After 5(!) years, I can finally start sharing my noble lady x female knight fairyland romance!
It's got talking flowers, tests of devotion and one longsuffering knight who'd quite like her lady to stop striding into ridiculous fairy bullshit~
Summary:
Deep in the Forest of Dreams grows the cure for all heartache. They are scarlet berries on a golden bush and taste like crushed hopes long forgotten.
Sir Kaye now found herself on a quest to find these berries, because Lady Elissa had set her heart on them. Not for her own sake, her heart remained happily unbroken and —as far as Sir Kaye could tell— untouched.
Unfortunately, Sir Kaye can't say the same...
Beautiful medieval workskin by @ao3commentoftheday
Chapters: 10/?
Fandom: Batman - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Tim Drake & Jason Todd
Characters: Tim Drake (DCU), Jason Todd
Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Snow, Christmas, Homelessness, Street Kid Jason Todd, Bad Parents Jack Drake and Janet Drake, Child Neglect, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Accidental Brother Acquisition, Jason Todd's Potty Mouth, Angst with a Happy Ending, Jason Todd Whump, Tim Drake Whump (DCU), Touch-Starved, Unreliable Narrator, There's fluff later on I swear, Angst, Tim looking at Jason like…, You’re coming home with me
Summary:
Tim was always prepared.
Unfortunately, on the night of Gotham’s worst storm in 20 years, on the night of the blizzard that submerged half of the city, Tim forgot to check his list; he forgot to check the weather; and he forgot that no one was coming to help him. It was just one time. One time that he forgot.
Or, Tim gets stuck in a blizzard and street kid Jason saves him. Maybe together, they can save each other.
His memories trickle in, he tries to remember what he was last doing. There was Hopeland, and there was red. A lot of red.
Vash.
There’s an uncomfortable feeling in his chest at the name, the face. Spikey, Needle-noggin, Blondie, all his stupid nicknames for one very familiar face.
He died, the knowledge doesn’t feel as scary as it should be. Just strange, like the first time he saw Vash talk to a plant. Like something beyond his comprehension was placed right in his lap.
Wolfwood wakes up almost twenty years after his death. Things have changed, the world is a kinder place than he left it. There's only one thing missing.
Where is Vash the Stampede?
A vashwood resurrection AU, takes from a blend of tristamp/stargaze, 98, and trimax but makes sense regardless of which series you've watched/read.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
The Design Divide
Pairing: Damian/Marinette
Disclaimer: If you’re looking for Adrien salt, this is NOT the fanfic you’re looking for.
Current Word Count (4 chapters): 13,111
Summary:
Marinette came to Gotham for business, not to deal with nosy billionaires, supervillains, or an infuriating Damian Wayne asking too many questions.
All she wants is to focus on her designs, but between dodging the Batfamily's suspicions and keeping Ladybug’s identity a secret, things are spiraling fast. Gotham might just be more trouble than it’s worth.
Chapter 1:
She was going to die.
Was she actually going to die? No, realistically, she wasn’t. But she couldn’t help herself from worrying. The meeting was in an hour. One hour. Sixty minutes. Three hundred and sixty seconds. And where was she?
She was supposed to be on the bus heading towards Wayne Enterprises– number sixty-four. Instead, she was staring at an ad for cheese sticks plastered to the back of the bus, the dull number ‘64’ etched above the ad. This day could not get any worse. She was ready to slump against the pavement and admit defeat to this horrendous day and curse Plagg– the god of destruction, for this complete insanity.
From the inside of her bag, Tikki, as if reading her mind, prodded a paw against her side in comfort. It did little to quell her nerves, but her heart did stop from pitching itself off a rollercoaster. She was late. And nothing was going to quell those nerves. She had no realistic way of getting to Wayne Enterprises on time. It was simply undoable.
Unless–
Tikki swatted her side before any thoughts of black-spotted heroines could surface in her mind. No, she would simply have to be late and apologise for her tardiness. Just when she thought her tendency for lateness had been broken. But, honestly, could she have predicted the day’s events?
Her day started at an impressive 2:00 am– impressive since she had managed to survive from then onwards with six shots of caffeine and spite– summoning a portal to Paris to help fight an Akuma. One major downside of moving to Gotham– the time difference hit you like a truckload. She and Chat had then spent an hour fighting the enraged ‘Heartbreaker’, who had found out their husband had been cheating on them with their best friend. Ouch. She had then spent half an hour with the lady, Monique, giving her advice and listening to a few well-chosen words on her ex-spouse.
Then, if the hour and a half of sleep lost didn’t count for anything, there had been a disturbance in her own new city– Gotham. There was a fight between two gangs in the underground subway station and the elusive Bats had called on her. It was something of a new occurrence since she had only met them in her first week in the city– a week ago, and the trust hadn’t built between them yet. If anything, Batman seemed pained as he called her. She knew his dislike of magic, but she supposed it couldn’t be helped. That had taken two hours and she had ended up taking a punch to the chest as one of the Bats, she would have wagered a guess on Robin, left another rogue open to her after they had pulled a gun out into the fight. It did not help that one of the supposedly ‘dead’ rogues, yanked on her ankle, leading to her landing with a nasty bruise on the back of her head.
