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#hi barbara! welcome back! it's been a minute!
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Barbara Tfank Resort 2023 Ready-to-Wear
Photos by Kylie Shaffer / Courtesy of Barbara Tfank
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angelrari · 4 months
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gossip girl · pt. x
based on the tv series gossip girl
max verstappen / charles leclerc x socialité!reader
fc: elsa hosk (y/n) · taylor hill (léa) · barbara palvin (jolie)
a/n: hi! thank you for the feedback and all of the support. here's a new part for you, i hope you enojoy it! 🤍
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gossip girl here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of monaco's elite.
yourusername
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liked by maxverstappen1, charles_leclerc and 112.643 others
yourusername off to vegas 🛫🎲
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username the queen of hearts
pierregasly am i missing something?👀
yourusername yeah padel skills
pierregasly 🥱🥱🥱
username @/pierregasly are you trying to do @/gossipgirl's job?
username i'm convinced he is @/gossipgirl
username max and her travelling together again IT IS OFFICIAL
username the day we get a picture of them together the world will stop
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for the past weeks max had been keeping in contact with you. the different timezones were not easy to deal with, but max would wait until late to call you, killing time until you woke up on the other side of the world and, when he finally heard your voice, he would listen as you complained about work, how jolie (once again) was stealing your clothes or the hard time you were having trying to find an apartment in monaco to rent. he would also tell you everything about his day, the city he was staying in and the gossip going around the paddock. and for the first time you missed him.
after the brasil gp, max had traveled all the way back to monaco to be with you for a couple of days and then travel to las vegas together. three months ago you would have never imagined this. you spent all the free time you had with max, but somehow you still craved more. and, you knew, he did too.
now you were on your way to vegas, resting your head on max's shoulder as he looked out the jet window and his hand carefully caressed your hair. his heartbeat sounds, that you were now getting used to hearing, were soothing you.
"are you coming to the opening ceremony?".
"of course". you said. "and afterwards i have to attend to the welcome party, but you're skipping it, right?".
"yeah, but i'll drive you there". he said. you looked at him and his blue eyes quickly starred into yours.
"you know you don't have to, right?".
"i know, but i want to".
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yourusername posted a story
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the sound of steve aoki's set was louder as you came closer to the track, were the show was being held. max, who was ready (at least physically) for his apperance at las vegas grand prix opening ceremony, was holding your hand tightly as he followed some of his team members.
a remix of all of me by john legend started playing and you could not stop yourself from singing the lyrics. max could not stop smiling as he watched you enjoy the show. he loved the way how his red bull jacket looked you, how your eyes shined so brightly that put the neon lights of las vegas to shame and how the world stopped every time you smiled. and then he realized how he would not mind to go through all this shitshow once again if you were by his side.
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yourusername
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yourusername devils roll the dice
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username the way max and charles are always in her likes
username god i've seen what you've done for others
username mother quoting mother
gossipgirl red looks good on you
joliedebelle oh please shut up for once
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1:17 am. the cold weather sneaked inside your clothes making your body react at the freezing sensation. the welcome party had gone well, you had met the people your father asked you to, took a few pictures to post on social media and finished way earlier than you thought. but now you were standing outside the venue, cursing under your breath because, after fifteen minutes of waiting, you just could not find a damn uber.
"need a ride?". you heard from behind you and your heart skipped a beat. quickly you turned around and let out a huff when you saw charles, who had a grin on his face after seeing your reaction.
"fuck". you swore. "you scared me you idiot, i thought you were a creep".
"that's not what you should say to the prince charming who's gonna rescue you". he said and you rolled your eyes at his words. "but i guess i'll make an exception and ignore all the curse words you have just said".
"it's the least you could do after i had to deal with you for four years". you teased him.
"don't push it or i'll leave you here".
"oh, you know you can't". you said as he unlocked the doors of the black ferrari in front of you.
"get in, baby".
charles was never a reckless driver, at least not when you were inside the car next to him. on every stop light, he would check on you, resting his left hand on the gear shift instead of your leg like he used to do years ago.
"god, i am so tired i'm literally gonna pass out before we get to the hotel".
"is the jet lag kicking you? you arrived yesterday right?".
"yeah, plus i couldn't sleep well last night". you explained as you rubbed your eyes. "you didn't go back to monaco after brasil, did you?".
"no, i've been staying in la. i was invited to a lakers match, well, actually, léa was invited too, but anyway-, i decided to stay there and met a few friends that i can't see very often".
"that sounds nice". you said as you looked at him. "have you heard from her?".
"léa? no. i think she has given up on me". he replied as he starred at the road ahead.
"why would you say that?".
"it's difficult to explain, but i don't think i am in love with her". he stated. "i have dated a few girls after we broke up, you already know that, but the thing is i have been struggling to find someone who makes me feel something. i thought that with léa everything would be different, but it wasn't. at the begging it felt like a love story, we knew each other since ages ago, we met after years, had a connection. and, fuck, i know i shouldn't say this, but when you came back was when i realized i just didn't care about léa, at least not the way i do about you".
"charles-".
"and i know it's wrong, i'm very aware, but it's the truth and i'm done pretending". he stopped the car at the red light and looked at you. "it's hard to know that the person i've searched for all these years is you, it's hard to ignore the way i feel whenever you are around and it's hard to watch you fall in love with somebody else".
"i-".
"i know you said you two weren't a thing, but i saw you in the paddock tonight, you were singing while you held his hand and max could not look away from you. and i hated every second of it because now i know it is way too late".
"i am sorry". you said. "i didn't know you felt this way".
"i am sorry too". and that was the moment you knew that, no matter how much time had passed, your heart still had a spot for your first love.
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cupofsapphics · 8 months
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The Coffee Shop
[ melissa schemmenti x reader ]
warning(s): none
summary: a new coffee shop opened near abbott and something, or rather someone, keeps a redhead coming back
a/n: feeding you guys one fic a year is so generous, right? right?? also forgive me you guys, it's been a while since i wrote... so mel might be a bit ooc
word count: 1.7k
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Mondays were always a pain for the staff at Abbott. Work to catch up on, plan lessons, and more. Just like every other morning, Janine walked into the room with a bright smile. “Guys, did you hear about the new coffee shop that opened down the road?” 
Barbara gave her a glance and shook her head. “I’m satisfied with my regular coffee.”
Ava suddenly bursts through the door. “Girl, no wonder you always be lookin’ so miserable. That new place serves one hell of a coffee, y'all should try.” She grins as she puts countless spoons of sugar into her coffee.
Barbara and Melissa shared a skeptical look before getting up to go set up their classrooms for the incoming kids. Undeterred, Janine turned to Jacob “I’m thinking of checking it out tomorrow, do you wanna come?” 
“I’d be happy to, I’ve been planning to go over there anyway.” Jacob gushes. 
The next morning, the two pulled the door open to the shop and were taken aback by the sight before them. Compared to the frigid air outside, the cafe felt welcoming. The walls were plain white, but many paintings adorned them. Strings of warm lights hung from the ceiling, inviting passersby to sit and relax. You just opened the cafe a mere 15 minutes ago and the ring of your doorbell caught your attention as you were cleaning the counter.
“Hi! Welcome to my cafe, what can I get you?” You beamed as you leaned on the counter with both of your arms. Business has been slow ever since you started the shop, so it was nice to see people come in.
“Just a cappuccino, please,” the woman says excitedly and moves to sit down at one of the tables. You nodded and turned to her friend to find him staring at cookies, donuts, croissants, and muffins through the glass. You clear your throat and his attention redirects back to you as he orders quickly to join his friend at the table. You quickly get to work and start preparing.
You approach them, with the two drinks and snack in hand. Putting them on the table, you ask, “Are you guys from the school across from here? I don’t get a lot of customers, so it would make sense if you guys work nearby.” They take a sip as they listen to your inquiries and their eyes widen as they drink more. 
“Yeah, we’re from Abbott, the school just across from here. I’m sorry, but I just got to say, this coffee is absolutely amazing,” Janine rapidly finishes as she drinks more. You hear a muffle from her companion, which you could make out was along the lines of, “I know right.” You let out a light chuckle. The woman sticks her hand out and says, “By the way, my name’s Janine, and my friend over there is Jacob.” At the mention of his name, Jacob pauses from eating to give you a small wave. 
“Nice to meet you guys, I’m Y/N.”
Janine and Jacob talked to you for a few more minutes before they had to go back to prepare for their classes. They promised to come here as often as they could for their coffee. Over the course of a few weeks, you became good friends with both of them and often joined them for meetups outside of work.
--
You got a call from Janine about a week ago about having some drinks and snacks out for the staff at Abbott to enjoy. She asked if you could provide them and bring them over. “I’m sorry if this is kind of last minute,” she says nervously. “It’s okay, Janine. I’ll bring them over next Monday,” you replied reassuringly.
Monday came quickly and before you knew it, you found yourself in front of Abbott Elementary with armfuls of coffee and food. Scrambling to the counter, you ask the person in the front for a pass (Janine said you needed one) and made your way towards the staff room. There were already a good amount of teachers chatting amongst themselves. Janine made her way up to you as she took the boxes off your hands and set them on one of the tables. “Everyone, this is Y/N. She owns the coffee shop across from the school and was kind enough to bring us some coffee and food to get through the morning!” Janine rambles eagerly. 
Everyone’s eyes were on you as you gave a small wave and started to hand out some coffee. You let your eyes drift to a redhead with glasses focused on grading some papers. Noticing no coffee next to her, you made your way toward the table and gently put down a cup next to her. The sound made Melissa look up, preparing to give a cold response. However, she was surprised to find a sweet and unfamiliar face. 
Not expecting her eyes to look so mesmerizing, you practically stutter out, “Hi, I noticed you didn’t have any coffee cup next to you, so I just wanted to give you one.” Melissa blinked for few times, not used to kind gestures from strangers, let alone pretty ones. She didn’t reply until Barbara elbowed her side and she jolted back into reality. “Thanks for the coffee, sweetheart,” she murmured. You could feel your face turning beet red at the nickname as you nod slowly and make your way back to the table where Janine sat. 
Melissa smirked at your reaction, watching you turn and walk toward Janine’s table. In the corner of her eye, she saw her friend shaking her head. “Melissa Schemmenti, you sure are something,” Barbara states as she returned to her morning crossword. The redhead shrugged. She already had her coffee for the morning, but she wouldn’t mind another one if it came from you. 
Taking a sip of her new coffee, Melissa paused, licked her lips, and turned to Barbara. “Oh my god, this coffee is unbelievable.” Her friend raised an eyebrow as she took another sip. Melissa thought that it was about time she paid a visit to the coffee shop across the street. 
--
It was a busy morning for you. Your alarm didn’t go off and when you got to the cafe, you found the sink in the back having some issues. You were scrambling to fix the pipes somehow when you hear the doorbell ring. Panicking, you quickly made sure there would be no leaks and stood up, moving to wash your hands. “Hi, welcome to the cafe! Give me one second and I’ll be right with you,” you said promptly. You came out to the front but slowed down when you recognized who it was waiting to order. There she was in all her glory with her leather jacket and fiery hair. Realizing you’re still at work, you snap out of it. “What can I get you?” You lean on the counter waiting for her order.
Approaching the table, you handed the captivating woman her coffee and felt the redhead’s hand brush against yours. Your face was painted with a light blush, causing the woman to grin. “What’s your name, hon?” God, this woman was going to kill you. 
“The name’s Y/N. Nice to finally know the name of the gorgeous lady I saw the other day,” you replied. You weren’t sure where this confidence came from, but those questions disappeared when you witnessed her eyes widen at the unexpected answer. The moment was quick though, for she recovered and quipped back, “Well, nice to meet you Y/N. The name’s Melissa. What’s a pretty girl like you doing working in a coffee shop?”
From then on, Melissa came every morning before her classes started. It didn’t matter the circumstances: rain, hail, shine, snow, she would still be there every single morning chatting away with you. She said that it was because the coffee there was just unmatched by any she’s had anywhere else. You’d like to believe that if it weren’t for the fact that you two exchanged flirtatious remarks every single day. 
--
Another dreaded Monday came for everyone and it became a regular sight to see Melissa walking into the staff room with a coffee from the shop across the street. The redhead sat down in her usual place next to Barbara who glanced at the coffee but said nothing. Everyone was wondering the same thing, but no one wanted to say it. Janine, brave as ever, decided to break the silence. “So… you must really like the coffee from the shop that Y/N runs right?” Melissa looks at Janine and then proceeds to look at the coffee cup. A soft smile appears on her face as her thoughts drift to you and all the moments the two of you shared over the past month or two. “Hello, earth to Melissa!” Janine says with a confused expression. 
Melissa looks back up at Janine. “Yea, she makes the best coffee I’ve had in a while,” she says hastily as she goes back to her grading. Jacob turns away from Melissa to mutter to Janine and Gregory. “The coffee’s not the only thing that Melissa keeps going back for..” Gregory snorted as Janine tried her best not to laugh. 
Melissa heard what Jacob said and she thought about it for the entire day. Sure, the coffee was amazing, but it definitely wasn’t the real motivation for coming to the cafe every single day. Melissa finally came to the realization that Jacob was right. The next morning, the redhead practically barged through the door and walked towards you. The sudden impact of the door startled you as you see Melissa coming towards you with an unreadable expression. You couldn’t help but feel nervous as she rounds the counter and kisses you. To say you were caught off guard would be an understatement, but not wanting to give the wrong impression, you kissed her back. After what seemed like forever, both of you pulled away and a comfortable silence filled the room. 
“Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?” Melissa let out a light chuckle before deciding to respond. “What do you say to dinner at my place tonight, hon?” The smile you offer her gives Melissa the answer she’s looking for.
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dccomicsimagines · 1 year
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Love in the Air - Dick Grayson x Reader
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Requested by Anon -  Hi there! Do you think you could please do a dick Grayson x f!reader where it’s the first time someone has ever given her Valentine’s Day gifts and he goes all out and asks her to be his valentine? Thank you!
Author’s Note - This is very late and took off into something else...sorry.
***
“Wait a minute, you’ve never celebrated Valentine’s Day?!” Steph shouted from across the living room. Dick sat up straighter. He glanced over from his spot at the chessboard. Tim was soundly beating him, so Dick welcomed any distraction. It was just a perk that it was about you.
“It wasn’t a big deal where I grew up,” you said, taking a sip from your mug. You and Barbara were sitting on the couch while Steph and Cass sat on the floor. Bruce invited everyone over for a family dinner. Dick had been surprised to see you, but he expected Barbara had invited you. “I don’t really see the appeal anyway.”
Steph’s jaw hung open. “Your turn, Dick,” Tim said, smirking slightly. Dick sighed, focusing back on the game only to move a pawn to another dead end. Tim’s smirk got wider at the sight. 
“Just end me swiftly,” Dick chuckled, turning to focus back on you.
“Funny that you haven’t celebrated. Didn’t you date Wally West in high school? He didn’t do anything for Valentine’s Day?” Barbara laughed, leaning back in her chair.
Dick blushed. He remembered the jealousy at seeing you with Wally. One of his best kept secrets was how he was happy when you two broke up. 
“No, he’s fast, but slow brained.” You shook your head. “He always forgot, but I didn’t really care. Besides, he always remembered my birthday. Still does actually.” You laughed. “He brings me flowers.”
Dick frowned, the jealousy crawled up inside him again. Tim nudged Dick’s arm. “Checkmate.”
“You’re too smart for me, Timmy.” Dick sighed, smiling when Tim flinched at the praise. 
Tim blushed, waving his hand. “You’re distracted.” He looked at you then back at Dick. Now it was Dick’s turn to blush.
“Quiet down.” Dick swallowed hard before looking back at you. Luckily, the girls were too into their conversation to notice.
“I’m going to get more tea. Anyone want refills?” You offered, getting to your feet. 
Dick got to his feet. “Me.” He smiled, handing you his cup. You smiled back at him before leaving the room. 
Steph scoffed. “Okay, I got what you wanted.” She stretched her arms.
Dick raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t have to be so direct.” He quickly looked back at the door. “Lower your voice.”
“In all fairness, you stand a chance. (Y/N) has told me in confidence that she thinks you’re hot,” Barbara said, laughing when Dick’s jaw dropped.
“Not so loud.” Dick ran a hand through his hair. His heart fluttered. You thought he was hot? A smirk pulled at his lips. “Did she really say that?”
Barbara nodded. Cass stood up and helped Tim clean up the chessboard. “What about Wally West? Are you worried about him?” Cass asked softly, studying Dick carefully. “You are jealous of him.”
Dick pursed his lips. “I’m not worried.” He chuckled half heartedly, looking at the door again. “They broke up years ago. They’re just friends.” Dick tensed at Cass’ unconvinced look. “Don’t look at me like that. They’re not a thing.”
Cass hummed before starting another game with Tim. Dick sighed. You came back in. “Here you go,” you said, handing Dick his cup. 
Dick grinned. “Thank you.” He saw a charm bracelet on your wrist. “When did you get that?”
“Oh.” You turned your wrist to let him get a better look. “I’ve had this since I was little. My parents gave me charms for every milestone. I buy myself one from time to time too.” You shrugged. “I don’t wear it unless I know I’m not going to have to be (Y/S/N).”
Dick touched a charm of a vial. “What’s this one from?”
“Oh Wally gave me that.” You laughed. “After taking me to my first science fair.”
Dick’s heart dropped to his feet. “Aww.” He back away, sipping his tea. “That’s cool.”
You tilted your head before moving to sit back down with Barbara. Barbara got you into conversation, distracting you helpfully. Dick swallowed hard. Steph stood up, casually walking over to Dick.
“Just talk to Wally to ease your doubts. I noticed she has a lot of room on that bracelet and never celebrated a Valentine’s Day,” she whispered softly, bumping him with her hip. “Just go for it. Otherwise, why did you pay me to get you info?”
Dick snorted. He sipped his tea, listening in on your conversation while watching Cass destroy Tim at chess. “Who says I was going to pay you?” He laughed when Steph gasped, slapping his arm before going on a rant about his trickery.
***
Dick relaxed in his living room. He checked his phone, frowning at the time. “Wow, a minute late...a new record,” he said to himself. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the apartment. 
“I’m not late. Your phone is fast.” Wally appeared next to Dick with a case of beer and three bags of fast food. “Honestly, I got caught up with a hit and run I found on the way here.” He flopped onto the couch with a groan.
