

"let me inside and i will explain what happened." he silently replied as he looks frantically side to side at the open hallway.

taglist: @bubblejunnies @rein-deer-stuffs @kookthief @endzii23 @xiaoting999

can’t tag: @meowchikatt @papiibuprofen

#txt imagines #txt scenarios #txt angst #txt fluff #txt smut #txt x reader #yeonjun x reader #rsc: time wave #cr: yeonjun #cs: txt #sc: regina

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queenbirbs · 3 years

Text

in plain sight | Ch. 2 | Ethan x MC

Book/Pairing: Open Heart / Ethan Ramsey x female MC

Word count: 3.8k

Rating: T

Category: AU series

Warnings: mention of off-screen su*cide, language, alcohol mention

Start at the beginning or continue on

Read on AO3

Tuesday, January 13, 8:21 p.m.

Sifting through a stack of files on his coffee table, the glaze that settled over his eyes hours ago lifts when his phone trills. It takes a moment to find his phone amongst the detritus, in which time two more dings sound.

McTavish (CNN): No go on the bellhop. He didn’t come to the door.

McTavish (CNN): Too bad this isn’t law and order, where every concerned neighbor number two wants to give you their life story

McTavish (CNN): Along with some groundbreaking clue that helps us nab the bad guys

Swiping to open the message thread, Ethan makes some minor edits before responding: I don’t watch Law and Order.

Sloane M. (CNN): I am wholly unsurprised

Sloane M. (CNN): To be fair, I don’t watch the newsroom. I’m more of a mary tyler moore fan

Sloane M. (CNN): Oh right you hate texting

Yes, he taps back at a moderate pace that Baz routinely makes fun of him for, though I don’t mind talking on the phone.

He stares at the little gray bubble that indicates she’s typing her own response. It drops away and comes back several times -- enough that he should just set the phone down and finish reading the report before him. Instead, he navigates to the browser app and taps the search bar. Skimming through the results, he amends the profile of her in his head. After graduating, she was an intern at the CNN studio in DC, then transferred to a reporting position. For two years, she was a foreign correspondent in Kyiv, where she was awarded the Emery International Prize for her series of articles on the War in Donbass. Her return to Boston prompted several of the stories he’d recognized her for: the Nighthawks scandal; Farrugia’s stint as a less-than-stellar mayor; the office-fire-turned-arson that killed Dolores Hudson and her unborn child, which was set to bail out the company via insurance fraud. Ethan is startled out of the article on an attack in Potemkin, Ukraine when his phone rings.

“You figure you being a federal agent would make you better at subtlety.”

“Hello to you, too,” he greets.

“Hey, have you looked into Leland Bloom?” Sloane asks.

If he’s taken aback by the question, he tries not to let it show. There’s something to be said for cutting to the chase.

“Typical wealthy man over the age of seventy-five. Realty properties all accounted for. He owns two other luxury hotels in Chicago -- that’s his hometown. His major investments are in the tech industry, though. Uses the regular tactics to avoid higher taxes, but that’s run-of-the-mill when it comes to his type. He also was in Sintra with his wife all last month; she’s taking part in an experimental trial for some health issues. He just got back in town yesterday.”

A disappointed grunt sounds over the line, followed by the unmistakable rustle of a chip bag being opened. The noise reminds him that it’s been several hours since his last meal. Nestling the phone between his ear and shoulder, Ethan pushes to his feet and wanders into the kitchen.

“Damn. Well, can’t rule out a hired hand situation. The man did have a double kidney transplant last year.”

“How do you know that?” he asks, curious.

There’s a crunch, then a pause before her muffled reply comes: “His assistant posted a photo to their Pictagram page of some flowers and a get well soon message.”

“Oh.”

“So, I can’t picture him pulling an Eliot Ness and dropping someone off a roof.”

“That isn’t actually how Frank Nitti died--”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she interrupts. “It’s still a great movie, despite the inaccuracies.”

“And here I would’ve figured you would be a stickler for getting the facts correct.”

“Then you must have missed our newest slogan: ‘Ratings first, facts second.’”

The flippant response, combined with the industry-standard delivery, catches him off-guard. The breathy chuckle escapes him before he can attempt to reign it in.

“Jokes aside,” Sloane continues, “I couldn’t find any dirt on Bloom either. Other than some antitrust charges back in 1978 and some shady investments when the 2008 recession hit, he’s relatively clean for, you know, a billionaire. Either his hush money is real good, or he’s legit.”

