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#I’ll be honest that writing fanfic kind of messed with my confidence as a writer
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nerdynuala · 3 years
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hc/ oneshot of levi coaching hanji bc they were about to fight w the mp bc someone was making fun of them?
First off, I'm so so sorry anon I really took my sweet time with this one.
The thing is I don't usually write anything beside very random headcanons when inspiration hits lol
I've been debating whether to try this or redirect you to a fanfic writer's blog since I'm not confident about my writing and my English is kinda rubbish imo.
But yeah, in the end I gave it a try. Also, sorry Anon but I'm not sure if I got exactly what you were asking for, and I went full MP huge fight mode. And it's kinda turned into vets stuff. I still suggest you ask a writer to do this, there's many cool blogs out there who can do a much better job in half the time lol
Anyway, if you wanna read my poor attempt at writing, here it is.
Warning: just some swearing, she/her pronouns for Hange
"Look, if it isn't the crazy bitch from the Survey Corps" a man with a raspy voice barked.
Hange dreaded those meetings with the MPs, no one in the Survey Corps could stand them, to be honest, but still, they had to put up the façade and feign some civil behaviour for the sake of the Scouts and the funding. Hange was well aware she had trouble controlling her temper most of the times, and experience taught her that she couldn't stand the Military Police talking badly about her comrades.
She knew that Levi and herself together managed to make a few scenes before, and Erwin particularly stressed it every time before one of these meetings. "And please, please I beg all of you to refrain from making scenes or even talking back to anyone. We're there to make a good impression, we need funds and fo heaven's sake the last thing we need is for them to have an excuse to think even less of us and undermine our funds" he said every time, with a pointed look directed at Levi and Hange.
She turned and stared right at the Military Police man who was talking about her. She smiled and waved, "Yes, that would be me, it's a pleasure to meet you!".
Levi snorted at the facial expression the idiot made. He hoped that Hange brushing him off like that would settle it, but he had been to enough meetings to know it wasn't over at all.
"She probably didn't score high enough to get into the good Corps. That's what they do isn't it?" the man nudged a colleague in the chest, gesturing towards Hange.
"Aye, scoring shit and then ending up in some titan's mouth. They're replaceable anyway" the pug-faced man joined the teasing.
Levi could sense Hange tense next to him. He knew what she felt, he loathed hearing comments about his comrades just as much as she did.
She laughed it off, though. "Maan I would love to watch the insides of a Titan! What do we have to lose? Another cadet will score shit and they can take my place. Unless some of you feel the thrill of bravery once in your life and decide to join" she shrugged. "Who knows".
Levi knew this could only get worse. He tugged her sleeve. "Hange, come, let's join Mike and Erwin".
"My, my, if it isn't humanity strongest!"
"The underground scum you mean"
"No, no, he's a hero now, isn't he? Should've been thrown to prison and was rescued by Smith like a fucking stray dog"
Both men laughed, while others were gathering around.
"Shut the fuck up all of you!" Levi admitted to himself he would have snapped just like that, but Hange had anticipated him. His eyes went slightly wide for a moment, but then his lips briefly curled up in a small smirk upon seeing the fervor in Hange's brown orbs.
He would have loved to join her and teach a lesson to those morons, sure, but they promised Erwin.
He tugged again at her sleeve. "Oi, it's not worth our time, let's go".
The MPs laughed. "Only thing that's worth the time or your sorts is getting minced up by some stinky titan's mouth".
Hange tensed and she opened her mouth to strike back, but Levi gently made her turn to face him.
"Let's not get into trouble", he said, staring directly in her eyes.
"But Levi you should-"
"Yeah I want to break their fucking noses as much as you do. But we promised Erwin" he tugged once more.
The MPs laughed again, louder this time.
"Erwin Fucking Smith keeping his lapdogs tamed!" roared the pug-faced one.
"No wonder he needs to tame them" laughed another one with an annoying high-pitched voice, "look at the kind of lapdogs he got himself! One's a nutcase eager to step into a Titan's mouth, the other one is a pint-sized thug fetched straight from the filthy undergound" they all laughed. "I think we're missing one..." he feigned thinking hard, with a hand on his chin.
"What did you expect from the Survey Corps and Fucking Smith? That's the best he could get, to be fair" a black-haired man joined them.
"Not that he particularly cares..." he added with an unpleasant smirk "these are just chunks of meat he is more than willing to feed to titans, anyway".
That was it. That was just what drove Hange over the top and Levi knew it. He could feel her clenching her fist under his hand, he felt her muscles tremble. He looked at her, she was clenching her jaw, a fiery light in her eyes, cheeks slightly flushed. She briefly looked at him, and he didn't need words of any sorts. He let go of her arm and nodded.
Hange launched herself at the black-haired man and punched him on the jaw.
Everyone was shocked.
"Do you idiots have anything else to say?" She challenged them. "You can talk shit about me all you want, I don't give a damn, but show some respect to my comrades, people willing to DIE for your fat asses"
Levi watched her. She was scary, definitely scary when angry. He briefly smirked to himself, she had used one of the moves he taught her while sparring.
She suddenly grabbed the collar of the pug-faced man. She lifted her fist and the man flinched.
Levi approached her but he just glared at the MPs. "I won't restrain her, you called it".
He turned towards Hange. "If you punch him in the nose like I thaught you, you'll knock him out and fuck him up, but not enough to kill him".
"I know" she growled, but she clearly was trying to control her impulse to strike him.
The man had the courage to smirk. "Did Smith manage to tame the thug but not this nutcase of a weirdo?".
Hange hit him on front of his nose with the heel of her palm. He passed out instantly.
It was chaos, the other two men launched themselves against Hange. Levi announced "I've got your back, Hange" and the fight started getting bad. Levi's eyes were checking Hange all the time, he knew she could handle it but he resolved he would avoid risking her getting hurt.
Erwin, across the enourmous room, paled. He heard shouting and suddenly a group of people were hitting each other. Levi and Hange had been gone for a while, and he had a gut feeling they were right in the middle of it.
