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sparkypantaloons · 2 months

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Metronomics

Sometimes it's too much, Gotham. Too much putting his body on the line for a city that can't and won't change.

Bruce imagines what his life could have been, what his children's lives could have been, if things had been different.

Sometimes it's too much. Gotham. Too polluted, too populated, to poor...

Morally poor, he should say. The money's never been more than a means to an end for Bruce and he's never cared who has or hasn't got it. Even if he knows that's evidence enough of how out of touch he really is. To not be, and never have been, the levels of desperate so many of his fellow Gothamites have. Are. But he can't change that now. Not after a lifetime of more money than he could ever hope to spend (and God knows he's tried).

And it's not that he thinks poverty equals moral corruptness. Of course not. But God, if it doesn't cause a rot that's hard to escape. An agony deep in the bones, like an atomic bomb. Almost a century since, but still poisoning the ground and the air and the lives where it fell.

It's too much, sometimes. Gotham. Decades of putting his body, his heart, mind on the line for a city that doesn't change and can't change and... Won't.

Part of his Brucie-rich-boy-bit has always been a pretend man of the people. 'Billionaire spotted on Chicago's L-train', a picture of him in $5,000 jeans, throwing a peace sign on the platform at Quincy. 'Bruce Wayne joins the commute on Bangkok's BTS Skytrain' sunburned and sweaty and grinning like a moron. Public transport is easy when you don't need it. The delays, the overcrowding, the cost. All part of the big adventure when you're rich and famous.

He's deliberate in his appearances. Shows up too big to be allowed and always lost. Asking fellow travellers for directions and breaking every unspoken, local rule. Stopping at the bottom of escalators and standing on the right and never having his ticket ready at the barriers... but he's deliberate in his anonymity too.

He's ridden the New York subway and Shanghai's metro and Vienna's U-bahn more times than he can count. Undercover, trailing marks and tailing suspects, slipping past local police and resident gangsters alike. Just another nameless face in the crowd.

But then there's the times he's just there as himself. Times he rides the lines as Bruce. Not the billionaire, not the Bat. Just Bruce. Grey Ghost fan, hates mushrooms, loves dinosaurs. Father, friend, son. Just another traveller amidst the millions. Nobody wanting anything from him, nobody talking to him, nobody even noticing him. It's freedom unlike any he's ever known.

It makes him wonder what his life might have been. If he hadn't been born in the South Wing's master bedroom of Wayne Manor. What his children's lives might have been, if their father had just been a man, and not this man.

Dick for sure, Olympic medallist. There's no doubt. Even without the money and the training and the classes, his boy was destined for greatness. Gold medals and podiums and adoration. Coaching and teaching and leading. And, Bruce fancies, probably the ESPN correspondent for major competitions. Team USA coach. International Olympic Committee. Whatever Dick wanted; in any life there's nothing he couldn't do.

Cass, Bruce likes to think, would have been an architect. If she'd ever been afforded a normal life, ever been given the tender love and care she so deserved as a child. She reads people with ease, drilled into her as it was by Cain; a skill as crucial as its learning was cruel. But given a normal life? Architecture, Bruce is sure. The way she navigates space, the way she uses it and understands it. What better way to make a life than creating in the space she so fully inhabits? Designing structures that change the way people live, challenge how they think. She'd have been glorious.

Tim, on the other hand... Tim. If Bruce thinks about him too long the guilt starts to set in. His brilliant boy, just next door; alone for so long. Bruce was intimately familiar with the experience, though at least he'd had Alfred when he'd been young. If only he'd just paid more attention, he could have— anyway. In another time, one where Bruce rides the subway and to work and Tim doesn't spend the first decade of his life by himself, surely he'd be some fintech billionaire wizz kid by now. He'd have created a Facebook or eBay or Venmo. But better. Kinder. Richer probably than Bruce, now. And he'd still ride the metro next to his old man.

Damian, Bruce's youngest, sweetest boy. Who knows what Damian could have been, in a life where Bruce and Talia kissed each other goodbye every morning and sweet dreams each night. He's a gentle soul, really, fierce as he is. Shows it in his affection for animals. Gives them the tenderness he never had as a child. Who knows what he could have been in a life filled with light instead of shadow. Warmth and love instead of the League's relentless dark. A scientist maybe, or an astronaut. A teacher, a vet, a nurse. Whatever he wanted. A gardener, a piano tuner, a cab driver. Happy, whatever it was. And safe in the knowledge he was loved.

And then... and then, Jason. Bruce thinks of his second son the most, as he rides the rails. Takes the Bakerloo south from Marylebone and the Tanamachi west to Hirano. What Jason could have been, if things had been different. It doesn't seem fair to dwell on it. To imagine the darling, sweet boy who had been Robin as anything but. To disrespect the incredible fucking gift he's already been given of a second chance, by imagining it as any different. So instead he thinks that Jason would still be Robin. Still Red Hood. Still saving people, still putting himself on the line to make the world better. Even if Bruce didn't love the way he did it, he still loved Jason. Gods did he love him. It's too much, sometimes.

Gotham. Sometimes she's too much. But most of the time, most of the time she was everything. His home, his children's home.

To see the sun rise from the east corner of the clocktower with Cass and swing between the crumbling art deco blocks of Coventry, Dick by his side. Racing down her labyrinth of alleyways and side streets with Tim and even negotiating her sewers with Damian. And Jason. Just seeing Jason's face, scowling at him though it usually is, as he waits outside the Collins Street station for Bruce to arrive.

"Your late." He grunts, as Bruce climbs the steps of the subway. He looks at his watch irritably. "If we miss brunch, you're paying."

"Of course," Bruce says, a warm hand on Jason's shoulder as they begin to walk. "Anything for you, chum."

She's too much, sometimes. Gotham. But most of the time? She's exactly where he wants to be

#bruce wayne #batman #gotham #batman fic #batfic #spbfic #batfam #batfamily #jason todd #dick grayson #cassandra cain #damian wayne #tim drake #wayne manor

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the-lavender-clown · 5 months

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MORE COWBOY AU STUFF BECAUSE I’M OBSESSED!!! The au I’ve made with some friends is called Fool’s Gold! I may or may not write some fics for it 👀

Here’s an infodump on it if anyone is interested!!

Raph is tired sheriff who sighs at every newspaper & new wanted poster showing off his blue and purple brothers as well as Donnie’s partner in crime but a he can’t help but be a little proud because he knows their doing good, just in their own special & questionable way.

Mikey is a nomad that travels around & sells self-woven clothes and blankets as well as hand carved & painted trinkets or whatever else he’s made. He treats weary travelers to home cooked meals & tales & legends of four brothers! He’s also the only brother not *constantly* making trouble for Raph.

Leo is a lone hero. Going town to town & over throwing whatever greedy mayor/banker/outlaw has that town in its clutches. He’s able to masterfully manipulate whoever he’s dealing with & using his many resources to gather important information. He ties them up to a post for the sheriff’s convenience when he comes by the town to pick them up.

Donnie & Cass are bounty hunters/mercenaries. They used to chase each other for their bounties & because Cass was a part of the Foot before the brothers took them down & Donnie just so happens to often be the closest to her trail once she popped up again. After awhile of constantly failing to catch each other they started thinking of each other as *their* targets & everyone knew better than to try and catch the other. A fun little song & dance/game of cat & mouse if you will. Eventually they ended up having to run from the same person together & realized that they honestly make a good team & have stuck together ever since!

Shelldon is adopted by Donnie before he & Cass teamed up. He was told by the Purple Dragons to get close to Donnie so they could catch him in exchange for enough money to set him for life, money they had no intention on giving him. He did get close to Donnie but in the end didn’t want to betray him but the Dragons had accounted for that & set off an explosion in a mining tunnel to get rid of them both. Donnie ended up being able to get Shelldon a little clear of the crumbling tunnel before he was trapped under the rumble. Shelldon doesn’t want to leave him but eventually does & immediately goes to try to find help, coming across Leo who had found Donnie’s spooked horse & was trying to find out what trouble Donnie had gotten himself into since his horse never leaves unless something really bad happened. Donnie ends up losing a leg cuz is it truly an F!Donnie if he doesn’t?

Casey is adopted after Donnie & Cass team up. They were in town for some groceries when Raph told them about this kid in some not so great circumstances & said it’d be a shame if someone were to beat up his guardians & kidn@p him while he was busy with all this paperwork. Donnie & Cass were gone before he finished. They weren’t gonna pass up an opportunity where they had permission to do a crime after all!

The main difference between Leo & Donnie’s work is that Donnie always cashes in the bad guys for money & can be hired for jobs as well as uses semi lethal methods while Leo mainly does it for fun & justice (& to mess with Raph) & takes like a free drink as payment before moving on. Leo will leave notes on the bad guys for Raph for when he comes to pick them up.

“The Bread Winners” is the name of Donnie, Casey, Shelldon, & Junior’s gang because Casey’s brownie scouts & my Donnie baker hc. It also shows that they’re in it for the money & fits with how the go undercover as a family often. Plus it sounds innocent enough to disguise how insane they really are.

That is it for now!! Hope some of y’all like it!!

Here’s the drawing without the text in the middle

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jtl-fics · 10 months

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May I propose: ex boyfriends au. Neil and Andrew go back in time per usual, but they arrive together at the beginning of Neil's recruitment to palmetto. They agree that for now, they should keep it low key and not change much in fear of making the future worse. But, they come to find out that repeating your life exactly the same way is BORING. So, they decide to spice it up a bit. In order to explain their familiarity to the foxes, they create this awfully dramatic backstory full of twists and betrayals, where neil met Andrew while he was with Cass and then Andrew did something to land them both in Juvie, and maybe in juvie they betrayed each other or smthn. All of its fake but the foxes eat it up. Neil and Andrew even incorporate song lyrics that haven't been made into fake arguments that they have for fun (strawberry ice cream in Malibu don't act like we didn't do that shit too) and the foxes fully believe that they're ex boyfriends. But even they can't fully hide the affection they have for each other and when that bleeds through the fixes think they're witnessing the best second chance trope when in reality they're just fucking around

This is such a funny concept.

I am going to add one thing though. In this AU Neil and Andrew made it all the way to their 90s. They went to sleep in their bed old, in love, and happy together. They've both been getting more and more tired lately, they know what's coming. They've seen it with their friends. It's fine, whatever the next step is they're going to go together. If one leaves a little early, well they've had years to get patient while waiting for the other to catch up.

They pass together and their great grand nephew (Kevin's) finds them the next morning (he'd been staying with them to help with a few things. They're holding hands.

They find themselves in the immediate aftermath of Andrew having driven an Exy racquet into Neil's stomach. There's a moment where Andrew truly panics because "OH FUCK, WHAT IF I RUPTURED HIS COLOSTOMY BAG?" and then oh he never really forgot how Neil looked (Neil had been the one that needed the reminders about things) but seeing his husband at 18 with brown hair, wire thin frame, and brown eyes? It throws him off even if he'd know Neil no matter what hair color or eye color.

Kevin comes up and it's been almost 10 years since he'd died but he's there young, no liver spots, and with a 2 on his face again.

They have long been able to talk to one another without a single word. Now that Andrew's face has full range of motion again (partial stroke 3 years before) it's even easier.

"So this is where you ran off to?" Andrew demands.

"Oh, like I had a choice after what you pulled!" Neil shoots back.

Cue two old fucks who are now in the prime of their life bodies and when they lost a lot of their mobility with age the thing they had most loved to do was fuck with their numerous grand nieces and nephews (I am stating right here that every fox who has a kid FULLY views Andreil as uncles so it does not matter if there is a blood relation).

Neil and Andrew rarely need to lie about the shit they've gotten up to, it just hasn't happened yet. They only make it like 2 weeks MAX pretending like they're mad at one another. They've slept in the same bed holding hands for 70 years. They don't do well when they're separated and Andrew is on that god awful medication but this time they know the medical expert who can argue about how BAD this whole shit show is and they know the lawyer to hire. Neil might dip heavily into his stash money but they know more than enough to make that cash back.

Andrew off his meds almost a whole year early via an outpatient treatment.

Still they keep referencing some insane past. "I'll say sorry for getting us thrown in Juvie when YOU apologize for lighting the car on fire in the first place!" he huffs.

"Then I guess we're at a standstill."

These arguments are had while they are absolutely all over one another because a bunch of parts of theirs just WORK again and that's super fun for both of them. They seem like Seth & Allison 2.0 with 8x the history but Neil makes Andrew act like a human and not a monster so they're all very invested in the relationship working out.

This past is also NEVER elaborated on but they never fuck up the fabrication of it either. Andrew because his perfect memory and Neil because even decades later he is a super tier liar.

They're having fun, it's sort of like being back with all their grand nieces and nephews except it's all of their friends (+Seth). The Original Foxes were long used to Neil & Andrew's shit so it was impossible to mess with them like this.

They're going to have a blast.

Edit: Thanks @the-inner-musings-of-a-worm for the fun idea once again!

