#but a bigger problem than me. i still want to learn and having no mentor has been killing me for years! give me a teacher i'd like to trust | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

Visit Blog

Explore Tumblr blogs with no restrictions, modern design and the best experience.

Fun Fact

Tumblr was named as a finalist in Lead411’s New York City Hot 125 in Aug 2010.

#but a bigger problem than me. i still want to learn and having no mentor has been killing me for years! give me a teacher i'd like to trust

onglai · 3 months

Text

On Ali and self-worth

Ali is a character that I never thought I'd relate so much with. On first viewing all those years ago when the show came out, Ejen Ali was nothing more than a superhero cartoon show. While this wouldn't be the first time we've gotten a nuanced and complex characters in Malaysian animation history (Keluang Man, Anak-anak Sidek, Bola Kampung), Ejen Ali surprised me a lot when I went to rewatch it last year.

If you ask 16 year old me what kind of person Ali is, I'd describe him as a kindhearted and heroic kid who'll help anyone in need.

If you ask the current me, those are all still true... but in addition to that what I also see is a troubled kid who needs hugs. Lots of them.

This is going to be long.

Season 1

On the first few episodes, the show establishes Ali as a problem child. Right from the start, he is shown to be disorganized, lazy, and every undesirable quality you could imagine. His dad is distant, his mom is dead, and the only thing holding this miserable gremlin together is his sweet, sweet best and only friend Viktor.

And then comes this magical device that turns his life upside down and he lives happily ever after... not.

You know the phrase money doesn't corrupt but only amplifies what's already in someone's heart? Well, IRIS is the money in this case, and it amplifies Ali's inner insecurity. The first thing this little gremlin does after obtaining IRIS is to use it to get good marks and impress his classmates and teacher.

Being an emotionally neglected child he naturally craves attention, and nothing satisfies him more than when people give him exactly that no matter how. This ultimately reaches its climax when Ali uses his newfound fame during S1E10: Sensasi to farm his fans' adoration. He learns his lesson at the end of the episode, but this won't be the last time he goes out of his way to seek for others' approval.

This is why Rizwan is such an important figure in Ali's life. Regardless of the man's opinion towards him, Ali sees him as someone worth idolizing. The best agent in MATA, Charismatic to boot, the man is everything Ali wishes to be. And good for him, Rizwan is the perfect teacher.

Guy teaches Ali disciplines, doesn't put up with his childish sense of entitlement, and very much treats Ali like he'd do anyone. For the first time in Ali's life, someone actually sees him as his own person and doesn't demean nor overhype him.

Season 2

In this season, Ali meets the junior agents for the first time, and upon learning that they idolized him, he grows a bigger head. He starts pushing Alicia away, the only person who's looking out for his safety (her wanting to meet her dad's expectation is a discussion for another day).

Now, all this time Ali has actually been praised as an agent. He had his bad moments, but for the most part he believes himself to have contributed a lot to the agency, which isn't inaccurate. But this belief is what resulted in him doubling down in his insecurity when the mentors pointed out his flaws during his training with the other agents. He's already a nobody at school, and now comes another realization that he might also be a nobody compared to the other agents if not for IRIS.

This is where things take turn for the worse.

Again, Ali seeks to prove himself by disobeying the mentors and drags his new friends along as well. This turns out to be a bad idea when Ali watches Rizwan betray the agency and in his anguish starts attacking everyone after activating Override Mode. He later tries to deflect the blame towards IRIS which only makes the other agents hate him more.

Coupled with Rizwan's desertion and that he already burned his bridge with Alicia, he didn't have anyone to turn to anymore. In his pursuit for approval, he loses everything. This is the lowest point in his life.

Thankfully, Zain gets through to him and makes him see his worth beyond his skills, that he's helped a lot more people than anyone else has. This is a bandaid to the larger issue at hand, but it rekindles his spirit enough he can stand on two feet again.

On the flip side however, Alicia later choosing to stand by his side is likely the first time he receives (a form of) affection despite not doing anything to earn it. This is something that he'll finally learn later on during the movie.

Regardless, with Alicia's help, Ali began to take accountability for his actions and reformed his friendships with the other agents.

Movie

This movie is what happens when all of Ali issues accumulate to the point of no return.

This movie starts off with Ali realizing that he's no longer worth anything as an agent. Or rather, he's no longer the main character in the grand scheme of things. Feeling himself having been replaced by more experienced agents, this is where Ali adopts a new crutch to lean on... his mom's legacy.

On top of IRIS, a crutch that he's been holding onto to prove his worth, Ali is also burdened with Zain's expectation of him from the previous season. His excuse is that he wants to help people, which may be true to some extent, but it's obvious from the get-go that it's only one manifestation of his insecurity and self-worth issue. After all, if his MATA agent shtick doesn't have a point anymore, why not quit and start over.

Niki, whether she realizes it or not, capitalizes on this and convinces Ali to join her side. It doesn't help that the people from the slum see and appreciate what he's doing for them, which further incentivises him into staying. His growing resentment towards MATA and the likes of Dato' Othman pushes him further towards deserting the agency altogether. Alicia being his friend warned him of MATA's suspicion of him, but it's too late by then.

We've established before that for Ali, love and adoration always has to be earned before. In an ironic fashion, he runs away from Alicia, the one person who's stood by his side in his lowest point, to seek protection from someone he sees as a mother figure... who just so happens to only see him as a useful tool so long as he contributes to the slum. There is also a reverse-elitist undertone with how Niki treats him which is... yikes.

Niki betrays him and this slaps Ali hard in a lot of ways.

I wouldn't say Alicia's pep talk when they're trying to escape later is any better, cause god, ugh. Both of you need therapists. But for what it's worth, she teaches him one very valuable lesson; that he isn't alone. He has her, he has Bakar, he has so many people who care for him despite him being blind towards them.

Remember when Alicia stood by him in season 2? Well, she does it again and shows Ali that yes, love and loyalty doesn't need to be constantly earned. This is the turning point to Ali's worldview where he stops equating his worth to his usefulness.

At the end of the movie, Ali willingly gives up IRIS to make up for his mistake. But at the same time, we can see that he is much more confident in himself. He still has a need to prove himself, but starting from here, he does it in a much healthier way, as we can see in the following season.

Season 3

This is when Ali starts having a purpose. All this time, he's letting everyone else decide his worth, but after the events of the movie, he begins looking inward for acceptance of all that he is.

He knows he's weak, he knows he still has a lot to improve, so he focuses on that with his mother as his goal post.

Throughout the season, we can see Ali stumbling and standing up again. When he's caught in a hitch, he looks for help from others. This isn't something the old whiny Ali would've done. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, he picks himself up and strives to be a better version of himself.

From his new maturity, he also manages to resist peer pressure and doesn't antagonize the international agents like his friends do. It's no surprise that he ends up connecting with Sam the most, a direct reflection of his past insecurities. Of course he'd relate to a kindred spirit and help the guy climb out of the hell he's been through himself all his life.

When Ali loses IRIS to Alicia in the end, it is the best outcome anyone could've hoped for. Not because Alicia deserves it which she does, but because it symbolizes the end of Ali's dependency on cool shiny gadgets to make himself look like a somebody. Because he is already a somebody.

Conclusion

Ali's character growth throughout the series is simply phenomenal.

You know the Ali in season 1 and season 3 are the same characters but if you put them side by side you'll see that they're anything but. They're too different.

Ali's journey as a character may have been riddled with hiccups, but it's those exact hiccups that make us appreciate the person he's become.

Is he perfect? No. He's still flawed as any 12 year old is. He'll learn in time and that's okay.

#ejen ali #ali ghazali #character study

12 notes · View notes

balkanradfem · 2 years

Text

So I've been pretty bad at growing peppers, from the start I made rookie mistakes like 'planting them too close around tomatoes', 'planting them in the shade of tomatoes' and 'planting them too far away from each other', but as years went by, I got progressively worse.

I didn't know what was the problem, my peppers would be small, unsightly, with small leaves, and they would make only a few small peppers, and even that would grow late into the fall. My tomatoes, in comparison, were growing into monsters and would make unlimited tomatoes (or so it felt). I tried to problem-solve this by typing 'how to grow peppers' into youtube, but all I got was a video from a male saying 'don't water them too much'. Hm. I rarely watered anything in my garden anyway.

The Roots and Refuge queen said she had great success with transplanting her peppers out later in the season, when the nights were no longer cold; she noticed that peppers hated cold nights, and would get stunted if it was even a bit cold outside when they're out. This is it, I thought. I was going to transplant my peppers late, and they would grow big and beautiful like hers.

Mind you, the other gardeners were out there planting their peppers early, planting them from tiny transplants, and they still grew huge and produced many, many peppers. I just disregarded all of that because my favourite youtube mentor said her stuff and I was trusting her above my senses of sight and logic. So, I planted my peppers late, sure in my success.

It was the worst year for the peppers yet. They wouldn't grow at all. I had no peppers, for the entire season, and in the end, the frost came before any could ripen. I want to say I was saddened, but it was the most valuable year of learning for me. I'm after knowledge first. Then after peppers second.

That was the year of the drought, and even thought most of my plants made it thru, the peppers did exceptionally poor, they could not handle the heat or the lack of water, and something finally clicked in my head. The plant lady had mentioned before that 'peppers need to be watered' and would only plant them in places where she could water them regularly. I, of course, assumed my peppers wouldn't need that much water, because I had mulched them, and expected them to just be cool about it. But, seeing the effect of the drought finally solidified it in my head: Peppers need water. At all times. They need to be watered even if they're mulched, even if it's not that hot, even if they're not close to drying out.

So, this year, I finally made a plan of excessively watering the peppers, even if it wasn't too hot, even if they're mulched, I would provide them with all and any water they could possibly want for, I would do it if it was the last thing I ever tried.

And? Yeah they needed water. It's 11th of June, and my peppers have already produced a first pepper. I have not in my entire career of gardening harvested a pepper so early. I got teary-eyed seeing it grow. Few pepper plants have already grown bigger than their max height last year.

Some of them have surpassed the height and size of the other gardener's peppers and I'm secretly very smug about it (I have literally no ground to feel smug since I'm the disaster pepper gardener). But anyway! I'm excited to see how big they get, and here's my first pepper! I decided to take it off to get the plant to grow bigger before she produces more fruit.

#growing peppers #gardening lessons #growing food #sustainable food #gardening advice #remember how that one male said DONT WATER THEM A LOT #he was so wrong #theres a lot of bad gardening advice out there #its a lot to figure out whos telling the truth

29 notes · View notes

onlineproblems · 1 year

Text

time for journal entry of the month # 2

first of all i think i would like to be more consciously grateful of things that are actually quite good. like yeah yeah the world sucks and everything is on fire but on a personal level i'm actually quite lucky. i'm fairly rested, i'm more physically able than i've been in probably my entire life, i can afford food i really like, i get to talk to friends on a regular basis, and i live in a town with avenues for me to experience nature regularly. i've been trying new things like going to these local shows, i'm learning a lot in my classes (another opportunity i'm lucky to have), my mentors are awesome, and i have free time thanks to my (usually) low-key job. yeah it doesn't pay much but i'm fortunate to be married and not worried about paying bills alone.

and i have a tiny beast who lives with me.

that's a lot to be grateful for and that doesn't even cover it all. just in general i'm really happy to be at this point in my life, no matter how much incidental stress i'm experiencing -- it's nothing compared to where i was last year or really any time in my life before this. sometimes i feel kind of guilty that i have it so good, since a lot of it happened by chance/circumstance, and so many people i know are struggling. but it's not like my guilt can solve anything.

i think there's still some big strides i need to make, especially since i tend to be avoidant of conflict and stress and although i might feel good right now, if i'm letting something simmer on the backburner until it explodes, that's gonna cause bigger problems later on. it's easy to pretend nothing's wrong but it's not so easy to clean up the mess after my avoidance causes it all to escalate.

right now i think one of my fundamental struggles is between enjoying the present but balancing it with being respnsible. I could be entirely hedonistic on one extreme, or throw myself into working for some ambiguous future vacation that never comes. I do still believe i'm recovering from burnout from my last job, but it gets harder and harder to contemplate going back to a "real" job the more time goes by.

i also have to consider whether i want to continue pushing onwards toward the goal of getting my 'dream' job (or rather, landing an entry level/foot-in-the-door job in my chosen career path) or settle for any old job to hold me over until i can land that so-called dream job. i've been employed since september but this contract won't be permanent, and when it's over i have to consider the gap on my resume. i also can't say i was taking classes anymore after august, since my program ends then.

none of that is very fun to think about, so things i do wanna do and look forward to: going to see belushi speedball live!! writing and collaborating with friends. working on my novel. reading excellent books. going to the ballet, and watching my friend perform in the spring show. keeping up my gym habit. visiting NZ. visiting the west coast. maybe getting back into skating? doing the Nov 5k. spending some dedicated time learning German. sewing my LOTR cosplay.

i'm not wasting my time or my life, i'm having rich experiences that are so much more meaningful than a resume. money is essential to survive but there is more to living than that.

most of all i'm exceedingly grateful for the people in my life who are so so kind to me, even in the smallest of ways -- because it is not small to me. whether you are my friend on tumblr or in real life, i love you. and you probably didn't read all this lmao but if you did wow i REALLY love you.

#once again just long rambles that are interesting to no one but me #opceled #amceled

2 notes · View notes

infoshakil260 · 3 months

Text

Takeoff Kong Yiji's gown, and I'm going to set off with my broken oar

The world map is so big, I don’t want to have fun too early, I want to make a scene in my own way.

As I write this article, I am preparing to start a gap year. This is a completely new experience for me, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about it.

I first joined the company 7 years ago and my memory is still fresh.

Identity: A product primary school student who has just graduated half a year ago;

Time: March 28, 2016, Monday at around 1:00 noon;

Location: 9th floor, Fiyta Building;

First impression of the Goose Factory: dark and old.

There were no lights on in the whole HE Tuber building, so I followed the instructor with small steps in confusion. After arriving at the work station, I took apart the new computer and touched it. It felt really good. I went up to it and smelled it, but the smell was just average. The instructor laughed: The lights will be turned off during lunch break, and the computer will be yours in three years. I almost jumped up when I heard this and immediately bought a camp bed online.

That day I secretly decided that I would work hard for this laptop for three years.

1. I was impulsive because of an old lady

The novelty at the beginning was not enough to make me dizzy. After working for two and a half years, the team was suddenly assigned to Guangzhou to take charge of the Guangdong Provincial Affairs Project. Obviously the team is getting bigger and bigger, but I feel lonely. I forget about the laptop that is not yet my own, and ask myself for the first time: Should I leave?

This thought flashed across my mind, and I talked to the director at the time. He said: Sister, at your age, you are the most powerful. They are all young people, you are a child, and children have infinite vitality. Years later, I would still be filled with power because of this sentence, so I killed the idea before it could take shape.

Later, when the epidemic started, I was transferred to other departments to support micro-emergency projects, and then began to support government-enterprise office collaboration platforms. Later, I was stationed in Yunnan to be responsible for the planning of more than a dozen products in digital government projects. I was shaken again. If I were to leave, what could I take with me and what could I leave behind?

You may be wondering: What's going on? You can't calm down and want to move from time to time? Are you unhappy?

On the contrary, I am very happy after joining Tencent. Almost all my friends in Shenzhen were met in Goose Factory and I like them so much. They gave me the confidence to move forward. They knew the emptiness I felt when I swelled, knew the cowardice I tried my best to hide, knew I was ugly and knew I was evil, and they knew I had a sincere soul and proud talent (this last sentence is nonsense) of).

But I must be honest and say that I had selfish motives when I first joined Tencent. At that time, I set myself to work here for three years, drain all the resources in the company, learn everything that the Goose Factory can learn, and then plot to go out and do something big. I want to devote myself fully from the circle of concern to the circle of influence, but after three years, I am confused. I can't help but follow the company's rules: I want to upgrade to level 9, I want to change the bg, and I want to learn more knowledge. So I transferred my job and had more opportunities to learn from the project. I met many capable people and gained my own life mentor.

It has been like this for five years. One day, when my colleagues and I were squatting in a temporarily rented office in Yunnan to review the latest version of product problems, the floor-to-ceiling windows were facing me. The midsummer sky in Kunming was clean and bright, and a white light flashed in my mind. Oh my God. , I actually worked in a company for five years.

A group of apprentices and I fought hard in Yunnan. When we walked back to the hotel in the middle of the night, the evening breeze was a bit chilly. I secretly made up my mind: I will leave after reaching level 11 in another six months. Yes, I laugh at the rules of big companies and surrender to the pleasure that the process of challenging them brings me. In this way, I thought and learned until I transferred to WeChat Pay and started a completely different industry track. During this period, I was busy adapting to the new environment, learning new knowledge, and meeting new friends. I gradually forgot the unthinking rants I made back then. The aura of WeChat, salary, equity, year-end, partners... Please, do you still want to leave? Nothing will be left after you leave.

Don’t think about it anymore, don’t think about it anymore.

Up to now, I have been at Tencent for 2682 days, so many friends heard that I was at Tencent. At first they would say: wow, you are at Tencent; and later: hey, you are still at Tencent.

From the age of 22 to 29, I will be turning 30 in a few days.

Until a few months ago, during the Monday morning rush hour, I was waiting at a traffic light next to an old woman. I can't remember her face clearly. Old people all over the world seem to have the same look. I only remember that she was carrying a vegetable basket on her skinny wrist. I glanced at her, and she glanced over, unable to tell what her expression was. The light turned green and I passed by on a shared bicycle. This picture has always been fixed in my mind. I was thinking, if I have silver hair and age spots on my face, one day when I see a young girl at an ordinary intersection in this city, what will I think? Any regrets?

Street vendors were shouting and selling fresh food in the morning. The smell of fish and the fragrance of fresh vegetables lingered in the air, which was strange to me.

I passed by it, but I never stopped.

At this moment, I seemed to go back to many years ago, when my family had just finished my father’s funeral. I was still a little baby at that time, and the summer night was filled with the sound of frogs and insects. After dinner, my mother and I were enjoying the shade in the yard. I lay on her lap and wanted to cry sadly: Are all humans mortal? What will happen if I die? At that time, my mother took a cattail leaf fan and slapped me on the back, "Bah, bah, bah, why are children so concerned about this?"

So I resigned.

The old lady on the roadside probably never thought about this.

At twenty or thirty, what is my life lesson?

When I started to announce my resignation to my colleagues and friends, almost everyone's first reaction was surprise. In the current employment situation, are you leaving your job? Still a gap? A good hand of cards has been ruined by you...

They expressed concern about my voluntary departure, and I was terrified many times late at night. When I think about it carefully, this feeling is not unfamiliar, it is the same as I have thought of birth, old age, illness and death countless times. It is no exaggeration to say that I have a little palpitations and chest tightness, as if I have been in an ice cellar.

I came to Shenzhen from Beijing because I couldn't forget Goose Factory. If I left here, would I still need to stay in Shenzhen?

I ask myself: What is your life lesson?

I have thought about the dreams of getting married, having children, accumulating wealth, and becoming famous all over the world, but I want to see the bigger world.

I never want to passively give up my driving force for change to "self-escape from not knowing where to go"; my active choice and giving up will only come from "the love and freedom I yearn for ahead."

After understanding this, the answer becomes clear:

The world map is so big, I don’t want to enjoy it too early.

I would like to thank the boss of my current team for giving me relatively ample time to think about it. During this period, I have been asking myself: What can I do if I leave Tencent one day?

Frankly speaking, you cannot think about this issue in detail. Once you think about it, you will find that the skills you acquire after tightening screws for a long time are not enough for you to survive independently in society. What you know is good enough for others. What skills do you have that others don’t have? You want to be a trendsetter, stay ahead of the trend of the times, and don't want to miss every wave. But in the end, you end up being trapped in the current of the times.

I always hear an old saying, in terms of personal career planning, you must learn to master the power of crossing cycles, and you must build your own core competitiveness. But if from the beginning to the end, your so-called competitiveness is just to have some differentiated advantages compared with other workers in the workplace, can this support your long-term personal development?

He Fan said in "Variables": In a market with homogeneous competition, it is impossible to find excess profits.

A while ago, I found an MP3 in a drawer, which was my first electronic product in junior high school. Thanks to my hobby of collecting, I can still play the recordings inside. I was amused by the immature voice of the 15-year-old with a strong local accent, and I was deeply moved by the childish and great dream of the super optimist.

She said: "I am a young man, not a freak or a fool. I want to fight for my own happiness. I want to do something smart and interesting, and I want to contribute more to society."

Living conditions are obviously getting better and better, but why are there fewer and fewer people chasing their dreams? Everyone is thinking about how to make money and survive. People who have the same sense of social responsibility and historical mission as before seem to have become a rare species.

Sometimes I think that it is precisely because we are all ordinary people. All ordinary people see is money, while detached people know how to think about value. When everyone is running in one direction, occasionally you can stop and look in the opposite direction. Are those things that are overly popular worth investing in and worth following?

If we understand the value behind everything, money will not be far away from us. But if you always stare at the cash in front of you, you will always be able to hide and seek with potential crises within the rules set by others.

So I set a goal for myself. I want to press the pause button and start the gap year.

Why is it serious this time? If I have to put the final word in one sentence: If I don’t leave, I may never be able to take this step.

This is the best time, I am still young, I am very free, I have too many things I want to do, too many paths I want to take, too many feelings I want to express, and too many skills I want to learn.

In the coming year, I will cherish:

August is my "birthday month". I want to take a long-awaited summer vacation for myself, return to my family and become the little rice bug who can't take care of himself for three meals a day, and then continue to brush up on language scores, get paperwork, and prepare for my 24-fall study abroad application;

In September, I will follow my previous agreements with several universities, start work shop cooperation, and devote myself fully to research;

In October, I will spend some time on several international charity projects. I have always wanted to practice the concept of "technology for good";

In November and December, I will continue to write my first book according to the manuscript contract with the publishing house and submit it by the end of the year. I thought about a proposition a long time ago. There are too many successful learnings in the market, and there are not a few big names who rely on their personal influence to respond to everyone. Why do people always tend to avoid talking about or downplay the experience of failure? Just as the growth curve of any company leads you to success, it will also lead you to failure. Failure is the background. So I want to share a lot of failures based on a product perspective, as well as the energy and dry knowledge drawn from these failed businesses. It is a bit sad but very real, but more importantly, I require myself to be hard-core. Figure out the boundaries between emotion and rationality, and give yourself a staged explanation.

In January and February next year, I want to continue learning programming, and there are several projects that are still in the incubation stage. As for the more detailed follow-up plans, we will talk about it at that time. In July 2023, I can only predict that I will be very busy, but I am no longer obsessed with a clear and definite plan.

I always believe that when you are willing to devote yourself to the unknown of life, many surprises will happen. I have tried my best to pave the way in advance, trying hard to do things that I wanted to do before but didn’t have the time or energy to do. Later, I just let the bullets fly for a while.

I hope that one year from now, I can happily share my gap year gains and experiences with you!

3. I believe more in statistics than in success studies.

In fact, I have never liked to read the experiences shared by successful people. It is as unreliable as if you deduced the problem-solving ideas from the answers. Every successful person’s experience is marked by huge personal cognitive biases, self-righteousness, and luck. What's more, "success" itself has its own criteria for judging.

A few months ago I went back to my alma mater, and the college teacher asked me to cheer up my juniors. Although I compiled a decent ppt with a serious name: "The Crazy Road of Internet Workers", when I stood on the stage, I couldn't help it: they were all majoring in mathematics and statistics, and compared with When it comes to learning about success, I would rather talk about statistics to deduce what our chances of winning are during the period when things change from warm to cold.

Later, I shared this speech on Knowledge Planet, and several other classmates from big factories expressed their opinions: In recent years, many people have stayed away from people who come from big factories. For example, the salaries of big factories cannot be paid. The people in captivity are too comfortable, their abilities are too weak and weak... There are different opinions on this.

You name it, patents, papers, books, etc., have results, all have the name of the author on them, and they are recognized by society. What did you get after graduating from a major factory? What can "graduated" employees take with them?

When I was a student, I imagined myself sitting in an office, well-dressed, and talking elegantly. All I could imagine were frivolous things: title, five-star performance, salary increase, year-end, leading a team, etc. These things may seem like accumulation, but if you leave the company one day, they will be cleared in an instant.

I saw Dragon Slayer Rouge Well put forward a proposition before:

After realizing this, and because I was preparing to leave recently, I always kept myself in a "leave at any time" mentality to look at everything.

I repeatedly reflected on myself: If I were to leave the company next month, what would I take with me and what would I want most? I will crazily study all the courses and articles I am interested in in the company, consult all the experts I admire, and muster up the courage to take the initiative to meet the people I want to get to know... I hope that I will master more things that will still belong to me after death.

The priority of what I pursue in the company is: things that will not be cleared after death > things that will be cleared after death > things that will be cleared after leaving a company. It's quite interesting to work with this kind of mentality. If you are still working, you might as well do an experiment for yourself. You will find that you will feel hungry every day and gain something new every day. When you get off work every day, you will involuntarily sigh: Today I have lived for myself for another day. Today I am different from yesterday.

#Comedy #Entertainment #News & Politics #How-to & Style #Non- profits & activism

0 notes

shakil244 · 3 months

Text

Takeoff Kong Yiji's gown, and I'm going to set off with my broken oar

The world map is so big, I don’t want to have fun too early, I want to make a scene in my own way.

As I write this article, I am preparing to start a gap year. This is a completely new experience for me, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about it.

I first joined the company 7 years ago and my memory is still fresh.

Identity: A product primary HE Tuber school student who has just graduated half a year ago;

Time: March 28, 2016, Monday at around 1:00 noon;

Location: 9th floor, Fiyta Building;

First impression of the Goose Factory: dark and old.

There were no lights on in the whole building, so I followed the instructor with small steps in confusion. After arriving at the work station, I took apart the new computer and touched it. It felt really good. I went up to it and smelled it, but the smell was just average. The instructor laughed: The lights will be turned off during lunch break, and the computer will be yours in three years. I almost jumped up when I heard this and immediately bought a camp bed online.

That day I secretly decided that I would work hard for this laptop for three years.

1. I was impulsive because of an old lady

You may be wondering: What's going on? You can't calm down and want to move from time to time? Are you unhappy?

Don’t think about it anymore, don’t think about it anymore.

Up to now, I have been at Tencent for 2682 days, so many friends heard that I was at Tencent. At first they would say: wow, you are at Tencent; and later: hey, you are still at Tencent.

From the age of 22 to 29, I will be turning 30 in a few days.

Street vendors were shouting and selling fresh food in the morning. The smell of fish and the fragrance of fresh vegetables lingered in the air, which was strange to me.

I passed by it, but I never stopped.

So I resigned.

The old lady on the roadside probably never thought about this.

At twenty or thirty, what is my life lesson?

I came to Shenzhen from Beijing because I couldn't forget Goose Factory. If I left here, would I still need to stay in Shenzhen?

I ask myself: What is your life lesson?

I have thought about the dreams of getting married, having children, accumulating wealth, and becoming famous all over the world, but I want to see the bigger world.

After understanding this, the answer becomes clear:

The world map is so big, I don’t want to enjoy it too early.

I would like to thank the boss of my current team for giving me relatively ample time to think about it. During this period, I have been asking myself: What can I do if I leave Tencent one day?

He Fan said in "Variables": In a market with homogeneous competition, it is impossible to find excess profits.

She said: "I am a young man, not a freak or a fool. I want to fight for my own happiness. I want to do something smart and interesting, and I want to contribute more to society."

So I set a goal for myself. I want to press the pause button and start the gap year.

Why is it serious this time? If I have to put the final word in one sentence: If I don’t leave, I may never be able to take this step.

This is the best time, I am still young, I am very free, I have too many things I want to do, too many paths I want to take, too many feelings I want to express, and too many skills I want to learn.

In the coming year, I will cherish:

In September, I will follow my previous agreements with several universities, start work shop cooperation, and devote myself fully to research;

In October, I will spend some time on several international charity projects. I have always wanted to practice the concept of "technology for good";

I hope that one year from now, I can happily share my gap year gains and experiences with you!

3. I believe more in statistics than in success studies.

I saw Dragon Slayer Rouge Well put forward a proposition before:

After realizing this, and because I was preparing to leave recently, I always kept myself in a "leave at any time" mentality to look at everything.

#People & BlogsFilm & Animation #Comedy #Entertainment #News & Politics #How-to & Style #Non- profits & activism #Hindi Songs

0 notes

jessilynallendilla · 2 years

Text

Bunch of Batman Fics

Let me know if links aren’t working an the organization is kinda a mess so if you think a story belongs in another category

Completion Status/Rating/Word Count

CHECK THE ORIGINAL POST AS I UPDATE THE LIST

MISC/BATFAM/FAMILY

The Cape Void

In which Batman’s cape may or may not be bigger on the inside, contains many sandwiches, creates more problems than it solves, and is the constant delight of his children.

Slipping Through My Fingers

Bruce has missed so much of his children's lives—so many milestones that every parent wants to remember forever but that he’s not even had glimpses of. He wasn’t there for the first steps or the lost teeth or learning how to ride a bike. He missed all of his children learning to talk, missed watching Sesame Street with them in the morning and making soapy mohawks in the bathtub. Bruce missed everything. He missed moments that he can’t get back, no matter how hard he yearns for a rewind. Take him back. Return to him the moments he lost without even knowing it until they’d already slipped through his fingers.

hit 'em up style Steph, 3:29 PM: need super tampons. it’s an emergency. can u please run to store? would owe you FOREVER

It's Not Where You Come From, It's Where You Belong

The last thing anyone expected billionaire, playboy Brucie Wayne to do was get married. For anyone who asked, though, Bruce would gladly tell them that the day he married Selina Kyle was the best day of his life. The second to last thing anyone expected billionaire, playboy Brucie Wayne to do was willing have kids. And yet there they were, newly registered and freshly licensed foster parents Selina and Bruce Wayne-Kyle. And apparently they already have their first placements. Here's to hoping the classes and books are helpful.

In Gotham, Even The Birds Are Street Rats

Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake have chosen to be brothers. Growing up on the streets of Gotham isn't easy, but at least they have each other. When they get into a tight spot, Jason decides he'll risk anything for his brothers, even if it means stealing the tires right off the Batmobile.

Gotham Knights

Whereas instead of becoming a vigilante and dressing up as a giant bat to fight crime, Bruce chose a civilian life and becomes... A philanthropist. A universe where Batman doesn't exist. But Bruce still managed to father four boys. And Nightwing still exists. As well as Red Hood. And Red Robin. And Robin. Bruce Wayne is a clueless dad who fathers four Gotham Knights.

Time's Cost

Bruce is depressed on the anniversary of his parents' death. He finds a time machine during a mission. After a fight with Dick, Bruce uses the time machine to prevent his parents' deaths. But what happens to his adopted family in a world where Bruce never became Batman? Are they really better off without him?

Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep

Terry wants to say he's okay with cemeteries. But taking your kinda boss, kinda mentor, kinda surrogate father-figure to his creepy family cemetery does not make him feel good. He didn't realize just how much Bruce mourns.

The Best Things

Bruce was starting to understand the jokes about him and adopting strays. But it’s not like he ever went looking for kids to adopt. They just sort of… appeared. Besides, the neighbor boy clearly had no one, and Bruce could not in good conscience let that assassin girl go back to parents who had treated her so badly. If that meant Bruce adopted two more kids, so be it. It’s not like he didn’t have the room.

On Gaslit Nights

Surviving on the filthy and foggy streets of Gotham is a dangerous life. Growing up in Wayne Manor might make that seem easy.

Cock Robin's no more

“He won’t be chasing anyone for a long time.” That’s what the Batman had said as he broke Big Bill’s leg, after telling the three of them to go home. Turns out a long time was only three and a half months.

Gotham by Gaslight: Ghosts

Four months after the events of the movie, Bruce is getting use to life with the three orphan boys he took in. Yet, when the past comes back to haunt the boys Batman will do anything to keep them safe.

5 Times Bruce Dealt With His Kids’ Trauma...

And one time they deal with his.

Where Babies Come From

Bruce Wayne's plans: have one kid he fosters and try to get by with the whole superhero thing on top of the parenting thing Dick Grayson's plans: show his dad these kids he found laying around Or, how a perfectly content single father accidentally gets another whole new kid... and then another... and another... and, well, you get the idea.

Check-Ins

BRUCE Check in. Sent at 3:34 PM Bruce’s overprotectiveness begins a family tradition of frequent check-ins.

i'll give the world to you

"Dick came from the circus. His parents were dead – their wings clipped in the middle of a show. He had been thrown away by Gotham Social Service, and it had driven Bruce mad. Bruce was a foster parent, now. He was a foster parent, and he had no idea what he was going." OR: Bruce gain a family, and can't stop himself from adopting more and more children.

the view i love the most (is my front porch looking in)

bruce wayne is twenty-eight when he decides there's something more he can do for gotham’s fellow orphans and applies to become a foster parent. he couldn't have anticipated how full his home (and his heart) would someday become. Or, how each of bruce's kids came into his life.

Running Headlong into My Arms

Bruce doesn’t like to credit one thing for saving his life, but if he did, it would be Haly’s Circus that Friday night in September, just as summer was beginning to die. (He'll always be a sucker for kids with sad eyes, no parents, and more fight than the world knows what to do with.) Or: in a universe where superheroes don't exist, Bruce Wayne finds his family.

Monolith

Diana realised with a jolt that none of them had actually asked him how he knew Batman. And she was just as curious as the rest of them about the “we”. It implied Batman worked with more people. ‘How did you come to know Batman? Does he have any other friends?’ His mouth fell open, and he snorted, which evolved into full-on laughter. ‘I’m sorry. Oh my god - friends?’ Diana felt a little hurt on Batman’s behalf. ‘Are you not his friend?' He shook his head. ‘Did B really not say anything? I’m hurt. No, I’m not his friend. I’m his son.’ (An AU where the Justice League haven't met any of Bruce's kids.)

Correlation and Causation

based on this tumblr post "A Statistics teacher in Gotham makes a graph comparing times when Bruce Wayne goes on long vacations with times Batman gets beaten up really badly by villains to illustrate to his class how correlation does not equal causation."

one shot, two shots in the night

The New York Times ✓ @nytimes · 4h “A Shot in the Dark” remains on our bestseller list for the fourth week in a row! Read our review of @brucewayne’s tell-all memoir here: nyti.ms/3Fs9k2E

what a privilege to love you (to teach you all that i know)

fa·ther /ˈfäT͟Hər/ noun 1. a man who gives care and protection to someone or something. The batfamily and the word “Dad.”