He was speaking to an important old man who may just want to fund the Corps if he worked him correctly, he couldn't leave him. Not now. Erwin subtly excused himself and fetched Mike, without getting more than two steps away from the man.
"Stop them" he whispered close to his ear.
Mike's eyes travelled to the corner of the room and took notice of the fight. He didn't see Hange and Levi since there were a lot of people gathered around, but he didn't need to see them to know they were there.
He stared at Erwin. "The two of them?" he whispered back, "You think I can stop the two of them? Are you nuts?".
"Just do something, please. I can't leave this one, he's going to fund us with some good amount of money" he clapped Mike's shoulder.
Mike sighed. "Fine" he said, murmuring something along the lines of "wish me luck" while he made his way to fetch his friends.
He sure had to admit he didn't think it was this bad. Hange was clearly having the upper hand and she was the one who was hitting the most.
He grabbed her from behind and lifted her up, gesturing to Levi to stop the fight and keep the opponents away. She kicked around and ended up elbowing him on the temple.
"Fuck" he hissed, gripping her waist tighter "Hange stop! It's me!".
Suddenly, Levi was on his side.
"Let go, Mike, I'll show them" Hange was struggling to get out of his arms, hitting him in the process.
"Levi do something! What the hell" he hissed again, getting frustrated.
Levi caught Hange's wrist and she looked at him. "That's enough, Hange" he said calmly and she sighed and tried calming down.
Hange's gaze lingered on the mess she and Levi made. Well, it was mostly Hange's doing.
Feeling her relax in his arms, Mike released her and let her again on the floor.
"Erwin's gonna kill the both of you" he looked around. His eyes stopping and widening as he took notice of the limp man on the floor, two of the MPs were lightly slapping his cheek. "Is he-?"
"Just passed out" Levi interrupted.
Mike sighed and rubbed a hand on his face.
"There's the lapdog we were missing" the man with the high-pitched voice chimed up. "The sniffing weirdo".
Mike smirked. He put a big hand on Hange's shoulder and turned her aroun. "Let's go, Hange. Levi" Levi nodded and started to follow him, when the man with the black hair spoke up again.
"I've always thought he is involved with Smith"
Mike laughed. "I sure love that man, but I don't think the nature of our relationship is any concern of yours"
"That explains why he's been around for so long. Smith doesn't want to feed him to a titan like the fucking rest of these idiots"
Hange turned around vehemetly, but Levi stopped her before she could speak. "That's enough, Hange, they weren't even worth our time to begin with" he said in merely more than a whisper.
Mike stopped in his tracks.
"I'll have you idiots know he's been around for so long because he's fucking capable of staying alive and keep his squad alive. I'd love to see some of you out there" Mike was surprised Levi interjected to defend him, but the insults towards his capability wasn't really what had bothered him.
"Listen here" he said, turning around to face them. "You can say all the shit you want about myself, but not a word about my friends or Erwin for that matter-"
They laughed. "Isn't it funny how they fucking defend him and the coward is just throwing them to their deaths instead?". The black-haired man roared with laughter "Fucking idiots".
Without warning, Mike punched one in the face and Hange punched the other on the nose, the loud crack all too telling as to what happened to the bones.
Mike sighed. "I guess Erwin can't kill the three of us in one go".
Levi walked closer to Hange. "You okay?".
She nodded and stared at him. "Thanks for trying to stop me. And for understanding I didn't-"
"Want to be stopped" he finished for her. "I get it. I'll always have your back, Hange, but let's be more careful next time. They weren't worth it and I don't want to risk you getting hurt".
She smiled. "I got carried away, but you saw I actually learned your moves?"
Levi smiled. "Yeah, we should work on them".
She nudged his arm "That's not true, they were perfect and you know it".
"Yes, they were perfect".
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violetsmoak · 4 years
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Appetence [11/?]
AO3 Link:https://archiveofourown.org/works/20251420/chapters/47997634
Blanket Disclaimer
Summary: Red Robin is investigating the disappearance of a friend and stumbles into a spot of supernatural trouble. He doesn’t expect to be saved by Jason Todd, miraculously alive five years after his death and now with the inexplicable ability to commune with the dead. Meanwhile, when Jason returned to Gotham he meant to maintain a low profile and not get involved with Bat business. That was before he found out how hot his Replacement is.
Rating: PG-13 (rating may change later)
JayTimBingo Prompts This Chapter: #haunting #paranormal investigator
First Chapter
Beta Reader: I’ll get back to you on that.
Author’s Note: I decided to upload this today instead of tomorrow as I have a final paper due Friday and if I'm gonna concentrate on finishing it and not writing fanfic, I need to put this up now :P Enjoy the BatFam feels.
________________________________________________________________
 A day later and Jason is still stewing in anger—and, if he’s being honest—a bit of hurt. Even after reuniting, even after listening to what Jason had to say, and trying to get him to come home—Bruce still can’t be convinced to deal with the Joker.
Or at the very least stand aside and let Jason do it.
It’s like he’s trying to protect my non-existent virtue or some kind of innocence I never really had.
Does Bruce even actually remember him anymore? Or has he built up some false memory in his head that’s turned the boy Jason was into some clone of Dick?
The obvious, adult way of finding out would be to drive over to the manor and go for Round Two in confronting Bruce, but that’s a journey he’s not ready to take yet. Especially since the emotionally stunted man child that is the Dark Knight might take that as Jason coming to grovel for forgiveness, which just…no.
It’s decided. Jason will sit and sulk in his office and pretend Bruce and all of his Bat-drama doesn’t exist. He has work to do, anyhow.
The phone rings and Jason smirks.
“Like I said,” he tells himself smugly and picks it up, leaning back in his chair with his feet on the desk. “Beyond Investigations, Victor Shelley speaking.”
“First of all, you have a really warped sense of humor choosing that as your civilian identity,” a familiar voice tells him, and Jason’s stomach flips a little as he nearly slides off his chair.
“Well, if it isn’t my esteemed former stalker,” he drawls, then winces because it’s not exactly his best line. “You can’t tell me it’s not funny, in the gallows kind of way.”