Ethan opens his fridge and scours the shelves, as if a meal will magically appear before his eyes. His last case kept him in Philadelphia for three weeks, so he hasn’t had a chance to restock. The wilted lettuce, pack of deli meat, and extensive collection of oat milk creamers (for Baz and his coffee addiction) refuse to merge into anything edible. Thumbing open the nearest takeout menu, he props a hip against the counter and sighs.

“Any luck garnering more interviews?” he asks.

“Perry is going to be tougher than I thought. He sprang for a lawyer -- Shonda Turner.”

He voices his frustration for that, echoed by her on the other end. “Tell me about it. All my calls are rerouted to some answering machine in the courthouse basement and if I have to read another automatic email response from her assistant I’ll scream. Oh, speaking of emails -- I got one from a J. Horner asking to meet tomorrow. They’re a former Edenbrook employee, but I couldn’t find that name listed on any of the payroll statements.”

“And how would you have access to those?”

“From my BF.”

“Oh.” Then, after an awkward period of silence, he realizes he needs to say more. “Does he work there?”

“What?” she asks, and Ethan can picture her nose wrinkling in confusion. “Oh, no. BF stands for Big Fish.”

At his answering silence, she elaborates. “I’ve been emailing back and forth with a former employee -- they used to be a manager there. I haven’t had any luck with them agreeing to talk. Yet. But I’ve just got to wait them out until they’re ready.”

“Just how long have you been working on this… story of yours?”

“About four months now. That interview with Farrugia was a major victory -- especially since my last piece on him wasn’t exactly a glowing review.” That dry chuckle of hers sounds again. “But it worked out that he’d gotten a new aide between then and now, and Farrugia’s memory is -- er, was -- shit.”

“So, you need to reel in your Big Fish,” he surmises.

“Exactly.”

The conversation having come to a close, he realizes that he needs to hang up and resume his plans for the evening. Plans that consist of him ordering takeout and staring at reports for three more hours. It strikes him, then, that he doesn’t really want the conversation to end. She may laugh at her own jokes and make too many outdated references, but he finds her… interesting. A little too headstrong, maybe, which makes him wary -- but he can’t deny it’s refreshing to work with someone else who’s still on the clock at eight p.m.

Before he can think of something to say, though, there’s the distinct sound of a doorbell. Sloane mumbles something into the receiver and then he can hear her, muffled now, thanking someone, followed by the tell-tale crinkling of a paper bag. It’s enough of a cue for him to end the call when she comes back on.

It’s probably just his imagination that she sounds disappointed.

“Keep me in the loop on the Horner person.”

“Will do. Well, night then, Agent Ramsey.”

The emphasis she puts on his title isn’t lost on him. He decides to ignore it, more for the sake of teasing her than anything else.

“Goodnight, Sloane.”

Wednesday, January 14, 2:36 p.m.

Juggling two drink trays, keys, and an accordion folder that’s seen better days, Sloane jogs across the floor and over to the elevator bank. Where a crowd of well-dressed, stiff-lipped people block the doors, all waiting their turn to be taken up to the fifteenth floor to be charmed by Roger Calais, the EVP of marketing.

“Fuck,” she mutters.

She curses some more as she climbs the six flights of stairs to reach the newsroom. Darting through the maze of desks and rolling chairs, she makes it to her cubicle in time before the cramp in her arm costs her forty-three dollars in iced coffee. The chorus of praise from her coworkers is cut short by her announcement.

“The advertising execs are here.”

“What?” Bryce gapes.

“That’s so not fair!” Sienna, a global affairs reporter, hisses from around her straw. “We just had some through last week.”

“I don’t wanna play zoo,” Elijah whines from his desk.

“They were being herded up to Calais’s office a few minutes ago. That should buy us some time. And,” Sloane pauses to take a gulp of her coffee, “maybe they’ll bypass us and go straight to the studio. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

“Maybe we will.”

Sloane twists to glance down at Jackie, their counterterrorism correspondent, and frowns at the lustful look in her eyes. Straw still in her mouth, she turns to spot what grabbed Jackie’s attention. Standing at the steps that lead down into the bullpen, Ramsey sweeps across the throng of journalists. When that gaze of his catches hers, she blames the little shiver on the crappy central heating.

“How’d you get up here?” she asks as he approaches, sans visitor pass.

“Maybe I’m a fan,” he parrots in that standard-issue dry tone of his. She catches the corner of his mouth lift briefly into a smile. “I do have a badge, you know.”