#Old Flames AU #Lol don't know if I'd do more of this but figured I'd give it a title #Anon I wish I knew who you were so I could shake your digital hand #this was a fun thought #sorry if it's not more of what you wanted though #I just love old farts Andreil fucking with all the young versions of their friends #AFTG #AFTG AU #Andreil

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ernmark · 10 months

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Didja miss me? I got caught up on the Juno Steel episodes a few weeks ago (still working on Second Citadel, more on that later), and now that I’m vaguely getting my life back on track, I’m sticking my toe back in this fandom, just in time for the beginning of the final season!

So here we go:

Juno Steel and the Vanishing Act (Pt 1) Reaction

First off, it’s so nice to see Cas Kanagawa again. She sounds so much calmer, so much steadier. Which makes sense, given that the last time we saw her she had just accidentally killed her father and had spent years under the thumb of a hyper-controlling stepmother, and she’s finally free.

So this exchange here is really striking:

JUNO: I'm glad you get to do what you always wanted, Cass. Honestly.

CASS: You... what?

JUNO: I said I'm glad. That's weird, now

CASS: No, I mean... no sarcasm? No bad jokes? No insults?

JUNO: Reading's not all I learned how to do over the past few years.

CASS: Yeah. Yeah, I think I can tell. Okay, I'll admit it. I do owe you. I don't have any money to give you, but I think I can help you out. (Vanishing Act)

It’s two ladies who have survived some real hard shit, who used to bring out a lot of the worst in each other, after they’ve gotten help, escaped from a toxic situation, and taken charge of their lives. Holy shit, that feels nice.

That said, I kinda want her to keep a bit role here. When the plot focuses on a character, it’s usually not because good things are coming to them, so I’m just fine keeping her in the director’s chair of her documentary series.

But that brings us to the actual mystery.

We’ve got Carrie Gold (As in Kerry Gold, the canned tomato brand… cuz you throw tomatoes at a bad actor, get it?), the really terrible actress who bought her way onto a show, and owner of the Prismacrystal Chimes, who’s about to humiliate herself at her big debut.

“Taking out my Chimes would be sabotage! And if my acting career doesn't take off after, why... ehm. Never mind.”

It may be that she’s actually out of money, and she was hoping for a glamorous career as an actor might save her from it. Notably, there’s no mention of her donating actual cash, just the Chimes. And the Chimes are an heirloom, so they may be the last thing of value she’s got, and this kind of publicity would be a good boost in its value– and having it ‘stolen’ would be a great way for them to disappear out of her possession without her losing face. Possibly the pawn ticket is hers, and she’s been selling off her other valuables?

(The Chimes, by the way– the scene where they were brought out, with the music and Juno’s narration and all? That was gorgeous. And I’ll talk more about the lighting part elsewhere.)

We’ve got Warner Jayne (my mind kept going back to German film director Werner Herzog? Or Warner Bros.?), the producer who’s bankrolling the show, arranged for Carrie’s involvement, procured the Chimes and the sound/lighting design, and notably doesn’t think the show can stand on its own without a lot of glitz and glamor.

“God, this show needs it. It's unwatchable, I...Oh. Don't tell Billie I said any of that.”

We’ve got Billie Dalton (as in the Dalton Gang?), the director whose grand project is about to be butchered onstage by Carrie’s acting, but maybe rescued by the special effects, but generally resents the interference. She’s the only one with the key to the Chimes’ lock, and the only person aside from Carrie who actually handles it. She’d have the opportunity to walk off with it while everybody’s eyes are on the stage.

“Having those Chimes stolen in front of everyone, having Carrie Gold scupper the show... It would all almost be worth it for Warner Jayne to get what he deserves.”

We’ve got Clotilda Fairborough, actual actor whose big break is about to be shattered by her incompetent costar.

“I'm going to drag this show kicking and screaming into something like artistic credibility, and you owe me for that, so act like it... or you'll see what happens when I'm not feeling so cooperative.”

These three have, in my opinion, the same motive: they’ve got a lot riding on a play that’s about to be ruined, which he didn’t believe in in the first place. Warner has a lot of money invested in this. Billie and Clotilda have their reputation on the line, and they might not get another chance. So it behooves all of them to get everybody’s eyes on Lono on their show, but not actually be paying too close attention to the play itself– so putting a priceless work of art on stage and then declaring it’s gonna be stolen at a very specific time during opening night? That’s perfect publicity.

USAmericans might be familiar with a grim joke: “Apart from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?” Alternatively, nobody thinks too hard about what was going on in Don Juan Triumphant right before the Phantom of the Opera dropped a chandelier on the audience. Any shortfalls in the play itself will be barely a footnote, but everybody will be talking about the event.

So everybody’s got a motive to throw a wench (hee hee) into the works, but the presence of the pawn shop ticket at the end has me putting my money on Carrie.

(There’s the obvious option, of course, that Nureyev is actually on the crew as a stage hand and he’s just being overlooked because nobody ever notices techies, but if that was the case, I feel like the stage crew would have been at least mentioned before now. A passing line, or something, but we’ve got nothing. )

(Also the transcripts on the official website are an actual godsend)

#the penumbra podcast #penumbra meta

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thislovintime · 1 year

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Peter Tork and June Millington (one of the founders of the rock group Fanny), 2012.

Janis Ian and June Millington on Peter...

“In mourning for Peter Tork, one of the kindest people I’ve ever known, who was so gracious and so good to me when I was starting out. It’s testimony to the man that his family asks donations to be made to Institute for the Musical Arts, founded by June Millington and Ann Hackler to support women and girls in music. Lovely man, and a sad day to know he’s gone.” - Janis Ian, Facebook, February 22, 2019

“Thank you Peter Tork and family for your incredibly powerful gesture in suggesting that people make a donation to IMA’s ‘In the Names of Our Mothers’ fund, in support women and girls in music. Especially in these times, so meaningful ~ you will be remembered here for generations! Thing is, you’ve been such a good friend to me (us) over the years, and continue to give. That is a true testament to your soul, and your spirit. Love you always, xx June” - June Millington, Facebook, February 23, 2019

“I met him [Peter] here in Massachusetts through our really great friend Leah Kunkel. […] And they were really good friends since Peter and John Sebastian and Leah, Mama Cass… were in the Village […] And Peter did a benefit for us once […], for IMA. […] And he did record here as well. […] Peter was here a few months before he died, he came to actually record that last song that he put out with The Monkees [‘Angels We Have Heard On High,’ from Christmas Party; the instrumental track, featuring Peter on banjo, was originally from A Beachwood Christmas, 2003]. […] I wish I could have recorded him for my podcast because he told me a few stories which I love so much. [...] He played a great piano, which I didn’t know until the last time he was here. He swung by the piano and he — even though he was sick and he didn’t have much energy — he sat down and he played some brilliant classical piece. I’m like, ‘Peter, I didn’t know you played the piano!’ And he said, ‘Oh. Yeah.’ And I said, ‘How did that come about?’ He said, ‘Oh, I took lessons.’ So his parents definitely wanted him to be, shall we say, cultured, and have… you know, to play piano, the have a college degree and all of that. […] He was such a smart guy, he was so funny, he was so funny, he would be quipping all the time, you know. And it was, the last couple of years were a little bit of a slog for him because the cancer was coming back and it was really trying to get him. But he — he kept his humor intact the whole time. He was really a very generous, and he was a super-funny guy. That’s my biggest impression of him, is how giving he was. And he wanted to support IMA, the Institute for the Musical Arts, which is a nonprofit that supports women and girls in music by passing on what we know. So we do rock ‘n’ roll girls camp […], lessons — everything is being passed on to future generations. So it’s the only organization of its kind in the world where we are really hands on passing it on. And he just loved that. Like, he sent his daughter here — his wife had, you know, had a daughter, so they sent her here to one of our rock ‘n’ roll girl camps. So he put his money and his time where his mouth was, you know. […] So he was always trying to think of ways that he could help. He recorded here. You know, as I said, he was super-generous. He had a heart of gold, I gotta say. Super heart of gold. And he and Leah remained really good friends, really good friends until, you know, the last days. […] He was so smart. He was on top of current affairs, you know; he had so many jokes at the top of his fingers. […] He was a super-talented guy. […] Go to IMA dot org to take a look at this place. Peter realized the value. He loved passing it on. And he loved being around women and working with women, there’s no, you know (laughs), there’s no other way I could say it: he loved women. And he wanted to help, you know. And he let us know that, boy, he wanted to help and he did help.” - Plastic EP, 2021

#Peter Tork #June Millington #Janis Ian #Tork quotes #IMA #60s Tork #00s Tork #long read #leah cohen #Pamela Grapes #Peter deserved better #'he had a heart of gold' 😥#<3 #2012 #2019 #can you queue it

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dramatic-squirrel · 1 year

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Daminette December Day 7- Red

@maribat-calendar-events

“Why the hell is there blood on the floor Alfred?” Bruce was too tired for whatever it was his kids were doing. After staying late at work to deal with an emergency crisis with an international division, he then had to stop Kite Man on his way home. He was exhausted, mentally and physically, and a pool of blood in the manor didn’t exactly help him relax.

“I beg your pardon, Master Bruce, but that is not blood.” Alfred corrected him, and that’s when Bruce realized that it didn’t smell like blood, it smelled like… “paint was spilled on the floor earlier.”

Alfred didn’t bother explaining until Bruce asked, “And why did my kids spill paint all over the floor?”

“Well, I believe it was an accident. I assume you were aware that Master Damian wanted to change the décor of his room.”

“I think I remember something about that. Marinette mentioned that his room was really gloomy and he got insecure about the whole matter.”

“Yes, well, the story begins there about 5 hours ago…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I refuse to paint my room yellow, Grayson.”

Dick pouted at how stubborn Damian was being. “You said you wanted to make your room feel brighter. Yellow’s the brightest color you can go with, it’s the color of the sun!” Damian didn’t comment on that, just sneered at the suggestion. “Ok, what’s your plan?”

Damian thought for a moment before answering, “Red.” The answer shocked everyone. Tim stopped typing away at his computer, Cass stared at him in shock and far away somewhere else in Gotham, Jason felt a shiver run down his spine.

“Red? You would choose the same color as Jason. Tell me it isn’t so, baby bird.” Dick acted like he was just stabbed with a sword.

“We are not letting you paint your room the color of blood and rage,” Tim spoke up from his corner of the parlor. “You're already filled with enough anger to give a bull a run for its money.”

Damian glared at his least favorite sibling, “Very funny, you moron. I’m not an animal that will be incited by the color red. And I assumed you were smart enough to know that bulls are color blind.” Tim rolled his eyes at that, as if he didn’t know that.

“Ok, no yellow, but how about you consider blue. Blue would be a great color to paint your room.” Dick was desperate at this point. Anything but red because Tim was right, as vigilante’s the color red would only remind them of blood. And Damian needed less reminders of that in his life, not more.

“No. Unfortunately you’re too late, I already had Alfred deliver it to my room.”

“He can’t even by his own paint, Cass” Cass looked back at Tim, saying the same thing but without words.

“I refuse to let this happen Damian. This is not the answer.” And without looking back Dick raced out of the room. Quickly realizing what was happening Damian raced after him while Tim and Cass went back to what they were doing. A few moments later the bell rang and Alfred opened it to greet their guest.

“Welcome, Miss Dupain-Cheng”

“Bonjour, Alfred. I wanted to stop by and share some croissants I made. Are any of the batboys home?” She anxiously looked over his shoulder.

Alfred caught on to what she was asking. “Master Damian is in his room at the moment. If you would like, I’ll show you to the parlor and inform him of your arrival.”

Marinette sent him a smile so bright, it could rival a floodlight. “Merci, Alfred.” They were making their way across the foyer, when something bright red splashed right next to them. Luckily, they were just far enough away to avoid getting hit by any stray drops.

Looking up to see where the red substance had come from, Marinette saw Dick, desperately trying to keep Damian from reaching a now empty paint can.

“Master Dick, Master Damian,” the two froze. “I expect the two of you to clean this mess up once our guest leaves.” They looked over at Marinette

“Hi guys.” she gave a little wave of her hand. “Um… croissant?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“And why is the paint still on the floor Alfred?” He understood the how of the situation, just not why his foyer continued to look like a crime scene.

“Miss Dupain-Cheng agreed to stay for dinner at the insistence of everyone else. They are enjoying their meal in the dining hall at the moment. Would you care to join them sir?”

Bruce prepared himself for a headache. “Sure Alfred, lead the way.”

#daminette december #daminette December 2022 #daminette #maribat #maribat event #I had color theory on the mind so this was all I could think of right now

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ebiljointed · 23 days

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As mentioned on my main blog, I will be moving across continents soon and although this is hypothetically not a permanent move it will be for at least one year and potentially for multiple years. So it's a good time to finally time to get rid of the dolls that aren't being appreciated here. Many of my collection just straight up is things that nobody is looking for or would want to buy, so I'm not expecting to make money off this and may be down to part with them for very, very low prices. I'll be making formal sales posts in the future but here are a few dolls that I already know I'll be parting with so if friends are interested in any of them please let me know and I will cut you a very good deal:

Soom Namu WS Voice of Angels (no angel wings or original wig; has original faceup, eyes, tattoo, and skirt and also a pair of boots)

Soom Gena WS Smoky Day (has fullset outfit and original eyes, no original wig, eyelashes are gone and faceup appears to be rubbing off slightly...)