In the Fold

Batman didn't know what to do. no. Bruce didnt know what to do. One minute he's knees deep in an investigation about a drug deal gone bad, the men involved having scattered from the crime scene as soon as they caught whiff of Batman being on their tails. The next? He's following the sounds of a crying child to an alley a few blocks over, said child missing a shoe and tucked so firmly against the side of a dumpster Bruce couldn't even tell where their body ended and the dumpster began.

a hat fashioned from tin foil

nightwang @karakurachou – 8 hours ago jason todd is alive and faked his death so he could become robin: a conspiracy theory thread Batfam conspiracy theories meet social media.

Bruce Wayne: Bleeding Heart

Thomas and Martha Wayne survive that night in the alley. Bruce Wayne never becomes Batman. He still manages to collect an assortment of traumatized children.

Alina Shelley-Wayne Meets the Batfamily

And in this fanfic, we follow Alina as she meets the entirety of the Batfam; from Jason Todd to Lance Bruner to Julia Pennyworth to Mar’i Grayson and to so many others! No siblings (or cousin, aunt, uncle, family friend) left behind! Each chapter follows Alina meeting a character as she bonds with them. Not only does it follow Alina and her relationship with the Batfamily, but it also explains the development of the world(s) of Earth Never.

Always in the Wayne: Web Trailer

The Wayne Family is going to be hosting a reality webshow (for the purpose of really selling the Brucie Wayne gimmick and further discrediting themselves in the public eye!) This is the trailer!

Yesterday's Voices

While trying to take down a drug cartel that deals with memory altering drugs, things go awry, and Batman wakes up with no recollection of the last five years. As a result, his family must now race against time to find the antidote, while also having to deal with a Bruce who still thinks Jason is Robin. A Bruce who doesn't recognise most of them. A Bruce far less jaded and cynical than the one they're used to. A Bruce who still cares.

The Big Boss

The story of Bruce Wayne and his family as told by his insane Wayne Enterprises calendar and the poor assistant that had to manage it all.

Four Names for Love

When Bruce parted ways with Gotham he was leaving behind more than he thought. Meanwhile Selina is trying to find a way to herself after being abandoned again and on top of that she finds out she was left with a lot more than a heartbreak.

The Picture in the Bedroom

Amanda Waller firmly believes that the world needs Batman. She also believes that the world needs to be prepared for the death of Bruce Wayne, so she creates a plan to ensure that the title of Batman lives on. Unfortunately for her, the plan fails. Fortunately for everyone else, the plan fails. (Or, the Batfam raises Terry from infancy au.)

I Don't Have The Answers You Need

It’s not rational. It’s not a logical thought. He’s not acting like someone in control of anything, especially not of himself. He knows from somewhere in the back of his mind, what he should be doing. Tell the people he’s working with he’s hearing his dead son in his comm. Have them check for drugs, telepathy, or magic. Tell them someone is raising the dead or trying to get something from him by pretending to be Jason. That someone is trying to lure him into a trap.He ditches them.

don't get caugth in my edges

Selina smiled. “Bruce is Bruce. And I love him—faults and flaws, mistakes are all part of that. None of us are perfect and I think we both are able to accept each other for who we are.” The reporter’s grin looked almost predatory, like she’d latched onto something juicy. “So, you don’t mind when he cheats on you?” or Bruce and Selina go to an interview at the Gotham Gazette and things get a little bit messy.

Glad That I Did

Gotham Billionaire Bruce Wayne has eight kids all under 17. His youngest is 3; his oldest is 16. He struggles to find a balance between home life and work life. Add to that a romantic relationship with local model Selina Kyle and you have a recipe for disaster. He's yet to tell his lady about his children but the kids, the older ones, know all about Selina. If it weren't for his faithful butler and friend, Alfred Pennyworth, he'd never get to see her. What happens when he finally tells her the truth? Will the kids like her? Will she like them? Only time will tell...

Family gives us two things; one is roots, the other is wings

“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘮 𝘐?” 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘱.𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘮- 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘮. “𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵,” 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘰. “𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮… 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳….” 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘢. “𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘞𝘢𝘺𝘯𝘦, 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶?” [or, where Thomas Wayne from the Flashpoint universe finds his way into the main DC timeline]

Finally Home

"In any other situation, Bruce wouldn’t have bothered to ask. He would have walked away, done his business with Ra’s, and then stolen away the child as he left. But he had seen the way Talia’s eyes had softened when she looked at the boy, the fond exasperation in her tone when she spoke to him. Talia clearly loved him, but as much as she wanted to, there was only so much she could protect him from in the Demon’s den." Bruce goes to give Ra's al-Ghul a piece of his mind... He comes back with so much more.

Single Dad Bruce Wayne

What if Bruce used his status as a tired single dad as an alibi for activities as Batman instead of the vapid image of Brucie Wayne?

Growing Pains

Alfred makes a mistake when Bruce adopts a two-year-old out of the blue. But it all turns alright in the end

Aere Perennius

There is two people in his living room that shouldn’t be there, with faces that were buried long, long ago after that horrible rainy night.

Nature/Nurture

In which all the Robins are Bruce Wayne clones and it takes Bruce a distressingly long time to notice.

A Poor Man's Hero

What if Batman became Batman without all the gobs of cash? What if he was a guy who started out impoverished, as a child, and saw his parents die due to violence, and vowed to protect other people from such things happening to them? This Bruce Wayne isn't a rich businessman or famous. He owns a martial arts dojo, and that barely keeps his nose above water. And then he takes in foster kids on top of that. But this Batman is just as relentless in his pursuit of justice as his rich counterpart. Will he be able to successfully pull it off as part of society and not above it? Will his lack of funds prove disastrous, or his obviously less sophisticated background make him more of a target for the GCPD? And what about the Robins, the Batgirls, and so on? These are drabbles about their lives, all interconnected, all with varying levels of humor and angst and fluff

A Kitten For Christmas

Selina Kyle breaks into the Drake penthouse on Christmas Eve to steal some priceless artifacts. Her life just sort of spirals out of control from there. Honestly, is this how Batman gets Robins?

Don't Mess With the Waynes

Gotham City is known for housing the lowest of the low, in multiple interpretations of the word. The Covid-19 pandemic has not changed this. When Cassandra Cain-Wayne is targeted, the city, and the country, learns there’s one family you just don’t mess with.

the waynes answer the web's most searched questions

The day has finally come! Gotham's finest and richest family come together in a series of YouTube videos to do the WIRED Autocomplete Interview!

The Once and Future Batman

Batman and Robin get de aged. Now, Alfred, the League and the Titans have to deal with surly seventeen year old Bruce Wayne who hates the world and everyone in it (except for Alfred and this random baby he found) and three year Dick Grayson who loves everything and everyone and just wants hugs (a grenade everyone is fighting to throw themselves on).

It Will Be Okay /T/

Gotham City is a notoriously corrupt city. Billionaire Bruce Wayne attempts to remedy that by using his wealth and influence like his parents before him. Unbeknownst to him, three boys struggle in the overcrowded and underfunded foster system. They soon find themselves in deep trouble that may result in there being one less kid for social services to have to deal with. Will the boys be able to push through or will Gotham be the home for another tragedy?

Gothamite Spotlight C/T/17095

An interview with Bruce Wayne's children, as printed in the Gotham Gazette's new column: Gothamite Spotlight. Topics include Bruce Wayne's parenting techniques and how they've changed from child to child; the names we choose, use, and live under; kidnappings; Wayne Enterprises; pets; Jason Todd-Wayne's 'death' and return to Gotham; Alfred Pennyworth, the unofficial grandfather; jobs; friendships and romances; living under public scrutiny; and the meaning of family. AKA: A look into what the Gotham public sees, hears, and believes about the Wayne family and how the Waynes help shape their public images.

Batnapping C/T/31564

A collection of pieces from a world where Bruce's acquisition of his kids isn't as legal, but is just as well-meaning.

Batdad Begins /G/

Bruce has been Batman for three years, has been a Dad for one, and managed to keep his night-job a secret from his kids for a grand total of approximately five minutes. But still, raising toddlers and being the Dark Knight? It's nothing he can't handle... right? Or; family fluff of the fluffiest kind. Starts when Dick is five and Jason is two and Bruce is only just figuring out what it is he's let himself in for.

Batman REALLY loves his kids (much to the annoyance of all) C/G/1445

When a few henchmen (and a goon) capture Batman they plan on using a new toxin to get some information out of him. Unfortunately, all Batman wants to talk about is his kids. Aka the time all baristas in Gotham were in danger, Batman's love of his kids turned people away from crime, and Red Hood is outed at a dad-loving nerd (not necessarily in that order)

Make It Wayne - Season 1 /T/

The Waynes star in their very own reality TV show! Filled with drama and different challenges, they will have to juggle a camera crew that likes to stick their noses where they don't belong, the fickle public, and being superheroes!

Presque Vu /T/

Bruce gets amnesia and the Batfamily conspires to keep their vigilante side secret from him. They were just trying to keep him home, safe until he recovered. They expected that Bruce would pick up on clues and put together The Batman secret on his own. They didn't expect him to form a different picture entirely. They didn't expect Bruce Wayne would come to hate the Batman.

The Once and Future Batman /T/

A Signal Of Hope C/T/15926

None of the Robins had ever liked the galas held at the manor, but while their own experiences before during and after the event may have been as different the boys were from each other in general, one thing Bruce knew for sure: he would always, always be there to defend his sons from the vultures of this world.

All I Have /G/

What if the reason that Batman was so prickly in the beginning of the Justice League was because he had six kids at home? Chaos and a bit of angst shall ensue

Colony C/T/176126

The Bats are a family like any other--they argue, they laugh, they dress up in costumes and beat criminals to a pulp with their bare fists. You know, normal family things. A series of unconnected one-shots centered around Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian. Other characters will appear periodically

Buckle Up (its gonna be a bumpy ride) C/G/19700

Of all the blasted cars at the intersection, the hijacker had to choose theirs. Typical Gotham luck. Except that they are also Waynes (and vigilantes). This is not going to end well.

On Gaslit Nights /G/

Surviving on the filthy and foggy streets of Gotham is a dangerous life. Growing up in Wayne Manor might make that seem easy.

@bruciewayne /G/

Bruce Wayne is a recluse and a billionaire. That makes people curious and nosy. In order to protect his secret identity as Batman, Bruce Wayne will have to don a new mask - that of Brucie Wayne - as he trains to master the art of "having a social media presence." This may be his most daunting mission yet.

How to Train Your Mers /M/

Clark is an aquatic mammals trainer at the Metropolis Aquarium and Bruce is their very unruly new resident. Clark doesn't realise that Bruce is only the first of many mers that are going to live in the Aquarium.

Gone C/G/4938

Barbara Gordon was targeted. Richard Grayson disappeared. Jason Todd ran away. Tim Drake was kidnapped. Stephanie Brown crashed. Damian al Ghul was killed. Hawkfire rose from the ashes. Nightwing soared through the sky. Red Hood hunted the streets. Red X found the trail. Spoiler haunted her targets. Renegade vanquished his foes. Batman watched over them all from the shadows.

Alfred Pennyworth is Not to be Trifled With C/T/5822

The Wayne Family is protected my many dangerous people. You may think the worst you can come across at Wayne Manor is a protective Batman. You are wrong. It is the highly competent Butler whose handy with a shotgun, you have to watch out for. Or: Bruce Wayne is 16 when he goes to Haley’s Circus and brings home a newly orphaned brother. He’s 18 when he becomes Batman, and as a result, Alfred is rather protective.

The Return C/T/52589

What the comics neglected to cover after Bruce returns from being lost in time.

R/DontMessWithTheWaynes C/T/5123

Dick, Jason, and Tim all love Reddit. And they have stories to share.

Mother Bruce and His Baby Birds C/G/12287

Snapshots of Bruce asking different children if they would like to be adopted. I'll update the tags as the chapters come in, but it'll mainly just be adding characters as they appear.

Kitten C/G/4260

Bruce opened his mouth, prepared to give the unemotional, no-nonsense explanation he had cobbled together between his walk to the car and now. Instead, his mouth went dry and nothing came out. “Bruce?” Bruce was saved from answering by the thin cry that cut through the silence. He winced, then reached back with one hand to shush the dimpled, kicking legs. “Bruce, tell me I did not just hear what I thought I heard.”

father tongue C/G/3297

The Bats share a secret language of clicks, whistles, trills and chirps, which comes in very handy when out fighting crime on the streets of Gotham. Unfortunately, they can forget that not exactly everyone knows about it, and because it comes so naturally to them, it can confuse other people.

The Acquisition of Some Things Small and Unstable /T/

Bruce is nineteen, depressed, and not in the least ready to be a parent. Good thing Alfred's there to take in all of the strays he leads home.

Batfam but on twitter /G/

it’s literally just the Batfam and Co. on twitter

Double Lives, Double men : The Story of Batman and his parts. C/T/62827

Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent spend their nights traversing through the skylines of Gotham City, taking out crooks and ne'er-do-wells! With Bruce in the chair, and Harvey acting under his direction, they keep the streets clean. But, life and time do not stop for mere men. Not even righteous Batmen. Life continues on, leaving moments of fate to impact each mans lives. With one kid on the way, and many more to come, the prospect of Batman becomes a fantasy for Bruce, while Harvey holds onto the days he has left with his brother. --- Bruce and Harvey grow up with each other, as friends and basically brothers. Bruce starts taking in kids, and it messes with Harvey and his batman plans. This story is about the characters and how they change became of this dynamic, as well as the shenanigans that the kids drag Bruce and Harvey into.

Fears of a Father C/G/1998

"A mixture of comedy/heartbreak as Bruce, having been hit with fear toxin, repeatedly cycles through panicking multiple times because as soon as he's been reassured that one kid is fine, he starts worrying about another because he has 5(+)"

Dick

look at my son

“I know that when I first took you in, you said that you had no desire to be adopted," Bruce pauses. He can face the Joker and Killer Croc and all of the Gotham Rogues without a hint of nerves, but in this single moment, his heart is pounding like crazy. “Your parents are irreplaceable,” Bruce continues, “and I don’t mean to take their place or for you to forget them, but I do see you as my son. I was hoping that I could… adopt you?”

My Family

Dick is 18, and hasn't been adopted by Bruce. Jason has. Tim has. Cass has. Damian didn't need to be. But not Dick. Was there something wrong with him? Something wrong about him being Bruce's son as well?

Watch This

Hal and Barry are worried about Batman's new partner. Being around the Batman all the time can't be good for a kid, right? Robin insists otherwise, and for $15.36 of betting money, is happy to demonstrate.

We'll fly with broken wings

John and Mary walk leisurely back to the circus. “That man really needs people in his corner.” John remarks. “And to realize there are already people in his corner.” Mary adds. He hums in agreement. “He has a lot of anger in him.” he observes. “The best ones often do. You did.” Mary nudges her husband. “You still do.” Dick pipes up, “Broose is a best one. He’s a superhero!” They laugh. “Yes, he is, Dickie.” (Or: Bruce Wayne, twenty years old, traveling around the world to train, meets circus acrobats John and Mary Grayson and their four-year-old son

Our roots will not whither away

The hallway lights silhouette a small shape in the doorway. “Dick?” Bruce asks. “I can’t sleep.” the boy whispers. “Okay. C’mere.” Bruce gestures. “It’s too big and empty.” Dick says as he climbs up. Bruce wraps his arm around Dick as he snuggles close. “I know.” (Or: Bruce and Dick return to Gotham. There are plenty of problems and plenty of good days.)

Always a Home

Home didn’t feel like home anymore. The house was still the same. The smell was the same. The same furniture, the same paintings, the same rooms. The same people. That was Jason’s now. All of it He was just a ward. Bruce was his guardian. It was just a question of time before he was kicked out for good. Bruce had already taken Robin from him. He’d take his home next. Or: Dick is sick and thinks he will be kicked out. Jason's a great little brother and Bruce is the best father he can be.

Light in the Darkest Place

Bruce Wayne doesn't know the first thing about raising kids, but that doesn't stop him from wanting to help Dick Grayson.

Old Chum

An 8 year old Dick Grayson, newly bereaved, finds himself in juvenile hall. Bruce Wayne takes in the traumatized and battered child. Can he help his new ward deal with the pain and help him learn to trust again?

Collective Judgments

Dick Grayson has never been ashamed of his heritage, despite the comments he's used to receiving. Luckily for him, the members of his family are disinclined to put up with racist bullshit.

Whispered Word

(Prequel to Broken Wings) "He must be new to Gotham." That was the easy explanation. It was tempting to believe. Gotham was Batman's city after all. He knew every alleyway and every criminal within its' borders. Nothing in this city escaped his sight. But as Bruce looked down at the golden owl crest so delicately pressed into the knife that had nearly killed him, something stirred within his core. An unease that crept throughout his chest. An assassin with skills that rivaled his own, and whose reflexes were identical to those of Nightwing. A contract put out on Bruce Wayne, not Batman. The Court of Owls... It was tempting to believe that this was something new, because that meant Gotham was still his city, and this was just another criminal. But something within Bruce's soul told him that this wasn't something new. It was something ancient. Something dark.

i'd give you my lungs (so you could breathe)

A brush with fear toxin on patrol leaves Dick seeking comfort and grounding in his first brother's presence.

he ain't heavy, he's my brother

Dick's been putting off meeting with Jason for a while now, but when a distress call comes through, he has no choice but to answer. Or the one where Dick and Jason talk, fight, get high and cuddle. In that order

Honeypot

‘If you keep getting older who’s gonna take your place?’ Jason tilted his head to look at Bruce. ‘Did ya hear me, B? I asked who you’ll use as a honeypot when Dickhead’s old and blind.’ The milkshake cup crinkled under Dick’s fingers. Or: Dick’s kept it together for years and it only takes a single comment for it all to come crashing down

Birds of a Feather Flock Together Richard Grayson is met with the face of death at the age of eight when his parents take “The Great Fall.” But he learns to soar again when he meets Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth two men who wish to take him under their wings. Basically me dumping Richard Grayson fluff, angst, and an emotionally constipated but loving Bruce in the mix.

No One Said Flying Was Easy Eight year old Richard Grayson has just watched his parents fall to their deaths. Hurting and alone, he struggles to adjust to the new life he's thrown into. Bruce Wayne takes him in, but seems to have no idea what he's doing. Can they help each other put the pieces of their broken lives back together?

To be a father

Bruce Wayne is many things. He's an orphan.A traumatised boy who since the murder of his parents has then grew up into an angry man with too many issues to count. To the public eye, Bruce Wayne is a brilliant buisness man, compassionate and hard-working but he is also a playboy, an airhead, just another rich boy lost in his own bubble. In private, Bruce Wayne is the caped crusader, the dark knight, the protector of the innocent. To the people closest to him, he's a hardass, stubbornly set in his ways and relentlessly hard working. Bruce Wayne is many things. A father is not one of them. Or at least that's what he tells himself. Everyone knows Bruce Wayne is a father. Except Bruce Wayne.

the hardest part

Dick is dreading his eighteenth birthday and everything that it means for him as a foster kid. His time with his family is running out, and he needs to be prepared for what comes next, to be on his own again.

Second Generation

Nine months after the 'Blockbuster Incident', a call from Lockhaven Penitentiary regarding Catalina Flores brings all Dick Grayson's plans for his future in Bludhaven crashing down. Thrust suddenly into parenthood and hiding what happened to make him a parent in the first place, Dick must decide, adjust, and accept - and no matter what, the family has to pull together to help him. Unfortunately, the Red Hood, a newcomer to the Gotham crime scene with a grudge, has his own ideas about Bat-family togetherness. Giving them time and space to work things out peacefully isn't one of them.

Taking Flight: A Tragicomedy in Four Acts

John and Mary Grayson die; Dick becomes Robin. This is everything that happens in between, a/k/a, how Gotham City ripped one family and identity from Dick and gave him another. An origin story in the Rebirth spirit, weaving together threads from Tec #40, Dark Victory, Robin: Year One, New 52, and more. Dick just wanted to go back to the circus, to go back to his normal life, waving to crowds and flying through the air. But instead he was in a giant cave under a giant mansion in (outside of?) Gotham, swiftly becoming part of a billionaire's cobbled-together family and trying to solve a murder. And the worst part? He sort of liked it.

Batman (Supposedly) Works Alone

Batman works alone - that is what the superhero community genuinely believes. In fact, he was so overprotective of Robin that only the thugs and Rogues of Gotham are even suspicious of his existence. When Dick Grayson sheds Robin and becomes Nightwing, Bruce has one last request for his old partner. One final protocol: Code Bat.

Roadtrip Vigilantes

Bruce Wayne gave up hope, stayed with the League of Shadows, and generally fucked up his entire life until a little kid called Dick Grayson came along and saved him anyway. Now on Ra’s al Ghul’s shit list, they travel the U.S. in whatever car they can get their hands on, trying to piece their hearts back together again. A slightly different start to Batman.

The Award for Worst Actor Goes To...

Permanent Guardianship of a Minor, somewhat unlike adoption, is a legal condition that usually only lasts so long as the person being guarded is, in fact, a minor. Dick turns eighteen with the Titans, so Bruce's legal guardianship expires while they're on bad terms and opposite sides of the continent. On a totally unrelated note, minimum drinking age in the U.S. is unreasonably high and four out of five Titans don't recommend father figures.

I Am My Mother's Son

The door to the shack opened and a tall thin man stepped into the room. His short brown hair was shaved down on the sides with only an inch or so growing on top. A dark brown t-shirt was tucked into a pair of Levi jeans and muddy work boots were laced up on his feet. He looked unassuming, and wouldn’t have seemed out of place on the Kent’s farm if it hadn’t been for the swastika pinned to his sleeve. Immediately Dick felt his stomach drop, not out of fear, but out of repulsion. “If you’re here to ask me to join your super secret fascist fanclub then I’m going to have to disrespectfully decline.” The man scoffed and kept himself standing at the door. “As if we’d want to be associated with your kind.” “Pisces?” “Gypsies.” The word was spat out in disgust and Dick feigned being offended, far to use to the slur to let the man get to him.

make it half the night

"I will not support this impulsive and ridiculous decision. He is a child, not a shiny new car you purchase for show!" "Alfred - " "No. I've supported you in every foolish decision unquestionably but this - " "My mind is made up." "Then you will bear the full responsibility with no help from me."

I’ll Be The Villain So They Can Be Heroes

The Bats were dead and Dick was the only one left alive. He had nothing left for him so why shouldn’t he join them? Waking up back in time was not the plan but Dick wasn’t complaining. He finally has his family back and he will not lose them again. Robin has always been able to do what Batman couldn’t. It was okay that Bruce won’t kill. Dick wouldn’t ask him to compromise his morals. But he had no such restrictions. He doesn’t mind killing, getting his hands dirty, and being a monster if it means his family is alive. Or a Dark Dick Grayson who is just a tad overprotective of his family. Just a tad.

Circus Boy

When a Robin flies into a Spider's web, it can go one of two ways: Either the Robin escapes, his red breast a warning, and seal's the Spider's doom; or it remains ensnared, forever waiting to be devoured. But when teenage heart-throb Dick Grayson, ward of Bruce Wayne and heir to the Wayne Fortune, meets high school hero Peter Parker out of pure happenstance, things don't quite go to plan. And as their awkward acquaintance begins to expand beyond that of chance meetings... well. Dick might just find out that his place in the food chain isn't quite as cemented as he'd once thought.

Pedi-cure my Blues

Bruce has had custody of Dick for two months and the boy hasn't smiled once yet, still lost in his grief; but when he sees a woman with painted toenails Dick lights up with excitement. “Can I have blue toes?” “You can have whatever colour toes you want,” Bruce promised.

Ranking Robins

Bruce sighed. "I wish you all were more competitive about being good sons instead of heroes. Maybe I'd have less gray hairs that way." As four sly looks were directed his way, Bruce sighed again. "Don't even think about it." "Bruce—" Dick started in an too-sweet voice. "No." "Come on—" "Absolutely not." "Just this once?" "I'm not ranking my sons. What father would agree to that?" ... Buzzfeed has been cranking out quiz after quiz about Gotham's Bat-themed superheroes. When Jason shows them to his family, him and his brothers decide that not only should their adoring fans get to rank the Robins: Bruce should too.

When it Rains

Jason's return to 'life' (and the Wayne family) is the hot topic of the minute in Gotham. Every reporter wants an interview. Jason's siblings decide to do an interview together with him, in which Dick gets asked a rather personal question: “What about yourself, Richard?” asks the reporter, widening her own insincere smile to match as she turns her torso half an inch towards him. “As the eldest I am sure you are simply overjoyed to have your brother back but, might I ask: why is it, do you think, that you are the only one of Mister Wayne's children that he hasn't formally adopted?”

things kept hidden

“Better hope the Batman doesn’t catch wind of you. Batman hates metas. He’ll make you disappear. That’s what he does.” “But I’d never hurt anyone,” Dick stammers. He doesn’t know very much about Batman, but he’s a hero, right? He fought crime, like Superman, and Superman was a hero. Right?

Dad...I’m Bilingual

Dick hums—a quiet, sleepy sound. He’s drifting, but only slightly. The painkillers are doing their job. “It’s dumb,” he says. “I can beat up bad guys an’ stop an apocalypse, but I can’t even tell my own dad I’m bilingual.” Bruce just stares at him. Realization kicks in a moment later. “Do you mean bisexual?” “Yeah, bionical.” He said that, didn’t he? Bruce must be getting slow in his old age.

and it comes back around

Bruce "I accidentally slipped and fell across the room, took out three tables and broke a desk with your body as I ACCIDENTALLY fell on you also you're going to jail” Wayne takes his young protégé down the rewarding path of revenge.

I Was Lost For You to Find

Bruce never planned on having kids. After watching his parents die, the idea of starting a family of his own was foolishness at best and an impending disaster at worst. Never in his wildest dreams did Bruce think he'd ever be up to the task of raising a child, and he was okay with that. But when an orphaned acrobat starts weighing on his mind, Bruce makes the (questionable) decision to become a foster father. Everything after that is just dumb luck.

smoother the fear

"Dick looked at his little brother as he played with his action figurines. They were alone in the living room, and Dick was supposed to be the responsible one - he would make sure that nothing was about to happen to Jason. He even stopped what he was doing - he had to be ready for anything, and he already knew that something was coming. For now, though, everything was alright - no problem in sight, and no adults claiming that they were trying to help. So, everything was good; but Dick knew it wouldn’t be for forever." OR: Dick gets scared when someone visit the Manor.

a haunted ballroom

The ghosts of Haly’s circus were bright, happy people, performers and acts whose adventuring spirits tethered them to the caravan. These spirits were benevolent, often blowing stray tickets back into the paths of their owners, or helping a ring land just right on a bottle for a child to win a prize. Sometimes, if they had the power, they’d protect the acts themselves, making sure the throwing knives stayed squarely away from the performer spinning on the wheel, or catching falls that might put a performer out of business for a couple stops otherwise. Dick Grayson could proudly say he was very good friends with the ghosts of Haly’s circus. When Dick stumbles across the ghosts of Wayne Manor dancing the night away in an abandoned wing of the house, he thinks that, finally, something might be normal again. But the ghosts are nervous, and he doesn't know why. Something is brewing underneath the surface of Wayne Manor, and it's up to Dick to find out what it is—and it's up to Bruce to make sure nothing happens to his charge in the meantime.

The Weight of Living

Dick Grayson has been through a lot in his 19 year old life and at this point he's more alone then he's ever been before. So when he finds himself bleeding out, alone, on a Bludhaven rooftop he can't help but think, 'At least it will stop hurting.' ...Until he wakes up, still alone but now in world that doesn't need him. At least that's what he thinks. That is until he stumbles upon a chance he never had in his first life. Now he's thrown back into a world of bats and birds and struggling to find his place in this world amongst the trauma of his past life and the major differences in this one. Maybe with the help of a few friends he can find his footing again.

My Little Robin

“I call you Robin because you came to us on the first day of spring. I didn’t know you wanted to be a little bird”. There had been four kids who donned the Flying Graysons colors and Dick’s name after him. He couldn’t be that kind of Robin again, but some days he still wished to hear his mother calling him her little Robin. Some days, all he wanted was to listen to his parents teasing him about him really turning into a little bird and soaring through the skies. “Being Robin means much more than being Batman’s partner. It means being family, lil’ D. And you are the one I chose to be my Robin. I’ll keep choosing you every single day. You are my baby, I’ll never turn you away, I’ll never give you up.”

The Bone Road

By night, Robin was his partner in crime, but once the sun rose, all Dick could be was a mirror of his tragedy, haunting his halls and asking for more than Bruce had in him to give. (The early days of Batman and Robin, and the many mistakes therein)

Oh, He's Not a Wayne?

Dick loves his son, Damian, even if he had been dumped on him unceremoniously.

A Robin's Flight

In one night six year old Dick Grayson loses everything. In the audience Bruce Wayne feels something he hasn't in a long time and he knows he just can't standby and watch. Bruce takes in Dick and soon the kid is an integral part of the Justice League's world and all of the heroes. Robin becomes a staple as the first kid sidekick but that doesn't mean Batman doesn't have more. This is a prequel to Young Justice in a universe where the Batfamily is already all together. Their family grows from Dick, Bruce and Alfred to add Barbara, a flying alien Uncle, a snarky former thief, a kid genius and a little ninja girl among others. Second in A Flying Robin series.

The Batman: Into the Light

A story in which I shamelessly jump the bandwagon to throw a young Robin/Dick Grayson at a very unprepared Battinson. This is an origin for Dick Grayson, where the hunt for his parent's murderer begins after Bruce Wayne takes him in.

The Acquisition of Some Things Small and Unstable

Bruce is nineteen, depressed, and not in the least ready to be a parent. Good thing Alfred's there to take in all of the strays he leads home.

Improvement

It took time and many tries to find a rhythm, but Dick wouldn’t give up on that kid. He and Alfred – and later Steph – were all Damian had as family. Bruce was dead . Jason, Tim and Cass were away. Somewhere along the line, Dick realised he had been thinking about Damian as his kid for a while. And he thought that maybe Damian was starting to see him as someone he could trust not to harm him deliberately.

Time (to Protect You)

Losing Damian not only hurt beyond measure but also made Dick the last Bat standing. He had nothing keeping him in a broken world so goes back in time with only one ally (Damian begs to differ) and no plan except to protect everyone he can, at any cost. Dick starts with making sure Jason never dies at the hands of the Joker and proceeds to track down and love his siblings (while maybe also plotting the destruction of the League of Assassins). He just doesn't realize that a clan of highly trained vigilantes are more than capable of realizing that Dick is not okay, and of returning his devotion with their own.

Welcome the Dawn of Day

In the aftermath of the Riddler’s “cleansing” of Gotham city, the Batman works tirelessly to keep crime in check and assist the civilian population. An exhausted Bruce Wayne turns his efforts towards humanitarian relief for his city. Things can never be quiet, however – a series of bodies start showing up in various locations in the Narrows, Gotham’s bottom of the barrel district. The masked crusader and Lieutenant James Gordon unite their efforts to catch the killer while also struggling with a corrupt police force. The case reveals complex ties to Gotham’s sex trade and reinforces the unfortunate truth that in Gotham trust is inadvisable. A new tragedy strikes Gotham just as the situation is starting to look better – a terrible accident at the travelling Haly’s Circus leaves nine-year-old Richard Grayson orphaned. Suspecting sabotage, the boy goes looking for answers and runs into the mysterious Batman, also on the same track. Things get complicated when Bruce Wayne accepts Dick into his home, but there is a front of healing for all parties involved. Time runs on and heals all wounds. Despite everything that might happen, the sun always comes back up. Stay put and feel the sunrise on your skin.

No Safe Place

Bruce looks at the chipped wall paint, at the guard who hasn’t looked away from Dick’s back since their conversation began, and at the bruise on Dick’s cheek that has to be at least a few weeks old, but is still fading. He opens his mouth to ask the first question, he says the first thing that pops into his head, “I’m going to get you out of here”

Declensions

“My father,” Dick says, “worked the rope. It cut him. His hands were never clean.”

Batman is Not Exempt From the Speed Limit

Dick Grayson is having an average night of patrol with a new man on the police force when the Batmobile speeds past, and Dick decides to mess with the new guy.

take these broken wings and learn to fly /T/

or, How Dick Grayson Burrowed His Way Inextricably into the Heart of Bruce Wayne

Family You Made (Go Back, Do it Again) C/T/50847

Dick gets sent back in time, but don't worry, he's got this. (Probably)

Welcome the Dawn of Day /M/

Orphaned Circus Freak /T/

A trip to the circus endangers a family of acrobats when Jerome Valeska temporarily breaks out of Arkham. Good thing Bruce and Detective Gordon were in the audience when 1-year old Dick Grayson was reported missing,

Bird's Eye View /M/

Nine year old Dick Grayson has his entire flipped upside down after a freak circus accident that leaves both his parents dead.

On Fridays, We Wear... C/G/1947

Before Bruce even takes a look at the note, he says: “Come here,” and pulls Dick to sit on his knee, the way he does when Dick walks into his home office late at night after a nightmare or runs inside with a cut on his knee. Dick relaxes minutely but still bites his lip when Bruce turns his gaze to the note. -Inappropriate clothing. OR Bruce will not tolerate his child being punished for not breaking any rules.

Just Come Home /T/

Bruce fires Dick from Robin the day before Dick's eighteenth birthday. Dick thinks that Bruce is preparing to kick him out for good and doesn't want to face Bruce when that happens. Instead, he takes matters into his own hands and leaves on his own early the next morning. It takes a certain street rat to get these two to actually talk to each other. Or: Bruce doesn't know how to communicate with his son and a massive misunderstanding ensues. On the plus side, he has two children now.

Someone Get This Child a Stuffed Animal, Not Pixie Boots C//1192

Bruce is in therapy, adopts Dick Grayson, and realizes he has a chance to make the world a brighter place in the parenting of his son. He also sees the Dark Place ^TM that Dick is in, and knows he needs help. A chaotic conversation ensues.

find another dream C//3748

Following one month since everything changed for him, Dick Grayson tries to grasp the feelings inside him regarding his new life in Gotham.

