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miss-choco-chips · 3 years

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F’coffee

-.-.-.-.-.-

Honestly. What did Bruce even think would happen? He should have known better.

Tim wasn’t Dick, indoctrinated from a young age to be a good, somewhat (when convenient) obedient son. Tim only went along with Bruce’s shit because, more often than not, it aligned with what he himself wanted. He also wasn’t Damian, so easily manipulable when one knew which buttons to push. And he certainly wasn’t Jason, who would sink his own ship to kill the captain.

So, when Tim and Bruce fought, and his adopted father decided to pull the ‘you live under my roof and work in my company, so I’m the boss all the way through’ card, well…

Yeah. Tim wasn’t going to take that lying down. He had a childhood of zero authority figures to obey and an overabundance of sass, plus a complete lack of fucks to give.

It was bound to go down like this.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

And, well. Tim had money. Like, an absurd amount of money. Even before being adopted by playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne, Tim had his own no small fortune stashed away, a couple of properties gathering dust, two trust funds and more antique cars that he knew what to do with. So he could just… burn through that money, or sell the cars, or make a living of renting the buildings he owned, and he would barely even scratch the surface of his deep wealth.

But it wasn’t about being able to live comfortably with minimum effort. Tim was trying to prove a point here. What point, fuck if he knew. But a point.

So here he was, on the other end of the wooden counter, a cute red cap falling over his eye as he looked dead into his friend’s eyes.

“Tim. Tim, you’re rich. Why are you working in a coffee shop?”

Seeing as Kon and Cassie were currently too busy being shocked, Tim shrugged and went back to cleaning the cup in his hands.

It was a plastic cup. It didn’t need cleaning, he could just toss it away. But it was his favorite plastic cup, and he was gonna save it as a family heirloom forever.

(The fact that the pretty customer from the morning shift had drawn cute little doodles all over it had nothing to do with it’s worth.)

“Teenage rebellion”, he finally said, carefully putting his treasure away.

“You are twenty.”

“Time is a social construct and I’m but a slinky falling down an endless flight of stairs.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Your face doesn’t make any sense. How is it so symmetrical? It defies nature.”

-.-.-.-.-.-

“What can I get for you?”

“I'll have a mocha caramel latte-chino, made with skim milk, no whipped cream.”

“Bart, no.”

“Please put that in a grande cup”

“I’m begging you, don’t do it.”

“But use the same amount of coffee that you'd put into a tall.”

“I’m warning you, you don’t want to do this.”

“That way there's about an inch of extra room on top.”

“I wish you had an extra inch so I could look straight into your eyes when I murder you.”

“To stir in my own nutmeg without spilling any coffee at all.”

“You’re dead to me. Also, I AM going to make you that drink and you WILL finish it or so help me God.”

“What do you want, Kon?”

“To not be here when Tim’s looking like he’s planning both our unsolved murders.”

-.-.-.-.-.-

When Kon entered the shop, the messenger bag slung over his shoulder bumping against his hip as he rushed in to get his caffeine intake before his evening classes, he wasn’t surprised at the scene.

Cassie being there was a given, since there was always at least one of them there at all times, supporting Tim in this ‘independence’ thing he was dead set on trying. Kon himself had his Tim Shift later that day, after his creative writing course. Bart had probably just left, considering the amount of empty cake platters littering the counter.

Tim being face down in said counter, uncaring about the mess, was also old news. The dude barely ever seemed to leave (Kon was almost completely sure he actually owned the place, since he’d never seen any sort of manager and Tim’s hours seemed to work around his weird sleep patterns all too perfectly), and distraught was his general state of being, so. Normal day as far as he could see.

Still, he had to ask. “What is it today?”

Cassie, eyes never leaving her magazine, chin resting in one hand as the other one scratched at Tim’s scalp, snorted.

“A cute boy started working in the tattoo place next door. He came in for a morning fix, when Tim was barely awake, and he said something stupid, so he’s been having an existencial crisis ever since.”

“I said ‘you too’, Kon. He said ‘thanks for the coffee, I’ll enjoy it!’ and I said ‘you too’. What is wrong with me?”

Kon snorts a little. Tim doesn’t seem to be very interested in doing his actual work, so he just jumps over the counter and starts working the machines himself.

“You know that’s a question you can only ask your therapist, Tim, but if you need to know, I’d say you’re highly sleep deprived and a dysfunctional bi?”

At that, Tim does turn to look at him. There’s some cake frosting clinging to his eyelashes, and his hair is a mess. It looks cute, to be completely honest, and Kon has to leave his unfinished latte on the side so he can hug the little shit.

“Aw, don’t pout, Timbo. I’m sure he thought you were cute. Just try to sleep a bit more tonight, so when he comes back tomorrow you’ll be a little more alert and won’t embarrass yourself.”

“What do you mean, when he comes back?”

“I mean, if he works next door, he’ll probably get his morning coffees here all the time, right?”

That seemed to drive Tim back into the distraught spiral. He smashed his head back into the counter, making dying whale noises until Cassie’s hand returned to his scalp.

Kon privately thinks Tim’s life is starting to sound like fanfiction. He wonders which type of background character he would be, in it.

-.-.-.-.-.-

The shop is called F’coffee. That’s why Cassie is convinced Tim is the actual owner; no one else would really think that’s a proper name for a serious establishment. Kon isn’t convinced all the way yet, but with Bart on her side and Tim staying silent on the subject, it is just a matter of time until she convinces him it’s totally okay for him to do his gym routine there. She thinks, with Tim being his own boss, no one would tell him to stop it, and it would help his friend’s business to bloom with new customers.

The place's general aesthetic is exactly what you would expect, with old wooden tables, comfy chairs, potted plants hanging from the walls and tall windows just a little bit stained. The smell is constantly of the strongest brew Tim has, Death Coffee (which he’s actually not legally allowed to sell, so he keeps it for himself), and just setting a foot in makes her feel instantly awake. It's also always warm, and the sweets on display look mouth watering no matter your personal preferences.

In short, it looks like something out of a movie. It’s a tad too perfect for her friend, but she thinks it also fits his obsessive need for perfection.

Except for the board. Oh, the board. Cassie loves it more than life itself.

Tim has divided the drinks in categories. And made up names for all of them.

“Yes, hello! I’d like to order a grande, iced, sugar-free vanilla Latte, with soy milk, but I can’t seem to find it in your menu…”

Tim’s dead eyes turn to Cassie for a second, before facing his customer again.

“You’re probably looking into the Normal People section”, he points out, before raising his hand to signal a bit to the left. “There you have the Pain In The Ass selection. There’s nothing just like you asked, but you have the It’s Britney Bitch beverage, which is almost exactly the same except I’ll add a middle finger drawing in the cup and charge you extra for emotional damages. Also, we’re out of soy milk.”

Or…

“Hey, good morning! I’d like to order…”

Tim raised a hand, stopping the chirpy, good looking young man dead in his tracks.

“Don’t tell me, I know what you need. I’ll just go ahead and prepare it.”

“But you don’t even know what I/”

“You’ll have a Cougar Bait. It has cacao cream, a strawberry pucker and some grenadine seeds. I think it's fitting, for you.”

And also…

“Hey, hum… Sorry, I just have to ask… what’s on the ‘Barista’s heart’ drink?”

“Cacao powder, almond milk and espresso. Also some organic coconut ash, that gives it the blacker-than-night color, that’s just a shade lighter than my soul.”

“...noted.”

Cassie snorts into her cup of Jack it up (coffee that tastes just like a Jack Daniel’s; having Tim working here has opened up her eyes to the possibilities), watching as Tim makes his own usual.

“What’s in that one?” She asks, out of curiosity, when she’s sure there’s no other customer close by.

“Six espresso shots.”

She waits for a second. Tim finishes the drink, carefully handling the dark liquid inside his favorite plastic cup.

“...okay, and?”

“And that 's it.”

“Tim, that-- that would kill you?”

“Duh. Why did you think it was called The Last Sip?”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

179 notes · View notes

catxsnow · 4 years

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YOU NOT HIM T.D.

Request: Can i request reader liking dick but he reject her because she is too young or something lol. But then tim has a crush on her and she slowly starts to fall for him. Then dick regrets it. Pretty please? 🙏 Thanks!

Warning: angst, mentions of blood, if you squint really hard mentions of sexual content, fluff

A/N: This might be one of my favourites 🥺🥺

Word count: 5.1k

Bruce Wayne was somehow able to adopt all attractive children. Every single kid that he had living under his roof turned out to be ridiculously handsome later on in life. Dick, the oldest - a ladies man through and through. Jason had his whole 'bad boy' persona - though you knew him well enough to know he was nothing but a sweetheart.

Tim was nothing but lovable. He was kind and sweet to you since the beginning. Even Damian who was still young was going to grow up to be just like his father. They were all incredibly good looking people - all of which had made you weak in the knees.

You had been running alongside Bruce and his family for a couple years. Long enough to have known their identities and long enough to be an equal with them. It was had being a sidekick to the great Batman, but you had made do. Being partners with Tim worked fine, but the moment he left, you did too.

Years of training, hard work, and pining over Dick Grayson. The only problem being - he was twenty-six and you were just past the age of eighteen. Far too young for him and in his eyes, way too immature. That didn't stop you from liking him more and more every time you saw him.

You had even gone out of your way to move to Bludhaven to be closer to him. Working more cases in the night with him, getting every chance that you got to be with him. You were hopelessly yearning for him.

Dick Grayson was perfect. He was kind, patient, a total badass. In all your time of knowing him, he always took his time with you no matter the situation. If you couldn't get a proper training move down, he'd stay with you until you got it. Having trouble with your school work - he'd sit with you and figure it out.

He truly was the perfect man, and you wished nothing more to know if he felt the same way. So, the next time you saw him - you risked everything. You told Dick of your feelings for him, how you wished to be together and be the one to love him. You spilled your heart out to him, hoping that he would accept you.

As you should have known, he didn't. Dick saw you as nothing but a little sister he never had. You were far too young for him. His love for you was always there, just not in the way that you had hoped. Heartbroken, you assured him that you understood him and that everything was okay. As long as you didn't lose him forever, that was what mattered the most.

You were thankful that Dick didn't make things awkward between you. Every time you saw him it seemed just like old times - but now you knew not to get your hopes up anymore. Dick had made his choice, and he wasn't going to change it.