Soom Cass WS original release head (I am the third owner and don't have a CoA but have the entire list of previous owners with DoA handles as well as links to DoA feedback messages following its history)

DD Excellen Browning (blank doll) (had intended to customize her because I see a ton of potential in the sculpt for a semi real look bu I don't think it's happening at this point. has her fullset items but they're very damaged so I had intended to keep them for dissassembling and crafting/patterning but if you're interested in doing that yourself you can also have those. i probably have her eyes and wig too)

Elfdoll Ruru and Elfdoll Special K, both tan, both have slightly messed up/marked but still very beautiful original faceups (i might be able to get the marks off with magic eraser, i'll see. they're packed right now so i haven't tried.) i love these two dolls but i'm just doing NOTHING with either of them

Smartdoll Monday Tea head with default faceup (i have two heads of her now lol)

Adykadoll SWS silicon DD body *without bust*. i got a great deal on this and thought i could buy her a bust later and it hasn't come back for sale lol, maybe it can be someone else's problem.

there is a bunch more like wigs and accessories and stuff becuase i've been in this damn hobby for sixteen years now and also probably more dolls as i decide what i want to actually part ways with, but yeah if any people i know are interested in what i've mentioned above let me know. i'll take down this post to do formal listings in the future

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ironheartedfae · 8 months

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Timing: Sometime in August Location: Axis Investigations/Emilio's Apartment Feat: @ohwynne & @ironheartedfae Warnings: none! Summary: Wynne bumps into Ren just before she's about to walk Perro

Sleeplessness had been an issue for Wynne for many a year, but never like this. There was a new level of insomnia, a new level of nightmares and a new need for distraction. And so they cooked. With the money they didn’t have, they bought groceries and with that money, they tried making whatever they could think of. Cookies for Cass. Hearty and nutritious meals for Nora, Emilio and even that stranger Rhett. Banana bread to take to work for those that worked. Soup, so much soup, because it was the only thing they could stomach at the moment.

It was late now, too late to have just finished cooking, but Wynne hardly cared. There was no room for any more food in the fridge and besides, Emilio tended to keep strange hours. The plan was to drop off the freshly made bread, knock and flee back into their apartment, where maybe now they could get some rest.

Instead, as they were crossing the hallway the door to his apartment already opened. This was surprising, but what was more surprising was seeing Ren exit it with Perro in tow. Wynne considered the small window that showed the outside world, which showed no more daylight, and then looked at the other. “Hi Ren,” they said, holding onto the bread that was still in its baking pan. It smelled good, almost good enough to inspire their appetite to return. “I —” Their mind played catch up, remembering how Emilio had brought flowers from the other. “Thank you, for the flowers. And … are you going to walk Perro? Or what are you doing here?”

—

Routine was pretty important for Ren. So much had been in flux lately that the quiet moments of repetitive normality became the nymph's greatest solace. Walking Perro at precisely 10 pm and then later at 3:30 am was part of that routine. The long trek from Deersprings to Wormrow was usually enough to clear her mind, or at least get it to a level keel. Things were going pretty typically right until someone said hi.

Not just someone. Wynne.

"Oh." Ren blinked for a second, pulled from her internal monologue. "You do not need to thank me." How far had the nymph come, barely even raising a heartbeat while she rejected the appreciation. "Yes. This is my job." Sounding a lot more flat than she'd like, Ren's tone betrayed the jump of bells and butterflies that swirled the moment she saw the other.

Wynne was one of the few people from the party that the fae thought she might actually like. They were sweet. They were soft in a way that Ren sort of wished she could be. Helpful too. The ginger tilted her head and examined the other. Helpful seemed to be the right word, were they delivering food to Emilio? Even with Ren's dulled nose the bread smelled great.

"And yourself? Do you often supply baked goods to the detective?"

—

Right. No thanking people. Wynne wondered if Ren was simply a humble and nice person, or if they knew about fae as well. They nodded. “Sure. I was still very happy with them. Hospitals don’t have a lot of color, you know.” The white had hurt their eyes, at some point, and they’d taken to closing them even if sleep didn’t come. “I kept some of them to dry.” Because letting beautiful flowers go to waste was something Wynne was incapable of. Especially these days.

“Really? That’s cool.” The word cool had slowly intruded into Wynne’s vocabulary, becoming a favored descriptor for things they thought sounded nice. Still, it felt like a foreign word most of the time. As if they were just playing pretend at something. “Perro is very cute.” They smiled absentmindedly.

One of the lightbulbs in the hallway flickered and they tried not to be distracted by it, but it was hard. “Um, yes. Well, not really baked goods most of the time. I prefer cooking over baking. But I’ve been doing both a lot.” It was obsessive. A way to keep their hands and mind busy, that labor of life. Food was for the living and Wynne was among them.

They twisted their foot on the ground, toes grinding in a half circle. “You’re not gonna go out there now, though, right? I mean, it’s not safe.”

—

Ren did not know. She'd never been in a hospital. Never seen a doctor at all. In fact she was terrified of the very notion. How had Regan put it? She'd rather die than see a doctor? Something like that. But the girl was already far too awkward. And saying something to that effect while true seemed… incorrect. So the nymph simply nodded. A single curt up and down accompanied by an attempted smile. Not enough to show teeth, it didn't seem the right time for that. But something to show she was listening, listening and understanding. Sorta. It wasn't a lie. Now that Wynne had said it, Ren did know. She trusted them.

"Oh, I also do this from time to time. Both for viewing and occasionally for tea. Not all flowers can be used as such though. Some flowers are not edible at all." Wynne might have known that. They seemed like the type of person who would. They were a baker and they liked flowers. If even Ren knew about herbal tea, surely the rest of the world did too. Still the fact came out. An unnecessary explanation.

At least the next part was easy. Perro was cute. Ren even occasionally practiced talking with the strangers who stopped her on the walks to tell her so. It was far and few between. Given the timing she always had. But it was enough for the nymph to realize that having a dog with you meant you did not have to share any details about yourself at all. Just nod and agree. "Yes." She nodded, agreeing with Wynne. "I agree." Foolproof.

The shift in lighting immediately drew Ren's gaze. Her eyes so very attuned to movement, her heart so used to danger. But it was just a lightbulb. It was okay. Perro whined in protest of them not walking yet, which prompted Ren to scoot slightly out the door. "Oh. This is very good skill to have." She wasn't sure if she was supposed to close the door behind her. Was Wynne heading in? Should she leave it ajar?

"Well this is walking time. And I have done so every night. Twice. For while now." And I have knives of almost every metal, Ren left that out. Knives, stakes, and an itching ache to take down something that was objectively bad. If something attacked her, defense was fair. If something attacked Perro, her skills would be not only useful, but good. The girl didn't want anything bad to happen, it wasn't that simple. But danger didn't scare her off like it maybe should have.

—

That was nice to know, that Ren also dried flowers. Some for tea, some for decoration. There was so much that nature had to offer, from the prettiness of the flowers to the things that could be done with them after. “You can also press the not edible ones for oil. But it takes a lot of time and all of that. Flowers are fun, right?” Wynne smiled at Ren too. It was somewhat easy to do, even now.

They weren’t sure why they wanted the other to like them. Sure, they wanted most people to like them — it was an annoying compulsion that flew forth from an endless need to please and a youth spent looked at as a future saint of sorts. But there was something else that came into play with Ren, it seemed. At the party she had seemed so uncomfortable and Wynne had thought to recognize it, except within them that discomfort was always miles below.

They sunk down a little, crouching as they balanced the bread on their knee and reached out one hand to pet Perro. This was a mandatory part of seeing the dog, after all. Wynne gave him a little scratch. “I did not know walking dogs could be a job. I wish I’d known that.” It was definitely better than making coffee.

Raising to their full length again, they shrugged at the statement. “I guess. Food is important. We need it to live, and all.” That they did. Wynne looked down at the bread and tried not to think about the loaf they’d made for Zack and how we was no longer here now. They didn’t move for the door just yet, just standing there. The warmth of the bread spread through their fingers and it was almost comforting, but the idea of Ren going out there alone with Perro made Wynne far from comforted.

“Oh, okay, but —” They glanced at the dog and then down at Ren, because she was almost a head smaller than them. “Well, it’s dangerous out there. I used to go out by myself late too and always thought it’d be okay, but then.” Wynne didn’t want to project, didn’t want to seem like just because something bad had happened to them something bad had happened to Ren, but it had! In this neighborhood! Around this hour! So should they not be a little worried. “Then everything that happened, happened. It’s a … people call it a sketchy neighborhood.” They didn’t understood that idiom, but they got the intent behind it.

—

It wasn't hard to find things that Ren didn't know, but finding ones she was also interested in was a much harder challenge. The girl's proverbial dog ears pricked up at the notion, drawing a new expression to her face. "Oh! I did not know this. What are the oils in using for?" Ren knew of some alternate uses for a few flowers. Yarrow could stop a wound from bleeding, feverfew for well, fevers. Most of what Ren knew was built for self sustainability. And that whole fear of doctors they had going on.

Wynne, having survived a trip to the hospital, was far braver than Ren believed herself to be. Wynne was human though, maybe that should have made a difference in how courageous the nymph saw the act to be, but it really didn't. Doctors were scary, point blank. They were brave for it. Ren sent flowers to show, because she'd heard that's what you were supposed to do. And now they were bonding over how those flowers could be used. All in all, this was a positively successful social campaign. Perhaps the best the girl ever got herself into. Unfortunate only that it took Wynne being hurt to get to this.

"Well, I do not know if it is… real job?" Apparently real jobs paid money, and almost everything cost money. Something Ren was figuring out a lot slower than someone staying in an apartment or y'know, paying for all their own food and supplies, might have. Ren was lucky in that department. They were either unaware, living off the land and the occasional supply drop off, or living under Gael's care. There wasn't a damn thing she was missing now. Certainly nothing she needed to pay for. It was strange, hard to accept at times, but good. Probably. "Detective Emilio gives me these things that are called Lunch Ables. And a jacket. Though that was long ago when it was cold."

Then Wynne went on. They brought up danger again in a way Ren suspected might have had more to do with the hospital trip than she realized. Were they trying to tell her that? "Oh." Another quiet exhale. "But this is when I walk the dog." It was so matter of fact, so sure. Like that was the obvious answer, or rather excuse. She walked the dog at night. Twice a day. It was when Emilio was out hunting, and the pup needed someone. A stoic inflexibility. Genuinely curious as to what an alternative could even be, because one wouldn't occur to her naturally.

—

“They’re for … well, you can use them to put into soaps and creams, for a nice scent. They’re mostly good for that, for putting scents on things. Like …” Their thoughts trailed off, trying to come up with an example that didn’t involve sacrificial lambs or humans. “You can burn it for a nice smell in your home.” There, that sounded right, because it was. No need to talk of the ways it was rubbed into the wool of the lambs, right? Wynne hoped that had saved their lost train of thought.

Their thoughts were so fleeting these days, fragile and silly things that kept leading back to home or that barn. Flower oil was an innocuous subject, as had the practice of using it once been — but there seemed to always be a return to the less easy memories. Wynne wondered if other people’s minds worked like that, and if so, what places Ren’s thoughts returned to when she was tired or not feeling as well. It was too personal a thing to wonder out loud, though.

They shrugged. “I don’t know. I suppose if you want it to be one, it is. I’m definitely not an expert in that department.” Wynne had rolled into their job at A Latte to Love by seeing a ‘help wanted’ sign and being lucky enough that Lauri liked them to give them a chance, despite their lack of experience. They smiled as Ren referred to Emilio as detective Emilio, wondering if the hunter liked being called that. “A good jacket is very valuable.” This, perhaps, was something Ren and them could relate on — should they know more about the other. “I don’t know what Lunch Ables are, though, is it food?”

Wynne’s eyes dropped to look at Perro, who seemed to be excited to go on his walk. A dog should be able to stretch his legs, that much they knew — but they also knew what was out there. Maybe not the vampires who had taken them, Zack and Arden, but other things. Teagan had gotten hurt. Someone else would get hurt. “I – well. I guess.” They weren’t sure what to do with Ren’s response. “Maybe … I could come with you? And we can do a short walk. But there is strength in numbers. If you’re gonna go, I’d rather … not you go alone? Because it is a dangerous place. Sometimes.”

—

"Oh." One of Ren's infamous inflections. This carried the tone of interest. Others often spelled the sounds of melancholic realization. Wynne hardly ever pulled those ohs from the nymph. The human had a pretty good demeanor about them, it made the fae comfortable. The way they explained things made sense, offered the exact context that Ren sought. Useful, without being too wordy. A skill she often wished other people possessed.

"Would work for candles and such then as well?" Cass liked scented candles. She thought Van might too. But she knew Cass did and wasn't Ren trying to get closer to the other nymph? A terrifying thought. One far scarier than the idea of going for a walk outside in the bad part of town. Especially accompanied by such a calming presence as Wynne.