Pain? Feels a lot like love C/G/1210

“It’s fair”, Dick said. He tried to adjust himself and lie down next to Bruce. Trying to find the edge of the blanket to steal it from him, tiny elbows dug into Bruce’s side and Bruce had to pretend it didn’t hurt. It didn’t. Really. He tried to blink away the vision of Alfred raising his eyebrow. Tiny limbs found their way to jab at his side and ribs for good measure again as the kid’s quest to pull the blanket away from Bruce, so he could also get in, continued. At this point, Bruce was now pretty sure this was actually why he had gotten the whole training for suppressing pain and signs of it, at least outwardly, in name of becoming Batman.

of winged birds C//4680

Bruce Wayne embarks on an eye-opening journey of parenthood while receiving parenting advice of those more qualified than him.

To Build A Home C/T/3024

Galas are an issue, because something always goes wrong, and no one knows this better than Dick Grayson. (It's a bit of a problem, actually, but he can always depend on Bruce to get him out of trouble.) In which Dick is eight, attending his first gala, still trying to get used to an awkward guardian who is still getting used to this whole parenting thing, and there are reporters. They figure things out, eventually.

Chum C/G/5435

Dick trumped through the leaves, stopping his feet roughly. He relished the sound of the crunch beneath his shoes as he tread on the brown, dead leaves before him. He felt rather justified in his satisfaction. After all the world had taken so much from him, why wouldn’t he do his best to crush it in return. The woods were cool and as he went deeper into them they grew darker. The sun had long set, and the sky was quickly vanishing as the trees grew thicker. Wayne Manor was far behind him. He was never going back. He hated those pristine walls, those old floor boards. He hated the quiet. He hated the stuffy furniture and the rules and the vases and pictures. He hated his new guardian and that… that… Dick couldn’t remember what Alfred was called, but he hated it. The bag on his back felt heavy. It had everything Dick owned in it. Well and a toothbrush that Alfred had given him. But he didn’t think that was really stealing.

There's a new wave coming, I warn ya /T/

(In which Dick goes to prep school, the Waynes go to therapy, and Harvey Dent runs for office)

To Foster a Bird C/T/6061

In which Bruce Wayne decides that fostering is a good idea, and then a bad idea, and then a great idea

All For One C/T/7960

Bruce Wayne's three oldest sons don't agree on much - in fact, they don't see eye to eye on almost anything. The one thing they agree on, however, is that no one - no one - hurts their youngest brother and gets away with it.

It's Too Late For Us C/T/6572

Dick and Bruce have been estranged for a very long, very bitter year. When Dick finds out Bruce has taken on another Robin, he's infuriated and goes to confront him. The ensuing fight unearths a couple decades of trauma, dysfunction, and unspoken fears. Dick doubts that Bruce will ever own up to the harm he's caused, but one can never be too sure...maybe old dogs can learn new tricks.

Nothing New C//3357

Dick brings a boy home. Given his history, Bruce thinks it's best the two of them have a long overdue conversation about this. For the two most emotionally repressed people in Gotham City, it goes better than Dick would have expected.

(T)his Child C/G/2179

”I’m here for the elephant,” Bruce says bluntly. ”Elephant?” Haly says. ”We haven’t had elephants in over two decades, what...?” ”The toy. That Dick left on his bed.” OR What wouldn't Bruce do for... this child?

JASON

It doesn't matter which way the wind's blowing (unless you're flying a kite)

Just because Jason doesn't remember his early years, doesn't mean he has to believe these freaks when they say he's some dead kid, and no, he's not okay with them stalking him! Or the one where the pit restored Jason's mind but not his memories and the Batfamily wants him to come home whether he believes them or not.

Don't Let Me Go, Hold on Tight

Willis Todd is an asshole. He's currently an asshole on Bruce's property and he wants that man no where near his sons.

the boy in the red hoodie

One day after patrol Dick finds a certain little someone with a tire iron. He's thoroughly amused.

buying time

In which Bruce Wayne adopts a child (slowly).

Glass shard

“He had mouthed off to Batman. Oh god, that is Batman. He is fucking dead. No matter what he does he’s so fucked. Batman can’t be beat, he’s not some rich prick who thinks kicking tire robbing kids is fun. He is Batman, and Jason Todd just robbed him of three tires.”

Expeditions Into The Dark

Jason was a street rat, has been for years and he's learned the lessons of the street. Though when he goes to jack some tires off a John he makes a mistake. Now his life has changed forever, what comes next, he becomes Rob

price is right

“Hey, Mister, looking for a good time?” The car is fancier than any he’s seen in Crime Alley. And when he looks up at the cowled shadow, Jason realizes why.

in the sidekick to batman?

Precedent

Bruce thought his family was complete. Sure, Dick might be mad at him and ignoring all his calls, and Damian mad about Dick not returning calls, but that didn't change anything. His family was complete, even if they weren't talking to each other. Then a scrawny little kid jacked his tires, and Bruce started to question what it takes to be family.

Jason Todd: The Not-So-Outlaw

Jason Todd isn't what Batman made him, he isn't what the Joker made him, he isn't what the League of Assassins made him, and he isn't what the Lazarus Pit made him. He's his own person and he's taking himself back, one home renovation at a time. Also he might just make friends with the people who are supposed to be his brothers while he's at it.

Frygt

When he gets caught stealing the Batmobile tires Jason assumes the worst. Bruce is trying but also a well-meaning idiot sometimes. The misunderstandings pile up and only get worse. They will get there at some point.

inhibition

Batman gets hit by a Poison Ivy special. Jason is unfortunately caught in the crossfire.

transaction

Jason’s heard some pretty out-there requests. But this is the first time he’s been approached by a child. And this is the first time he’s been approached for hugs.

fatigue

Jason is tired. Tired of scavenging on the streets. Tired of keeping up his guard. Tired of trying and trying and still shivering to sleep on an empty stomach. He’s just—tired.

Way Home

“Who are you?” The old man looks heartbroken, his face falling. Like he remembered something big. Jason kind of wants to hug him, and say it's ok, but really, he just wants his dad. Jason comes back from the dead years into the future. His family deals with it, like they always have.

Of Your Own Making

Jason died. Then he came back, forty years too late. It takes time to adjust.

returning is the hardest part of coming home

It really was Jason who came back. And now's the time for action and planning, and figuring out how to tell a kid he was missing decades. or The batfam deals with the stress of Jason coming back from the dead.

His Head is Bloody, but Unbowed

Jason was smart enough to walk away when he saw the Batmobile, all those years ago. He's smart enough to stay out of the hands of the gangs and the mobs. He's smart enough to have survived sixteen years in Crime Alley, and still be alive to smoke a celebratory cigarette. So why wasn't he smart enough to just keep walking when he sees a crumpled form in an alley?

It’s a Beautiful Life

The day the headlines read that Jason Todd was alive, Numbers went to Wayne Manor.

Hoods and Jesses Redux

The boy seemed startled that Dick had actually produced a blanket. He wrapped it around his shoulders like a cape or cloak. It enveloped his tiny form. God, he was so small. Who sent a kid after Batman? If Jason hadn’t gotten startled, he would have been crushed.

Reclaiming Innocence

Jason Todd was kidnapped at nine-years-old and given two options. Work for his keep, or be forced to to work for his keep. His life was not pleasant, but Jason was nothing if not a fighter, and dammit if was he going to let the hell around him kill who he was as a person. Or his dreams of growing up and going to college. Those dreams suddenly came a little more into focus, when his idiot of a pimp accidentally tried to rent him to Bruce Wayne. Poor bastard could have never guessed he was the Batman himself. Heck, not even Jason figured that out, at first. And Batman had practically adopted him.

Like a Thief in the Night

Jason Todd has been living with Bruce for two months. Jason was such a joy to have around, even if he rarely let people near him. Which was fine. Bruce was perfectly willing to let Jason adjust, and go at his speed. But when one day Jason suddenly starts acting clingy while in public...Bruce is more than a little worried. What had even triggered it, and would Jason even tell him?

Not All Kidnappings are Bad

While out on patrol one night, Bruce encounters a kidnapping attempt. A pretty routine night, unfortunately. When the victim in question happens to be a 9-year-old Jason Todd, however, Bruce finds himself getting a little too attached to a child he just met. Was it okay to kidnap a child right off the street and keep him?

The Beginning of Something That Wasn't Suppose To End

Batman is the one who provides the evidence that puts Jason's dad in jail but Jason doesn't know this. he just knows that his entire neighborhood saw his dad walked out on the lawn in cuffs and there is no one to protect him or his mom even if he was abusive. After that, Batman thinks that Jason and his mother are better off without his father but it's the opposite. He drops out of school to take care of his mother until he finds her sprawled out on the floor slowly overdosing. It takes an ambulance six hours to get to their apartment but by then it is too late. Jason is left to fend for himself and survive through any means necessary which is why he tries to steal the Batmobile's tires. While arguing and trying to fight Batman he lets it slip that a bunch of street kids from Gotham have gone missing. And then so it begins; dynamic duo 2.0.

Pictures on a Crooked Wall

Finally the Bat spoke in a low, deep voice: "Do you want to come with me?" Jason arched an eyebrow at the surprising question. Then he got that the vigilante was being deadly serious about this, so he let out an outraged: "Ya're a weirdo dressed up like a vampire! And you are an adult who drives in a car that looks straight outta a gothic cartoon! Hell no big guy, I ain't coming with ya."

Red Blood, Blue Blood

Jason Todd was living a very ordinary life in Crime Alley before his mother gets sick. Then, suddenly, Jason and Catherine have to grapple with the secret everyone has known since Jason was born with black hair and blue eyes—Willis Todd wasn't his biological father. Bruce Wayne is, and not only is he the richest man in Gotham, he has three other children who may not be glad to have an interloper in their midst.

children of dust and ashes

In front of him, this man stands, and he taunts him, and he laughs. He laughs and laughs and laughs – and it’s all Bruce can think: Did you laugh as you beat my son to a bloody pulp? Did you laugh as he died in that explosion? The Joker killed Bruce's son. // Jason's murderer is dead.

We Alley Kids

We all know Jason dug out of his grave. We all know he was found wandering the streets, looking as though he'd been blown halfway to hell. We know he was taken directly to a hospital, where we know he asked for "Bruce" before he was placed into a coma. We know the detectives called in to investigate don't make the connection to Bruce Wayne or to the son he lost. And we also know what happens next. But what if, by mere chance, someone did make the connection? What if someone did, in fact, recognize Jason Todd?

Sugar Baby

If he's going to be a hooker anyway, he may as well find himself a sugar daddy. This...does not go as he planned, but at least he got adopted?

Take Me If You Want, Save Me if You Don't

Jason has been giving Bruce a few snacks and pain medicines whenever Batman visits Crime Alley. He assumes it's innocent. Jason is hoping he can bag himself a home if he can seduce the Bat. Said Bat hates this plan.

Mutual Kidnappings Make a Family

Sometimes Jason catches feelings. Feelings of responsibility for dumb rich kids with fancy cameras running around the worst parts of Gotham. It's unfortunate, but at least he gets food and a new roof over his head out of it. And a new friend too, perhaps.

I found something (in the woods somewhere)

Jason pushed himself to his feet, closing the window silently, and flipped the light switch on before turning to look around. It was a room, probably a guest room. There was a desk, a closet, a bed, a boy, all neat and tidy and tucked away - Jason swiveled. That. That was. There was a boy on the bed. Laptop on his knees, camera on the bedspread beside him, staring as Jason curiously with wide blue eyes. “Hello,” The boy said politely, and blinked at him, looking disturbingly like an owl. The kid looked - he looked about ten, and that was his reaction to having a stranger break into his room in the middle of the night? “You - ah,” Jason stalled, staring at him, a bit stupefied. “What are you doing here?” The boy blinked at him again . “I - this is my house?” Jason runs, Timmy is just trying to help, bless his heart, and Dick is confused. It's a long night for everyone.

In the Alley

Jason begrudgingly gets saddled with protecting this weird little kid who runs around Gotham stalking Batman and trying to get himself killed, months before he meets the man himself and becomes Robin.

Homecoming

“Your son’s grave. It’s been disturbed.” In which people actually notice when Jason breaks out of his grave, and Bruce finds him before Talia does.

Icarus, Returning

“My name is Jason Todd and I think I used to live here.” A pause. The Manor gates groaned open. Heart thudding in his chest, Jason gripped Cass and Damian’s hands and took them home.

Come hell or high water

From what Jason knew, Bruce and Talia’s paths had diverged sometime before Jason had even stepped foot into the manor, but no one would bring their ex-husband’s adopted son back to life as a gift without feeling some semblance of love. And after hours of thinking and analyzing Bruce’s weird personality, Jason was sure Bruce felt something too. Unfortunately, when Bruce faced complex emotions he shut down and treated everything with a sort of clinical coldness. Jason knew that better than most, but that was exactly how he knew that Bruce still carried a torch.

Overwhelmed

At Jason's first Wayne gala, a series of events leads to reminders of past trauma, and, eventually, a solidification of Jason's place in the family.

To assume a robin’s feathers

What if Bruce never had the chance to take Jason home because the kid managed to steal the Batmobile's tyres without being caught? What if Dick Grayson had never left Gotham and joined the GCPD instead? That Jason still ends up being part of the Wayne family, just by the hand of Dick.

abandon

Robin answers Hood’s distress call to a building full of fear gas.

And the Scene Slips Away (To the Evenness I Fake)

One mistake is all it took to force Jason back into the wonderful world of the Wayne family. Now publicly and legally alive once more, he's forced to spend the next two weeks of his life stuck in the Manor with the whole family. This leads to several strengthened relationships and the realization that maybe he's missed a few things over the years. Things that he's now determined to get to the bottom of. Also known as the "Tim comes out to his family, the public finds out Jason Todd is actually alive, Jason finds out about Mirage and Tarantula, and they all are confronted with the fact that dealing with public relations as millionaire superheroes is actually The Worst (though not necessarily in that order)" Frankenstein of a fic that nobody asked for but I'm giving you anyways

The Sun Will Rise

Jason had dedicated his second life to helping people, carving out a territory for himself in the ever-unwanted East End and steering clear of the rest of Gotham. So he really, really didn’t appreciate being taken down by some two-bit wannabe gangbangers intent on flushing all his hard work hiding from the Wayne Family down the fucking drain.

A chain of stars down either side the street

The alley is dark and narrow, and somewhere inside a child is crying. It’s not his business. It’s not his business and he needs to get home before he falls asleep in the middle of Crime Alley. The tiniest sob comes from the darkness, and Jason sighs. “Hello-?" Out for dinner with their son, Jack and Janet Drake answer an important work call and rush home. About a day later, they realise they forgot their five years old son at the restaurant. Meanwhile, somewhere in Crime Alley, Jason Todd has just acquired a new little brother.

The Twirl of a Knife

Dick Grayson-Talon AU: Batman has torn the Court of Owls apart. While surviving on the streets of Gotham, Jason stumbles upon one of its last Talons. The pair strikes up an unlikely friendship. Years later, Jason decides to clean up Gotham as the crime boss Red Hood while Talon grapples with his past sins. It is only a question of time until they end up on Batman's radar.

The Big Road Home

Jason is fourteen and a seasoned street-kid. Tim is brand new to the streets and somehow ends up in Jason’s care. Bruce doesn’t even know that they’re out there. (Yet.) In which Jason and Tim are homeless orphans, each making sure the other survives.

Jet Black Crow Jason never tried to lift the tires off the Batmobile. Instead, he ended up working on the streets of Gotham, struggling to stay alive. Somehow, Nightwing still crosses his path.

We're Not in Crime Alley Anymore

When Bruce returned to the car that night, it was a nine-year-old holding the tire iron, not a young teen. Somehow, Jason Todd at nine was even more precocious than Jason Todd at 12. Bruce has his work cut out for him.

this kind of weather

Jason’s at school when his mom dies, and that’s the only reason any of it happens. If he’d been home, if he’d been with her, he would’ve been in the wind before anyone else even knew. Even if they looked, no one ever would’ve found him. He’d have taken to the sewers if that’s what it took, man-eating crocodile guy and all.

Alley Cat

Batman and Catwoman are just finishing up patrol and heading back home when they realize that someone is stealing their tires. And, well, Selina always had a thing for strays.

un elefante se balanceaba

Jason gets a call from Bruce requesting that he and his team check out a CADMUS operation out in the middle-of-nowhere Illinois. They accept, thinking that it's going to be a monster to fight or one of those "heroes" with dubious ethics that CADMUS seems to love so much. Instead, they find a baby. (Or, how Jason, Kory and Roy found baby Terry and brought him home.)

Blood, Bonds, & Bats

Brutally murdered by the Joker when he was only 15, Jason’s family believes he’s gone forever. When he returns five years later with a young child in tow, the Bat Family struggles with their feelings around Jasons apparent resurrection and what to do with the child, who Jason claims is the son of Batman. All the while Jason struggles with being alive, once again.

they think they see you, through and through C/G/1554

BREAKING NEWS: LOST WAYNE HEIR BACK FROM THE DEAD Jason takes Bruce up on his offer of legal resurrection. The media and the world reacts. It's worth it. Right?

come back home please /T/

Over a year has passed since Jason Todd's death, and Tim, although he is part of the family and the new Robin, can feel the grief in the air. All he wants is for everyone to be okay, and for Jason to come back. He doesn't expect that to actually happen. Or: Tim Drake runs across a resurrected Jason Todd and is determined to bring him back home to the family.

Vermillion /T/

Jason Todd returns to Gotham with a bang. In between setting up a criminal empire, dealing with international conspiracies, and the Joker, he re-learns how to be a person. When the Bats learn of a new face in Gotham's underground, they get interested. Some of them get friendly. His plan becomes... complicated.

THE BOY WHO DRANK STARS. //

The Wayne's are, supposedly, the biggest gangsters in Gotham. So when Penguin tells Jason that either he kills Bruce Wayne or they throw Jason's body into the harbour — the boy realises he's dead either way. He just didn't account for the possibility that instead of murdering Bruce Wayne, he'd be adopted by the man instead. Because that makes so much more sense, obviously.

Nothing to Fear C/T/4216

"Can't sleep?" Dick inquired once he was sufficiently uncomfortable, somehow using his weight to make the chair rock back and forth without even seeming to move himself. It was so weird Jason almost forgot to scowl. Almost. Then he had a better idea and switched to a smile, making sure to add in a bright, cheery voice for the reply. "No, I'm sleeping fine. But I keep having this dream some dumbass comes into my room and asks stupid questions." Dick just snorted. Then cooed. "Aww, glad to hear my little brother actually dreams about spending time with little old me." He finished by tacking on a razor-sharp grin.

No One's Son C/T/22515

When it's revealed to Gotham's underworld that Red Hood is the second Robin and without the Bat Clan's protection, it's not long before every gang, cartel and rogue he's pissed off has him in their crosshairs. It's almost as bad as the "family"'s determination to find him first.

when you close your eyes /T/

“I don’t believe my car was scheduled for maintenance.” The tire iron swings fast, and Jason can feel it all the way up to his shoulder when it connects. The sound of it hitting Batman’s skull ricochets through the alleyway. Ice douses Jason’s insides as a vice grips his heart. He just hit Batman. He hit the guy who shatters knee caps and dangles people from skyscrapers. He’s dead. He’s going to die. An alt take on Jason's origins wherein Bruce is An Actually Good Dad and Jason's allowed to be more emotionally complicated.

The mirror lies C//32981

Bruce can’t believe his eyes. That is his son, Jason … and he lost his memory. Something that the league of assassins want to use against Batman. Or: Jason is sent by Ra's to gain Batmans trust as his resurrected son, but can't remeber, that he is indeed Jason Todd.

understanding must be part of the holding /T/

Right now, it was more important to figure out where he was, and what had happened. He had to make sure he was somewhere safe. Before he fell back asleep. Jason wakes up not knowing where his is and no memories of how he got there, not yet realizing the long road to recovery he's about to begin and all the changes he will have to deal with.

The Ties That Bind Us /M/

AU: in which Catherine Todd was Jason’s biological mother, but as he discovers, Willis wasn’t his father.

A MOMENT THAT'S HELD IN YOUR ARMS. C/G/11986

Robin is used to Batman shouting at him. Mistakes happen, and he's not always the most careful, but it's expected. It's his job, even if it hurts Robin a little to look at Batman for the rest of the patrol — that's his boss. He gets over it. But this is the first time Bruce Wayne has raised his voice at Jason, and Jason's entire world is collapsing on top of him.

Time Fucking Travel C/T/44307

(2027). Jason was expecting a quick in-out and then Thai, not god damn time travel. The sad thing is, the future apparently doesn't have Thai and Bruce fucking Wayne will not provide. And what's up with all these side-ward glances directed at him?

A Gift to Cherish C//4327

The wonderful thing about being hurdled through time and space is that Jason doesn’t have to deal with the fallout of not listening to Bruce. The awful, terrible, no good very bad part of hurtling through time and space is that he has no idea where he is. It’s all up to wormhole he was thrown into to decide where he gets spit out to. In which Jason is thrown into a future he never came back to, and gets to heal, just a little bit.

Letting the sun in C/T/4173

Au where Jason didn’t die and instead realizes that the neighbor kid goes to his school and has no friends. This comes in handy, despite Tim’s extreme reluctance, when Tim gets sick a few months after he and Jason become friends. He really doesn’t understand why Jason cares so much, and when Bruce gets involved, he really doesn’t understand why he cares.

Maybe, Just Maybe, I'll Come Home /T/

Five years after Jason's death, Dick Grayson still blames himself. After failing as a brother and a son he's determined to set things right. Meanwhile in Gotham, there's a young man struggling with nightmares and memories of a life he can't remember.

Do You Remember What It Was Like Before the Green? C/T/13334

When the first body dropped, the Red Hood was firmly on the list of Batman’s enemies. By the time the killer finally revealed themselves to Jason, he was firmly in the ranks of the Bat brothers again. This time with newly regained memories and a sense of protectiveness that he didn’t know he had.

The Night Is Coming To An End C/M/8521

Jason gets dragged to another one of Bruce's galas where he meets someone from the past he's so far managed to ignore, but not forget

Vandalism and Corruption /T/

He doesn’t want this tentative bond to break, the whole ‘let me provide food and shelter for you, and you serve as my Robin. Call me if you’re dying,’ vibe that shines out of Bruce’s ass and straight up into his terrifyingly plastic smile. But Bruce hardly smiles at Jason, anyway, so why does it really matter? -------- Or: Jason Todd hates galas, but attending a small gathering doesn't seem so bad, even if they are all rich assholes. Jason Todd also hates math. And he severely miscalculated.

Joke as much as you want, the main thing is that you stay C/T/3326

Bludhaven has a new protector: Flamebird. While the news speculates like crazy about his relationship with Nightwing, Batman is on the verge of blowing up from sheer caring-father-energy. And the heroes? Dick will never let his little brother out of his sight again, but it would be nice if he stopped spurring the rumors about their love affair. Or: How Jason Todd rises from the dead to plague his brother with his humor.

Neverland C/G/19652

One night, while on patrol, twelve year old Jason Todd falls through a portal... and lands in the future. If only people would actually tell him what's going on...

TIM

Simple Ideations And The Consequences That Come With

Tim padded down an empty, cold hallway of his family’s home. Thunder rolled across the sky, shaking the floor beneath him and sending a shiver down his spine. He hated nights like these. He had just gotten done with his near nightly bat-fan-cam patrol, and hadn't been able to fall asleep when he had finally drug himself home. His parents were off in Italy for some expensive art show, the idea being the more art they bought, the more tax breaks they'd receive. It was all hidden under the guise of charity of course, at the end of the three night art show a portion of the proceeds would be donated. A tiny portion.

Came In From the Outside

Tim's parents are...not around. It's a fact that is known and rarely questioned. But now they're back and all Bruce wants is for all his boys to be safe and together again.

Playing Catch

Another "Tim gets adopted earlier" story, because Tim deserves all the love, and because Tim and Jason deserve to be friends.

The Thing about Apples and Trees

When Jason agreed to let Bruce adopt him, he thought that meant Jason felt happy and safe in Bruce's home. But when Jason's nightmares only increased, and his panic attacks and meltdowns started happening more often, Bruce was at a complete loss for what to do. But then, Jason finally opened up to him, and he was able to quell some of Jason's worse fears. Perhaps a midnight chat and a few hugs wouldn't fix everything, but it was a step in the right direction.

concealer

Suspicious bruises on a child with recent upheavals in custody make people, well, suspicious. Tim knows it’s only a matter of time before he’s taken away from Bruce.

Full Potential

It was no secret that none of the Wayne kids liked charity benefits. That being said, Tim's struggles paled in comparison to his siblings’. The elite didn’t turn their noses up at him because of his ethnicity or socioeconomic status or something else he couldn’t control. He chose to become CEO.

The Ghosts That We Knew Flicker From View

He’s known since he woke up this morning, his chest tight with painful certainty. At first, he wasn’t sure what it meant—why he felt like he was already grieving despite all of his loved ones being alive and well, as far as he knew. Tim ignored it the best he could, amounting the sensation to general anxiety mixed with excessive caffeine consumption mixed with whatever other vices Tim has left.It was only when the feeling swelled tenfold the closer he got in proximity to Bruce that Tim understood what his curse was trying to tell him. Bruce is going to die today. The boy king and the dark knights

Just This Once

CPS gets involved in the Drakes' lack of parenting. Baby Tim's left with the Waynes next time they go out of town. The family starts realizing something's up.

The Photo

Being part of the most famous family in Gotham has its problems, namely when you’re trying to keep your relationship a secret.

let's get mischievous

“We welcome you,” the cultist is saying, breathlessly. “To the mortal realm, oh father of Chaos-” Bernard slowly raises his head, meets the cultist’s gaze, and he stutters to a stop. Tim’s breath catches, because Bernard smiles, manic and benevolent and totally devoid of humanity. The cultist, shaking with excitement or awe, bows his head. Bernard floats down, and reaches to delicately touch the side of the mask, cupping his face. ��Stupid animal,” he says, kindly, “Why would I thank you for this?” The cultist starts to raise his head, confused. It’s not Bernard, says Tim’s brain, even though he already knew that, even though he was putting the pieces together the minute the knife flashed down, even though he shoved the knowledge away because it was unbearable to consider, it’s not Bernard, and it’s only that thought that keeps him from fumbling when vines explode from the cultist’s eyeball. At the ritual altar, Bernard gets possessed by Dionysus. Nobody liked that.

i don't need more reminders of all that's been broken, i don't need you to fix what i'd rather forget

“She’s our little sister, little D.” Dick told him, rubbing his face against the boy’s crown. Damian struggled for exactly five seconds, just to show that he would put up a fight before he leaned into Dick.

Fools, Ghouls, and Grave Mistakes

Not once, when Tim had been considering how Jason might react to the idea of a new Robin, had it crossed his mind that Jason would be so appalled by such an insult that he would actually come back to life to kill Tim for it. That, Tim realizes as a grasping hand pushes up through the grass in front of Jason’s headstone, may have been a grave error.

wrong number

There’s a few rings, then the phone picks up. “Wayne Residence.” That’s funny, Tim thinks, Mrs. Mac doesn’t sound like herself. On a hot July evening while home alone, eight-year-old Tim gets a fever. He means to ask Mrs. Mac for help — but ends up accidentally calling Alfred Pennyworth. Somehow, even in sickness, he wins all the hearts of the Wayne family in one fell swoop.

before the shadows absorb you

"Tim was bouncing with excitement. Internally only, of course, because children his age had to be the most agreeable possible and that meant being silent and cute. Tim could do that, so he only let his pretty, innocent smile on, keeping the happy energy close to his heart instead of on his face. It wasn’t easy, this time, but he could do it. Wayne Enterprises was huge. Not like it was a surprise; the building was well-known in Gotham, after all. But Tim had never been inside, and there were so many people. It nearly toned down his excitement, but then he spotted Bruce Wayne himself, making his way toward them, and everything came back in full force." OR: Tim is supposed to have some quality time with Bruce Wayne. It doesn't turn as expected (but Tim won't complain).

Twelve Magpies

Billions of dollars and silk suits and heavy rings dripping off fingers, but Bruce was never truly happy until he met Dick, then Jason, then the rest of them. So Gotham’s old fortune can kiss Tim’s ass. Bernard...doesn’t seem to think so. Not in the least, if the nervous bob of his Adam's apple is anything to go by. Tim creeps behind him, utterly silent until his nose almost tickles the back of Bernard’s neck, then whispers in his ear, “It’s haunted.” Bernard shrieks. Alfred opens the door. A solid ton of polished oak and brass and institution caresses the floor in a sweeping curve, giving way to Bernard, Batman t-shirt underneath a blazer, cherry red in the face. Tim snickers beside him. or, wins and losses in turns, and being twenty is epidemic, but tim manages to wrestle with life enough to tug bernard into place beside him

Baby Birds and Bat Caves

Gotham was built on a cave system. Batman has referenced a Bat Cave before. Tim is currently in the cave system. He is in the cave system that he entered from Drake Manor. Drake Manor is right next door to where Batman- The Bruce Wayne- lives. Holy Cavern, Batman! Tim had just accidentally wandered into the Bat Cave’s cave system. OR Tim, having found a weird hole after a storm, decides to go exploring ignoring the fact that This Is Gotham and They Probably Have Cursed Stuff Down There. Luckily, it was just a cave system that spans the entire Gotham underground. Unluckily, Tim is a very curious child.

Latchkey or, How Tim Drake Found A Family, Became A Photojournalist, Learned To Love Coffee, and Grew Up, not necessarily in that order. Tim Drake is thirteen, runs the famous BatWatch blog that has spiraled hilariously out of control, has absentee parents that suit his purposes just fine, is training himself to run the streets at night, and is doing absolutely peachy, thank you. Alfred and Jason disagree, and get Dick and Bruce involved in figuring out their weird nextdoor neighbor kid’s life. Everything goes uphill from there.

House Cat

Just over a year after finding and adopting the stray Jason she and Bruce found stealing the tires off the Batmobile, Selina breaks into the supposedly empty Drake residence, only to be found by their eight-year-old.

Thicker Than Water /T/

When Jason Todd was five years old, his mother, Catherine Todd had a little baby boy. Unfortuntely, tragedy struck and Jason's baby brother was stolen from the hospital shortly after he was born. This is a story of everything that came after... How families were broken apart and eventually pieced back together to create something new. How long lost brothers find each other after so many trials and tribulations.

Under A Parent's Wing /T/

When Tim found out that Dick Grayson was a gymnastics instructor in Bludhaven, he quickly signed up. After all, learning gymnastics from The Nightwing himself is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Dick Grayson is more concerned at the obvious signs of child abuse he sees in one of his students. AKA Dick Grayson, as a childcare worker, is a mandated reporter who knows how to recognize child abuse in his students. Tim Drake, after a lifetime of fear and confusion, learns to trust adults.

A Bird in the Hand /E/

When Bernard is targeted by the League of Shadows, Tim rushes to save his boyfriend. But what if the reason Bernard was targeted was not what it seems? What if Bernard's planned assassination was hidden behind granite and lime?

In My Arms C/G/2804

There was nothing he could do. Nothing he could change. Those were the rules of the past. Besides, babies cried all the time, even if this was less a cry and more of an angry wail from a little one pushed past its limits. But still. He should have been on his way. He likely would have been, had this been a different home.

The Gruesome Life and Death of Timothy Drake-Wayne C/G/4356

Frowning, Bruce feels Tim’s forehead and cheek with the back of his hand. “You’re feverish.” “I think I’m allergic to Alfred’s new detergent,” Tim says, scratching, scratching, scratching. Unconvinced, Bruce takes Tim’s hand away from where he’s tearing at his neck and pushes up the sleeve. Tiny pink dots freckle across Tim’s skin. “You have chickenpox.” He might as well have just told Tim he had testicular cancer with the way his face blanches in horror. “You’re kidding me."

Liminal Space C//77186

Bruce's habit of collecting strays is not limited by dimension. Or When Young Justice Batman comes across an angsty, seemingly abandoned by his Batman Tim Drake, he decides to step up to the plate and parent the crap out of him.

BatWatch™ /T/

Timmie Drake has been following the Bats and Birds at night for eight years. They're sixteen now and his hobby has grown into something a lot bigger than it started out as.

DAMIAN

Roots

Damian Wayne has changed. Drastically. He is a separate being from the boy he was at ten. Perhaps a better word would be weapon. He is a person now. And to get that far, he's had to change himself from the inside out in such a drastic way that he does not consider that ten year old him at all. (Damian is the Robin in the Young Justice team, and he's keeping his secrets for more than just Batman's sake.)

In For a Penny

25 is too young to be a Dad. That's what Bruce thought when Talia dropped off this baby she claimed was his. Add to that a jealous 11-year-old Dick, and Bruce has his hands full. What does one even do with a baby? Why does this baby scowl so much? And when on earth is Talia coming back?

It Could've Been Different

The Bludhaven newspaper reported that there was a strange kid running around helping out the homeless, so that must mean Nightwing has a new sidekick right? What they don't know is Nightwing's supposed sidekick was actually an Al Ghul traitor protecting a half-dead amnesiac Jason Todd.

baby wonder

(baby!damian AU) Bruce dies, Dick becomes Batman. But the Damian that Talia leaves in his care isn’t a ten-year-old warrior, he’s a ten-month-old baby.

Photos

There, on the first page there was a picture of a baby. “Why would Ra’s have a picture of a baby?” “This is Ra’s’?” “Hey, that looks like Damian!” Dick exclaimed. Tim looked at the picture again, and it did indeed look like Damian. Or Bruce goes to the league for a recon mission, and accidentally finds photos of a baby Damian.

An Ache In His Bones

"Damian heard his alarm go off, knowing it was time for him to get up. He struggled to blink his eyes open, as he felt like it required all his energy to just do that simple movement." Damian hasn't been feeling like himself lately. He not sure what wrong, but he concluded it's nothing to fussed about.

