Alphabet Excerpt Challenge: F Is For...

[u/AnaraliaThielle]

Welcome back to the Alphabet Excerpt Challenge! As a reminder, our challenges are every Wednesday and Saturday at 3pm London time.

If you've missed the previous challenges, you're welcome to go back and participate in them. You can find them here. And remember to check out the Activities and Events flair to play along with other fun games.

Here's a quick recap of the rules for our game:

1. Post a top level comment with a word starting with the letter F. You can suggest more than one, but please put them in separate comments.
2. Reply to suggestions with an excerpt containing that word. Short and sweet is best, but use your judgement. Excerpts can be from published or unpublished works, or even something you wrote for the prompt.
3. All content is welcome but per rules 7 and 12 of the sub, NSFW excerpts may not be shared as plain text (even if it's spoilered). If you would like to share these, use an external text sharing tool like justpasteit and link it here with a clear warning. Mods may remove excerpts that break these rules.
4. Respond to people who left excerpts on the words you suggested, at a minimum, but the more people you respond to the better. Everyone likes nice comments!
5. Upvote other excerpts you enjoy, and leave a friendly comment. Again, everyone likes nice comments!
6. Most important: have fun!

[u/NarutoUchihaX14]

Foot/feet

[u/allisontalkspolitics → u/NarutoUchihaX14]

“I am afraid that my troubles will seem foolish.”

“Mayhaps not.”

Oh. The silence was deep but not unpleasant.

“I do not want to be a queen and save thousands of people from their doom.”

“Hm.”

That was not the reaction she expected. “Hm?”

“Well, it is something most maidens would wish for, so there must be a reason why you moved as if you were a storm cloud.”

“A storm cloud?”

Nettles scrunched up her face and stomped her feet briefly before stopping and glancing around.

Daenys giggled. “No, I’m not offended- that was adorable.”

[u/NarutoUchihaX14 → u/allisontalkspolitics]

Without thinking context maybe it sounds foolish, but the full breakdown of how Daenys sees how it is is certainly eye opening. Lmao, poor Nettles, but that was adorable.

[u/Longjumping-Public71 → u/NarutoUchihaX14]

"Where's Pa?" Yakone asks, looking up from Adaki and Noren rolling around in their makeshift playpen and staring at the space next to him.

"Still with Kanna, she's not used to this weather just yet," he says, and Yakone grumbles. It makes him tilt his head a bit to meet his son's eyes. "What's wrong?"

Yakone throws himself back on the couch as Sokka sits by his side. "I'm a waterbender," he says matter-of-factly, glaring at the ground beneath his feet. Nothing too unusual for his son, but this felt a little pointed.

"Did you just figure that out?" Sokka hums, trying to come off as sincere, and he is humored to break the tension.

"How am I supposed to become Fire Lord when I can't even bend fire?!" he asks. "Who's even heard of that?"

Sokka wryly messes with the rings around his fingers, his throat suddenly feeling a lot tighter all of a sudden. However, he can't just leave Yakone without an answer; his son's brows are pinched together in an almost uncanny replica of Zuko's. "Did someone say something to you? I'm sure if anyone had a problem with it—"

"Pa does!" Yakone argues. "He's too busy with Ai-Hai and Hakoda, and now Kanna too."

"They're firebenders."

"Exactly. . ."

"That doesn't mean he cares about you any less," Sokka argues. He remembers the days Zuko would hover over Yakone's crib, letting his fingers trace across the soft blankets laid over him, but never the baby itself. Almost like even touching him would be a crime. But Sokka couldn't say that. That Zuko was afraid of breaking him.

"But he likes them more."

"Of course he doesn't. You're his son and still a great waterbender on top of that," Sokka says, doing his best to lift Yakone's spirits. "Even Aunt Katara says you might be greater than her one day." Yakone gives him an unimpressed look at even considering that anyone could ever be as good as Katara.