With a broken heart, you moved back to Gotham. Back to working with Batman and Robin- neither of which you were fond to be back with. Things weren't the same, Bruce and Damian didn't need you anymore. You would fly solo unless it was some sort of big raid - often times having to go home to an empty apartment where you would have to sew your own wounds.

You missed what your life was like in Bludhaven. Going back would be too hard, you needed to distance yourself from Dick, let these feelings simmer away until there was nothing left. At least, you hoped that was what was going to happen.

Another night of Gotham and another night of blood soaking through your suit. It had only been a few weeks since you had been back but it felt like a lifetime. Gotham was draining and you forgot how terrible it treated you.

"Heard you were back in town," a voice called out. You were in the bathroom, trying to stitch up the cut along your torso. The sudden arrival had caused you to jump, making your wound even worse. "Oh fuck, sorry."

Tim Drake stood at your door. He wore jeans and a t-shirt that showed just how much stronger he had gotten since you had last seen him. You glared at him between winces of pain. Tim carefully grabbed the needle and thread from your bloody hands, wordlessly taking your place and finishing the job.

"What the fuck, Tim," You snapped. Since being home, you were in no mood to speak to anyone of the Wayne family. It was nice being on your own for a while. Besides, he was supposed to be with the Teen Titans right now. "What are you doing here?"

"Heard you were back in Gotham," He repeated earlier. His stitching jabbed you a little too violently and you jerked at the pain. Without realizing you had latched onto his thigh to try to dim the searing hurt that ran up your body. You never noticed Tim's breathing catch in his throat and the heat that crawled up his neck. "Thought I'd come by and see you."

"How'd you find me?" You asked. You never told anyone where you had set up your new home. Tim only gave you a look - of course. He knew how to find you, he could find anyone if he so wanted to it wasn't too difficult. You appreciated him for going out of his way to meet up with you.

Tim finished the last stitch and wiped away the rest of the blood that stained your skin. He placed a white bandage over it and stretched his back from being crouched for so long. Without missing a beat, he followed you to your room, watching you rummage through your drawer to find a t-shirt to wear.

"I'm guessing you didn't just come for a visit," You continued. Tim leaned against your door, arms crossed over his chest. While he explained himself, you went out to clean up your weapons used from the night, something to keep you busy and your mind off the idea that he might bring up Dick's rejection.

"I came to see if you wanted to join me," He announced. You raised an eyebrow at him. So many times you had explicitly stated that you wanted no part of any team. After learning everything from Batman, you picked up on his undesirable trait of not wanting to be part of a team. Whether it was the Justice League or the Teen Titans.

You scoffed and pushed past him to retrieve your bloody suit. It would need to be fixed and cleaned up before tomorrow night. Tim followed you through your small home. He had wanted you to join for a long time, now that you were done your little escapade in Bludhaven, it was the perfect chance to convince you.

"Come on, you're coming home with wounds every night and I'm worried about you," Tim tried to change your mind. Your eyes narrowed at his words - this hadn't been the first time that he had seen you in Gotham.

"You've been following me?" You asked, but more so looking for confirmation. Tim hung his head in shame. He felt like an idiot for letting that slip - you shouldn't have known about it. It had been several days that he had been in Gotham. Bruce knew, he never told you until now.

"I was worried about you," Tim confessed. "I heard about what happened with Dick and I didn't want you to do anything drastic." More like he was hoping that he could be the one to swoop in and win your heart. You were only a year older than Tim, but while you were pining after Dick, he was pining after you.

Those years as being partners he had fallen in love with you. He loved the way that you were so excited to save people, how you were so easily able to solve problems, and the way you smiled when you were excited. This whole time, you hadn't noticed because you were so busy with trying to sway Dick.

You cringed at him revealing knowing about what happened between you and Dick. That was the last thing you wanted to hear come from him mouth - it was embarrassing. You didn't even want to think about what it would be like if Damian found out what had happened; he would never let you hear the end of it.

"I'm not going to work with a team of kids," you kept up with your answer.

"They - we - aren't kids. I just thought maybe you'd like some fresh faces," Tim argued. The selfish part of him wanted you to come just because he wanted to see you. He wouldn't tell you that, not yet anyways.

You had to admit, the idea of getting out of Gotham and seeing some fresh faces sounded a little too perfect to you. It would be nice to put Batman and Co. on the back burner until this stupid flutter in your heart for Dick went away. As much as you didn't want to join a team, it was your best option.

The bloody suit in your hand dropped to the ground. Maybe it was time for a completely new revamping. New name, new suit, new team, new city. You had been the same vigilante for years - Dick, Jason, even Tim had all grown out of their original stage and into something new. Maybe it was time for you to do so too.

"You know what? Fuck it."

"Tim!" You screeched. Your face was bright red from all the blood flowing to it. Everything was viewed upside down and you were starting to get dizzy.

It had been well over a year since you had joined the Titans. They were all excited to see you there, many faces that you had never seen before and even more that you liked to consider friends. Bart, Kon, Cassie - you were all so excited to see them. Joining this team seemed like a pain but the second you stepped into the tower you knew you made the right choice.

Your new persona made you feel alive again and you were more ready than ever to get back out on the streets to kick some ass. This new life that you created here, it was something that you never thought you would be able to do. For the first time in a long time, you felt happy, at home. Something that never truly happened at the Manor.

"Tim! Let me go!" You laugh echoed through the massive room. The two of you had been training - though at that moment neither of you were taking it seriously in the slightest. Tim had grabbed you by the thighs and hauled you over his shoulder, running around and not letting go.

You slapped his ass, hoping that it would be enough to get him to let you go. Instead, he slapped yours even harder. Thankfully he set you back down on the ground, but didn't considering letting you out of his hold. Tim pulled you against his chest, kissing you long and sweet to make up for his behavior.

"Sorry, my love," Tim smirked. No he wasn't.

Maybe the reason that you were so happy with you new life was because of Tim. Tim Drake had been the one to convince you to change homes, and the one to wiggle his way in to mend your broken heart. He had stood by your side through thick and thin, doing everything in his power to make you feel better.

Along the way, he had also gotten you to fall in love with him. Dick was out of your mind, every thought now consumed by Tim. The first year you were there, it was incredible to see such a change within you. Everyone saw it - Bart making the most fun of your growing feelings for Tim. Feelings that you denied for a very long time.

Everyone could see how hopelessly in love you were with each other. You hadn't been able to believe if for a long time. Tim was your friend, your partner - not a lover. There was no way that you saw him like that, right? You had never been so wrong in your entire life.

Maybe these feelings for Tim had always been there. Maybe you were just too busy following Dick around that you didn't have the time to realize it. Or maybe he had brought out a side of him that you hadn't realized existed. You saw him differently than you had when he was Robin.

It was one night that the two of you were alone in the tower - a first since you had been there - that had gotten you to admit your feelings. The night was calm and you guys took the opportunity to play a movie on the big screen. Unfortunately for you, the whole movie you had been consumed with the idea of kissing him.

A perfectly timed sex scene had given you a strange amount of courage. You couldn't take this tension with him anymore. So, you had nearly leaped on top of him, pressing your lips against his. Tim didn't hesitate to react to it, kissing you back and pulling you onto his lap. You straddled him, fingers threading through his hair as he desperately tried to peel your clothes off.

After a very embarrassing, almost naked, confrontation with your teammates that had suddenly arrived, you and Tim became inseparable. Several months of dating and you knew that you had made the right choice with him. Tim cared about you in ways that you never thought a man would do for you.

"Yeah, yeah," You waved him off. Your face was finally going back to normal as the blood flow balancing out. "There's a lot of ways you could make it up to me, you know?" You grinned, hands trailing up his bare chest.

"Oh yeah?" Tim placed his hands on your hips, pulling you completely flush against him. He trailed soft kisses up your neck, eager to hear what you were thinking. "What'd you have in mind?"

Suddenly, your foot hooked into his ankles and you pulled his legs out from right under him. Tim groaned as his back painfully hit the training mat and a disappointed look filled his eyes. "Buying me lunch."

Tim didn't let you get very far. He pulled the same move as you did and brought you down on the mat. Tim trapped you beneath him, his legs on either side of yours and hands by your shoulders. You could get out if you so wished - but you didn't.

You were thankful he let your hands free. You placed them on either side of his face and pulled him down so you could connect your lips. There were many times that you would be in the training room, Tim convincing you to make out and every time someone would walk in. This time you felt dangerously brave.

Tim gasped as your hands trailed down his chest and towards his shorts. "You really want to risk that right now?" He asked between kisses. You responded without words, and instead adding pressure to your hold. Tim groaned into your neck, there was no way that he could say no to you.

"Tim!"

You had never seen your boyfriend jump off of you so quickly before. The voice hadn't belonged to any of your teammates and the tone of it wasn't scolding, it was excited. Whoever it was, obviously hadn't fully seen what had been going on. You should have expected that you wouldn't get what you wanted.

"(Y/N)?" Dick Grayson faltered in his spot. It was the first time that he had seen you since he had let you down. Nearly two years without seeing how much you had grown. He had heard that you had moved into the tower, but it had been a long time since you had gone home to Gotham.

Tim went without you, working with Bruce for a few cases here and there. No one had visited the tower while you were there and you had to admit that you were thankful for it. Leaving your past behind - besides Tim - it was refreshing. Seeing Dick again had brought back a tug in your heart that you thought was long gone.

"Dick," You half smiled. His hair was shorter than last time you had seen him. Muscles more defined than ever. The bags under his eyes were worse but his smile was still the exact same. Dick hadn't expected you to be with Tim, not romantically. You never seemed interested in him growing up.

Your breathing caught in your throat. After seeing him for the first time in a long time, you didn't realize the wave of emotions that would come. You were confused by everything flooding your brain - hope, guilt, desire, even anger.

"You look great," he complimented, bringing you in for a hug. It was true. You had grown a lot in these two years. Different hair, more fit than you ever been in your life. Being on this team had done you good in more ways than one.

"What're you doing here?" Tim asked. Dick stared as you interlocked hands with your boyfriend.

"I'm, uh, taking Kori's place as team leader for a little while," Dick explained. Kori had mentioned before that she was going to need to take some time away. She never said what for or when, but she must have had to leave sooner than anticipated. "You guys are together?"