Really, who brings guns to a knife fight? She supposed there were no fair play rules in Gotham.
Once she had finally treated the purpling bruises with some antiseptics, she had returned to her bed at 6:00 am, a coffee cup in hand, flipping a coin to see if she’d risk sleeping or not.
She risked sleeping for the one hour she could afford.
It did not end well. She woke up at 7:30 and her schedule was ruined. Breakfast was skipped, then she had to forego her shower and sprint down the stairs in her crumpled MDC shirt and hastily thrown-on blazer that she had picked up off the couch and pray she make it to the bus stop on time.
Yet, despite all her wishes, she never made it on time, only seeing the end of the bus as it took off without her. Really, having a goddess of luck in your purse did not do wonders right now. So, she fated herself to a long walk, attempting to smooth out her shirt as she went.
The only prayer that had been answered was the weather. The grey clouds refused to break yet, but it only seemed a matter of time before they would begin to pour down. She had only had to hold out her diminishing hope that it would not rain before she got to her meeting.
This day was big for her. Whilst she had worked with multiple celebrities in the past and present– Jagged Stone, Clara Nightingale, Audrey Bourgouis and surprisingly, Gabriel Agreste, to name a few, this collaboration had butterflies building in her stomach. If all worked out well, this collaboration would raise a lot of money for the children in Gotham. If the Wayne’s were as much of the philanthropists as the magazines stated they were, then this collaboration would be one for the ages.
She just needed to get there first.
The first droplet hit her forehead. She closed her eyes for a second, wishing that the worst had not just come. A second droplet confirmed her fears.
And then the droplets came in quick succession. Plagg was getting on her nerves right now.
“Need a lift, doll? You’re just waiting for a storm to come walking there.” A voice called her, startling her out of her nerves.
She turned her head sideways to meet piercing blue eyes and dark black hair– save for one white stripe at the front. She stuttered out her response, “Oh no, I’m alright, thank you!”
Internally, she cursed her squeaky voice, but praised herself for not immediately accepting a lift, no matter how dire the consequences were. Accepting a lift in Gotham could only lead to nightmares.
“You sure? Because standing there with that portfolio of yours doesn’t look like it’s going to hold out much longer in this weather. Where are you heading?” The stranger raised his eyebrows at her.
She whipped her head around to the cardboard portfolio she was holding, already getting damped every second she was out in this weather.
Split-second decision time. She would not make bad decisions. She would not make bad decisions. She would not-
“Wayne Enterprises. I have a meeting.” Marinette blurted out without a second thought.
The man quizzically looked at her, pausing for a second before speaking, “Funny, I’m heading there too-” then his expression cleared up, lips turning upwards in a smile “I promise not to kidnap you– it’s too much effort. Unless you’re secretly loaded. Are you?”
She laughed despite herself because this was the craziest scenario she had been in in a while, although maybe that was her becoming desensitized to Akuma attacks. “No, definitely not!”
Then, she voiced her thoughts, “Will you promise to drive safely?” She eyed his motorbike and rugged leather jacket, already climbing aboard against her natural instincts.
“Always do. Hold tight, Princess!” He sent her a wild grin before they went off.
What was it with people calling her 'Princess'?
She already regretted her decision. Less than five minutes in, she had reached her destination.
“Here we are Cinderella, have fun at your stuffy meeting.” The man saluted her as they hopped off the bike.
“Thanks, I definitely owe you one.” She told him genuinely.
“I’ll hold you to that!” He replied grinning before he walked in through the side entrance.
She smoothed out her blazer before walking through the entrance, giving herself a mental rundown of what the meeting entailed. Hazarding a check at her watch as she moved up the elevator, she sighed. She was already one minute over time. She hoped they weren’t too fussy about schedules.
Her hand pushed against the doorknob, opening the door to her destined fate.
She walked in with trepidation, heels clicking against the wooden floor. She was met with the stares of three people at the long conference table. Two pairs of blue eyes and one pair of green eyes confronted her, all with varying degrees of emotion. The paler of the two blue eyes were alight with genuine curiosity, whilst the darker of the two pairs were calm yet calculating. They both bore polite smiles. It was the green eyes that raised Marinette’s guard. They were narrowed in a sharp, scrutinising gaze.
The man with dark blue eyes stands up, offering a disarming smile. He and Adrien had much in common, it seemed. He crossed the room and shook her hand, “MDC, welcome to Wayne Enterprises. It’s an honour to finally meet the designer who’s been taking the world by storm. I’m Bruce Wayne.” He introduced himself before guiding her to her seat.
She faintly blushed, but kept what was left of her professionalism. “Thank you, Mr Wayne. Please, call me Marinette. It’s certainly a pleasure to be here. But before we begin, I must apologise for my tardiness; my morning has definitely been… something.”
The pale blue-eyed man opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, the green-eyed man spoke over.
“Perhaps you will leave earlier next time. Punctuality is a mark of professionalism, is it not?”
She stiffened momentarily before loosening her shoulders and turning her head to face him as she flashed him a polite smile, “Of course, Monsieur. I assure you, it won’t happen again. But I appreciate your concern– it only shows how much you value this collaboration." The man rolled his eyes before looking away.