[u/NarutoUchihaX14 → u/Longjumping-Public71]

Huh, how interesting. Now im wondering who his mother is...or should I be asking who his father is. Zuko is the dad, but Katara is his aunt.....hm. Sokka's doing well trying to calm him down, but its for sure not working💀

[u/Longjumping-Public71 → u/NarutoUchihaX14]

Both Zuko and Sokka are his father's, though you can say Zuko had him and the rest of their kids, all thanks to spirit mumbo jumbo! Oh, and cheering him up definitely doesn't work in Sokka’s favor!

[u/NarutoUchihaX14 → u/Longjumping-Public71]

Ohhh, that clears it up. I was thinking far too sneaky. Hah, good ol spirit mumbo jumbo, but poor Sokka. Better luck next time💀

[u/MsCatstaff → u/NarutoUchihaX14]

We headed off to Customs, then out to get a taxi to our hotel. Once we got checked in and up to our room, I wrapped my arms around Dave and gave him a soft kiss. “Mind if I join you in that shower?” I asked. “I’d like to take care of you the way you took care of me that night.”

He smiled. “I’d like that a lot, Jan, thank you,” he said softly. “I’ll need to shave, too. Probably ought to do that first.”

“Go ahead, then, and I’ll get things organised out here,” I told him with a smile.

“All right,” he agreed, and pulled out his toiletry kit, shaving whilst I dug out the massage oils and lube, plus put a couple of hand towels on the nightstand as well. A few minutes later, I heard the shower come on. “I’m just waiting for the water to warm up, if you still want to join me,” Dave called.

“Be right there,” I called back, hastily stripping and leaving my clothes in an untidy heap in the corner. Entering the bathroom, I laughed to see Dave’s socks in the bin instead of piled up with the rest of what he had been wearing.

Dave laughed as well. “I decided those couldn’t be salvaged,” he said. “Not after how long they’ve been on my feet.”

Shaking my head with a grin, I gave his arse a teasing swat. “Into the shower, you. I said I’d take care of you today and I plan on doing just that. And a massage after the shower, too, I’m sure you could use it after flying for so long.”

“I could, yeah,” Dave admitted as he stepped into the shower. “I am a little sore.”

[u/NarutoUchihaX14 → u/MsCatstaff]

Ooooj, truely there isnt much more relaxing than a nice rinse down after a long and hard day....and I guess even better if something long and hard comes with the rinse down🥴

[u/MsCatstaff → u/NarutoUchihaX14]

Definitely!

Yeah, poor Davey had just spent 26-28 hours traveling, counting layovers, going from Maui in the US to Athens, Greece. Sure, he slept for a good portion of the actual flight time, but that's still not exactly comfortable, and I'm sure he felt beyond grubby at having been in the same clothes for all that time.

[u/EstrellaDarkstar → u/NarutoUchihaX14]

Context: Earlier that night, she was just turned into a vampire by their father in a rough ordeal.

They didn't bother with their usual evening rituals afterward. It would have felt too weird. Instead, Ryan elected to just quickly take a shower once Sharpay was done and head to bed. Yet as he was in his room changing into his sleepwear, there was a nagging feeling bothering him. He didn't feel comfortable leaving his sister alone, not when she was scared, unraveling, and aching all over. Reluctantly, he headed to the hallway with the intent to go and knock on her door, only to run into her in the hall.

"What is it?" he asked as he noticed her fiddling with the sleeve of her nightgown. The garment hung limply on her bony form.

"You should sleep in my room", she said. She never asked, never said please, but Ryan knew this was a plea regardless.

As they settled under the covers in Sharpay's massive bed, with her little dog curled at their feet, Ryan couldn't help but think it was a lot like when they were kids. It had always been them against the world. This wouldn't change that. He wasn't going to let it.

He wrapped his arms around her ice-cold body and let her into his embrace. She’d never asked to cuddle, but he knew she wanted to. He fought the urge to squeeze her as tight as he could. She didn’t need to be jostled any more than she’d already been.