“I’ve yet to see it.”

Ramsey lifts an eyebrow at that, but says nothing.

“Who’s your new friend, Slo?” Elijah calls down from his end with a smirk.

“We’re working together. For a story.”

Sloane hopes that her short tone and steely glare will prevent any further questions. Having grown used to ignoring such signs, Sienna pushes aside the report she was editing and clasps her hands together below her chin.

“Ooh, what’s it about?” she asks.

“Is it classified?” Jackie demands to know.

Bryce snorts and shakes his head. “You should know better than to ask that.”

“I’m not CIA.”

Before Ramsey can frown his way back out of the building, Sloane grips his arm and guides him out of earshot.

“Seriously though, what are you doing here? You didn’t drive all the way from Chelsea, did you?”

“I did when you didn’t answer your phone.”

Digging into her pocket, she retrieves her phone and taps the screen to life. Her notification bar shows three missed calls and four missed texts -- three from Baz and one from Ramsey. A quick glance at the side tells her that the ringer was left on silent from her meeting.

“Shit. Sorry.” With an exaggerated motion, she flips it back on to vibrate. “Bring me up to speed, then. What’s so important?”

“That former employee you were going to meet yesterday, the bellhop -- Garrison? He’s dead.”

The anticipation thrumming through her grinds to a halt. Her shoulders slump down at his words.

“Oh. Yeah, I know.”

“You know?” he repeats, his brows lifting in surprise.

“I have a friend who’s an EMT. He was first on scene and saw my card on the fridge. He said the ME was probably going to rule it a suicide, what with the gunshot wound to the head.” Biting at her lip, Sloane shakes her head. “But the emails I have from Garrison don’t add up to that. He wanted to be free of whatever info he had, so he could move on with his life. He even agreed to testify if it ever became a court case.”

She thought it seemingly impossible, but somehow Ramsey’s frown deepens.

“People often make promises they don’t intend to keep.”

There’s a story -- several, in fact -- behind his words. The journalist in her demands she scratch that itch, but she shoves it aside. That’s for another time. Or another day when the marketing team isn’t going to show them off like artifacts in a museum. “Besides, he’s not the only bad news I came down to report. Mitch Keller, a server who worked at the hotel’s restaurant, was also found dead this morning.”

“Same cause of death?” she asks.

“No. The ME suspects alcohol poisoning. Which is odd, given that Keller had an alcohol intolerance, and never drank more than a single gin and tonic when going out, according to his friends. That’s three deaths within one week that all have ties to the Edenbrook. Baz may believe in the power of coincidences, but that’s too many in too short of time. I’m headed to Keller’s apartment now to check it out.”

Out in the hallway, the roaming crowd of suits are closing in. Ramsey turns to assess what’s caught her attention. The jackass has the nerve to smirk at her as he starts for the exit. “Good luck with that.”

Desperate to get out of buttering-up the top brass of televised marketing -- and annoyed at being left behind -- Sloane streaks back over to her desk. Her friends are all busy packing up, trying to make their own escape. Ignoring their teasing remarks, she grabs her things and chases after Ramsey. Sprinting out of the newsroom, she sputters out an apology when she whacks one of the visitors with the door.

“In a rush to meet a deadline?” Calais calls from his position at the front of the pack.

She has enough wherewithal to laugh at the lame joke, as do most of the suits. This close, she can read the text stamped along their blue-and-white lanyards. Not advertising executives, then. Suspicion and intrigue form a knot in her gut when she spots Declan Nash among the bored faces. It’s really not fair that she’s chasing down one lead and another literally waltzes into her building. Ramsey is gone when she scans the hallway, though, which means she needs to get her ass in gear.

“We won’t keep you from informing the masses,” Nash says with a sneer. He flaps a hand at her in dismissal.

Sloane flashes him a half-assed smile before turning and booking it down the corridor. Ramsey’s already in the elevator when she turns the corner. The doors whine when he slaps his hand out and prevents them from closing.

“Well?” he prompts with a sigh.

As she approaches, she spots a familiar gleam in his eye.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. And, seriously, no photographs this time.”

Wednesday, January 14, 2:46 p.m.

That bitch.

He straightens his tie as Calais chatters on. Through the glass, people start to turn in their chairs to see what all the fuss is about. The aggravation is plain to see in the set of their jaws, in the browsers and word processors that minimize.