“If you wanted gallows, I’m surprised you didn’t go with Vlad Stoker,” Tim Drake remarks.
“That would be cliché. And Stoker’s overrated. Also, he once demanded all the gay writers be imprisoned, which ain’t cool,” Jason replies with an easy enjoyment. “But I doubt you’re calling to talk early horror literature with me. Gotta say, it’s the first time I’ve ever waited more than two days for someone to call me when I give them my number.”
Shit. That was a little more flirting than he intended.
“That leads to second of all,” Tim says, either missing the innuendo or ignoring it completely. “Care to explain why, after you asked me not to say anything to B about you being here, you ratted me out to him?”
That’s…not what he was expecting. Jason sits up, suddenly serious. “Ratted you out? What are you talking about?”
“He came back home after that thing downtown with Freeze yesterday completely shaken because he ran into you, and apparently you let it slip that I knew you were back and didn’t tell anyone.”
There’s more than a little irritation in Tim’s voice there, and Jason’s heart picks up a bit in worry. He thinks back to the encounter the night before, trying to figure out when he would have outed Tim. He can’t think of anything.
Then he remembers his parting words.
The blood rushes to his face.
If Bruce figured out he was talking about Tim with such a throwaway comment, he worries what else he might have inferred.
Don’t think about it too closely. Worry about putting Tim in his crosshairs.  
He groans. “Sorry, my bad.”
“Apparently I should have been the one asking for a week’s grace,” Tim goes on dryly.
“Honestly, I wasn’t thinking,” Jason tells him. “Talkin’ to B always gets my blood pressure up, and then my mouth just starts to run.”
“No kidding.”
“He didn’t give you too much trouble, did he?”
There’s a pause, and then, “No more than normal. A couple of years ago that sort of thing would have really messed with my head, but these days I can deal.”
“What happened a couple of years ago?”
Tim pauses again, and even though Jason can’t sense auras or ghosts through telephone lines, he’s pretty sure that the dark aura constantly surrounding the younger man is behind that.
“Let’s just say I learned that Brue can be myopic about certain things,” Tim says at last. “Either he’s entirely focused on what’s right in front of him, or some arbitrary future end game. He doesn’t really…absorb the things that happen between those two points.”
Jason blinks. “That’s a scary kind of accurate.”
“That’s what I do. I think and I know things.”
Jason can’t hold back a scoff.
“Did you…did you just misquote Game of Thrones?”
Tim lets out a somewhat startled laugh. “I guess I did. Totally unintentional, I promise. Although, you get points for catching it.”
“Points for what? Is there a prize?”
 “Even if there was, I’d be keeping it. I’m still ticked off at you for telling on me to B.”
“And I still feel bad about that. I owe you a drink.”
No, no you don’t. No drinks, no nothing. Off-limits, remember?
“Still not old enough to drink, Jason,” Tim replies, voice sounding less irritated and weary and more…amused? Fond even?
Then he hangs up, leaving Jason staring at the receiver of his phone in puzzled frustration.
“This isn’t going to end well for me, is it?”
“No,” Sheila tells him from where she’s lingering across the room, “it’s not.”
Jason lets his head fall onto his desk.
With the ice now broken with Tim and Bruce (or at least as broken as it can get given the latter’s inability to process anything resembling emotions), Jason pretty knows his days of privacy are likely at an end.
He completely expects the requisite visitations of various Family members who will no doubt have been told he’s alive.
Both the ones I knew and the one I didn’t…
If he weren’t pretending indifference, he would have expected Dick to be the first to show up, all passion and anger. He doesn’t have many memories of his predecessor-slash-older-brother-figure where he wasn’t furious about something—almost always Bruce related. To Jason, he only seemed to have two settings: coddling and wanting to pick a fight.
Jason’s not sure which of those he wants to encounter just now.
Turns out his intuition about Dick being his first visit is completely off.  
Instead, he wakes one night from a dead sleep by a sense of presence, both physical and spectral.
There’s a kid standing at the edge of his futon, swathed in Robin’s colors but with the aura of a predator lying in wait. He can’t be more than twelve, and there’s just something about the set of his shoulders and clench of his jaw that screams Bruce.
He’s also not alone.
Outside the open window that the kid obviously used to break in, a ghostly figure in a voluminous green robe looms, hissing imprecations at Jason’s wards from the decapitated head it holds in its hands.
Jason blinks, intrigue cutting through his sleep-dulled senses. Considering the kid is Talia’s, he obviously has some League of Assassins training. Given that, Jason would have expected there to be a lot more ghosts following the kid around. Either he hasn’t killed very many people beyond the one by the window, or the ones he has didn’t leave anything unfinished.
Either way, this brat’s dangerous.
“You know who I am?” Robin challenges although it’s more a statement of fact.
“Chip off the old block is what you are,” Jason grumbles, sitting up—slowly, in case the hard-looking kid thinks he’s about to try something. He’d rather not get into another Wayne beatdown so soon after his encounter with Bruce. “Did he actually teach you the menacing-people-in-the-dark thing, or is it genetic?”
“What is your purpose for returning to Gotham?” the boy demands, ignoring the question.
“Best chili dogs in the world,” Jason shoots back, reaching for the small table beside his fold-out bed and the carton of cigarettes there.
“Stow your flippant remarks, Todd, I will have my answer whether you give it voluntarily or after I’ve loosened a few of your teeth.”
“Big words for someone probably still losing their own baby teeth. What are you, six?”
“I won’t tolerate any attempts to shove your way back into Father’s life,” the boy insists. “We already have one failure lingering about where he shouldn’t be, no need for a second.” He pauses, tilts his head to one side, and his mouth pulls into a cold smirk. “Or rather, you were the first, weren’t you?”
Jason narrows his eyes. “You know there’s a headless guy in a green curtain following you around, right? I’d think really hard about what B considers a failure before throwing that word at other people.”
The kid’s mouth goes white around the edges—touchy subject, apparently—and moves into a crouch like he’s about to dive across the room. He pauses though, fingers touching his hear, and then scowls.