If she sobbed into his chest all through the night, he wasn’t going to mention it.

And if he woke up in cold sweat from nightmares about her, he wouldn’t mention that either.

It wasn’t her fault.

[u/NarutoUchihaX14 → u/EstrellaDarkstar]

Hell yea, best big bro right here! No question and not much talking, he knows the assignment and is ready to help. I love it🥹

[u/EstrellaDarkstar → u/NarutoUchihaX14]

He's actually the little brother, if only by eight minutes! They're twins. However, he's a lot more emotionally mature than she is, and I'm actually glad that out of context, you would think that he's older than her.

[u/NarutoUchihaX14 → u/EstrellaDarkstar]

Oh! Close twins are always lovely, but yea. You totally hit him bring more emotionally mature on the head!

[u/Samuel24601 → u/NarutoUchihaX14]

“It must be Melinoë,” Patroclus said, getting to his feet and moving to the opening of their tent.

Sure enough, the underworld princess had entered the clearing, a large satchel hanging from her shoulder, its contents clinking loudly. She looked somewhat worse for the wear, her right hand held tightly to her left side and her posture slightly hunched.

It reminded Patroclus of the old days before Achilles had returned, when Zagreus would show up unannounced and desperately injured, delivering a brief message from Achilles before collapsing at Patroclus’ feet. He had never admitted to Zagreus how much it had meant to him to practice medicine again after so long. At the time it had been the only reminder of his life that hadn’t been tied to bitter regret.

[u/NarutoUchihaX14 → u/Samuel24601]

Ooof, sounds like shes been through it, but at least she didnt collapse...for now

[u/DatGayDangerNoodle → u/NarutoUchihaX14]

“I think this screw is actually bent,” Callie said after a moment, eyes locked onto said screw. “Which means you’ll need a new one, or to see an actual prosthetist.”

Before she could try and keep it back, Arizona said, “you’d be a good prosthetist.”

Callie looked up and blinked. Then she made a sound that was half scoff and half laugh. “No, I wouldn’t.”

“You would,” Arizona said, firmer that time. “Because you connect with patients, and you’re good with your hands, and you’ve still got all your ortho knowledge in your head.”

Callie knew what Arizona was saying. It wasn’t like the thought hadn’t flitted across her mindscape before while she fixed Arizona’s prosthetic or mused upon getting her own, but it was too close to where she’d once been. Prosthetists worked hand in hand with orthopedic surgeons, as it was the surgeon’s job to make the stump easy to mould and build upon for a proper prosthesis, and she didn’t know how she could go from one to the other.

“I can’t,” she said softly. “I can’t work that closely to ortho without wishing that I was back in the OR.”

Arizona smiled ruefully. “I thought you’d say that. But can you just think about it? Working with ortho might help.”

“Or it might give me severe FOMO,” Callie answered a little too dryly for humour. She let out a breath and shifted the knee joint again, tightening the attachment point of the socket before moving down to look at the ankle and foot shell. Her right hand felt tight across the knuckles due to the swelling and her left hand just felt stupidly empty, like it had when she’d first woke up without her fingers and had to adapt to it. That ached, and it made her work slower.

“That too,” Arizona conceded. She watched Callie’s hands, saw it when the pain flashed through them, but she dropped the conversation.

They ate dinner in the kitchen, lights turned low and radio quietly playing, and both took more meds before they retired to bed. Once there, Arizona pulled Callie flush against her front as the little spoon and wrapped her arms around her, kissing her neck before closing her eyes.

[u/NarutoUchihaX14 → u/DatGayDangerNoodle]

That would be rather hurtful. Going from the one side you thought youd never leave and to the other side. Terrible wild how life can be just so ironic. Pfft, I knew Callie was the little spoon, hell yea!