"Yep," your voice strained. You never imagined that this reunion would be so tense. It was easier to see Dick right after he had let you down than it was now. For some reason, his appearance had created a tension. You weren't sure if it was from you, or if Tim was suddenly jealous of his older brother, or Dick was just uncomfortable with it all.

"Congrats," Dick nodded. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head. A sudden noise came from outside the room. "I'm gonna go see everyone else I guess. See you later tonight?" You and Tim both nodded in sync. It seemed like the moment that he stepped out of the room, you both let out a breath of air.

"That was weird, right?" You asked, staring at the door that Dick left from rather than up at Tim. You couldn't have been the only one to find that whole confrontation painful. Tim nodded in agreement. His jaw was tight and he glared at the door Dick just left from. "Wait a second, you're not jealous of Dick, are you?"

"No!" Tim defended. Unfortunately for him, you could tell that he was lying. "He was your first love! It's only been two years since he told you he didn't feel the same way. Besides, you didn't see the way he was looking at you. I just..." He trailed off, unsure if he was willing to say what was on his mind.

"You're worried I still have feelings for him," You finished. Tim wearily nodded. You placed your hands at the base of his neck, thumb brushing against his jawline. Tim was forced to look you in your eyes, as much as he didn't want to at this moment. "I love you, Tim. Only you. You have nothing to worry about."

You pulled him down for another kiss. Tim finally melted into your hold. He knew that you loved him, genuinely. However, it was still hard to have Dick be living in the same home as you once again. He felt childish for being jealous for no reason. Dick had already stated that he didn't have feelings for you - he didn't need to worry now.

At least he hoped.

Apparently Tim did have something to worry about - and it wasn't you.

Dick's time in the tower extended longer than he imagined it too. He was only supposed to be there for a week or two, now it had been nearly a month. While it was nice to have him around, especially on missions, Tim was eager for his brother to leave them again. He hated when the two of you spent time together.

Maybe it was just him being jealous, maybe he was paranoid. Either way, whenever it was the two of you alone, Tim got antsy. Kon was the first to notice. He assured his best friend that he had nothing to worry about - as far as his Kryptonian sense could tell, you didn't have any feelings for Dick.

Tim found himself spending more nights in your room, keeping you in bed longer than he normally would in the mornings. He even held hands with you more often; you had enjoyed his affection, even though you knew where it had stemmed from.

It was an afternoon of training did he finally have enough. Dick was using you as a partner to show off some new moves for all the team to learn. The two of you danced around the mat, anticipation running high. You were both drenched in sweat, breathing heavy from your previous spar.

"Come on, Big Bird," You taunted. Dick hated that name, it only reminded him of Sesame Street. He hadn't heard that name in a long time - not since he had seen you last. For some reason, it had caught him off guard enough for you to make your strike. Dick reoriented himself rather quickly.

Instead of you taking him down, he had roughly slammed you to the floor. Dick hovered over you, eyes soft as he met yours. Ever since he had been back with you in the tower, there was something eating him alive. Guilt? Shame? He tried to blame his feelings on those but he knew what it was: regret.

Dick regretted letting you go all those years ago. When he was asked to take over the Titans Tower, he was excited to see you. In two short years he had hoped that you hadn't moved on. Not seeing you nearly every day left a hole in his chest and he didn't realize what it was until seeing you again.

Upon realizing that you were with Tim, he felt his heart crack. Of course he had lost his chance with you - and it was no one to blame but himself. Dick pushed you away because he thought you to be too young, when in reality he was just scared of hurting you.

"Dick!" Tim's voice echoed throughout the training room. There was a harsh tone to it, full of jealousy and frustration. It had broken him out of his trance. Dick hadn't realized just how long he had been pinning you down. You tried to wiggle out of his grasp but he was far too strong to get of without hurting him. He had been completely lost in thought being that close to you again.

He shook his head to rid those thoughts, thoughts of you. Dick pushed himself up off the ground and stuck his hand out for you to grab. You didn't take it. Instead, you moved back to Tim's side. He instantly swooped down to kiss your lips. Dick knew what Tim was doing - he was being possessive of you. It was easy to notice with the glare that followed.

"That's it for today," Dick announced. He left the training room, followed by the rest of your team. It was only Tim, Bart, and Cassie that knew about your history with Dick. Bart and Cass both gave you a weary look as they walked by you. For once, you felt uncomfortable under their gaze.

Finally, it was just you and Tim left. He stared at the floor, thoughts running through his head and keeping him in this trance. What was Dick thinking? Why was he acting like that? Like he regretted his choice with you? He was beyond angered at his brother for looking at you like he was.

You grabbed both of his hands, staring up at him as if he was the only thing that mattered in this world. Tim's gaze where Dick hovered of you wouldn't falter - and sadly you had known exactly what he was thinking. Dick was a ladies man, he knew how to flirt his way through everything and he certainly knew how to flirt with you.

If there was one person in this world that could convince you to leave Tim, it was Dick. He was the one to have your heart first, not Tim.

"Babe," you finally spoke. Your hands slid up his arms until cupping his face. Tim finally met your eyes with a broken look. "I love you, and only you. I need you to know that."

"I do," he whispered. It sounded as if he didn't believe himself, and in some ways, he didn't. All his life he grew up wondering how Dick got women so easily. Now, as soon as he finally gets you, Dick comes back with god knows what intentions. "I love you, too."

"Big Belly Burger?" You offered. Tim hinted at a smile, somehow you always managed to make a dark room light.

"You're buying."

You had managed to avoid Dick for the rest of the week. Patrol was exclusively with Tim, training you were paired with Cassie, even at dinner you would sit as far as possible from him. Whether it was because you were good at avoiding him, or if he was putting in the effort as well, you didn't mind the space.

It was your teammates that would catch Dick glancing at you at random points in the day. No one would ever say anything about it, but they all knew that something was going on between the two of you - or something had gone on. In all your time there, it seemed like Tim was the only one on your mind, they didn't think Dick had an important role as well.

It wasn't until the end of the week did Dick corner you. It was late at night, Tim was asleep in your bed and the others were all in their rooms. You found yourself in the kitchen for a late night snack and some tea. One of the few times that you were alone, he knew that he needed to talk to you and set things straight.

"(Y/N)," Dick startled you. Your back was towards him and the sound of his voice had caused you to jump - along with spill boiling hot tea on your hand. "Shit, sorry," he apologized. Dick ran cold water on the tap and gestured for you to put your hand under. Instead, you turned the water off and dried your warm skin.

You didn't want his help.

"What do you need, Dick?" You asked. Tired bags were under your eyes as you looked to him. What he had done at the start of the week had been keeping you up all night.

"I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry," Dick began. "I'm sorry for hurting you all those years ago, I'm sorry for the other day, I'm sorry for not realizing your feelings sooner... and mine. I didn't realize how much I cared about you until seeing you again, or I guess seeing you with Tim. I know that I'm a day late and a dollar short, but I needed to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"Tell you that I love you," Dick revealed. His arms were crossed over his chest and he avoided your gaze. It took him two years to realize his mistake of missing out on you and he regretted it. He wished that he hadn't been so ridiculous to think your age mattered - now when in the grand scheme of things it wasn't even a big age gap.

Your breathing stopped for a second. Two years ago you would have been ecstatic to hear those words come from his mouth. That was all you wanted to hear from him. Now, now the words sent a chill down your spine and left you with a dry mouth. You didn't want to hear that from him anymore.

The grip on your mug tightened until you swore the ceramic was going to crack. You let out a huff of air, frustrated with his words. Why was he telling you this now? To ruin your relationship with Tim? To win your heart back? You loved Tim, and that was the end of the story. Dick was your friend, that was all.

"I think it's time you head back to Bludhaven, Dick," You met his eyes once more. The team would do fine without him or Kori for a few more days. Right now, you just wanted him gone. You didn't want to have to look Dick in the eyes knowing that he loved you and you no longer felt the same way.

The distance apart had done wonders on you, now he needed to do the same. Forget about you, find someone else. You wanted Dick to be happy, to be in love. He was still basically your family, you always wanted what was best for him. Being around you after this revelation? That was far from what was best.

"I'm sorry," Dick apologized once more.

"So am I," you placed a hand on his shoulder as you walked by. You paused at the doorway, debating whether or not to tell him that you wished him all the best. In the end, you decided against it and walked back towards your room.

Tim was still asleep in your bed. His back was exposed and the covers were down to his waist. Snores filled the silent room, muffled by the pillow that he was hugging. This was the love of your life. You were always meant to be with Tim, never Dick. It might have taken you over half a decade to realize it, but it was well worth the wait.

The mug of tea that you had made for yourself was set on your desk and long forgotten. Instead, you slipped into bed with Tim, who stirred at your appearance. The pillow he was hugging was replaced with you and he snuggled into the crook of your neck. Tim sleepily left a kiss against your skin, too tired to fully wake.

"I love you, Timmy. More than anyone," You whispered. He was already back asleep, unaware of the words you spoke. Unaware of the conversation that you had with Dick. It was best that he didn't know. You and Dick were adults, there was no childish rivalry needed. You didn't want to be the one to ruin a brotherly relationship.

Tim had you, that was all that mattered.

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elisaphoenix13 · 3 years

Text

Consequences Of Pitching Practice

"Bah!"

"That's all well and good but you still haven't given me the screwdriver."

"Nnmmmnnn." Lucy answers while slobbering all over said screwdriver.

Tony huffs fondly. "Don't let your mom see that. I don't need another lecture about how unsanitary that is." He takes the screwdriver and chuckles when the baby glares at him. "It's also unsafe. I kind of like you."

Lucy babbles at him angrily as Tony wipes the screwdriver free of drool and he offers her one of her actual toys. It's not that he didn't offer her her own toys in the first place, it's just that Lucy had an uncanny ability to get her hands on whatever she wanted. Even when she was confined to a highchair or something. It wasn't anything magical, Tony and Stephen made sure of that, Lucy was just a typical, curious baby.

Tony had a feeling he may have been the same way as a baby.

"If you keep back talking me like that, you won't have lab time with me anymore." Tony says as he tightens a screw.

"Mmmfffbbb!" Lucy retorts and the engineer looks over at her to find that she had somehow gotten her hands on a different screwdriver. Which she was currently drooling on the rubber end of.

"Maybe I should take that as a clue that it's lunchtime for you." Tony says. "How about a bottle?"