“That Daddy calling you out for missing curfew?” Jason prods.
“This isn’t over!” the kid snaps, and then like he’s making a point, whips a Batarang at Jason’s face.
By the time Jason’s reached up to catch it, the brat and his ghost have vanished.
“Well, that was fun,” Jason mutters, bemused and confident he won’t be getting back to sleep any time soon.
He spends the rest of the night and early morning first checking emails and then researching. John sent him a bunch of information on kodoku, the technique Jason couldn’t remember in conjunction with the thing attracting negative energy to Tim.
It’s not exactly what he was thinking of, but even if it doesn’t help him figure out that conundrum, it might offer an inkling or two of how to deal with the ever-present Joker problem.
Need to read up on it more before I can know for sure.
His stomach growls and he decides to table it for now. There’s a 24-hour breakfast place down the street actually does bangers and mash, which he’s been craving since leaving London.
Instead, there’s a knock at the door.
Guess I’m putting off breakfast for a bit longer. Oh well. Potential client.
Jason forces himself to put on a normal, welcoming face and goes to open the door.  
What he doesn’t expect to find is a certain English butler standing in the shitty hallway just outside his office, with a bulky canvas bag in his arms and a disapproving look on his face that only just falters as their eyes meet.
It’s as if the air has been punched out of Jason’s lungs because if there’s anyone he has missed than anyone else since he’s been away, it’s Alfred.
“Master Jason,” the older man says, somehow managing to keep his voice from wavering, and god, he sounds the same. “I am sure in instilled at least a rudimentary etiquette into you as a boy. Therefore, you can imagine my disappointment upon learning you have been in Gotham for several weeks now and did not come to call at the manor.”
Jason can’t hold back the slightly hysterical chuckle at that, because trust Alfred to act like he’s been on some kind of extended vacation, instead of six feet under and insane. Yet, it doesn’t feel as dismissive or repressing as it would from Bruce.
“You know me, Alf,” he says through a suddenly dry mouth. “That stuff never took.”
“So it would seem.”
They exchange looks, both sizing up the other and then Alfred raises an eyebrow. Jason shakes his head like a sleepwalker and indicates the older man should come in.
Alfred moves smoothly across the threshold of the tiny office, frowning at the disarray (and mostly at the futon).
“Given the fact you’ve only recently, er, moved in, I thought it best to arrive with provisions.”
He sets the paper bag down on Jason’s desk and removes a box containing a hot plate, a kettle and what appears to be a package of tea. Though his back is turned, there’s a tension in his shoulders and a minor tremor that, when Jason cranes his head, he realizes are from shaking hands.
When Alfred turns around, Jason can’t hold back from reaching over and enveloping him in a hug.
It’s so different from the awkward thing with Bruce, and even though Alfred has never been the hugging type, he holds Jason just as tightly.
They stay like that for several moments, before Alfred speaks again, his voice tense like he’s speaking around a lump in his throat. “You have certainly grown into your various limbs, my boy.”
“Yeah…yeah, I guess I did…”
Jason tells Alfred everything.
He doesn’t skip any of the details the way he did with Tim and, to an extent, with Bruce. Because the fact is, he doesn’t know Tim, not really, and he knows Bruce too well. Alfred won’t look at him with pity or as something damaged; there’s pain in the way he watches Jason, but also an overwhelming and unquestionable relief.
Alfred isn’t one to cry, but his eyes gleam wetly as Jason relates how he woke in his coffin and the trial of digging himself out.
“I didn’t remember it for a while,” he admits. “Mostly it’s what comes back in nightmares. I guess it’s so clear because it’s the only thing that happened to me for another year. I was in a coma for about as long.”
“And no one knew who you were,” Alfred murmurs dully. “Everyone thought you were already dead.”
“…yeah.”
“My dear boy…if we had known…”
“Can’t change the past, Alf,” Jason shrugs, trying to play it off. “And even if you had known, I wasn’t me for a long time. Wouldn’t have wanted you to go through that.”
“And yet…somehow, you rallied,” Alfred says, determined. “You recovered.”
“I guess you could say that,” Jason says with a bitter twist of the mouth. “Not sure people would call seeing ghosts ‘recovered’.” He exhales. “I do see ‘em, Alf—all the time. I didn’t know what it was I the beginning, and…that made things harder. I was so out of it; I couldn’t tell when I was talking to someone alive or someone dead. Everyone at the hospitals thought I was insane. Bet you can guess what happened next.”
“Master Timothy…was reluctant to tell me when I asked,” the old man admits. “I’m astounded anyone in the system would have thought Arkham of all places was the appropriate place for you.” He clenches his fists together, no doubt imagining using them on whoever made that particular decision. “But Mr. Constantine, he rescued you?”
“Yeah,” Jason leans back, crossing his arms. “If he hadn’t shown up, I’d still be rotting away there. It was completely by chance, too. An old mate of his called in a favor with him, wanted to prove his sister was possessed and not bat-shit crazy.” Alfred shoots him a reprimanding look and Jason shrugs. “Sorry. Anyway, turns out she was crazy. John was keen to get out of there as soon as possible and happened to pass my room on the way out—he heard me talking to one of my many spectral roommates. He could sense the energy and when he went to look, he could see ‘em too.”
“And thus discovered that your supposed insanity was not quite so clear-cut,” Alfred determines, looking a mite triumphant.
“Not exactly. I’d been driven almost beyond the point of no return by then. If I’d been there much longer, it’d have been too late. But John could tell I was a medium. He decided I wasn’t supposed to be there and busted me out—then decided it’d be dangerous to let me wander around on my own like that. Been with him ever since. Three years of trying to heal what that asshat clown did to my brain and train myself not to lose it when I get rushed by a stampede of dead people.”
“Then I can only be grateful to him,” Alfred says. “Should you speak to Mr. Constantine in the near future, do tell him he will always have a place to stay at the manor should he need it.”
Jason laughs. “I don’t see him coming out this way any time soon. And I doubt B would be open to that arrangement.”