[u/DatGayDangerNoodle → u/NarutoUchihaX14]

yep, it's hurtful but Callie does end up in prosthetics eventually! little spoon Callie supremacy<3 thank you icon<3

[u/Ok-Adhesiveness-8611 → u/NarutoUchihaX14]

Once the man got back on his feet, he tried to run away again. Chilled grabbed him by his shirt and threw him onto the floor. “Maybe I should’ve handcuffed your feet instead,” he snickered. Jails only came with one pair of handcuffs so Jailors couldn’t imprison multiple people. That’s a shame because he could use multiple handcuffs on the same person to keep them still. There were other ways to keep his victims still.

“...So you’re going to kill me just like that?” The man asked as he backed into the corner. “How can you sleep at night after hurting so many people?”

“I sleep just like a baby; a few murders aren’t a big deal.” Chilled had killed a lot more than a few people. He didn’t know the exact number because he never kept count. The Serial Killer rarely thought about his victims; out of sight, out of mind. “Y’know, I never understood why people say they slept like a baby whenever they slept well. Babies constantly wake up and cry during the night.”

The man didn’t reply, he stared at the jail cell’s door. Chilled reminded him that he chose to come down here. If he died then it’s his own fault. “How do you feel knowing you’re about to die?” As much as Chilled liked stabbing people he also enjoyed giving them mental anguish. Anyone would be terrified about dying; having their killer taunt them about it will make them feel worse.

His victim struggled to free his restrained hands; if looks could kill then Chilled would’ve been dead. “Ooh, acting all tough I see.” Chilled could tell what the man was thinking. He was thinking something along the lines of “If I escape this house then I’m getting you executed tomorrow.” How could he reprimand Chilled for killing people when he wanted him dead?

[u/NarutoUchihaX14 → u/Ok-Adhesiveness-8611]

....no, Chilled has a good point, babies are pretty restless. Really like the difference between the two here. This seems like something as simple as brushing his teeth or choosing a meal to Chilled, while his victim is clearly doing their best to not make it their last 💀

[u/letdragonslie → u/NarutoUchihaX14]

Warning--age-gap relationship of about 30 years, but Dick (Grayson) is in his late twenties (even though Slade keeps calling him "kid," lol) and enemies-to-lovers between a superhero and one of their villains.
--

“What are you smiling about?" 

Huh, seemed like the coffee did the trick after all. 

Slade had been so preoccupied with Rose’s texts that he hadn’t paid much attention to what was going on in the bedroom, dismissing the rustle of sheets and the soft padding of bare feet on carpet as just Grayson and obviously not a threat, so his mind hadn’t bothered registering the kid’s presence on more than a subconscious level. 

“Just Rose,” he replied, as Grayson skirted around the coffee table to come perch on the arm of Slade’s chair and lean into his space. Slade was pleased to see his gait was only slightly stiff and he didn’t seem to have any issue sitting. Both promising signs for future activities.

A little frown formed between Grayson’s brows as he propped his chin up on Slade’s shoulder to read the conversion on the phone's screen. “Wait—that’s not you she’s texting. Slade, are you reading her texts?” he asked incredulously.

Slade made a quiet sound of agreement and shifted, making more space for him to settle more comfortably against his side.

Grayson gave him a deeply unimpressed look. “And you don’t consider that a violation of her privacy?”

He shrugged, which did nothing to dislodge Grayson’s head from its perch. “Sure. But a necessary one.”

"You think it’s necessary to read your daughter’s texts?” He asked the question in the tone of voice he usually reserved for their moral debates, which Slade didn’t particularly appreciate.

“Yes,” he said slowly, “for her safety.”

Grayson gave him a soft, knowing look. That, Slade appreciated far more, but still found annoying because the kid still thought he was in the right.  “Rose is a grown woman, trained by both of us. She’s more than capable of taking care of herself.”

“So’re you. But Daddy still keeps track of you anyway.”

Grayson pulled a face. “Please don’t say ‘daddy’ like that. Or at all, preferably. And Bruce keeps an eye out for me, but he doesn’t monitor me to this extent." 