“I have four pizzas in the oven, man. You didn’t have to bring food.” Dick laughed as Wally dug into the food. He paused long enough to hand Dick a beer.
“Hey, this is my appetizer.” Wally grinned with his mouth full.
Dick shook his head, rolling his eyes. He opened his beer and took a long sip. It was cheap beer, then again Wally couldn’t afford much with his appetite. Dick reminded himself to slip some money into Wally’s bank account again. Another “tax refund”.
“So how is everything?” Dick smiled, waiting for Wally to take a breath.
“Good. Busy as usual. You?” Wally slowed down, munching on a fry. “How’s the dating scene?”
Dick swallowed past the lump that formed in his throat. “Well, I kinda wanted to talk to you about that.”
Wally’s eyes widened, dropping his fry. “Dude, I love you, but not that way.” He blushed as red as his hair.
“What?” Dick choked. He almost dropped his beer. “No! I’m not asking you out, Walls. You forget I have seen you eat.”
Wally scoffed. “Rude. I’m a catch.” He looked down at his fallen fry before reaching down to pick it up and eat it. 
Dick wrinkled his nose, guffawing. “Right, a catch. You nerd.” He shoved at Wally’s arm. Wally chuckled himself. “I can’t believe you were able to date (Y/N) for two years.”
“In high school.” Wally took out another burger. “I don’t think that counts as an achievement.”
“She talks about you a lot.” Dick ran a hand over his face. Part of him was losing his nerve. Could he survive being the reason you and Wally got back together? His chest wanted to burst at the thought.
Wally stopped, mouth open with burger halfway in. He looked at Dick carefully before setting his burger down. “Are you acting on your crush on (Y/N) finally? Dude, it’s been years.”
Dick’s heart skipped a beat. “What?! You knew?!”
“Dick, I’m your best friend.” Wally rolled his eyes, leaning back with his hands behind his head. “Come on. I knew you liked (Y/N) from the start, but I liked her too.” Wally pursed his lips. “But after we broke up, I thought you would make your move, but I guess you were too into Kori at the time.”
Dick bit his lip, looking out the window at the skyline. It was quiet for mid afternoon. “I guess I was.”
“Well, go for it. (Y/N) always thought you were hot even during the disco years.” Wally snorted, clapping a hand on Dick’s shoulder. “And that means something, I don’t even think Kori was a fan of that suit.”
“Shut up.” Dick let a smile tug at his lips. “She mentioned how you still give her flowers on her birthday?”
Wally picked up his burger. “And I always sing you happy birthday on yours. I do stuff for my friends on their birthdays as most people do.” He took a big bite. Dick picked up his beer, sipping at it as he thought. He remembered you checking him out, but he never thought much of it at the time. 
“And you really didn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day with her?” Dick asked after a long moment. A cloudy plan slowly formed in his mind.
Wally blushed, finishing his burger and licking his fingers. “Oh yeah, I didn’t. Kept forgetting. I was sixteen and dumb.”
“Still dumb.” Dick laughed when Wally pushed him gently. Wally pouted, but Dick’s plan was suddenly becoming clearer. 
***
You yawned as you woke to the sound of your phone ringing. “I knew I should have turned that off,” you mumbled, reaching over to grab it. You hit the answer button blindly, keeping your eyes closed. “Hello?” You yawned again.
“(Y/N)? Sorry, is this a bad time?” Dick’s voice sounded shaky and...nervous. You opened your eyes, frowning up at your bedroom ceiling. 
“No, it’s okay.” You swallowed hard. “What’s wrong?”
Dick choked. “No, nothing is wrong,” he said quickly. In your mind’s eye, you could see him running his hand through his hair. Signature Dick Grayson move. You almost laughed, sitting up and rubbing your eyes. “Sorry, I realize I don’t normally call you without it being an emergency.” 
A real laugh bubbled out of you. “It’s okay, Dick. What’s up?” You looked around your room, noting your vigilante suit was still on the floor. It was dirty. You wrinkled your nose.
“So I...” He cleared his throat. “Bruce got an invitation to try out this new restaurant that opened by Wayne Tower. He doesn’t want to go, but gave it to me and I have a plus one...” 
You smiled. “A plus one huh?”
Dick paused. “Yeah, so you want to go? Tonight?” 
“I’m game. What time?” You bit your lip. It was strange for Dick to ask you to dinner. The two of you never hung out alone before.
“Six. I’ll pick you up at your place.” Dick’s tone brightened. You heard a bang followed by an ouch. “Stupid ceiling.”
You laughed. “Six o’clock. I’ll see you then.” Hanging up the phone, you shook your head and threw back your covers to start your day.
***
Dick adjusted the collar of his blue button-down shirt in the mirror before turning around. “What do you think? Sexy, but causal?” 
“It looks nice,” Tim said. Tim was seated on Dick’s bed, flipping through Dick’s old yearbook while Dick attempted to find something to wear. Dick knew this wasn’t Tim’s thing, but appreciated that he was trying. Tim frowned suddenly. “Wait, do you know what (Y/N) is going to wear? You don’t want to clash.”
“I think I’ll be fine, Timmy.” Dick chuckled, turning back to the mirror. 
“Did you order flowers?” Tim asked, going back to the yearbook in his lap. 
“Yes, I got her favorites.” Dick turned to go into his closet to search for his dress shoes. He tossed clothes and shoes over his shoulder, making his room a disaster. 
Tim hummed, grunting when a shirt landed on top of his head. “So you’re nervous?”
“Why would you say that?” Dick found his dress shoes and sat on the floor to put them on. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but there was a few butterflies in his stomach. Maybe you didn’t like him that way anymore? It could be too weird for you. After all, you dated Wally. Maybe it would be strange for you?
“Well, you don’t normally throw your clothes around the room or take this long to get dressed or invite me over to check your outfit?” Tim chuckled, yanking the shirt off his head and tossing it on the floor with the rest. “Besides, you should have asked Steph over, she’s better at this sort of thing.”
“Yeah.” Dick snorted, struggling with a knot in his laces. “Steph won’t let me have any peace until I pay her money for her services.”
“I warned you.” Tim pursed his lips, setting the yearbook aside. “If you buy her waffles at some point, she’ll forgive you. Just make sure they are good ones.”
Dick nodded. Tim held up his hand for the shoe. Dick tossed it over. “Thanks Timmy.”
Tim worked at the knot. “What did you do to this thing?” He muttered under his breath. 
Dick chuckled, getting up with only one shoe on. “I don’t know. Last time I wore these was...probably when I went undercover at that wedding.”
“That makes sense.” Tim rolled his eyes as he pulled the right lace and undid the knot. He tossed the shoe back to Dick. “You should be leaving soon. There might be traffic.”
“I will.” Dick hopped on one foot to put on his shoe. He grinned, flicking his head to get his hair out of his eyes. “Am I good? Anything else?”
Tim studied him, pursing his lips. “I think you’re good. Don’t forget the flowers...you still have to pick them up.” 
“I know.” Dick grabbed his wallet and keys. “Thanks Tim. Help yourself to anything. I’ll be back late.”
“If at all,” Tim mumbled so softly that Dick missed it. Dick swallowed hard, goosebumps from anticipation and nervousness appeared on his skin. He shivered, pushing away his nerves as he flew out the door.
***
You whined, stretching your arm at an awkward angle to try to zip up your dress. It was a beautiful, yet sexy one, but the only problem with it was the zipper. You always needed help with it. 
Sighing, you gave up after your arm ached. You put on your charm bracelet. “Oh well. Dick can get it for me.” You stood in front of your mirror, checking yourself. “Good enough.” It crossed your mind earlier that day as you replayed the conversation with Dick that this might be a date. The realization made you spit out your morning coffee. 
Of course, the first thing you did was call Wally.
“Hiya, (Y/N). Isn’t this early for you?” Wally answered, chuckling. You heard wind in the background, knowing he was probably patrolling Keystone. 
“I think Dick asked me out.” You ripped off the band-aid, wincing when you heard Wally trip and stumble on his end. 
He swore softly. “He did? Wow, that was quick. And on Valentine’s Day too.”
“So it is a date?!” You dropped your coffee cup. It shattered, spilling hot coffee all over your feet. “Damn it.” You stared at your feet, feeling the burns as you couldn’t move due to the glass.
A gust of wind ruffled your hair. “Oh dear.” Wally picked you up, zooming you to the bathroom and putting your feet in the bathtub. He turned on the cold water. You hissed, but stayed where you were, trying not to feel too dizzy from suddenly appearing in the bathroom. 
“Thanks Walls.” You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. Wally sped out of the room only to come back with a fresh cup of coffee. He handed it to you. You smiled, taking a sip.
“I cleaned up your kitchen too.” Wally sat on the edge of the bathtub. “So...you okay knowing it’s a date?” His eyes were wide, waiting. It reminded you of when he first asked you out. He stared at you until you answered. It was the awkwardness minute of your life and the reason you told him no at first.
You took a big sip of coffee. “I mean...sure...but it wouldn’t be weird? For you?” You studied him, waiting for the sign that he was uncomfortable. However, Wally just grinned.
“Nah, I mean.” He ran a hand through his hair. A move he got from Dick. “We both liked you back in the day, but I got to you first. The only thing I beat him at actually.”
You snorted. “Really?” You blinked, thinking back to those days. 
Everyone flirted with each other. Teenage exploration and all that. Dick did always seem to watch you and you always made him blush. 
“Go for it. See what happens. Dick and you deserve a chance.” Wally kissed your cheek. “Of course, I will have always got you first. Make sure he knows that.”
You punched his arm hard. Wally whined, flinching. “I’m not a piece of meat, West.”
“Nope, you’re not. You’re just the most amazing person in the world and Dick better be good to you or I’ll come after him.” Wally grinned. 
You pulled him into a side hug and kissed his cheek. “Thanks Walls.” Wally blushed. 
A loud knock from your front door brought you to the here and now. You shook your head, smiling at the thought of Wally’s approval. Taking a deep breath, you made your way to the door and opened it.
Dick flicked his head, getting his hair out of his eyes. A big grin grew on his face at the sight of you. You couldn’t help, but smile back at him, taken back by his sparkling blue eyes. Did they always sparkle like that?
“Hi.” You said after a long moment. Shaking your head, you stepped aside to let him in. It was then you noticed the flowers in his hands. “Are those for me?” 
“Yeah.” He handed them to you. His hands shook slightly. You took comfort in the fact he seemed as jittery as you. 
“Thank you. I’ll put them in water.” You went into your kitchen. 
Dick followed you. He cleared his throat. “Do you need me to zip you up?” 
You turned to look at him, almost laughing at the blush on his cheeks. “If you could, thanks. As much as I’m sure the world wants to see my bare back...” You turned back around.
Dick’s fingers tickled your skin as he grabbed the zipper and gently pulled it up. Your skin buzzed at the touch. You threw him a smile over your shoulder and went to grab a vase from the cabinet. Dick stayed where he was, almost transfixed in place. 
You filled the vase with water and careful arranged the flowers inside, glad to have something to do with your hands. “Should we get going?” You glanced back at Dick only to find him watching you with an intensity that sent sparks straight to your abdomen. 
Dick jumped. “Yeah.” He cleared his throat before painting a charming smile on his face. “You ready?”
You nodded, stepping into your shoes and grabbing your purse. “Ready.” He offered his arm. You took it happily.
***
Dick pulled up to the restaurant. You played with the strap of your purse. The radio played softly, narrowly avoiding awkward silence. You blinked when you saw the red hearts decorating the front window of the restaurant. “Oh, is today Valentine’s Day?” you asked as Dick parked the car. You barely remembered Wally saying it was today.
“It is? Guess I didn’t notice?” He chuckled too quickly. You eyed him, knowing he definitely knew it was Valentine’s Day. 
Humming lowly, you started to get out of the car. “Wait,” Dick said, jumping out his side and running over to open your door for you. “My lady.” He bowed slightly and offered his hand. A cheeky smile on his face.
“Nerd.” You laughed, taking his hand and getting out. “But thank you.”
“Wow, first time I’ve been called a nerd.” Dick squeezed your fingers gently. He guided your hand to his arm. “At least by you anyway.”
You let your hand stay on his arm as he led you to the front of the restaurant. “Right, I used to call you killjoy.”
“Hey, I grew up.” Dick chuckled, holding restaurant door open for you.
“You did. Somewhat.” You smirked, his jaw dropped in fake surprise. The restaurant was busy, but had a calming atmosphere. 
“Do you have a reservation?” The hostess asked, smiling at your interaction.
Dick cleared his throat. “Yeah, under Grayson.” You raised an eyebrow at him. Dick narrowed his eyes at you. “Dick Grayson.”
“Oh yes, Mr. Grayson. Right this way.” The hostess led the way through the restaurant to a private booth in the back. “Your server will be with you shortly.” She set down the menus and left you and Dick alone. 
Dick gestured for you to sit first. You slid into the booth, making yourself comfortable. A small smirk pulled at your lips as Dick hesitated. He glanced between you and the other side. Finally, he chose to sit across from you. 
“So...this place is nice,” you said, looking around the restaurant. When you looked past the somewhat tacky Valentine’s Day décor, it was beautiful. You sighed, turning back to Dick to find him watching you with a somewhat dumb expression. “You okay, Dickie?”
“Fine.” He cleared his throat, running a hand over his face. “You’re just...really pretty, (Y/N).”
Your face burned. A giggle slipped out of you. “You don’t look bad yourself.” You winked at him. “So, can I ask why you decided to ask me out now?”
Dick opened his mouth, but the server appeared. You ordered your drink and when Dick failed to speak, you ordered one for him too. The server walked off.
“Thanks.” Dick whispered, clearing his throat. “I haven’t been this speechless since I was a teenager.”
You laughed. “Yeah, I think I remember you being this speechless when you first saw me in a bikini.”
Dick’s face was almost as red as the hearts that decorated the restaurant. “You noticed that, huh?”
You nodded, smiling big. “Yeah, I did. To be fair, Wally was pretty speechless too.” You froze when you saw Dick’s face fall slightly. “Sorry, I shouldn’t mention him.”
“It’s okay. He’s still our friend. Part of your history.” Dick bit his lip. “You know, I wanted to ask you out that day, but Wally beat me to it.”
Your jaw dropped. “Really?” You reached over to take his hand. “I didn’t know.” Now it made sense why Dick left in a hurry after Wally finished the most awkward ‘asking out on a date’ you had ever experienced.
Dick squeezed your fingers. “Although, when I think about it, I’m glad that I didn’t.” He looked up at you. You gasped, taken back by his beautiful blue eyes. “Because I got to ask you out now and we’re both older. We aren’t kids anymore.”
“That’s for sure.” You laughed as the server came back with the drinks. Dick chuckled with you. Both of you ordered your food quickly and the server left you alone. 
Dick sipped at his drink. His hand still in yours. “So...”
You blinked at him before giggling. “So...”
He laughed. “I guess I don’t really know what to say now.”
You hummed, letting go of his hand to take a sip of your own drink. “How about we play a game?” You smirked when Dick raised an eyebrow. “Like what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?”
Dick rubbed his chin. “Orange swirl.” You tilted your head at him. “It was one of the flavors we had back at the Circus. Mom and Dad would let me have one after a successful show. Funny enough, it was the one flavor that didn’t sell as well, so we could get it for free most of the time.” He licked his lips. “Best I’ve ever had.”
You cradled your chin in your hand. “Wow.” You smiled softly. “You know what mine is, of course.”
“I do.” He smiled back at you. “Now do I ask you a question? I assume that’s what we’re doing, right?”
You wiggled your eyebrows. “Ask away.”
Dick sat back in the booth. The two of you slowly learned more about each other as you waited for your food.
***
“You’re joking.” Dick almost spit out his food. He grabbed his napkin and covered his mouth just in case. “They didn’t.”
“They did.” You giggled, taking a sip of your drink. “Roy and Donna are a thing. Walked in on them myself.” You shivered. “A sight I never wanted to see.”
Dick snorted, putting his napkin down. “Roy’s ass isn’t a pretty sight. I had to share a locker room with him.” He smiled when you looked away. His heart fluttered. He had to pinch himself to make sure he was really here with you.
The food was good. The restaurant had a nice atmosphere, soft music in the background, not too loud, but not too soft either. Dick knew he’d have to leave the place a nice review.
“I never asked you about your work. How is the police station?” You looked back at Dick. Dick’s heart skipped a beat.
“Oh, it’s okay. Lots of corruption. I’m making some headway, but it’s going to take a while.” He let his eyes drop to your chest before forcing them back to your eyes. You didn’t seem to notice. “I found some allies though. What about you? How’s the retail business?”
You rolled your eyes. “Dick, I’m an art dealer. I wouldn’t call that retail, but sure, it’s good. Sold a painting by a newcomer for four million to a well-known mobster.” Dick’s eyes widened in concern. You waved your hand. “It’s taken care of.” You winked. Dick sighed in relief. 
“Good.” Dick went back to his food. “Do you enjoy being an art dealer?”
“It has it’s good days and bad days, but I like it. Being around artwork is a joy for me.” You took the last bite from your plate. “Thank you for bringing me here. This might become my new favorite restaurant.”
A smile pulled at Dick’s lips. “I’ll remember to take you here more often then.”
You grinned back. “You better.” Slowly, you slid out of the booth. “I’ll be right back.”
Dick nodded, watching you head over toward the restrooms. He reached down to pull his phone out of his pocket. There were several encouraging text messages from Tim, Steph, Cass, and Barbara. Even Bruce sent a good luck text. Dick smiled, sending them all a thumbs up. 
He scrolled through to find one message from Wally. ‘I have it on good authority that your date is going well.’
Dick frowned. He looked around the restaurant, but didn't see anyone he knew. ‘Who’s authority?’ 
‘The most important one.' Dick swallowed hard, confused yet delighted at the same time. He looked back up suddenly enough to give himself whiplash. You returned from the restroom. 
“What happened? A crisis or is everyone checking in on you to make sure I haven’t sunk my teeth into you yet?” you teased, taking your seat and sipping your drink again.
Several naughty images played through Dick’s mind. He let out a slow breath, trying to calm himself down. “No, more like cheering me on.”
You looked slightly surprised. “Really? Wow.” You giggled softly, looking around the restaurant for a moment. Dick admired how lovely you looked. The lighting in the restaurant highlighted you just right. “So, did you want to get out of here? There’s something I wanted to show you.”
Dick nodded. “Yeah, sure.” He waved for the server, wondering what you wanted to show him.