“I brought you all down here so you can see the real beauty of journalism at work. There’s a reason we’re the most trusted name in news, and it’s because of these people right here. It would be wonderful to bring you all inside, to meet the powerhouse behind our coverage.”

Calais is all bravado as he gestures to the pissed-off employees stuck inside their little glass box.

He resists the urge to roll his eyes. “Well, other than Miss McTavish, since she had other places to be.”

Another chuckle rolls through the group. He can’t bring himself to join in this time because fuck that was her, wasn’t it? The ugly beanie she had on and the coffee in her hand that nearly ruined his suit had distracted him. The dossier he has on her only contained a copy of her ID badge, small and pixelated.

Still, her leaving wasn’t all for naught. It makes it that much easier to grab the little book from her desk as they pass it.

Wednesday, January 14, 3:34 p.m.

“You told them I was a rookie agent in training? Really?”

From downstairs comes the tell-tale sound of a camera shutter. After giving them both a set of protective gear, the crime scene techs entertained Ramsey’s fumbling attempt to explain her appearance and waved them through.

Flashing a roguish grin at her over his shoulder, he shrugs.

“Well, I couldn’t introduce you as a colossal pain in my ass, now could I?”

“It would make a hell of a lot more sense, given that we’re five-hundred miles from Quantico.”

The teasing dwindles when they reach the only open bedroom. Piles of textbooks are stacked on the nightstand, a spray of rainbow post-it notes peeking out of the pages. A medical journal lays open on the bed; lines from an article on vaping-induced lung injuries are colored a bright yellow from a highlighter. Fast food cups cover every flat surface, their matching bags crumpled into balls of salt and grease on the bedside floor. Scrubs and button-downs litter the carpet and bed and desk chair. Sneakers and non-skid oxfords are piled near the door, where a lanyard hangs from the doorknob. Keller smiles up at them from the laminated badge, his dimples on prominent display.

“He’s an intern at Mass Kenmore, too.” Sloane gestures towards the badge. “Two jobs would keep him busy. Certainly explains the mess.”

“Three jobs,” Ramsey corrects, plucking a ziplock bag from the mini fridge with a gloved hand. “Unless you consider selling bump to barneys a hobby.”

“How do you know it’s not his personal supply?”

“Because there’s a moleskine beside it with payment amounts that says otherwise.” He hands the journal to her, which she flips through to the most recent entries. It’s all initials and grams and payments; just some basic bookkeeping for a side hustle. “Maybe someone got upset with him. Could be they wanted more than he could supply, or he was charging over the retail price for the area.”

“Are you seriously suggesting that some college kids did this?” Sloane doesn’t bother hiding the skepticism in her voice.

“Why not?”

“Because college kids don’t kill you by making you drink yourself to death.”

“There’s a slew of cheaply-produced television episodes that would disagree.”

“How many of those included a victim who actively avoided getting drunk?”

Ramsey hums in consideration as he continues to rifle through Keller’s desk. Standing over six feet tall and dressed in plastic coveralls and booties, he should look comical. Somehow, he retains his strange air of appeal. Behind the gruff persona he wears, he’s determined and honest and curious -- especially with the way his eyes cut over to her when he thinks she’s not looking. She’s not exactly sure what he’s looking for every time, but she finds that she doesn’t mind.

The crusted stain of a half-digested combo meal on the floor between them keeps her focused on the task at hand, though.

“But, honestly, why do you think it’s some Harvard kid? Why not his supplier?” she questions.

“I’m not sure. If you’re having problems with one of your dealers, you probably have the means to handle him in a way that’s less… messy. But we won’t know his blood alcohol level until we get the toxicology report back. And because he’s not a United States senator,” he cuts a long-suffering gaze over to her and then away again, “that will take some time. There’s something I’m missing, though. If there’s no foul-play involved, then why would he drink himself to death? A guy with his condition doesn’t accidentally consume this much alcohol. Baz checked into his job. There’s been no history of complaints or disciplinary actions taken against him. He was high in the rankings for some internship competition.”

“He’s also working a second job as a server, probably to offload those loans faster. Not to mention the other side business. Means he was probably pretty stressed, overworked,” she adds. “But drinking yourself to death is a punishing way to go. Women usually go for overdoses, men go for firearms. Except in big cities...”

“Where they jump,” he finishes for her.

Despite all she saw during her time abroad, the image of Farrugia’s body atop that car is a difficult one to shake away.