Some happy beeps and whirs grab Tony's attention and he looks over at the kitchenette to find DUM-E excitedly starting a bottle. The first ingredient? Grease of some sort. Tony wasn't even sure when the robot grabbed that.

"No, no, no. Lulu can't have grease. You finish that for yourself!" Tony reprimands as he walks over to make a proper bottle. He partially ignores the sad noises DUM-E makes and takes the bottle over to Lucy. "Here you go dolcezza. How about something sanitary to put in your mouth?"

Lucy eyes the bottle her father holds out for her and Tony's eyes widen when she actually throws her screwdriver across the room and takes the bottle. He looks over to where the tool had landed when he hears a crash and finds a separate project emitting sparks from where it had been hit. Six months old and she had quite the arm.

"Maybe we should make a baseball team." Tony says calmly. "You can be our pitcher. Diana was kind of like that too but Cassie corrupted her."

For once, Tony doesn't get an answer from Lucy, but she was too busy with her lunch. Something he should probably be thinking about at the very least.

"Think your mom would make me a sandwich if I asked him nicely?"

A pointed look from the infant makes him chuckle.

"Probably not, huh? Not when I'm down here with you and tinkering for f--"

A low hum distracts Tony and he swivels around when it gets louder by the second. The machine Lucy had damaged with the screwdriver was spitting sparks like an angry cat, and it was glowing brighter and brighter. Tony barely had the mind to turn back and grab and cover Lucy just before the thing exploded. The force of the explosion sent them to the ground, but Tony made sure to keep Lucy secure in his arms. When he recovers and sits up, he winces as his ears ring and the first thing he hears is Lucy crying. Her poor ears were probably ringing too and he knew that Stephen was going to have a fit when the sorcerer undoubtedly came to investigate. Both Friday and Victor tended to snitch on him, especially when one of the kids was in the lab with him.

"I'm sorry dolcezza." Tony says to Lucy in an attempt to soothe her. "Daddy should have checked to make sure you didn't do so much damage."

He carefully gets back to his feet as a window opens to ventilate the smoke, and checks Lucy over to make sure she's unharmed, glad to see she wasn't and was already calming down. Her cries had already turned into whimpers and she had grabbed one of his fingers to stick into her mouth to help soothe her further. Tony coughs and waves away the smoke in the air, noting that DUM-E was actually in the process of putting out a small fire by the machine. It wasn't the only thing Tony noticed either. There were two extra bodies standing by the burning remains of his project, and when the smoke finally cleared away, Tony froze.

The two people that were also waving away the smoke and coughing were his parents.

Howard and Maria were standing ten feet away from him and all Tony could do was stand and stare.

That project was in no way a time travel machine, but clearly that's what had happened. His parents were somehow pulled from the past with a half finished machine that Lucy broke with a screwdriver, and Tony was floored. The last time he saw his mother was the night she died, and his father during the time heist.

"Tony!" The engineer blinks and looks over at the door with wide eyes as Stephen rushes in and over to him. "Friday told me there was an explosion. Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah. We both are. Lulu was just a little spooked…"

"Tony?"

Howard's voice draws the attention of both men and Stephen's eyebrows fly up toward his hairline.

"What exactly were you working on?" Stephen asks Tony.

"Not a time machine."

=======

"She's so darling." Maria says as she takes Lucy from Tony. "What's her name?"

"Lucy." Tony mumbles and watches the interaction with fascination.

Once they had gotten over the initial shock, Tony managed to explain what happened before promising to find a way to send his parents back to where they belonged. For now though, they were stuck in the present time and Tony was already preparing for anything. Maria wasn't the problem...it was Howard. Tony had no idea how things would go when it came to his father.

"Who is her mother?" Howard asks.

There it is. That didn't take long, Tony thinks to himself. He then points to Stephen.

"Him. Meet my husband, Doctor Stephen Strange." Tony says.

"Did you adopt?" Maria asks.

"Yes...but not Lucy. Stephen is literally her mother. The girls were made with magic." Tony explains, and Maria brightens when he mentions the girls.

"There are more?" Maria asks while Howard simultaneously says, "Really, Anthony? Magic?"

Stephen was the one to answer Howard before Tony could open his mouth again. The doctor didn't even have to say anything. He simply displayed his magical abilities and Howard actually closed his mouth.

"How many children do you have?" Maria asks again.

Tony looks at her and genuinely smiles. "Seven."

"And a half." Stephen adds and Tony chuckles.

"That's a long story." Tony explains to his parents.

"Where are the others?" Howard asks.

"Somewhere." Tony says flippantly.

"Peter is out patrolling, Harley and Thomas are running an errand for me, Diana is downstairs with Cassie, and William is napping with Valerie." Stephen tells them. "Tea?"

"Yes, please." Maria says and Stephen walks into the kitchen.

Tony could only watch his mother play with Lucy. Even Howard seemed content to spend time with his granddaughter, so Tony joined Stephen in the kitchen and finally took a shuddering breath. Stephen looks over at him with concern and Tony waves him away.

"I'm alright."

"Wondering if it's all a dream?" Stephen asks.

"Maybe? It was nerve wracking just seeing my father during the time heist and now he's actually here. Sort of." Tony tries to explain.

"You have a chance to tell him what you want to." Stephen says. "And...I understand how you're feeling."

He reaches over and carefully grabs Tony's right arm, and looks at the scars traveling from the top of his hand and up his arm. They disappear briefly under his sleeve, but then reappear at the collar of his shirt and finally stop just below the right side of his jaw. Tony supposed Stephen had a point. Stephen probably felt that having Tony back was just a dream for a while. But Tony was here to stay.

Howard and Maria had to go back.

"You've made it very clear that I'm only allowed to die of old age or caffeine overdose." Tony chuckles and Stephen looks at him flatly.

"Preferably the former."

"That's the plan. Where's Athena?" Tony asks as Stephen gently drops his arm and turns back to the tea.

"Upstairs with William and Valerie. Tibbs is sleeping in his cat tower."

"The chaos will start up any second now regardless." Tony huffs and Stephen picks up the tea he finishes and takes it back into the living room.

Tony follows him, finding Lucy surprisingly with his father, and giving Maria a chance to drink the tea Stephen offers her. The chaos truly did erupt after that as he expected. Maria was only halfway through her tea when the kids that were out and about came home, Cassie and Diana came upstairs, and William and Valerie shuffled out of the little girl's room. Harley and Peter had expressions on their faces that made Tony think that they knew who exactly their visitors were, but they didn't say anything.

"Here's the rest of the brood." Tony announces. "Brood and a half." He says motioning to Cassie.

"I'm sure it's always exciting here." Maria says with a smile.

Stephen snorts. "If it's not the kids, it's our friends. Sometimes it's both."

"But it's our life. I don't think any of us would trade it for anything." Tony says.

Not even for one more day with his parents like he might have wished for once upon a time. He got his wish anyway, just not the way he thought he would. Because Lucy liked to throw things.

Tony told himself that he wanted to say things to his dad if he ever got the chance to, but just like the time heist, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't want to see his parents off with another bad memory, and he didn't want to do that to any of his kids. They deserved a good memory with their grandparents...and Howard was being pretty decent so far. He could be civil too.

=====

To Tony and Stephen's surprise, Howard and Maria enjoyed spending every moment with the kids. Stephen at first kept an eye on them to make sure they didn't force any of their beliefs on them (or try to parent them in their own way), but he was able to relax after a little while. The older couple were content to spend time with the kids as grandparents usually did. Watching movies, playing games, cooking, and sharing each kid's hobbies.

Tony unfortunately couldn't spend much time with his parents because he had to fix the project Lucy had thrown the screwdriver at. He had to find a way to return his parents to their own time since he knew they didn't belong here. No matter how much he might have wanted them to stay and see how his life turned out.

Maybe they would go back to his seventeen-year-old self and tell him everything would work out okay. Even back then, Tony probably wouldn't listen to them, so he could see their attempt to reassure him being ignored.

It only took Tony a couple of days to fix the machine so that he could send his parents home. He let them, Stephen, and the kids know...and spent the rest of the night and up until the next afternoon with his parents. When it came time to take them back downstairs, they all went to say their final goodbyes.

"Do they have to go?" Diana pouts and Maria smiles as she pats her head.

"I know dear. It's unfair, but I'm glad we got to see you and your brothers and sisters." She says softly. "You be good for your mom and dad."

"I will."

Maria and Howard were quick to accept Stephen's role as the kids' mother once they explained how it started. How it started as a bit of a joke but overtime became serious...and then true when Diana was born. Of course they weren't used to it since their time was almost forty years prior, but even they knew anything could happen that far in the future. That things and people were becoming more open-minded.

"Thanks for teaching us some more of your recipes." Harley says, making Maria smile.

"Of course. I'm glad to see you enjoy cooking."

He shrugs. "Sometimes."

"Make sure you surpass your father." Howard says and Peter grins.

"We will."

After the kids finish saying their goodbyes -- and of course Lucy throws her teething ring at them -- Howard pulls Tony aside. Stephen watches with a raised eyebrow, but Tony subtly waves away his concern and the sorcerer turns his attention back to Maria and the kids.

"I'm glad to see you've done well for yourself." Howard says.

"For the company?" Tony asks.

His father sighs. "No. I'm glad to see that you have a family. A good one. Your children are all amazing and I'm not even talking about their potential." Tony looks at him in surprise but doesn't interrupt as Howard continues. "Your spouse...I don't know how things are in this time...but he's good for you. I…" he sighs. "I'm not good at this…"

"It's okay. I think I know what you're trying to say." Tony reassures. "I love him. I love my kids...and I would do anything to keep them safe. I have and I always will."

"I'm proud of you." Howard says softly. "I know our relationship wasn't the greatest, but I wanted to make sure you knew that. I doubt you need to know that or if you care--"

"Thank you." Tony says. "It means a lot."

"I'm glad we got to see you happy."

Tony felt just a tiny bit lighter after that when they rejoined the others. He hugged both of his parents goodbye, watched as his kids and Stephen did the same, and then booted up the machine that would send his parents back. Tony made sure Lucy didn't have anything that she could throw and make a mess of the machine again, and then finally hit the button. He looked at his parents as the machine hummed loudly, and returned the smile they gave him before they disappeared from sight and the machine powered down.

Stephen walks over to Tony as the kids head back upstairs, and wraps his arms around his neck. "Any regrets?"

"No."

Not at all.