***
You threw a smile back at Dick. Dick smiled back, despite the dark hallway you were leading him down. “Where are we going?”
“My workshop.” You unlocked the door at the end and pushed it open. Dick followed, stepping inside just as you flicked on the light. He gasped at the sight.
The room itself was bare bones, but artwork was all over the place. Some on the walls, others leaning against other canvases on the floor. A few were covered up with sheets. In the center of the room was a desk and two chairs along with a cheery fuzzy rug. 
“So this is where you work? I knew it was around this part of town, but wow.” Dick crossed his arms, studying a piece on the wall. It looked like it was an abstract Batman.
You hummed, walking to the other side of the room. “This is what I wanted to show you.” You picked up one of the covered canvases and walked over to an easel. Propping it up, you turned to look at him. “You can keep this one if you like it.” You pulled off the sheet.
At first, it didn’t register with Dick. Just colors and shapes. However, he tilted his head and it clicked. “It’s a trapeze. Wait a minute, that’s...that’s our colors. My parents’ colors.”
You nodded, leaning gently into Dick’s side. Your hand rubbed his back, grounding him to the here and now. “There’s a new artist, he’s a retired hockey player who went into painting. Anyway, he must have seen one of your parents’ shows and painted this one in their honor.”
Dick could see the painting come to life. He knew the routine by heart. His father’s confident laugh filled his ears. His mother’s giggles followed. “How did he remember it so well?”
“I guess he’s like Tim. The one performance stuck in his head.” You leaned forward to study Dick. Dick swallowed hard, meeting your eye. You smiled. “It took me a while to find it. I had to give up two Damien Hirst paintings to get the guy to sell it to me.”
“Did you get this for me?” Dick looked back at the painting. He blinked back the tears threatening to fall. It saddened him, yet filled him with pride at the same time. His parents would be happy to know that people still loved their performances to this day.
You rested your head against his shoulder. Dick reached for your hand, squeezing it tightly. “I did,” you whispered. “I was going to save it for your birthday, but...well, then you asked me out on Valentine’s Day.”
“Thank you.” His shoulder felt wet. He peeked to find you with tears on your cheeks. A laugh slipped out of him. “I feel so dumb. All I got you was a charm for your bracelet.”
“You did?!” You quickly wiped your face with your free hand. Dick dug into his pocket, pulling out a small wrapped jewelry box. 
He handed it to you, giving you a quick kiss on the cheek. “You know if I gave this to you at the restaurant, everyone would have thought I was proposing.”
You snorted. “I wouldn’t put it past you.” You opened the box, smiling at the beautiful delicate heart charm inside. 
Dick chuckled. “Right. I would propose on the first date just to see what the others would say.” He shook his head, taking the charm out and carefully putting it on your bracelet. “Bruce would have a heart attack. Tim would spit out his coffee. Steph just might drop dead.”
You raised an eyebrow. “Well, in that case, I give you permission to tell them I said yes.” You shook your bracelet, holding it up to the light. The charm shined. 
Dick grinned, looking back at the painting. “I still can’t believe this. It’s almost from my memory. I used to stand on the platform, watching the show from above, waiting for my chance to join.” He sighed as he felt you take his hand again. “Thank you so much.”
“Thank you for the charm. My first Valentine’s Day.” You squeezed his hand gently. “I’ll get this framed for you before you take it.”
Dick looked back at you. You met his eye after a moment. Slowly, you sat down on the rug, pulling Dick to sit down beside you. You kissed the corner of his mouth. “Wow,” Dick hummed, smirking at the kiss. You turned back to the painting, a hint of a blush on your cheeks. Dick chuckled. He leaned back on his hands and studied the painting along with you.
After a long while, Dick’s butt started to hurt. He fidgeted. You giggled and looked over at him. “You want to get out of here?”
“Yeah, let’s do something fun.” Dick grinned. You got to your feet and held out your hand. Dick took it, eager to follow you anywhere.
***
“Are you sure about this?” Dick asked, watching you walk your way past the line to get into the club.
“You said you wanted to get out for some fun and this is fun. For you anyway.” You glanced back at him with a wink. Dick swallowed hard when you stopped to talk to the bouncer. It looked like you knew the bouncer and soon you were gesturing for Dick to follow you in.
The club was decked out in red and white decorations. Music was loud with a good beat. Dance floor wild and crazy. Dick reached out to take your hand as you led him through the madness to the bar.
“Yo, Mickey. You got your specials still?” you asked, catching one of the bartenders as he walked by. Dick admitted he was a bit shocked that you seemed comfortable in this scene. Maybe there was a lot he didn’t know about you? He wondered if Wally knew you were into the club scene.
“For you, babe. Anything.” Mickey winked, turning to fix up two drinks. Dick watched in slight awe.
“I didn’t know you like clubs,” Dick shouted in your ear, squeezing your hand. 
You smiled. “Not all. Just this one.” You slipped Mickey a twenty once he laid the tropical-looking drinks before you. You picked up yours, nodding for Dick to do the same and started to lead him back through the crowd.
Dick’s curiosity grew as you led him through the stage door and down a flight of stairs. “Please tell me this isn’t a sex dungeon or something?” Dick blushed. “Not that I’d mind, but I don’t think that’s a first date thing.”
You laughed, sipping your drink as you rolled your eyes at him. “Settle down, Dickie. I’m not going to take your innocence.” You pushed open the door.
Dick lost his breath as you reveal a huge, colorfully lit room with a trapeze set in the center. “How?” He looked at the setup. It was professionally done. You two were the only ones in the room.
“I’m honestly surprised you didn’t know about this. This used to be a strip club and they had a trapeze act, but when the new owners made things more all-ages friendly, they left this space open for rent.” You smirked, eyeing Dick from over your drink. Your fingers wiggled in his hand. “But I’m glad I could surprise you with this.” You gestured to his drink. “Take a sip.”
Dick sipped it. His eyes widened at the orange, vanilla taste. “Wow, it’s almost like orange swirl.”
You smiled. “Glad you like it. Mickey always makes the best.”
Dick took another sip. “You know I thought I was going to spoil you, not the other way around.” He pulled away from you to check out the trapeze set. 
You hummed, following him. “Well, who says you’re not spoiling me? You’re driving me around the city, paid for dinner, got me a pretty charm, and now you’re going to take me flying.” Dick’s head snapped to look at you. “Aren’t you?” You pouted.
“Anything for you, princess.” Dick grinned, setting his drink down on the table. He walked over to test the ropes. Feeling your gaze on him, Dick’s chest swelled with pride. 
***
You took a seat and watched him prep the trapeze. It was a nice sight. You licked your lips, admiring the view as Dick bent down to pick up a fallen cord.
Of course, you would never admit how many strings you pulled to set this up for him. Honestly, you were amazed how fast things moved with one call from the bathroom at the restaurant. 
You checked your phone. There was a text from Wally. ‘Having fun? I heard about the favor you called in.’
‘From Barbara, I’m sure. You snoop.’ You smiled and watched Dick again. He was hanging off one of the ropes, testing it’s durability. ‘It’s going well.’
‘Good. I’m happy for you both.’  You tilted your head, hoping Wally was as okay with this as he acted earlier. He and Dick always had a bit of a rivalry. 
“You ready?” Dick’s voice brought you away from your phone. 
“Of course.” You kicked off your shoes, leaving your phone on the table along with your drink. Dick’s shoes and shirt were off. You let your eyes linger before going back to his face.
A smirk played on Dick’s lips. “Like what you see?”
You kissed his cheek. “What do you think?” He chuckled, blushing. Stepping back, he let you climb the ladder first before following. You knew he probably looked up your dress, but you found you didn’t mind.
At the top, your blood raced. Dick wrapped his arm around your waist once he joined you. “It’s like swinging through the city,” Dick said, taking the flyer bar out of it’s holder. 
“Just more muscle and coordination. No grapple gun to correct the mistakes.” You nodded, holding onto Dick tight. A lump formed in your throat. Truth be told, you mostly drove on your motorcycle when you went on patrol.
He chuckled. “You want to swing together first? Just to the other platform. I know it’s a little scary for the first time.”
“I’ll say.” You snorted. Dick tightened his arm around you. You, in turn, held him like your life depended on it. 
Dick laughed, lifting you slightly and jumping off the platform. A little scream escaped you as you were suddenly flying. Your stomach dropped to your feet. You looked down before going back to Dick’s face. His confident grin brought your stomach back to where it was supposed to be.
All too soon, you and Dick landed on the opposite platform. “That was...awesome!” You giggled, letting go of Dick to hop in place. 
Dick watched you, beaming. “See? It’s not too different from swinging in the city.”
“It’s better.” You took the bar from him. “Let’s go again.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Dick took hold of the bar. His hand brushed against yours as his arm wrapped back around your waist. “Ready?”
“Always.” You grinned at him before you both jumped off together. 
***
Over the next hour, you grew more reassured with the trapeze. Dick walked you through more complicated moves. There were a lot of falls onto the safety net below, but it only added to the fun. 
“I think I understand more about the painting now,” you said as you flipped up to sit on your flyer bar. Dick flipped up on his bar too, sitting to face you. “It’s magical.” You leaned back, pumping your legs to swing gently. 
Dick chuckled. “I’ve never experienced anything else like it. My parents were so lucky to do this for a living.” You looked up at him to see a sad smile on his face. “Of course, what I do for a living is far better for society.”
“Stopping crime and corruption. Your parents would be proud.” You swore there was a sparkle of tears in Dick’s eyes. Swinging closer to him, you nudged his foot with your own. 
Dick smirked, catching your leg with his to keep you close to him. He looked into your eyes. You sighed at his pretty blues, heart melting into a puddle of goo. “You know, I never asked you the big question.”
“Oh, so you were going to ask me to marry you?” You leaned forward to touch your nose to his. 
He chuckled, pulling away enough to press a butterfly kiss to your forehead. “No.” His eyes sparkled with youthful excitement. You felt like a teenager all over again. “(Y/N) (Y/L/N), will you be my valentine?”
Your heart pounded. Goosebumps grew on your skin. You leaned forward until your lips were centimeters to his. “Yes, Dick Grayson. I’ll be your valentine.” Dick gasped as you pressed your lips against his. 
You never believed the stories about fireworks and seeing stars when you kissed someone. Kissing Wally was nice, hot at times. Other kisses you shared with others never had that earth shattering moment that the media always described.
However, your heart stopped. Your lips tingled from the pressure. All you could feel was him. His hands in your hair, lips molding to yours. Everything faded away.
You leaned forward to get more of him only to suddenly find yourself free falling. “(Y/N)!” Dick shouted. You screamed, hitting the net below. Soon, Dick landed on the net, bouncing you. He crawled over to your side. “Are you okay?”
Looking up at him, you found yourself hysterically giggling. Dick’s brow furrowed in concern. You waved at him, trying to speak, but the laughter wouldn’t stop. 
“I didn’t think kissing me would be so funny,” Dick mumbled, blushing. He looked away. 
“No.” You hiccupped, reaching up to touch his cheek. “I loved it.” You cupped his face and pulled him back to you. He moaned before melting into you. This time, you saw stars. 
***
Dick sighed, pulling the warm body curled beside him closer. He opened his eyes to take in the sight of you. You were still fast asleep, hair a mess against your pillow. He kissed your cheek, looking around the room. 
Your bedroom was very much yours. Dick could see the little touches, learning more about you just from your décor choices alone. Plus your bed was surprisingly comfortable.
He chuckled. Contentment filled him as he snuggled back to you. It felt right, being here with you. Last night was perfect. He kissed your cheek again, smiling when you smiled back at him in your sleep. 
***
*Bonus*
Dick took his seat at the table. He nodded to Bruce before filling his plate from the spread on the table. It was the batfamily’s monthly brunch. Everyone had fallen quiet when Dick entered the room. 
“So...you and (Y/N)?” Bruce asked, sipping his coffee. 
Dick smirked. He looked around the room at his siblings. All with smug expressions. He wished he could record this. You would get a kick out of it. 
“She said yes.” Dick took a bite of bacon. The food went dead silent. Bruce’s eyes almost popped out of his head. Tim and Steph had dropped jaws. Barbara shook her head in disbelief. Cass frowned, studying Dick carefully.
“Master Dick, it isn’t polite to tease.” Alfred clicked his tongue, pouring juice in Dick’s glass.
“I’m not teasing. She said yes to being my valentine.” Dick laughed when the entire room breathed a sigh. “What did you guys think?”
Bruce rolled his eyes, relaxing. “Dick, that was mean,” Steph groaned, throwing her hands up in the air. “I was so excited to plan a wedding, then Tim could help with the divorce two weeks later.”
“Good for you, Dick.” Barbara elbowed his side hard. “And you’re lucky (Y/N) tells me everything.”
“And that (Y/N) lowered her standards even more than they already were,” Tim mumbled, grinning when Dick glared at him. 
Dick shook his head, taking another bite of bacon as he checked his phone. He had a text from you, asking if he wanted to meet up for dinner and patrol. His heart fluttered as he quickly texted yes back. 
304 notes · View notes
dcextremefan · 2 months
Text
The Writer - Gotham Knigths Jason Todd x reader - Part 1
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Warning: I'm writting the reader as a female character because it's been a LONG time I don't write self insert, but you guys can consider the reader as gender neutral too. And there is some Arkham references haha :3 Hope you enjoy it :)
(Y/N) - Your Name
(L/N) - Last Name
Living in Gotham City is a mix of a lot of things, it can be fun, but also can be dangerous. Night crimes, gangs and thiefs, but thank God that in Gotham City there are still heroes who are willing to protect us from any danger.
I was sitting down while drinking my coffee at Pauli's Diner (Arkham Knight reference hehehe), writting something on my notebook until the waitress came serving more coffee.
"Thank you, miss Jones" you smiled at the blondie lady
"you're welcome, and please just call me Sharon, sweetie. You come here ever since you were a college student" Sharon served coffee
"times really pass so fast and I'm almost finishing my novel"
"That's why you need more coffee, and by the way, havin' a boyfriend or girlfriend?" Sharon asked with a smirk
"aah Sharon. You know that I feel awkward with these kind of relationships ever since I graduated"
"I know I know, darling. If you need something just call me. Oh, and tell your parents that I said 'hi' too"
The waitress left the table, you just needed some more minutes to finish writting, your novel it's a romance between an important angel with a human who is an apprentice of the most dangerous sorcerer on earth (yeah, it's a reference of my Mortal Kombat OCs account), and they have a chemistry between them even tho their romance is forbidden.
The angel is a hero while the human is seen as a villain by the whole society, you were about to finish your novel until some thugs entered into the diner.
"Everybody! Get down" said one thug
You quickly turned off your notebook and hide in your backpack, everyone including you got down on the ground. The big guy who was holding the gun was searching something, or better, someone. He was kicking the tables until he found you.
"found ya. You know why we are here!" said the tall thug
"I-I don't what you're talking about" you answered while stuttering
"liar. There were rumors about you, you just need to give what we want"
One of the thugs who is a female, spotted your backpack and took off your notebook
"this seems to be so important to you" the female thief said
You tried to grab your notebook back, but tall guy pulled you by your hair
"Let her go" the Red Hood has arrived, "You guys have enough courage to taunt an innocent writter"
"Get him!" the female ordered
The thugs started to fight against the Red Hood, none of them were so as skilled as the vigillante, he dodges all their punches and he used his double guns to shoot at them. He impeds the woman and he got her uncoscious. The Red Hood grabs your notebook and give back to you.
"Thank you, Red Hood" you grab your closed notebook
"you know why they were threating you?" Red Hood asked in a serious tone
"I- I have no idea, I was just minding my own business here writting my novel until these thugs came in"
"you're safe now, be careful when you're writting on your computer outside your home"
"I'll listen to your advice, thanks again, Red Hood"
And with that, the Red Hood flies away with his grappling gun, you grabbed your notebook, put it inside in yout backpack, paid Sharon for the coffee and then left the diner.
At the morning, Jason Todd, the Red Hood that saved (Y/N) last night, was helping Barbara with the breakfast.
"hmm so you saved a writter yesterday" Barbara broke the silence
"what?" Jason lifted his head towards the girl
"c'mon Jason, you saved (Y/N) (L/N) last night, a writter of my favorite romance"
"how do you know that?"
"she posted on her writting blog" Barbara showed her phone to Jason, he saw your writting blog. An official page about your books and updates, sometimes you even write about your everyday routine.
"woah, never knew she is that famous. But I don't get it-" Jason got interrupted by Dick Grayson who came along with Tim Drake
"good morning! Who's my favorite little batsiblings doing?" asked Dick with a playful tone of voice
"haha very funny, Dick" Jason elbowed Dick's arm
"you guys saw the (Y/N)'s writting blog?" asked Tim Drake showing his tablet, he is also a big fan of your romance
"yeah, Jason Todd- oh I mean, the Red Hood saved her at the Pauli's Diner yesterday at night" Barbara grabbed Jason's shoulder
"seriously, I started to get jealous of you. I always wanted her autograph" Tim pouted
Jason continued to cut the bread and his siblings noticed his serious face.
"looks like you're not in the mood today. Are you okay?" Dick asked him
"it's weird that last night instead the thugs rob the Diner, they decided to assault that innocent woman for some reason. Quite weird, right?" Jason said
Dick, Barbara and Tim looked at each other with a suspicious look
"and did she say the reason about why?" Dick asked
"no, all she said is that she was minding her damn business while writting her novel" he responds
"but do you remember what the thugs have said to her before you arrive?" Tim ask
"They said there were rumors about her and she just need to give what they wanted" Jason respond Tim's question
"hmm" Barbara thought for a minute and she went to her computer
"what are you doing?" Jason asked
"I'm trying to locate (Y/N)'s through her phone since she posts a lot by it, and you might investigate what's her business" she responded
"soooo... like a stalker?" Tim asked
"no, Tim. Not like that, but if there are rumors about her, I think it wouldn't hurt for us to investigate" Barbara chuckles
Jason sighs while scratching his head and put his hands on his hips
"alright then. Let's do this"
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TO BE CONTINUED!
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winter-leftovers · 5 months
Text
Til The End Of Eternity || Chapter fifteen: Homecoming (15/?)
(Douxie Casperan x f!reader)
Summary: Y/n is trying to figure her life out but is going to be hard since her brother is the new trollhunter and she is plagued by dreams and feelings she doesn’t understand.
Chapter Summary: Y/n finds a new connection to her past. Jim comes back
Word count: 2200
Warnings: daddy issues!!!!! dw douxie is there!! Also my dyslexia was insane this week so maybe some mistakes?