Ramsey moves over to the closet and sweeps a hand across the top shelf. Retrieving a shoe box, he flips it open -- only to make a disappointed noise at the concert tickets and trinkets from a graduation trip to Belize. Sloane takes a step back and goes over the room once more. According to the police, all of Keller’s roommates were out partying the night before, and didn’t come home until late this morning to find him. No signs of forced entry, no signs of a robbery. They didn’t even take the drugs he was hiding in his sock drawer. Aside from a few empty bottles of Seagrams, there’s nothing much else to go on.

“Wait.”

Ramsey looks up from the group photo to see her scrutinizing the ring of vomit. “Do you smell that?” she asks.

“It’s hard not to,” he says with a grimace.

“No, I mean-- I know it’s been a while since your college days, but -- does it smell like a fifth of vodka in here to you?”

He drags in a deep breath. Other than the unpleasant scent clogging the room, there’s only the smell of dust burn-off from the furnace.

“No, it doesn’t.”

On a hunch, Sloane ducks into the bathroom across the hall and lifts the toilet seat cover. The water in the bowl is blue. But underneath the chemical perfume of dollar store cleaner is the even more potent smell of liquor.

“He could’ve made it to the toilet and cleaned up after himself,” Ramsey points out from where he’s standing in the doorway.

Taking a page from his book, Sloane scoffs.

“In a drunken stupor? With a room that looks like it was hit by a tornado? I don’t think so. I don’t think he ever made it out of that room.”

He squats down to open the cabinet under the sink and hums with interest. It’s probably mean of her to enjoy the way his breath hitches as she crowds close to have a peek. Amongst the general debris of multiple young adults, there isn’t a bottle of cleaner to be found. A quick glance into the trash can shows the same. Ramsey rises to his feet.

“I’ll make sure the techs do a sweep in here. But I agree with you. One bottle of vodka would have done the trick, too. So, why so many bottles, then? And why dump them out?”

“The killer probably didn’t know about his intolerance,” she figures. “But how did they force him to drink anything at all? Why did he not try to get help?”

From the tiny window next to the sink, they watch the ME load Keller’s body into the van outside. Ramsey exhales with a frustrated sigh.

“I’m not sure. But we’ll find out.”

Taglist:

@togetherwearerapture @maurine07 @lsvdw-blog @writinghereandthere @openheartfanfics

Author's notes and what-have-yous:

The movie that Ethan and Sloane talk about at the beginning is The Untouchables. Also standard disclaimer that, similar to other crime procedurals, timelines on evidence and forensics will be hastened for the sake of the story.

#ethan ramsey x mc #ethan x mc #open heart #open heart fanfiction #Kaila writes things #f: in plain sight

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ao3feed-sambucky · 2 years

Text

Braided Like Rivers

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/35735344

by ElisabethMonroe

While conducting research for his Cultural Anthropology (focus Southern America, focus folklore and monsters) work in the swamps of his childhood hometown, Sam Wilson stumbles on an impossible truth. The monster he'd been warned about his whole life had now saved him and banned him from returning to the swamps.

But Sam Wilson's affinity for the swamp won't let him stay away for long, nor will the curiosity he has for the creature that saved his life with a magic Sam doesn't recognize. When the magic growing in his blood and the swamp that's lived in his heart all his life call to him, Sam dives head first into the waters of monsters, magic, and mayhem. He isn't sure how he's ever going to find his way back to the surface.

A DC Comics/Swamp Thing AU.

Words: 5396, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (TV), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Sam Wilson (Marvel), James "Bucky" Barnes, Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s)

Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson

Additional Tags: DC Comics References, Alternate Universe - DC Comics, marvel/dc crossover - Freeform, Marvel Characters in DC Universe, Alternate Universe - DC Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Swamp Thing - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Swamp Thing, swamp monster - Freeform, Monsters, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Louisiana, Delacroix - Freeform, Houma, Folklore, Folk Monsters, Southern Folklore

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/35735344

#Bucky #Captain America #Winter Soldier #Sam Wilson #James Barnes #Falcon #SamBucky #BuckySam #IFTTT

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aerielz · 3 years

Text

come and untangle me one of these days

- a dream. a mistake. company, to make it better.