“You let me worry about Master Bruce. As for you—is there any point in reminding you that you also have a place to stay should you tire of this…urban setting?”
“This is my home, Alf,” Jason replies, at least halfway apologetic. “The manor might have...become that if I’d been there longer. Maybe.” He spares a moment’s thought for the little boy that wanted nothing more than to become Batman when he grew up. “But not now. I’m too—I’ve got my own mission now.”
Alfred nods, mouth turned downward. Jason tries to pretend he doesn’t notice the sad gleam in his eye.
“In the hope that your mission is not so all-consuming as Master Bruce’s, I shall still keep a guestroom at the ready. I…suspect returning to your old room would harm more than heal.”
And this is why Jason always loved Alfred. He gets it. Even when he’s hoping for the impossible.
“Guess I can live with that,” Jason says.
 “I do expect you to call for dinner at some point in the future. Perhaps not until you’re more settled. But surely you can sacrifice an hour or two for a pot roast dinner.”
Jason’s mouth immediately waters.
“Oh, that’s playing dirty, old man,” he tells him seriously.
“Having lived in Gotham this long, it’s hardly a surprise that I, too, can affect nefariousness when the occasion calls for it.” There’s a buzzing sound and Alfred digs into his pocket for his mobile phone and then heaves a sigh in a very familiar way. “Master Damian’s school. I’m afraid I must attend to this.”
“Ten o’clock and he’s already in trouble,” Jason whistles. “Beating my old record, huh?”
“You have no idea,” Alfred agrees seriously. He stands then, looks like he wants to hug Jason again but manages to keep control of himself this time. “Seeing you again is a gift, Master Jason. I hope you will allow me to impose on your hospitality again in the future?”
“You’re welcome here any time,” Jason says, warm and sincere. “I’m…it’s really good to see you again, Alf.”
The old man nods then continues to gaze at Jason a few beats longer, as if to make sure he really is seeing him, and then heads for the door. Jason sees him out, watches him until he vanishes around the corner, and then sags heavily against the doorpost to his office.
A bone-deep exhaustion that has nothing to do with sleep deprivation washes over him.
“'Stay under the radar’, I said,” he mutters to himself. “'Don’t let the Family know I’m here'. That was the plan. There was a reason for the plan…”
A reason that was supposed to guard against an estranged father and attractive replacement and loving butler.
(Well, to be fair, he didn’t know that ‘attractive replacement’ was on his list, but it clearly should have been.)
At least I got the really hard reunions out of the way. Except for Barbie, but I doubt she’d drag herself up a flight of stairs just to see me. Might be able to avoid that one a bit longer…
Honestly, he's kind of afraid of having to look Barbara Gordon in the eyes. There's so much pain between them, all caused by the same evil.
As it turns out, Jason’s next visitor is somehow more overwhelming. Or at least starts out that way.
He’s shuffling through the hallway to his door with a bag of take-out that evening, and suddenly the air becomes cold and suffocating. Jason winces, tries to breathe slow and measured against the cold.
“Whoever you are, can you just…stay where you are for a minute?” he grunts, fumbling with his keys to jimmy the door open. Silence is the only response, but he takes that as acquiescence.
Well, that’s rare. A creepy stalker that actually listens.
He practically falls into the office, the constricted sensation in his lungs vanishing as soon as he crosses the threshold.
Wards are still working. Good.
“Okay, you can come in now,” he says, putting his groceries on his desk and turning around.
He almost does a double-take.
The person that glides into his office is a small Asian girl, maybe an inch or two shorter than Tim, and deceptively dainty looking. Deceptive, because Jason can see the ghosts crowding the hallway behind her, clawing at the doorway and keening and cursing at her in a myriad of languages.
“How in the hell does someone that looks like you have that big a body count?” he asks, halfway between impressed and horrified.
The girl’s face remains blank, but her eyes skitter away, as if in shame. Jason immediately feels like a tool.
“Sorry,” he mumbles. “Didn’t mean it that way. It’s just…you’re just a kid.”
“Older than you,” she tells him in clear but accented English. She cocks her head to one side, studying him in a way that is almost as invasive as any of the mind-readers he met while working for John. And then she smiles and says, “Little brother.”
Whatever he expected, that wasn’t it. Jason blinks.
“…What.”
She points to herself. “Cassandra. Wayne.”
“Wayne,” he repeats, and then makes the connection and snorts. “Of course. Most people collect stamps. B collects orphans.” He wanders over to his desk and sits down heavily. “What’d he bring you in for? Me, it was boosting tires off the Batmobile.”
Cassandra Wayne’s eyes widen in surprise and then sparkle with amusement and delight.
“So, what brings you here? Come to stare at the clan screw-up?”
“Curious,” she tells him.
“About?”
“They said you see…differently,” she says.
“That’s one way to put it.”
“It’s…comforting,” she says, hesitating on the word like she’s not sure it’s the right one.
“Why’s that?”
“I see different too.”
Jason eyes her, then the myriad ghosts lingering beyond the words. He nods, serious. “I bet you do.”
She smiles at him.
He kind of can’t help be charmed by her, despite the vicious insults being hurled at her by her ghostly entourage.
“Tell you what,” he says. “Close that door so I can hear myself think, and you can stay for supper. I’ve got too much for just me.” He nods at the bags which contain what was supposed to be both tonight’s meal and tomorrow’s lunch. “Not sure if you eat souvlaki, but—”
“I eat anything,” she replies and sits in one of the chairs by his desk.
“Same here,” Jason agrees, handing her one of the Styrofoam containers. “Just promise me you won’t eat it with a fork and knife.”
She makes a face. “I am not Bruce.”
“Thank the gods for small miracles…”
To Be Continued
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I want to know what you think of my story! Leave kudos, a comment or if writing comments isn’t something you’re comfortable with, as many of these (or other emojis) as you want and let me know how you feel!
❤️️ = I love this story! 😳 = this was hot! 💐 = thank you for sharing this 🍵 = tea spilled 🍬 = so sweet and fluffy! 🚔 = you’re under arrest! the writing’s too good! 😲 = I NEED THE NEXT CHAPTER 😢 = you got me right in the feels
Reblogging is also majorly appreciated!