(Episodes Season 2 Episode 4,5,6 )
Song?: You’re on your own, kid by Taylor Swift
Previous - Next
Masterlist
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Y/n rubbed her eyes. She had spent the last twelve hours reading all of Blinky’s books about Camelot. Her search had started with The Pale Lady but there weren't many books about her.
She wondered what connection she had to Camelot. She remembered when Alfred let slip out that she had a connection with Merlin. But what bothered her the most was, if she was connected to the kingdom, why wasn’t any of the books helping her remember? Was the spell that strong? Maybe trollish books weren’t the ones she needed to read. Maybe she needed to go to human books.
Y/n got into her car and started driving, maybe if the traffic wasn’t bad enough she could stop by the library before work. She looked at the clock.
“Fuzz..” she whispered. She was late. She ran out the car into the store “sorry…sorry”
“Good morning” greeted the man behind the desk.
Y/n took a step back and looked around. She wasn’t at the store, she wasn’t anywhere she recognised.
“Good morning” she said back.
“Oh. I know you. You’re Y/n. Right?” The man smiled. He looked older than Barbara.
“Yes” she returned the smile. She had never been to this place before.
“Wow. You look incredible” the man laughed. He seemed honest.
“Thank you?” Y/n walked to the desk.
“I guess you’re coming to check your stuff” the man turned to the computer.
“Uh?”
“You came for your storage? Right?”
“Oh, yes. Right” She nodded.
“Okay. Follow me” the man opened a door next to the desk and started to walk along a maze of storage units
Y/n didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t sure how she got there. She was sure she had driven to the store, that she had made the right turns. She looked around. This didn’t seem like a dream. She remembers waking up, beside all her dreams seem to be set in the past and this one is clearly in the present.
“This is 555, Ambrosius, Y/n”
‘Ambrosius?’ She thought. The name brought a burn to her chest.
“Thank you” she smiled.
“You’re welcome” the man smiled back and returned to his desk.
Y/n looked down at the lock. She didn’t have a key. She didn’t even know if she really was Y/n Ambrosius. She sighed and closed her hand on the lock, a small puff of red smoke appeared opening the lock. The unit was small, there wasn’t much inside: a couple boxes taped shut, a coat rack covered by a plastic bag and in the middle, there was the only thing that seemed not to be touched by the dust, a long wooden box
Y/n looked side to side and kneeled next to the box. She inspected the box, with her fingers traced the golden details. She touched the place where the lock should be and the lid lifted. Y/n looked over her shoulders and turned back to the box and opened it. A warm light blinded her. She took both her hands to shield her eyes. The light quickly died down and she was able to put her hands down and to see what was inside the box.
Inside, there was a staff that appeared to be made of dark iron detailed with red stones, with a big red gem on one end and sharp point on the other.
“Wow” she whispered.
She stretched her hand to lift it but the staff light up and lifted itself from the box.
“Oh god. Oh god Oh god” said to herself as she looked back to the door. Praying no one would see her.
The staff flew from the middle of the room to Y/n’s wrist, shrinking itself into a modest bracelet. Y/n stared at her wrist for a couple of minutes in awe. She couldn’t believe what just happened.
Y/n spent her whole day observing her wrist, the bracelet had settled comfortably on her arm but her eyes would constantly drift back to it, scared that her bracelet would turn back into a staff in the most inconvenient time.
She played with her new accessory as she walked down the stairs of TrollMarket.
“Home is the same, school is the same, TrollMarket is the same” Jim's voice resonated through the stands.
“Jim?” Y/n screamed, pushing all of the trolls out of her way until she had her brother in front of him.
“Y/n?”
She laughed. It really was him.
They ran into each other, hugging themselves tighter, scared the other would disappear again.
“I can believe you’re okay” she said into the embrace.
“Me neither” he chuckled.
“Don’t ever do that again” she let go just enough so she could see his face and hug him again.
“Stinking, horrible, traitor” Blinky screamed.
The four of them ran to the library to aid the troll.
“Blinky?” Called Jim
“What are you doing?” Asked Claire
The troll was stacking all his books and burning them.
“You love your books! This isn’t like you” screamed Toby, grabbing his head.
“Aaarrrgghh?” Y/n ran to the troll and hugged him tight “you’re alive?”
Aaarrrgghh sniffed her hair “Forget me nots” he smiled.
“What?” She chuckled.
“Not my books! I’m destroying anything that bear my traitorous brother’s name” Blinky threw another stack of books to the fire “Full of lies” he screamed looking at the fire “My gumm-gumm brother cannot be trusted and neither can these!” He threw another book to the fire.
“Gumm-gumm? What are you talking about?” Y/n frowned. She was confused. Blinky loved his brother.
“Blink!” Jim ran to the bonfire and started to take the books out “but they’ve been useful before, so they can be useful again
“Aren’t you gonna stop him, wingmam?” Toby giggled as Aaarrrgghh sniffled him “Uh, what’s with Aaarrrgghh?” He ask as the troll wouldn’t stop.
“Leave him. Ever since he’s returned from death his sense of smell has been curiously heightened. He’s been sniffing everything for hours” Blinky said uninterestedly as he kept throwing more books into the fire.
“What?!” Y/n ask. Time would pass and no one would explain anything to her. How did Jim come back from the Darklands? What happened with Blinky’s dead brother? And how did Aaarrgghh come back from the dead?
“Mmmmh you had italian” the troll stated and gave one more sniff “Carbonara”
“Yeah, like three days ago” Toby smiled.
“Enough” Y/n said to herself. With a quick movement of her arm she put out the fire and turned to the teenagers and the troll, leaving Blinky fighting with his books in the background.
“Cool” whispered Toby.
“You are going to sit down and explain to me what happened” Y/n cross her arms.
The three teens looked at eachother. Jim put down the bucket of water and sat down next to his friends.
“Toby?” Y/n took a step forward and crouched down putting her face as close as she could “what. are. you. hiding. from. me?”
Toby looked everywhere except at Y/n’s face, he was terrified. He felt the sweat travel through his body. He couldn’t hold on for much longer.
“I’m sorry, Y/n. I’m really sorry!!” Toby broke. He started to scream making Y/n take a couple of steps back “It was all so confusing. Kanji-Aaarrrgghh opened the bridge so we could rescue Jim and Vendel said no and I was out of nugat nummies. I swear I didn’t mean to break your guitar in second grade. It was an accident” he kneeled down and grabbed her shirt.
“That’s…a lot” Y/n petted Toby’s head.
“We should have told you about the plan” said Claire.
“It’s okay. I’m just glad we are safe” Y/n smiled and pulled Toby’s hair “You broke my guitar?”
“Oi oi, it was an accident” he screams as he triess to pulls Y/n’s hand away.
“Talk to Jim yet?” Asked Aaarrrgghh.
Y/n and Toby turned to the now pile of ash and books to see Jim who had escaped to try to rescue the books that survived Blinky’s wrath while Y/n and Toby settled an old dispute.
“He says he hasn’t found the right time” said Claire.
“It’s not just me, right? Ever since he got back, he’s acting super weird” said Toby.
“Can you blame him?” Said Y/n.
“Hey, guy, you know what we need? A calling!” Jim turned “I’m sure there’s been tons of stuff pilling up for us to take care of now that I’m back. Uh, a curse box or a loose monster troll, huh?”
“Actually, Claire and I kinda took care of that stuff while you were gone” said Toby.
“What about some training? It’d be good for us to get back in the Forge and…”
“I smell Usurna” Aaarrrgghh interrupted.
“Oh dear” Blinky stopped his angry rant to see two gigantic troll enter the library followed by Usurna and Vendel
“So…It’s true. The human trollhunter has returned from his frolic in the Darklands” Usurna says.
“The human trollhunter humbly apologizes and throws himself at the mercy of the Troll Tribunal” Blinky bows.
“Tribunal?” Jim turns to Blinky.
Blinky hit him in the side.
“The tribunal has already voted on your fate” Usurna remembers.
Y/n rolls her eyes.
“And, by the barest of margins has ruled to dropped all charges so long as you cooperate from this moment forth” Vendel steps forward.
Everyone sighes in relief.
“Your rash choice to save one child put all of TrollMarket at risk. If any evil had been unleashed unto this world, the blood would have been on your hands” Usurna took a step forward to Jim.
Y/n grabbed her brother by the arm and pushed him back a little so Usurna’s finger wouldn’t touch him.
Before leaving she turned:
“Are you sure nothing followed you on your return?”
“Draal never left his post guarding the bridge” exclaimed Blinky but Y/n didn’t see her friends so convinced.
“Are the Krubera really staying permanently?” Asked Blinky once Usurna left. He was annoyed as Y/n.
“Usurna feels their presence is required in light of my questionable judgment” Vendel turned as his new staff got tangled in the light “Speaking of such, have you made any progress in tracking down the culprit who stole my staff?”
“We will not rest until we bring them to justice” said Blinky.
“Yes, of course. I’m sure whoever took it had a good reason and will return it as soon as possible. I’ve put my neck out far enough for you ungrateful fools any further, and she’ll be sure to lop my head right off” he finally was able to get his staff free.
“Thank you, Vendel. It’s good to see you, too” said Jim.
“Yes, well, if you want to thank me, go look into the goblin mess that one of our trolls discovered on a salvage run”
“Goblin mess?” Toby repeated.
“There appears to be some droppings in a dumpster behind the Arcadia Cinema” Vendel explained.
“Goblins? we haven’t seen any of those in months” Claire said.
“Oh my gosh! Is this a call? Like, a good old trollhunting mission?” Jim was excited.
“Just go” Vendel got his staff tangled in his horn.
“Vendel, could I have a word with you? Something ha…” Y/n took a step forward and helped the troll with his staff.
“Can this wait? I’m too busy today” the troll disappeared through the door leaving Y/n along, the trollhunter team long gone.
“It’s okay” she said to an empty room. Her hand playing with her bracelet. The ashy smell takes her back to an old familiar place she doesn’t want to go.
Y/n walked out of TrollMarket in silence.
“Not now, Y/n. Can’t you see I’m busy?” the voice of a man she knows so well yet doesn’t, stabs her heart.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry” she repeats like she could be forgiven for the cardinal sin of asking for the attention of a loved one.
She keeps walking and the memory of the man standing in front of a window won’t get out of her mind. His back to her and the desperation of her hands to grab his.
“That’s lovely, birdie, but why don’t you go find that friend of yours and show him? Huh?” The man asks without taking his eyes from his work.
Y/n looks down at her hands and wonders what's so wrong with them.
The bell chimes.
“Y/n? Darling? What happened? Why are you crying?” Douxie jumped from his seat at the register and went to the door.
“Huh?” Y/n looked around. She wasn’t in TrollMarket anymore, she was in Douxie’s library “I don’t…” she took her hand to her cheeks, they were wet. She had been crying.
“Did someone do something? Are you hurt?” Douxie grabbed her head and with his thumbs wiped away the tears.
“No. I just… I think my father was kinda of a complicated asshole” Y/n hugged him, hiding her head in his chest.
Douxie chuckled and hugged her back “Yeah, I understand”
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A/n: the mood at the end was: ‘hey dad i exist!’ because that was my mood honestly
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barbiedragon · 2 years
Text
The Spider's Face (Peter Ballard x GN!Reader)
Summary: You recall the different faces of a certain man before your fate is sealed
Rating: Mature (no sexual content)
Word Count: 1.5+ k
Fandom/Pairing: Stranger Things: Peter Ballard x GN!Reader (more of a friendship instead of romantic)
Themes/Warnings: Horror themes, minor violence and brief description of what happened during the massacre (oh and a couple of cheeky horror movie references :P )
Notes: Titles and lyrics from the Emilie Autumn song The Spider's Face. I wanted to try my hand at something a little different, hope you enjoy. Reblogs and comments are encouraged! :)
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There's a world outside of these crumbling walls Where the weak men hide under battles and brawls And the only pride is a spider that crawls into the cracks and calmly waits
Henry.  One.  Peter.  Vecna
So many names befell upon him.  You knew him as all.  Yet you knew him as none.
Henry was the face you knew the least.  You had heard the stories, the rumors, and knew of the evil that lurked in the corridors of Creel house.  It’s cursed.  It’s haunted.  The very existence of hell itself.  Mother and daughter dead.  Son in coma.  Father clawed his own eyes out after their blood seeped in his hands. Victor Creel was a monster.
The dares the kids would spit.  Bet you can’t make it to the front porch.  Betcha can’t walk inside.  You’re too chicken to spend even a minute in the halls.  He’s coming to get you, Barbara, he’s coming to get you!
You were seven when you entered the front door and sat in the foyer.  Cobwebs clung all around you watched the sneaky spiders as they crawled around.  The grandfather clock still clicked away.  Tick. Tick. Tick.  A soft flicker of the lights.
It didn’t feel scary.  It just felt sad.  Just another broken family home.
But the spider knows, and will generously give And he promises the flies that they all shall live
Everyone always talked about the lab just on the outskirts of town.  Boogieman, monsters, what creepy crawlies they were creating under the guise of being an energy company.  The town seemed to know it wasn’t really true, but turned a bind eye.  What you didn’t know, couldn’t harm you….that’s how the saying goes, right?
The rumors of kids being trapped in those walls.  They said Henry didn’t die.  They said he woke up.  The boy is different.  Odd.  Not normal.  A bit queer.
He became the first.  Number one.  The creator.
You were fourteen, fingers wrapped around the metal as you could feel the electricity buzzing through you. You wanted…no needed to see what was hidden behind those walls.  Your eyes searched for any clues.  You could have sworn a young man with the most piercing eyes peered at you through the frosted windows just as a spider crawled across your boot. Come and play with us, Danny, forever and ever....
The mud squished under your feet as you ran back home to where it was safe.
And the spider sees how to bring them all in line How to keep them very quiet, how to herd the swine Though the cost of a drop of the cure is dear
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Peter,” he introduced as he extended a hand.  You gave a firm handshake.  Just like your father had taught.
“It’s very nice to meet you, I was told to report to this level.  I’ve been approved as part of the nursing team,” you explained. 
“Of course, welcome aboard, I’ll show where you need to be,” he smiled.  Piercing blue eyes, pearly white teeth, and groomed, flaxen hair. His tone even and steady, yet friendly.  However, you couldn’t shake this unnerving feeling whenever you were around him.  He made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
There was something wrong with Hawkins lab, despite Dr. Brenner’s assurances.  You weren’t allowed to know all of the details and your stomach would twist at the sight of the children as he worked them through the exercises.  You threw up the first time you had to inject one of them.
You were on your knees, the dry heaving making your chest rise and fall.  The artificial lights made you even more nauseous.  
“It’s hard the first couple of times, but you’ll get used to it,” Peter spoke from behind you.
“I’m not sure I ever will,” you admitted as you slowly pushed to your feet.
He had his hands neatly folded behind his back.  “You have a kind heart, I can tell.”
You gave him a little smile.  “Thank you, Dr. Brenner tells me I’m too soft sometimes.”
Peter gave a snort that made you raise an eyebrow.  “Papa doesn’t always know what he’s talking about it.  Softness, kindness….doesn’t always mean weakness. May I show you something?” He extend his hand towards you.
“Sure,” you agreed and took his hand.  He took you down the long white halls and into a small room complete with a cot, a sink, a desk and a small wardrobe.
“Peter, do you live here?” you asked softly as he let go of your hand.
“I do….Papa likes me close,” he replied simply before he retrieved a glass mason jar from his desk.  Inside was a fattened black spider who had built an intricate web.  As you leaned in closer, you spotted the tiny white wings of the fly as they pulsated in the trappings of the sticky white web.  The struggle continued until the spider engulfed its prey.
“Do you see?  Kindness, mercy….she could have toyed with it, made it suffer for longer, but she chose not to.  However, that hardly makes her weak.  Wouldn’t you agree?”
His face was different now.  Eyes more menacing, teeth sharper, mouth wider, and fingers curled tightly around the jar, almost resembling talons.  You swallowed hard.  “I suppose….you’re right about that,” you whispered.
“I’m going to need your help.”
The planning took a few weeks.  Peter trusted you with the secret that he was one.  The prodigal son everyone longed believed dead; the failed experiment.  The lies Brenner told.  Spinning, spinning, spinning to fit what he wanted everyone to believe.
I just need you to help me get her away from the rest.  I won’t harm her.
You believed Peter.  He offered you the truth.  What had really happened in Creel house.  Powers that no boy could truly understand.  The parents with dark secrets.  Becoming at the mercy of this….mad man.  You assured Eleven she would be safe.  You foolishly believed everyone else would be as well.
You would never forget the screams, the blood, the dead bodies.  “Oh no, Peter, Peter…what did you do?”
Your legs felt heavy as you ran down the halls and into the rainbow room.  You froze in the doorway just in time to see Eleven lift him off the ground and slam him into the wall.  You swore you could hear your own voice crying out as the pain flashed in his eyes before the void swallowed him up.  You don’t remember what happened next.  Everything went black.
Now the spider thinks, what a glorious game But it's not the gold, and it's not the fame It's the fear the fools are feeling when they praise his name For in their prayers they'll say, "he who gives can take away"
Four years later, and you still weren’t sure if what had happened was real or just a bad nightmare.  God knows, everyone did what they could to make you believe the latter.  You rolled over in bed and stared at the terrarium.  She was in the corner, belly large and round, you kept her well fed.  Speaking of food, time to eat….time to keep up the charade of living. Still never dealing with the guild you felt. You couldn't save the children, you couldn't save Peter, you couldn't save Eleven. What good were you?
You drove in town for dinner before you headed into work.  You were doing night shifts at the hospital now. It was a quiet evening so you focused on charting until you heard the faint chiming of a grandfather clock.  You shook your head, letting it go at first until the sound became louder and louder.  You felt the hairs stand up again and the faint whisper of your name.  You placed the folder down and followed the sound.
Come to me. Come to me.
And just like that, it all disappeared, and you were standing in an empty hallway, the fluorescents flickering overhead.
The headaches started the next day.  The hallucinations the day after.  You truly believed you were going crazy.  Two days later, it felt like your head would split open as you knelt on your bedroom floor, watching her spin a web around the fat fly.  You closed your eyes for a moment and when you opened them, you were in a place you only saw in your nightmares.  The stormy red of long forgotten memories.
“No, no, no,” you whispered as the fear crept in.  You could taste the bile in your throat.