This is for and because of everyone in the original Flower Shop!AU post notes, specially @claudiasjeancregg and @stars-on-the-cuffs-of-her-jeans. You guys went waaaay too fast and I’m still trying to put Donna in here let alone everyone else, but I do hope everyone enjoys this! Title from Come and Find Me, by Josh Ritter. I feel like everything I’ll ever write for this AU will be somehow based off this song, tbh.

fandom: the west wing pairings: JD, CJ/Toby wc: 2453 rating: gen tag: flowershop au

He wakes up at the crack of dawn, stirred by some weird dream he can’t quite remember — some bittersweet memory. The coffee he takes washes away the sweetness and he’s left with only the bitter of it, stuck to the back of his throat.

He leaves the house, then. The streets are still somewhat deserted, but, much like his hometown, DC never really sleeps. Toby walks the five minutes from his house to the shop, and watches as the sun comes up behind the Capitol dome.

Walking into the storefront proves itself a bigger hazard than his own mood, though, as he is almost run over by a flurry of blonde as soon as he steps through the threshold— “Wow.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry!,” Donna is already there, crossing quickly towards a table under the wall-to-wall window with a spray bottle in hand and talking into a phone she holds with her shoulder. “Oh— no, no, don’t worry, that was just Mr. Ziegler. Yes, of course. Yeah. Yeah, I’ll let him know, don’t— tomorrow? That should be hard, how about Saturday? Okay. Okay, thank you so much, Dr. Bartlett.”

“Donna,” he says when she hangs up.

“Shouldn’t we receive a shipment of sunflowers this weekend?” She sprays a mist over an arrangement of daisies.

It's too early for this. Too early for and her energy and her incessant talking, but somehow Toby can never be mad at Donna. Even when she sends congratulatory arrangements to funerals by accident. Even when she turns around still spraying, causing him to find himself inside a cloud.

“Donna—”

“We’ll sure need them, Dr. Bartlett just called saying that Liz will be home for the weekend.”

"How many times I have to tell you to never call me Mr. Ziegler?"

"Should I call you Mr. Grumpy, then?"

"It's Mr. nothing, Donna."

"Oh, c'mon. Don’t be so harsh on yourself,” she jokes. But her quip lacks the bite and the sparkle, and Toby finally notices it — she was here before sunup, too.

He barely has time to register the conversation and that last fact when the bell above the door rings behind him. His heart skips a beat.

Donna looks up to check and her eyes widen, just a little bit. Just enough.

“Oh, God, no, not him,” he mutters to himself.

“Can anyone tell me what magnolias are supposed to stand for?”

Toby sighs, closing his eyes.

“This is a flower shop,” he says, turning around, “can’t say much about trees.”

Josh Lyman, arrogant extraordinaire, flashes a smirk, shrugging apologetically. "Maybe you should start thinking about expanding."

He swagger his way further into the shop, stopping just beside him.

“I—,” she says, putting a strand of hair behind her ear, “Well, actually flowers from magnolias are very common in bridal bouquets. They’re these beautiful, delicate, things, they’re supposed to be all about purity and nobility.”

This is why he keeps her here, Toby thinks. For every fact about flowers that he doesn’t know, Donna knows five he’s pretty sure no one but her knows about. But she looks down to the floor, and Toby thinks she sounds sad, somehow.

“Well, that..." Josh’s smirk quickly turns into a grimace. "That makes sense."

“The more you know,” he says, clapping his hands against his legs. "Well, you got your answer, then."

"Yeah, maybe... maybe we should focus on some other flower," Josh says.

Toby is more than ready to focus on showing Josh the door when—

The bell rings again.

Sam walks in, saying, "Oh. And here I was thinking I was gonna be the first."

Toby runs a hand over his face and takes a glance at his wristwatch. It’s barely seven. "Why are you all even up?"

"No reason," Josh answers. It's way too quick, but he's not about to question him.

"The magnolias, they..." Donna looks up directly at Josh, "Why you ask?"

"I— uh."

"Magnolias!," chimes in Sam, leaving his shoulder bag in a corner and sitting on top of the sales counter, right beside Donna, "Such pretty flowers! We're doing bridal bouquets, now? We should, the marriage stuff really is great business."

"Oh, God, no," Josh mutters.

"It really is!,” Sam continues, “There’s definitely money in the sector, and it’s not like it’s an unpleasant job. Donna here, for example, would love it. Anyone with a knack for romance would, really.”

“You work the afternoon shift,” Toby tells Sam, exasperated and already so, so, tired. “On weekends. What the hell are you doing here?”

“I have no idea, Josh was the one who called me.”

“And you came?”

"Absolutely," says Sam, almost triumphant. “I mean why not?”