#supremefamily #stephen strange #ironstrange #tony stark #mama bear au

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blurrypetals · 3 years

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Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare - blurrypetals review

originally posted dec. 9, 2018 - ★★★★★

A-T. L-A-S-T.

I am so absolutely overwhelmed by everything that I've experienced in the last few days while listening to this. As Cassandra Clare's longest book to date, a whole dang fuckin' lot happens in this book. To sort my way through this review, the following paragraphs are gonna be chock full of a whole dang fuckin' lot of untagged spoilers, so continue at your own risk. I do think you're doing yourself a huge disservice if you do read this review before you've read the book, though. It's also incredibly likely I'll drop a spoiler or two on every Shadowhunters book so, if you're here and you have not, for some reason, read The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, the other two books in The Dark Artifices trilogy, and all of the short stories in The Bane Chronicles, Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, and Ghosts of the Shadow Market, I implore you to amend that, to go and read those fourteen books and this fifteenth book before reading this review, just in case I ruin anything for you by accident. Okay, now that's out of the way, let's talk about sequels and how to finish a grand, epic fantasy story. It was difficult for me to not compare this book to three other books. The first two are, of course, Cassandra Clare's other finales, City of Heavenly Fire and Clockwork Princess. This handily bowls City of Heavenly Fire straight under the table because, even though City of Heavenly Fire is still a 5-star book, it's the weakest of The Mortal Instruments hexalogy and, other than perhaps The Bane Chronicles, it's also maybe the weakest in The Shadowhunter Chronicles in its current entirety. Clockwork Princess, by contrast, however, is, in my opinion, the best of the entire series. As a finale, Queen of Air and Darkness here sits comfortably as the second best Shadowhunters finale yet. So much happens in this book. It's split into three different parts which could have easily been split into three shorter books with near-perfect three act structures in place for each of them, making this book a nine act book with two "false" climaxes that would have made for quite the cliffhangers if they had been split up for any reason. The first act deals with the aftermath of Livia's death and, because it has a lot of rising action, it's actually a little frustrating in some ways, even if it was frustrating in an incredibly enjoyable way. One of my absolute favorite scenes in the whole book is Julian running to Magnus for help in the middle of the night because it so perfectly mirrors the scene in Clockwork Prince when another blue eyed boy named Will Herondale was at the end of his rope, desperate not to love a girl he was cursed not to be with. I loved the contrast between a Herondale's plea for salvation and a Blackthorn's last hope to avoid damnation, separated by a hundred years yet tied by the same plight and the same warlock's magic. Emotionless-Julian was a really compelling read, even if I was almost as angry and frustrated with him and Magnus as Emma was. I loved to hate how cold and calculating he became without his love and compassion around to guide his moral compass. I hated his betrayal of Emma so fucking much it hurt but I've always loved Julian's ruses, schemes, and plans, and his dealings with the Seelie Queen, the Black Volume, and a skilled calligrapher and wizard called OfficeMax. Damn. So fucking good. Also, speaking of Julian's plans and schemes, his war council and Livia's Watch is one of the most satisfying scenes in The Shadowhunter Chronicles as it currently exists; I'm so proud of my son. He is so great. Hot diggity. Speaking of reminders from past stories, we get the entire cast of The Mortal Instruments during a lot of this book. I was really excited anytime we ran into anyone from The Mortal Instruments, especially the part when Julian and Emma ended up being thrown in the same Unseelie prison as Jace and Clary were and that was Jace and Clary's first appearance in the whole novel. It could have easily gotten overwhelming; I was, in fact, rather worried that Jace and Clary would steal the spotlight for a good spell in the final act of the book, but they didn't, since Emma and Julian were, eh...too big to ignore, and the book even ends with the long-awaited Bane-Lightwood wedding of the centuries, but the story proper closes on Julian and Emma on the beach together. Even though The Wicked Powers is still yet to come, this book felt like a huge culmination of all fourteen of the prior books in a huge way. We had Jem and Tessa from The Infernal Devices, we had Jace, Clary, Simon, Isabelle, Alec, and Magnus from The Mortal Instruments, and we had Emma, the Blackthorns, and all their friends and allies from this series and it felt huge. I also felt the weight of what's to come in a super hardcore manner when it came to Kit and Ty, Dru and Jaime, and, of course, Ash. I genuinely feel as though I can't wait any longer to see how Kit and Ty's stories turn out. I'm especially pleased by the fact that Jem and Tessa decided to adopt Kit and that Kit will have the family he's longed for his whole life and, not only will he have two capable people parenting him through the rest of his adolescence, but he'll also have that younger sibling he's been longing for, someone he can teach and take care of in the way he wasn't when he was small. I really hope at least one of the two forthcoming Ghosts of the Shadow Market stories focuses on Kit and his new life and new home with Jem, Tessa, and hopefully their new precious tiny one. Thoughts of the future of The Shadowhunter Chronicles in Drusilla, Kit, Ty, and, specifically, Ash, bring me back around to the second section of the book, which is the most absolutely bananas thing Cassandra Clare has ever written but is also actually incredibly compelling. I fucking loved the alternate universe stuff, everything to do with the exciting return of not-Jace, the introduction of alterna-Livia, other-Cameron, and living-Raphael (especially the part where he begged Emma and Julian to tell Magnus and Alec to rename Rafael; I was in tears laughing about all of that biz), and the temporary absence of emotionless-Julian and how he and Emma ended up healing so much of their relationship there. I also am so totally down with not-Jace being the main villain of The Wicked Powers, or at least a main villain. I am really impressed with Cassie—which, when am I not, honestly?—in the way that second section of the book was written. It felt like a huge love letter to me as a longtime and dedicated fan of The Shadowhunter Chronicles in general because we got to see these, for lack of a better term, a fanfiction AU turned canon that doesn't read like a fanfiction in the least bit because it remains relevant, interesting, tense, and important the whole way through, even though it's literally a gigantic non-sequitur that some could argue is "pointless." I am not one who would argue that, though, because I loved it so damn much. It gave me what is probably my favorite Emma and Julian scene in all of The Dark Artifices, just after they return to the resistance stronghold. You know the scene. Okay, rapid fire because I could honestly go on forever about this book; I pinned 108 different clips throughout this book, which is the most pins or post-its I've ever put in one single book before. I adored the fact that Simon gave Julian his iron Lord Montgomery figurine before he and Emma left Idris. Michael Wayland's ghost showing up for Robert Lightwood's funeral fucked me up in a super hardcore way and the fact that Kit was the only one who could see him or even sense his presence really got to me and I really teared up because Bitter of Tongue from Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy absolutely wrecked me and this poked at that wound. Everything in regards to Mark, Cristina, and Kieran was incredibly sweet, sex positive, loving, trusting, and healthy and I just...gah they are perfect. A most excellent thruple, one for the ages. A great many of my pins have something to do with Kit growing into his inborn Herondale talent of being a master in snark (think candy gram and "Alas, poor Yorick,"). Everyone in the alternate realm being grossed out by endarkened-Emma's and endarkened-Julian's PDA was hilarious. Julian realizing art requires pain and morality about snapped my sad tiny bird heart clean in half. Feline death on a massive scale. Anytime Jace's more playful, youthful side showed because he's a happy boi now was delightful, especially the parts where he wanted to get to hold the mortal sword and when he declared, "We're the bait!" Magnus hallucinating was great, but my favorite hallucination was when he was flirting with a vase like it was Alec and then very seriously offering to buy it from the Institute. I also loved it when Magnus called Clary "biscuit". It made my heart all soft and nostalgic. Julian's smile at Emma when he got his emotions back tot me emotional, dammit! Caterina meeting Kit for the first time made my heart feel like it was too large for my body. Jace using finger guns, because finger guns are always hilarious. Dru realizing she was looking at the face of a parent when she looked at Julian. Kit responding to being called "Herondale," when Magnus said, "Stay away from my children, Herondale." Emma telling Diana that she showed her the kind of woman she wanted to be. Emma's terrible pun about Manuel being tied up. "Ragnor Lives." An old lady accidentally complimenting Julian on being tall. Emma and Julian deciding to go to the other at the exact same time. Alec would look better on the money. Mark trying (and failing) to make balloon animals and accidentally making them all snakes. That's not even a third of them all. Near the beginning of the review, I said I was having a difficult time avoiding comparing this book to three other books, two of which were past Shadowhunters books. The third book, however, is Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas, which is another very long final book in a series, one that somehow managed to get voted as the best YA fantasy of 2018 and, because of that slap in the face, I couldn't help but wonder how this book, technically the fifteenth in a series, managed to feel fresh, new, fun, and lovable from minute one to hour thirty of the audiobook even though this is the fifteenth time I've experienced a book in The Shadowhunter Chronicles for the first time and I've never come close to feeling the same sort of apathy or anger as I do for Sarah J. Maas and Throne of Glass. This is how you end a series. This is how you end one part of your series. This is how it's done. Take notes, everyone else. Get on Cassie's level.

#queen of air and darkness #the dark artifices #the shadowhunter chronicles #cassandra clare #2018 #goodreads mirror #blurrypetals

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geneticmisfit · 4 years

Text

TIMELINE.

HIGH SCHOOL:

Freshman Year

-DECEMBER OF 2015 -Gains his powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider during a class trip to Doctor Curt Connors’ lab in Empire State University. -Spends the Christmas Break discovering and learning about his abilities, makes his First Suit out of some old pajamas.

-JANUARY 2016

-Being a kid and wanting to make a quick buck with his abilities, he enters a wrestling competition against Crusher Hogan.

-It’s the classic wrestling origin. Peter gets swindled out of money, a burglar steals money from the fight manager, Peter lets the Burglar go out of anger and spite for the manager. -Uncle Ben is murdered, Peter goes after the assailant and is horrified to discover it is the same Burglar he had let go earlier. -When you do the things that I can, but you don’t, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you. -Guilt stricken, he realizes the importance of Power and Responsibility and starts to fight crime, initially stopping small crimes, petty robberies, etc.