Internalized Coping

Damian keeps his distance from his family members with one purpose; to get kicked out. They'll have to do it sooner or later. He just wonders why they won't.

oh brother, i will hear you call

Damian can't sleep. All his life, he's been taught that asking for help was weak and foolish, but Grayson's door is just down the hallway.....

to be human

None of his Gotham acquaintances look upon his old life favorably — this, Damian knows. Was his life not noble before? Damian feels like a waterboarded gnat, swirling towards a drain. Gently, as though he has not ripped out Damian’s stomach with his teeth, Alfred says, “Attempting to take his father’s place won’t work, Master Richard…” Their voices peter out, and the last thing Damian can hear is Richard huff and say something that sounds like, “No shit,” and he is alone. Somewhere, a clock ticks. Damian pictures it melting. (Dick and Damian over the years.)

Unconditional

In a fit of anger, Damian makes a mistake in the field that injures Nightwing. Which means the only one that might have defended his actions against the others was unconscious. (Based on Dick’s accidental death by Damian in Injustice, but this is not in that world and Dick definitely does not die)

Together

Damian witnesses the meaning of watching each other's back, and how far a father's love can go.

Crawl Spaces

Damian is alone and afraid in his father's house. He's become a hidden person within the manor. But he's able to find some small relief in hidden places.

A character study on Damian Wayne. How he sees the world and his tenuous connection to a family he can't understand. Set very early into Damian's stay with the bat family. This one's painful.

"Assistance Needed At The Cash Registers"

"Damian has been abandoned in Gotham. He’s been left behind by the one he trusted most, with nothing more than the clothes on his back. Damian hasn’t been trained for this, he doesn’t know what these people expect of him, how to give them what they want. The man in front of him is merciless, asking him for things he cannot give, for answers he doesn’t have. Damian’s mind whirs, but for once, there is nothing he can say to get himself out of this. “Cash or card, kid? You’re holding up the line.” " OR Damian and grocery stores do not get along well.

the city without stars in its skies

“Gotham is filthy,” Damian says flatly, honestly. “I understand now why Mother sent me here instead of coming herself.” Nightwing’s face is turned to the left, but the smile on his lips is audible. “It’s not all bad,” he says. Damian thinks of Grayson, and the too-sweet donut he had given him, and the Chinese restaurant with the nice Asian lady and the park and the stray cat that had crossed through the grass in the darkness. “No,” he admits grudgingly, “I suppose not.” (Or, in a world where he was never sent to live with his father, Damian al Ghul is contracted to assassinate one Dick Grayson.)

Even in the Midst of Grief

Richard Grayson has never hurt Damian. It’s unforgivable that anyone should believe otherwise.

in for repairs

Damian snoops on Netflix and watches something he really shouldn't have, and has a meltdown. When Bruce has averted the crisis, it's Tim who steps in to have a talk, and to both Tim and Damian's surprise, it goes better--and more honestly--than they could expect. Gratuitous dog cuddles sure help, too.

Hoodie On

Anon on tumblr asked for a fic where Damian tries to smuggle a puppy into the house in his hoodie pocket. Here it is.

Their Words Against Mine C/G/2422

Damian Wayne respects Richard Grayson, and refuses to allow any idiot reporters to slander his name, on paper or in person. Or the story of Damian both causing a scene and making Dick see sense afterwords.

Carry Me Home C/T/3556

The first time the paparazzi found out about Damian was right after Bruce's funeral, but they are all too quick to judge him, and Dick defends him. Day 2 of the Dick and Dami week 2019; paparazzi.

Son of Batman C/G/1078

Damian was a planned and wanted child, right?

Anything Like Me C//1556

Damian was barely taller than Wayne’s hip, hair obscuring his eyes. His skin was far darker than Wayne’s--a dusky brown that spoke of years in the sun. His face, however, could have been a perfect replica of the billionaire’s. “Oh,” Anne said, frowning at the father-son pair, “Bruce, honey, you didn’t say he’d be so--” “--handsome,” Lois supplied quickly. Bruce Wayne introduces his son to reporters.

With You /G/

Talia left Damian with Bruce when the kid was five instead of ten

Son of darkness /T/

Damian had been locked in his room for about three days after he messed up a mission. He knew that this was only the start of his punishment, after all it was clear he purposely messed up a good chuck of h is last few missions. He no longer could hold the same views of those around him, his heart shattered as those views were pushed on him. Damian took a shaky breath before picking the water bottle he was given when he was first throw into his room. It wasn't much but, it was enough to keep him from dying of dehydration. If he tried to listen to what was going on outside of his room, he could hear faint yelling. That was something he was used to. There was almost always some one yelling at someone. However, what surprised him was a man dressed in black and orange that opened his door.

Two Peas In a Pod C/G/8514

Dick has lived with Bruce for two years, when Talia drops the news about Damian, also 10 years old. Slowly, but surely, the two boys learn that as different as they are, they are also in many ways quite alike - and so the Wayne family reforms itself again.

Guilt isn't an Apology C/T/3576

Dick is learning to love Damian, and Talia loves Damian dearly, but not unconditionally.

Clutter //

Damian doesn't remember when his mother lost her way. He thinks she's been this way all his life. It wasn't until he started school that he had realized something was wrong. OR Damian is the son of a hoarder. He spends ten years of his life with his mother, before being removed and placed in the custody of his father. The adjustment takes time, but he's lucky enough to have support. He's lucky enough to be loved by this strange hodge-podge family of his.

The Heir C//743

Damian Wayne is a prince, the heir to Batman and the League. Why can't he gain their approval?

Rules 1, 2, & 3 C/T/1119

Damian gets accused of assault by a strange woman at an art gallery.

Important Details (And Why Talia Needs to Leave the Parenting to Jason) C//5522

In which Damian is a little bit slower to realize that, apparently, nobody else knows Jason is alive. But he gets it eventually. (Tim Drake's blood pressure may never recover.)

CASS

infans

Black boots. Black clothes. Shadow too? Shrink back. Smaller. Smaller. (Batman finds an eight-year-old shadow on the streets of Gotham. The shadow comes home.)

TERRY

Batman Beyond: Days of Future Past /T/

Terry McGinnis has dealt with the consequences of the Joker's Madness on the Old Man's (his) Family. Now, stuck a good 15 years before he was even born, he's dealing with them firsthand, and learning just how much they turned Old Man Wayne into who he was. (In which Terry puts his Joker beating up skills to good use, even though he really isn't supposed to mess with the timeline.)

Fathers and Sons C/T/44647

Gotham is not a stranger to tragedy, but the newest murder seems to be a haunting echo of its most notorious crime. The GCPD struggles to get ahead while experiencing interference from on high, and is forced to turn to Batman and his extended family to see justice served for a little boy and his murdered parents. At the same time, the vigilante family's new order is tested by their patriarch yet again. Will this highly personal case be the original Batman's last?

the rest is confetti /G/

Dick's on his way back to Bludhaven when he gets the call. He leaves the station hours later with a traumatized eight year old and an infant, wondering what decisions in his life led to this moment. Or: In which Mary and Warren die, and Dick refuses to let Terry and Matt McGinnis fall through the system. Not if he can help it.

Meet the Wayne's C/T/45314

Terry McGinnis somehow gets transported to the regular DC universe and is surprised by the colony of Bat family members that he finds around Bruce.

Godfather C//8255

Years ago, before Matt McGinnis was born, before Mary and Warren McGinnis got a divorce, Terry McGinnis had a godfather. He was the coolest person ever in Terry's eyes. He could sing, cook, fight crime. Then, one day, he vanished. Now, years later, his godfather has turned up on his doorstep. Terry just...never made the connection that his godfather; Uncle Jay, was the same person as Bruce Wayne's lost son; Jason Todd.

"They got their weapon. I got cheated out of my childhood." C/T/4859

In some dimensions, Andrea Beaumont walks away from Neo Gotham without pulling the trigger on a couple leaving the movie theater with their son. In this dimension, she does not. Eight years later, Bruce Wayne discovers exactly what that meant for that boy- who now wants him dead by any means necessary.

SELINA

Exposed: The Truth About Bruce Wayne's Secret Woman C//3397

Everyone knows about Bruce Wayne's mysterious shadow, but no one knows just who she is. Until now, when the Gotham Gazette reveals all! By Vicki Vale. Bruce Wayne's oldest friend is none other than Selina Kyle, a street rat tuned criminal mastermind. But how does the rest of the world find out about that?

Penelophon C/M/20475

Catwoman is a creature of the night, teasing and taunting Batman until he gives in. Selina Kyle is an ex-con trying to go straight, sticking with Bruce Wayne until her meal ticket becomes her boyfriend. Then she finds out that Batman and Bruce Wayne are one in the same. Then he proposes.

Unlocked Doors and Opened Windows C/G/1938

Now that Selina is staying on the manor's grounds, she just doesn't understand why her fiancé won't close or shut the window and door. She's already told him why she hates it so much- the street smart mentality to bar your windows and triple lock the doors from any unwanted visitors. But the emotionally constipated jerk just won't tell her. While the cat house is being remodeled and she sleeps in the room, she soon figures out why.

BILLY BATSON

Of Gods and Bats

After Billy Batson gets attacked by something he doesn't understand, he decides to call Batman to help him find the source of the attacks. Little does he know, this sets up a series of events that will change his life forever. Billy has always been an orphan and has learned to take care of himself – but can he learn to accept help from others and really let someone know him?

The Time Lost In Between

Everyone knows Batman knows everything about everyone, no matter how secretive they might be. What everyone doesn't know is that the Dark Knight knows nothing about Captain Marvel, no matter what he does to try to. And now, he thinks he might just have a lead, a lead that would finally let him tear apart the puzzle that's troubled him for so long. The only complication? Captain Marvel is wearing a dead man's face.

The Marvelous Adventures of the SuperBat Family

Batman's suspicions that Captain Marvel is autistic snowball out of control and before he knows it he's playing father figure to an impressionable homeless kid along with Superman. There's nothing wrong with panicking and accidentally taking care of another kid, right? Now if they could just figure out why everyone seems to think that they're dating then they should have everything figured out. Right?

From the Shadows

All Billy Batson wanted was to survive a particularly rough week living on the streets of Fawcett City. The last thing he was looking for was a new family. All Bruce Wayne wanted was to learn a bit more about his upbeat teammate under the guise of official Wayne Enterprises business. But he could never turn his back on a child in need. Especially one as surrounded by mystery as Billy. OR Billy gets adopted by the Batfamily while trying to deal with a strong magical enemy.

Captain Marvel's Adopted?

When Captain Marvel sends out a distress call, the only League member available is Batman. Bruce comes to his aid, but he finds out that Billy is a 10-year-old homeless orphan with black hair and blue eyes. Obviously, he makes the only logical decision and adopts Billy. Because it's Bruce—who's allergic to revealing life-changing information—the League is left in the dark.

Billy Batson and the Troubles of Work-Life Balance

No one in the League could rightly say they knew exactly who, or what, Captain Marvel was. Billy Batson did not have any plans on changing that status. Maybe he should stop feeding into the rumor mill, then.

A Natural Progression

Billy's in a bad place. Consistently on the run from bullies and the like, unable to eat or find a stable place to sleep for more than a week-- Sure, he's Captain Marvel, but he'd never use his powers for his own gain. Thankfully, Alfred Pennyworth comes to the rescue.

The Gala

It's the biggest event of the season. Bruce Wayne has not only decided to foster another child, but apparently had a biological child show up out of the woodwork. Anyone who's anyone will be in attendance.

Billy Accidentally gets Kidnapped

Bruce needs some sleep, all the black haired blue eyed kids are starting to look the same to him. Billy just wants to do his job. In other words, I love the idea of Bruce accidentally kidnapping Billy, it happens in my other story too

The Time Lost In Between

MISC

Operation: Bat

Everyone knows that the vigilantes of Gotham likes to keep to themselves, not mingling with the other heroes of the world despite the best efforts of both Superman and Wonder Woman. And so the Justice League has kept a healthy amount of respect and fear to the Bats of Gotham, never knowing what they truly are nor having an inkling at their potential. And now after multiple alien invasions, world-ending scenarios and so on, the Justice League may have found their most challenging mission yet. Taking down the Bat and all of his associates. (On hiatus atm)

You've Done Fucked Up Stark

While following a lead in New York Duke's Vigilantism draws Tony's attention, and being the dumbass that didn't do his Homework in Cryptid Vigilanties with Protective families he and the Avengers capture Gotham's Signal. Let's just say Duke's having way to much fun messing with the Newbie Heroes.

Multilingual

“How many languages do you speak?” Zatanna asked him curiously. “A lot,” he replied vaguely. The magician was not deterred by his laconic answer. “What was your first language?” “Not English.”... The team (especially Artemis) tries to figure out how many languages Robin can speak.

Introducing Us

The Justice League doesn’t know how many bats there are, or where Batman is keeping them all.

Family is what you make of it

When Bruce is approached by a woman to help find her son who's been missing for more than two years, he's expecting the worst. What he finds is something else entirely.

A Few Brave Drops

They're a team of misfits, put together by chance but somehow more like family. When military intelligence have a top secret undercover mission to perform requiring the very best the army has to offer, who better to send than the boys who faced the Somme and came out the other side with barely a scratch, the boys with such a weird and wonderful collection of skills that they can face anything the world has to throw at them if only they're together?

Bludhaven Police Department

Sgt. Amy Rohrbach learns that her partner, rookie cop Dick Grayson, is not what he seems. Or how Amy finds out that Dick Grayson is the heir to the entire Wayne fortune and meets some of the Batfam and the Titans.

The Numbers Keep Increasing

In a world where Batman actually kept that whole,'I'm just a myth, I'm not real, or am I' facade he's faced with an invitation to join a group of other heroes. A bit reluctant at first he eventually joins and his kids are happy he's finally socialising. There's one thing, being an urban legend within the hero world, no one knows about his kids, including the League. Let's say, the League are surprised to see a 'solo hero' have so many friends.

The Day It All Went Down

It is every Robin's dream to meet the Justice League. Question is, if the League is ready for them. Well, that is something every single one of them has to find out for themselves.

Let Your Hopes Shape Your Future

The funeral is a week later. The church is sterile and nearly empty. Bruce sits next to Alfred in the front row. His eyes are fixed on his shoes the whole time. His eyes are dull and unfocused. The speakers, for there are so many, talk and talk and talk until he thinks about screaming for them to shut up. He doesn’t care what they have to say! Alfred always squeezes his hand when he feels that very strong thought and he knows he can’t do that to Alfred because he loved his parents too. The last one to speak is an old priest, his dad's childhood one, he thinks. He wants to summon enough energy to look up and pay attention but the words about God’s love and kindness curdle the thoughts sour before he even manages it. God is cruel if one or more even exists. He thinks to himself that maybe if he were to meet one what he would do. Maybe he would shout at them until his voice was gone. Maybe he would fight them. He thinks he would make them weak though. That makes the most sense to him. If he were to make a god or more mortal then, they would be subject to the misery they created or, at the least, didn’t stop.

the bat's nest

The Justice League knew that Batman didn't trust anyone; they also knew that they were probably the closest he got. Aside from them, Batman worked alone. At least... they thought they knew that. Then they met his kids.

Not everything is black and white, especially in Gotham

It starts with a picture of a boy in Gotham, apparently called Robin and a vigilante/hero. Followed by an uproar, both in the news and within the League. But the information on Batman, and Gotham in general, that the League had was sparse at best. And not everything is black and white, especially in Gotham So they might just end up with more questions than answers and Gotham doesn't take kindly on being intruded upon.

Everything I Do, I Do It Big

"So he's your dad, too?" "He literally kidnapped me off the streets."

our time now if you want it to be

The rumor of Robin is distressing, to say the least. He isn’t mentioned often, and there are many people who say he doesn’t exist, even while they think Batman does. Clark isn’t sure how old the child is—over the years, the few accounts put him between ten and sixteen, one even positing that he had started as young as six. Most believe that he’s a teenager, most likely a relative to Batman, a son. Clark looks at how Ollie, Barry, and Arthur treat Roy, Wally, and Garth and thinks that if Robin is real, and if Robin is in fact Batman’s son, then Batman must be the worst father in the world.

the kids are all wrong, the story's aloof

"He named his kid after an insect, Barry!" "Actually, the kid named himself. I think. He seemed to be mad at the Bat, for some reason." "That's even worse! Why would you name yourself after the things your dad snacks on?!" "He's not really a bat, Hal." "Not the point, Barry!" - Batman never joined the Justice League, everything's a little different, but somehow it's all still the same.

A Day in the Life: Gotham's King

Lois is assigned to follow Bruce Wayne around for a day in the life piece and ends up learning something about her husband's best friend she never would have believed.

Gotham's Favorite Son

Thanks, Gotham side of Tumblr.

Bring Your Kid to Work Day

The Justice League is hosting a "Bring your kid to work" day, but no one told Batman. Fortunately (but not for Batman) his kids have him covered.

The Illusion of Knowing Someone

After a Justice League battle, Diana notices Batman acting strange and is in need of a ride. She let's him borrow her invisible jet, but then decides to follow him back to Gotham in case there's trouble. Little does she know how wrong she is.AKA Diana meets the Batfamily when she follows Batman leaving for a family emergency.

The Same Sky, Day and Night

Clark and Lois separate as the sun rises over Metropolis. Clark and Bruce find comfort in each other’s company as night settles over Gotham. A look at the quiet moments that sew together something deeper.

I Know What You Are, Or The Day Tim Questioned His Taste In Men

Bernard had been having a good day, a great day even, until he had been kidnapped. Or, that time Bernard thought he'd uncovered his boyfriend's secret identity but couldn't have been further off the mark.

Friends That Say (You're Not Alone)

“We are just finishing up in the kitchen.” “Oh. I can wait here?” We. Did that mean Alfred and someone else or Alfred and Bruce? Did Bruce even spend time in the kitchen? Alfred waved a dismissive hand. “Not at all. Master Richard has been very excited to meet you.” Richard. The kid. Richard Grayson. Clark didn’t feel ready to meet the child that Bruce took in. What if he was a mini-Bruce? What in the world would Clark do then?

Let Your Heart be Light

Clark was babysitting and he had babysat before but… his apartment, while nice, was nowhere near as nice as Wayne Manor. And his tree was nowhere near as big and he didn’t have a fireplace but he did have a fireplace app on the television if Dick really missed it that much. It was only for a day, Bruce had said tonelessly, and Clark had been ordered not to go too crazy with sweets, presents, or anything that would make the boy more spoiled than he already was.

Let Your Hopes Shape Your Future

Heroes of the Squared Circle

They've gone by many names: Billionaire Brucie, Country Clark, the Kryptonian, the Dark Knight. But no matter what their stage names are, one thing has always been true: Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne are the world's finest wrestlers.

Prologue

Recovery is neither simple nor linear. Being in the public eye makes it all the more complicated.

Ain't No Compass, Ain't No Map

CPS Agent, pointing at Tim Drake: We need to take him with us Red Hood: He's fine where he is CPS: He's a minor Hood: Timbo, you a minor? Tim: Can't prove it CPS: I mean, I can. There are records – Tim, who has just finishing hacking CPS to remove his own file: Oh really, tell me more about these records A CPS agent gets sent to investigate a tip that Tim Drake has been abandoned by his parents and is living with the Red Hood. The CPS agent leaves with no Tim Drake, a date with Red Hood's lieutenant, and an intern who's promising to fix the IT systems at his office. It's a weird day for Theo.

The One With The Bat's Son

“Batman has seven kids.” Wally blinked. “You’re shitting me.” “Not even a little, I just overheard him and Supes talking.” “Oh my god,” he breathed, staring at Hal incredulously. “You don’t think -?” Hal nodded, slowly and seriously. “Batman could be Captain Marvel’s dad.”

This Isn't An Interview

Clark wants to know all about the new addition to the Wayne household. Bruce is not interested in being interviewed or in interrupting bedtime.

Stringer

Bruce Wayne is always in tabloids and newspapers headlines for all the wrong reasons. However, once in a while, an article ignored by the masses is posted painting him in a favored light by freelance reporter Clark Kent. Bruce is intrigued.

in virtue than in vengeance

Five days after the flood caused by the Riddler, the Bat notices an anomaly.

Kryptonian with the Bats (Maybe Life isn't so bad)

The Superboy was ripped from his pod and "rescued" from CADMUS by heroes. Heroes who abandoned him the moment they set foot in the mountain, heroes who a majority of them wanted to kill him, and the rest not even certain he was an actual being capable of emotions. The clone was abandoned at Mount Justice by the heroes, let floundering at the seems as he acclimated into new a world, his supposed 'father' unable to look at him before disgust overtook his features. Now he was alone. Until he wasn't?

Friends That Say (You're Not Alone)

Our Resident Himbo Billionaire

Bruce Wayne belonged to Gotham like Gotham belonged to Bruce Wayne. Or: Someone attempts to assassinate Bruce Wayne. Gothamites aren't happy.

In the name of the father, the billionaire, and honorary bat-uncle

It becomes a bit of a tradition, after this; when Wally gets mad, he announces with a (obnoxiously loud) screech he'll be living with Uncle Bats until Barry gets his act together, except the smaller redhead doesn't use the word 'act' and Batman, with a reputation to uphold, has to resist the urge to cover Robin's ears. Or; everyone fears Batman. the younger heroes tend to forget it. Bruce is thrusted into the hesitant uncle role.

fluorescence

Seeing him up close – out of the shadows – Robin’s younger than he’d realised by a good couple of years. He’s Barbara’s age. The thought of it, of a kid his daughter’s age out walking the streets every night, getting smacked around by grown men, makes his guts churn. He trusts Batman. It’s a strange thing, to know so little about someone – to not even be trusted with a person’s real name and face – and still trust them. When Batman is shot in the line of duty, Jim Gordon finds himself responsible for Robin.

All the Cups Got Broke C/T/3340

The police officers of metro Detroit had seen a lot of weird over the years, between the violence of the day-to-day, the year with all the freaky clown sightings, and that time with the tiger at the auto plant. Their newest transfer - pretty-faced, former circus kid, son of a billionaire - might have been the weirdest, though.

The Gotham's Wayne /T/

Dukeofthomas [We all know who the real QUEEN of the Manor is] The Gothamites are very invested in the Waynes. Very very interested. A journey through the Gotham's favorite family: the Waynes through Social Media.

That time Bruce Punched Lex Luthor at a Gala C/G/391

After Luthor insults/threatens one of Bruce's children, Bruce leaps over the table and punches chromedome in the face. This is a series of headlines and tweets about the incident.

The King of Gotham: An Evening With Bruce Wayne C/G/4429

The evening of the benefit in support of the new Thomas and Martha Wayne Rehabilitation House, Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent spoke with billionaire Bruce Wayne about love, family, and his parents' legacy. Log in to dailyplanet.com to read the full profile.

A Game of Misunderstandings C/T/36586

Things were going well for Bruce until some hot-shot reporter learns his identity. Now, he'll have to do what he can to keep his secret quiet. Even if that means joining the game of blackmail that Clark Kent started.

Code of Silence CT//9376

Willis Todd doesn’t die in prison. That doesn’t change much, until it does.

Quarterback C/T/4123

Willis had been a handsome man once. Tall and broad, with a strong jaw and dark brown eyes. He had a hell of an arm on him, could have been star quarterback if he’d tried. A shoe in for Prom King too. Then life had happened and Gotham on top. He never meant to be a bad father. But at least he didn't let his son die. On what would have been Jason's 23rd birthday, he decides to pay Bruce Wayne a visit.

Origins C/T/11170

The founding of the Justice League and the subsequent meeting about budget and funding. So what if Batman is funded by Bruce Wayne?

The five times Flash came to Gotham for help and the one time he didn't need to (5+1) C//5420

Barry needs help solving a murder, he goes to Gotham for help. Though he's looking for Batman he seems to constantly run into new heroes.Why do they all seem connected to Batman? --- “You know where he lives?” “I practically live there myself, why is this so surprising to you? You’ve worked with him for- Oh… oh my God, you guys don’t know!"

The Justice League recruit Nightwing C/G/4198

Nightwing is recruited by the Justice League. Chaos ensues.

Superman and the Monstrous Bat-Man of Gotham City C/M/7115

A first time fic set in the Golden Age! Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter for the Daily Planet, is sent on assignment to Gotham City. He is less than impressed with the fluff pieces he has been given to cover: investigate the alleged sightings of the mysterious Bat-Man, and interview Gotham billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne.

From ‘The Daily Planet’ Archives C/T/1389

Clark Kent, Staff Reporter at The Daily Planet is tasked with writing a Feature article on Bruce Wayne.

Aspects Unknown - or are they? C/G/6647

The first time anyone outside of the Gotham area had even heard of the Bat was when the Joker released a video calling for his nemesis to find him. A popular TV show that was describing the worst places to live decided to cover Gotham, much to the amusement of the Gothamites within, when their stream caught the Joker’s video playing. Everyone was extremely panicked and confused, the production freaking out while people at home began questioning what the fuck was wrong with Gotham that they had legitimate killer clowns. Meanwhile, the Gothamites merely sighed and put on gas masks that they had in their pockets, some even calling out that they had Joker Gas antidotes on hand. Within the next hour, several out-of-city superheroes had shown up to assist, only for them to be turned away. Not even by any official capacity, but by the citizens themselves, as evidenced by the throwing of vegetables and fruit towards various supers. The Green Arrow tried to go in, only to have an entire watermelon tossed at him as soon as he entered Crime Alley. Needless to say, foreign superheroes did not seem appreciated.

Gotham’s Demon C/G/3735

Clark is warned there might be a mole in the League. Suspicions point to Batman, so the Leaguers do some reconnaissances. They find more than they bargained for. Or: The Batfamily being perfect and beautiful and adorable.

VAMPIRE

The Invitation

The citizens of Gotham refuse to face what Edward Nygma sees as an obvious truth: they have a vampire problem. But Nygma has every confidence that he can convince them he's right. Especially now that the wealthy, charming Bruce Wayne is offering to help him.

“Fighting Back” (or: Batman is a Vampire… as well as the Justice League’s Designated Dad™)

Batman is no God. He’s vulnerable, mortal. He eats, he sleeps, he bleeds, just as humans do. But he is not human, and he is not alone. After all, Bats—and Vampires—live in Colonies.

Bedbugs

“He’s not going to eat you, you know.” Batman and Nightwing are vampires. Jason has some concerns. Dick does his best.

The Bats In Wayne Manor

Wayne Manor is one of the few sites protected by Gotham's Historical Society and actually left alone by the growing rogue's gallery out of Arkham. It's probably because there's nothing there worth stealing, and the cave system under the house is full of bats. At least, until an earthquake opens up the grounds of the manor, and something other than just the bats comes out.

Batman: Eternal Night

Batman is a true creature of the night. A vampire. For now, he's a legend and a horror story to the criminal underworld at large. To those that have seen him though, he is a horrifying monster. The corrupt police are growing warry of this dark protector, and they've called in a special new recruit that's a supposed expert on the subject. Batman zeroes in on a handoff of an especially youthful package. The time for hiding is over. The psychopaths and madmen will have nowhere to make their deals, nowhere to hide, nowhere he cannot find them.

Count Bat-cula

Batman is totally not a vampire. No really, he's not. It's not his fault rumors spread.

Colony of Gotham

The Colony of Gotham is an urban legend that is whispered about in the dangerous city. It's said the Colony is a family of demons and spirits that stalk the night, hunting for the souls of the guilty. When Bruce became Batman, he'd never intended to be mistaken for a demon. He was happy to lean into it, though, and as he gained his partners -- as his family grew -- they all followed suit.

Kidnapped by Vampires C/T/4001

Tim Drake knows that the Wayne family are vampires. He also knows that they are superheroes. What he doesn't know is that Dick Grayson claimed him as his all those years ago at Haley's circus, and that vampires don't have the greatest sense of human morality around issues like kidnapping minors.

What to do if my Kids are Vampphobic? - Bruce Wayne on Google at 3 am C/G/3703

Bruce Wayne is Batman. Bruce Wayne is also a vampire. Bruce is so lucky that his kids are understanding of his nature ... Right? AKA Bruce assumes his detective children know basic facts about him and some misunderstandings ensue

ELDRITCH/CREEPY/CRYPTID

Bats, deaths and urban myths (and what everyone else thinks about them)

No one believed that Batman was real until he showed up in one of the League meetings. Justice League meetings, not Assassins' League. Well... Maybe, he was there too and ninjas were too unaware to notice him. With the Bat, no one could really know. He wasn't human after all, was he?

A Little Birdie Told Me

It’s been 5 months since Batman resigned from the league yet there were still so many unanswered questions left on Clark’s mind: Why didn’t you trust us? Did we really mean that little to you? Did all those times we spent together not prove to you that we were genuine? ...... Do you hate us? But this was not the time to think about what ifs and broken friendships, he should really focus on the question standing right in front of him. Why is there a child on the watchtower?!

Shadows on the Rooftops

Clark Kent had never once heard of the Bat, and he was beginning to think he didn’t want to. Diana on the other hand seemed to be having the time of her life leading the League on a wild goose chase through the streets of Gotham in search of one shadow that seemed to multiply every time they turned a corner.

it's where my demons hide

another cryptid batfam AU!

The Cryptid Knight

What if instead of Batman making criminals fear him through brute force, he instead freaks them out by being as inhuman seeming as possible (while still beating them with brute force). In short: Batman is out here to scare the living daylights out of bad guys and he's having such a good time right now.

Warning

Pt. 1: Gotham has its share of cryptids. Pt. 2: The cryptids have a different story...

Monere- To Warn

The Batfamily is more than a little unsettling and each one of them has their own special brand of uncanniness. They seem inhuman and eldritch even though the people of Gotham know that they couldn’t be anything other than human, right?

They Say

Maryland has the Goatman. West Virginia has Mothman. And Gotham City has the Batman, a terrifying, possibly inhuman cryptid who patrols the city's streets after dark, hunting criminals and frightening children. Or, there are ways to scare criminals that have nothing to do with brute strength.

what are robins? man or monster? fey or human? where do they come from?

what are the batfamily? what is the batman? what are the robine? the batgirls? the rest? who are the waynes? who is bruce wayne? who are his kids? questions asked by the gotham residents and other heroes, and never answered (or are they?)

Things that Lurk in the Shadows

Clark Kent may be Superman, one of Earth's Greatest Heroes, but even he has fears. And one of those fears just walked into the Watchtower: the Batfamily. A group of dark, murderous vigilantes, those looking too deeply into their business tend to disappear. Fortunately, Batman didn't want to join the Justice League. Just imagining it gives Clark nightmares.

Are You Sure About That?

The seedy streets of Gotham were filled with whispers about the demons and monsters that roamed the city, and outsiders and Gotham’s lawful scoffed at how superstitious the criminals could be.

Non-Standard Recruitment Practices

There is a fair share of urban legends, myths and bedtime stories about ghosts, ghouls, demons and cryptids. Gotham just seems to be way too serious about theirs. The Justice League is curious about The Batman, but Gotham is protective of what's hers. It doesn't hurt that pups and birds who protect her don't like anybody messing with their Bat.

at the cost of my soul

“I want to. Desperately, I want to. I want to believe that when this is over, I will still be human enough to love.” There are beings that exist outside of this world, that prey on the fear of those within it. There are three types of people in this world: bystanders, who will go their whole lives without ever knowing the truth; victims, who will be fed upon by the Dread Powers; and Avatars, those who the Powers choose to infect and corrupt and turn monstrous and do their bidding. Bruce turns into a monster, adopts a pack of monster children, and maybe finds salvation somewhere along the way. A Magnus Archives AU.

The Kid

Almost all of the kids from crime alley have a story about him. The kid. The Kid with the camera and the wicked smile. The kid that seems to appear and disappear at will and leaves no footsteps. Buzzfeed Unsolved make a video about it and Tim just can't help but laugh.

Bat Out Of Hell

Five times the Bats are weird, and one time that weirdness saves the world Or, the Bats are weird, everyone that’s even remotely aware of the superhero game knows this. But, odd as they are, they’re still humans. Which is why it should probably be impossible that they’re such forces of chaos. And when they’re all together? Well, most people are just glad they’re on the good side. And they are. Mostly.

Silence in Battle

Unknown. Unheard. Unable to speak. The Bat Clan might as well not exist beyond Batman, if you were to ask the Justice League. But they do. Silent. Soundless. Secret. They do not speak. But they are heard. Come with me. And I will tell you the secrets within these walls. Do not? And they will fade away, like a mirage. They were there... or were they? Demons of Gotham

“Joker claims They understand his jokes. All of them.” The rumors began in the shadows of Gotham, whispered between thugs and criminals who masquerade as fearless before trembling as they’re forced to step foot into the dark: where the Bats hunts. “…Demonic bats who fight crime? You’re shitting me,” With only a solemn shake of the head in turn, Green Lantern couldn’t help but look scandalized, “Jesus Christ, this is why I try to stay out of Gotham.”

Buzzfeed Unsolved: The Disappearance and Reappearance of Bruce Wayne

Today on Buzzfeed Unsolved, we look into the early life of Bruce Wayne, what little is known about him, and the odd disappearance and reappearance that surprised Gotham.

The Startling Secret Identity of The Batman

Good evening, super-sleuths! Boy, do we have a treat for you today. We’re delving into one of the biggest unsolved mysteries of the modern era. The million-dollar question. The billion-dollar question, if one of these theories holds water. That’s right. We’re gonna risk life, limb and sanity by asking the question… who is The Batman? [In-universe Buzzfeed Unsolved accidentally stumbles on Batman’s secret identity. The Batfam reacts.]

(UNAIRED) Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime — The Disbelieving Case of the Oracle.

“This week on Buzzfeed Unsolved, we’re going to be looking at the odd and downright disbelieving case of the Oracle, a supposed infamous hacker known to associate with not only the ‘BatFamily’ but also with the Justice League and Birds of Prey. Many theories have taken in depth looks into who this Oracle could be. Are the a real-life hacker? An A.I.? Do they even exist? What or who is this mysterious Oracle figure?”

BUZZFEED UNSOLVED: THE MYSTERY OF THE INFAMOUS GOTHAM BATMAN

What is the mysterious Batman that stalks the streets of Gotham City? Will Shane and Ryan uncover the dark truth behind this notorious urban legend, or will the mystery of the Batman remain unsolved?

(K)night Creatures

There are dark things in Gotham. Inhuman beings with strange powers that terrorize the criminals of the city, all under the guidance of the Batman, the city's first protector. Bruce Wayne has a veritable legion of children, a family which seems to grow larger and more diverse every year. Most assume that these things aren't related.

things that go bump in the night

Here's the thing about stories: they have to come from somewhere. Stories had to be built from reality, and as such, all of them on some level, had a grain of truth to them. Even tall tales of a Boogeyman- a Batman. It just so happened that, however, the 'myth of Batman' had a substantial bit more truth to it than the child populace of Gotham would like to believe. It just wasn't them he was out to get. (Well. Unless they needed a home.)