“I can think of at least, I don’t know, twenty reasons.”

“Well, I like to help my friends when I can, Toby. For the same reasons I think we should really start doing weddings.”

“Unbelievable,” he cries out, “How did we even get to this point of the conversation, we are not doing weddings, what’s wrong with you?”

“I’m a romantic—”

“Yeah, that explains it.”

“—and you know what, I think you are one, too. I think most, if not all, of us here are. Or you're gonna tell me you wouldn't like the sight of the love of your life, surrounded by blooms and blossoms, walking her way towards you? Or, or— maybe doing that walk yourself, that would probably be quite an experience, right? C’mon, Donna, you look like someone who dreams about a big wedding, tell ‘em."

"I... really rather not."

"God, kill me. Right now," Josh mutters a bit too loud, "Just kill me."

Toby notices, strangely enough, that Donna seems to second that thought, but the impression barely has time to settle in because at that exact moment the door opens again. But instead of the light, almost quiet, chime of the bell, they hear a sharp shrill and a loud thud, from the door connecting violently with the wall.

"Joshua Lyman, I will have you hanged," a familiar voice booms.

"I didn’t mean literally," Josh whispers to no one.

"What the actual f— I mean, really, I am never leaving you in charge of the schedule again. Amy just called me asking for your head and I’m pretty sure Joey wants your nuts served on sterling silver — why the hell did you think it was a good idea to have everyone here at like six in the morning, Joshua?"

“Look—”

“Choose your next words carefully because in order for you to keep your internal organs on the inside of your body this will have to be really good.”

His answer ends up not coming in words at all, but in a pleading look — the wide eyes of a man who needs help.

The room awaits silently for Josh's defense, but Toby is looking at CJ, who, for some reason, seems to have a monopoly on his attention whenever she's in the room. And so he catches the moment when her gazes subtly travel to Donna's face. He follows just as carefully, to find her sniffling quietly, cleaning her eyes with the sleeves of her cardigan.

CJ swallows and tracks her eyes back to Josh. Something passes between the two, some understanding, that Toby is not privy to.

“Well." She sighs, rage completely gone. Everyone looks at her. "Since we’re here... maybe... we could all just have something nice to eat...? My treat.”

Josh is visibly relieved.

"I'll take you up on that," Sam says, "I haven't eaten a thing yet."

"You left home without eating?," Donna asks.

"I'm not used to waking up this early."

"Well, let's put some kind of food inside you then," CJ says.

"And coffee," he completes.

They all walk to the nearest café together, finding Bonnie on her bike on her way to work. She unmounts and joins them. Ginger arrives later, when they're all making a fuss over latte flavours, chipping in too. Seasonal spices are seasonal, that's why they're special!, cries out Donna. Nonsense, says Josh, what if I want pumpkin spice all year round, what's wrong with that?

Toby is equal parts impressed and not at all by Josh having an elaborate coffee order. He's hanging back behind the group, watching them have fun with nothing but their own friendship, when CJ finds him.

"What about you, Tobus, gonna drown yourself in cinnamon and allspice, too?," she asks.

He lets himself laugh, "I don't think I have it in me to drink something that complicated."

"A simple man, huh."

"You could say that," he tries and fails to hide a smile.

"I have just the thing."

She enters the line and comes back two minutes later, shoving a blueberry muffin into his hands.

"You didn't have to."

She's the one smiling, then. "I know."

CJ looks up ahead at the rest of their party and her gaze falls on Donna, going soft when she watches how openly the woman laughs while trying to argue some sense into Josh about something as innocuous as coffee.

“Why do I have the impression you know something about my own employee that I don’t...?," Toby asks, then takes a bite from his muffin. It's a bit too sweet for him, but it tastes good. It feels good, like replenishing something inside him.

“I... might.”

“CJ.”

“I’m not supposed to say anything.”

“Those flower arrangements, you like them a lot, right.”

“You don’t play fair.”

“It’s why I’ll never be a professional baseball player.”

“Could've had a chance with the Red Socks team of nineteen—”

“You don’t know anything about baseball, stop obfuscating.”

She sighs, sagging.

“She was supposed to be getting married today.”

Toby chokes on a piece of his muffin. CJ gives him a slap on the back.

“Married?”, he all but yells, between coughs.

“Keep your voice down!”

“What do you mean married?,” he whisper-yells, “You’re telling me she was supposed to marry that asshole?”

“We all make mistakes.”

“Voice of experience?”