MARCH TO JUNE 2016:

-Rumors of an Insectoid-Man spread quickly throughout the underworld, it is initially believed to be a Lie made by crooks who want to dodge blame, but more and more YouTube videos of a man in a red and blue pajamas doing extraordinary feats quickly kills that possibility. -At the recommendation of his teachers, Peter starts interning at Connors’ Lab in ESU, it allows him to get a closer look at the kind of spiders that bit him, and leads him to discover that the irradiated spiders are a project Connors is working on under the funding of Oscorp. -During his crime fighting, he unknowingly halts several of The Big Man’s jobs. -Frequently swings into and stops the crimes of Alex O’Hirn and Flint Marko. -He runs into his first Out of the Ordinary Bad Guy when he ends up fighting Stilt-Man, instead of going for his legs he just punches him out cold.

CIVIL WAR INCIDENT - JUNE 26TH 2016

This is where the first of the several big canon rewrites comes in. For starters, the Airport Fight happens in New York instead of Germany, and Tony does not recruit Peter for his cause or give him the new suit. What happens is as follows,

-Peter sees the news of The Winter Soldier’s attack on United Nations. ( For the purposes of this rewrite, let’s say Bucky gets extradited to the U.S. for interrogation and trial and he is held in the same SHIELD base Steve woke up from his coma or whatever ) -Peter and Ned argue about Spider-Man not going for Stilt-Man’s legs during their fight. -Hearing the news of JFK suddenly closing down and rumors of people spotting ‘Very Serious Government People’ , Peter puts the two and two together and leaves abruptly, heading to the Airport in hopes of ‘Auditioning’ for the Avengers, because that’s what you do when you are a 15 year old with superpowers. -Beginning of the airport fight and Steve and Tony’s argument happens the same, majority of the fight happens the same way. -Peter, as Spider-Man, jumps into the fray during the Line Up. He immediately swings to Tony’s side because Iron Man is the hero he idolizes the most at that point in time. -Tony and Peter banter, with Tony not wanting a kid there and Peter being a dumbass kid and wanting to impress Tony. -Peter does not fight Steve, he is only there to take down Bucky and Prove His Mettle as a superhero. -The entire sequence with Bucky and Sam versus Spidey happens as shown. -Seeing Giant-Man appear and grumbling himself about the whole Stilt-Man argument still, Peter realizes he can go for Scott’s legs to take him down and does the whole AT-AT takedown move. -Gets knocked back onto the ground like in the movie, Tony goes to check on him to make sure this dumbass kid didn’t get himself killed, seeing he is alive and well, Tony is impressed but he tells Peter to go home. -Bedroom scene occurs as a post-credits scene, it becomes less about Tony recruiting Peter to his side and more about figuring out what the deal with this Spider-Man Kid is, leaves the suitcase with the Stark Suit as he leaves, says they’ll be in touch.

HOMECOMING - END OF AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 23RD 2016 / SOPHOMORE YEAR

-Peter turns sixteen in August 10th. -The movie happens largely the same -a Film by Peter Parker and the Limo Conversation naturally doesn’t happen considering the afromentioned changes to Civil War. -Tony does not save Peter from drowning, Peter gets out of the lake on his own. Reason for this change is that this scene makes Tony way controlling and uncaring towards Peter? Which, compounded by the following scenes, really paints Tony in an awful light. It also makes it more impactful that the next time, and thus the first time, Peter properly interacts with Tony since Civil War is in the direct aftermath of the Ferry Fiasco when Tony comes to collect the suit. They are then both valid in their arguments in that Peter has let the Stark Suit’s abilities get to his head and act way reckless than he should, ( Stark Suit thus serving the same narrative purpose as the Symbiote Suit ) but it also makes Peter valid in that Tony has been completely ignoring Peter ( at least on the surface / from Peter’s point of view ) until it was too late. -Rest of the movie unfolds as shown. -Toomes is Peter’s first proper Super Villain.

OCTOBER 2016 - MAY 2017

-Toomes’ arrest causes his Alien Weapons empire to fracture and for alien tech to be more readily available to the highest bidder ( In the movie it seems like Toomes really wanted the sales to be more gradual and under the radar ) -Shocker breaks away from Toomes’ crew and ends up joining the Enforcers, working for Hammerhead, who works as the Right Hand Man for The Big Man. -Spidey’s encounters with the Enforcers leads Peter to learn about the existence of The Big Man. -Phineas Mason is still at large, Peter dubs him ‘ The Tinkerer behind Toomes ’ toys ’ because he does not directly know who he is but highly suspects his existence. -A Mysterious Benefactor starts bankrolling experiments for Super Mercs, armed with the alien tech, with the, initial, goal of ‘distracting’ Spider-Man from the Finer details of The Big Man’s organization (if he’s too busy fighting Super Villains, he’d be too busy to stop Illegal Shipments ya kno). -Alex O’Hirn undergoes the procedure to become the Rhino, having the experimental alien armor fused to his skin, and only able to perspirate through his face. It is due to this fact Peter manages to take him down the first time, ‘ overheating ’ him to get him to pass out. -During this incident, Spidey gets Rhino to spill the identity of the Big Man, one L. Thompson Lincoln, aka Tombstone. -It is also during this time Spidey has his first run-in with Captain George Stacy. -He goes to visit Tombstone to tell him he knows about him, promptly gets his ass kicked and high-thwips it out of there.

THANOS INCIDENT - MAY 2017

Welcome to the Big Canon Rewrite Number Two, here, Peter does not go to Titan. First part of his appearance happens as shown, with Peter seeing the giant Q ship up in the sky and sneaking out of the bus to help Tony and co. fight the Aliens, but after losing Strange to the ship’s tractor beam, he stays on Earth and helps with the clean-up in the aftermath. Maybe even bumping into a few Defenders while doing so wink wink nudge. As a result, he does not get the Iron Spider-Man suit, sorry Marvel’s toy department.

ENDGAME - DATE UNKNOWN

Okay here’s the deal, it literally does not matter how long it has been since they’ve been blipped. Literally anyone important to a plot has been Conveniently Snapped, only reason there is a five year jump is so they can age Cassie so she can become Stature in Ant Man 3, and have Tony have a family for the Drama of it. Literally that’s the only reason, there is a reason why Far From Home makes a joke out of it. So for the purposes of sanity, let’s just say they were snapped throughout the duration of the summer and they conveniently get brought back at the beginning of the school year. -This means Peter is a part of the Final Fight but in his Stark Suit instead of the Iron Spidey suit, he also does not activate Instant Kill (why the FUCK would he, Russos!!!!!) I don’t care either way about the hug, so that’s up in the air, but he definitely does not cling onto Tony’s body lmfao nah. It is nevertheless very upsetting and near-traumatic for him to see someone die in front of him (again!)

JUNIOR YEAR

SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2017

-Peter is now seventeen. -And he’s got PTSD like a motherfucker lmfao. -Getting turned into dust and coming back has everyone rattled, so the Criminal Underworld is working overtime. - Captain Stacy comes to Midtown to teach about Criminology, and also to keep an eye on his kid considering the circumstances. -Silvio ‘Silvermane’ Manfredi, head of the Maggia, is also due to be released on parole by the end of the year, so various Mob factions are trying to prepare themselves. -As a result, schematics to make more Rhino-like people hit the market, Spidey and O’Hirn actually end up teaming-up together to destroy the schematics, resulting in a three way fight between them, Hammerhead, and the Manfredi mob. -Hammerhead’s recent repeated failures shakes Tombstone’s faith in him. -The Enforcers get fancy schmancy Combat Enhancement Suits, courtesy of The Tinkerer, and Spidey has to deal with them. -Hammerhead stops the Enforcers’ getaway attempt in secret, signaling a rift between him and Tombstone. -Manfredi is released right before Christmas.

JANUARY 2018

-The Gang War(tm) begins in full force. -Spidey’s hands are full navigating the powder keg of a situation, with Tombstone and Manfredi vying for control, with Hammerhead planning something behind the scenes.

FEBRUARY 14TH 2018 -Hammerhead arranges a meeting of the factions in Metropolitan Opera House, without Tombstone’s knowledge. -Once revealed, Tombstone does not take kindly to this disobedience. -Hammerhead reaches his breaking point and attacks Tombstone. -Silvermane decides to take both of them out to eliminate the competition fully. -Silvermane, in a mechanical combat suit of his own (because comics bebey) attacks Tombstone and Hammerhead, resulting in a three way fight. -Spidey arrives and has to fight the three of them. -After a long and exhausting battle, Spidey prevails, Silvermane is arrested once again, L. Thompson Lincoln is publicly revealed to be The Big Man of Crime, and Hammerhead is nowhere to be found. -Tombstone posts bail, but Captain Stacy tells Spidey that his crime empire is crippled and there is a power vacuum. One that a certain Wilson Fisk will take advantage of soon.

LATE FEBRUARY - JUNE 2018

-Spidey is basically doing clean-up duty in the aftermath of the Gang War(tm) -He is trying to find where Hammerhead is, but comes up empty. -All Spidey can find are the rumors that he went back to his old employment under the Maggia. -He takes down last of the known Manfredi fronts before preparing for his Europe trip (it’s the restaurant fight from the FFH trailers)

FAR FROM HOME - JUNE 2018 -Happens largely the way it is depicted in the movie -He does not have the Iron Spider Suit still, in case you forgot. -Smaller differences being Peter being pegged the ‘New Iron Man’ less because of his ‘Mentorship’ under Tony and more because people are just fucking desperate for a new Big Hero, which is where Mysterio comes in. -He sees Ben’s grave instead of Tony’s during the Mysterio Fun Tour of Trauma, Zombie Iron Man still comes out of it tho because Symbolism ( not because Tony is a new Uncle Ben figure, but because it represents Peter not always being able to save everyone, even though Tony’s condition was out of his hands.) -BIGGEST DIVERGENCE: Unless plotted, I generally DO NOT recognize Peter’s identity being outed. There are two options / variations I could go with -Peter IS claimed to be Spider-Man, but after a Movie’s worth of adventures, he enlists the help of either a skrull or Chameleon (Dmitri the Bus Driver in FFH) to have Spidey appear in the same room as Peter and re-establishes his secret identity. -Mysterio just brands Spider-Man as a menace and that’s that. In any case, this leads to..