Family Ties C//1471

Jason didn’t know what to expect when he came back to Gotham, but he knew that it wasn’t this. OR Jason's back and ready to cause chao- what do you mean his family are cryptids now

Wings Soar In Spirit C//2729

Gotham was a broken city. OR Gotham has protectors. Do worry, they do bite.

in the shadows C/G/12290

“You’ve visited that kid every day for weeks,” Clark said. “Why?” Batman stared at him. “How long have you known?” “Batman…” “You’re confronting me now because you’re worried about my intentions toward Dick. He changed your mind about something. Ergo, you’ve been sitting on this for a while. How long have you known I wasn’t real?”

The Manor on Gotham's Edge C/T/2694

There is a manor on the edge of Gotham, and the people whisper to their children about the thing that lives there, who will take them if they’re bad.

A Circus in Town C/T/1452

Circuses are bad luck. Everyone knows they’re full of people who flirt with the law more than they follow it, the kinds of freaks that aren’t fit for polite society. Still, they’re good entertainment, and so people go. This particular circus just happens to have a form of entertainment no one was expecting.

DARK BATFAM

Little Soldier

It was the Batmobile. The gorgeous car, with tires that could keep Jason well fed for at least two weeks, and was just begging to be stolen because it was parked in Crime Alley of all places. Was the fucking Batmobile.

What We Do After Dark

Dick Grayson never got adopted. He never met Batman, never became Robin. Instead life dealt him a much harsher hand. Now, years later, he lives on the streets, when he doesn't have the money for one of those shitty weekly apartments. He earns his money through sex work. But that is not the only thing he does: No, he enacts his own kind of Justice on all of those who don't respect him and his friends. If only Batman would leave him alone.

Jason Todd and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Decision

There's a food chain in Crime Alley. At the bottom there’s the working girls and boys, the runners, and the scavengers. Jason's one of them. At the top, there's the Waynes. Jason has spent his entire life avoiding them, boosting cars and sleeping in the darkest corners of Crime Alley in an effort to stay away from any and all gangs. He never thought he'd end up trying to steal the tires off of Bruce Wayne's car.

Adjusting the Lense

Bruce has a complicated relationship with the Press.

Godfather Family is everything.

The Dark Family of Gotham

Everyone knows that Gotham is a criminal underworld disguised as a city. Crime Families rise and fall in Gotham as often as the seasons change. However, one particular family managed to succeed in not only preventing their own fall, but only seemed to thrive in Gotham. Fortunately, Clark Kent is on the case to find out more.

Father Son Outings

Bruce Wayne knows what it takes to bond with his son.

before I die again /T/

The clues had been there all along. Jason pushed a shaky hand through his hair as all the puzzle pieces came together at once. The black-suited underbosses who showed up like clockwork. The fancy cars, the omnipresent bodyguards. The manor built like a fortress. The clandestine surgeries in the conservatory. The guns and knives squirrelled away in every room. The shooting range in the basement. Bruce wasn’t just a wealthy scion and society fixture, he was also a fucking mob boss. ~~ OR: the Mafia AU where Bruce has Gotham under his iron fist and Jason just wants to be a priest.

Not Like Other Families /T/

Tales of the Wayne Crime Family. How Bruce adopted his many unusual children, their time growing up, and their equally unusual friends.

The Waynes (Exposé by Lois Lane-Kent) C/T/2216

"The Wayne family was one of Gotham's most notorious crime families. Hidden carefully under a veneer of polite society and old money, the Waynes' activities were a widely known secret throughout the city, and everyone knew that if you wanted to live, you didn't ask questions. " OR An overview of Gotham's most notorious crime family.

it's a long climb up the dusty mountain //

"The mission went," Dick echoes, a faint smile on his face. He's still in Bruce's arms, though he could easily escape if he wanted to. Something warm kindles deep, deep in Bruce's chest. Then he thinks of the other Dick, tense as a wire in his arms, shuddering at his touch. "He had children." He says it without thinking. Dick's expression darkens. He knows where Bruce went tonight, and Bruce watches him piece together the implications of alternate dimension and evil Batman and children. Or: When you've hit rock bottom, the only place left to go is up.

DC X DP

Red

"Red is a human color, but I don't think it's a humane color." "Then what is?" "Blue."

Recognized

When they heard the fateful words "Recognized: Robin - B01," nothing could have prepared them for the web of secrets which would unravel as Daniel Fenton and Richard Grayson search for answers.

Phantom meets the team

It's been a year since he died...Or alternatively: The one in which Danny and Dick are brothers, Danny is the ghost king and he kinda meets the team.

Actively Recruiting Teen Supers

(Whether they want to be or not) Batman has always kept an eye on the smaller known villains just in case they got the idea to take after the more public faces like Luthor or Joker. Mostly, they keep to themselves and their small town, but when one Vlad Masters (otherwise known as Vlad Plasmius) starts talking of an 'apprentice', the Dark Knight decides to get to the bottom of things. Robin decides to make friends.

The Theorists

Marvin White is at his wit's end. Nobody believes what he saw happen to Connor on Halloween night; nobody, that is, until a mysterious stranger shows up to join forces.

When Heroes Fail

When Heroes fail, they try again... OR The Justice League doesn't believe Amity Park. A year later, after getting a worrying message, Batman sends Robin to check it out.

Two of a Kind

Danny Phantom saves Bruce Wayne from a ghost, this prompts Bruce Wayne to investigate Amity Park. Shenanigans ensue. Dick and Danny learn they're long lost twins.

Young Justice: Deathly Weapons

A business agreement seems like such a small thing. In the eyes of the world, Phantom and the Fentons are long gone. But accidents aren’t always accidents and, when an unexpected face intervenes on a mission gone wrong, the Boy Wonder begins to realise that there’s more to the story. The stubborn fugitive they find isn’t the easiest lead to work with. But those powers have potential, and partnership could be an asset - so long as Robin can play his cards right. And, while he may not want to admit it, their offer might be exactly what a struggling half-ghost needs. Which turns out to be a lot less one-sided than any of them knew. As the paranormal starts coming out of the woodwork and clues begin piling up, a new recruit might just be what the Team needs too.\

Surprise Halloween Haunting

Halloween month was always chaotic for Gotham, especially for the vigilantes guarding her. This Halloween, the Batboys found themselves captured by some cult as sacrifices. Stripped off their gears and chained to a chair, Jason found himself calling for help to get out of the situation.

A half-zombie and a half-ghost

Jason hated cultists. He hated them so damn much. Or: The Batboys get caught by cultists. Jason is not happy.

Resurrected?

The team is on a routine mission when Phantom gets blasted by one of the goons wielding experimental tech. Unable to keep his ghost form intact he transforms back into his human form. Causing the rest of his teammates to think the beam had somehow brought him back to life! The team starts to try to protect Danny and make sure he doesn't die again, always checking around every corner for a possible threat. How long will he last?

Operation I’m Totally 300

“You want me to babysit the protégés for the entirety of August? Why me exactly?” Danny squinted at the superheroes before him. They had to be joking right? “Well you’re the only adult available and you can mentor the kids. You have hundreds of years of experience and the League thinks it would be great for you to train the kids,” Superman explained. Danny groaned internally. Or when Danny accidentally finds himself pretending to be a 300 year old mentor, shenanigans ensue.

Dressed for Death

The list of people John Constantine feels bad for is relatively small. The amount of people who feel bad for Phantom is probably smaller.

When The Clown No Longer Laughed

Things have been going well for Arkham Asylum. There haven't been any breakouts in a while, a new team of Psychologists are starting to make a breakthrough with the residents, and Gotham is starting to heal. But with the recent suicide of one Mr. Freeze, Batman decides to look into what is happening in Arkham Asylum. Dr. Penelope Spectra talks about the good she is doing for the inmates, and how they are finally being rehabilitated. But Batman knew something was deeply wrong. When the Clown no longer laughed.

The Phantom and the Knight

After two years Danny Fenton finally felt like he was getting this whole superhero thing under control. So of course something had to come along and ruin everything.

Ghost Kings and Gotham Bats

Danny Fenton has been a half-ghost superhero for two years, and is used to fighting everyday being his normal. So, that do a few bats and assassins have to do with anything?

Blue-Eyed Orphan

First Maddie Fenton is diagnosed with cancer, then Jack Fenton dies in a car crash, that ironically enough, he wasn't driving in. Danny does his best to hold on, but eventually he just can't. And then he falls into another universe, oops? He doesn't know if he'll ever make it back to his sister, to Dani, too Sam and Tucker and Val, he hopes so. But hope isn't exactly getting him anywhere yet. Also this world has superheroes other than him! And he may be, uh, sort of getting attached? Whats a blue eyed orphan to do in Gotham?

Confirmation Bias

Ghosts don't exist. Barry Allen knew that for a fact and most of the sane world agreed with him. Amity Park, however, didn't seem to get that memo.

Rifts

As a general rule, just when you thought it couldn't get worse it suddenly did. This is something the Fenton siblings knew from experience. The thing is, normally her brother is the one who puts them on the spot. This isn’t one of those times, and Jazz just knows that she will never get Danny to shut up about it. ...If they ever get to see each other again, of course.

Only Human

The many times the Justice League was terrified of Danny Phantom. And the one time they see that he was just a kid.

Wait A Second, You're Dead?

Danny gets recruited to be a part of the Young Justice team and joins them on missions. Danny hides his identity from the team, and Wally has trouble believing this whole ghost thing. What is Batman planning? And what will the team think about working with a dead teammate? Read and find out.

The Boy King and the Dark Knights

Daniel Fenton may be dead, but he wasn’t suicidal. Unfortunately, avoiding Batman and his vigilantes get a lot harder when he’s stuck in a seven year olds body in Gotham. Clockwork so owes him for this. In which Danny Fenton fixes a broken family, grows a bit as a person, and makes another technically-dead friend. Not exactly in that order.

Vertical Limit

Danny Fenton is not okay. TM. Honestly? Just overall bad vibes. But he's doing his best. Making it work. And trying not to become fully dead in the process.The Justice League is very concerned. But it's actually their fault they got involved so take that one, Batman. John Constantine told them not to do the thing. They did it anyway. Or, Danny gets summoned by the League, and he actually kind of adopts them in the process. Because these big city heroes don't know anything about ghosts and who is he if he doesn't help them out? Besides, the Watchtower is in space. Danny's always wanted to go to space...

Half a Kingdom (A Whole Child)

Everyone had told him that, if the keystone falls, so will the arch, and Danny was King, Throne, and Country. He was the guardian of doorways, the path between spaces—he was supposed to protect the integrity of the realms! Unfortunately, more than anything else, he was just a kid. The world has learned a handful of facts over the past month: 1. Ghosts are very real. 2. A child has been taken. 3. They want him back.

Mentory Stable

Constantine thinks that Danny Phantom should stay in Amity Park. The Justice League thinks that they should be allowed to help. One person gets the last word.

Vacation Crashers

Batman crashes in the wilderness following up a lead in a recent case. Meanwhile the Fenton family was having a camping trip to celebrate Jazz's last year as a "kid", but considering who suggested the location, it spelt disaster. Now Danny and Jazz have to survive an onslaught of ghosts, take care of an injured Batman, and while worrying about their parents.

Never judge a book by its cover

They had a problem. A big problem. A madman had bonded with an eldritch god from space, it went wrong, and now there was a possessed human rampaging, eating everything it crosses. Constantine and Zatanna had an idea - they found a book about a Ghost King, a being from another dimension so powerful and so dangerous that they only suggested this summoning as a last resort.mWhat they got was a underfed and sleep deprived kid that knows about: - possession - eldritch gods - space

To Curate A Ghost

When Phantom escapes the GIW, he doesn’t quite know where to go or what he’s supposed to do. He barely knows who he is. So he pranks, protects and then consequently joins a young superhero team. As is the natural progression of things. Obviously. And if he starts to figure out who he is-was- along the way? Then this was probably just meant to be.

And So It Ghost

When Danny Fenton is invited to a Technology Fair in Gotham he hopes it will help open doors to a good college. What he doesn't expect is an attack by a technology obsessed ghost, or a visit from the Batman himself. Can Danny keep his identity a secret while also scoring a spot at Gotham University? Or will everything come crashing down around his ears like usual?

Only Human

The many times the Justice League was terrified of Danny Phantom. And the one time they see that he was just a kid.

To Join the Whispers

A contact for the Batfamily passed along a rumor that the League of Assassins were investigating a small city called Amity Park. The old man and Tim managed to find evidence of unusual paranormal activity in the town. While they weren’t entirely certain it wasn’t just infested with metas, the locals believed the entities that haunted, for lack of a better word, the town were actual ghosts. If there was one thing Ra’s al Ghul didn’t need to get his grubby hands on, it was ghosts. That’s probably why Jason was doing this. He had the unfortunate luck to experience both death and resurrection in a way he’d never recommend to anyone else.

A Phantom's Way

Danny Fenton has been doing the Hero gig for a little over two years now and things have been getting both better and worse. He is friends and partners with Valerie/Red Huntress, he is no longer friends with Sam and Tucker. Many of his Ghost enemies are now his friends and now there only few trouble makers that he and Red Huntress have to take care of, the GIW and his parents are more determined than ever to catch Danny's alter-ego, Phantom, and make him their lab rats. And now the whole world is being invaded by aliens. Well, he got to meet more famous superheroes and helped formed the Justice league. Wait, what?

Clone Buddies

Superman is having some problems accepting the fact that he has a clone. Danny decides to introduce them to Dani. His Clone.

Spooks

"The day they realized that Danny Phantom was a force to be reckoned with was terrifying. And honestly, they were a little bit more upset that their youngest member never told them that he had that type of power or authority." OR Danny has a lot more power than they originally thought.

The Haunting of the League

A ghost is haunting the watchtower and the League doesn't know what to make of it

Mondays, am I right?

There was a long silence. He heard his sister breathe in, breathe out, like she was mentally preparing herself to say something. “I… I heard, from other interns I talked to, that guard positions are always open. And that it’s super easy to get in.”

How to confuse a Bat

The bat-clan finally has a talk with the Fentons, but they may not get the answers they expected. Also they consider talking about their feelings with Jasmine Fenton, if she's not secretly a crazy supervillain, that is.

Tape 01

Daniel "Danny" James Fenton wasn't just a normal young adult and while everyone seemed to accept this fact, nobody was able to understand it. That's the point, where all his problems started to evolve into something much bigger. So nobody noticed when he disappeared...

Trial and Error

Talia tried to have a singular child to be her father's heir. She ended up with two. Damian tried to protect his brother as he was born to do. He failed. Danial tried to be the assassin he was trained to be. He couldn't. Danny tried to be an ordinary child with an ordinary life. Instead he died.

Ouroboros

In the end, it was Jack and Maddie that caused Phantom. It was Phantom that caused the downfall of Jack and Maddie. It was Jack and Maddie that destroyed Danny Fenton. It was Danny Fenton who accepted Phantom. And so Ouroboros swallowed himself.

Crying Is Okay

I will change the summary when I get a better idea I am winging this, but so far it's about what happens if Danny goes to University in Gotham and gets a job at Arkham.

Arkham Phantom: The Cryptic Security Guard

Inspired by this post. Danny becomes a security guard at Arkham

Employee of the month

Determined to make Arkham a better place, the Fenton siblings unleash their full potential into the inmates of the Asylum. After four months and no major incidents, relative peace, and Batman's rogues gallery behaving; the Chief of Security is convinced that Danny is key to the peace, considering giving him the employee of the month award. And then Joker is admitted into Arkham.

The Ghostly Bat

The Bat Family were looking for Damain's hidden twin when an explosion at the local burger joint caused them to find him earlier than expected. Danny is confused and angry. As soon as he lost everything, this random man says he's his biological father and is now living with him and his family. Now, nothing makes sense and something deep inside of his is brewing.

Hey Brother C/ G /3371

Danny was fourteen and Damian was now seven. And every day he wondered how his little brother went from a cute, giggling baby to a brat out of hell. or: 5 Times Damian Refuses to Call Danny by his Name and 1 Time He Does. or: We're bringing back the classing fanfic trope! Danny dies and gets reincarnated as Damian Wayne's older brother.

Red Hood meets Eldritch Group Chat /T/

So these are little things I wrote as drabbles for a group roleplay I am in where the multiverse got consolidated into one big baclava of layers which means there is a fun mix of characters that can all meet each other. These bits of writing I centered around Jason when I picked him up as a character. This is set after some of the the worst of the shit he has had to deal with canon now twisted up in the fun fact he is in a Multiverse that also includes Moon Knight and Danny Phantom.

At The Core /G/

Danny finds a guy with a rather sickly core. Thankfully Frostbite can probably help with that. Meanwhile the Bat family is worried that Jason has been missing for so long.

Voices That They Left /T/

When a new ghostly enemy cost Danny Fenton the lives of his friends and family, he wasn't expecting to get adopted by billionaire Bruce Wayne and move to Gotham. All he needs to do is survive two years until he can go back to live in Amity Park. Something dark is growing in him though, and it's stoking the bitterness and anger that burns inside.

Raising Phantom /T/

Jasmine started work at Gotham's Public Library, while having to take care of her baby brother and going to college. Danny is frustrated having to be in hiding as well as everything else poor in his life. Also there is something off about the man that comes in to check books out. His family included.

Shrodinger’s Bat //

The dirt wasn’t packed in as it should be. These graves looked fresh. Danny counted five graves like this in total. One was an outlier. Two were suspicious. But five? Someone was digging up graves in Gotham. … Nearly one year after the death of Jason Todd, Danny Fenton arrives in Gotham City. Why is he there? And what does it have to do with Jason?

Friendly neighborhood vigilante /T/

Meet Jasmine Fenton: Smart, resourceful, kind and the very proud sister of Amity Park's own undead superhero Danny Phantom. Therapist at your service. Intern at Arkham Asylum. Can kick your ass. Likes tea and long walks at the beach. Meet Jason Todd: Smart, resourceful, not-that-kind (if you say he's soft you may get knifed) and the very proud vigilante and protector of Crime Alley. Died for a while but got better. Holds grudges. Likes reading a nice book and the sound of the rain against the window. They are neighbors now.

close enough to be whole again //

“If you ever find yourself in danger, go to Bruce Wayne. He will help you.” His mother had loved him, in her own way. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have helped him escape. If she hadn’t, she would have dragged him back to the League of Assassins, to Grandfather. If she hadn’t, he’d be dead. She loved him, but she loved the League more. Jack and Maddie Fenton loved him too, they did, but they loved their work more. They loved their work more. -- After his parents react poorly to his reveal, Danny escapes to the only person he thinks can help him - Bruce Wayne. He doesn't know what to expect when he gets there, but it has to be better than where he is, surely? He certainly doesn't expect to be reunited with his long lost twin brother Damian. It's funny how things work out that way.

The Aftermath /M/

After gaining ghost powers Danny Fenton is facing completely new challenges in life, as if freshman year wasn’t hard enough Or Season One with more world building and more creepy disgusting imagery (but not that much)

Concession to Realism /G/

Clockwork was not usually the type to meddle. He preferred to watch from afar, monitoring and observing. Unless, of course, something forced his hand. The new Ghost King was a child, one in a very precarious position. It would be far to easy for him to be pushed too far and end up as a danger to the universe. The ghost of time had no choice but to step in. aka Clockwork sends Danny to a universe where he'll be safe until he can take up the mantle of Ghost King, a dimension far away from the Fentons and other ghost hunters. Danny is less than thrilled, especially when he starts developing a soft spot for some local bats.

Unnerving /T/

There's a new doctor at Arkham Asylum, and with the new doctor came a new security guard. Or, Jazz decided to work in Arkham and now it's everyone's problem.

A Little Overshadowing Never Hurt Anyone /T/

This day was just getting worse and worse for Danny. First, he gets dragged to Gotham City with his parents for some 'ghost hunting' convention, and then on his first flight out, he gets captured! Now he's stuck in a Fenton Tech Containment device in some strange cave filled with cars and computers, and he has no idea what to do or how he will escape... Jazz is gonna kill him. The Bats have been having a hard time recently. For the last few weeks, glowing green creatures from all over had been flocking towards Gotham City. They don't know what they are or why they are coming. They started getting their hands on 'ghost tech' from hunters across America, and now Bruce is holding a ghost hunters convention to see if he could get some more info. But now Tim was looking at the first ghost they have been able to capture. He had glowing green eyes and glowing white hair. And he… He just possessed Tim, didn't he?

Another God of Calamity //

Danny Fenton had lost his friends and family in a tragic explosion in Amity Park, in an attempt to leave his old life behind and start new, Danny moves to Gotham. But things aren't quite what they seem as he tries to hid his past in Gotham while the prying eyes of the local vigilantes and the Waynes themselves take interest in the young teen who's struck out alone.

Ghosts of Gotham /T/

Gotham has a ghost problem. And it's not the Amity Park kind of ghost problem. While Danny tries his hardest to stay out of the spotlight, his attempts to help the unseen population of Gotham lands him in a world of trouble. Now Bruce Wayne is offering him protection and he could be the only one with the ability to stop a new crime organisation from taking over his new home. OR People are going missing in Gotham and this new kid is keeping secrets. Bruce doesn't like this at all.

Clown around and find out C/T/5328

Danny is set on storming Joker's base, and despite hating that the Bats insist on tagging along, he plans to make a party out of it. It doesn't matter if they try to stop him, though - Joker has to be stopped and he has the power to do it. Jason may or may not think this is equal parts scaring him to his second death or the funniest thing he had ever seen.

What Makes a Home (and Other Thoughts From Fever Dreams) /T/

Dick finds a strange scene on patrol one night; the small form of dying girl huddled in a corner and covered in Lazuras Pit green. He and his family work together to try and save her, but her consciousness dwindles to less and less each day and the time spent awake only provides more questions. Will they work out the mystery surrounding their new guest or will she be forced to say goodbye forever in a unfamiliar bed, surrounded by strangers?

Bat Ghost /T/

Bruce is attacked by the ghost of Batman from the future. To get to the bottom of it, he pays a visit to some prominent ghost hunters, and happens to encounter a teenaged half-ghost vigilante (?), who just *happens* to resemble Damian. A lot. On an unrelated note, Tim Drake has done nothing wrong.

Death Is Not The Enemy /T/

Was there really a need to go back?, Danny asked himself, staring at this new, foreign universe. Here, with no Guys In White or crazed parents chasing him with ecto-guns, and no rampaging ghosts to interrupt his every day or night, maybe he could finally follow the dream he'd given up on when he died, when the stars he'd always loved were once and for all labelled unreachable. Maybe, finally, he could be himself, without all the expectations and fears that came with the name. Also, the fact that superheroes were a thing on this earth surely did not discourage his decision. Or: Danny gets summoned into a new universe, makes some friends, becomes part of the most powerful vigilante clan ever, punches a bunch of satanists, finds the meaning of family and gets a chance at dreaming big. Definitely not in that order

Myosotis /T/

Phantom knows three things: 1. He’s in a city called Blüdhaven. 2. He definitely isn’t a normal human. 3. He doesn’t remember anything about his life. But Phantom has a plan. Well, less of a plan and more of a goal. Phantom is going to help people, get himself money, and hopefully figure out just who -and what- he is along the way. Now if only the annoyingly competent police officer hell-bent on putting him in the system and making sure he was safe at home would leave him alone, Phantom would be golden. Or In which the one-and-only Danny Phantom gets amnesia, a new city to protect, some other vigilante friends, and a slightly-overprotective father figure. Nightwing gets premature gray hairs.

How to Adopt, The Bruce Wayne Way by Alfred Pennyworth /G/

Step One, Find a child.

Phantom’s Hope C/M/9649

Danny is tired. The Justice League give him hope, though they wish they had given it to him sooner. Certainly before they crushed it.

creation both haunted and holy C/G/11440

After looking into a new tourist family in Gotham, Tim finds himself in unexpected situation Or, the Fenton's visit Gotham and try to build a ghost portal. It goes as well as you think it would.

Stand By You C/T/11867

Dick tumbles through his bedroom window and stumbles to the kitchen. His black and blue suit is stained with blood but the pain from the cut in his side is nothing next to the mental anguish he’s feeling at the moment. All he wants is to get himself patched up and in bed. He had been optimistic this morning that today might turn out okay. Now he doesn’t remember why he’d ever thought that. Upon reaching the kitchen, finds the lights already on and a person dozing at the kitchen bar. His next step ought to have been equally soft as the ones before, barely audible, perfect for stealth. But between the pain and his surprise it came out as more of a thump than a soft pad like cat’s feet. She perks up and turns to face him. He freezes. t’s Jazz. It’s date night.

Zeus' Dice /T/

Two years, almost to the day, after the Great Amity Park Tragedy finds Danny Fenton, orphaned and alone, being handed over to his newest foster parent. But, unlike the others, this foster has a secret that could bring Danny back into the hero business. Because, unlike the others, this foster is a hero himself: He is Batman.

Ghosts Don't go to High School /T/

There is a new kid asleep at Tim's desk. There is a new Meta running around Gotham. Tim wants answers. Danny just wants to sleep.

Taking Flight /T/

Danny decides to tell his parents the truth. It doesn't go so hot. Fleeing Amity Park for his life he decides Gotham is the best place to fall through the cracks. Sadly as a black-haired blue-eyed teen with a strong sense of morality the adoption papers were half filled out. Unfortunately for Bruce, Danny has a thing about rich guys with secret identities who want to adopt him.

#batman #bruce wayne #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #damian wayne #justice league #danny phantom #dc #fics #batman fic rec #dc x dp #shazam #selina kyle #terry mcginnis #cassandra cain #billy batson #damian al ghul #dpxdc

231 notes · View notes

shanastoryteller · 3 years

Text

Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren don’t die. Some things change.

Some things don’t.

Lan Xichen had told himself not to worry when he and his brother had been summoned to their uncle’s chambers just as the foreign sect’s children were arrive in Cloud Recesses. Looking at him now, he’s wondering if that was a mistake. Uncle looks moments away from pinching the bridge of his nose to stave off a headache.

“I didn’t tell you earlier because I thought there was a decent chance that he wouldn’t even show up,” he sighs. “But I just received word that he’s passed through the gate. Wei Wuxian is going to be joining the guest disciples.”

It’s unusual for a rogue cultivator to be invited, but not unheard of, especially considering the friendship between Uncle and Cangse Sanren that he’s almost certain actually exists and isn’t just rumors. “Do you foresee a problem? He’s a very accomplished cultivator.”

Despite being Wangji’s age and not being allied with any sect, Wei Wuxian had made quite a name for himself. He learned to cultivate under his parent’s tutelage, had been a guest disciple of the Jiangs, traveled for several years with the famous rogue cultivators Xiao Xingchan and Song Lan, and there were rumors that he’d even somehow snuck up to Baoshan Sanren’s mountain and convinced her take him on as a pupil, although Lan Xichen thought that had to be a just rumor.

While that was all impressive, what truly distinguished him had only happened last year. Yiling had come under near constant attacks from fierce corpses and resentful energy that most cultivators had refused to deal with.

Wei Wuxian had walked into the Burial Mounds, which of course was certain death. Three months later he’s walked out, somehow still alive and only slightly worse for wear and now wearing a flute alongside his sword. He’d gathered his parents, Xiao Xingchen, and Song Lan and they’d erected a barrier of glittering resentful energy around the base of the mountain, containing all the miserable and frightful things that had plagued the area of the Yiling. It harnessed the natural resentful of the energy of the mountain and channeled it through several complicated talismans and arrays.

Copies had been sent to the heads of every sect so to avoid rumors of demonic cultivation, something that reportedly had been Wei Changze’s idea. The arrays were deceptively simply, barely different than what most sects were already using. It’s just that no one had thought to use them quite like that before. Rumors credited everyone but Wei Wuxian, which surely meant he was the one truly responsible.

They called him the Yiling Patriarch and that he was still a teenager hadn’t seemed to matter much to anyone.

“Do you really think he’s here to learn?” Uncle asks, and Lan Xichen has to concede that it’s unlikely. There is little in their cultivation classes that Wei Wuxian would not be able to learn on his own or from his many mentors. “No, that little brat is working on another invention and he wants use of the library without having to go through formal channels. Little hellion. No matter what he pulls or what mischief he starts, you mustn’t get caught up in it, understand?

Even Wangji seemed taken back at Uncle’s vehemence. They hadn’t known that Uncle knew Wei Wuxian personally, but it seems he must, to be this disgruntled. “Disliking Wei Wuxian will not stop us from upholding the Lan practice of courtesy and decorum,” Wangji says.

Uncle stares. Wangji breathes like he wants to shift his weight, but doesn’t. “I never said you’d dislike him.”

Whatever either of them have to say to that is cut off by a loud, boisterous voice outside the door shouting, “UNCLE QIREN!”

Uncle grips the bridge of his nose.

The door slams open and in comes who must be Wei Wuxian, black and white robes with hints of purple along the edge and his hair bound up in purple silk ribbon much finer than anything else he’s wearing. He doesn’t bow or pause, instead crossing the room and throwing his arms around Uncle in a hug.

Lan Xichen wonders if perhaps he hit his head and this all a dream or perhaps a hallucination.

Uncle turns a shade of red he hadn’t previously known him capable of and a vein twitches in his forehead, but he doesn’t push him away. “Wei Wuxian!”

He laughs and steps back, going into a picture perfect, formal bow. “This is from my father,” then he darts forward to yank on Uncle’s beard. Wangji’s eyes have widened in horror. “And that’s from my mother!”

Uncle rubs at his chin and glares. “Who was the hug from then?”

“Me,” Wei Wuxian says shamelessly. “I missed you, Uncle Qiren! We’re going to have so much fun, aren’t we? We should go to Caiyi so I can drink Emperor’s Smile and you can yell at me for being right in ways you don’t like, that always cheers you up.”

Lan Xichen can’t be seeing what he’s seeing. Uncle’s lips are pressed into a firm, tight line, like he does when he’s trying not to smile.

“Hi!” Wei Wuxian says, very loudly and right in front them. “You must be Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji! I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“And us you,” he says, after only a half second’s hesitation.

Wei Wuxian isn’t paying attention to him, instead focused on Wangji. “Aw, don’t look so disapproving, it’s good to keep Uncle Qiren on his toes.” Wangji’s face is in fact almost perfectly neutral. Lan Xichen can’t help but be impressed, since most of the clan elders wouldn’t have been able to pick up on that. His admiration quickly turns to horror when Wei Wuxian reaches out and uses his fingers to push his brother’s lips into a facsimile of a grin. “Don’t be mad, Lan Zhan!”

Lan Xichen has to resist the urge to gape. Using his brother’s given name like that, when they’ve just met! What’s worse is Uncle doesn’t even look surprised, just resigned.

Wangji scowls and he reaches for Wei Wuxian’s wrists, but Wei Wuxian slips away, just out of his reach, still laughing. “You’re going to have to be faster than that to catch me, Lan Zhan!”

He’s then darting out the door, which he hadn’t even closed in the first place, like he actually expects the Second Jade of Lan to go chasing after him.

Wangji takes a stop forward before remembering himself and freezing.

“Wei Wuxian!” Unfamiliar voices are calling the boy’s name. They all step outside to see a crowd of guest disciples grinning and waving.

“A-Cheng!” Wei Wuxian waves back. “A-Sang!”

He runs down the steps toward them, still grinning. “No running!” Uncle barks.

“Okay, Uncle Qiren!” Without skipping a beat, Wei Wuxian tucks his sword into his best and launches himself forward, doing continuous cartwheels down the steps even quicker than he’d been running. The guest disciples are cheering, and even Lan Xichen has to admit that it’s an impressive display of strength and balance.

Technically, there is no rule against cartwheeling in Cloud Recesses.

Uncle sighs. “The problem,” he says mournfully, “is that if I make a rule just for him, he and his mother will be far too pleased with themselves, and then he’ll just put even more effort into not breaking the rules in ways that make me add more rules.”

Lan Xichen notices how Wangji hasn’t taken his eyes off Wei Wuxian and thinks that perhaps they have bigger problems, actually.

#untamed #fandom ficcery #lxc does actually stumble on lqr and wwx drinking and arguing in a bar in caiyi #he nearly qi deviates on the spot

2K notes · View notes

i-love-hobbies · 3 years

Text

Eda may have more trauma than what we've seen on screen - theory

Her seeing a lot of death I think is a fact.

She has been a criminal for three decades and she ate a dude while being so chill about it. For someone to be this chill they have to have seen a lot of death and recovered from it.

She is extremely reckless like on another level when she doesn't (or refuses to) recognize the danger. We've seen her permanent record. She also got caught by Warden Wrath. She almost had Amity stabbed with a lot of spikes. She fell for a scam (for thirty years she has been a scammer) for an elixir, cause of cards.

She got herself scammed kinda on purpose just so she can prove to be better than Lilith. She actually got caught by the fun police.

She fell for Luz's apple blood signs (how bad is that problem?). She punched a guard. She almost had Amity get blasted. She told King to echolocate the lake (I know they didn't get caught and that she was expecting that as she has experience with the coven but why risk it?). She had to hit the fool's blood.

Now obviously the roots of this problem come from her parents. Her mom was probably very ignorant of her behaviour and her dad fired fireworks in the house (In my opinion this was her second transformation ever. So my problem is "in the house".)

Ok so her growing up with this problem makes sense but she has shown to respect others' opinion. She respects a fourteen year old from another dimension without natural magic and a kid which till now didn't have magic and she has no idea which species he is from.

Yes telling her "just follow the rules" like Lilith and teachers did would not work but Raine seems like the person who would recognise why rules are there in the first place and straight up say:

- You want Bump to allow you to study every track. Well don't have him completely dependent on the Emporer's coven money by breaking everything.

Now this obviously didn't work immediately, but it should have planted a seed, right?

How has she not grown out of her biggest flaw? It's been near five decades. For five decades she refuses to change?

What was stopping her? The guards she can mop the floor with? Yes she was in isolation, because of her choices, curse and wild magic but again didn't do anything till now about it.

1. Isolation 2. Bigger problem with the curse and talking to people 3. Bigger isolation

Again she didn't break the cycle for three decades. Why?