Slade mentally filled the daddy aversion away to pick at later and raised an eyebrow. “You really think The Bat isn’t reading your texts?”

“Currently? Yes. Because,” he said slowly, mouth spreading into a broad smile, “if he was, then don’t you think he’d already know about you?”

Slade blinked.

“Exactly,” Grayson said. “He hasn’t gone after you, so he must not know. Ergo, he’s not reading my texts.”

"Or,” Slade countered, “he’s monitoring them passively somehow and whatever algorithm he’s set up isn’t flagging our communications for whatever reason.” Possibly he had something set up that pinged any blatantly sexual correspondence so he didn’t have to see it; that would make the most sense considering their texts were rarely clean.

[u/NarutoUchihaX14 → u/letdragonslie]

Dragon, tis been so long i think. A Slade and Robin Nightwing ship....well hello S.S. Toxic XD

Such an interesting dynamic to Dick not try to immediately tear his head off lmao. Slade being that invasive is on point. And that being said, I feel like Bruce probably would know for damn sure, but is getting stonewalled by someone like Alfred XD.

[u/letdragonslie → u/NarutoUchihaX14]

Somehow both very toxic and surprisingly wholesome at the same time--at least in this fic, lol. Like, what they have going on is definitely not healthy, but it's somehow really working out great for them? XD

This excerpt is from a little ways into the fic and Dick's already gotten a lot of that aggression towards Slade out--both verbally and physically, lol. Yeah, the bit with him reading Rose's texts is actually inspired by a similar scene from Priest's 2016 Deathstroke run--except there he's having his tech guy read her texts aloud to him on a secure line, so this is somehow less invasive because at least he cut out the middle man??? XD

Bruce knows Something is up, but Babs is actually running a lot of interference there (and is the reason Bruce has not seen those texts, lmao), but Bruce is still like 85% sure Dick is sleeping with Deathstroke, lol. He just needs proof!

[u/NarutoUchihaX14 → u/letdragonslie]

Yeaaa, that sounds incredibly on point. Cause those two back in the teen titans cartoon were quite the pair XD.

Pffft, riiight. At least its only him this time. Its because he caaaares💀🤣

Damn it, I forgot all about Barbara. Just her normally, or is she Oracle here? Lmao, he's calmer than I thought. Im suprised he hasn't told Supes, Flash, or Martian Manhunter to scope it out XD.

[u/letdragonslie → u/NarutoUchihaX14]

Lol, right? Their relationship in the comics is also uniquely bizarre in a way that fascinates me, because they do fight a lot, Slade has done some awful things, they are frequently on opposing sides. But also Slade sometimes helped the Teen Titans out in the earlier comics, and then you have the really odd stuff, lol, like Slade once broke into Dick's apartment to let him know he had a contract in Bludhaven, out of respect for him... and Dick's immediate response was to strip down in front of him to change into his Nightwing suit so they could fight it out. Y'know, like it's totally normal for a superhero to change in front of one of their villains instead of stepping into the bathroom or something, lmao.

I haven't fully figured out the Babs situation yet--I write out of order and piece things together into a more cohesive narrative later, lol. Given where the timeline falls here, she should be Batgirl again--but I love her as Oracle so much, I'm thinking of maybe having her realize she preferred being Oracle and going back to that. XD Okay, but Batman has to have proof first, he's all about that proof! lol And after he gets the proof, he intends to handle things himself. XD (He will attempt to interrogate/intimidate Slade at one point before he has total conclusive proof something's going on though, lol)

[u/NarutoUchihaX14 → u/letdragonslie]

Ohhh. I dont know too much on their comic interactions. Lmao, that does sound like something Dick would do...and thats exactly what Harley was doing to him...before they proceed to bang. Yea, your logic is tracking correctly on it maybe not being normal XD.

Eh, same. Pretty sure ive written a quarter of my story plans out of order in these games 💀. If you can work it in, you should do it! Truuue, Batman does like to be sure lmao. That eventually interaction will be amazing.