SENIOR YEAR

SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2018

-Peter turns eighteen. -Branded as a menace, Spider-Man is now disliked and hunted by most authorities. -Captain Stacy, however, does not believe Mysterio and is one of Spidey’s few friends still left in the police force. -He also makes numerous remarks towards Peter and Spider-Man that suggests he figured out his secret identity on his own. -Anastasia Kravinoff arrives in New York with the intention of Hunting Spider-Man. -At the same time, Mac Gargan is hired by The Mysterious Benefactor to undergo the Super Merc procedure to hunt Spider-Man. -Kraven has her first encounter with Spidey, in which she manages to tear off a piece of his suit that she later uses to track his scent. -Mr Harrington’s class trip to Bronx Zoo is promptly ruined when Kraven shows up tracking Spidey’s trail. -The publicized skirmish in the Zoo attracts the attention of Gargan, now in a mechanical suit with a long, poison-tipped tail, stylized after Gargan’s favorite arthropod, which easily earns him the nickname ‘Scorpion’. -Spidey manages to escape, but barely. -It all comes to a head in New York Botanical Garden is a totally epic final showdown. -Maybe Rhino gets involved too and it’s a full on Survival of the Fittest in the jungle. -Peter gets stung by the poison tail but manages to shake it off. -He gets speared in the thigh at least once during the battle. -Scorpion and Rhino get imprisoned in the Vault, Kravinoff gets arrested as well but she posts bail and gets out scot free because she’s got Powerful Connections(tm)

JANUARY - MAY 2019

-Doctor Connors achieves a breakthrough on his Cross-Species formula -He tests it on himself, and initially achieves great results by regrowing his arm. -Over the following weeks, however, more and more side effects start to show by patches of green scales on his skin, increased aggression and hostility and occasional lapses in intelligence. -Around March, he has his first Lizard transformation. -Peter suspects it’s Connors, but he does not figure it out until April. -With each transformation, Connors stays as Lizard longer and longer. -I am basically ripping off the plot of the first TASM movie. -Peter and Gwen manage to synthesize an antidote. -Connors has a similar goal as to his movie counterpart, but he decides to Unleash the Lizard virus on top of Empire State Building. Because a) King Kong reference with Lizard climbing the antenna, and b) Connor going from Empire State University to Empire State Building, it’s a fun progression. -Spidey and Lizard fight on top of Empire State, with George Stacy coming to Spidey’s aid. -Spidey manages to administer the antidote to the Lizard, reverting him back to Connors who retains no memories of his actions as the Lizard. -Stacy gets injured by Lizard and before succumbing to his injuries, tells Peter to keep Gwen safe and ‘out of it’. -Lizard’s true identity remains unknown to the public, but Connors decides to relocate his family to Florida to get away from the noise of the city. Before leaving, he tells Peter to seek out his old colleague Otto Octavius if he wants to further his studies.

END OF MAY 2019

-Peter Parker graduates Midtown School of Science and Technology. -He applies and is accepted by Empire State University. Peter does not consider any other college as he wants to stay in New York for obvious reasons.

FRESHMAN UNDERGRAD

SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2019

-Peter is nineteen. -He starts his studies in ESU -He is still not the Most Popular -Peter reconnects with Harry Osborn (they are Old Childhood friends and Harry used to be in Midtown for the first year but then he went to Europe, as you do.) -Spidey is still branded as a menace and hunted, though not as ferociously as before as the public’s opinion starts to turn positive ever so slowly. -The Mysterious Benefactor has Alistair Smythe build robotic spiders to hunt and slay the Spider. Like Spider Slayers. Catchy name huh. -Peter has various encounters with Slayers while trying to figure out who is behind them -He eventually discovers it’s Alistair Smythe and tracks him to Oscorp. -Smythe unleashes the Ultimate Spider-Slayer, The Black Widow to try and stop Spidey once and for all. -Fight spills to the power plant, an Oscorp employee who is currently working on the plant, Max Dillon, gets caught in the crossfire and gets electrocuted. -Spidey manages to take down Smythe, Dillon is hospitalized. -Norman Osborn publicly denounces and distances himself from Smythe ( he’s The Mysterious Benefactor if you haven’t caught on yet ) -Norman profits both from making Super Mercs and Spider-Hunters for various factions behind the scenes, and for building housing units to hold said Super Mercs and Spider-Hunters, Vault is his creation. -He is also a terrible dad, but he does genuinely care for Harry, go figure. -Harry starts taking Gloublin Green, an experimental enhancer, to boost his academic and athletic life, as his body is regularly failing due to a hereditary disease (NOT the Goblin disease, the one Harry’s mom had in the PS4 game) -Max spends Christmas in the hospital and gradually transforms into Electro. -Black Cat drops in to give her Christmas Greetings by saying the mob is salvaging the parts from Spider-Slayer fights to re-arm themselves, also notifies him to the existence of a new Big Man consolidating power. -Peter thinks it’s Hammerhead, the only loose end from the previous Gang War, and starts his investigation into him. -Peter discovers Hammerhead leads the Maggia now, having quickly climbed through the ranks after the fallout of the last Gang War.

JANUARY - MAY 2020

-Harry joins the ESU football team, his performance enhanced by The Green. -Electro is Born and he’s Angry -He blames Smythe for his condition and tries to attack Oscorp, not knowing that Smythe is imprisoned. -Spidey arrives and fights him, fight eventually spilling to Times Square -Is it obvious I’ve started ripping off TASM 2 yet or.... -Electro is arrested and sent to Ravencroft for rehabilitation. -The news of a new Big Man starts making the rounds. -Harry’s Green Juicing gets bad, he starts blacking out.

SOPHOMORE UNDERGRAD

SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2020

-Peter is twenty. -He starts interning for Otto Octavius after Doctor Connors’ suggestion. -Flint Marko returns after a long absence in the streets, Spidey learns that Marko left the life of crime when he fell in love and got married, but returned back into it once he learned his baby was born with a disease and he needed the money for surgery. -Bet you didn’t expect me to rip off Raimi in this. -Marko is offered money to undergo a Super Merc experiment of his own, inspired by the Elementals Mysterio faked back a few years ago. Experiment uses bio-electricity generated by Electro, but it goes ‘wrong’ and Marko is turned to dust. -Sike he can control it, he’s Sandman now. -Spidey and Sandman fight, once Peter learns of his motives, he tries to get him to stop. -Marko is told to stop the movement of an oil tanker so the new Big Man can siphon it dry. -Spidey and Marko fight on the tanker, tanker explodes, Marko expresses remorse for he only wanted the money and not to hurt anyone, so he helps usher the ship crew to safety and contains the explosion, turning into glass due to the heat. -Sandman is presumed deceased, but he survived and just blew away gently in the wind. -Maybe he’s out there somewhere who knows.

JANUARY - MAY 2021 -Norman discovers Harry’s Green Usage, he gets Harry to stop. -Stupid boy drinking the Green instead of inhaling it like his dad did I mean what -Harry discovers the Green exacerbated the progression of his illness. -Spidey meets Yuri Watanabe, who is the lead detective and later Captain who is after the Big Man and the Mob. -Peter discovers the identity of the actual new Big Man, it’s Wilson Fisk, quickly filling the power vacuum after Tombstone’s defeat. -Spidey and Fisk fight, with Fisk seriously injuring Spidey and him having to swing away.

JUNIOR UNDERGRAD

September - December 2021

-Peter is twenty one. -As Harry’s illness progresses more and more, he and Peter’s friendship is strained, Peter is unaware of the illness. -Norman starts winding down Super Merc experiments as he turns his focus into curing Harry. -He also readies for a mayoral run because he’s nothing if not a multitasker. -Harry wonders if Spider-Man’s abilities can cure him, wants a bit of his blood, Spidey is like ‘ew no wtf’ -Great Harry hates Spidey now. -Desperate, Harry springs Electro out of Ravencroft to sic him on Spidey and make him bleed. -Electro is like ‘Sure’ but once freed, he immediately goes to the Vault to try and kill Smythe. -You just can’t trust bio-electrical beings nowadays. -Spidey fights Electro in the Vault. -Electro cuts the power to the Vault and releases a bunch of inmates, but Spidey stops him before he can cut the power that holds the more super powered inmates. -Electro is imprisoned in the Vault.

MARCH - MAY 2020 -Yeah Peter had a quiet winter for once can you believe it. -Norman is elected mayor of New York, using his role in the building of the Vault to boost his approval ratings, motherfucker was playing the Long Game. -Norman revives his old genetic experiments to find a cure for Harry. -Devil’s Breath experiment is resurrected. -Harry’s condition worsens, Norman decides to send him to ‘Europe’ to heal. -In truth, Harry is in Oscorp in ‘stasis’. -Spidey’s attention turns yet again to the rising gang activity, he channels his focus into taking down Fisk.

SENIOR UNDERGRAD

SEPTEMBER 2020 - MAY 2021

-Pete turns twenty two. -He spends most of the year working on his thesis like a good nerd. -Spidey is occasionally tipped toward Fisk fronts by a Mysterious Goblinafactor -Norman wanted to bust into the Crime Scene being the Goblin and taking over the Big Man’s turfs but Fisk beat him to it so he has to be content with just being the Mayor for the time being -Goblins am I right. -He’s also the one who supplied Silvermane with his own armor. -Also the one who maaaay have broadened the rift between Hammerhead and Tombstone by sabotaging Hammerhead’s plans behind the scenes. -He is the Big Man behind the Big Men if you will. -Anyway back to Peter -Turns in his thesis, graduates ESU. Strength of his thesis is what convinces Otto to have Peter also come into work with him in the Brand New Octavius Industries. -Norman is content to just play the Mayor and let Fisk be as Spidey and Yuri gather more and more evidence.

POST-GRAD / INSOMNIAC’S SPIDEY STUFF -Events of the game happen broadly the same -Fisk is taken down, Mister Negative enters the scene, Devil’s Breath Incident happens and Spidey gets his ass thoroughly kicked by Sable, etc. etc. -Otto turns into Ock. -Ock facilitates the Vault Breakdown (MCU got a Raft up and running and it ain’t in NYC sooo, Vault it is) and forms the Sinister Six. -However instead of Vulture being part of the Sinister Six, it’s Kraven. She’s back for a proper rematch. -Unless plotted, May does not die from exposure to the virus, she just gets really messed up and hospitalized, but she gets cured later. -Events of the DLC happen largely as shown as well, Hammerhead techs himself up, Yuri goes Wraith, Sable kicks Spidey’s ass again but also grows a Heart. Aw. -Osborn resigns in disgrace, but as luck would have it, Fisk and Li’s arrest leaves a nice Goblin-shaped hole in the criminal underworld for Gosborn to fill. -Norman discovers Harry’s ‘cure’ is sorta sentient.