She has been shown to be very adaptive. She probably had to change at least a bit to find herself with someone with stage fright, to rebel against her mom's cures and find an elixir, to be able to so drastically change her point view of the coven system, that she accidentally inspires someone to rebel. And is overall a very mature person when it comes to her giving advice.

Then she completely pauses and refuses to change in any way. Refuses to learn from her mistakes. Refuses to learn how to manage her curse better. Just stops.

Then Luz shows up and she is adaptive again.

What happened in between? She never needed to learn to be adaptive or to put herself in other people's shoes cause she already knew how, someone just needed to show her affection.

Now here is my theory. She was apart of a rebellion or better yet she led one at some point in the past and before it and while being in it, she had overcame her reckless problem thanks to Raine.

We have seen the difference between what she was going through while she was a scammer and while she was actually proactive in a pretty small rebellion. It was a big difference. She probably thinks Raine is death. At first it felt kinda safe and then BAM.

Also her punching the guard for some stranger, her line "Only truths!" which as pizzaboat pointed out is just her saying "I'll tell you only if you catch me just like always!" her leadership when it came to Raine's rebellion that fell cause Raine fell for a trap.

Also I should probably point out Raine's rebellion as it feels relevent. I think they had a family or close friends that died in this thirty years (maybe in Eda's rebellion, maybe cause of stuff that was curable back in the savage ages when a lot of plants weren't extinct).

And then they finally decided to act while before they were just trying to join the ranks as they're plan was to destroy the system from the inside so minimum people would die, but they finally really started recruiting people, recently.

On the other hand I think Eda, after finding out how her sister was treated and probably distanced herself even more from her, cause of the fear of the curse hurting her even more and going to the forbidden part of the library, found the author of the unauthorized history book, who was probably in the rebellion that formed immediately as Belos became emporer (there is no way such a rebellion didn't exist).

From them she learned exactly what she was getting herself into and what was actually effective and started learning how to form a rebellion, before even becoming officially a criminal.

Also I think she probably used a fake identity so her family doesn't get attacked ones she became a wild witch. I'm imagining dark green clothes with red eye contacts and no hair.

While being in the rebellion she probably learned a lot of skills and went through a lot of trauma, as death was kinda normal, with the help of her mentor and her new found apple blood problem.

I think the rebellion also succesided in something but mostly it failed miserably and the rebellion was destroyed with her probably the only survivor (at the very least her mentor dies).

Also I'm still begging for an Eda vs Belos fight which is definitely not happening outside of a flashback.

Also if hundreds really did die Infront of her in the matter of a week, maybe even in a second if Belos came personally. She probably needed someone who fulfilled the role of a therapist and probably for a long time no one had heard of her or her other identity as she was hiding in the forest cause of the flashbacks she had.

Not sure what happened to the therapist but I wouldn't be surprised if they're dead.

This combined with her nightmares I think is something she is still recovering from by refusing to recognize danger, by trying to escape reality. By being so reckless so she can feel better and have fun always.

Anyway if I'm right imagen how hard s1ep18/19 and s2ep7 hit her.

#toh #the owl house #toh eda #eda clawthorne #edalyn clawthorne #the owl lady #eda the owl lady #toh raine #raine whispers #raeda #toh raeda #toh theory #the owl house theory #toh emperor belos

84 notes · View notes

variousqueerthings · 3 years

Text

Johnny and ADHD

alright, I’ve wanted to write something about ADHD Johnny for awhile now.

Waaay back in February @deliciousbananavoidpurse made this post and I made some haphazard additions, but now, at last, I ramble!

This isn’t really an addition to that list so much as a... idk, seeing it from an almost fic-but-kind-of-meta point of view. Those points In Practise, with an additional young Johnny.

Johnny’s a kid. He and his mom have been living hand-to-mouth for as long as he remembers, in and out of schools, in and out of apartments and cars. Of course he’s going to be flighty, spaced-out, unfocused.

He’s an easy target – not very big (he doesn’t get a lot of good meals), dirty clothes, and… weird. He gets beaten up sometimes, but mostly he sticks as much to himself as he can and doesn’t go to school if he can help it. Laura saves up and gets him a walkman.

After that it’s like the world doesn’t exist to him at all.

She thinks that’s easier than trying to make him live in it. But he deserves better. They both do. So she makes a decision that changes everything…

Johnny’s not going hungry these days. In fact, he eats constantly, like he’s making up for lost time. His clothes are new and he gets anything he wants. He’s enrolled in school properly.

But Johnny himself doesn’t change much. He’s vibrating with an energy he can’t explain – normal for boys – he skips school, he goes off somewhere in his own mind, struggles with making friends, gets into fights he can’t win, and all day he listens to music. Still skinny, still flighty, still weird.

Tries new things that become all-encompassing for him and drops them one day to the next – normal for boys, all normal for boys – and then -

Johnny sees those boys: Tall, broad, leather jackets, rad bikes, shining, beautiful. He watches them through the window for hours, transfixed in a way only riding his bike and listening to music used to do.

He joins Cobra Kai.

And finally, like a dam breaking, he focuses. He focuses like he’s a machine. Like nothing else matters. He takes everything happening at home, every beating he ever took, every failing grade (he tries, but school never manages to matter – the other Cobras help, simply by being there and sometimes especially Bobby forces him to sit down and write a paper, but he’ll never be smart, that’s fine), and he puts them into his fist.

He trusts Kreese to tell him what to think, what to feel, what to do. Finally, finally, everything makes sense. It’s just him and his body and someone he trusts telling him what to do with it.

Nothing else matters.

There are other things that matter.

He’s getting his life in order so he can leave Sid’s and take his Mom with him. He’s going to be the right kind of boyfriend to Ali. He’ll do well enough in his final year to make up for the previous ones, and he’s got karate, and Kreese, who’s telling him he’s the champ.

Who he can trust.

But he gets into trouble, he drinks, his grades continue to slip, and suddenly (or is it gradually, he can’t tell with time sometimes) Ali is telling him he’s changed – angry, volatile, forgetful, (okay he was always forgetful, but it’s getting worse – is karate the only thing he cares about?), but it’s fine, he can fix that too. He just has to change everything that doesn’t work. If he can be that good at karate, it just means he’s not trying hard enough everywhere else. Just needs to try harder.

Just. Easy. He has a plan. He has a hundred plans.

It all blows up in his face and suddenly he’s faced with the truth: that there really is nothing he’s good for. Karate? What’s that ever gotten him? What else has he got to show for it?

He’s still just the same kid he was – alright, he’s bigger, babes will stop and check him out, he’s learned how to charm people if he has to, but those are just scripts and they don’t work for long if he doesn’t have anything else to back them up and they bore him - they bore him in ways he thinks have gotta be different to what everyone else means when they say they’re bored.

He doesn’t have a plan. He has a hundred plans. He doesn’t have anyone to tell him what to do. He doesn’t know what to do. He knows what to do.

He drinks more. What does it matter, he’s young, life’s short, there’s nothing he can learn now (and really, if you know a couple of things you can scrape by – when they turn off the lights he knows he forgot to pay the bills, when he gets arrested he knows he fucked up and let his emotions get away with him), and before he knows it it’s 2002.

His mom dies. Robby is born. Someone smarter than him could figure out some kind of poetic meaning behind that, but he’s not smart, so he just lets the moments pass him by like everything else has passed him by.

He’s getting by with what he knows. The world outside is like a blur. He’s got what he’s always had: music, a car, his looks. He’s doing okay for someone in his mid-thirties who doesn’t know how to boil spaghetti and drinks first thing in the morning.

Probably all the fighting. He kept it up, informally. Maybe because it’s too deep in his bones for him to let go of, even if it just reminds him over and over that he couldn’t take it. That he can’t take it.

He fights whenever it all gets to be too much and even the drinking doesn’t work. Sometimes he punches walls to fight himself. It’s like a sharp feeling that he can’t ignore that can only be silenced with fighting. The off-button.

2017 (again, the past is a blur. 2017? what happened to thirty-five? What happened to being young? Someone who’s young is allowed to be like this, but he’s…)

He never owned a computer. He never learned new words or anything else that wasn’t immediately important. He makes a handshake deal, because his credit is shit, but also because he never figured out how contracts really work. He still struggles with bills (you can leave anything to the last minute and beyond and things can still turn out okay), struggles with communication. His old scripts don’t work any more and he can’t learn new ones. He’s forgotten enough promises he made to watch Robby’s matches or drive him to school – even his birthday sometimes, even when he writes it down and forgets where he wrote it down - that Robby wants nothing more to do with him. Forgets groceries.

He’ll do or say something and people will look at him like he’s stupid and he doesn’t know why. He refuses to ask, because he just wants the looks to go away. He knows he’s stupid. He knows he can’t figure things out. He knows, okay? Shut up.

He’s not an alcoholic. He just drinks to wake up. To forget. To calm down (that electricity that existed in his body as a kid never went away, even though he’s so so tired. The machine inside of him that won’t shut off without a fight, won’t let him stop moving). To sleep. To drink. To do something.

He sees Miguel and has a hundred new plans. He sees the future like it’s right there and a million miles away. He was never good at implementing long-term plans. He thinks maybe karate can save him, just like it did when he was a kid.

There’s something wrong with his brain. Has been all his life. That’s not how he was told, he was given a bunch of tests and gently informed – undiagnosed it can lead to some of the problems you’ve had, it’s normal, it’s okay – like he’s dying of cancer. But that’s the gist of it. He didn’t fuck up because he didn’t try hard enough, he was always going to fuck up. That doesn’t make him feel better.

It means quitting the alcohol is gonna fail. It means he really is stupid. It means he could’ve never been the kid his mom needed. It means he was easy for Kreese to manipulate. It means Robby could be fucked up too and he’s failed him again. It means he’s not worth the time and pain that people invest in him, like his mom, Ali, Shannon, Robby, Bobby, Miguel, Carmen, Daniel -

“Hey.”

It means he’s got Emotional Dysregulation. Translated: he’s the kind of man who has to work extra hard not to cry (explains why he was such a pussy as a kid. Also explains all the pain in his chest and throat right before roughly... 70% of his most recent fights). And fuck, he just failed.

“What?” Anger is better. It’s also a dysregulation apparently, but it’s better than being weak.

“It’s okay,” says Daniel, and of course he’d think that – he’s never seen a nameable problem he didn’t wanna fix, but didn’t you hear LaRusso, you can’t fix this. Never could.

“It’s not about fixing,” answers Daniel. “It’s about understanding. It’s about knowing who you are. If you know who you are, you can make a choice.”

“What kinda choice do I have?”

Daniel shrugs. “You chose to take in Miguel. You chose not to fight me, more times than I chose to fight you in the last couple of years. You chose that you wanted to know who you were. And you chose to try being sober. Those are all good decisions in my book. Anything else… we can figure things out from here. Trust me.”

He places a hand on the back of Johnny’s neck, grounding him. Daniel has that power. The power to make everything okay for a second.

Johnny thinks: Please tell me what to do. I was always okay once you gave me something to do. Like karate. Figuring things out is… too abstract. Eventually though, he knows, if he’s patient, Daniel will tell him what to do next.

He just has to trust him.

9. (Extra: things Johnny does, because of the brain he has)

Johnny trusts easily, despite it all. He’s honest (and sometimes too literal). He’s passionate. He’s driven. He’s loving. He feels, so so much. He’s protective and he’s loyal. He tries his hardest, even when everything – including his own brain – refuses to help. He believes in second chances for others (and he’s beginning to believe in it for himself). He’s good with kids when he lets himself be. He’s learning to be gentle with himself and others. He’s learning that bravery takes many shapes. He’s learning that he can learn, and he’s learning what he needs for that to happen. He’s a good mentor. He’s learning to be a better friend. He’s kind. He’s honourable. He’s trying to rectify his own mistakes, and he’s trying not to let the mistakes of others continue to impact his life. He’s moving forwards.

#johnny lawrence #ck #cobra kai #the karate kid #nd johnny #cobra kai meta #my writing #oh hai i love johnny lawrence a lot...

69 notes · View notes

thefinalcinderella · 3 years

Text

Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru Chapter 10 - Shooting Star (Part 2)

The Ekiden continues!

Now that I finished the novel, I’m not sure what to do with myself now (work on my other translations lol)

Full list of translations here

Previous | Next

As he ran, Nico-chan recalled the phone call Kiyose had made to him when he was at the Odawara relay station. As dispassionately as ever, Kiyose had said,

“How are you feeling, Nico-chan-senpai?”

“Same as usual.”

“That’s good to hear. Please run as usual today.”

“Does that mean you don’t expect anything from me?”

“Of course not. What I mean is that Yuki ran exceeding our expectations, but don’t be influenced by that.”

“Hmph,” Nico-chan had sniffed. He wasn’t going to get so fired up by Yuki’s deeply impressive sprinting that he would lose sight of his own abilities.

“Well, I’ll go steadily.”

“Nico-chan-senpai,” Kiyose had said in a formal tone, “please maintain a pace of three minutes per kilometer. I’m sorry I can’t make it easier for you.”

“Haiji, come on.” Nico-chan scratched his head. “If you wanted it to be easy for me, then it would have been easier to not run at all. I wouldn’t have had to go on a diet or quit smoking. It was never going to be easy no matter what pace I’m running at. I’m just happy that I was able to get a healthy body, so don’t complain about how I rank either.”

“Yes.” Kiyose had seemed to be smiling. “Then, see you at Otemachi.”

He hadn't been lying about what he said to Kiyose: it would have been easier if he didn’t run. However, Nico-chan didn’t regret taking up track again after a long break; the pain of running, mixed with the joy of working toward a common goal with people close to him, had become sweet, and it was a taste he had long forgotten as he earned his own tuition and lived an independent life on his own.

With the wind blowing down from the mountains of Hakone at his back, Nico-chan ran. The seventh leg, which ran from Odawara to Hiratsuka, was 21.2 kilometers long. On the whole, the course was flat and easy to run. The route was the same as that of the outbound fourth leg, running in the opposite direction toward Tokyo, but it was slightly longer due to the detour at Oiso Station.

The first three kilometers, until they reached the town of Odawara, ran downhill, albeit gently. If he got carried away and increased his pace too much, the later half would be tough, so Nico-chan tried to keep his excitement and nervousness firmly in check and pace himself to fit with his stature.

That Haiji, he’s really good at observing people, Nico-chan thought. When he received the sash from Yuki, he was excited. At the same time, he also had a strong sense of pride, so he restrained himself from getting too excited and rushing in the first half. Kiyose probably read his personality and his relationship with Yuki and put Nico-chan in the seventh leg. Of course, he also must have thought that the seventh leg, with its few ups-and-downs, would be easier on Nico-chan’s legs and would be able to bring out his abilities to the fullest.

The thin rain continued to fall and his hair was now completely damp. It was easier to breathe on a rainy day than in the dry air. It was also fortunate that there wasn't much wind; running would have been out of the question if, on top of being soaked by rain, there had been a cold wind blowing from Hakone. The temperature was about one degree Celsius. It was said that the seventh leg was a course where the difference in the temperature could wear you out, but thanks to the rain, he didn’t seem to have to worry about that today. He would be running along the sea from now on, and the closer it got to noon, the more the temperature should increase.

The only problem is that my uniform is getting damp and sticking to my skin. Nico-chan frowned slightly. The lines of his body were clearly visible, making him feel as though he was running naked. Well, it’s been like that from the start.

Nico-chan wasn’t a fan of the light material of the running shirts and pants. Long-distance runners, men and women alike, had slender figures. Of course they had strong and supple muscles, but they almost looked like gazelles and antelopes. Such athletes would look good in uniforms made with a minimum of fabric, but unfortunately, Nico-chan was big-boned. Thanks to his diet, he was able to lose the extra fat, but he couldn’t whittle down his broad shoulders, imposing hip bones, or sturdy femurs.

When Nico-chan wore a uniform made of small, flimsy cloth, it looked as though there was an extremely large amount of skin showing. And now, it was wet and clinging to him.

It’s not like I’m a fat mermaid who was thrown up on the rocks, Nico-chan thought, embarrassed. I guess I should have at least trimmed my leg hair. To think that my hairy legs in all their glory will be delivered to living rooms all over the country.

He glanced at the legs of the runner running next to him. This guy’s leg hair isn’t even close to looking unsightly. Is it because he was born with thin body hair, or because he takes good care of it? Right after he thought that, he was shocked to realise that there was another runner next to him. Was he about to have another runner catch up and overtake him without realizing it? Nico-chan vigorously checked next to him, and then turned his head back to the road.

The runner next to him was from TSU, and he must have received his sash at the Odawara relay station about ten seconds before Nico-chan. He didn’t catch up to me, I caught up to him. Nico-chan checked his watch to make sure he was keeping pace. Okay, he nodded inwardly. I’ll be able to pull ahead of this TSU guy.

However, he couldn’t see any of the other schools in front of him. He had no idea what place he was running in, or what Kansei’s actual position was taking into account the delayed start time.

It was an unsure battle, so much so that his wet uniform was no longer a problem. As he thought that, Nico-chan entered the town of Odawara. There were crowds of people cheering by the road and waving flags, and among them there was a face that looked like a member of the shopping district, holding up Kansei’s banner and shouting something, but he couldn’t make it out because it was all mixed up in the surrounding chatter. It seemed that the only way to get information was to get it from the coach car behind him at the five-kilometer point.

For the time being, Nico-chan focused on maintaining his pace and pushing their nemesis, TSU, away. With only the landlord in the coach car he wasn’t sure if he could get the right information, but behind the landlord stood Kiyose, the shadow coach of Kansei University. Even at this moment, Kiyose should be working hard to gather information and advise the landlord in giving instructions to ease Nico-chan’s mind. Despite the fact that his own turn was approaching.

Nico-chan trusted Kiyose’s ability as a coach. Kiyose was the second fastest runner after Kakeru on the Kansei team, but what made him stand out above all the others was his ability to see and allot people into roles. If it weren’t for him, they would have never come up with the idea to aim for Hakone, nor would they have actually made it this far.

Kiyose often ruled the residents of Chikusei-sou with an iron fist. However, he never blamed the residents for their inexperience in running, nor did he make light of their feelings and pride; he always tried to thoroughly teach the residents how to face running independently in ways that suited their personalities.

Because he had once experienced a setback in track and field, Kiyose was able to guide the residents of Chikusei-sou, almost all of whom were beginners. He had kindness, strength, and a conviction and passion for running. Nico-chan knew that very well, because he had also devoted himself to track until high school.

As soon as Nico-chan entered university, he quit track altogether. He saw no hope in running. As a high school student, he had taken the sport seriously—it was painful and tedious to set goals and run day after day, but he loved the act of running itself.

However, as Nico-chan got bigger, his bones got heavier. No matter how much he loved to run, as long as the competition was based on time, there was always the issue of physical aptitude. Of course he could run faster and for longer than other men his age, but it was difficult to see how he could continue to compete as a long-distance runner and aim for the top. That difficulty became apparent in his third year of high school; Nico-chan’s frame and disposition to store fat made him unsuited for long-distance running, to the point where it was hopeless even with effort.

Joining the track team in university, becoming active on a corporate team after graduation and then even competing on the world stage—he wondered how many such athletes were out there. The higher you aimed, the more you felt the brilliance of those with natural talent, because you had enough experience and practice to grasp your own ability, and you were made to realize that there were states you could never reach. In the face of his own stubbornly growing body, Nico-chan felt powerless.

Nico-chan’s misfortune was that he didn’t have a mentor to show him that it was okay to keep running even if he wasn’t a competitive athlete, and that if he loved running, he could enjoy it. Because he was still young and dedicated to track, at that time he felt like if he couldn’t attain great success as a runner, then it was all meaningless, and Nico-chan was so disappointed in himself that he distanced himself from track.

During his long years as a student, he learned how to live on his own and gained experience outside of track. And what he learned was that “meaningless” wasn’t bad. He wasn’t saying that to whitewash things. When you ran, you had to win. However, victory came in many forms. Just as there was no clear form of victory in life, victory wasn't just getting the best time among the participants.

The fact that Kiyose also had similar thoughts encouraged Nico-chan. It was both pitiable and absurd that he foolhardily thought there was only one way to victory when he was in high school. By distancing himself from running, Nico-chan had grown up, and with his sympathy and trust towards Kiyose, he threw himself back into days of running.

Kiyose was an excellent commander. He knew people’s pain, but he also knew the cold-heartedness of the world of sport. He understood all the differences in values and had driven on his mishmash of a team with a tenacious force of will and passion.

It’s Kakeru, who continued to give Haiji that passion, Nico-chan thought. Kiyose couldn’t leave it alone—he couldn’t leave Kakeru’s shining talent that was hard to come by alone, even after he got injured.

What’s amazing is that the two of them get on so well. Nico-chan wiped the raindrops from the bridge of his nose. It seemed that Kiyose and Kakeru were inspired by each other in every aspect, not just in running—at least it seemed that way to Nico-chan. They were moved by each other’s virtues and annoyed by each other’s faults. In other words, it's a proper bond between two fellow humans, Nico-chan thought. There was definitely something beautiful like friendship or love between those two; they could communicate to each other through running and their hearts. Nico-chan thought it was a miracle that the two of them met.

Nico-chan wanted to watch the connection and clashes between Kiyose and Kakeru forever. He wanted to see that very noble human state brought about by the act of the running.

That was why they had run together for the past year, and they were still running as hard as they could. As he passed through the town of Odawara, the TSU runner was falling back little by little. After crossing the Sakawa River, the rest was a straight road along the sea, and Nico-chan wondered if he would really be able to see the figure of the runner in front of him.

At the five-kilometer point, he heard the landlord’s voice from the coach car behind him.

“Nico-chan, right now, you’re running in thirteenth place. Koufu Gakuin should be 30 seconds ahead of you.”

The Koufu Gakuin runner for the seventh leg had a ten-thousand-meter time of 29 minutes and 10 seconds. He was a much faster runner than Nico-chan, and it was all he could do to keep the gap from widening. Nico-chan listened closely and analyzed the information he was given.

“In addition, Kansei’s ranking with the addition of the delayed start time is…” The landlord raised his voice through the microphone. “Sixteenth place at the end of the sixth leg!”

Even with Yuki sprinting and coming in second for the sixth leg, we’re still in sixteenth place? Nico-chan felt overwhelmed as he thought about the future. However, considering the fact that they had finished eighteenth in the outbound leg yesterday, they were slowly moving up again. The only thing to do was not give up now and hand over the sash with an even slightly better time.

“There’s a message from Haiji: ‘There is hope. Please don’t relax your pace.’ That’s all!”

Nico-chan raised his right hand slightly as a sign of acknowledgment. That’s right, there’s hope. It would be impossible for Kansei to win the Hakone Ekiden. They had already come in at eighteenth for the outbound leg, and even in the seventh leg of the return race, they had failed to make any remarkable progress. However, they were still in a position to aim for the top ten, where they would get seeded.

The reason why they were aiming for a top ten finish wasn’t because they wanted to participate in next year’s Hakone Ekiden unconditionally. They wanted to definitively bring an end to this battle with only ten people one way or another. They didn’t want anyone to say again that it was pointless for a team that didn’t even know if it would have enough runners to win the seed rights.

It wasn’t about meaningfulness or meaninglessness—they would run as much as they could now to show the proof and pride of what they had done.

Nico-chan’s arms, which were filled with heat, repelled the pouring winter rain.

---

King, who was running the eighth leg, and Musa, who was his attendant, were at the Hiratsuka relay station. King, who had just finished warming up, was running around the relay station, going to the restroom, and refusing to stay in one place. The relay station and the roadside were already packed with spectators, and King was nervous.

Musa decided to leave the restless King alone. No matter what he said to him, King wouldn’t stop wandering around like a hamster spinning in a wheel.

Well, he will settle down when he is tired. It is not a good idea to get tired before a race, but it seems that I have no choice but to let King-san do what gives him peace of mind, Musa decided. King had surprisingly sensitive nerves: if he was forced to hold back his movements, the tension would build up inside of him and he might explode.

That was why Musa was sitting alone on a plastic sheet spread out in a corner of the relay station, checking the progress of the race on his mobile TV. After cheering Yuki’s success, he was now watching Nico-chan’s running. Every once in a while, the screen would show him running the seventh leg. He was currently running near Ninomiya, a little past ten kilometers. There were many small ups and downs due to the bridge over the river, but he kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead and carried his legs in a steady form.

King finally regained his calm for a short while. He stopped running and sat down next to Musa.

“How is Nico-chan-senpai doing?”

Musa passed a blanket to King, who was peering at the screen.

“His pace has not slowed down. However, the gap between us and Koufu Gakuin University is widening. The opponent is faster.”

King wrapped himself in the blanket and began to do stretches while sitting.

“Our position?”

“It has not changed. We are running behind Koufu Gakuin and in front of TSU, so he is apparently in thirteenth place, but our overall time is still in sixteenth place.”

“Ah…”

King let out a sound that was somewhere between a response and a sigh, and rested his forehead on his stretched knees. When he was still, his body naturally trembled with anxiety.

“Yuki’s run was incredible.” King’s voice was cheerful, as though to shake off his tremors.

“It was. I am sure Shindou-san is pleased as well.” Musa smiled. The two of them remained silent for a while, staring absentmindedly at the scene in front of them from a low vantage point. The relay station was as lively as a fair, with runners, staff members, and spectators coming and going. Only the space around Musa and King was quiet, as though sound and time had left them behind. It felt like they were isolated in a tank filled with tension.

A pair of legs clad in track pants appeared in their fields of vision and stopped. When they looked up at the same time, they found TSU’s Sakaki looking down on them.

“It looks like this will be the last time the Kansei track team will be in Hakone. I guess you can say that it’s a good thing you don’t have to worry about a lack of members for next year.”

The polite and quiet tone of his voice made it impossible to ignore. King was about to stand up indignantly, but Musa grabbed the edge of the blanket and stopped him. Sakaki had also been entered into the eighth leg. He was about to run and he expressly came to talk to King, who was running in the same leg. Musa sensed Sakaki’s nervousness and pressure there.

“You still don’t know yet,” Musa replied calmly. “It is also a close call as to whether or not TSU can get seeded.”

“And right now, you guys are running behind us,” King fired back at Sakaki with sarcasm.

“Only outwardly. Besides, I’ll overtake you in the eighth leg,” Sakaki’s words were filled with strong determination. “It’s not just you, I’m going to overtake all the schools ahead of us.”

Heh heh, good luck, King muttered in his head.

“Why are you so worked up over this?” he asked out loud. Sakaki’s eyebrows shot up like broken windshield wipers.

“Of course I’m going to get worked up over this. This is the Hakone Ekiden. I’ve been running all my life to be in this event. Since middle school! You lot who are joking around and running for fun might not understand, though.”

“We are not running for fun.”

King was surprised when Musa said that and stood up abruptly. He faced Sakaki and continued, “There is no such painful playing as this. Sakaki-san, you should know that very well, yet why are you picking a fight with us? King-san will be setting off soon. Please do not say things to irritate him.”

You’re so cool, Musa. King, still wrapped in his blanket, looked up at Musa with feelings of reliability.

Behind Sakaki were the reserve upperclassmen for TSU. During the summer camp, the upperclassmen hadn’t been aware of Kansei, but that was not the case now, of course. “Sakaki, what are you doing?” they called out. They were worried about Sakaki, who was standing facing King and Musa. Sakaki, however, didn’t turn around.

King suddenly felt sorry for Sakaki. Starting with Kakeru, it wasn't only the Kansei members that were his rivals, but even his fellow TSU teammates were as well. He was so devoted to running and loved it so wholeheartedly that everyone around him was his enemy. He didn’t get along with anyone, didn’t get familiar with other people, and only cared about the times and rankings of other runners.

King felt pity for Sakaki, who could only face running in such a way. Putting his blanket aside, King stood up from the plastic sheet.

“Hey, are you having fun? You’ve always dreamed of being in the Hakone Ekiden, and now you’re going to run it. So why don’t you seem to be having fun at all?”

“Is it necessary for me to have fun?” Sakaki wasn’t shaken in the least. “This is a race.”

“It is, but…” King thought about how to put it in words. “Our captain, Kiyose, often says, it’s not enough to be fast. A long-distance runner has to be strong. I think he probably means that we should enjoy running.”

“How naïve,” Sakaki’s brows moved again. You guys are hopeless, he said, as though chiding a little kid for playing in the mud.

“If you want to make good memories during your school days, then have fun. It suits you guys. But I’m different: I fight and fight and win competitions. That’s why I run. I don’t want to be like Kurahara and degrade with the weak.”

“What did you say!” King quickly threw away the pity he had just felt and yelled at him, but Sakaki walked away quickly, seemingly satisfied that he said what he wanted to say.

“He really pisses me off.”

Musa soothed King, who was gnashing his teeth. “There are some good points in what Sakaki-san said.”

“That might be, but I’m still pissed off, so I’m calling Kakeru!”

King took out his phone from his jersey pocket.

---

Kakeru had just finished a light jog and was about to return to the Totsuka relay station. As he was thinking that his body was loosened up and that one more run after some stretching would be just perfect, Jouji, who was in charge of their bags, beckoned to him.

“Kakeru, your phone’s ringing.”

He accepted his phone from Jouji and checked the display. He thought it would be Kiyose, but it was actually King.

“Yes?”

Before he could ask if anything was wrong, King’s loud voice attacked Kakeru’s eardrums.

“Kakeru! You have to be number one! Make that annoying brat frustrated and drown in a sea of tears! You understand!?”

King talked on and on one-sidedly, and then hung up. He was so angry that even the people around him could hear him from the receiver.

“What was that just now?”

“Who knows…”

Kakeru and Jouji looked at each other.

“It’s pretty rare to see King-san so excited.”

“The only times he’s like that are when he’s participating in a push-button quiz show from outside the TV.”

“Oh, I got it!” Jouji pretended to push an answer button. “TSU’s Sakaki is running in the eighth leg, right? He must have said something to him at the relay station.”

That also seemed like the correct answer to Kakeru. King seemed to have forgotten his nervousness in his anger, which was good, but when he thought about how much Sakaki hated him, he felt miserable.

He didn’t intend to show his sorrow on his face, but Jouji seemed to sense it.

“You should just let it go,” he said and clapped Kakeru on the back. “I do want you to be number one, though.”

“Of course I’m going to run to make that happen, but…”

Jouji wasn’t purely cheering for Kakeru, but also seemed to have some other meaning in his words. When Kakeru looked at him, Jouji smiled shyly.

“I’m thinking of confessing to Hana-chan when Haiji-san crosses the finish line in Otemachi. Oh, I can’t wait.”

I see, Kakeru nodded. So Jouji is hoping for a quick race.

“But Jouji, even if you hurry from here, I’d be doubtful if you can make it to Otemachi in time for Haiji-san to cross the finish line.”

“No way, really!?”

“Probably. I watch the TV broadcast every year, and the runners who finish the eighth leg often don’t make it back from Totsuka to Otemachi within the broadcast time.”

“What should I do! Should I head for Otemachi right now?”

If it was for love, Jouji would abandon his attendant duties.

“I don’t mind, but I think Haiji-san will find out and drown you in a sea of blood.”

“You’re right.” Jouji began to writhe in agony. “I’ll have to make sure with my own eyes that the sash is relayed to you. I wonder if Hana-chan will wait for me.”

Hanako would wait for the twins to come to Otemachi no matter what without being told to. Even if it was until nighttime or she got buried under heavy snowfall. Kakeru thought that, but only said, “I wonder.” Kakeru was pretty dense, but Jouji’s denseness was as vexing as watching an armadillo move forward. It was probably fine to tease him this much.

As Kakeru laughed at himself inwardly at this narrow-minded revenge, someone called out to him, “Kansei always looks like they’re having fun.”

When he turned around, he saw Fujioka of Rikudou University standing there. He seemed to have been listening to the exchange between Kakeru and Jouji, and he had a smile on his face that reminded Kakeru of the Buddha in Nirvana. His smooth-shaven head was as shining as ever on this cloudy day.

“Wait, wait, this person is…” Jouji tugged on Kakeru’s sleeve.

“Happy New Year,” Kakeru greeted.

“Please treat me well this year as well, okay?” Fujioka said, like he was poking fun at him a little, and then his expression immediately turned serious. “The time has finally come.

“Kurahara. I’m going to set a new record for the ninth leg.”

Kakeru was overawed for a moment at the bold declaration. Fujioka wasn’t saying he was simply going to get the section prize—he wasn’t saying that he would be the top runner in the ninth leg of this tournament, but that he would be the top runner of all the runners in the ninth leg in the history of the Hakone Ekiden.

A new section record. It was a sign that one had broken a great record that had accumulated throughout the history of the Hakone Ekiden. It had a great significance, changing from the position of a challenger to the position of a transcendent competitor who was looked up to and pursued. In particular, the record for the ninth leg had not been broken for the past five years. For the runners of Hakone, setting a new section record was its own glory.

“I will break your record, Fujioka-san,” Kakeru proudly lifted his face and declared. “I think you will be the holder of the new section record for about ten minutes.”

Even Jouji trembled in surprise and fear at Kakeru’s audacious declaration of war. Fujioka of Rikudou would be the first to receive his sash and start running, no matter what. Even if he sets a new record, it will only be a “new record” until I, who departed late, arrive at the Tsurumi relay station, Kakeru had said bluntly.

Jouji stealthily examined the two of them standing their ground. Both Kakeru and Fujioka had a fighting spirit and anticipation for each other’s running in their eyes. Nobody could touch them, nobody could force themselves between them. It was a collision of pride.

Fujioka Kazuma of Rikudou University, the champion, and Kurahara Kakeru, the ace of Kansei University, the mishmash group. The people at the Totsuka relay station noticed the flames of spirit the two were emitting, and their hearts beat fast.

The time had finally come. The time had come for the clash between running prodigies, fitting for the finale of the Hakone Ekiden.

---

There was no sign of anyone to follow, and no sound of footsteps trying to hurry and catch up. Nico-chan was running alone on Route 1 along the coast.

Spectators crowded along the road. Right behind him was the landlord in the coach car. At the fifteen-kilometer mark, a water provider wearing a Kansei jersey told him the time difference between him and the runners in front of and behind him. Even so, Nico-chan was alone. Encouraged by the cheers that came off the sea breeze, he had no choice but to run silently, letting Kiyose’s instruction of “keep a pace of a little over three minutes” echo in his brain.