"Correct. Jacket has proved invaluable." There was a ten cent word, one Ren heard often around the compound, but never quite grasped the full concept of. A good knife was invaluable. A day of the right kind of training, invaluable. The girl knew it meant something along the lines of 'something that couldn't be replaced by money' but that's sort of where the confusion came in too. Ren didn't really understand money. Not fully. It was one of those things you got when you had a real job. The nymph repeated a phrase she'd heard before, talking about the old jacket like a priceless shield, rather than something that could very well be bought.

"The lunch ables are small packed salty food. Convenient. Easy to carry. We can share this one." Ren had already visited the fridge. Part of their ritual when coming to this house. Food in the bowl, grab the yellow box, grab the leash, head out. Wynne had interrupted this routine, but Ren couldn't hold that against them. Despite how much they normally hated changes.

"Oh?" This one carried surprise, a little confusion too. The nymph looked the human up and down, wondering what exactly they planned to do if something bad were to happen. "I suppose two sets of eyes are better than one. Three if you count Perro." Could Wynne even see in the dark? Sense movement in the way Ren was so accustomed to? Oh well. Hardly a thing worth denying the company over.

—

They weren’t entirely sure if it worked for candles. Back at home, they had relied on incense and burning oils to give off scents, the candles only intended to create atmosphere and offer light. But Wynne didn’t see why not. “I guess so. Maybe we can try, one day? I have made candles before. It is fun.”

Maybe that was something they should look for in a job, a place where they could make things. Wasn’t that what they kept coming back to? Obsessively standing in the kitchen, working with their hands. They missed the little processes they had had at home. Making soap. Making wreaths. Making. There was something nice about being able to buy all these things yourself – especially as Wynne often felt they lacked the energy to create anything – but it was somehow less real.

“I’m glad that you got it, then,” they said, and they meant it. Some people said these things to be polite, and though Wynne very much wanted to be a polite person, they also didn’t just say these things. Especially to someone like Ren, who they felt was someone they might grow to like more as time went on. Making friends was odd and strange, but this seemed to be what it was, right? “I am excited for it to be colder again so I can wear my big jacket again myself. I prefer being bundled up.”

They beamed at Ren and then nodded. “Are you sure? I’d like that, I really enjoy trying new food. There’s so many things out there.” Sharing was good. That was something they had learned at home and one of the few lessons that continued to ring true. Life was better when people cared for others in their community. Sharing was a key part of that.

Wynne felt a little doubt at their offer, especially because the knife Emilio had given them was not on their body right now. They took it most places, but not to these little trips across the hall. Maybe they should, considering how Jeff also always seemed to have a knife. They nodded. “Yes. Strength in numbers, right? And it could be fun, maybe. Should we go?” Best get it over with and be home and safe soon, they figured.

—

"Okay. This sounds like it would be enjoyable." The redhead offered a slight smile. In that mildly awkward way they often did. Mind already bristling with ideas, uses, people who would appreciate a gift of a handmade candle. Gael's would smell of pine or coffee, Van might like something sweeter, maybe a floral scent to get rid of the constant pizza odor that she talked about. A longer list of people than Ren ever believed possible followed suit. Leaving perhaps the most influential for last. And only after a pang of guilt hit her like a wave.

Would Darya even like something like that? Or would it be a mistake to try. The nymph never noticed anything around the old woman's house that didn't have a strict purpose. Ren too, fit that description. Only allowed in the matriarchal home when some lesson needed to be learned. Otherwise it was back to the lonely shack at the edge of the vast property.

Ren could have run. At any time. She had the skills to, she'd been pretty much self sufficient since she was about… ten. Wouldn't have been glamorous. (And if not for her excellent hiding skills, she'd probably be gobbled up by whatever predator first stumbled upon her. Hell she was so small back then a particularly ambitious bird could've carried her off.) But it was hard to say if it would have been better. Apparently she never thought so. Something about the purpose the Adelskold family gave her, made it worth whatever isolation she had to endure.

It wasn't like that here. In fact, it was far more rare that Ren ever found herself truly alone anymore. She couldn't decide if that was a good thing. If what felt nice in the moment was better in the long run. Three months ago she wouldn't have even considered allowing the other to come with her on the walk. Especially because it might be dangerous. But now–?

"Let us go then. Before dog has…accidental expulsion."

#wickedswriting #ohwynne #ironheartedfae

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thedawningofthehour · 1 year

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Are some of the council heads in on Draxum’s plan and secretly supporting it from the shadows? Especially now that he has Galois and they realize the amount of money that kid could make for them?

The Council? You mean those guys that are totally not Kraang? Who forbade Draxum from messing with the humans and put a fucking hit out on him when he didn't get off his bullshit? Nope.

Okay, I'm gonna use this as an excuse to ramble, as I often do. Let's talk about what we know about the Council. They know about the prophecy, but disagree with Draxum on its interpretation. It's confirmed that humans drove the Yokai underground in the first place and definitely pose a threat to their kind-yet the Council doesn't want to eliminate them. They're voiced by Transformers. We see them exactly twice, and both times what we see is

Heads. Just stiff, unmoving faces. When they speak their mouths glow in time with their words, and the way the audio is it's implied that they're not talking directly, but through some sort of speaker. And then there's this-

Dispatching Agent 64 to 'keep an eye' on Draxum. And then magically warps him a treat and calls him a good boy. This little exchange gives us a ton of information on the nature of the Council. For one, they have emotions! They might be logic-driven, but they're not soulless like Krang Prime is shown to be. They are not immune to Fluffy Dog, they find them cute and enjoy giving them treats and make embarrassing noises while doing so. Despite this, they don't appear in person to speak to him. They keep their real forms hidden, even from Yokai they seem to trust. They're capable of magic. And finally, they're not omniscient. They can tell Draxum's up to no good, but they need someone to find proof so they can put him on trial.

Considering the existence of the Krang skeleton within the Hidden City and how it bleeds empyrean, how it's confirmed that empyrean is what creates Yokai-the crew was setting the stage for something. I definitely think that the Council was meant to be Rise's Utrom. Potentially, they came with the rest of the Krang dickbags to take over Earth, then pulled a Pink Diamond and went "oh it actually slaps here."

But how this is relevant, the Krang are a hivemind. They don't own individual property, don't even really have their own names. They exist to 'improve' lesser races. They have no need for money, nor the things it could buy them. They would not be fucking capitalists, is what I'm getting at.

As far as the fic goes, the Council are keeping an eye on things and they'll show up eventually. But no, they do not support Draxum. They're trying to catch him with his pants down and get the proof they need to arrest him/take Galois away from him and figure out What The Deal is with all that, but the Draxum/Cass/Galois dream team is covering their tracks very well.

And if we talk about the other big players in the Hidden City, like their elected politicians that operate under the Council and the richie-riches...sort of but not really. The Hidden City is facing a lot of the same problems we are now, with an impending infrastructure collapse on the horizon while their economy and government has been set up for the sole purpose of making a few people as many imaginary bank points as possible. In that the people who have all the power to do anything about the collapse don't give a shit about anything but racking up more bank points and everything's going to hell.

Do those people support Draxum's plot? No. Draxum's plans are not going to make them money-if anything, his plans are a major threat to them. In capitalism, resource scarcity benefits the people at the top. So I've mentioned that there's an impending food shortage due to the limited number of crops they can grow underground. That's fucking great for whoever grows the food. They can absolutely scalp people and people will pay their prices, because they have no other choice. Desperate people are also willing to work more for less, and they care about their rights less when their kids haven't eaten in days. Big Mama and her fellow capitalists? They're excited for this. Sure, they are sinking their own ship for the pleasure of watching those on the lower decks drown, but for a time they can make more imaginary bank points! Draxum's plans would solve a bunch of problems that they're capitalizing on.

Not to mention Draxum's a socialist and he would have a lot of power in this new above-ground society, even if he doesn't want to install himself as king. His plans scare them. His plans would mean they'd make slightly less money. So no, they do not support Draxum.

Galois, however...that's a bit different. Because in someone else's hands, Galois could make someone a whole bunch of money. He wouldn't really want to, but he's a skinny teenager and until recently he didn't legally exist. No government would be looking for him. This is where I side-eye the people calling Draxum a helicopter for being paranoid about Galois being kidnapped because trust me, there are people looking at this kid and licking their chops.

#look if you send me an ask you should be prepared to receive a small novel of only tangentially related information #this is just how my brain works #doth #doth asks

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barbiewritesstuff · 2 years

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Innocent

-- (Title may change) This is different from usual but I thought I would do a sweet Jake x Floyd!OC :) i originally wrote this as a oneshot with a reader character but I think I wrote all the 'you's' out but please tell me if I missed one.

Also, I am flip flopping on this but I think that while Jake is from a family of mainly guys, I do think he had a little sister. On the other hand Bob is absolutely the big brother in a large family

Taglist: @mavswife @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @dempy --

Mom and Dad were downstairs, trying to help her move in while she sorted through her boxes and tidied things a little. They weren’t making much progress, if only because her younger siblings kept running around the parking lot when they weren’t looking. She had asked if maybe they could leave the little ones at home but that had earned her such a glare from her father that she had almost immediately forgotten her initial idea.

There was paperwork to be filled and she had no clue how to do it.

« You need any help ? » A girl asks

« Sorry, my brother usually helps me with these kinds of things. I’m really clueless when it comes to these » She replied. It wasn’t too much to read and she was pretty sure she just had to sign on page one, three and five but she’d read it over and understood nothing. All in all, not being able to understand move-in-day paperwork was probably not a great sign for her university degree but maybe it was just nerves.

« Oh, no worries. You can borrow mine, if you want » The girl said, a smile on her face « My name is Cassie »

« Victoria » she shook the hand the girl held out.

A man walked in, two large cardboard boxes in his arms. He was tall, blonde and very muscular.

« Where do you want these Cass ? » He asked, the same southern drawl in his voice that she had heard when her new roommates spoke

« Over there is fine, » Cassie pointed at an empty spot on the floor near her desk « Jake, this is Victoria. Could you help her with the paperwork ? »

He lowered the boxes down where Cassie wanted them then made his way to her, smiling. Jake towered over her by at least a foot.

« So, where is your brother, then ? '' Cassie asked over a chocolate milkshake a little later in the day. It was just the two of them now, her mom and dad having left almost as soon as the boxes had been unloaded out of the car and with a rushed goodbye.

« He’s navy. So he’s currently in San Diego, learning to become a WSO »

« Oh hey ! Jake’s navy too ! He finished Top Gun a few months ago. He graduated top of the class »

She looked so proud it made Victoria laugh a little.

« Maybe they know each other ? » She said

« I don’t think so, Robert isn’t super sociable »

« Ah… Yeah, Jake thrives on attention » Cassie said

« At least, if they met they’d have something to talk about » Victoria smiled

She knows she met Cassie about three hours ago, but she really likes her. She’s nice and friendly so far, and Victoria finds out later that she’s competitive and supportive in the best way possible.

She has won the roommate lottery too, Cassie’s neat and cleans often, there’s never an argument about chores and if Victoria ever can’t afford the launderette fee, Cassie’s more than happy to give her the money and ignore her pleas to let Victoria pay her back (she does though, Cassie keeps her coat by the front door and whenever Victoria gets paid, she slips the money in Cass’ pocket. Victoria’s unsure her friend ever actually noticed)

It turns out Cassie doesn’t live too far away from college. She admits she only rents a dorm room to get the full college experience and while Victoria thinks it’s a little silly at first, she realises that if she went to university in Wyoming close to home and had the money to do so, she might have done the same.

Their budding friendship stays its course through the first year of college and after a rocky period during the exam period, it grows stronger for the second year. So much so that Victoria found out Cassie asked her parents for permission to bring you home for christmas.

She had warned there would be a dress code : ugly Christmas jumpers during the day, and terrible Christmas pyjamas at night. Going shopping for an appropriate outfit had been very fun and very foreign. Christmas at home for Victoria was a much more formal and religious affair. It was almost sombre, the celebration of the birth of their religious symbol almost overshadowed by the sacrifice He had made to save their soul.

Victoria’s mom and Dad had put up a fight when she asked to stay, but they had relented when they found out that the family budget didn’t allow for a plane ticket. They had made her promise to keep up with daily bible study, morning prayer time and church, which she did, more out of duty than faith.

Cassie’s parents were nothing like Victoria had imagined. They were filthy rich in an old Texan family kind of way, but she wouldn’t have known just by looking at Cass’ father who insisted on dressing like a cowboy at all times. Cassie’s mother was a tall and thin woman who was always kind in a poisonous kind of way. She could insult someone and probably had, and they would have thanked her for it. And Cassie's siblings, bar Jake whom Victoria had already briefly met, were equally unexpected. The youngest of four children, Cassie and Jake were bubbly and extroverted and while her brothers were all by no means shy, they certainly were quieter and more reserved. Her own shyness would have likely hindered any conversation if it hadn't been for Cassie's niece, a curious toddler, and her mother's urgent need to pee.