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Author Spotlight: @under-the-shady-tree
Every week we are going to be interviewing a writer from The Magicians fandom. If you would like to be interviewed or you want to nominate a writer, get in touch via our ask box.
First things first, tell us a little about yourself.
Well, my name is Lauren, I live in Indianapolis and groom dogs for a living. I have a very tight-knit family so I spend pretty much all my time hanging out with them and having fun being the “cool” aunt.
How long have you been writing for?
Since I learned how to write. My parents gave me a diary for my 6th birthday and from that moment on, I was writing all the time. I used to write stories about me and my friends and reading my stories during recess became a thing. I moved onto fanfiction once the internet came around and still continue to journal and write original fiction.
What inspired you to start writing for The Magicians?
A Life in the Day. I hadn’t written anything for almost two years. Life got rocky for a bit and I just couldn’t do it. I would get ideas for stuff, even The Magicians, but nothing would come of it. But that episode got whatever was blocked in my brain knocked out and it’s been non-stop since then.
Who is/are your favourite character(s) to write? What it is about them that makes them your favourite?
Quentin. I just relate to him so much and understand how that brain could work. He comes really easy to me. Eliot also is one of my favorites, I find so much emotion and love buried under his persona and that is so much fun. Writing them together is just a joy. I also really like writing Margo and that one surprised me because I am so different from her, but like Eliot I’ve found what’s underneath all of her bravado to be so interesting to write.
Do you have a preference for a particular season/point in time to write about?
I guess season 3 since it’s the most I have written about, but I’ll write where ever the inspiration takes me.
Are you working on anything right now? Care to give us an idea about it?
Right now my time is pretty much all focused on my timeline 23 fic, We Will All Be Changed, it’s kind of a monster of a story for me so it’s got most of my attention. But I have a few things brewing. More of the mosaic lifetime, kind of examining how Quentin, Eliot and Arielle worked as parenting team and how they dealt with her death. I’m also dying to write teenage Rupert!
How long is your “to do list”?
Too long!
What is your favourite fic that you’ve written for The Magicians? Why?
That’s hard, I always hate picking favorites. I lean more toward Destiny Is Bullshit I think because it was my first big one and it’s what really got me going into writing again. I really found Quentin and Eliot’s voices working on it and found that I actually could write Margo. The response I got from it was so positive as well and it really gave me a confidence boost that I never had before. It also inspired more than just that one story (now 8 in the series) and gave me a way to fill in the blanks for the rest of the season and for their mosaic lifetime.
Many writers have a fic that they are passionate about that doesn’t get the reception from the fandom that they hoped for. Do you have a fic you would like more people to read and appreciate?
I would have to say my fic All That Remains is Love. It’s a 5+1 story dealing with death so it might be too depressing, but it’s all of my favorite things. It’s missing scenes we didn’t get to see, angst and Queliot falling in love very slowly. I also worked non stop on it once the idea hit me and it drove me a little insane until it was done. It emotionally drained me writing it so I just want to shove it at everyone and be like “LOVE THIS!!!”
What is your writing process like? Do you have any traditions or superstitions that you like to stick to when you’re writing?
It depends on the length of what I’m writing. For the shorter fics I usually have more of an abstract idea and a few lines of dialogue or a surprise ending in mind. I have a few playlists for certain moods. (I’m a little obsessed about having a soundtrack to everything I do in my life, not just writing) Then I just start working it out line by line.
For longer ones, it’s a much bigger process because I like to plan. I don’t even consider starting a multi-chapter fic unless I’ve worked out the beginning, middle and end and what the conflict is. I create a playlist that goes to that particular fic and that always sets a good tone for me. Then I break it down chapter by chapter and start writing. I get the bare bones out, like the dialogue and where they are. Then I add the inner thoughts and actions and emotions and just kind iron it all out.
Sometimes it changes a lot while I write, sometimes it sticks close to what I thought.
Do you write while the seasons are airing or do you prefer to wait for hiatus? How does the ongoing development of the canon influence and inspire your writing process?
I’ve only been writing since midway through season 3 and haven’t stopped so I see myself just writing during both pretty consistently. As far as what will happen, it will only inspire more. I have a series that sticks very close to canon so I can get all my added scenes and further in-depth peek into the show. So that will only help that grow. And ideas that fit out of that bubble come along too and I just go with it.
I think it would be kind of fun to continue some of my season 4 speculation stuff right into au territory because I’m sure what I wrote won’t happen, so who knows.
What has been the most challenging fic for you to write?
Of fics that are finished, The Mess We Made. It was hard because I realized early on that I was writing a younger Quentin and Eliot than who they were in Destiny is Bullshit. I kind of struggled with getting them to fight, because I just spent months writing them with a lifetime together under their belt and a deep understanding of each other. The Mess We Made was them a few years into that lifetime so they were still learning things about each other and experiencing things for the first time. I ended up kind of leaning into that difficulty with getting them to fight and tried to amp up the fighting to a few big blow-ups.
My timeline 23 fic is quickly becoming my most challenging though, it’s basically 3 or 4 full-length fics that sometimes crossover and then all end up mashed together. It’s pretty challenging.
Are there any themes or tropes that you particularly like to explore in your writing?
Angst, angst and more angst, lol. I am also a sucker for deep connections between people, be it romantic or otherwise, and really expose the good, the bad and the ugly about those relationships. So you know, more angst. But happy endings are my favorite too.
Are there any writers that inspire your work? Fanfiction or otherwise?
I’m always inspired by all the other Magicians fanfiction writers (honestly, Magicians fanfiction is really the only fanfic I read right now)
Alice Sebold is probably my favorite writer. She has a way of writing emotion in a way that feels really real and honest to an almost uncomfortable degree. It’s almost too real. Also the authors of my youth, Ann M. Martin and Judy Blume, I wanted to write because of them.
What are you currently reading? Fanfiction or otherwise?