You could hear the squish, squish, squish like the mud under your boots.  The fear, the sadness, the horror.  Caught in a web as you felt something slither up your legs to keep you from moving.  You screamed as you were jerked, tossed onto your back and stared wide eyed up at the creature.  No….no….it couldn’t be…..
More tendrils slithered up as the long claws dangled in front of your face.  You could feel the ooze…the wetness.  One look into those eyes and you knew exactly what had happened to Peter.  You felt the tightening around your throat as you waited for everything to go black.  Except it never did.
“Welcome home,” the creature growled.
And the spider smiles with a spider's grace
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agnessharknes · 6 months
Text
The One With The Goodbye Video
Summary: The teachers are asked to say some words about Barbara for her retirement.
Warnings: Just kinda bittersweet. Barb is retiring. Everyone has strong feelings about it.
A/n: idk where this idea came from. But. Here ya go. This was almost done. I havent gotten that far in my kinktober fic. But fear not. It is in the works.
Idk why im just writing these ppl sobbing. But Melissa is a good punching bag 😭 Its just so easy to write. And we know i love angst.
Tags: @maximoffcarter, @lilfartbox1, @inlovewithmiddleagewomen , @cordyandbilliehavemyheart, @eatkobi, @inlovewithgreta , @sapphicdbc , @a-queen-and-her-throne , @mrs-prentiss, @melissaschemmentisglasses was the one who helped decide if this would be reader insert or not.
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The teachers are asked to spend a minute with the camera crew before lunch ends. It’s bitter sweet—the last few weeks of school. More importantly, it’s Barbara Howard’s final year at Abbott Elementary.
The director preps mics and cameras as the teachers all walk in. Barbara has no idea that they’ve been asked to meet in the library. But she’s been whisked off by another set of cameras for her interview. To keep her occupied.
“Hi,” the director smiles, allowing the teachers to filter in. Boxes of tissues lay out on a table. The show itself has another few seasons in the bank. America loves these teachers. Everything they’ve gone through. Many of them don’t see themselves as celebrities. They’re just doing their jobs.
But they’ve got fans all over the country. They’re being asked to speak at conventions and tell their stories.
“You’re all probably wondering why you are here. We’ve decided to do a little goodbye for Barbara on the show. It was Ava’s idea, actually.”
Ava smiles in the corner. Everyone is surprised she didn’t jump up and take claim to it the moment everyone walked in.
“I just…thought it would be nice,” Ava says, shifting her weight.
“You’re all welcome to hang out here but the interviews will be separate as always. Just don’t wander too far so we can get through everyone. Won’t take long.”
The teachers nod before finding seats or walking to the further end of the library. Jacob is first.
“Tell us about how you feel about Barbara leaving?”
He thinks for a second. Looks down in front of him while his hands rise and fall on his legs.
“Um,” he begins, “It’s going to be hard. You know? She’s a rock here at Abbott. She’s a matriarch. I’m going to miss her.”
“Do you have anything you want to say to her for the video?”
“Thank you, for everything. Stop by and visit. The garden will always need a helping hand.”
Jacob is trying to stay in his calm state. His brows furrowed as it hits him. His gardening partner won’t be there next year. And though they will work together in the garden throughout the summer, it won’t be the same. He excuses himself quickly to his classroom.
“Gregory, you have had some great moments with Barbara when the cameras are rolling and when they aren’t. Do you have any that you love?”
“She really taught me to open up here. It was hard when I started. I like structure. I need structure. But Barbara, you know, helped me with that. I know I’ve become a better teacher thanks to her.”
Gregory is composed. Of course, he is. He gives no specifics. It all means a lot to him, every moment. He finishes his interview and smiles, beginning to head back to his classroom. But he pauses seeing Janine walk towards the stool. She’s playing with her ring that sits on her finger. A new fidget of hers since he proposed. She’d spin it and feel the ridges of the points. It’s dainty but she likes it that way.
“Barbara is like a mother to me. And I’m so…I’m so grateful and thankful to have had her as a mentor.”
Gregory can see the tears in her eyes and she’s not afraid to let them fall down her cheeks. She and Melissa might be the two that are hit the hardest with Barbara retiring. Barbara really took Janine under her wing. Janine had since been nominated as teacher of the year twice. It was Barbara who convinced her to fill out the papers. It was Barbara who finally pushed her into the arms of Gregory though everyone was trying their best.
Barbara was someone she looked up to. And she felt loved. This was the first family that made sense. There was little to no dysfunction. They made sure everyone was still there. No person left behind. And Barbara was the one that made sure everyone was cleaned up and ready for the day.
The two of them leave together, Gregory’s arm wrapped around her shoulder. Melissa watches as the two disappear.
She knows they’ve saved her for last. And she has no plans on losing it in front of the camera. Not if she can help it. She’s watching the others out of the corner of her eye, pretending to pick out books to take back to her classroom.
Mr. Johnson says some profound and poetic poem about Barbara that the other teachers can hear. They stand in the back watching him as he smiles. He’s proud of his portion of the video.
Ava reminds everyone how much she’d grown and it was really thanks to Barbara. She’s back to her chipper self as soon as the camera starts, putting on a show for the viewers at home. But she is genuine about Barbara. She always has been.
It’s suddenly Melissa’s turn and she walks over to the stool proudly. It’s weird for her. She thought she’d retire with Barbara. But she still had a few years in her. She liked the health insurance and the pay was fine for her lifestyle. Gary only had a year or so before he retired and to be completely honest, she didn’t know what she’d do with her time.
“Hi Melissa,” the director smiles.
“Hello.”
“We wanted to have you last in the video. The two of you are best friends. We know this is probably hard for you. So take your time if you need to.”
Melissa gives a face. She’s fine. What are they talking about?
“So. Tell us how you’re feeling about Barbara, your partner for over 30 years, leaving?”
Now why did you word it like that? Melissa thinks. She takes a second to figure out what she’s going to say. And it hits her. For the first time that whole year it hits her.
“I’m uh-,” Melissa begins. She smiles. She pauses and takes a breath, smiling again. She can do this. She can get through this. She clears her throat. There’s no one else in the library now. Just her and the crew.
“I’m- I’m…”
She tries to say anything. Anything that will make her laugh or smile. And she is smiling. But it’s fake.
“I’m really proud of her,” she finally says. Her throat closes up as she tries to talk through the lump. “She deserves this. And I’m just…”
Melissa is handed a tissue, the box almost empty. She folds it up and taps the corner of her eye, shakes her head, catches one more tear before it falls, and looks up at the camera. She inhales, releases the breath through tight lips, and smiles again.
“She’s been working a long time doing what she loves. And I’m excited for her to have some time to herself finally. To be with Gerald.”
“How are you feeling right now? What are you thinking about that is causing these emotions?”
The crew always knew what to ask. It’s the job of a journalist.
“I’m gonna miss her,” Melissa confesses, her lip protruding out. She’s given up on the tissue balled up in her hand. “I’ve never known Abbott without her. We’ve been together for over thirty years. This will be my first time since I started as a teacher without her.”
Her tears fall every now and then. Her eyes are red and she's just trying to get through the interview now.
“Is there anything you want to say to her for the video?”
Melissa thinks before looking directly into the camera.
“Barb. My partner. My girlfriend. Partner in crime. My mentor, my sister, my love. My rock. I am going to miss you…so much. And I…,” her hand raises to her lips as she tries to swallow. Her finger pressing beneath her nose. It shakes. She takes a deep breath. “…I am so proud of you,” she chokes. “You have changed so many lives. Mine being one of them. I love you. Abbott won’t be the same without you.”
She glanced away from the camera, her eyes suddenly unfocusing.
“Wow,” she smiles, laughing at herself. She’s trying to laugh it off. Move on. But she’s not gotten to cry about this at all. She’s not let herself.
“Thank you, Melissa,” the director smiles. Melissa watches them stand and walk toward her, their arms wide to hug her. And she accepts it.
“You okay?”
Mdlissa hugs back tightly and nods her head. She takes a deep breath and steps back, taking the last tissue from the box.
“Barbara is on the way,” the director says, reading her phone. It’s only seconds later that the woman walks into the library, smiling with the other crew.
“Melissa?” she asks, walking over quickly. She hugs the redhead who grips her tightly.
“I’m okay,” Melissa smiles. “I’m gonna miss you so much,” she says, squeezing the other tighter. The camera crew leaves and now it’s the two of them together in the library.
“I’m gonna miss you too.”
“Have you eaten?” Barbara asks.
Melissa laughs, wiping away tears. She shakes her head no as Barbara wraps her arm around her waist.
“Come on, I’ve got some salad in the fridge.”
———
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Abbott Crew | Masterlist
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rookiesbookies · 2 years
Text
It’s super late/early so im WRITING MORE JASON SHIT cuz im IN A MOOD.
Jason takes you home to meet the family
Redhood!Jason Todd takes you home to meet his brothers and sisters. Imma say f!reader but idk if imms specifically state gender? Maybe pronouns? Idk im better at this summary thing when im more awake.
“Master Jason! Welcome back.” The butler gave Jason a tight squeeze before turning to the lady whom Jason’s hand had a death grip on. “And you must be his Lady friend. Well the family and myself are more than delighted to have you over for dinner.” Alfred quickly ushered the two in, he took their coats and gestured in the directions of the nearest bathrooms.
“We’ve got about 30 minute till dinner, let’s see if I can find some of the assholes that are my siblings before hand so that it’s less awkward.”
The first sibling met is Dick.
When Dick realizes Jason’s getting flirty messages on patrol that don’t read “hot single milfs in your area,” he wants to know EVERYTHING. Especially since these texts have lasted longer than a month and keep coming during patrol times.
He doesn’t know much, Jason made sure to keep most important details under wraps. Dick didn’t know anything but the first name of the girl, what her personality is like, and that she exists. But that’s good enjoy for Big Brother Dick.
Honestly he’s happy Jason has someone.
Sibling 2: Damian
Damian was trying to intimidate you at first but then when he saw your cat was you screen saver when you checked a message, he thought you were perfect.
Also cuz he had tried to steal your cat as Robin a couple months earlier, which is one of the reason you and Jason got closer but you don’t know it was Damian… probably.
Damian insisted you pick a date for him to come over and complain about Jason while meeting your cat.
“It’s just the right course of action.” Damian stated.
Jason rolled his eyes.
Sibling 3: Cass
When trying to head to the bathroom Cass caught you and sent you on your way. It wasn’t quite a meeting but Steph at met you a week earlier and told Cass everything even if she was sworn to secrecy by Jason.
So much for secrecy.
Oh and Barbara also already knows but for different reason and cuz Barbara knows all.
Sibling 4: Duke.
Duke said “no no, really, who is she to you Jason?”
Jason laughed but when he realized Duke genuinely had no clue how Jason could pull anyone, Jason just pick you up like a cardboard cut out and walked away.
Duke chased him for like 2 minutes apologizing but Jason wasn’t having it.
There were really only three people left to meet, and dinner time had come.
Tim, Bruce, and Selina had all been told Jason was bringing a guest but they all probably assumed it was Roy again. Which was more than common if they could get Jason to even come to family dinners at all.
“Are you sure-”
“Jason, grow a pair. It’s a family dinner and they seem like lovely people. It’s too late to chicken out!” Encouraging words fell on Jason but didn’t ease him at all as he rocked on his heels.
Everyone was already seated when Jason opened the door for you, leading you in by your hand gracefully and like a gentleman, this grace and poise was so different than his normal demeanor, it caught Selina off guard.
Of the three who had been yet to meet you, Selina was the first from her chair, “you look lovely!” She greeted, kissing you on one cheek then the other.
She scanned you and held you close for a moment before sitting back beside Bruce as Alfred guided you and Jason to be seated.
On one side of you was Damian and on the other was Jason, across from you was Selina and from across from Jason was Tim. Dick was on the other side of Tim- and holy shit there’s so many to keep track of I need a chart.
Tim glared between you, and Jason, and you, then Jason again. Bruce also had a stare but it was much gentler.
“So how has your night been,” the deep raspy voice of Bruce caught you off guard. Jason quickly rubbed your thigh under the table, playfully bickering with Dick over something.
“Oh, quite well, quite well, Mr. Wayne!” Jason thumbs rubbed circles on your thigh under the wood table and you couldn’t tell if it was to comfort you or him. “You have a lovely home!”
“That’s great to hear-”
Bruce was cut off by Alfred bringing out dinner. There was small talk amongst the large table then Tim, after sitting in silence for almost the whole meal, spoke up.
He pointed his fork at you and after slurping up pasta he stated, “who is she.”
There was an awkward silence when you were about to speak Jason cut you off.
“Replacement, this is my girlfriend.” Jason tapped his hand on your thigh again and rubbed it a little.
You gave a meek little wave. “Hi!”
Selina let out a sigh, “OH THANK GOD.”
The table’s eyes were wide.
“I’m sorry, I was so scared you were going to tell us all she was just a friend!” Catwoman fanned her face a bit. “I thought he’d never find someone,” she mumbled.
“Yeah, Jason, how did you find her?” Tim cocked an eyebrow. Tim was a goofy teen but at his deepest roots he was a skeptic.
Were you a hooker Jason brought so Dick would stop teasing him for having no girlfriend? Maybe Jason finally got tired of being told he had “0 Bitches” by Tim? Hell, for all Tim knew you were trying to get spot light and Wayne family money. But he was most skeptical of Jason.
How had Jason even met you? Much less ask you out?
“Well I’m a usual at a bookstore in town and so is he. Then one night he returned my cat.” You thought hard for a minute, “wait how DID you get my address, by the way? I never thought about that…”
You trailed off into your own thought. Jason felt like a fucking stalker. You knew he was Redhood at this point. For fucks sake you both were 6 months into this whole relationship shit. But were you acting like that cuz you thought they didn’t know?
“Y/N. My study after you are finished with dinner, please.” Bruce said in that stern dad tone dads’ have. He rose from the table and walked out the doors of the dining room into the living space.
“Nice going, Timtard!” Jason stood up from his chair and leaned over the table flicking Tim in the forehead. “She knows about my shit! Now B is going to interrogate her!”
“How many people knew about her! You didn’t tell me she was coming tonight- or that she existed!”
The brothers got into a stupid fight while you sunk back into the hoodie of Jason’s you were wearing over your clothes. Bruce scared the SHIT out of you.
“Listen, replacement. I don’t need to tell you all about my life!”
“Really? Calling me names? That’s petty. Did everyone else know?”
Damian nodded, as did Dick, Duke, Steph, and Cass.
Selina reached over the table and touched your hand while the two bickered, “Bruce truly isn’t that scary and I’m positive he doesn’t mean to scare you.”
You got up from the table and skittered into the direction Alfred told you the study was in. You knocked on the large wood doors.
“Come in.”
Stepping onto the wooden floors was a contrast from the marble in the rest of the house. “You wanted to see me, sir?”
“Yes. I assume you know about Jason? And our struggles to work things out?” Bruce was standing at the window peering out into the night.
“Yes, sir. Once he realized I wasn’t going anywhere willingly, he told me.”
Bruce sighed, “have you figured out the other vigilantes then?”
“No, sir. I only worry about the one I live with. But he did tell me about you.”
“Tell Jason when you get back he has my permission to fill you in on all of them.” He was positive you had figured them all out already but just chose to ignore it. He was just happy Jason had someone.
“By the way,” Bruce started, “please stop calling me sir and Mr. Wayne. Bruce works perfectly fine.”
“Alrighty… Bruce.” It felt weird rolling off the tongue. It was odd calling your boyfriend’s dad ‘Bruce.’
“You can go. I suspect Tim was not happy ro be left out of knowing about you.”
“You- you knew?”
“I’m Jason’s father. Of course I knew.” Bruce shrugged and laughed, “he got giddy like a school girl, especially when you’d text him. It was difficult not to know.”
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usafphantom2 · 7 months
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Sonic booms are loud !
Forty-nine years ago today, September 13, 1974, Buck Adams and Bill Machoreck flew the SR 71 back home to America.
The first 53 minutes of the flight were subsonic, as Buck Adams explained, “because we flew up off the coast to refuel with three different tankers, and we could not go supersonic. You are NOT allowed to fly Supersonic over England.” The record-breaking flight would’ve definitely been shorter if they were allowed. They arrive in Los Angeles in three hours and 47 minutes, a distance of 5446 miles. They DID have permission to go supersonic in America. The welcome back to America included a call to the police station from Movistar Zsa Zsa Gabor. She claimed that all the windows in her house were broken.
The Habu’s would have passed directly overhead at 80,000 feet. It took around one minute and 20 seconds for the sonic boom to reach the ground. It sounds like a thunderclap 15 miles away.
While descending, several unstarts occurred over Hollywood Hills.
Zaza’s windows were (supposedly) shattered in her Hollywood Hills home. She was appeased when pilot Buck Adams and RSO Bill Machoreck went to her house in Hollywood and gave them her personal autograph to The SR 71 crew. The crew gave her personal autographs in return.
~They had both brought their wives. The wives were shocked when Zaza‘s bodyguard said … Only the men can come into the house! They had to wait in the car.
Kelly Johnson, The Head Skunk (The head of Lockheed’s Vaunted Skunk Works, the division that developed the SR-71 Blackbird itself] had a busy life outside Lockheed.
He and his wife Althea Louise Young, built a house in Encino, in the San Fernando Valley, 10 miles west of Lockheed’s facilities. They kept horses, and eventually acquired a working ranch, Star Lane, in the Santa Ynez Valley, north of Santa Barbara. Johnson maintained his own farm machinery in a 4,800-square-foot shop that he had built, and whose colossal size and robust construction were a source of pride for him.
The rumor is… that during a test flight, one of his SR-71s flew over Johnson’s ranch and broke several of his large windows. But he didn’t have the nerve to make a complaint!
Source R Graham‘s book SR 71 Blackbird Stories Tales and Legends. Aviationgeek club.
Written by Linda Sheffield Miller c@
@Habubrats71 via X
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finniestoncrane · 2 years
Note
hello could you do a smut with batman unburried riddler. i love him so much
that would be awesome thanks <3
Baby Girl Driver
Batman Unburied!Riddler x Female!Reader, word count: 2.1k AH i am so excited to do a bu riddler for the first time on his own, and i hope i do him justice. also i'm sorry for the graphic ;-; i don't know how to make a better one and i just love hasan's lil face baby girl, you're so off-putting and irritating, and i love you more than life itself, welcome to the club bu riddler i'm sorry for the thoughts i've had about you and the things i'm about to write you into doing 💚 request info • prompt list • send me a request • kofi minors DNI!! 🔞 cw for nsfw stuff: language, fingering
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For an entire week you’d been designated driver to the world’s most irritating passenger. But Barbara Gordon had sworn by Edward Nygma’s ability to assist in an investigation of this calibre, and to her credit he had been helpful. When he wasn’t being intensely annoying. Or sarcastic. Or hindering your every effort to solve this quickly. In fact, you were sure he was purposefully trying to elongate the time you’d have to spend together, likely an attempt to avoid going back to Arkham.