"Hi, I know I don't know you but do you mind looking after her for a second?"

"Sure" Victoria replied with a smile, uncertain as to why the mother had asked her and not the baby's father or Jake, who were both in the room, but it had seemed like a genuine emergency.

She played with the girl and tried to speak to her a little, quickly falling back into what Victoria did at home in Wyoming with her younger siblings. From the corner of her eye, she could see Jake watching her like a hawk. He was engaged in conversation with his older brother but managed to follow every single one of her practised movements and words. She played with the child until well after her mother came back and by the time someone else noticed Victoria was too busy babysitting to enjoy any of the conversation and too polite to ask the mother to take her daughter back, it was bedtime for the baby.

The air inside the room was hot and the sunset pretty, so Victoria allowed herself to slide open the French bay windows a little and sit on the back porch to watch the golden sunlight sink into the horizon. Her arms were wrapped around her knees in an effort to keep herself warm. The jumper she had bought had made her overheat inside, but outside it proved to be a very flimsy barrier against the biting wind and general cold.

« Do you miss home ? »

Victoria hadn't even noticed Jake sitting next to her.

« Kinda ? I mean I’d like to see them all again but it’s always so chaotic in the house. This is nice though » She looked back inside, Jake’s brothers were playing a board game with Cassie while sipping on hot chocolates and eating cake. It was so quiet and so calm. It made her feel guilty, but this was the best Christmas she had ever had.

« Do you have many siblings then ? » He asks

« Eight, soon to be nine » She said, Jake winced a little « Three sisters and five boys. I’m the oldest girl »

« I figured. You have a surprisingly ‘big sister’ vibe about you »

« What’s that supposed to mean ? »

Victoria is not sure whether to be offended or happy

« I don’t know, you’re caring. Very good with children… You know… »

« Yeah… »

« Do you like college ? » He changed subject, feeling her awkwardness

« It’s kicking my ass, I’ll be honest but I like it better than the alternative, which is going home and taking care of three children under five and waking up to baby screams »

Jake nodded

« Do you like the navy ? » She asked

« I like flying. I like the structure. I could do without the constant moving, but it is what it is » He takes a sip of his beer only to find that he’s emptied the bottle. He stands up, « Do you want a drink ? »

« Nothing alcoholic, please »

« We have coke » He says and she hesitates, sugar this close to bedtime is never a good idea « It’s got Santa on the label »

« Well, you’ve sold it. I’ll take a coke please »

When Jake came back, it was with a coke, a matching glass and a coat. She wasn't sure who it belonged to, because it certainly isn’t hers or Cassie’s but it was warm and comfortable. She slipped her arms through the sleeves. They make her feel like a kid, trying on her parents’ clothes and being dwarfed by the amount of fabric. She giggled.

« You having fun there ? » He asked as she flapped the arms about

« Whose coat is this ? »

« Mine »

« It’s comfy »

« Every class at Top Gun gets them at graduation, your brother will get one »

She looked at the coat, its brown leather emblazoned with patches of his callsign and the Top Gun logo

« Hangman » Victoria said, a smirk on her face. She looked him up and down as though she was trying to figure out if it suited him. He chuckled a little. « Yeah, I think it suits you »

« Well, now you approve, I’ll go ahead and embroider it in the rest of my stuff » He laughs « I never actually asked, what are you studying ? »

«Oh, err, Psychology » She replied

« Didn’t follow your brother’s footsteps then ? »

« I am so scared of heights. I can’t even stand on a chair »

« Good to know, if I need to hide anything from you, I’ll just put it slightly out of reach. It’ll be safe there »

« You are so mean to me »

The sun was down now, and creatures of the night were starting to call out. Their cries creeped her out so she went back inside, Jake right behind her. Cassie noticed them both coming in and she took Victoria aside in private as soon as she could.

« Is that Jake’s Top Gun coat ? »

« Yeah, I was cold »

« You know no one is allowed to touch that thing, right ? I looked at it wrong one day and he nearly threw me down the stairs » Cassie said with a smile

« Ah, well, maybe he took pity on me, all alone and far away from home on Christmas »

Uh huh, Cassie thought, fat chance of that.

She was too innocent, Cassie had decided. She had discovered quite a few things about Victoria a few weeks ago after coming home drunk and pestering her sober roommate into playing 20 questions. Admittedly, it had turned more into an interrogation than a game but Victoria didn’t seem to mind too much.

« Okay, okay… Have you ever … gotten drunk ? »

« No, I don’t drink »

« Have you ever dated anyone ? »

« Err once, but I stopped seeing him when Robert went to basic because there was no one to chaperone me » She replied and Cassie was so shocked by the casual tone of her voice.

« Chaperone ?! Remind me, how old are you ? » She laughed

« I told you ! My parents are strict about these kinds of things »

« I mean I thought you meant like, no fooling around, bedroom door stays open at all times. Not like, chaperoned dates »

« Oh yeah, I got shouted at for like an hour when I held hands with a boy once. I think I was ten ? »

« Oh you poor thing ! »

« It’s fine. It’s not that bad »

Cassie looked at her incredulously

« What did they say about Christmas ? »

Victoria shrugged in a ‘I don’t want to talk about it’ kind of way. She had made that phone call that evening, picking a night where roommate wasn’t home and Cassie now guessed Victoria had done it on purpose to avoid her hearing the shouting that had ensued.

« Are you going to be okay ? I mean it’ll be different »

« I think different might be good »

And different did seem to be good, because Victoria had attended every Christmas they threw since, and even though her mother pretended to be apprehensive about their guest, Cassie knew that the gigantic stocking with Victoria’s name on it hadn’t just appeared one day.

This was the fifth Christmas Victoria attended and the second one she was celebrating with Jake and she seemed to be having fun so far.

« Hey, Victoria, I’m going riding with Matt and Elisabeth. Are you okay to watch Jane ? » Her mom had asked. Cassie was never picked for babysitting duties because she didn’t have the patience to deal with her niece, but she didn’t understand why Victoria kept getting asked when Jake was right there.

« Hey, I’m here too. I can babysit » Jake spoke up before she could.

« Oh, she doesn’t mind »

« Mom, did you even ask ? » Jake said, mom mumbled something and Matt rolled his eyes.

« Do you mind babysitting, Victoria » He asked, making an effort to convey he thought this was a completely stupid discussion to have

« I don’t mind » she lied. She did mind. Cassie and one of her other brothers were icing Christmas cookies, it looked fun and she had planned to join them.

« See, Jake, don’t be so sexist. She’s a big girl, she can speak up if it bothers her »

Jake almost laughed at the irony.

Matt, Elisabeth and his mom left for the barn and Victoria sat down with Jane to play. He nudged her with his foot.

« I’ll watch her, don’t worry. Go make your cookies » He winked at her.

Cassie saw her friend stand up and smile. Next to her, Mike busied himself with a piping bag

« So, what are we betting ? » Mike whispered, bent over the cookies, with his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth.

« Huh ? » Cassie asked

« I say they don’t realise they’re in love and it takes them three years to get together »

« I say they’re together by next Christmas » Cassie replied, well aware that she would do anything in her power not to lose her bet.

#fanfic #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick #top gun x reader #fanfiction #hangman x reader #jake hangman seresin #original fic #jake seresin #hangman top gun

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violet-dragongirl · 9 months

Text

Alright I got time to explain something.

Yes, fuck the Legion in New Vegas (especially Vulpus and his larpin ass).

But also...

*sigh*

The design of how the Legion was supposed to be more fleshed out instead of out right convincing the player (right from the start if you went through the dialogue) that they're only slave driver larping misogynist asshats with a great logistic strategy and bodies to throw at the dam.

More below the cut cos also I have a Love/Hate relationship for this game and not because it was one of the most annoying games to manually install mods for (I did find a solution to at least make vanilla modding so much faster and easier).

Like...Sawyer wanted that and was denied of making a game that sat between the events of FO3 and FO1 and 2, and had a lot of hard/harsh truths that were deeper than what the game delivered. And of course more that he and the devs wanted to put into the game but were ultimately cut out.

The DLC in ways (particularly Lonesome Road and Dead Money) was supposed to at least open a doorway to those questions with viable answers (along with the fact that Ulysses was also supposed to be a companion that is sympathetic to the Legion). But it did so in a manner at the time that still left so much to be questioned and answered for.

I wasn't expecting a War and Peace novel of the complexities of the harsh truths that the writers and devs tried to flesh out over an 18 month period of development. However, I was expecting something more after Fallout 1 and 2, and to have that press and push the envelope just enough to say that there's more to the post-post apoc ordeal that is the Fallout Universe.

Like the game is already not black n white/cut and dry in its narrative even if that narrative was...still not that great.

With all that said, having known of what it could've been still kinda sucks in ways because now it's burned into my head that the Legion is Just Bad With No Nuanced Explanation.

Wait...back up two feet...

It is nuanced but it's cut short. And unless you take the dive and side with them, you'll see that nuance but again, even with some of the later game dialogue that can sway the player to side with them (I'm more or less thinking of when you get to the strip and a disguised Legion messenger comes up and gives you a letter which will partake in a parlay with Caesar*), and even with how Cass tells you (again, kind of a mid-game event/questline) that she even admits that logistically she'd rather deal with the Legion than the NCR solely because they Get Shit Done and know the logistical, and social contract of Don't Fuck With Your Supply Line...

It's still not enough to give the player pause and see what truly makes the Legion tick in my personal opinion--especially given how it's said in the game that they're a band of many conquered tribes that lived east of the Colorado. So like...

¯\_( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_/¯ you're kind of left going Legion Bad.

I still don't like them as a faction, I really don't, but I'm not gonna lie and state that it's never crossed my mind to explore what the game offered as far as siding with the Legion. Maybe I'll do it fully at some point. Emphasis on maybe.

It was already hard enough to deal with the fact that convincing Ulysses to Stop with the whole setting the whole world on fire again was like talking to a giant fire ant that wants to be in an open ended container =\.

The NCR ain't out of this either as they were also supposed to be more nuanced. And in ways they are a more nuanced faction than the Legion in base game/vanilla. The dialogue where the arms dealer at the 188 Trading Post was a clear sign that not everyone was walking the straight and narrow. She had issues with how top brass were ordering her to so something that was more extreme for the reprimand she delivered to them. Along with the fact that greenhorns were 2 weeks out of training and were thrown into the field Just Like That.

Cass is a hardcore NCR sympathizer/patriot. Fine (You're hot Cass, but I'm still docking points girl, they're racketeering cops systematically and seem to be an offset of the Enclave which like...Yikes? Come on Cass think for a second).

But even she sees the issue with this war of the NCR being too spread thin for controlling the hoover damn which can provide electricity and clean water, resources that, yes, ARE very rare given how it's in...you know...a 200 year old post-nuke winter post-apocalypse.

So the game gives the player incentives to dig in further to either or both sides but not enough to really get things to be truly compelling and at the very least, complex enough to be convincing. At least for me. (Not saying they have to convince me and me alone...that'd be dumb.)

In both modded and vanilla playthroughs of the game, as much as I fucked over the NCR (cos I did see them as cops and too close for comfort of feeling like they're Enclave Lite) I also sided with them as far as the whole war between the Bull and the Bear.

Outside of that choice, it was either the Khans, or the Kings. the Followers were...weird so I was always whatever about em.

I never really went into the arc of Jacobstown and the Remnants, partly because before I even got a chance to mod the game, playing on Classic Vanilla and not Fixed Vanilla, the game crashed if I even dared to venture farther beyond the usual main quest route (partly due to save file bloating and easy corruption of the file if it crashed before a save. That and I NEVER trusted the autosave function at all in the game).

And the Brotherhood of Steel…

*Actually thinking it through*...hmm...

Nah…fuck them.

I love you Veronica, you're a neat character, but like...girl your faction is...Not Good Company AT ALL and I'm glad you're aware of that but yeah, hard nope and pass for me still hope it all works for ya :)

I do wish there was more and maybe with the JSawyer overhaul and a few other mods, it can give more, but even then, the inescapable white narrative of it all still...leaves me feeling...meh about the whole game.

With Sawyer wanting a FONV 2 not set directly in New Vegas but in an area in close proximity to New Vegas, well I hope it can get greenlit. At the very least it'll be better to mod manually than the fucking shit I had to deal with (Gamebryo Engine...eugh...I can't imagine how hard it was to work with the engine at the time...well it was an attempt and I see that so still, good on the devs for giving their all...fuck the execs who pushed too hard).

I would get into more of how the game has a good subtle allegory (beyond Dead Money) about Letting Go, and also get into the deets and my opinion about the Honest Hearts DLC but again...for a different time.

*I'm NOT pronouncing his name as Kai-Zar...I don't do that (ㆆ_ㆆ)

#irrelevant babble #Xev talks about Fallout New Vegas #if Skyrim SE does play well modded I might be able to analyze that game later on

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raineydays411 · 3 years

Text

My fathers daughter

prologue

Tony Stark x daughter! reader

Summary: By all definitions you were a daddy’s girl. It’s been you and him since your mom left you both. But what happens when your both forced to face your past?

a/n: y’all know i can’t resist a good crossover

If there had to be a face for daddys girl, you’d be the poster child.