“I’m a tattoo artist, Tobias, I have seen things.”

"Married," he repeats. "Married! She's, what, twenty-five? And she's supposed to be getting married to— to a guy who wanted her to throw her entire life away to—"

"I shouldn't have told you anything."

"—what, pay his bills?!"

He breathes in deeply and takes a big bite out of his muffin, knowing the sugar will help him cool down.

It must be quite a picture, his beard covered in crumbs while he munches angrily, because CJ looks at him like she’s about to burst into laughter.

“What?”

"I swear to god between you and Josh the girl’s got more protection than a mafia daughter.”

"Josh knows?," that explains a lot, he thinks. "You're not very good at keeping secrets are you."

"Listen pal, I am very good at it, I just... She needed help, okay?"

"And you think we’re the right people to help her?"

He's not being skeptical, he really isn't. But Donna’s far away from home, and she’s bound to be missing more substantial support. It is true that CJ has a way of making him feel better by just being there, though, and to be fair it is a general talent of hers. Regardless of his protests both her and Josh, they do this, somehow. They arrive, arguing over something tiny, and he forgets he’s worried about anything.

"Yeah, I mean," she shrugs, "isn’t that what friends are for?"

Toby looks up ahead at the people who came around the shop, and all the way here, too, just to keep each other company.

“I think it might work,” CJ concludes.

Between their party and the sugar in his system, he can’t remember what was it that upset him so much that morning.

They all sit on a big table outside the shop, still discussing seasonal lattes. Sam remembers some of his favorites, recalling one or two that never came back another year. Ginger and Bonnie share hot chocolate recipes, and Donna makes notes.

The sun settles itself in the sky and shines down warmly. The District starts moving faster, getting into the gears of the day.

Their regular opening hour approaches.

CJ rises from her place beside Toby and motions with her head for Josh to follow her.

“It's been nice to be robbed blind by a coffee shop chain for your benefit, but we better get to work.”

“Thanks for coming around,” Donna tells her, “I've been having a couple of rough days and…this helped.”

“You should come up to the shop, if it happens again,” CJ says. “Just to hang around. There's always someone there to keep you company.”

“Come today, even,” Josh completes, “I think Amy might not murder me if there’s witnesses.”

“Today's probably not gonna happen,” Donna answers, “We'll be doing some new arrangements, for a while, Dr. Bartlett called.”

“MD or PhD?”

“It’s a lot of work anyway, so does it really matter?”

Josh smiles, shaking his head, “I guess not.”

Is there someone he didn't call?, Toby thinks.

Josh and CJ bid the rest of the table goodbye and head in the direction of their shop. The conversation around them resumes, but Donna is chewing on her lips instead of jumping in to refute Sam's argumentation over croissants.

She steals a glance to watch their backs retreat on the sidewalk, but, before they can get too far, Donna bolts from her seat and stops Josh with a hand on his forearm.

“Josh.”

He stops and looks back. “Yeah?”

She hesitates. When she speaks, it is just loud enough for him to hear.

"Why did you ask about the magnolias?"

She notices she’s still holding him by his shirt and lets go of it, but Josh slides his hand into hers. "Someone came into the shop yesterday to get them done. They reminded me of you.”

He gives her hand a squeeze, that she returns. They share a smile.

“Maybe I could come around tomorrow?,” she says.

“Yeah,” he nods, “Yeah, I think I’d like that. See you tomorrow, then.”

A few steps behind Josh, CJ is watching them, too.

She finds Toby's gaze, when Josh releases Donna's hand to join her. And gives him a wink.

He laughs at the ridiculousness of it, at how warm it makes him feel. But something in the gesture between him makes him believe that there are better days ahead. For all of them.

He turns back to the table around him and when Donna sits down he finally gives in— “You’re all delusional, black forest is just chocolate and cherry, it tastes the same anywhere.”

—starting another round of protests that leads to laughter and lively conversation that lasts the rest of the day.

#the west wing #took a break from writing this week because life has been a little bit too intense #but this had been on my drafts since aleena made the post #and it was only a couple hundred words short of finished so I thought why not #and now I...#erm. I low key wanna turn this into a script lmao #Ik this is ao3-length stuff but this entire au belongs to Tumblr it just FEEL like tumblr u feel me #can you tell this is me trying to process my own (thankfully) dwindling depression in amore positive and optimistic way #tww fic mine #tww flowershop au #aleena has a tag #Bianca has a tag

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