Yes. This feeling of loneliness is long-distance running. Nico-chan thought. Loneliness and freedom, like traveling under a starless night sky. No one but Nico-chan could know his heart rate rising to the limit, his skin slick with sweat that generated heat without time to cool down, the undulating of his muscles along with his blood flow. Until he ran through the predetermined path and reached the predetermined place, Nico-chan would have to continue to fight a battle no one else could understand, without being touched by anyone.

I’d forgotten for a long time. I’d pretended to forget. The sadness and joy of running in this way. It was the residents of Chikusei-sou who reminded me of this. Ever since the moment I quit track, I’ve always been waiting—for another chance to be given to me—for someone who knows my body is unsuited for athletics, but seeks and wants my soul, which loves to run. For a voice to tell me that it’s okay to run.

Nico-chan knew that this was going to be his last run as an athlete. The road to becoming a competitive athlete was not open to him, and it would be difficult for him to keep up with the intense training and still achieve even more than that.

Nico-chan was not chosen, nor was he blessed. If there was someone like that, then they should be called the god of track and field. One would understand if they watched Kakeru from up close. He wished with all his heart that he could be a chosen and blessed runner like Kakeru, but it was a wish that was never going to be fulfilled.

But so what, Nico-chan thought. Even if he wasn’t chosen, he could still love running. The feeling of difficult-to-control love in his heart was like the loneliness and freedom that was contained in the act of running and shone brilliantly within Nico-chan. Now that he had it, it would remain forever, so it was okay. Now he would put everything he could do into his final run, and his long-lasting thoughts towards the sport would end today.

From in front of Oiso Station, he turned north off Route 1 and entered a detour. With less than a kilometer to go, Nico-chan could clearly see a live broadcast car ahead. Behind it, he caught a glimpse of the Maebashi Kouka runner who had slowed down and was falling back. At the same time, Nico-chan felt the presence of someone approaching him. He didn’t have to turn around to know: TSU was catching up.

His mind wandered, but Nico-chan firmly kept it in check. Having run twenty kilometers, the consumption of his stamina was intense. Don’t get impatient. His pace was a little over three minutes per kilometer. He had to keep it up a little longer, and then it was in the last three hundred meters that he had to push.

Nico-chan trusted his senses. Like a bird crossing the sea without the stars, he kept a precise rhythm as he headed for his destination, the Hiratsuka relay station. The wall of people along the road got noticeably thicker with people pouring out of the relay station. The Maebashi Kouka runner seemed to have his chin completely up. This is the place, Nico-chan intuited.

Nico-chan whipped his fevered muscles into a spurt and began his hot pursuit. The TSU runner had the same thought and increased his speed as though flicked. There was the faint taste of blood in his throat, but Nico-chan endured the creaking and pain all throughout his body. The crowd of people at the relay station wavered, and he saw King rush out onto the line. The eighth leg runner for Maebashi Kouka and TSU’s Sakaki were also standing on the line. The three were side by side and calling out to their teammates who were racing towards them.

Nico-chan removed his sash. It was damp from absorbing his sweat, and he gripped it like it was a lifeline. King was the only thing he saw. With only that black and silver uniform in his sights, he ran.

The predetermined place. I’ve returned.

“I’ll do it too, Nico-chan-senpai.”

King, who had been handed the sash, quickly murmured that and then started running without looking back. Nico-chan wordlessly nodded and pushed King’s back. Towards Otemachi.

While flopping down onto the bench coat Musa spread out, Nico-chan stopped his wristwatch which was recording his time. For him, who had crossed the world of timed competitions, he no longer needed it.

Nico-chan’s final record was a 21.2 kilometer run in 1 hour 6 minutes and 21 seconds. He was in twelfth place.

Kansei had relayed their sash at the Hiratsuka relay station in twelfth place. They were four seconds behind Maebashi Kouka, and had relayed their sash at the same time as TSU.

Thanks to Nico-chan’s efforts, Kansei had moved up to fifteenth place in the actual rankings after adding the time from the delayed start. TSU, although apparently behind Kansei, was still in thirteenth place. Rikudou and Bousou were also battling for the top spot, with Bousou holding onto the lead, more than a minute and a half ahead of Rikudou. Yamato University, in third place, was lagging behind Rikudou by three minutes.

Would there be any change in the rankings of the top schools? Who would get the seed rights among the schools that were engaged in a close battle around tenth place? The deadlocked time difference that hid an unsettled stillness didn’t yet indicate anything about the outcome of the battle.

Nico-chan was lying in a corner of the relay station, looking up at the eastern sky. His hopes were not dashed. King, Kakeru, Haiji. Run towards the finish line at Otemachi. We’re going to prove it. We’re going to prove what made us run this far.

His exhaustion had reached its limits, but Nico-chan raised himself up in order to see the end with his own eyes. Musa, who was quietly standing by, gently put a hand on his shoulder to help him up. After gathering their belongings, Musa and Nico-chan left the Hiratsuka relay station with uncooled excitement and set off for Otemachi.

Previous | Next

#Kaze ga tsuyoku fuiteiru #kazetsuyo #kazetsuyo translations #run with the wind

41 notes · View notes

thunderc1an · 3 years

Text

Po3 rewrite, Chapter 3:

Table of Contents | Chapter 2

Within days of the incident Hazelpaw’s apprenticeship was given to Brightheart to oversee, Mousepaw heard speculation that this was just for the time being and soon Hazelpaw would return to train under Spiderleg, but a half-moon had already passed, and this exchange has yet to happen.

To think that he had not even noticed the state in which Hazelpaw was pushed into by her former mentor was very shameful on his part; and when he had formally apologized to Hazelpaw for said actions his littermate had simply laughed, and smiled, and then brushed the conversation into another area of interest.

“Mousepaw,” The apprentice was then pulled from his thoughts. The image of his mentor came into focus. “Now is not the right time to allow your mind to wander, please pay attention to the lesson” Brackenfur advised lightly and at this Mousepaw became shy with embarrassment, a good apprentice would be attentive to every word that came from their mentor’s jaw. “I’m sorry, sir”. The senior warrior shook his head gently with a rather bemused expression to his features. “We’ve been over this already, there is no need for the formalities, Mousepaw. To you I am your mentor, above the fact that I am the clan’s deputy.”

With his statement Mousepaw was reminded in part of a few heated words that were spoken before the skirmish broke loose:

Any clan cat knows the bond between mentor and apprentice is deeper than that of blood.

“Sir?”

The smile on his mentor’s face had reluctantly grown in length.

“May I ask a question?”

The older tom nodded, moving to sit himself in a brightly lit patch of grass, for a moment Mousepaw had to squint as the golden pelt of his mentor glowed in the sun. The forest was relatively quiet this day and his ears could pick the soft sound of a mouse moving along in the undergrowth, or perhaps it was a squirrel, and he had thought wrong. “Is it true, that the bond between mentor and apprentice is deeper than blood itself?”

The clan deputy hummed thoughtfully, its pleasant tune echoed gingerly around him. After a few moments in what seemed like thoughtful contemplation Brackenfur spoke: “Well, yes, it is believed that the bond an apprentice has with their mentor should surpass the bond of family”. Mousepaw did have great care for his mentor but he wondered if he and the older tom would ever reach that point of familiarity, but then again, stronger than that of family? “Of course, not all those who mentor deserve the loyalty of their apprentice.” These words were spoken in a way that suggested his mentor’s apprenticeship was not the most pleasant one.

Curiosity got the better of Mousepaw and he pressed the conversation in that area wanting to know more. “Who was your mentor, are they still in Thunderclan?”

“No, not anymore. My first day as an apprentice would be the last day I would train under him; he simply fell in love with the secrets of the river.” The white apprentice’s ear flickered upon sensing a faint underlying bitterness to his mentor’s demeanor, one that had aged neatly without always showing itself. He knew there was a deeper meaning to what the senior warrior meant, but this time the young cat did not press further. “I no longer hold hostility towards him for in his absence I became the clan’s apprentice. The warriors of Thunderclan never discarded my training, they generously passed their knowledge and skill to me. Every Thunderclan cat, whether they sustain the title of warrior or monarch, I have learned from.” “Even Firestar?” Brackenfur chuckled, a low thing that was hoarse yet comforting, distantly, as he tucked the tune into the ends of his mind, he would assume this was how the laughter of a father should sound like. “Yes, even Firestar, as well as many cats that I have sadly outlived.” Who were those cats? Mousepaw could not help but wonder. Cats before his time, how were their stories written and what were they like? “Mousepaw, I may be your mentor but I wish for you to learn from every cat in Thunderclan. A warrior can have the talent to defeat those who are bigger than they may be but a true clan cat will come to understand the beauty of each and every one of their clanmates and appreciate it”. “How did you learn to appreciate it?” He asked shyly rather awed by the wisdom the older cat carried with his person. “Me?” Brackenfur asked before an even brighter smile lit his features “You see a very special kit taught me so,”

And this stumped him, no matter how hard he thought about it Mousepaw could not make any sense of the explanation he was given, even as the pair had now made their way further into the lush territory, he still continued to think upon it. It was not necessarily a bother that he could not understand how a kit alone could teach Brackenfur such a compound subject, but instead he was fairly intrigued by it. Perhaps he should speak with the kits of Ferncloud once they come into this world. Maybe then he would learn to be a refined warrior of Thunderclan.

The white apprentice bent himself down to properly sniff a tuft of grass. “Mousepaw, what do you smell?” The young cat took a few heartbeats to decipher what he had just smelled as he straightened himself. It was something most definitely nasty. An odor that had made his nose crinkle with disgust. “Something icky,” and Mousepaw had wiped his nose with his paw to rid the scent that had stayed behind; it did not work.

“I want you to remember it well, Mousepaw. This is the smell of dog”

“Is it still here?” He asked with fear gripping his words. He himself had never encountered a thing known as a ‘dog’ before but when he was just a small thing that could waddle his littermates and he would listen to the stories of the cats that had come to visit their little family within the nursery. Brightheart’s stories were the scariest in all the clan; she would tell stories of monstrous shadows that would gallop through the forest with teeth as big as young trees: dogs. The pair were far from camp but the scent was still within the territory, closer to that of the border Thunderclan shared with Shadowclan. “No, the smell is stale, but it is a matter that will be reported back to Firestar,” Brackenfur smiled kindly down at him “Just to be safe, one should never hesitate on matters such as these.” Mousepaw nodded, storing this newly given advice somewhere in the reaches of his mind.

“Well, well, well, look what we found here” A new voice made itself known and both toms’ heads turned to its source. Sorreltail emerged from the undergrowth, her dappled pelt camouflage her form well, she seemed to blend with a good number of shadows that surrounded them. Jaypaw was next to poke his head from the undergrowth, his large ears twitched and as the slender tom stepped forward, his long whiskers brushed against every plausible surface that was within reach. “Sorreltail, Jaypaw, what a surprise” The deputy greeted, having dipped his head. “Likewise, good Brackenfur, Mousepaw,” The she-cat meowed pleasantly, and a look was shared between the older warriors.

“So, Jaypaw and I just finished with our own activities, would it be any trouble if we were to join your little party?”

“Not at all, I see no problem with this, do you Mousepaw?” and the apprentice in question shook his head. Jaypaw was quick to voice his opinion however: “Do we have to?” the young dark grey cat bemoaned, “We’ve had no fun today, it’s just been lessons after lessons” Mousepaw looked to see Sorreltail’s reaction, Jaypaw was only some moons younger than him but he’d never dare to speak to his mentor in such a tone or manner. But, the molly wore a kind expression, one filled with affection at the other apprentice’s actions; the way she looked was close to motherly. “I see nothing wrong with having a break, Scruffy.” She meowed, “Actually, you’ve done well today so let’s just end class here. Mousepaw, could you take Jaypaw back to camp?” The white apprentice perked at his name and then quietly looked to his mentor for approval. Brackenfur opened his mouth, surely to say something on this matter, but with the way Sorreltail rose her brow at him the deputy was quick to push it aside with a heavy sigh, he smiled, “Go on Mousepaw, you boys get back to camp, alright?” The pair nodded, then turned to leave, and as they left they heard the friendly chatter of the older cats.

Now well within the heart of Thunderclan Jaypaw and Mousepaw had begun to make some small talk. They should have done some hunting, the forest was alive and full of prey, but both cats had done well in their lessons this morning and they really did deserve a much needed break. “Like I said, I would much rather have you as my littermate than have Lionpaw as my brother.” Jaypaw huffed aloud and Mousepaw sheepishly smiled, “I’m sure it’s not that bad, he seems like a good cat,” The white apprentice meowed, having made an attempt to defend his clanmate.

“Oh please Mousepaw, you’re always too kind, don’t give my brother so much praise it might somehow inflate his already large ego” and Mousepaw could not help himself by laughing at this statement. So much for trying to defend his clanmate. It was true however, Lionpaw’s ego, when it showed itself, could rival no other cat. Yet Mousepaw had no real quarrel with it or with the apprentice themselves, for Lionpaw was a strong and very skilled individual, even for his young age. As long as Lionpaw could continually beat every apprentice in Thunderclan then the red tom could keep his pedestal, it was well earned in Mousepaw’s eyes. Though, Berrypaw certainly did not think this way. His own littermate would wine and moan that Honeypaw would never think he was the coolest cat out there if he kept on losing to a cat that was younger than he was. Perhaps Mousepaw could kindly ask Lionpaw to go easy on his brother during their next sparring session, surely it would be a blessing upon his ears if that love-sick dolt were to shut his-

Jaypaw laughed and Mousepaw blinked from his thoughts, not having expected the sound. His brows were raised in question, not knowing what Jaypaw had found funny, the pair had just walked a good number of paw steps in comfortable silence.

“Oh,” Jaypaw’s head turned away from his line of sight in a shy manner, “Sorry, I was thinking about something funny,” Mousepaw flushed with embarrassment at the small misunderstanding, he apologized, but the awkward atmosphere had already hung itself over the pair. How silly of him, they were almost back at camp but Mousepaw wished to keep talking with Jaypaw; just a little longer nothing wrong with that, but his selfishness was a rather small part of him, it was not strong enough to ask if possibly they could idle longer. Additionally, with the delicate silence that had been created it was rather hard to strike up a conversation.

“Mousepaw?”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t want to head back to camp, yet. That’s too boring, let’s go have some fun before we return,”

Mousepaw smiled, “Ok”.

#Warriors #Warrior Cats #warriors art #warriors rewrite #po3 rewrite #po3 au #Mousewhisker #Brackenfur #sorreltail #jayfeather #Lionblaze #berrynose #yay! i finished it!#amz happy #uh- sorry for any spelling mistakes I might have made #or grammatical mistakes at that ho ho

66 notes · View notes

popculturebuffet · 3 years

Text

Of Moons, Millionares and Mothers Part 3: Storkules in Duckburg! aka THE INCREDIBLE STORKULES TERRIBLE BUT WELL MEANING ROOMATE OUT OF MYTH

Hello all you happy people! And welcome and welcome back to Of Moons, Millionares and Mothers, my look at the season 2 arcs of Ducktales! This arc was paid for by WeirdKev27 and I truly enjoy his support. if you want to know how to commission your own reviews or to get a guarnateed review of me of your choice from me a month, stick around to the end. I realized that shoving all my plugs in up top may be driving people away and while I DO make them because I want to make a living off this, i’ts not fair to those of you who simply can’t afford to buy a lot of extra shit like myself to keep shoving it in your face.

Previously on the Louie Inc Arc, Louie, after believing he had no skills and it was a matter of when not if he ws going to die, found his talent: seeing all the angles and thus being Sharper than the Sharpies. With newfound confidence and a chip on his shoulder from Scrooge saying he could one day be a bigger success than Scrooge himself, founding Louie Inc as a result. But what is Louie Inc? Does he actually have a plan or a bunch of buzzwords. And what does STORKULES, MANLY GAY OUT OF MYTH have to do with any of this? Join me under the cut to find out.

We open with Louie giving Scrooge his sales pitch that is essentially...

Naturally Scrooge buys none of it. I mean he’s somewhere in his hundreds, he’s probably seen about 80 thousand pitches that amount to “I have no plan but give me money anyway”. There’s a reason there’s a Butch Hartman shaped crater on the lawn from where he threw his ass out.

Scrooge does mentor the lad, or at least attempt to pointing out he needs an actual product or service (Louie rejects the idea of a lemonade stand as too easy), or as he puts it “Find a problem and create a solution”.

While the basic PRINCIPAL isn’t bad, find something people want or need and provide it, phrasing it that way sounds like “find a problem people are having and exploit the shit out of that problem for fun and profit.” Granted that IS a guiding principal of business, it’s just not something an uncle should be teaching his kids. They should be teaching them about the anime and cartoons they grew up with as I do with my niece and nibling.

He does show him a valid example of this in action in the form of Donald. Turns out Donald has found a good way to make money while he looks for a job, can relate: since Duckburg is facing a housing shortage, likely because several square blocks probably get destroyed by Scrooge’s Adventures, Glomgold’s Schemes, Superhero Battles, whatever creation went horribly wrong for Gyro, etc at least once a week. So he’s taken it upon himself to offer up the spare room to whoever can rent it.. and to steal Scrooge’s chandelier which even when caught he still takes anyway. Scrooge.. you called the guy a god-damn moocher in the season premiere, despite the fact he lives there soley because YOU offered and because he’s you know, being responsible and staying by his boys so they have their father figure around. So yeah I feel he’s doing this partly out of spite as is the McDuck way. I mean if your going to call him a freeloader just for being a responsible parent, then he’s going to take it up a damn notch.

Scrooge proceeds to laugh off Louie wanting a million dollars and gives him a dime instead because of course he was. Seriously Louie there are two other billionaires in town who are FAR dumber and far more easily swindled. Just go get star up capital from them. Hell with Glomgold all you’d have to do is tell him it’d upset scrooge and he’d literally throw money at you. Or give you a shark full of money. He needs the shark back though. He’s family.

Meanwhile Donald prepares for his new tenant and finds.. THE INCREDIBLE STORKULES! Who to his mounting horror as he realizes it, IS the new tenant. And who throws him into the sun. Cue credits.

So after Donald somehow survives being thrown into the sun, Storkules explains why he’s here: Zeus responded to his son playing the lute a lot like any rational reasonable

No of course he responded to the “crime” of “playing his instrument a lot” with sending a swarm of harpies on the town then blaming Storkules for it and casting him out. What’s most shocking is not the action, this is honestly him staying the course of being a fucking disgrace, but that Zeus somehow ISN’T the biggest asshole i’ve dealt with this week. No that honor is reserved as always for this bitch:

Keep in mind she manages to be this obnoxious in only TWO scenes. Also keep in mind I had to put up with Julie for a MUCH larger chunk of the previous two volumes I covered before volume 5 yesterday for my Scott Pilgrim Retrospective and she is ALWAYS like this and you now feel my pain.

This does create a problem though: Zeus casts Storkules out until he’s a responsible adult.. and thus paints Storkules as the bad guy... in a situation where the only other person in the story sent a swarm of HARPIES down at him for simply playing his music too loud. It just dosen’t work as a catalyst: Storkules objectively did nothing wrong. The only person he annoyed was a person who clearly dosen’t love, respect or like his son in any way shape or form anyway and essentially assaulted him and a bunch of innocent people via harpie and then cast him out. Zeus is an abusive asshole and i’ts weird the narrative sides with HIM and not our well meaning doofus. Zeus being an asshole with harpies is not a bad catalyst for the episode, and the harpies being unleashed is used well.. it’s just not a good catalyst for THIS story to try and portray an abuser as in the right. And make no mistake Zeus is a domestic abuser: he had his son mind controlled to try and MURDER innocent people, something Storkules begged him not to do, sent a swarm of creatures after him for the crime of playing his music too loud and in his next episode manipulatives Storkules sad emotional state for personal gain. Why would you try and paint THIS jackass as in the right?

Speaking of painting this jackass in the right sadly.. this episode does not do my boy donald justice. In most episodes he’s pretty nuanced and i’ts fair enough he’d be frustrated by Storkules as a roomate. Storkules has little sense of personal space, breaks his stove thinking theirs hydra in it, makes a mess of the kitchen making them a meal, and in general clearly dosen’t know how to live with a roomate much less in modern society. He has valid concerns and the episode COULD have used it that way.. but he’s also horribly impatient with Storkules. He refuses to get the guy just hasn’t had to live in a modern society and dosen’t know HOW to function in it and instead of helping him just gets mad again and again and gets really pissed when it’s clear Storkules dosen’t have a job and didn’t consider paying rent. He’s not WRONG to want him to pay Rent, despite what ironically the musical Rent would try and have you believe, but he dosen’t have any patience with the guy. And stork isn’t nearly coming on as strong as he normally does. The worst he does is cook the guy lunch and bring his donald fan art with him. Which we don’t see but I am assuming is mostly naked. What i’m saying is for once that while still bombastic, Storkules isn’t trying to force a relationship/friendship on him and simply wants to learn t be an adult from his best friend.. and Donald isn’t bothering teaching him.

Asking for rent or for him not to destroy the stove is fine, but not explaining WHY he needs either of those things or why he needs boundaries, he makes a roomate list, isn’t helping the guy. And this would be fine... but the episode dosen’t call Donald out on it for no real reason. It feels like it’s setting up for a “you should learn to wokrk with someone instead of just screaming at them aseop” that never comes and like with Zeus takes his side because shutup. I’d also LIKE to say this is the only time the writers reduced one of the cast to a caracture of themselves.. but I can’t. Several episodes in season 3 forgot Louie’s character development and another episode in season 2, The Duck Knight Returns!, somehow reduced both Scrooge and Dewey to parodies of themselves with Scrooge SOMEHOW, despite Della as stubborn as she is being in his care and by his side for decades and Movies bein ga huge business, not having seen a movie since the 1920′s and not knowing how they work and Dewey being reduced to just hyperactive moron. It isn’t as common as other shows like say Regular Show, The Loud House or, for the exact reason I lost intrest, Rick and Morty, but I still expect better, especially since they went into this season KNOWING Donald would be gone for half of it and this would likely be one of his only spotlight episodes.

Back at the good part of the plot, Louie is having a company meeting aka already treating Huey and Webby like his employees. Webby of course is glad to sign on, if little help in actually coming up with a product while Huey just wants to nope out. And if your wondering why Dewey isn’t involved Louie outright says he’d make a bad employee and while Dewey rises from his bed to object.. he stops halfway to opening his mouth and concludes he has a point. Best gag of the episode. Louie being louie easily cons Huey into staying by making Webby his charts officer.

So the three have a corporate retreat at Funso’s... granted they don’t have a product but Louie figures this might help. Huey.. still wants out of this and suggest since they already spent what they had on ski ball “Company over?”. It’s clear that Huey just sees this as another one of Louie’s short sighted schemes... and while he’s not ENITRELY wrong, Louie has genuine ambition.. he just has no earthly idea what he’s doing and is shooting way too high.. but for understandable reasons. 1) He’s 11 at this point. 11 year olds aren’t great at business strategy or reinging it in. 2) he wants to live up to what Scrooge said to prove he can be successful and really be worth something like his mom was.

But sometimes fate throws you one and the harpies bust in. And while Louie wants to do nothing and hope they go away Huey and Webby spring into action.. as does Storkules, who had to leave but warns donald there’s Orzo in the slowcooker and to not open it “LEST THE PASTA FAIL TO ABSORB THE BROTH!” Which is just.... Chris’ best line dleivery the episode. He says it like he’s saying the title of an old Stan Lee and Jack Kirby comic, i’ts wonderful.

So our heroes defeat them and Louie steps in to charge for the service and quickly comes up with a company idea and name “Harp-B-Gone” (A Subsidary of Louie Inc). Louie hires Storkules on the spot. Storkules proudly tells Donald he has a job the next day and goes off to it. What follows is our heroes hilarously shooting a commerical with Storkules playing a baby to promote themselves so they can help who needs it. They just need to find out what they want.. and thanks to the JWG and the harpies stealing it find out they go after people’s most treasured posessions Cue Ghostbusters-Style Montage

And this isn’t just me saying thing. The Rewriting History Entry (Which as a series weirdly stops around mid-season 2 and I don’t get why frank hasn’t gone back and finished it since) states they specifically based this whole operation on ghostbusters and the entire sequence of our heroes cleanin up the town reminds me of it. The highlight of it is a glomgold cameo where he’s kidnapped.. and refuses to pay so Louie just lets him go. And were this an innocent person who couldn’t afford it, i’d call him a monster.. but it’s glomgold. he brought this on himself.. and also sues himself for it. Wonder if he won.

So with their stars rising, our heroes get booked on the hottest show in town: Dewey Dew-Night! I had honestly forgotten there was a Dewey Dew-Night segment in there, and delighted I get to talk about this recurring bit. It’s one of the shows funniest runners and just perfectly FITS Dewey: of course the most egotistical and energetic of the kids would not only want to be a late hnight host but make up his own show. I also love the slow evolution of it: it started as something everyone clearly knew about but he stlill tried to keep hidden, slowly escalated to him allowing the rest of his siblings (Webby very much included) and the giant man who stalks his uncle in, and by later this season he’s putting the show online in the web shorts and gladly shooting it into space, with Season 3 having him spend the first half of let’s get dangerous making a documentary that includes an episode of the show featuring Darkwing. It’s a small thing sure, but it’s the little things like this that make the show special.

The show does reveal a problem though as it turns out they’ve GOT all the harpies and while Storkules merely wanted to help, Louie points out they need more to keep a buisness going and naturally never bothered to ask Storkules just how many there were. They need SOME plan to get going. Webby submits a legitamte and great idea, training the harpies as she’s been trying to do in the background of the episode and aside from a hole in the floor they are starting to listen. But Huey is an ass about it and not only shoots it down saying let’s keep the dangerous creatures contained, even though A) he has no idea WHERE they’ve been kept so he can’t verify it’s safe, and since i’ts Donald’s Closet no no it’s not. and B)There’s no where he knows of to keep them. He isn’t aware of the other bin till next season. and C) it’s not ehtical to keep creatures locked up forever epsecially since while the harpies are dangerous they arent’ MALEVOLENT and are clearly acting on instinct. oh and for D) at least she has a plan to keep the company going instead of just wanting to end this and cash out.

Which Huey tries to.. but naturally Louie spent all their money on...

So their broke.. and Storkules has no rent money and feels like a failure despite having done NOTHING wrong. We do get a clever little nod to Disney’s hercules though “I”m not a hero, i’m a zero”. Webby rightfully glares at Louie who decides to fix it... by sneaking into Donald’s house that night to free the harpies.

Though to the shows credit it’s a VERY bad idea, and Storkules coming in mid attempt and congradulating Louie when he lies about checking the door gets the kid to come clean. And it’s a nice character moment: He could still go through with it.. but it’s clear he realizes just HOW low he was about to sink to save his own skin and that as much as Storkules WANTS a paycheck and deserves one, it’s not worth hurting people to get it. Louie tries to justify after this.. but can’t.

Unforutnately Donald took a lot of stupid pills this episode, yells about his no pets rule and frees them instead of you know, THINKING for five minutes.

So yeah NATURALLY Donald is an angry shit about it , refusing to actually TALK to Storkules about this or maybe admit this is partly HIS OWN FAULT. Yes their both at fault, Storkules shoudln’t of shoved a bunch of harpies in a closet. That’s a classic blunder. But Donald still opened it and isn’t called out on taking zero responsibility. Huey sees the fracas and just takes down their days without an accident placard, good stuff and he and webby arrive to help. Donald fights with Storkules and Storkules worries about loosing his friend.. lead to them going after the thing he values most aka donlad and hyjacking the house boat, though the kids manage to get aboard.

As Storkules saves Donald, Louie realizes the most precious thing he has is his merch and willingly gives it, and his buisness up to save everyone. It’s good character stuff and shows that despite his problems with greed, Louie IS a good kid and will do the right thing. It’s what seperates him from the Rouges Gallery the family faces: He has FLEXIBLE morals but he has morals when it comes down to it. So everyone tosses the stoff to help direct the hapries and make it home tying them up. Donald has a heart to heart with Storkules and agrees to help him find another place, but still considers him a friend and they hug. Awww. One intresting thing I DID find out from rewriting history is they originally fully intended to have Storkules STAY on the houseboat. He was going to be a permenant member of the household, at least as far as Season 2 was concenred and plans were made for several episodes down the road: the whole bit with him in “The Golden Spear” was simply because he lived there, he was going to be the one Della met in the houseboat, obliviously guilting her about what she’d missed, and he was going to set off the kids subplot in “Whatever Happened to Donald Duck?”

This ended up not happneing for logistical reasons: Frank, and I swear this was the term he used, felt they already had the perfect Himbo in Launchpad and it was just too much HImbo energy for the two to coexist without one taking the others screen time or neither getting a lot.

The next reason was having a god around simply broke the story: He cited the gilded man from “Nothing Can Stop Della Duck!” as a specific example. There were just too many hoops to jump to have him not break any story he should be around for. Finally with Della being added to the cast soon there simply wasn’t room in the main cast. Della brought it up to 9, Storkules would make it 10, and as i’ve gone on about the show already had trouble ballancing it’s cast, something Frank admitted to. Adding him would both be too big a stiatus quo change and be one on top of the massive one of Della joining the cast. So he was dropped back to recurring and only showed up one more time. And while it was the right call I am dismayed he didn’t show up for the whatever happened to donald duck subplot and it does feel very weird he never adresses Donald being gone despite, at least for season 2, apparently living in Duckburg. Otherwise though as funny as this wouldv’e been.. yeah it was the right call.

Scrooge returns... having been absent all episode because otherwise it wouldn’t work and easily saw Louie loosing it all coming.. but gives him a can of lemonade for his troubles and comforts the boy. The heart of htis arc and what makes it work at it’s best.. is these two. Scrooge GENUINELY wants to help Louie see his potetial successor in buisness: oh sure adventure wise he’s throughly covered.. but Webby, Dewey and Della all are more focused on the addventure part and that’s where their passion and talent lies, Huey’s better at science and given his close frinedship with fenton and how much that part of things seems to truly inspire him, i’ts what he was born for, and Donald just wants a regualar life and can’t manage his own life much less a company.

Louie is the only one in his family whose the right fit to inhereit that part of his legacy and I feel that’s why he takes a special intrest in him and webby over the other two: While he loves all of them and will clearly again leave a piece of his fortune and empire to all of them, Webby is the most like him, as we later find out not coincidentally in the slightest, when it comes to adventuring and curosity and a love of exploration. But Louie is the most like him in other ways; He’s cynical, money driven and passionate. Scrooge simply wants him to be as good a person and buisnessperson as he can be and is trying to push him in the right direction. And does so here by pointing out that failure isn’t a huge problem..it happens, comes with the terriotiry and as we’ve seen with life and times, even with portions of it clearly not happening in this universe, he failed a LOT to get here. What matters is that he tries and tries to do it the right way.

Scrooge also sympathizes as he was buying a lemonade company in cape suzette, giving Louie the can as a present... but laments there’s no cheap effective way to deliver the lemons. Louie notices the harpies going after the can after he throws it and Webby controlling them with it and muses that theyd idn’t think about what THEY wanted.. nad rightfully gets punched across the lawn by Webby, whose had to spend an entire episode having her surrogate brothers talk down to her and ignore her valid ideas. She dosen’t even open her eyes she just bops him one.

So we end with Scrooge having enlisted the hapries, Louie trying to take credit again and both realizing they might just steal the lemons instead of work for them. Ha ha ha their going to get so sued.

Final Thoughts: This one was mediocre. It has some good points, Louies arc continues to fascenate me, Huey’s done with this shit attitude is hilarous, and Storkules is at his best in this episode: his crush on Donald is toned down from this..

To this

To the point I could see shipping them off this one if Storkules episode didn’t have him do eveyrthing short of .. well see above. So it’s not WITHOUT merit: I love me a ghost busters style plot, there are great jokes and Chris Dimatopolis is a gem as always. Glad he’s getting work after this show on Invincible and hope he gets to play Darkwing again some day. But the Donald stuff and the fairly predictable plot drag this one down. I’ts fairly obvious they’ll run out of harpies, Louie will have spent the money and they’ll somehow get free. It’s not a terrible episode but it’s it’s sandwiched story wise between two straight up classics on both sides: the previous two episodes were even better than I remembered and the next two are incredibly good: Whateve Happened to Della Duck?! is one of their finest hours and The Outlaw Scrooge McDuck, while not making my best of list for the series as a whole is still one of my favorites for the season. It’s just disapointing this one wasn’t nearly as good as I remmebered and it’s understandable why I forgot almost all of it, unlike the previous two episodes. Thankfully as I said better’s over the horizon.

NEXT TIME ON OF MOONS, MILLIONARES AND MOTHERS: I’m taking a break for a week. One of two weeklong breaks for the arc, the other being the first week of July where i’m on vacation anyway (Though i’ll be doing the episode I would’ve done for that week the week before to keep the pace up, so no worries),

As for why, it’s my utmost honor to announce GOOF WEEK! Goof Week is a weeklong celebration of Goofy’s birthday. The idea came about because as I do for the big three, I intended to just do a shorts special. But Kev , the guy who made this very review possible, suggested doing the two part Goof Troop pilot. And since kev pays for a house of mouth episode a month anyway and thaks to you lovely people I hit my patreon stretch goal to review the goofy movie, I figured “why not make a week out of it. Hence Goof week. So next week we’ll have a review of the two part pilot for Goof Troop, the special Sports Goof, the House of Mouse episode Super Goof, your regularly schedule shorts spectacular, with The Goofy Movie for the grand finale! yaaahoooooieeee!

When we come back i’ll be shuffling episodes around slightly so I can do the Della comics from the Ducktales Tie-In Comic before her debut and in time for Donald’s own theme week in June, i’ll be saving “Whatever Happened to Della Duck?” for the week after Donald Week. Instead next we get a fun wild west adventure as Scrooge tells a story of his outlaw days, his tension with goldie and his encounter with a certain robber baron as John D Rockerduck FINALLY makes his screen debut. Yee-Haw!