Ever since you came into Tony’s life, you and him have been attached by the hip.

You were with him through everything.

When he became Iron Man, when he joined the avengers, and even during civil war. Even though it hurt you to see your family be torn apart, you could never betray your father. Then again, you have to admit that you were happy that the avengers compromised and were able to get back together. Earning you a new family member in Bucky. You were happy. Happy with the life you have with your dad and avengers.

Which is why your mother suddenly reappearing and demanding to be in your life kinda of peeved you off.

Let’s start from the beginning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It started off with a gala.

Some bougie charity event that rich assholes attend to donate large sums of money, not out of kindness, but only to show just how rich they are. You hated these types of events. You hated the fake smiles and false interest in your life. All they wanted was to get close to your dad. They even try to set you up with their snobby stuck up kids. You hated it.

And here you were, trying to find a way to get out of this boring conversation with some snob from Beverly hills. You can see your dad laughing at you from across the room.

“You know, you look a lot like Mrs. Wayne.” He suddenly says, looking at you.

“Who?” You ask, suddenly paying attention.

“Mrs. Wayne, you know, Bruce Wayne's wife.”

You know who Bruce Wayne was. Your dad absolutely detestes the man. He never really told you why. He just said to never trust a Wayne. You also know that he’s Batman and his army of children are/were Robin. It was pretty obvious and rather easy to figure out. Then again, you were able to hack into the Bat computers main systems. They really need to update their firewalls.

“Um no I didn’t know that he had a wife to be honest.” You reply, not really interested.

“You can pass as her daughter you know? She is very beautiful. As are you.” He says in a flirty tone.

You roll your eyes, seeing your father finishing up a conversation and make your move, but then you hear

“Oh look, there's the Wayne family right there.”

Causing the attention to turn to the main entrance. There you saw Bruce Wayne. Tall, handsome, and charismatic. He was smiling, waving at the host. Next to him, his oldest son Dick. Another very handsome man, Tall with blue eyes and raven hair. Sending charming smiles to the crowds of women. Then Tim Drake, too focused on his phone to pay attention to the crowds, and finally Damian Wayne. A small boy with a sharp scowl. To his left, you can barely make out the form of his wife and his daughter, Cassandra Cain. You can also see Stephanie Brown chatting excitedly to Mrs. Wayne, who you still couldn’t see.

“Jeez, they brought the whole cavalry.” You mutter, looking at the star struck boy you were talking to.

You roll your eyes. The way people worship this family is strange. They act as if they are royalty or gods. You look at your father, expecting him to be making a sarcastic face or something. But that’s not what you saw. No, you saw a look on his face that you haven’t seen on his face ever. That’s when you walked up to him.

“Daddy...are you okay?” You asked cautiously. He turned to you, shocked.

“Y/n!” He practically shouts, “ I’m okay, are you okay? We can leave right now if you’re not okay?”

You frown in confusion, “ Umm yeah, I’m fine...”

“Good, Good. We’re going to leave now, this gala kinda blows. DOn’t you think?”

You can see his eyes dart to the Waynes to you. He looks...panicked. It was weird to you. Usually he keeps his cool during events like these.

“Um sure..I just need to go to the restroom first” You say, seeing him nod. You walk off, shaking off the concern you have for your father. As you push through the crowds, you can hear them whisper as you passed. Something about Mrs. Wayne.

You shake your head, “Can’t they talk about anything else??”

Then you finally find the bathroom. You walk in, expecting it to be empty, only to be faced with Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown. They were chatting near the sinks as you walking into the stall. After doing your business, you walked out to the sink, going to wash your hands, but you saw Stephanie freeze, then nudge Cassandra. They both stared at you as you washed your hands and went to dry them. You give them a side eye, wondering why they were staring at you so hard.

“Um hi?” You say carefully, the jump not expecting you to speak.

“Oh! Hello Im Stephanie and this is Cass” Stephanie says with a smile. “ You’re Y/n Stark right?”

“Uh yeah...Its nice to meet you dudes” You say quickly, already ready to walk out the restroom.

“I’m sorry for staring, it’s just that...you look a lot like her mother” She says gesturing to Cassandra.

You chuckle, “ Uh yeah so I’ve heard...hey I gotta go...”

“Oh right! Sorry heh” Stephanie laughs nervously, “It was great to meet you”

“Yeah” You agree half heartedly, “ You too”

And with that you go to find your father. You pass by the Wayne sons, only to see them take a double take when you pass them.

“God that family is weird.” You mumble seeing your father talking to Bruce and his wife. He looked distressed and angry. You speed up, wanting to make sure your father doesn’t punch Bruce Wayne the way he looks like he's going to.

“Hey dad...um I’m ready to go.” You says with your back turned on the Waynes.

“Y/n..” Your dad says panic exploding on his face, “ Y/n sweetheart um...”

“Yn?” You hear a woman whisper. You turn to see Bruce Wayne and...your mother.

You remember the day she left. It was a sunny day. The kind of days that usually are in good memories and have happy endings. She was supposed to take you to the park so you can meet your dad there. You hardly saw her over the years, just every three months when she would come to the then Stark Tower to visit. But that say...that day was different. She had gotten a call, from who you don’t know, nut it seemed important. Because she left at that very moment and never came back. She never reached out, never called, texted or anything. Just radio silence. Your dad was heart broken. He had hoped that one day she would move in with you and him, and you could be a family. He loved her with his whole heart, but she just didn’t love you both enough to stay. He was a mess after she left, and you picked up the pieces.

You were nine.

If it wasn’t for Pepper stepping in after witnessing one of his breakdowns, you don’t know what would’ve happened.

You stare at the woman who left you, who broke your fathers heart. Who broke your heart.

“Ms. Wayne.” you say curtly, taking pleasure in the way her face fell, “ Mr. Wayne, it’s lovely to see you again. If you’ll excuse me and my father, it seems like he’s not feeling too well.”

You weren’t lying, Tony looked like he was about to puke. His face was pale and he was kinda sweaty. So you wrapped your arm around him and lead him to the entrance, starting to pull out your phone to call Happy.

“Y/n wait!” Your mother cried out, pulling her arm away from Bruce and placing a hand in your shoulder. You jerked your shoulder out of her grasp.

“ Y/n, I know you’re mad at me” she starts, cringing when she hears you scoff, “ But wait a second. Let me look at you...my petal you’re so big.”

You turn and glare at her, “ Don’t call me that.”

“Oh Y/n, please—“You cut her off again.

“Hey i’m just going along with what you want. This is what you wanted right? No contact with us?”

You can see a crowd start to form around you, and you see the scattered Wayne’s push through it. They look at each other in confusion trying to understand how you seem to know their mother.

“ Of course that’s not what I wanted, oh petal I meant to call I just...” She trailed off

“Couldn’t be bothered?” you say harshly, “ I couldn’t care less. Just leave us alone. That should be easy for you.”

You feel your dad tug on your hand, and you turn to him. Eyes softening when you see the expression on his face.

“ Happys here kiddo.” He says softly. You nod and start to walk away. And you hear your mother protest, but you cut her off with a venomous,

“It was nice seeing you again Mom.”

and then you were gone. This time, leaving your mother behind and her confused husband and children.

#tony stark x daughter!reader #tony stark x teen!reader #tony stark x reader #tony stark imagine #dc comics x reader #marvel x reader #batfam x batsis #batfam x reader #tony is a good dad #poc reader #reader insert #avengers x reader #crossover

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iridiscent-aesthetics · 3 years

Note

I just saw your headcanon of az being jealous of gwyn and eris, may I suggest the opposite? gwyn being jealous of az and eris talking.

Oh I LOVE this one! Might be a tad bit tricky but I'm soo very up for it! Thank you @aelingalathyniusrailme for SUCH a great idea!

Gwyn would've found this entertaining. IF it wasn't Azriel there. She was aware of their hatred. Aware that they were literally always at each others throats. But she couldn't help but fume with jealousy while watching them in the training ring take on each other. Blow to blow, matching at each stride. She was watching Eris and Az spar. It began with a heated argument leading to the Autumn court heir challenging the Shadowsinger to spar. And now here they were, since a straight of 15 minutes, sparring. Neither nowhere close to yielding. Gwyn was cursing the redheaded male with all she had for choosing sparring instead of dueling. The absence of the weapons as a bridge and the proximity of their sweaty bodies was too much, nor did it help that neither had a shirt on. The angst, the tension built between them; it seemed straight out of one of her smutty romance books. Gwyn wasn't liking this one bit. "Come on guys, We get it! You're strong and bold. You're Fearless males! There. fed your bloated male egos. Now stop. would you?!" She yelled, throwing her hands in the air frustrated. "Let them be Gwyn, this is far more entertaining than having to listen them arguing to the point of biting each others heads off." Cassian stood besides her crossing his arms and watching them with a hint of curiosity as to who would win. Gwyn bet her money on Az because she would have it no other way, but as much as she hated to admit, Eris was just as good. "Yeah Gwyn. Besides, two of the hottest males fighting, now that's a sight to sore eyes. Enjoy the show!" Nesta chimed in elbowing her, eyeing Cass as he put his hand to his heart and feigned a dramatic expression of pain. Nesta rolled her eyes. "Oh I'll give you a good show Ness." He said scooping her in his arms and took to the sky. Newly mated idiots, couldn't stay away for a minute. Gwyn looked back to the ring and groaned "Well at least take a break!" "Okay!" Yelled Az before delivering a good blow right to Eris's jaw. "Break." There. That should teach the male a lesson for getting all cocky and getting Az worked up. "Going easy on me Shadowsinger?" Eris said rubbing his jaw. Mother! this male's audacity was insufferable! "Wouldn't want to ruin that pretty face of yours, your highness." Az smirked back. Gwyneth clenched her fist. Pretty face?! What in all of Prythian made Az think Eris was pretty! Did he find him attractive? Was he into males? Eris was beyond fine, he was VERY attractive. A strong jaw and sharp eyes with a strong intensity. The male was hot . quite literally. He would make a fit equal to Az. His lethal darkness and Eris's burning fire. She shook her head, No. She was over thinking, Az hated Eris; old bad blood. There was no way he'd fall for him. But she'd make sure of it. Az walked out of the training pit and straight to her, sweat dripping off him. Gwyn couldn't tear her eyes off him. "Enjoying the show Berdara?" Came a teasing Azriels' voice. "Mhmm." She didn't even want to deny it, let him know she was attracted to him. About time it got through that dense head of the Night Court's infamous Spymaster. "Hey Az..., what's your type?" She shot him the question looking everywhere but him. He shot his head to her. "What?" She finally met his gaze. "I'm asking you what kind of people you're attracted to Shadowsinger!" Gwyn was certain her face was as red as her hair now. He looked into her eyes for a hard moment before answering in a low voice. "Redheads. Stubborn ones with a fiery attitude at that. Bonus if they're competitive." He was still looking straight into her eyes, with a small smirk, tilting his head aside as if waiting for her expression, while his shadows were dancing around her in excitement. Gwyn's jaw almost dropped. Along with her heart as it fell to her shoe. She was right. Of course. Of course he was attracted to fucking Eris. Redhead, stubborn, fiery attitude AND competitive. Should've added fire d*ck to the list. "Right." She'd say nothing else. She looked away. "Gwyn?" Came his voice again. Her heart ached as she looked over