I am reading “Written in Blood” It’s a book looking into the death of Kathleen Peterson of Stairway fame. (I love true crime) Also, I’m actually reading The Magician King. My sister is reading the Magician’s books for the first time so I’m reading along with her so we can discuss. I also am keeping up on whatever comes up on AO3!
What is the most valuable piece of writing advice you’ve ever been given?
Keep writing, whether it’s good or bad, just get it out and you can build on it later but it needs to be out there to fix.
Cringe time:
Are there any words or phrases you worry about over using in your work?
Oh man, I don’t know, I sometimes think everything I write is just a repeat of the last thing lol. Looked, people are always looking at each other and it’s hard to come up with different ways to express that.
What was the first fanfic that you wrote? Do you still have access to it?
I wrote an American Girl fanfic. My best friend and I traveled back in time to 1774 and went on an adventure with Felicity! I still have it, in a notebook in a box in my closet. I have two boxes (not huge boxes or anything) of old diaries, journals and notebooks full of my writing. My parents didn’t want to throw that away growing up.
Rapid Fire Round:
Self-edit or Beta? Self-edit
Comments or Kudos/Reblogs or Likes? All of the above!
Smut, Fluff or Angst? angst!!
Quick & Dirty or Slow Burn? Slow burn, the slower the better
Favourite season? 3
Favourite episode? A life in the day
Favourite book(The Magicians books)? The Magician King
Three favourite words? Triskaidekaphobia, Loquacious, Fuck
Want to be interviewed for our author spotlight? Get in touch here.
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gimmesumsuga · 6 years
Note
You mess me up with STS every time. I remember I found STS when looking for smut. So I guess you could say; Came for the Smut stayed for the amazing writing by an amazing writer 💜💜💜😆 Honestly can’t wait for the next chapter!
Aww that’s so lovely!  I’ve got to be honest, I occasionally get a little bit of a complex about STS in that I worry that literally the only reason it’s done well is because it’s trash lol That people aren’t actually bothered about the plot, and that the writing isn’t that good, and it’s just the sex and that’s it.  
They’re only fleeting thoughts, but they do pop up pretty frequently.  I mean I’m sure that’s what it is for some people, and that’s ok,  I just hope it isn’t for everyone! Idk lol :/
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Anon: As for you answer on that one ask about which sex scenes people like most; My top 3 is Junkook, Namjoon and Taehyung, in that order 👀
You know I think because I was so worried about that Namjoon sex scene and writing it well, I didn’t enjoy doing it quite as much as some of the others, which is a shame!  Hopefully if I go back and read it again I’ll enjoy it more ^^
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@pidgejimin - Another chapter to make my heart cry, tbh when tae showed up and everyone else showed up I was crying in relief. Please keep working hard! Everything is worth it! Almost 70 chapters and I never want it to end, each one just makes the story come alive. Please eat well and sleep! Luv ya ♡
Aww thank you sweetie!  I’ll keep at it!  
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@softmochijm - hi love ♡ im just writing to give you a big THANK YOU for all of your works, especially STS. you're truly my fave author/writer & it brings me insane amounts of joy every time i see an update on ao3. honestly, STS has changed me as a person, as weird as it may sound, it actually gave me more confidence! & it's through your writing style that i just get so sucked in & so intrigued with every word.. it's a beautiful feeling. so once more, thank you! & take all the time you need for your updates :)
Oh gosh, you’re too kind ^^ honestly, messages like this make my day.  The thought that I could have such an impact on someone’s life is amazing!
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@mslonelynation - It pisses me off seeing people telling writers when to post things. It’s not like you can just magically pop out a chapter. It’s a process and it takes time. You have a life outside of writing and you deserve to take your time to produce quality material. I hope you are doing well! I’m sorry you have to deal with incompetent people haha 💜
Ah, it's all part and parcel of writing fanfic, I guess!  But thank you for being so kind and understanding sweetie :)
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Anon: I'm currently on chapter 60 of STS and OH MY GOD. I think I'm actually obsessed 😭 Your writing is actually bloody amazing (no pun intended 👀) But seriously, I can't get enough. But I also can't stress enough to not overwork yourself with it and take all the time you need, despite some anons demanding you do more and do it quicker. Great work is made with time 💜💜💜
Haha oh I enjoyed the pun whether it was intentional or not! Happy to know you like it so much, anonnie, and thank you
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Anon: Thank you for updating! It’s always worth the wait! Your writing is amazing I check ao3 constantly, I’m addicted! ❤️❤️
Thanks sweetie! 
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Anon: I’m so confused by that anons message because you do update fast? You update faster than most other doc writers i follow lol. Anyways you’re work is incredible and i really admire your dedication to this blog, keep on doing you!
Eh, I could be faster, but I do the best I can!  Thank you lovely, I will ^^ 
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Anon: I just read the most recent chapter of STS and wow that was intense!! I liked how you kind of avoided giving into our expectations of Jimin and Yoongi running in and saving the day. It was a nice twist. I'm curious though about the occurrence between Namjoon and OC. Does she realize she was sexually assaulted through deception? Do you think that will even be a thing in the story or just viewed as just her cheating on the other boys?? Thanks for writing the story, I can't wait for more
Hey hunny!  Intense is definitely one word for it!  I do my best to keep things as unpredictable as I possibly can - although that’s hard as I tend to be quite a predctable person by nature! lol 
I’ll be honest, until someone else mentioned this about a week ago I had never even heard of ‘rape by deception’, although now it’s been pointed out it does seem to fit the scenario awfully well.  Because I hadn’t thought about it before, I hadn’t really planned on having the reader see it as such and feel about it that way?  I think I might try and touch on it, at least, although I’m not entirely sure how as of yet.  Primarily, the majority of discussion is going to be revolving around the impact it had on her relationship with Jimin and Yoongi.
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@jazrvr - When he told y/n that he loved her and meant it. It hit me in the feels, I wanted to hate him soo much for what he did. Then again I have a soft spot for joonie. Incredible chapter though ❤️
Thanks sweet, it made me feel very conflicted too to be honest! 