“Fuck. I have to pee again.”
“God, Nygma, we just stopped.”
“That was for snackies!”
“And you didn’t think to go then?”
“Well, I was using my time trying to decide what snack I was allowed within my ridiculous budget. And then you yelled at me. So I didn’t think I had time for luxuries such as pissing.”
You rolled your eyes, switching focus back to the road.
“Am I to sit back here and fucking hold it in?”
“Jesus Christ! Alright!”
Pulling over to the side of the road, you both sat in silence, drumming your fingers against the steering wheel.
“Are you gonna-”
“You have to open the door.”
“I swear to…”
Slamming your own door behind you, you made your way around the squad car to the passenger door. He had insisted on riding in the backseat. ‘Like a ride-along. Like you’re my driver.’ It was nice to know he was locked in and couldn’t run, though you knew he wouldn’t. But still, it felt almost degrading to have him locked in there. And yet oddly enough, not degrading for him, but for you. Opening his door, you tensed up at the little curtsy he offered as he scampered into the woods.
“Don’t go too far.”
“If you want to watch me piss, you can just ask! I live in an asylum, remember, it might actually make me feel like I’m at home to have someone staring at me.”
“Please just hurry up.”
"Hey, you're lucky!" He looked back and raised his eyebrows at you, lips curling up in one of his nasty, but weirdly adorable, smiles. "At least I'm not cuffed. Otherwise, you'd have to hold it for me."
"Wow, lucky for us all."
"Yeah, it's a two-hander, baby!" Finger guns aimed at you, he turned at your stoic expression with a huff and disappeared behind a bush. After a few minutes, he trudged back to the car, waiting on you to open the door.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Ooh, someone’s grumpy today!” He flashed a wide grin at you as he opened the door and plopped down on the seat. Closing it hard on him, you got back behind the wheel and peeled out onto the empty stretch of road.
“So…wanna play a game?”
“Absolutely not.”
“You are absolutely no fun whatsoever. How does your poor boyfriend cope?”
“I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Interesting.”
You waited silently for a cruel remark, or a joke, but it never came. Instead, he leaned forward, fingers poking through the holes in the barrier between front and back, speaking hurriedly.
“Oh! Down that road, turn turn turn! Now!”
“For the love of…fuck!”
The wheels slipped and spun as you made the sharp corner at way too high a speed, finally managing to get back in a straight line, breathing heavily.
“Good for the adrenal glands.”
“You couldn’t have said something a little sooner.”
“I was distracted.”
At the end of the road, there was a small building, one floor. You took the car off the road and behind some bushes, able to see the house and a section of the road you had just been on, but hidden well enough.
“Stake out time!” From the backseat, he finally piped up, annoyingly excited, opening the snacks he had demanded earlier. “You coming back here to join me?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Well, how will I share my snacks with you.”
“I don’t want any.”
“Aw, come on! It’ll be fun, like we’re proper cops!”
“I am a proper cop.”
“Oh, yeah…right. And I’m completely sane.”
“Nygma-”
“Fine, fine. But I have a better view of the entrance from back here. Nice little gap in the trees. Would be a shame if I was too busy burying my face in to my little snackies and missed something.”
“This is a fucking nightmare.” You mumbled it to yourself, before unbuckling your seat belt and shouting. “Fine!” You exited the car, opening the back door where he patted the seat beside him with a vicious little sneer. When you were seated beside him, he thrust the little bag of food under your nose. “No thank you.”
For two hours you sat there, trying to ignore Edward Nygma’s questioning, all of it unrelated to the case you were working on. In fact, since mid-way through the first week of his assistance, he’d seemed entirely uninterested and not as invested in the work as Barbara had insisted he would be. You were beginning to think this was a huge mistake. Although, admittedly, he was fun to be around. Your usual partner was a bit more ‘by the book’ and wasn’t willing to socialise outside of the job. You barely knew anything about him other than his name and the fact that he had been married but ‘for the love of god don’t call her if I’m hurt.’
Nygma was different though. He was strangely open, although you suspected that was a ploy to learn your weaknesses, so you kept a lot in. About himself though, he was more than willing to talk, he was his favourite subject, other than riddles. And thankfully, today, he hadn’t forced any of his riddles on you, not yet at least.
And for the next hour, there was relative silence, other than the incessant crunching from Eddie eating his ‘snackies’. You watched patiently as several cars pulled up from the main road, all stopping outside of the house and waiting. Three of them were there now, and as a fourth pulled up, they all exited their vehicles.
“You watching this, Nygma?”
“Huh…oh yeah! Uh…yeah, seems about right.”
“Ok so who are they!?”
“Oh…so the one that got out of that car there, he’s the uh…leader.”
“The leader? Of what?”
“Of the thing, you know!”
“We’ve been sitting in this car for three hours. You haven’t mentioned a thing. We’ve been working on this case together for three weeks. You haven’t mentioned a leader. What is going on and why are we here?”
“Ok…promise not to get mad?”
“You fucker. You mother fucker!”
“Wait, wait! Before you get mad. I think it’s important for you to take into account that I haven’t told a single riddle today.” He looked at you with raised eyebrows, but you raised your hand and started smacking at his arm and head regardless.
“I have been driving you around for three weeks, at what point were you going to tell me that you had no idea what was going on with this case, asshole?”
“Please stop hitting me I have solved it, all the paperwork is in the trunk in a neat little folder waiting for you to hand it in and take the credit!”
“What!?”
“I’ve…done it all. I knew after like the fifth day. I didn’t think I’d have to spoon feed the answer to you. But to be fair, I have had to be very forgiving with the answers to my riddles.”
A shiver went up your spine. Pure rage. You resisted the urge to punch him, but it was only with every ounce of your being that you managed to stifle the gut reaction. But you kept slapping at him.
“Well why are we still investigating!?”
“Because!”
“Because isn’t a sentence, fuck face!”
“Because I wanted to spend more time with you!”
You hit him even harder, and he jumped back with a petulant little frown.
“Ok, that one hurt.”
“Good! What do you mean? You didn’t want to go back to your cell?”
“No…because I liked hanging out with you.”
“Oh, Edward. At least save me the embarrassment of trying to trick me into thinking this was anything but a selfish little ploy to escape.”
“I mean, I am going to escape, duh. But not yet. I’m having fun.”
“Fun?”
“Yep.”
“What do you mean by ‘fun’?”
“What the fuck do you think I mean by fucking fun?”
You leant back in the chair, head tilted horizontally, trying to understand his words, his motives. Were you going completely insane? It would be one thing to admit to enjoying spending time with him, he had nothing to gain from that. But to begin believing that he had somehow developed a little crush on you was surely a sign that you were mentally unstable. First of all, how could you believe him without knowing you were likely falling for his manipulation tactics? And second of all, if you could admit that you might believe he had a crush on you, then you might also have to face the fact that you had a little bit of a crush on him too.
There was very little time to focus on the little conundrum that was thundering through your mind, as Edward had leaned over in his seat, one arm holding his body up at the angle, the other on your cheek, fingers daring to reach into your hair. His lips, surprisingly soft and interestingly practised, stuck on yours with a pent-up passion, groaning into you. As he pulled back you moved with him before thudding back down into your seat.
“You’re nice to look at and fun to annoy. And I’m nice to look at and fun to be annoyed by, right?”
He didn’t wait for a response, he was leaning back in to you, slowly, eyes never wavering in their gaze, staring deep enough into your very soul that you were no longer sure if you’d even be bothered that he was manipulating you.
“Would it really be so bad if we enjoyed our time together?”
With his lips kissing along your jaw and neck, you managed to mumble out some words, trying to convince yourself more than anyone else that you should let go and sink into this.
“It’s morally…and ethically…mmm….reprehensible…to fraternise with…hmm…prisoners in my…care…god…”
Too late though, because your hands were already running through the hair at the back of his head, pulling him closer into you, moaning in pleasure at the little yelp he made when you bit down on his lip, tugging at it with your teeth, dragging him deeper into the kiss.
Confidently, or arrogantly, you were never sure with him and you didn’t care right now, he began unbuttoning your pants, hands slipping down under the open zipper, fingers rubbing against your folds at the front of your panties.
“Hmm…what’s soft and wet and-”
“You finish that riddle and this ends now.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He winked at you before sliding the fabric to the side, inserting two fingers into you and easing them around, your walls clenching at his dedicated and inquisitive strokes, trying to understand you, to learn what made you moan, what made you grip his forearms.
Pushing his tongue past your lips, he pressed the once gentle kiss into a sloppy make-out session, hungrily lapping at your tongue inside your mouth, all the finesse and restraint of a teenager at a lover’s lane, which you might as well have been, given you were currently being fingered in the back seat of a car.
The sudden realisation of what was happening had the opposite effect to what you thought it might. Instead of being shocked into action, pushing him off and reprimanding him and yourself, you begged him to make you cum, gasping for air, screaming with little to no care of who might hear.
“You’re absolutely filthy, this is a fucking amazing revelation! If I’d known I could have had you this easy, I’d have suggested we fuck at the point of first contact.”
Even at this, with his fingers inside of you, enacting a pleasure on you that you didn’t even think was possible. His digits stroking and pulsing, his thumb pressing against your clit, pressing into it and rubbing from side to side, the way you did it yourself, the way that worked for you, the way he had worked out was what might make you cum. With his lips and tongue and teeth melting into your own to the point where you weren’t sure where your mouth ended and his began. With the cacophony of pleasurable noises you were both making, the moaning, the heavy breathing, the subtle growling. The grinding and grabbing. Even with all of this, he was still managing to be a royal pain in the ass. And that alone was enough to have you cumming around his, his fingers wet with your release, bringing them up to his mouth to lick them off, never breaking eye contact as he did it.
Easing himself back into a more comfortable sitting position, you were aware in your peripheral vision that he had unzipped his own pants, cock hard and thick in his hand, stroking it a few times, quick and hard, before looking over at you.
“Don’t make me spoon feed this to you to. It’s my turn, right?”
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Mary Todd pt 12
ao3 Beginning Pervious
As it turned out Jason had been right, everyone in the manor had been predisposed to like her. From Dick’s boisterous hugs to Cass’s silent smiles, Marinette had never felt more welcome anywhere. Even Damian, to everyone’s surprise, seemed to be putting his best foot forward. And when asked (teased) about it he simply replied, “Tt. The Guardian of the Miraculous has and always will be one of the most respected positions in the ancient and magical world. To show her anything but the utmost curtesy would be a smear on my honor, not hers.”
At these words at least half of the household looked very pointedly at Bruce, while the other half very pointedly did not look at him. The man in question simply cleared his throat and said, “Yes well, shall we go into the dining room.”
In the end Marinette found that she was quite pleased both with her brother’s family and their house. It was grand but not ostentatious, rich without being superfluous. And it was the same with the family. They all had an edge and formality to them that spoke of years of training. Most people would assume that meant training in etiquette, but if you knew what to look for…the fluid movements, the weighted gazes, the scanning eyes…then it was clear that this family had long been trained for combat. However, despite this, they were all incredibly genuine. Here in the privacy of their own house and surrounded by their own family, the Waynes were unabashedly themselves. For better or for worse.  
Tim was so hyped-up on caffeine he was practically vibrating as he ranted about his special interests. Jason, with annoyed looks but caring hands, attempted to get him to sit still for five minutes. Damian was coldly but respectfully trying to engage her in conversation on the finer parts of poison making. Dick was valiantly trying to change the subject to literally anything else. Barbara was helping him. Cass sat quiet and serine but would sign the most outrageous jokes across the table. Stephanie laughed at every single one, before asking about the Amazons and what training with them was like. And Bruce and Alfred were content to sit back and eat while their children enjoyed themselves.
Because of this Marinette couldn’t get a good feel for what Bruce thought of her know that she was technically a member of the family. In the end she barely had enough time to eat even the smallest bites of food, because she was too busy trying to talk to everyone at once. Until finally Stephanie asked a question that had the entire table hushed in anticipation.
“So what was Jason like as a kid?!” She was half way on top of the table when she asked, and immediately everyone turned their heavy, questing eyes on Marinette.
Marinette took a deep breath and smiled gently, “Well, I don’t remember much from before I was adopted. But I do remember Jay-Jay telling me stories.”
“Stories?” Dick and Cass asked with a smile.
“Jay-Jay?” Damian, Tim, and Stephanie asked in a mixture of disgust, astonishment, and amusement.
“I’ve always called him Jay-Jay,” Marinette said, “And yes, he would tell me stories about the Knitting Fairy. A magical creature he made up that would fly around and fix everyone’s clothes.”
“That is adorable!” Tim cried grinning from ear to ear, “Who knew Jay-Jay had an adorable side?”
“Shut up Replacement,” Jason scowled over his blush, “Eat your broccoli, and never call me Jay-Jay. Only Pixie calls me that.”
“Aw!” Dick and Stephanie said in unison, “And you call her Pixie.”
“Shut up!” Jason yelled, as Marinette stifled her giggles.
“Is that why you design?” Cass signed, “Because of the Knitting Fairy?”
Marinette paused a little taken aback. “You know,” she said seriously, “I never thought about it before but…yes. My childhood dream was to grow up and be the Knitting Fairy. It was why my parents taught me how to sow!”
“And now,” Bruce said, speaking for the first time since they entered the dinning room, “You are one of the youngest, if not the youngest, high profile fashion designers ever. With your own label that is worn and promoted by some of the most renowned celebrities in the world. While simultaneously and repeatedly saving the world and guarding the most powerful, known, magical artifacts. And there by becoming a respected leader among Earth’s mightiest heroes. All before you turned eighteen. It is all truly impressive; you should be proud of your sister Jason.”
Bruce looked up to see all of his children staring at him with open mouthed astonishment. “What?” he asked pointedly.
“You just openly, and sincerely complimented someone!” Dick whispered. “Without back handing it or slipping into ‘Brucie!’”
“Bruce, are you feeling, ok?” Stephanie cried. “Do you need a doctor?”
“This is most unlike you, Father,” Damian said sternly.
“I need more coffee,” Tim muttered, “I’m hallucinating.”
“Wait,” Marinette cried silencing everyone. “Is this your way of apologizing? You know for being so hostile towards me when we first met?”
Bruce sniffed, but Marinette saw him shift in his seat. “I’m afraid, I don’t know what you mean. If I had behaved in appropriately towards you in any way, then I do apologize. But my actions upon our first meeting were perfectly proportional towards the situation at hand. I assure you.”
Marinette smiled and shook her head. “Kwami!” she thought. “He’s worse than Kagami!” But what she said was, “I accept your apology.” And then took a very pointed bite of her steak, to which Bruce only nodded, before becoming engrossed in his own meal. For about five seconds, no one said anything before Jason burst into genuine, unrestrained laughter.
Soon everyone was joining before Dick blinked and said, “Wait! Where is Duke? He’s not still on patrol is he? Alfred, I thought you told him to come home early?”
Before Alfred could speak, however, there was a great thundering from outside the door. And as if Dick had summoned him, with a disheveled and almost crazed appearance, in ran Duke. He glanced around the room until he found Marinette and grinned manically. “You! Three years ago, June 8, you ladyLuck777 defeated me in the cult classic game DOOM. In which I was ranked the number four player worldwide! Do you remember?”
Marinette blinked a little disturbed and very confused. “Um…no.”
Duke blinked, and pointed at himself, “Robin4eva! You stole my sacred armor and my enchanted sword. Those were really hard to get!”
Marinette shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she said honestly, “I was just grinding so that I could get to my friend’s level so we could go questing together. I actually wasn’t paying that much attention.”
Duke’s jaw dropped, as his siblings tried to hide their snickers. “Well it doesn’t matter. You beat me at my game. Now I’m going to beat you are yours. I challenge you to a winner take all duel on Ultimate Mega Strike V! Right here. Right now!”
“Duke is now really the time?” Bruce groaned.
“’Robin4eva?” Jason said with a big grin as the other Robins watched Duke with looks of unrestrained glee.
“Yes of course this is the time, Bruce!” Duke declared, “I’ve been after my revenge for three years, but she never plays DOOM anymore!”
“Like I said,” Marinette explained, “I only got that game so I could play with my friend. I prefer battle games to MMORPGs.”
“Scandalous!” Duke cried pointing to Marinette before swerving to point at Jason, “And shut up this was before I knew you were all assholes. So, are we doing this or not?”
Marinette sighed. She was going to have to apologize to Alfred latter. He really was an excellent cook, but with all of these distractions she had barely eaten. So she took a large bite of steak, paused dramatically so she could swallow, gently dabbed at her mouth with a napkin before taking a long sip of water. “Sure, why not,” she finally said. Then it was all she could do to shovel food into her mouth before the kids had rushed her out of the dinning room and into the gaming room.
Three hours later and she was still the undefeated reigning champion of her favorite game, despite each and every Wayne’s best efforts.
Bruce studied the young woman in front of him. They had just been giving her a tour of the Batcave, when he had called time for patrol. Almost everyone had gone except for Duke, who had gone to bed, happy despite his video game defeat, and Jason who had been called away by Alfred. So now it was just him and her…alone…in the Batcave. It was awkward. So, Bruce immediately fell into his practiced stoicism as he began doing menial tasks around the Batcomputer until Jason could come back.
Unfortunately for him, Marinette didn’t seem to want to let the silence lie. Instead she cleared her throat and came to lean against the consul forcing him to look at her. “We need to talk,” she said with a firm voice that he had come to associate with Ladybug, the bane of his existence until a few days ago.
In response, Bruce leaned back in his chair, “About?”
“Jason.”
“Why?”
“Ok, first of all, one-word questions aren’t going to cut it with this conversation. Second, you need to tell him how you feel about him. He deserves to know that you care. Third, don’t interrupt,” Marinette caught him off when Bruce attempted to open his mouth. “Fourth, I think there is a reason Jason were reunited this way. I think the universe has a plan for us. And if it does then it will go against your rules. Are you going to be able to deal with that?”