to Azriel's concerned face, trying to keep her sorrow reeled in within her. His shadows were frantically jumping around them. "Is everything alright, why'd you ask?" She gave him her best smile. "Yes of course." she waved it off. " just curious." He didn't seem convinced at the slightest but didn't push as he held up a water bottle and drank. Gwyn couldn't stop herself then, She was still his friend, He deserved to be happy, even if not with her. She'd help him pursue Eris. Even if the male would never deserve Az. "So I take it you're into males?" Az choked on the water he was drinking. "What?" He croaked out. Gwyn rose an eyebrow. "Males Shadowsinger, the ones that usually have a d*ck and insufferable egos but pea sized brains?" Azriel looked amused. "You forget that I'm a male too priestess." "Didn't." She muttered and leveled him with a bored stare. "Answer the question Spymaster." Az looked away, his gaze probably searching for Eris. "I've had male lovers in the past. But I've never felt a strong attraction, especially romantic attraction to them over five centuries. Pretty sure nothing's changed now." "Then Eris- how, He's an exception?" Azriel looked at her with a bewildered expression eyes widened. "Eris? What-why, what about him Gwyn?" Gwyn rolled her eyes, hands on her hips, looking down at him. "Quit the puppy eyes act Az. It fine admitting you're attracted to Eris, he's okayish. You'd look good together I guess. Enemies to Lovers arc, angsty slow burn romance,," she shrugged nonchalantly even though she was fuming inside. Az's shadows dropped. To say he was shocked was an understatement. Should he laugh, should he be hurt, or angry maybe? Eris? Of all people in Prythian, HIM? Gwyn though he was attracted to THAT male? "Gwyneth." He started in an emotionless tone face solemn, "What the actual fuck led you to THAT conclusion?" "Oh please. It was evident, for all that being Spymaster and stuff, you sure are obvious about your crushes. I mean for starts, you HATE him, or at least ACT like you do. That's always the first step to enemies to lovers. And then you guys are ALWAYS bantering! Score 2. And did you SEE that tension while you were sparring? AND Flirting with Eris? Its clear as day 'Mr. I show No Emotion'. And Redheads? Seriously Az, could you have even tried and been any more subtle? Az looked at her for a dead half a minute and then burst out laughing so hard that everyone in the training arena were now staring at them in pure shock to see the infamous Spymaster laughing his ass off. Az looked at her, trying to stop laughing, but one look at her angry face and he burst out in fits all over again. Gwyn kicked him good and hard in the knee. "Ouch!" He yelled, not stopped laughing as he held his knee. "Gwyn- I oh Cauldron. Wait." He heaved in and out. "Good shot Berdara." He said with a hint of pride, still chuckling. Gwyn kicked him again. "Nice try deflecting Spymaster." Az shook his head rapidly, still trying to catch his breath. He calmed down and looked at her. "Gwyneth Berdara. My darling. You thought I was attracted to Eris?" He started laughing again. Gwyn grew nervous, "You're not? But you said Redhead, Stubborn, Fiery attitude, Competitive. Eris is all that." "Well I'm not attracted to Eris. AT ALL. Please don't ever say or even think of that again. Please. For the sake of my sanity." Gwyn sighed in relief. "Sorry, I assumed Wrong." But then she tensed again. "But then, if not Eris, then..." She trailed off. If he wasn't attracted to Eris, then who else was it? Redheads? Lucien? Az stood up and held her arms. "Gwyn. Gwyn look at me." She looked up at him with weary eyes. "Can you think of a better Redhead? A stubborn, competitive, fierce one? She's fearless and strong." Gwyn scrunched her nose in thought. A she, was it Vassa? He flicked her nose. "She's a Valkyrie Gwyn." A Valkyrie? There weren't many new ones other than her, Emerie and Nesta, only about two or three. She looked around to see if there were any redheads in them. Az rubbed his hands on his face. "Mother's sake Gwyn,

its YOU." Her eyes shot to his in disbelief. He liked HER? "I- you, me?" She pointed a finger to herself. "You like me?" Azriel was furiously blushing red, he rubbed the back of his neck giving her a sided grin. "Yeah...that's what I'm saying..." Gwyn thought she was going to burst with all the emotions. "I-" Before she could say anything else Eris walked up to them. "Break over yet Shadowsinger?" He smirked. Gwyn growled, literally growled and stepped in front of Az. "Stay away from him Eris, find someone else to play fight. If I see you anywhere near him or talking to him, I swear to the mother, I will rip your throat out." Eris took a step back at her promised violence. "Hiding behind a female, Scared of losing Spymaster?" Gwyn took a step at him, she was certain she'd show Eris hell today. "Leave us alone Eris. I've scored my best win today." He said, looking at Gwyn fondly and putting a hand on her shoulder. Eris snorted and left muttering something to himself. "So..., are we going to talk about how adorable you are when you're jealous and angry? Especially over Eris?" Az teased her with a huge grin and happy eyes "I have no idea what you're talking about." Gwyn shrugged in charming irreverence. His gaze darkened as he looked into her ocean eyes, "You never finished what you were saying before asshole Eris butted in?" Gwyn gave him a soft smile before reaching up to his collar and pulling him down so she could kiss him. She pecked his lips once slightly before letting go and grinning at him while she walked away, leaving Az to process what happened and blush furiously like a teenager. He watched Gwyn walk away in victory. Mother, this female never failed to amaze him, And he was certain that this wouldn't be the last time. For the first time in five centuries, Az found hope. Found himself looking forward for the next day, and the rest of his life. Something sparked in his chest at the thought, A smile unconciously made way to his lips, like every time he thought of Gwyn; and this time, he didnt make to erase it. He'd let it for the world to see, the happiness Gwyneth Berdara brought to his life.

It's not about them talking exactly, but this seemed more fun to write😅

I tried! Not sure if it was good enough, but I've never really tried writing from Gwyn's POV.

Feedback, suggestions and other ideas always welcome!

#gwynriel #acotar #acosf #azriel #gwyneth berdara #azriel x gwyn #gwyn x azriel #gwyn #acosf headcannon #headcanon #eris vanserra

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batarangsoundsdumb · 3 years

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guess fucking what? my inbox is so fucking full right now i'm unloading all of this shit in one post.

For the 11th gotham memes: gothamites react to bruce being jacked in a tiktok he made with kids, like super yoked, ripped as hell

fucking hilarious thanks. i think i did it in one meme post, but i genuinely don't remember which one

i dunno which of the batfam would do this but one time i was sleeping over at a friends house and ended up on the floor bc the bed was so very small and i just stayed there because the rug was soft

that's a drunk jason move i don't know what to tell you

tim and jason are "i listen to pop punk" solidarity. whenever jason highjacks the batmobile theyll go on long ass car rides blaring mcr and paramore and then never talk about it again

as they should!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! tim: no jason it's my turn using the aux cord i gotta put on my jams jason: don't you dare put on weird shit tim: don't worry, you're gonna love this *plays fearless (taylor's version)

hear me out hear me out, red hood stans 🤝 nightwing stans t h i g h s

holy shit yes.

SNL au: Bruce breaks character when pretending to superman and says something like "I'm not superman! You've seen his gps!! It's from 2001!!!" @sabeanybabe

superman flies past the snl building the next day just to say 'actually it's from 2005, i'm not a heathen'

does your back hurt from carrying the batfam fandom

it hurts more from the exotic rock collection i keep in my backpack, but thanks for the concern.

I love your posts by why would you always leave the best parts in the tags?

as a treat for the people that check the tags ;) (and also because i'm committed to the short post aesthetic)

somehow your playlist was everything i never knew i needed. i mean it. this is my new favorite playlist.

and don't you dare get a new favourite playlist!

babe ur stoner tim playlist is exactly too perfect, earth is literally blessed by ur existence

babe thanks so much! i love my stoner tim playlist because it's just my usual playlist but people think it's an artistic choice that i put taylor swift and britney spears in there, when it's just what i unironically like listening to

JANDKSKDK BILLY RAY CYRUS ON THE STONER TIM PLAYLIST I LOVE IT IT

again it's not even an ironic choice, i know every single word and i genuinely like the song

The last chapter of Fundamentals of Casework has me crying at work. Thanks I love it @dudelookitsalesbian

oh babe, i'm sorry, but also, not sorry i love chapter 4 so much it's my lovechild with the 'mental illness' tag

soooo....stumbled on your tumblr by some stroke of fate??? read your DC fanfic first. which is PHENOMENAL btw. then found all the batmemes; the funniest thing EVER bc everyone forgets about regular old gothamites. kept scrolling and your blog pops up as recommended. clicked on the ao3 for shits and giggles and waddaya know?!?!? it's YOU!!! you're LEGEND!!!! ever seen that meme? it's a video of a cat that got into a baseball field and the two announcers get really invested in his escape attempt and start giving a play by play of the cat instead of the game. memeable moment: "GREAT stuff from the Cat!!!"

i seriously think about this ask every single day and it's so fucking funny to me that i've never seen the meme you're referencing, but i still find myself going 'GREAT stuff from the Cat!!!' whenever i see something funny. but wow i'm glad you liked this steaming pile of garbage

Fav dc character overall? And fav batfamily character?

don't ask me to pick between the loves of my life, but i can tell you i've cried about every single batfamily member and also wally west (my beloved)

What's your opinion on fans having a problem with batfam being "too big"? And some even claim that batfam is just "Bruce Alfred Dick Damian" and the rest of them are just "friends and allies" (source: reddit) Personally, I like batfam because of this reason but idk

stupid. a family can never be too big. i'm not that big a fan of like huge batfam stuff with everybody from every single universe, because as much as it's funny for bruce to have like 30 kids, it just feels a little too OOC for me.

This is the best tag I've seen involving the batfam, thanks for thinking of it

This is canon now @nctxrejects

lmao yeah i think at that point alfred has had to sit through like at least a dozen coming out talks and just has a pride flag collection in the attic that he pulls out whenever a kid comes out

idk why batfam hits different as compared to any other superhero family

bc it's found family and usually the other superhero families are almost all genetically related in one way or another

I don't know if you watch the umbrella academy but I saw your last post about batcest and saw the similarities. But the thing is (although I think it's weird) in TUA, they addressed it by saying "they were raised as weapons, not siblings" or something along those lines, which is simply not the case with batfam.

yeah i watched tua but i also thought it was ridiculous and they still treated each other as siblings so i didn't like the luthor/allison thing, and am glad they stopped doing that shit bc it fucking sucked.

Hot take: Batcest shippers are the same people who believe adopted siblings are not actual siblings

smoking hot take: batcest shippers are the people who watch 'my sister got stuck in the washing machine' porn

Duke was adopted by Bruce?

not technically no, but do i, tumblr user batarangsoundsdumb, look like i care?

True story but I had to change my freaking name because it used to be "Damien" and most people would go "OH LIKE DAMIAN WAYNE" like please I'm just tryna live

true story, but i don't actually think of damian when i hear the name damian, literally the first thing that pops up is damian darkh like bruh what?

apparently dc comics company supported comic stores by giving out new titles and stuff during the beginning of the pandemic to help them run and I just think that's wholesome

ah yeah that's so fucking cool, still don't like dc, the company, because this world is a capitalist hellhole and we're all owned by warner brothers or disney with no in between.

ayo looking at tumblr head canons and finding out bruce is actually a terrible father is a punch in the gut

lmao yes, in like 50% of comics bruce is a terrible father and it gives me whiplash

oooh I just saw the jason todd vs winter soldier post and the real question is: batman vs iron man

while iron man has like hundreds of cases of armor, batman could throw out an emp and have the guy dropping out of the sky in 2 seconds.

dickfast = fastdick = quickdick = quickie

magnum hot take

hey bata(?) just thought I'd let you know I have copied the obnoxious emoji and Billy Ray post for use on simping men going forth

thank you 😘🌷 (@spacebarsidecar)

why would you do that to your followers???? i get why i did it, but why would you???

what is scarecrow made the nightwing funko pop himself, like those diy-ers that paint over other ones

oh god no, horrible take, horrible take, that's a disgusting thought oh no

I see your HC that Bruce and Oliver fucked and raise you this: Dick and Roy ALSO fucked

yes they did and it was a horrible moment for jason to find out dick has fucked both of his best friends

"at this rate bruce adds like 1 child to his family every decade or so" Duke is introduced in 2013, Damian as Damian, not as an unnamed child, in 2006. And he is already 14 years old, Robins rarely remain Robins after 16 😬 It looks like a new Robin and Batkid will appear in a couple of years

i mean i can't wait? but somebody will probably die first tho, we're due for another major character death. my money's on either cass or duke this time.

BRO you're so right all of your Bruce's ex headcanons are amazing but they aren't ships, that's kinda wild. Like I don't want any peeks into how their relationship was I just want to see everyone make fun of them

lmao YES it's just i love bruce being a slut, like good for him.

I am in love with your posts your honour thank you

omg thanks are we like,, gonna kiss now?

The justice league needs to have a meeting to discuss how many of their members/partners have slept with bruce. Because through a combination of cannon & fannon (if DC wasn’t homophobic) we have AT LEAST: 1) clark 2) lois 3) oliver 4) dinah 5) john

Thats not counting villains or random civilians @dudelookitsalesbian

yes yes yes, they'll have a yearly meeting about how many of their collective exes could be out for revenge and batman's list just keeps getting longer.

tim was like "i'm drake now" and everyone was like ahh so your fursona is a dragon and tim was like pffffft no. ducks.

and what about it?

when steph's fighting livewire and she zaps her with lighting and nothing happens and then they both just. stand there awkwardly for a second and talk. yeah i couldn't stop laughing at that batgirl steph is the BEST

oh yeah that was fucking hilarious and i think it would be so cool and sexy of dc to give steph a little comic series,,, as a treat

Hi I absolutely adore all of yours "Bruce and Oliver very badly pretending they didn't fuck each other" memes

lmao i do too

I need you to know that “Bruce Wayne had frosted tips” is one of my favorite Bruce takes of all time it’s so galaxy brained. you’re right and you should say it

he also painted his hair blonde once when he was travelling and in conclusion, this is why he's being blackmailed by the gotham gazette.

you know my thing about gordon being branded as the only good cop in gotham is its a load of shit like arguably he's a good person and not working to screw people over or anything but the fact that he also works w. batman makes him a shit cop. like yea batman is better than the mob but its still illegal its still an abuse of power he just not making bank

babe, all cops are bad cops. (but yeah youre absolutely right, working with vigilantes makes you a shit cop, but also working against vigilantes just makes you an asshole cop yanno?)

ruh roh i think i’m about to add “so not yeehaw” every time i don’t like something

that's a very good vocabulary upgrade

somehow i feel like steph already knew. like babs obviously knew but i feel like bruce got high/drunk in front of steph and started telling his boarding school stories and steph was just like “oh you fucked up i’m never gonna forget this”

steph and bruce have weird uncle/rebellious niece dynamic and they just hang out sometimes and bruce will be like 'i once broke my arm when i tripped over a hedge when i was drunk so oliver drove me to the hospital on an electric scooter' and steph will just have to sit there with that knowledge in her head.