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@steponme-bts - Hey girl I just finished reading chapter 67 of STS AND I HAVE YO SAY I LOVE IT 💜 But the whole thing got me thinking 🤔 This is a weird question but how old is Jungkook (look wise because of course he's old af cause vampire) But what era did he stop growing ? Because even though STS is inspired by blood sweat and tears they had to be transformed before it right ? Anyways love you 💜 you nice keep going 😉 
Lol you smooth talker you, Jimin would be proud.  Jungkook was turned when he was 19 years old, so he appears now as he would’ve looked in the bs&t era (the boys aren’t really ‘BTS’ in this, so that era is just used an an example to help you imagine their appearances better)
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@pinkblue72 - Another great chapter! Thank you! I was honestly so scared for the outcome there at first
I keep telling you guys it’ll all be ok in the end :P lol but I’m glad you liked it ^^
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salazar-slanderin · 6 years
Note
Often I find myself getting over ambitious with my projects and they end up dying. (I'm a writer of original stuff and fanfics) and my self confidence does more and more. I'm currently trying to write a couple of fics but motivation is dying because of my self confidence. Advice? Also love your blog so much.
Thank youvery much!
Man. I have similar struggles. Some of thethings have worked for me:
1.    Whenyou start a project, make an outline. This is a good way to write down yourspecific and immediate goals while going double agent against yourself andfinding out what the dirty sucker’s ulterior motives are. Take your ideas inwhatever forms they might be and just write until you don’t have any thoughtsleft on the subject.
   When you’ve got a couple of paragraphs tosolid pages of what it is you want to do, you’ve accomplished exploring thescope of what the actual project is and successfully created a damage controlplan against yourself for when you undoubtedly get out of hand. Look over yourdocument or list, and then underline what your point is. Underline ONLY theSPECIFIC reason(s) you’re doing this project or taking on the endeavor. This isreminding you that while there might be a lot of reasons you’re makingsomething there was a specific reason you started; everything else may be justas valid and important for you to express artistically, but it’s secondary andcan be accomplished when you have the integrity of your project’s focus constructed.
Keep it handy as a cover page or tack it upnear your work station. You can revisit this document (or even diagram, maybemaking a tree diagram or bubble diagram could work better for you) and crossthings out, refine your goals, or underline new priorities as your projectreaches different stages of completion.
2.    Smallchunks! You’re probably an amazing writer with loads of good material thatpeople don’t get to see. Work on your primate brain’s weaknesses by feedinginto your own reward system. Set small, obtainable goals for yourself.  Maybe, a page, a half a page, a chapter(whatever kind of a workload that is suited for you) and publish things insmall amounts. This will immediately make you feel accomplished and assured whenyou see a product beholden upon your internet platform; it doesn’t matter if it’sa couple paragraphs a week the point is that you’re a fricken writer and dammityou are writing. You’re making, you’re creating, you’re awesome!
When you get comfortable with this you can dostuff like “if I get ‘x amount’ done this weekend, I’ll get myself some takeoutor ice-cream to eat while I watch a movie”. Just remember to keep thingsreasonable; it doesn’t matter how much you think you should be getting done,what matters is how much you are capable and able to get done, and it justmight not be a lot in one sitting.
There’s nothing wrong with that, and mostpeople aren’t honest with themselves about what a healthy workload is and they’remiserable. I might be able to write a 20 page research paper in one weekend,that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for my mental or physical health, or that I’llenjoy it at all. Writing that paper could be quite enjoyable, if I respect my capacityto dedicate the appropriate doses of time and energy to it; those doses mightbe way smaller than what everybody else wants to admit theirs are, but that’s finebecause after you burn out you don’t get anything done.
3.    Talkto someone about what you’re doing, like a friend, teacher or parents. I like talkingto my professors about projects I’m working on, because they’re all really goodat telling me when something is too big and I need to slow down and focus.People older than you or mentors are always good for things like that, becausewe have a tendency to just go apeshit with writing, drawing, researching, doingall the things! and those guys are old enough to have burned out more than onceor twice; they’re also usually in a position where they’ve had to develop theseself-limiting and goal enforcing behaviors in their own lives and careers muchlonger than we have.
4.    Stayinspired! Sometimes projects become redundant or unpleasant because they’vegotten too big, or they’re the same thing over and over. Sometimes people giveup on a project because the magic’s gone. Sometimes the magic leaves and youneed to move on to something new; more often the magic is gone because what wasonce a passion is now a chore. You’re doing this because you enjoy it, don’tmake unpleasant for yourself. Respect that there may be hard work and effort youneed to put forth but ultimately if you’re doing something you enjoy and want,those efforts will be rewarded. Sometimes the magic leaves because we spend toomuch time looking at the same things. Get out of your box, look at new things,remember you have a goal; but don’t allow yourself to start disliking what you’redoing because you have to do it.
5.    Don’tbe afraid to edit yourself in huge chunks. With some pieces of fiction I’vewritten I’ve been really stressed out by large amounts of text and backstory I’dwritten that I felt were necessary to the story but SOMEHOW did not fit; I’veshaved entire chapters out of things and felt relieved. I was way more productive just getting rid of things or putting them aside instead of spending loads of time trying to figure out how to make something work. Sometimes you spend afew months working on something, and ultimately decide not to use it. That’sok, it’s world building and draft work. You know it exists, your readers don’tnecessarily need to know it exists. Is it clumsy? Get rid of it. Is it messingup the flow of your project? Chop that sucker. Sometimes less is more, and youdon’t get caught up trying to make tangents fit into your project. You can’t ever get time or a story you’ve putout back, but you can always add things and create subtexts, flashbacks orin-action descriptions.
Lastly, and most importantly, your work isn’t always reflection of your success, ability or worth. It’s easy to slip into a negative mindset because you could have done better you should have finished that project you shouldn’t have gotten sidetracked; we’re all our own worst critic. If we were measured by the things we messed up on or the things we ought to be doing all the time nobody would look good. Don’t fall into a self hate loop, because it’s just not fucking true. You’re a good, decent person that has all the intent to create beautiful content for this world to enjoy, that’s the part that matters.
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