One point to Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
The pale blue-eyed man finally spoke up. “Tim Drake,” he told her, motioning to himself “and the annoying person over there-” he motioned vaguely next to him “is Damian.” He held out his hand and she shook it, “You don’t know how much of an honour it is to finally meet you in person. It’s certainly something to brag about.” He told her, lights seeming to shine from his eyes.
Marinette smiled. She didn’t know she’d be meeting a fan. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you too, Monsieur Drake. I suppose I should get started now, shall I?” She asked, and in response got three nods.
She opened her portfolio, taking a moment to collect her thoughts before looking back up.
“I have designed a few concept sketches that align with the innovative direction Wayne Enterprise is taking,” she gestured to one of the five outfit designs that she spread across the table. “For example, this design–” she pointed to one with streamlined, futuristic cuts– “was inspired by Gotham’s need for practicality and stylishness. The material is lightweight, durable, and sustainable, which I know is a necessity for your company.”
“Why those colours?” Tim asked as he leaned forward, eyes alight with curiosity and a small smile starting to form.
“I took colour inspiration from the Bats. This one in particular is based on Red Robin’s, but I’ve subdued the colours a bit more so they don’t take away from the overall design.”
Damian, still reclined back in his chair, eyed the designs critically, his expression unreadable. His pale green eyes flicked to the page before him. “Sustainability is a buzzword these days,” he remarked, his tone sharp. “What makes this more than just trendy?”
Marinette didn’t falter. “It’s not just about the trend,” she responded, her voice confident now. “The materials I’ve sourced are not only eco-friendly but also have a high tensile strength—perfect for both fashion and function. The idea is to create designs that empower individuals, not just in appearance but in practicality.”
Tim leaned forward, intrigued. “I think that’s the edge you’ll have here. Most of Gotham’s design scene focuses on either aesthetics or pure function, but never really combines the two in a way that’s sustainable. Bruce will like this.”
Bruce, who had been quietly observing the exchange, gave a subtle nod of approval. “Impressive, Marinette. You’ve done your research.”
She blushed, the red filling her cheeks. “Thank you, Mr. Wayne. I’ve spent a lot of time learning about Gotham’s particular needs. I wanted to ensure that my designs would work here, not just look good on paper.”
Damian’s eyes softened– but only ever so slightly, still pursing his lips.
Tim, on the other hand, seemed excited to ask more. “I have a few more questions, though. How do you handle scalability? Gotham isn’t exactly known for quick production timelines.”
Marinette’s face lit up as she leaned forward, eager to share more. “I’ve partnered with several local manufacturers who specialize in high-volume, quick-turnaround projects. They’ve already tested some of my prototype designs, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.”
The meeting continued smoothly, and Marinette couldn’t help but smiling. “Right, I think that’s the basics covered,” Bruce told them. “But before we end this meeting, there’s one more thing I would like to discuss.”
Marinette turned towards him quizzically. Weren’t they supposed to email her the details?
“Damian, as the head of our art department, I want you to help Marinette spearhead this project. My business takes me away for a couple months and with Tim’s project on the infrastructure around the city centre, he’ll be far too busy for this. This is in your area, I trust you can handle it.”
Tim opened his mouth to protest, but Damian spoke before he could. “Father, you can’t be serious? Why would I waste time working with someone I have just met. I don’t know anything about fashion and I would not like to start–”
Bruce sent him a pointed look and he went silent. Marinette wished to learn this look.
"Because, Damian, you need to learn to collaborate. Marinette has a unique approach that we can’t afford to overlook. Her designs are innovative, and I believe you could learn something from each other."
Damian’s expression darkens, clearly displeased, but he was not one to openly argue with his father—especially not in front of others. Instead, he turns to Marinette with an unreadable look. “This is a waste of my time.” He stated, looking Marinette in the eye.
She almost snorted. Almost– it was something close. Did he think that would get a rise out of her? "If you think it’s a waste of time, I suggest you take that up with Mr. Wayne. But for now, I’m happy to work with you, Damian. If you have concerns, we can address them together. The goal is the same, after all—creating something exceptional." She hid the snarkiness between the lines.
Damian flushes, a rare look she could tell. It tugged the corner of her lips up. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Tim watching the exchange, a smirk gracing his face. "Well, looks like you’re stuck with her, Damian. Better make the best of it."
Damian takes one moment to stare at her, and Marinette matches him, both eyeing each other off. He kicks her leg under the table and she winces, scowling.
What. A. Child.
He smiles, the first genuine expression she’s seen from him this whole meeting. She glares back at him before schooling her expression with a cool smile. “It’ll be a pleasure to work with you.” Sarcasm flooded her voice.
love not war (til everyone's dead)
Pairing: Dabihawks
Rating: E (mostly for future chapters)
Takami Keigo has been an escort for heroes, businessmen, and politicians since he started working under the HPSC after his father died when he was a teen. Tonight is his biggest mark yet: Number Two (soon to be Number One) hero, Endeavor. Everything goes to plan until he runs into an unexpected Todoroki.