Bruce narrowed his eyes at the young woman in front of him and said, “Are you sure you’re not related to Alfred?”
“Pretty sure,” Marinette said with the untouched casualness that he had also come to associate with Ladybug. “Why? Wait don’t tell me, he’s the only one not afraid to tell you the truth?”
A low growl escaped from Bruce as he stood to be on eye level with the girl. He wanted this to work. He wanted it desperately. He would do anything for Jason, but he had to be careful. She was still a stranger, and she still wasn’t intimidated by him! She had walked through perhaps the nicest house she had ever been in like it was a three bedroom cottage in the suburbs. She marveled at the Batcave with the eyes of an artist, not the overwhelmed giddiness that most people had when they entered the cave. She had laughed at the giant dinosaur. Laughed! Most people saw it and were amazed that he, a mortal man with no powers, had defeated such a thing and eyed him with barely hidden wonder and hesitance.
Marinette had laughed, declared it inaccurate. And when asked to explain, she simply said, “Oh well when you’ve been eaten by a T-Rex before, you tend to get pretty familiar with their anatomy.”
“You were eaten by a T-Rex!” Jason cried in horror.
“It was part of the plan, and I didn’t even make past the uvula. It is what the dangly throat thing is called right?”
She was not afraid, and she had the potential to take Jason away. In fact, she had just threatened to do just that. It was terrifying, because Bruce knew, if he had to chose, Jason would go with her. She was his family first. So Bruce tampered his growing fear under anger and took a large step closer to her. Without his cowl, the full force of his glare was on her, but she didn’t even flinch. Finally he said, “What do you mean the universe has a plan for you?”
Marinette sighed. She turned to look at nothing before saying, “I’m not just the Guardian. I’m the Arbiter. The one who judges between order and chaos and keeps them in balance. Do you know the difference between chaos and evil?”
The sudden question took Bruce off guard so he stepped back and tried to calm his frustration and fears. “I have always thought of them as one and the same.”
Marinette scoffed and fixed him with a tired but amused smirk. That smirked confused Bruce more than anything else he had seen from her. It was a look he had often gotten from Diana. It meant, “I know more than you because I’ve seen more than you. You are a child compared to me, so be quiet and listen close. I’m about to teach you something.” It was a look of immortals and ancient powers, not of eighteen year old girls barely out of high school! What was she doing with such a gaze? With such sad and tired eyes? He didn’t know the answer, but in that moment he resolved to listen when she spoke.
“It is true,” Marinette finally said, “Chaos is often the tool of evil and vise versa. But the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Fascism, for example, is pure order. But there’s no way around it, it is an evil form of government. Humans chose to ignore the goodness of chaos, because they want things to be understandable. They want things to be orderly. But the truth is that there is a balance. The chaos of a wild fire provides the conditions for the strongest trees to take root. The order of a farmer provides food for thousands. You need both.”
“What does this have to do with you and Jason?”
“Everything!” Marinette exclaimed, “I’m the Arbiter. I keep evil at bay, by judging between order and chaos. I decide when the world needs order, or chaos. If I don’t, if I choose wrong, if I do not follow through on my judgment, then I allow evil to take route. Take your city!”
“My city?” Bruce said confused but starting to understand.
“You’re city is built on a collection of intersecting ley lines that do nothing but admit copious amounts of chaos magic into every little thing. Gotham, is quite literally the City of Chaos!”
Bruce felt sick as several things began to click in his head. Ra’s insistence that Gotham must be destroyed. The over whelming number of evil cults. The Joker. Things that would have been rare and far between in even the most dangerous of cities, happened almost every week in Gotham. All because…Bruce cleared his throat and met Marinette’s determined stare with one of his own.
“What does that mean for me and my family?”
“It means,” Marinette said softly, “That you have an uphill battle. That you are damming the river, when what you need to be doing is redirecting it. Your methods. Your rules could work, but only if you let me help you redirect the river to where it needs to be going.”
Bruce shifted and crossed his arms looking her in the eye. “You plan on staying in Gotham.”
Marinette nodded but said, “I promised Diana that I would go to Themyscira after I finished your commission. But after that, yeah, I’m coming back. Right now the river of chaos that is coming out of Gotham is overflowing its banks and creating more evil than good. Your efforts to shore up the river help, but until half the water can be redirected…then it will never be enough. That’s where I come in.”
“You said something about going against my rules?”
“I’m going to kill the Joker.”
Bruce blinked. She said that as if she had she was going to the store. “Excuse me?”
“The Joker is the embodiment of Chaotic Evil in the worst ways imaginable. Literally the epitome of everything I am fighting to prevent. I plan to cast judgment on him, and then execute him. It will not solve all of Gotham’s problems. I expect this to be a work of five to ten years, at least. But it’s the first step.”
Bruce shook his head, “If this is vengeance for Jason—”
“No,” Marinette said immediately, and Bruce was once again astonished by her. She looked at him with the force and clarity of a leader with the conviction of power. She was not happy about her duty. She was not troubled by it either. But she had a job to do, and she had the power and the will to accomplish it. He had never seen that look in someone so young before. It had taken him years of fighting for the mission and leading the League before he had that look.
 His heart broke, and he wanted to punch whoever thought giving a thirteen-year-old the burden of balancing the entire universe was a good idea, but he hid his emotions well under an expression that was almost identical to hers.  
“This isn’t about Jason,” Marinette continued. “This is about pacing judgment and fulfilling justice. Because that’s the problem, Bruce. Your city has gone too long without justice. Mercy has its place. Believe me I know. But so does judgment.”
Bruce heaved a sigh, he knew better than to get involved with the higher powers of the universe. And that was the one thing he had no doubts of, that this young woman was a servant of those powers. However, this was still his city, and there was another factor of this they had yet to discuss.
“How does Jason fit into this?”
Marinette straightened and took a deep breath before responding. Guilt and pain passed over her face, and it lingered as she spoke plainly and honestly. “Traditionally, there were three figures, the Keepers of Balance, if you want to be official about it. The Guardian, who protected the forces of nature in the kwami. The Arbiter, who judged where the forces were needed, and what actions needed to be taken. And…The Executioner, who fulfilled the Arbiter’s judgment whether it be mercy…or justice.”
Bruce felt every muscle in his body tense and harden. He felt as if Dr. Freeze had just walked into the room, because of the ice that was freezing his veins. “You want Jason, to do your killing.”
Marinette met his eyes with her own. They were as hard as his, and perhaps as sad as his. “I don’t want him anywhere near this. These roles are predestined. But in the end, we are the ones who must accept them. The only Keeper with any sort of control of the situation if the Guardian. And the last one chose me without knowing that I was also the Arbiter. Now I have to be both! I chose to accept my role as Arbiter, so I have to fulfill two cosmic roles! Roles that have driven people to insanity and death! That is the last thing I want for Jay! Shit! Even being Red Hood is better than some of the decisions I have to make! I want him as far away from this as possible, and he could do it. He can reject the role and it will go to another. But…”
Bruce untensed as he saw the tears falling from the young girl’s eyes. She must have been so tired. Bruce sighed and nodded his understanding, “But Jason will never let you face this alone. And if he didn’t want to do it, there is the strong possibility that the job will fall to you since you already fill two of the three roles. He would never let you take that chance. Force you to do the things necessary.”
“I’ve done it before,” Marinette whispered as she stared at the rock, “What was necessary.” She sniffled and looked up her gaze full of fire behind her tears. “And I’d do it again. I’d take the role if I had to. If I could spare Jay. But he has to reject it first.”
“And he won’t,” Bruce said softly. The silence that followed was heavy with the weight of what they had just said. Neither of them quite knew what to feel, except for the certain knowledge that, at last, they completely understood each other.
“You should tell him,” Marinette said dryly. “Jay, you should tell him how much you care. How you see him as your son.”
“He doesn’t want that from me,” and Bruce let all of the genuine pain of that statement show as he said it.
“Then you’re an idiot and a fool,” Marinette said, not unkindly, just honestly. “That’s all he wants from you.” And with that she left the cave.
Years later, newer members of the Justice League would watch Ladybug and Batman in wonder. The two heroes could not have been anymore different, and yet they always seemed to be perfectly in sync. They deferred to one another and respected each other, and when the two spoke in unity, every single member of the League obeyed instinctually. Then the old members would whisper stories of how the two had once hated each other. Of how they had constantly been sparing and arguing, and had almost split the League in two. The newer members would just scoff in disbelief. After all how could two leaders with such obvious mutual respect and understanding ever be anything close to enemies.
Next        
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wellntruly · 1 year
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M*A*S*H - Viewguide, S5
Are you interested in the long-running anti-war situation tragicomedy M*A*S*H (1972-1983), but there are simply so many asterisks and so many episodes?
Well I can’t help you with the asterisks, but nor can I help myself: I started watching all 11 seasons of M*A*S*H, and bringing back for you my viewing selections, chosen for The Qualities.
— — —
This season overall I'd say feels kind of, mild? Less low lows and less high highs. Just middley. I nearly included one episode almost wholly for the appeal of being maybe 75% set at night (something I would do), and secondly for the appeal of Hawkeye sleepwalking, when he's not waking from nightmares. But it's very I'll say "Season 5" in that despite this, it's just, I don't know somehow milder than I might want, especially when this set-up naturally recalls the much odder and eerier 'Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde' from Season 2, with (and possibly even because of) its spikier swings between the antic and traumatic.
But it happened that a lot of the stronger stuff here lent itself to putting together something of a more focused character collection. So welcome to our Special Issue!, highlighting the previously maybe somewhat under-served Major Margaret Houlihan, and Captain BJ Hunnicutt:
M*A*S*H - Season 5 Recommended sequence
5x03 ‘Margaret’s Engagement’ - So fun to me that Margaret & Frank transitioning from “secret” lovers to “secret” exes is somehow the exact same mood while having the opposite content. Ending comes out of nowhere and on a pretty weak joke, but when it's just Hawkeye & BJ lounging on each other on Margaret’s bed as she hops around showing them her goofy little engagement ring, that’s the Margaret & The Boys ‘Silly Mood’ vibes I've been missing, baby. Loretta Swit is back!
5x06 ’The Nurses’ - This one made me cry??? It was written and directed by women. It’s about women having complex relationships with each other. Bechdel Test smashed, only took us four seasons! 
5x08 ‘Dear Sigmund’ - It's the context here that really has me like, haha totally. This is the first episode they’ve let Alan Alda write all himself in three calendar seasons, and he's like great, okay: can I just get down nothing but a bunch of character meta and headcanons for everyone and put that up as TV? Yeah Victor Hugo that sounds wild, please do.
5x09 ‘Mulcahy’s War’ - Father Mulcahy goes out to the front to experience the horrors (more), but amazingly the real reason I'm including this one is that Gary Burghoff’s distressed little straight man hilarity here made me laugh so, so much, and then have a staggering realization: the character of Radar O'Reilly is absolutely the progenitor of Guillermo de la Cruz.
5x10 ‘The Korean Surgeon’ - Would be worth it for Hawkeye & BJ talking to Radar in the mess tent ALONE (Gary Emmy-winning year). But also I love their kind weary surgeon friend from ~the other side~
5x15 ‘The Most Unforgettable Characters’ - At 10 minutes in I'd thought, alright this is probably just another middle sort of one, and then at 10 minutes and 30 seconds, BJ (BJ, baby??!) spontaneously proposes that he and Hawkeye spend the rest of the episode play-acting that they're fighting to entertain Frank for his birthday, inspiring Barbara Kruger four years later to go, y'know what, I'm gonna have to comment on this.
5x19 ‘Hanky Panky’ - You tell me “BJ episode where he cheats on his wife,” and I’m going to say, “hm well that’s not the kind of character development I think I want,” but I would be wrong about that! A) love her, she's great in this, B) there is one particular revelation BJ shares here that is just, exquisite information. I will say no more at this juncture (Watch Notes: Coming soon!), but in light of oh, a lot: oh my god.
5x25 ‘Margaret’s Marriage’ - Let’s bookend this! One thing I love about long episodic seasons, is that after Margaret somehow ever more hilariously saying the name ‘Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscott’ for 22 episodes, the man finally appearing felt like forbidden Beckett. 
And also now say bye-bye, Frank [chorus: bye-bye, Frank!]
Season 1 • Season 2 • Season 3 • Season 4 • Season 5 • To be continued
#M*A*S*H hours
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cassiexsworld · 1 year
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In my opinion, that’s the last thing a 6-year-old should see on her birthday. My mother’s lifeless body lay next to a partially finished bottle of pills that had the label ripped off, and a poorly folded piece of paper. Her head lay flat on the hardwood floor of our empty kitchen. Unfortunately, my father was no longer in the picture, so I had no one to tell that mommy was “sleeping on the kitchen floor with her eyes open”.
I guess my mom got tired of me too; otherwise, she wouldn’t have done it. My mother was an alcoholic, so it wasn’t abnormal for her to be passed out in various parts of the house.
After an attempt to wake her up, I eventually got bored and left her alone, to which I went back upstairs to my bedroom where my stuffed dog, Ernie, waited for me. Grabbing a pillow and a blanket off my bed, I took it back down to the kitchen. Sliding the pillow under her head, I noticed her skin felt weird… cold. My kid brain thought she could actually feel the cold, so I took the pink baby blanket that was a gift from my father, before he left, and laid it over her cold body. Stepping over her legs, I sat next to her and began to study her face which looked littered with old makeup and had a dark ring around one eye. The lifeless eyes stared back at me. It was somewhat creepy.
My stomach was starting to grumble, so I got up and got myself a carrot out of the fridge. There wasn’t much to eat; I hadn’t had a decent meal since dad left. My mother didn’t need much to eat because her whole diet consisted of alcohol and granola bars. Most nights, if she ever came home at all, she would bring me some frozen, half-eaten chicken tenders from the bar where she seemed to live.
………………………
“What do you think about your mother's suicide?”
The sharply dressed man in the chair across from me with a shit-eating smile has been nagging me with this very question every Wednesday since I was seven years old, and yet he still gets the same response every time. Nothing. He released a caught breath.
“Look, Syd… I know you don’t like talking about her, but it’s been quite some time since it happened. You're not a little girl anymore; you're fourteen"
“So,” I said sarcastically.
“So act like it,” he replied.
He looked rather annoyed by the time on the clock. The hour wasn’t going by fast enough for Mr. Fern. He cut the session short and excused me from his office. I ran out of there like a freshly shot bullet out of a dead man's gun; I couldn’t describe how happy I was to be out of there. His office smelled like cheese. Which is probably part of the reason why I don’t like cheese. I turned to the reception office, checked myself out, and was soon on my way back to Sister Mary’s house where all the other little dickheads live. I left the office and started the 20-minute walk from the office to Sister Mary’s.
That week, the sounds of heavy traffic filled my ears, the smell of fast food and fancy restaurants filled my nose, and the sight of the orange and pink sunset filled my eyes. That's the thing I love most about this godforsaken city… I love half-light. Santa Barbara had a lot going for it.
My joy soon came to an end, however. Those big bold letters were always enough to make me want to cry.
~Welcome to Sister Mary’s Home for the Gifted~
Of course, none of the kids in the home were gifted. That is unless you count the innate ability to get in trouble every time you turn around. Nobody is TRULY gifted.
I turned into the lot where Sister Mary immediately met me. She was waiting outside, in front of the big double doors which were beautifully carved and blocked the entrance to the orphanage.
“Where have you been?! It's nearly nightfall,” she scolded. I could tell she was worried.
“I know… I’m sorry Sister Mary,” I replied with a decent helping of shame in my voice. Mary is my favorite nun at the house. It's the other sisters I don’t like.
“Yes, well… get inside before your fingers freeze,” she said, patting me on the back. We always have dinner at 6:30, and lights out at 8:45. It's a tight schedule, but we have to follow it closely, or else we get sent to Satan, himself. At least, that is what Sister Whiney likes to say when any of us misbehave.
“Dinner was just about to start,” Sister Mary said, following me to the dining hall. Eating with four teens, 1 elementary-aged kid, and 3 babies isn’t an easy meal. You’re either dealing with picky kids, bitchy kids, or just straight-up assholes.
Today is Wednesday, which means we’re having grilled cheese and tomato soup. I hate the smell of cheese and I hate tomatoes. After choking down my chunky soup and clumpy cheese on wheat bread, dinner time finally passed. Everyone was washing up for bed and getting ready for the day yet to come. The girls were around the room smearing creams and dabbing powders, all the while dousing themselves with perfumes and body mist. The overwhelming smell of all of the different products fighting with each other created a sickly sweet aroma, and I firmly believe that it is strong enough to be considered a health hazard. Practically gagging on the smell, I made my way over to my bed which was littered with pillows and blankets, and also Ernie who was propped up on a pillow. I had forgotten to make my bed that morning because I was in a hurry to get to the office. I flopped down on my bed, surrounded myself with pillows and blankets, and started to think about the day’s session.
Mr. Fern scares me. After almost 8 years of seeing his stupid face, I still can't seem to tell him exactly what's wrong. The same question he always asks runs laps in my head, repeating itself over and over again until, eventually, I can't take it anymore. What I think about my mother's suicide isn't something you would suspect. I don't think much of it, if anything I feel guilty, never knew my mother but for some reason, I hold so much resentment toward her. It must be an awful thing to hate your mother so much. I envy kids who talk about their moms daily. I've never had adult stability in my life. My father left when I was four and my mother tried to raise me the best she could. Unfortunately raising a kid wasn't as easy as she suspected it to be, and eventually, my mother fell down the rabbit hole of drugs and drinking. Her arms were full of abscesses and her skin wreaked alcohol. The house was never warm and welcoming and the dishes were never done. The floor was never swept. and very rarely did we ever get a good meal. It's not like I should care if there was food on the table but I did, I cared a lot. The only friend I ever really grew up with was my stuffed animal dog Ernie, a strange name for a stuffed animal, But he was the only sense of comfort I had. From a young age, I learned that it's best to keep your secrets to yourself. I never had positive reinforcement and I didn't go to school until I was eight. social wasn't my specialty. I get scared shitless every time somebody says my name. can't look people in the eye either. It's too awkward or I don't know what to say or sometimes I get lost in their eyes. not in a beautifully romantic way, more like stranded in the desert without food or water for days and days without end. Desperately trying to escape, because of this I usually stare at stuff behind them. Sometimes I stare at my shoes or fidget with my fingernails. waiting for them to stop talking and get interested in something else. This is part of the reason adoption fairs never go well for me. Over the years I've watched kids come and go. It doesn't hurt as much as it used to but it still stings to see happy kids with their brand-new parents. When I was younger that's what I wanted the most, after two years of non-stop court hearings and grilled cheese. I stopped caring. That's the first thing you have to learn as an orphan. the older you get the more your chances decrease. The dream you've yearned for will never come true, So it's best now to stop dreaming. You finally have to understand that it's never going to come true. you're never going to be able to make a dream a reality because nobody, and I'll repeat myself. Nobody wants a teenager. You can imagine that you have a family, but remember you have to separate reality from fantasy.