Hello I just wanted to tell you you are So right in all your steph opinions bc she is, in fact amazing and I think that's very sexy of you. Ps. Your Bruce/Oliver fic is hilarious

babe, thank you so much and yes steph is amazing and i love her and she deserves the world and she's the best member of the batfam hands down. also thanks

In Supersons we see a couple of kids that are implied to be Damian and Jon's children and the boy has laser eyes and can fly, so I asume he's not adopted. The girl, who calls Bruce grandpa, can also fly, btw. So it's canon (probably by accident) that Jon can have kids and he must have married one of Bruce's kids. (I'm hoping for Damian, mostly because any other of his children would be waaaaaaaaaaaaay too old.) @artemisa97

lmao that was probably an accident seeing as jon is a 17 year old superhero in the year 3000 (by the jonas brothers)

You know, I'm a die hard fan of your memes, but I gotta say one thing: if Gothamites actually took gas mask everywhere with them, then the Scarecrow would just be a weird dude in a weird costume, and not a villain oh so scary. DC really should just takes notes from you.

bold of you to assume there's no gothamite anti-maskers

How does it feel being the funniest person on this app?

horrible, next question.

I can't listen to Green Day or Billy Joel without thinking of your post about how Bruce got arrested at a Billy Joel concert @nightwings-kid

yeah that's your mistake, i on the other hand can't enjoy billy joel without thinking about the glee rendition of 'uptown girl'

I've FINALLY been watching the Batman animated series and I gotta say, after watching "the gray ghost" I am CONVINCED that Batman is a closeted super hero geek who was 100% freaking out the first time he met Superman and is just REALLY good at hiding it.

superman: so what do you do in your free time? batman, thinking about the superman fanfiction he's writing on the batcomputer: i have no free time

bruce and oliver be like boyfriends to co-workers 401k (do the justice leagues get 401ks??? not that bruce and ollie would need them, but-)

lmao yes just 400 thousand words of bruce realising 'oh dip oliver is such a fucking dumbass' (also i don't know what a 401 k is but i assume they don't?)

Gothamites would totally boo superman as he saves Gotham while batman is out. @meenje

he's like 'okay think about that next time you want to be saved from an alien octopus'

I just took long break from dc comics and I come back to see ric grayson ??

i think it's very cool and sexy of dc to see dick and just think 'you know what? let's just give him a traumatic brain injury' and then didn't develop his character in any real way

SPEAKING OF RIC GRAYSON, gothamites making confused memes out of ric grayson is much needed

'dick grayson is my taxi driver? can anyone explain what the fuck happened he looks like an italian plumber?'

i hate to say it but batfam are def "marvel characters" in that sense they are characters who are human but become superheroes unlike most dc characters who are gods trying to be human maybe this is why I like batfam

fair enough

#this is only like half of it #but at least you can get like a few answers #yanno fuck it #bataranswers #ask #asks #anon

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why-this-kolaveri-machi · 3 years

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whumptober day 10: crying

slightly more straightforward h/c this time!

summary: set after the ric grayson/joker war arc in nightwing.

dick’s been missing for two months. jason finds him first, but it’s just the first step in finding how very, very lost dick really is.

warnings: SPOILERS for the aforementioned nightwing arcs. plentiful cursing. moderately graphic descriptions of injuries.

crying

The last time Jason received a family-wide SOS to help them rescue Dick, the guy was a twice-brainwashed mess whose brain was being pulled in opposite directions by the Court of Owls and the fucking Joker, and that was after said brain had been shattered by a fucking sniper’s bullet. (And a period of being left to fend for himself with a broken brain in between, but Jason doesn’t really like to think about that.) This time, he doesn’t know quite what to expect. He can’t imagine things have gotten even worse than the last go-around, but then again, Jason knows from personal experience that there’s no end to the list of ‘things that are worse than dying’.

Besides, the alert came from Babs. And, in quick succession, Tim, Bruce, Duke, and Cass. If nothing else, Jason is curious.

Dick disappeared from Bludhaven about two months ago. The reason the oh-so-precise Bats have the word ‘about’ in that statement is because nobody can really pinpoint the exact date it happened. Donna can recall dropping by his place ten weeks ago. Tim maybe exchanged a few emails or text messages a few weeks ago but didn’t really get alarmed about Dick not responding to his messages until the radio silence stretched for over a month. Bruce had his trackers on (that bastard) but Dick hates them and is known to destroy the ones he finds. And they can’t even really depend on reports of Nightwing sightings in the city because having his brain knocked around and pulled apart like taffy means Dick takes regular holidays from patrols if he’s not feeling particularly steady that day. (Look what being sensible and having a smidgeon of a sense of self-preservation got him.) And the CCTV in his apartment complex was shit, so.

It’s almost like it was a planned thing, like he was kidnapped, but honestly it’s how things go and how they’ve gone for a very long time: they drift in their own worlds for long periods until an event brings them together, and then it’s back to being scattered across the country again (or sometimes the world, or sometimes the galaxy). Dick is more prone to this than most; he’s probably gone undercover more than any of them, and he’s lived the longest on his own as well.

Even after the clusterfuck that was the last year and change, it’s nothing new. And if that isn’t the most fucking depressing thing that Jason’s had to think about today, it turns out that not only have the Family figured out where Dick is, but that Jason is the one that’s closest to his location.

So here he is, shivering, on a particularly icy night on the Gotham docks, scoping out the warehouse where Dick’s supposed to be. It’s not very well-guarded, which either means there’s nothing in there and this is a massive waste of his time, or that it’s a trap and what’s waiting on the other side is a fucking bomb or something even worse. It’s not a great situation to be in either way, and Jason’s got half a mind to have Tim or even Bruce take over--but it’d take too long for them to get there and Jason’s never been fond of the idea of handing over to someone else anything that he could potentially do by himself.

Besides, like he said, he’s curious.

He crouches down at his vantage point overlooking the warehouse and presses the communicator in his ear. “Two guards in front but nothing else; the place is practically abandoned. Infrared picking up three people inside.” He shifts his weight from one foot to another, bracing, ready to spring. “I’m about to go in.”

Tim grunts. “I’ll be there in fifteen, give or take a couple.”

“Twenty,” Bruce says. Then: “Hood, you--” An uncharacteristic pause, and Jason can feel the sudden, uneasy chill across the entire comm channel. Bruce clears his throat. “Be careful. Assess the situation first. Don’t engage alone unless it’s an emergency.”

There’s a thanks for stating the obvious on the tip of Jason’s tongue, but something about the gravity of the situation, the mildest quaver in Bruce’s voice (he’s been missing for two months, god, two months) has him say, instead: “Roger that.”

Jason makes quick work of the guards in the front, leaving them in unconscious heaps on the ground before he creeps in. They’d hardly put up a fight, which just makes Jason’s stomach twist in anxious knots. The anxiety is made worse by the complete lack of resistance when he’s actually inside: there are only two huge, cavernous rooms, and one of them has two of the three people that he’d detected. They scatter as soon as they see him and Jason considers chasing, but now his nerves are stretched so taut that he thinks he’s going to vomit if he doesn’t see Dick now--

The night-vision on Jason’s helmet catches a figure sitting, slumped, in the corner of the room. A chain connects a manacle around its ankle to the wall, and another between the same wall and… a collar around its neck. Jason’s blood is already boiling before he steps closer and recognises the figure as Dick. His hair is long and shabby, having grown past his chin, curtaining his face. He’s shirtless but wearing ripped, stained jeans. His hands are cuffed in front of him, the thin metal biting into his wrists enough to leave his hands puffy and slightly purple from the lack of effective circulation. He looks considerably thinner--Jason can just about count the ribs under his skin--and every visible part of his torso is painted in bruises in various stages of healing. And--

--and he’s breathing.

Well, thank fuck. That’s a start.

Jason crouches in front of Dick and presses his comm again. “Found N. Little worse for wear, but alive and safe.”

He ignores the immediate clamour of questions from the others to focus on trying to get Dick awake. He brushes Dick’s hair aside and gently lifts his chin to have a look at his eyes.

Dick smiles at him. “Hey.”

Jason is beset by an onslaught of emotion that’s part relief, part incredulity and part anger, so much so that he thinks he’s going to fucking burst with the pressure of it. Of course that would be the first thing out of Dick’s mouth--hey--like he’s meeting Jason for cocktails after work instead of being rescued after two months of captivity and torture! Well he can take that hey and shove it right up his fucking--

“Is there anything else here we need to worry about,” Jason says, busying himself with picking the locks on Dick’s manacles so that he doesn’t snap and say something he’ll regret.

Dick shakes his head. He’s got a shaggy beard going and he stinks of sweat and urine and filth, but there’s a sense of… togetherness to him, like he’d always known that Jason was going to show up at this exact minute and that had always been part of his plan. “They scattered as soon as they got word that you guys were coming,” he says, voice thin and raspy. “I guess not enough of them were curious to stick around to find out why so many capes would be coming for me.”

Jason pops the manacles and collar loose and goes to work on the cuffs. “So you weren’t taken as Nightwing.”

Dick sighs, then winces as the motion pulls on the gigantic bruise around his neck. “I wasn’t taken as Dick Grayson, either.”

The cuffs come off with a click. Jason stares at him. “So… what, you were just some poor mug they picked up off the streets to… torture for shits and giggles?”

Dick is silent for a moment. His eyes flick to a point behind Jason and back again. “They knew me as Ric.”

It takes a moment for the name to click in Jason’s brain, but he finally remembers that it was what Dick called himself during his brain-injured year in Bludhaven. “Why would Ric have enemies?” he says, without thinking.

There’s that smile on Dick’s face again, but this time it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Ric did have a life, Jason. And friends. And… enemies.” He begins to move, bare feet shifting against the floor and shifting his weight onto his hands as if he’s trying to figure out a way to stand up, but barely manages an inch of elevation before he runs out of energy, breathing heavily. “Ric--I used to fight. Street fights. Involved a lot more money and people than I remembered, and… apparently a lot of people felt betrayed when I just up and left the city one day. I’ve been fighting matches here almost every day.” A sudden, sharp grin. “I haven’t lost yet.”

Jason--stops. Utterly freezes, hands midway to helping Dick sit upright, because there’s something terribly, terribly wrong here. “Why didn’t you ever try to escape? And how--I mean, in the first place--”

How did you even get caught?

To Jason’s horror, tears start rolling down Dick’s face. His expression doesn’t really change, so Jason’s not sure that Dick’s even aware that he’s crying, but right now Jason is already halfway to being mortified. “I was on my way back from the gym,” Dick says finally, “and I think I--I blacked out. It happens sometimes.” Dick gives a wet laugh. “Talk about bad timing.”

“And--and what, you blacked out for two months?”

At this Dick’s face crumples, and suddenly Jason gets it: this is a man pushed and pushed to the end of his rope and beyond, utterly exhausted, past the point of caring who knows about it or why. “I guess…” Dick swallows. “I didn’t really see the difference. Between--between here and out there.”

Jason wants to scream, shake his shoulders--a shameful part of him even wants to hit Dick--and tell him that of course it was different outside of this stupid, dank warehouse: he has friends and family and a lifetime of experience to support him while he flies free. It’s ridiculous to even compare the two, and Jason is ready to put these words down to the effects of too much pain and too little food.

Except--

(plucked you right out of one life and stuffed you into another, didn’t they? treated you like a puppet without a past and a future, didn’t they? didn’t let you entertain the idea of a different life even for a minute, did they? punished you for straying, reminded you there was just too much at stake, and that those stakes were always, always bigger than you or your health or your happiness or your future--)

“Dick, I--” Jason really doesn’t know what to say. Tim says, “ETA five” in his ear while Bruce says, “Right behind you, Robin” and Jason knows, just knows, that this isn’t how they would want to see Dick, and more importantly, this isn’t how Dick would want them to see him.

He gathers Dick in his arms and presses him to his chest. Dick freezes for a second, surprised, then melts into his embrace. His shoulders shake, hands coming up to weakly grasp at Jason’s jacket. The sobs reach a crescendo quickly, a pathetic keening muffled into Jason’s chest, before tapering away and Dick is still, just… breathing.

Jason breathes with him.

That’s how Tim and Bruce find them a couple of minutes later. Dick peels away and somehow musters the energy to reassure them. Bruce helps him up and carries him to the car while Jason follows; just as Dick’s lowered into the backseat his hand shoots out, grasping Jason’s arm in a silent plea.

Jason gets in with him. Neither he nor Bruce say anything through the whole drive at the tears that continue to pour down Dick’s face, but Jason doesn’t let go of his hand for the whole ride.

#nightwing #my fic #dick grayson #jason todd #red hood

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