If you liked this review, subscribe and follow for more and consider joining my patroen, patreon.com/popculturebuffet. I have exclusive reviews, my most recent duck based one being an obscure carl barks story about wigs and the boys attempting to murder a guy with a blow gun, and your contribution helps me reach my goals and thus gets everyone, patreon or not, a bunch of neat new reviews. If you get me to 20 dollars a month, i’m currently at 15, EVERYONE will get a monthly darkwing duck reviews, reviews of the two remaning ducktales 87 mini series including the origin of GIZMOOOODDUUUUUCCCKKKK, and a review of the Danny Phantom movie The Ultimate Enemy. And with the month running out NOW’S the time to join. YOu’ll also get to pick one of the shorts for my Donald Duck birthday specail next month, so if you want to join in NOWS the time. But wether you can or you can’t, thank you for reading, i’ts been a pleasure.

#ducktales #louie duck #storkules in duckburg #dorkules #donald duck #storkules #scrooge mcduck #webby vanderquack #huey duck #flintheart glomgold #dewey duck #funzos #disney #disney+#disney plus #disney xd #harpies

45 notes · View notes

shinjaeha · 3 years

Text

ipytm ep 3 (thoughts + spoilers)

this is going to be a tough post for me to do bc honestly...this ep just left me feeling so run down. i know that the cast and crew have always strived for realism and authenticity with this series, but this one was just a lot to take in :/ my thoughts are gonna be even more all over the place than usual but idec at this point. having to rewatch this ep again is really fucking hard (even harder than itsay ep 4 bc even though that makes my heart ache, i still feel some sense of satisfaction from the development we get...this just leaves me feeling defeated in every way).

you know the drill: not an analysis, just me ranting as usual bc free therapy (and boy do i need it after this one)!! i had so many feelings watching this ep (esp towards teh but what’s new), so here goes.

we begin with the drama students rehearsing for jai’s new play, and the introduction of the plum wine which will be the recurring motif in this whole ep. the use of the plum wine in this also kind of reminds me of how teh initially disliked coconuts until he started falling in love with oh-aew and started to like them instead...i’m guessing that’s the parallel they’re trying to draw with the plum wine comparison in this.

teh’s having a hard time getting into character (which we already know from last ep was always going to be one of the toughest challenges for him as an actor). his character in the play is supposed to have a sex scene, but he’s struggling with this bc he can’t put himself in his character (akin’s) shoes, so jai ends rehearsals early.

jai gives them all logbooks which he basically wants them to treat as diaries where they’ll write everything they feel/learn and hand it back to him (he’ll be the only one reading them). ngl this already had me feeling kind of yikes (esp now as i rewatch this knowing how everything went down) since jai already has inside knowledge about teh’s feelings on his relationship with oh-aew which he can take advantage of :/ more on that later though...

it’s sad to me that so much time has passed since teh’s argument with khim and he's STILL avoiding her. khim was someone that he respected immensely (and was such a great mentor for him) so it just sucks to see that their relationship has deteriorated so much since the first two eps. teh might have had his reconciliation moment with oh-aew last ep, but there’s still a lot that he’s not ready or willing to address yet.

i understand that teh’s just encouraging jai about his work when he tells him to stop having others comment on it, but at the same time, i disagree with him bc i think it IS important to get other peoples’ opinion about your work. how else will you ever be able to see things from other perspectives if you don’t?

anyway, teh tells jai he’s seeing a play, and jai asks teh if he’s bringing oh-aew...the look on teh’s face is telling enough that things aren’t going great between them (at least on his end). this brings us to the logbook scene, where teh’s homework for the day is to write about the similarities and differences between himself and his character in the play. this gets teh to reflect on how he feels his relationship with oh-aew is changing, or specifically, how oh-aew seems to be changing so much that teh feels like he’s becoming someone else entirely...and does that mean that he still loves him the same?

i feel like this is a fairly common issue with people that have been in a relationship for a while (and this is their third year together now), so i understand how teh might start having doubts. it’s nothing that oh-aew’s done, it’s just that sometimes all these small changes can keep mounting up to the point that they feel much bigger than they actually are. oh-aew’s really just doing what everyone else does, which is grow and change as they get older, but teh’s still stuck in the past trying to hold onto what they used to have instead of evolving with oh-aew. the way teh picks at all these little changes of oh-aew does make me think that he’s self-sabotaging himself. he’s just so afraid and insecure that oh-aew will change so much he leaves him, that he has to nitpick at reasons why oh-aew’s the one that’s growing away from him (though when we watch the whole ep we know that that’s not the case at all). it’s like a ‘if i push him away first, then he won’t push me away’ sort of self-defence mechanism. either way, teh’s a constant overthinker...and he’s always been his own biggest enemy since the start, so it makes perfect sense to me that he would do this to himself here too.

i know that they’ve been together for years at this point, so things are not quite as exciting as they used to be, but it hurts to see oh-aew be so happy about getting an A for his class, and teh be so unenthused about it. oh-aew has to basically beg teh to give him attention and praise. remember when teh used to get so worried when oh-aew did badly in chinese class...and now it’s like whatever to him just bc he’s not tutoring him/they’re not in the same major anymore :((( i know it’s prob both bc teh’s still hurting that oh-aew transferred majors, and from seeing oh-aew succeed while he feels like he’s failing, but still...

also, not inviting him to see the play with him bc he thought oh-aew wouldn’t be interested/oh-aew kept falling asleep whenever they saw plays together ;;; i get the reasoning from both povs, but it still is nice to be asked :(

so one thing i have to say about the progression of their relationship here is that i just feel this huge disconnect from last ep and this ep?? i know it’s bc of the time skip (since it’s a year later basically), but to go from the end of ep 2, where they’re promising to love each other forever, and then to teh feeling disillusioned/as though he’s falling out of love with oh-aew basically right after that?? it’s so jarring. i feel like we lose so much with these time skips bc the transition from ep 2 to ep 3 is never really shown, so there’s this lack of flow there. like we’ve skipped a step entirely and something’s missing. this is the disadvantage of only focussing on one year per ep since there’s not enough time to explore as much character and relationship development when we’re only seeing an hour long snippet of an entire year. it just makes things feel superficial since so much of what we should be seeing is missing...and we basically have to fill in all the gaps ourselves.

okay, back to oh-aew ranting to his friends about how he feels like his relationship with teh is fading away bc they don’t have the same interests anymore, but also wondering if that’s just normal for long-term relationships. bless that boy that came to ask oh-aew for his ig :’) at least he knows that he’s wanted and has options, even if he obv turns him down bc of teh (for now).

plug and mangpong are dating!!!!!!! and mangpong does a horrible job of trying to hide it 😂 sidenote, but i love the way pp delivers lines sometimes (like the “just shocked”), he’s so cute. plug and mangpong’s legs touching...and the wave of nostalgia that came over me (and oh-aew) during that ;;; oh-aew seeing their blossoming relationship would make him reminisce back to his own experience of falling in love with teh...when everything was still so fluttery and new. so when teh texts him about using his car to help jai move, he looks happy. like he wants to rekindle those feelings again too.

that being said, it’s kind of sad to me how even jai shows more interest in oh-aew’s major than teh (when he asks him for his opinion on how to get people interested in his play). oh-aew’s got some good ideas and is more than willing to help (esp since he wants to connect and find a common interest with teh again). also, just bc oh-aew doesn’t want to be an actor anymore doesn’t mean that he’s completely uninterested in it. god, watching this part again hurts bc oh-aew looks so happy and optimistic. he worked so hard to help teh (and jai) only for them to betray him like that. it made me mad originally, but now it just breaks my heart :(

jai’s running acting classes again for his play, and this time it’s a workshop to help them tap into their feelings. it’s like an intimacy exercise where they give one another consent to touch certain body parts. teh is still struggling a lot with this. i think teh craves intimacy, but as he doesn’t feel that connection in his personal life to oh-aew anymore, so it’s difficult for him to draw on his experiences. he can’t even remember the first time he had sex with oh-aew properly anymore. as usual, teh’s too in his own head to just go with the flow and ~feel things (which isn’t new since teh’s had problems with this since itsay), but it’s def something that he’ll need to learn how to do if he wants to become an actor. he’s trying, but the fact that he can’t get to that place makes him feel even more insecure than ever that he might never be able to get there. imo one of the reasons teh works so hard, and is as driven and ambitious as he is, is that he’s afraid that he’ll never be good enough. he puts so much pressure on himself, and the issue with that is that he’ll never be able to live up to his expectations that way.

teh is also very much alone now. oh-aew has his group of friends to talk to about his relationship with teh, but teh just has jai at this point. he’s pushed khim away...and he and oh-aew aren’t communicating effectively (which is also why they’re on SUCH different wavelengths in terms of where their relationship is at), so there’s literally only jai for him to talk to about all his relationship issues. and to me at least, jai seems to have ulterior motives (particularly when you consider that the subject matter of his play is pretty much the same thing that teh’s going through rn). it’s times like this when i do feel kind of bad for teh, but then again, he brought this upon himself the way that he almost always does...and it leaves me frustrated instead.

jai kissing his professor though...also their conversation?? i have QUESTIONS...

that whole interaction with teh when jai catches him spying on him and the professor was SO awkward. idk what it is about teh but i have never encountered a character that has given me as much secondhand embarrassment as he does. when he starts touching the bars and avoiding eye contact i just- why, teh why?????

moving on, i’m thinking there’s prob more to that scene that we don’t know about bc jai’s shifty like that...but it’s purpose is also to shift teh’s perception of jai. before this, he pretty much just saw jai as his friend and mentor, but seeing him kiss someone else pushes him to think of jai in another less platonic light. like the first spark of attraction.

the both of them go to see the mime show (babymime), and i know that the point of this is so teh can learn to just feel and let go the way that the mimes in this play do, but idk it’s just kind of funny to me the contrast between the last scene and this one.

the leg touching scene again but this time with teh and jai...thanks, i hate it :///

teh’s already feeling like he and oh-aew’s interests are making them drift apart, so by connecting with jai, it’s that initial feeling of attraction that he used to feel with oh-aew all those years ago. jai is that cool senior that he respects...he’s goal-oriented and has so much in common with him (in a way that he feels that oh-aew doesn’t anymore), so it doesn’t altogether surprise me that teh latches onto jai in this way. esp when all their conversations revolve around what teh’s most passionate about, and what dreams they’re striving towards in the future.

it doesn’t surprise me bc teh’s affections shifted in a similar way from tarn to oh-aew when he was first starting to realise his feelings for oh-aew too (though at least he and tarn were never officially dating during that time...)

there’s a genuineness to the way teh praises and encourages jai that isn’t there when he’s doing the same to oh-aew :( and that coupled with teh lying to oh-aew about him having dinner with jai while oh-aew is at home, completely oblivious, painstakingly photoshopping his boyfriend’s face on the poster of the play TO HELP TEH instead of doing his own uni work, makes me so fucking upset for oh-aew.

it’s interesting to see how different their personalities are even when it comes to something as simple as the way they read their texts. oh-aew is so ready to accept whatever teh tells him at face value, but teh overthinks everything to the point where he jumps to a certain conclusion in his head about it instead.

but yeah, it’s just really tough to see oh-aew try so hard for teh, only to see teh do nothing back for oh-aew in return. there’s only so much one side can give. it’s the absolute lack of effort on teh’s part to even try to make things work with oh-aew that is the most frustrating thing of all. oh-aew is carrying their entire relationship rn and it makes me feel all “and for what?? why should he even bother??” about it.

sneaking to sit at the river with jai is like this forbidden, new experience, so it just enhances that feeling of attraction that teh is already feeling towards jai. and esp when he starts telling him about his previous relationship with james, the significance of the plum wine, and how jai ended up breaking up with him. since it’s reflective of teh’s own experiences atm (even in how he kind of self-sabotages himself to push people/oh-aew away first), he clearly takes it to heart. and it makes him want to do an even better job since the play is an autobiographical one for jai. not to mention, teh supposedly being the only one that jai told his story to makes him feel ‘special’......and we all know how teh likes feeling as though he’s special to someone. you can see it in how dejected he is when he thinks jai only told him his story bc he wanted him to get into character better, but perks up the moment jai says he actually told him bc teh’s been doing such a good job (and to encourage him). like i mentioned before, teh’s already feeling vulnerable and isolated from everybody else, so hearing any sort of praise (and esp when it’s from someone that he looks up to as much as jai), is going to pull him in.

when they were hiding from the security guard i was like ughhh i know where this is heading and i. don’t. like. it........

the problem is that i know where teh stands on this. like i know that there’s some attraction on his end. but i don’t know where jai stands. is he intentionally manipulating teh’s feelings for his play? is there any sincerity there? i think it’s obvious that he can tell teh is attracted to him from the glance that they share in this scene, but i can’t get a handle on what he actually wants (which i guess is the point of making his character as mysterious as it is but still). and if he can tell, and he doesn’t actually like teh back in that way, it makes the end scene even more yikes imo.

hmmm teh lying in the pool trying to recreate that feeling right before their first kiss when the both of them just let everything go and sank down into the water. that’s how you KNOW the next scene is supposed to be angsty...bc just like how their first underwater kiss had a sense of sadness to it bc they were hiding, their first (on screen) sex scene has that same sense of sadness, only this time it’s bc teh’s using his attraction to jai/his method actor desire to get into character to fuel the sex instead of bc he genuinely just wants to have sex with oh-aew. and if his reasoning for the sex is bc of that, then his task to recreate their first sexual experience will never live up to the actual first time they had sex (when they BOTH wanted it, and there were no other factors involved).

that’s not to say i don’t think teh doesn’t love oh-aew anymore. i think that there HAS to be some level of love still there amidst all of the confusion, but it feels a lot more like he’s testing his love/attraction to oh-aew during this scene (sort of like how he did with tarn in itsay) than a proper ‘love scene’. like he’s trying to reconfirm his feelings, whilst using oh-aew as inspiration for his role at the same time. it makes my heart ache that this is the first love scene we get from them this series, and it’s marred by the context of what we know is going on in teh’s head. like i said, it’s this permeating sadness throughout...and just knowing that oh-aew has absolutely NO IDEA what’s going on with teh and why he suddenly wants to have sex makes it worse. oh-aew’s been trying to make things work, and in his mind, teh spontaneously coming over like this prob makes him think that things are getting better between them since this is also the closest thing to teh showing any sort of initiative to work on their relationship in this ep so far...

and that’s not also taking away how beautifully this whole scene is shot. i’ve always loved the way that teh and oh-aew play and flirt with each other (bkpp’s chemistry is honestly unparalleled!!) so it was nice to see them be kind of playful before they started kissing again (if you ignore how sad this scene really is). i LOVE the inter-splicing between their first time on the beach and the present. the way the score swells, and little moments where you can see their feet and fingers interlocked on the beach. it gives you such a visceral visual (and totally takes me back to itsay days when that sort of imagery was used a lot more). i just hate that since we know the truth, this scene is more uncomfortable than satisfying despite how nicely shot it is.

i wish we got more domestic moments from them. i know their relationship has sort of grown past those initial moments of flirtation, but it truly makes me sad that we don’t get to see more of them as a couple in general in ipytm. moments like this where they’re lying in bed cuddling each other are so few and far between that i always feel like i have to cherish every little fleeting piece of fluff that i can get. even if idek if this can really be called fluff since the context sort of ruins it.

oh-aew’s still got his heart attack bag :’)))

he was soooooo happy when he met up with his friends 😭 but also, how the hell is it possible for teachers to move deadlines up like that. i FEEL that panic... poor oh-aew...

teh’s in rehearsals again and this time he’s wearing his moon shirt which...i do NOT need those ep 3 itsay vibes rn when i was already dreading this last ten minutes with everything i have in me :((( but anyway, jai’s brought plum wine to class and we know that teh doesn’t usually drink, but he does this time. he tells teh that the taste will change over time (it symbolises the ageing of the relationship process), and teh says it’s a pity he won’t get to taste it next time since jai wants to go abroad to study. then teh tells him he’s worked on the acting exercise and wants to try it out with jai, and i feel like we all knew where it was going to go from here.........

they really had to hammer it in with him missing oh-aew’s call too huh :/

as soon as they started the touching/intimacy exercise again i was just waiting for the catch. even on this rewatch i’m still sitting here chanting “don’t do it teh don’t do it” knowing full well that he kisses jai and there’s no changing that. but then when they cut to oh-aew walking up the stairs with the posters and you hear just how much time he’s sacrificed to help teh/jai on this...sacrificing time EVEN NOW just to go over to their uni to give them the posters when he has a presentation due tomorrow that he and his friends still haven’t finished working on...it’s just heartbreaking knowing what he’s going to end up walking in on.

whether it’s itsay or ipytm, teh’s default state is confusion. so while i think that there’s a certain amount of attraction towards jai there of course, i kind of get the feeling that he’s confusing his feelings of connection with jai (bc of their shared interests and passion) with him falling in love with jai. i feel like his attraction to jai reminds him of what it was like when he was first attracted to oh-aew, and since things have changed so much between him and oh-aew, it’s like he wants to recreate and capture that feeling again with jai (which is also why he wears the moon shirt...he wore that during itsay ep 3 beach scene, which was the moment when the attraction really started to burn between him and oh-aew). he can’t feel that same spark with oh-aew anymore, so he transfers his feelings to jai since, at this point in time, he feels closer to jai than anyone else. instead of growing alongside oh-aew, it’s like he’s choosing to revert back to a time when he was happier.

we know that teh has always been the type of person that will act on his impulses when he feels them. that’s WHY it was so hard to watch...bc i knew while watching that last scene, he was never going to restrain himself or put a stop to those feelings bleeding over into action. and esp not when it could benefit him in some way with his acting too.

in the end, it just makes me so devastated for oh-aew. and i really hope that he doesn’t let this go bc he thinks it’s just teh method acting or getting into character or whatever...i know that teh’s feeling a lot of conflicting things rn, but that’s not an excuse. he really fucked this one up.

the thing is, it’s not that i don’t think teh is capable of acting this way (i’ve seen a few people say that this is ooc for him, but it really isn’t? this confusion and impulsiveness has always been a part of his character from the very start...he was always the one that had the most trouble dealing with his feelings out of the two of them), but the time skips don’t do him any favours bc we lose all those moments that take him to what he’s currently feeling. when we don’t have those moments, then it’s a lot harder to sympathise with him. in itsay, bc we always knew how teh got from point a to point b, even if he did frustrating/silly things, i always understood where he was coming from. i always felt for him. i GOT his struggles, which was why i was always able to empathise with what he was going through. in ipytm, he just comes off as unlikeable bc of how superficial his feelings seem (from what we’re being shown on screen at least).

falling out of love with your significant other/starting to feel things for someone else is obv a fairly common experience, so i don’t blame teh for FEELING like this, but it’s how he treats oh-aew throughout this that doesn’t sit right with me. even if you feel like you’re falling out of love with someone, or that they’ve changed since the first time you fell in love with them, you’d think there’d be some motivation to at least TRY to make things work with them before giving up. we never see that from teh at all. instead, he just see him becoming infatuated with jai (so we barely see teh/oh-aew together in the first place). and while i can see now that a lot of this is due to his own insecurities and inadequacies, it’s also just so disrespectful to oh-aew who's the one that we see putting in all this time and effort (it calls back to their whole “don’t give my time to others” scene in itsay bc we see oh-aew giving so much of his time to teh through helping him out with his play, while teh’s giving that time that should be for oh-aew to jai now). no matter his reasoning, watching teh act that way towards oh-aew does make it increasingly hard to root for him. there’s just too big a disparity in how the two of them choose to act and devote their time to their relationship.

what’s frustrating is that in itsay, teh would fuck up but he would always try to make amends with oh-aew in some way. he would always come forward to try to sort things out after...but there’s nothing here. even after their dinner fight in ep 2, it’s OH-AEW that reaches out to him first (even though it’s teh’s fault that they fought in the first place). where’s that boy that dressed up in his old school uniform in order to talk to oh-aew at his school? or made a whole chinese idioms scrapbook for oh-aew? or gave up his uni admission for oh-aew? i understand that characters and motivations change (and he was obv hopped up on his first love with oh-aew at the time), but it’s just really, really sad to see teh keep messing up and not even try to meet oh-aew halfway with this. yes, you can fuck up, but there are only so many times you can keep fucking up before it starts to look more like a pattern of shitty behaviour than a few forgivable missteps.

another issue is that there’s been so much focus on teh and his flaws that a lot of the time oh-aew comes off as a side character to teh’s story. previously, i understood that since teh was grappling with his sexuality. it made sense that his journey was the primary focus of the plot and character development. but i always felt that there was more room to explore oh-aew’s story (and i thought that we would get a lot more of that in ipytm...esp after ep 1), but it just feels like we kind of skimmed past all of oh-aew’s growth and struggles adjusting to bangkok/uni life so we could turn the attention back to teh again. i just hate that we never get to see more of how oh-aew’s changed in teh’s eyes (other than the surface level things like his hair, new car and major), and that we never get to see more of oh-aew’s life when it’s not related to teh in general. i hope that we’ll get more of oh-aew in the last two eps, but i really don’t know what they’ll give us anymore.

at this point, i don’t even want them as endgame anymore given everything that’s happened in the recent ep. and it pains me so much to say that bc teh/oh-aew are so immensely important to me, but they’re just in such different places in life. and teh esp has so much more growing to do (i think i said this last week too? teh...). oh-aew deserves to be with someone that can see his worth as he is (that won’t cheat on him for one!!). i just want him to be with someone that can make him happy. what i wanted most for them out of this was for the two of them to grow to a better place (together and as individuals), and while i still want that for them as individuals, it’s hard for me to want them to be happy together anymore. at least for the time being.

i’m kind of at a loss for how they’re gonna work through this (and i genuinely want oh-aew to be able to explore his options too...particularly with someone that will actually treat him better than teh’s treating him atm). so at this point it’s kind of looking to me like a break up is inevitable? but i do think it’s necessary for both of them rn. i feel so heartbroken about it though...like ipytm is actually making ME go through the breakup...breaking up with all my beloved itsay teh/oh-aew memories :((( anyway, i think a break up is also conveniently the best time to put a time skip tbh...so we’ll see if that does end up happening now in future eps.

this one took such a long time to write up bc i wrote like a quarter of this RIGHT after i finished watching the ep (so you can clearly tell which parts were me right after the ep, and which parts were me after i had some time to sit on what happened 😂), but i thought it was best to take a bit of a break. i didn’t rewatch it again until i calmed down a little and sorted out my thoughts some more (though i know this is still pretty messy). but yeah, i’m still very much interested in watching how they things are going to progress from here...but i can’t deny how sad i’ve been feeling after this.

#i promised you the moon #ipytm #text #i feel like i always need to rewatch ipytm eps bc i'm so HEATED during the first watch #but then by the second one i've usually calmed down so much more #like i obv still have a lot of things that i'm not super happy with (and rewatching this again didn't really bring me joy) but still #i get so invested in itsay/ipytm that sometimes i just gotta take myself out of the situation and go live my life for a bit #i was meant to post this yesterday bc it's been sitting in my drafts for too long but i just woke up (it's 2am) so what better time hah

34 notes · View notes

ghost-wonder · 3 years

Text

Why Oliver March is My Current Top Suspect for the Leader (Even though I love him)

Buckle your seatbelts kids and get ready for my hot mess of a PH theory. I wasn’t sure where to put this and I just wanted to get my thoughts out. I’m in the last year of my media studies and production degree so I’m putting my 3 years of tears to use and have been brewing this theory since reading 85. Now let me clarify: I adore March, but the more we see, the more suspicious I become (especially with ep. 82 & 85), and while many think this may mean death or something tragic, I’ve been thinking of the possibility it’s something much bigger (Note: lots of speculation here so prepare for a lot of what if’s and I’m only using content up to ep. 85).

My thought process regarding the leader:

The leader is a rather dehumanized villainous entity. With them being anonymous and the reader not having a face to place with the actions, it’s easier for us to take the leader’s actions at face value. We are provided no means of sympathizing or empathizing with their actions and instead, our story follows characters who have been traumatized by said actions.

Therefore, to provide readers with the greatest impact, the leader would likely be a character who up until the discovery of them being the leader, the reader viewed them positively. A character already humanized. Already trusted. And this would be both in terms of how the reader views that character, as well as other characters in the story. It would leave the reader reeling, trying to figure out why such a character would be the leader.

And keep in mind: PH has used this approach with Harvey; the audience liked him for the short time he appeared before being caprisunned and we were shocked to discover his involvement in the PS. Additionally, we’ve had characters dehumanizing and humanizing with Kieran. He’s introduced as this deadly assassin who kills brutally, with the greatest death toll in the PS. But he becomes humanized through his interactions with Lauren, so much so that both the reader and Lauren forget his occupation and are provided a chilling reminder in ep. 43. However, even after those horrible events, as we learn more regarding his character in season 2, we begin to empathize with his actions and reactions (though we don’t condone them). It demonstrates a duality, a mix of light and dark, seemingly contradicting one another. Because people are complicated.

This is also why I can’t buy into the idea that Tristan or Stefan is the leader, in fact, I don’t think either one is even involved with the PS. For Tristan I think he comes off suspicious because A) he’s meant to be a red herring but B) LAUREN’S PARENTS WERE APOSTLES AND YOU CANNOT TELL ME HE DID NOT KNOW. THEY LEFT AT ODD HOURS OF THE NIGHT ALL THE TIME AND LIKELY GAVE LAUREN TO TRISTAN TO PROTECT HER FROM THAT LIFE. HE PROBABLY THINKS LAUREN IS PS. But anywho. As for Stefan, he’s already been villainized through his treatment of William. The audience doesn’t like him for this reason and is then inherently suspicious of him because they dislike him. So for me, it feels too obvious. (I have an additional theory that he was involved with the print shop shooting, assisting Lizbeth (from what’s alluded in 64 with Lauren’s parents and 68) as chief of police but that’s for another place another time.)

What we know about the leader:

- It’s a he

- Has to be part of the older generation (would have needed to be an adult about 15 years ago)

- Was a member of SD

- Knew Lauren’s parents

- According to Hecate, he is closer and more similar to Lauren than she thinks

So why March? (It’s not just the villain scar)

- His speech to Kym and Will in 60 had me SUS. It felt very contradicting (he acknowledges the flaws in the system while saying they must continue their jobs, which is valid, but his phrasing was still off to me) and generally in any mystery drama if I see a character go on a moral rant of sorts, my sus radar is dialed up to 11. Unfortunately, we don’t know how much of it was true and lies because Lauren wasn’t around but if he is the leader I’d find it so fascinating if everything he said is the truth. The idea that this terrorist does have sound morals would be SO INTERESTING and kind of fitting? The leader having a strong sense of justice or strong morals would make him more similar to Lauren as Hecate said. But more on Hecate later.

- As confirmed by 85, he knew Lauren’s parents. He even says they worked together on cases. Through their work together, did they start to realize the flaws in their system? Was there a case that was just too much? SD formed?

- The death of his daughter does kind of fit the SD timeline. (She died in xx11 the pamphlets are dated xx14 but SD was likely formed slightly before the release of the pamphlets but that's not yet really confirmed). We don’t know how her illness killed her (could be class-related. Like because of their class status perhaps they didn’t have access to the resources that could have saved his daughter? Who knows. He said they did all they could. March is likely middle class similar to Kym but we don’t know for sure. And even if he is middle class we don’t know if this was always the case, like if he was middle class at the time of his daughter’s death.)

- Additionally the death of his wife. The date is blocked and as others have theorized I find it very possible it could have been SD related. But this sentence is chilling: “She fell into the bloody hands of criminals that have been plaguing Ardhalis for too long.” March doesn’t specify these criminals as the PS. So could he mean the royals? (Literally everything he says to Lauren in ep. 85 could have a double meaning and it bugs me so much like he never specifies the criminals he’s referring to. And everything he says sounds like the monologue of a villain who sees themselves as a hero because they haven’t realized how far gone they are. But that’s just me. ) If she died in the print shop shooting could this have been the catalyst to drive March to become the leader and start the PS? Losing your daughter and wife is a lot to take and could drive anyone over the edge. Point is: if any of this speculation is true, it would give March motive for becoming the leader.

- Also March mentioned how Lauren reminds him of his daughter which could then explain why Lauren hasn’t been touched by the PS cause at this point the girl should have been caprisunned a while ago if she wasn’t being protected from the inside.

- To build on that as well, if March is the leader then he has kept an eye on Lauren since she joined the force aka since she would have become problematic for the PS (cause you can argue being the daughter of apostles may not automatically make her a threat since she was a child at the time. But being the daughter of apostles and joining the police force to take down the PS? Now that’s an issue). March says in ep. 60 that Lauren was one of his recruits meaning the leader could have had his eye on her the entirety of her time in the APD. Just something to consider.

- And going back to Hecate's words, he’s more similar to you than you think. March and Lauren share (seemingly) similar morals and additionally he is close to her just as Hecate claimed. Also if any of my speculation regarding the deaths of his wife and daughter are correct it would have put him in a similar position to Lauren, the difference being her enemy is PS and his being the royals (but also as we’re starting to see with Lauren learning more information, I think the royals are starting to become an enemy in her eyes the same way PS is. Again if any of this is correct it just furthers similarities between the two).

- This could then also be the betrayal alluded to in the cards; one of Lauren's mentors has been the leader this whole time. The betrayal is either past or future but March being the leader could count as both. He betrayed her in the past by ordering the death of her parents and may betray her again in the future as he continues to play the role of leader

- Plus this would also mean the leader has been present in the story FROM THE VERY BEGINNING MARCH WAS IN EP 2 HOW WILD WOULD IT BE IF WE’VE KNOWN THE LEADER THIS WHOLE TIME

- AND IMPORTANT NOTE: WHY IS MARCH NOT ONE OF THE PEOPLE LAUREN SUSPECTS DURING EP. 82 YET HE HAS HER BACK SIMILAR TO WILL AND KYM. "LAUREN OPEN YOUR EYES" BLINDEST OF THEM ALL TYPE STUFF. (Also with Lauren being the blindest of all, it led me to believe anyone Lauren is suspicious of, is not the one to betray her. I feel like it would have to be someone so unsuspicious, Lauren doesn’t even think of them. Which can be said of March; we literally have a whole scene in ep. 82 demonstrating how close they are and how a level of trust exists. Yet panels later, it doesn’t even cross her mind that he could betray her).

Now possible flaws in this theory (there are more I’m sure but here’s a few):

-Why voice support for lune and their actions: Lune’s actions have yet to affect the leader (at least to our knowledge) and have technically been helping the leader. The leader views Apostle 7 as an issue so obviously whoever the leader is, they won’t take issue with Lune taking down this problem for them. When first telling Lauren about McTrevor, Kieran said he was surprised he hadn’t been sent by the leader to kill him off yet. And when the 11th precinct received that first Lune letter about him, March was the one to voice that they should follow Lune’s orders. If he’s the leader, this could explain why he wanted to follow Lune’s orders and dispose of McTrevor without PS means. This is a possible explanation anyway.

- Why send moles into the 11th precinct if the leader himself is already there: I boil this down to a matter of seeming less suspicious. Like why possibly risk the exposure of your identity if your organization consists of hundreds of potential puppets who are easily disposable?

-Why place the PH in the 11th precinct if the leader is there: Okay this plays into another theory I have regarding Kieran. We know there are boatloads of parallels between Lauren and Kieran which left me thinking Kieran has had a similar Tim Sake type incident. What I mean by this is that Lauren’s whole deal with Tim Sake was heavily guided by her personal anger and resulted in distrust from her superior, Hermann. I think Kieran had a similar incident with killing that one person without orders, in which his actions were guided by his personal anger and resulted in distrust from his superior, the Leader. So we know from 83 Kierans been overseas for a while (Why? Was there a mission or did the leader need Kieran out of Ardhalis? Both?) and his comment in 64 (“I wonder how much longer his patience will last”), as well as the comments made by Bella and the messenger at various points regarding Kieran following and not following orders (ep 5 and 72-73?), further my thinking that the leader may be SUS of his best player. So what do you do with someone you’re suspicious of: you keep them right where you can see them.

- The one flaw I have yet to work out an explanation for is why order the death of lune? Regardless of who the leader is, this is a question I’ve mulled over since the end of season 1. J’en sais rien mes amis mais on verra.

Closing Thoughts:

Hopefully, this didn’t sound like the ramblings of a sleep-deprived senior (even though that’s exactly what this is haha) and hopefully, it gave you some stuff to consider. Up until this point, I never spent much time contemplating the leader, partly because I didn’t feel like we were far enough in the story to have enough evidence against one person. While much of this is speculation, I still think it’s the soundest case I have for any PH character we’ve met thus far being the leader.

#purple hyacinth #ph webtoon #lauren sinclair #oliver march #kieran white #webtoon #purple hyacinth webtoon #this is a lot #dont hate me i just cant accept nice things

107 notes · View notes

shakil244 · 3 months

Text

Take off Kong Yiji's gown, and I'm going to set off with my broken oar

As I write this article, I am preparing to start a gap year. This is a completely new experience for me, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about it.

I first joined the company 7 years ago and my memory is still fresh.

Identity: A product primary

Identity: A product primary school student who has just graduated half a year ago;

school student who has just graduated half a year ago;

Time: March 28, 2016, Monday at around 1:00 noon;

Location: 9th floor, Fiyta Building;

First impression of the Goose Factory: dark and old.

There were no lights on HE Tuber in the whole building, so I followed the instructor with small steps in confusion. After arriving at the work station, I took apart the new computer and touched it. It felt really good. I went up to it and smelled it, but the smell was just average. The instructor laughed: The lights will be turned off during lunch break, and the computer will be yours in three years. I almost jumped up when I heard this and immediately bought a camp bed online.

That day I secretly decided that I would work hard for this laptop for three years.

1. I was impulsive because of an old lady

You may be wondering: What's going on? You can't calm down and want to move from time to time? Are you unhappy?

n the contrary, I am very happy after joining Tencent. Almost all my friends in Shenzhen were met in Goose Factory and I like them so much. They gave me the confidence to move forward. They knew the emptiness I felt when I swelled, knew the cowardice I tried my best to hide, knew I was ugly and knew I was evil, and they knew I had a sincere soul and proud talent (this last sentence is nonsense) of).

#Music #Film & Animation #Sports #Travel & Events

0 notes

Last Seen Blogs

canvas-madness-txc

She Lives the Poetry She Cannot Write —Oscar Wilde

official-aoi

king for a day

moxuxom

MoXuXoM

moxuxom

MoXuXoM

bestdealsnew

Get The Best Deals