CHAPTER 2
The plan
The sudden sounds of birds chirping and church bells ringing were a subtle alarm saying it was time to get up. Molly (one of the kids in the home) shook me awake and didn't stop until she saw my eyes. Six hours a day, five times a week, will forever be the worst six hours of my life because each class is taught by none other than, Sister Alex. One thing about living in this home for most of my life is that I can recognize the footsteps of others. Using this to my advantage, I can also determine their mood based on how they walk. For example, Sister Winnie walks a little faster when she is happy or nervous. "You better wake up," Molly said. "I hear sister Alex walking up the stairs. Sister Alex has a bad knee. It's uncommon to see her without her oak cane with a crow's nose handle. Not something you would see with someone who devoted their life to god. Just as molly said that I heard the unmistakable sound of walking. One foot in front of the other as well as the crow's noses hitting the hardwood floor, the walking grew louder, with every step getting closer to the door almost every child in that room stopped in their tracks as if the fear of God was put into them. Then the walking stopped. The light under the door disappeared as sister Alex's shadow cast on the floor. A knock at the door was loud and intimidating, the shadow waited a moment. The knob began to veer around the door swung open. Every child froze. my heart was beating so fast it began to make my chest hurt. Making it hard to breathe. I had never gotten out of bed even though Molly warned me about the dangers that were lurking up the stairs. "goodness you would all be late to your own funeral" sister Alex mumbled. There was an awkward silence before she told us to get a move on. The tension around the room went down and everyone just kinda stood there and looked around the room. I got dressed and went to the classroom. Well, not really a classroom. It's just a room where sister Alex rants about God and Jesus, and maybe math if she's feeling generous. In the corner of my eye, I see James, the new kid. Was sneaking off into the library. A kid who is known for being an asshole sure does enjoy reading. Or probably just skipping class. Lucky for him, nobody was going to look for him. Sister Mary always told us that we can do whatever we want, but it’s our future on the line. But he had the right idea. The choice was mine. But it wasn’t like I was gonna miss much. We don’t learn anything in that class. I know more about Jesus than I do about math. I wait for the class door to shut to sneak across the hallway to the library. The door was tall and heavy. So heavy it took all my strength just to open it enough that I could squeeze in. It took a few seconds before it slammed behind me. I heard footsteps freezing in their tracks. “Don’t worry I’m not a sister” I said. “Jesus you scared the crap out of me” James was holding a plastic bag that seemed to be full of some sort of herb. “Typical” I scoffed . “Want some” he teased. “Where did you even get that?” I said. “The circus.” HIs words were obviously laced with sarcasm. I had only been in the library a few times. To me it was like I was seeing something through new eyes, but all James saw was some weirdo that had probably never seen a book before. The silence was broken and interrupted by the sound of James’s coughing and wheezing. The herb floated in the air.
For a split second. I just stared at him, I think he realized, I looked like some deer in headlights.he took one more puff and handed me the joint he had rolled. I didn’t even cough. For ones I felt empty. I wasn’t worried about Mr fern, or sister Alex, or anything. I was gone. Any thoughts that popped into my head immediately vanished. What felt like 20 minutes was well past an hour. Before we knew it the church bell rang, and the first hour was done by this point everyone was heading to the dining hall for breakfast. James got up and started walking to the entrance of the library. He turned around and looked at me like “are you coming or not?”. I got up and followed him to the door. we started walking with the group that was on their way to the dining hall. Molly and Noah were in the back of the line, talking mindlessly about anything that popped into their heads. That was the only time I was thankful for their friendship. Noah was talking about every endless fact he knows about koalas. and Molly, listening closely. Afterwards she talked about the most recent book she read. We got to the dining hall and I immediately wanted it to barf. Today was cream cheese stuffed tomatoes and toast. Thursday's breakfast was like shit and piss mixed in to a blender and served With a side of fish food. I don’t know who’s cooking these god-awful meals. But obviously we need a new supplier. Everyone is going around the table talking about who knows what. Noah talking about koalas, Trey talking about different insects, and Molly rambling on and on about this new book. Nobody really understands what she was talking about. But I guess that's just what makes Molly, Molly. Sister Mary walked around the corner and told us we were excused. She had the serious look plastered on her face. Usually when that happens that means she’s concerned or mad. I was the last one out of the dining hall. “Is everything ok?” sister Alex asked. Her voice sounded shaky. “Is the plan ready?” Asked sister Mary. Plan? What plan? There aren’t any events going on? “Y-yes the plan is ready, we can continue as soon as tomorrow night” “great” said sister Mary. “We’ll tell the children classes will resume on Monday” the footsteps began to turn. I didn't have enough time to react. Sister Mary turned the corner and saw me. My back was turned and I was speed walking “Sydney” sister Mary called out. I stopped, hesitant to turn around. “Why aren’t you outside with the others” she asked. My eyes got really wide. “Nevermind that, could you deliver a message for me?” Tell the others classes will resume on Monday?” I shook my head in response. She began walking the other was and when she turned the corner I ran to the nearest exit. Thankfully the entire orphanage is like one big circle. Go one way out the other. I kept replaying what sister Mary said. What plan? If it was an adoption fair she would’ve told us all. something with that look in her eye. It didn’t sit right with me. It looked malicious, hungry. I tried to ignore it the best I could whatever this “plan” was, I should stay on high alert. Then a question popped into my head. Should I tell someone? Maybe James would understand. Right? I open the door to the courtyard. The hot air hits my face. And the fresh smell of grass surrounded me there, I saw James standing under a tree. talking to molly I started walking towards them. When I got closer I could finally hear what they were talking about. “Hi Sydney” Molly said, “hi, can I talk to James real quick” “sure” she said, turning around and walking the other way. I bid her goodbye and turned back to James. I felt heavy. Like the weight of the world was on my shoulders, the first question he asked me was if I noticed something wrong with sister Mary. “Actually, yea that’s what I wanted to talk about” I said. “She said something about plans”? Do you think they are going to do another adoption fair” he replied. “I don’t know, but there was something wrong with her eyes” we heard the church bell, if sister Mary had never
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landboundstar · 7 months
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Trade Secrets Part 13
More adults talking than the kids this time. By the way, I have one character making his third cameo. Let's see if you can spot the reference, but don't worry if you don't. He'll be making more appearances later.
Part 13
"I hate you!"
Down the hall, a door slammed.
I sighed and refilled the cups of tea for both of my guests before refilling my own.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised at her reaction, but I was hoping for her twelfth birthday before we got to the door slamming stage."
Smiling, I patted Bruce's hand, seeing his worried look. "Don't worry. You should be able to go back and talk to Z. Zatanna is mad at me, not you. Just give it a few minutes. I would prefer not to have to change you back if Z loses her temper."
"Okay, I can do that. But she'll need a fresh cup of tea so it doesn't go cold."
"I think we can manage that."
"I know she isn't the happiest about it at the moment, but has Zatanna gotten a chance to see her new school yet?" Alfred asked.
"We are taking a tour of the school next week."
Bruce stopped stirring his tea and looked up. "Does - does that mean you'll be visiting less?"
I looked up, a little confused, especially hearing the anxiety in Bruce's voice. "I don't see why it would. Honestly, with less traveling and being able to perform in the same place for a while, I think we might be able to visit more. But, yes, I'll still bring Zatanna to visit. And you are certainly welcome to visit here."
"Here?"
I started laughing. "Of course, here. The resort I am performing at is about half an hour away, maybe less to drive. We aren't moving, Bruce. I just thought Zatanna would like to actually be in class at a regular school so she could make friends. You are welcome to visit. So are Rachel, Harvey, and Selina for that matter."
"I'm sure Rachel will appreciate that when she comes back from visiting her cousins." Alfred told me.
"I'm glad," I told him. Grabbing a sandwich and a handful of cookies to put on a plate, before pouring another cup of tea. "Bruce, as the person here Zatanna is the most likely to open her door to talk to, would you like to take her a snack? Don't worry, I will change you back from being a chinchilla if she is still angry."
Bruce nodded as I handed him the plate, and headed down the hall to Zatanna's room.
"Ave Caesar," Alfred muttered dryly as he heard Zatanna's door open.
"I would have thought that Zaranna might want to spend more time with kids her own age. I didn't think she would be quite that angry."
"There have been a lot of changes this past year or so." Alfred reminded me.
"True. I still wish that Harvey and Selina could have come on this visit too."
"So do I. But, Zatanna isn't the only one upset about a new school. Selina will be starting a new school this year too. Her mother is following through on sending her to a finishing school. I believe what happened with Thomas and Martha scared her into wanting Selina to be away from Gotham for a while."
I thought about Zatanna's headstrong friend. "I take it she is taking it with her normal grace and demeanor."
Alfred chuckled. "That is an understatement. She is even more unhappy than Zatanna."
"Does Bruce know?"
"She spent two hours crying and ranting at him when she got the news."
"How is he taking it?"
"He is handling it well. He isn't happy, and has been a little quieter than usual, but the trips every other week to see the therapist Leslie suggested has helped. Matthew and Leslie actually stopped by to visit and to brought him some wooden puzzle games and some books that had been Thomas' favorites when he was around Bruce's age. He appreciated that. And the young detective will talk to him sometimes."
"He was the one that was at the funeral, right?"
"Yes. He'll be leaving next month to go to Chicago. I believe he was selected to go through a law enforcement course that the FBI offers to more local law enforcement agencies. Much to the relief of Barbara Keane's parents, I am sure."
"I take it that they are not fans." I said dryly.
"He does like disrupting some of Gotham's status quo. Which is very likely why he was selected to attend a training that will have him in Chicago for more than a year. Still, I have a hard time finding him too objectionable. He is endearingly earnest. I actually believe he thinks he should be protecting and serving Gotham."
"I can see why he doesn't have many fans then." I said dryly.
"Is Harvey going to a different school then too?"
"No, he and Bruce will still be in the same class. Mr. Dent objected to his son coming out on this visit." Alfred told me.
"Will you object if Zatanna and I come out for a visit before school starts?"
"Not at all. But it will have to be in the next three weeks if you want to see Selina before she leaves for school."
I listened as a giggle came from down the hall and the murmur of voices continued. And I made my decision.
"We'll be there."
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Chapter 22: Farm & Orchard
Welcome back to my Totally Lit Road Trip blog, where the lit stands for literary!
Today’s adventures took us all around Concord, MA, as we learned about Henry David Thoreau and Louisa May Alcott, as well their relationships with each other and other authors in the area. I think it says a lot about the authors that despite age and gender differences, they inspired each other’s writing and played a role in each other’s lives.
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Jess and I started our morning at Thoreau Farm, where we were treated to a private tour, because we were the only ones there. Our tour guide, Barbara, is an amazing historian who told us the saga of the Thoreau family’s life on this farm. Even though Henry David Thoreau only lived there for eight months after he was born, the farm played a large role in his writing due to the stories his mother told him about the place. His grandmother, Mary Jones, was living in the house with her husband, and when he died, the “widow’s third” rule went into effect, meaning that even though she couldn’t own the house, she could legally continue living in 1/3 of it. Mary “swapped” homes with her daughter Cynthia (Thoreau’s mother), since she was younger and would have an easier time farming the land to make a profit. This is how Thoreau came to be born on a farm not technically owned by anyone in his family.
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In 1995, when the last living owner of the house passed away, developers wanted to purchase the land and build condos. This prompted a group of historians and literature lovers to create a trust and raise the nearly $1M needed to purchase the land and restore the house. Rather than restoring it to its original form, as a lot of historical societies do with old houses, the trust wanted to refurbish in a way that would honor Thoreau’s memory and lifestyle. Given that he was a huge proponent of finding harmony in nature, the house was refurbished using recycled material and environmentally friendly paint, and uses solar panels to provide most of its electricity. 
One interesting tidbit about the house is that its original foundation was about 300 yards away from where it lies now, and no one really knows why it was moved. It certainly would have been easier to just build a new house on the place where it is now, and historians have not discovered a reason for its move.
Inside the house you can see most of the original floorboards and walls, which were repainted to match the original colors in the house, although they left a few spots un-painted for comparison. 
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On our tour, Barbara told us about Thoreau and his siblings. He and his brother John both (unsuccessfully) proposed to the same woman. A few weeks later, John cut himself shaving and ultimately died of lockjaw. Thoreau was so distraught over the death of this brother that he wound up developing what we now know were psychosomatic symptoms which mirrored John’s so strongly that his family was convinced Thoreau must have cut himself as well. He eventually recovered, and went on to write A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, about a boat trip he took with John before his passing.
Thoreau’s younger sister Sophia (pronounced So-Fye-Uh) was an accomplished artist, and drew the cover art used for Walden, the book for which Thoreau is probably most well-known. Additionally, the family were abolitionists, and his older sister, Helen, founded the first woman’s abolitionist group.
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Thoreau Farm is also still a fully functional farm, and volunteers from a non-profit organization called Gaining Ground farm the land and donate all the produce to local food pantries and meal programs. We took a few minutes to stroll around their crops, and it was really impressive. 
My favorite new plant discovery came in the form of Egyptian Walking Onions, which were growing in one of the small garden plots near the house. When I said I wondered how they tasted, Barbara gave us permission to pick a few, if we would try them and let her know what they tasted like. Can confirm they tasted like red onions, just in miniature form! The Egyptian Walking Onions are an heirloom plant, meaning the seeds were from Thoreau’s time period.
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(The little purple buds in the phot above are actually the Egyptian Walking Onions! They’re very small, but very tasty!)
After a quick and delicious lunch at Nashoba Brook Bakery, we headed over to Orchard House, the family home of Louisa May Alcott. 
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As you approach the house, the first thing that stands out is the lovely little garden out front, which is planted with the same plants and flowers that each of the four March sisters plants in her own little garden plot in Little Women. The plots are labeled accordingly with the sisters’ names - Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. 
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The first part of the tour takes place in the Concord School of Philosophy building, which Alcott’s father built in 1879. He was a Transcendentalist, who believed in education reformation. He believed in things like recess and field trips, and opposed corporal punishment, which was widely used at the time. 
In the Concord School of Philosophy, you’ll find benches that were created for the schoolhouse scenes in the 2019 Little Woman film, and donated to Orchard House after filming. You can sit on them as you view a short documentary about Orchard House, narrated by a very compelling “Louisa May Alcott”, played by Jan Turnquist. You can watch the documentary here, if you are a member of Thirteen PBS.
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After viewing the documentary, it was time to tour the house. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed, so if you want to see the residence in all its glory and fine detail, you’ve got to come visit for yourself. 
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We learned that the family bought Orchard House when Louisa was 25 years old. Prior to that, the family had lived in 29 houses over a span of 30 years, which sounds exhausting. After purchasing the house, which was only a few rooms, Alcott’s father had a nearby tenant house rolled in using logs, and attached it to the main house, making the whole residence much more spacious for his family. Louisa and her sisters helped with painting and setting up the house, although her sister Beth died before the family officially moved in. Beth’s melodium (a reed organ that resembles a small keyboard) and her portrait reside in one of the sitting rooms. 
Due to the success of Alcott’s writing, she was able to furnish the family home with a lot of nice things, many of which are still present in the house today. She was also able to finance her youngest sister May’s art lessons in Europe, which were necessary because in America, art was not seen as a viable career for a woman. May had a small studio room in Orchard House where she gave art lessons, and one of her students, Daniel Chester French, eventually went on to design the Lincoln Memorial.
May spent many years in Europe learning art from the masters, eventually marrying and having a daughter, whom she named after her sister Louisa. Unfortunately, May passed a way shortly after giving birth, and then Lulu was sent back to America to be raised by Louisa for about nine years. Lulu eventually moved to Switzerland, where she lived until her death in 1975 at the age of 95.
May’s artwork lives on, however, as it can be found in every room in the house. From sketches to paintings to ink drawings all over the windowsills and walls, May’s art gives visitors glimpses into the lives of the Alcotts and the art styles of the time period. Due to a current art exhibit with the Concord Library, more of May’s art was on display than usual, including a silk dress which she hand painted. In addition, the wedding dress of the eldest sister, Anna, was also on special display in Louisa’s bedroom. The silvery gray silk was certainly unlike any modern wedding dress you’d see today, but it had a very sophisticated look nonetheless.
Some other items of note in the house were Louisa’s boots and writing desk. The boots are kept in a costume trunk from when the sisters and their friends would put on plays. The very same boots are mentioned in Little Women as belonging to Jo, who wears them to play Roderigo, the same role Louisa wore the boots for in real life. Louisa’s writing desk, though small in size, was large in what it represented - her family’s faith in her writing ability. During her lifetime, it was unfitting for a woman to have her own writing desk, as writing wasn’t seen as an appropriate career for them, similar to art. Louisa’s father build the desk for her, showing how strongly he believed in her.
Something I already knew before visiting Orchard House, but that I still think is interesting and important to mention is that when Alcott was writing Little Women, she fully intended for Jo, the character modeled after herself, to remain a “spinster,” just as Alcott was. However, her publisher absolutely forbid that, so as a “compromise,” Alcott created a sort of unexpected character for Jo to marry, rather than the fan favorite pick, Laurie.
One thing I didn’t know before our tour was how involved the Concord authors were in each other’s lives. Nathanial Hawthorne lived next door to the Alcotts, and Thoreau and Emerson were contemporaries of Louisa’s father, Amos Bronson. They even joined the family for Anna’s wedding.
After our tour of Orchard House, Jess and I explored downtown Concord a bit, and visited a few antique stores, a chocolate shop, and a cheese shop. Then we went back to our hotel to unwind for a bit before heading to Copper House Tavern for dinner. We both had fancy burgers that were quite scrumptious, and very satisfying. Now we’re back at the hotel resting up for tomorrow. We’ve got a lot planned, and it looks like rain all day, but luckily most of our adventuring will take place in doors.
Tune in tomorrow for some more literary adventures in Concord!
<3 Theresa
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