WILL GORMAN GOSBORN FINALLY FACE OFF WITH SPIDER MAN? WILL SPIDEY LEARN THE REAL MASTERMIND BEHIND EVERYTHING? WILL HARRY GET GOOPED? WILL PETER FINALLY DISCOVER WHY KIDS LOVE THE TASTE OF CAP’N CRUNCH?

ALL THAT AND MORE, NEXT TIME ON, THE SPECTACULAR ADVENTURES OF THE AMAZING SPIDER MAN!

#oh yeah this is still canon motherfuckers #after the amount of work I put into it I ain't throwing it away #timeline.

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tamlins-stories-and-poems · 7 years

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Ok so this is a fic I’ve been writing for a while and is currently over like 60k words I think, but I’m only posting about 2k here as a sort of teaser. Basically this came about because @fire-fira and I were chatting about Bart and La'gaan and I ended wondering about if La'gaan had known and or helped raise Bart in the lost future. Lots of angst and fluff mixed together in this. If I get more than ten notes from people other than Fira and myself(preferably including reblogs) then I’ll post the next few sections! :D

Edit: Part two is [Here] if I did this right!

Uncle Laga was said to be the last Atlantean. He never joined the battles, he just watched the children of the rebellion. He loved kids, despite his gruff manner, they reminded him of his short time on some team. Some of the older folks called him Kraken, with awe in their voice. He’d snort in contempt when then did, and glance down at his peg leg before saying “Not anymore.” When Don and Melonie had their first two kids, Laga watched them too. When they had their second set of twins, Laga withheld a scream. He knew the face of the boy, and when the boy was named Bartholomew Allen the Second, Laga nicknamed him Bart. He started telling stories of the time before the Reach when Bart and his twin were old enough to understand them, a lot of them focusing on his friend Jaime. Bart somehow ended up in Laga’s lap a lot, or huddled against his side as one of the few younger kids got his favorite spot. When the kids hit twelve, they’d stop spending their time in uncle Laga’s care and move into mission training instead. Bart didn’t want that to happen. He looked up to his parents a lot, but they were never really around. Because they were both speedsters, they ran all over the planet to find people and resources, along with fighting the Bugs. He hated the Bugs. The Bugs destroyed Uncle Laga’s life, and Uncle Laga’s homes. They’d destroyed the Watch Tower. They’d poisoned Atlantis. They’d smashed the zeta ports. Now all Laga had left was hope that he’d find the second Kid Flash, who apparently went back in time. “You know, Bart,” Laga said one night, when the Allen kids were all huddled around him again, due to both their parents being on a mission, like most of the time. “If Kid hadn’t thought that killing the old host was the way to go, we might’ve had a Beetle on our side.” “What do you mean?” The five year old Bart asked. “The old Blue Beetle, he was my friend. We’d call him Blue, and tease him when he talked to his Scarab, and he saved my life a few times. But then Kid explained to the League how Blue was going to betray us, how he knew it would happen soon, and begged for permission to keep that from happening, in any way possible. We thought that he meant just sticking as close to Blue as possible. We agreed to let him. Blue’s body was found in Mongolia about a month later, but a new, giant Beetle had long since shown up and B-Kid blamed himself. He’d really liked Blue.” Laga explained. “Wait, but, if he killed Blue Beetle, why is there still Blue Beetle?” Bart asked, quietly. “Because the Bugs had technology that they were able to reset when our Blue died. Kid was convinced that they used it to control our Blue. Neptune’s beard, I miss those two.” Laga sighed. “Never you mind, Bart. The past is the past, and we don’t have the time travel to change it.” “But if we had time travel, you could go back and see your friends again, right, uncle Laga?” Bart guessed, putting his tiny elbows on La’gaan’s chest and resting his face on his hands. “I’m too old to save the world. I’m fifty, Bart. Even before the Bugs, even with people making sure I had healthy bones and joints that didn’t scrape every time they bent, I’d still be starting to push it with heroing.” Laga murmured. “They’ve been here almost forty years.” “So, who would you send to save your friends for you?” Bart asked. “Maybe one of you four. Would you like to go to the past?” Laga teased. “Is there food in the past?” Bart sighed longingly at the thought of food. “Yes, lots of it. Now go to sleep.” Laga said. He started singing in the Atlantean language, “Sweet water child…” he murmured, rubbing Bart’s back. Bart sang along to the lullaby until he fell asleep. Laga stared at the roof of the cave, as adults sobbed and screamed in the distance. The base wasn’t under attack again, but everyone here was traumatized. “Stay safe, my little electric eel. Don’t let your fear hurt our friends when you go.” He sighed, hoping that this time Bart would get to know Jaime well enough to try to save him from the Reach. “Please break this ekstassa time loop. Please save the world.” Laga had long since figured out that they had to be in a time loop of a sort. Future boy comes back to the past to stop what caused him to come back? Please, anyone who’d read any science fiction could tell you that that alone would be a time loop, and Kaldur had sent him a lot of science fiction when they were kids. Science fiction he and Lori and Bubbler would stay up far too late to finish reading on the computer they’d all built together. Laga sighed again, so much knowledge had been lost. Even if they could get rid of the Reach, nothing would be the same. Were his people truly lost? Had they really been poisoned or did they just lock themselves away like the amazons had? He hadn’t seen Cassie or Donna since the fall. Diana would look younger than him now. He wondered if she missed the Team as much as he did, or had she even made it back to earth after the incident with the trial? He’d seen Batman, but the head the Reach had claimed was Batman’s head was in truth Nightwing’s. Jason, the scum who had died, then never told anyone that he’d come back to life, had taken up the cowl after that. Now he’d passed it on the the Demon’s son, Damian, who had passed it off yet again to someone younger. Laga sighed again and closed his eyes. It was never good to think of the past.

.*.°.*.°.*.

Laga smiled as the children ran and played in the sun. “Why don’t you four ever join them?” He asked the Allen four. “I’m too hungry.” Yajri said, pitifully. “Same.” Her twin, Kuri agreed. “I have to save my energy. I use it so quickly.” Bart muttered, drawing his bony legs close to his stomach. Bart’s twin, Belle, said nothing. Her stomached was slightly bloated from hunger, but the rest of her was pure bones, as if her muscle had been eaten away in hopes of energy. She never spoke much anymore. She just stared, eyes hollow and longing, at where the other kids played. The Allen’s weren’t the thinnest kids. They got a lot of food, due to being speedsters, and being the children of the children of the two most important members of the rebellion. But Laga remembered how the speedsters had needed to eat before the fall, and sighed, supposing the kids were right not to play with the others. “Just be sure to talk with them when you can.” Laga said. “Social skills can save your life, and you can’t get proper social skills if you don’t hang out with people your age.” “Okay.” Yajri agreed for all of them. They wouldn’t. Everyone knew they wouldn’t. They’d sit together at story time, and be silent supports when Laga was needed, but they never talked to the other children alone.

.*.°.*.°.*.

The base had been attacked again. Laga had gotten most of the kids out. Belle had looked at them solemnly as he tried to get the kids out, and said, actually said, “I’ll die soon anyways. I need too much food. Give my portion to the others.” Then she ran off to the fight. Laga managed to get all the kids somewhere where they’d be safe and hidden, and convinced one of their attackers that they were hidden in a different spot, before the attack was eventually called off due to too many casualties on the Bugs’ side. Laga picked up the tooth that had been punched out of his mouth, and a scrap of cloth he’d ripped off a Bugslave’s shirt, and made it into a necklace, before digging the kids out of their hiding spot. Wally’s daughter had dropped by recently, and put her son, Raiku, into Laga’s care. She also dropped off a lot of nutrient tablets that had had the trackers and meta detectors removed. Laga wasn’t sure he believed that, especially after the last attack, but uncovering kids who didn’t look like they were about to starve to death was worth it, in his opinion. Even if they weren’t nearly enough for the speedsters. Even five a day hadn’t been enough to make Belle feel better. Laga knew she would’ve been the fastest if she’d had the energy to run. “Everyone okay?” He asked. Fred, named for peace by his Norwegian mother, took the tooth neckless and put it on Bart’s neck. “Yes, uncle Laga.” He said. “We’re fine. This time.” “Where’s Belle?” Bart asked. “Why can’t I feel her using the thing?” Laga winced. “She went to meet your good grandpa.” He said. “She’s dead?” Kuri shrieked, she was almost old enough to go into training now, Laga would have to see the back of her soon. “I’m sorry.” Laga said, and put a hand on her shoulder. She was slow for a Speedster, slower even than Wally, by a long shot, but she was still one of them. “She was too fast for me to stop. She said to give you all what would’ve been her share.” Bart hung his head. It was the first death that was real to him. Even his mother’s death hadn’t been fully real to him, since she was gone so often anyways. His dad had shown all the young speedsters some moves after that, but he still was rarely around. Almost like he couldn’t bare to se them. Laga picked him up, cradling the boy. “Let’s get back to the adults.” He said. The group trudged back to the wrecked base. They’d almost had buildings before this last attack. Yajri carried Raiku, who was only three, and cried with her twin. “Uncle Laga!” A twenty year old, the newest Longshadow, called. “They destroyed the food stores, bring the kids over and have them all eat something before everything spoils!” The non-Speedster kids rushed past him, everyone was always excited at the chance of more food. “Aren’t you hungry?” Laga asked the speedsters. “Belle’s dead. It’s not right to eat without her.” Yajri said. “She sacrificed herself so you all could live. Go eat.” Laga frowned. “If you don’t eat willingly, I will force feed you.” The three he wasn’t carrying trudged to the food, and Laga carried Bart over. Bart couldn’t stop crying. He was able to eat around his tears, but only food that was placed in his hands, and he cried harder whenever Laga tried to set him down. Laga started to sing a song he learned in the conservatory, “Stay strong, my sea child, stay strong, and fight. Stay strong, my sea child, and live through the night. Stay strong, my sea child, stay strong today, stay strong my sea child, ‘till the pain goes away. Stand strong, little sea child, stand strong for me, stand strong, little sea child, and kind please ye be. Stay strong, my sea child, though all seems but wrong, stay strong, my sea child, don’t pass along.” Bart had stopped crying, and was staring at Laga with wide, confused eyes. He hadn’t heard this lullaby since the night his mother died, when Laga had sung it to Don. Others, who had lost more, had heard it more often, and many people had begun to join in. “Yes, stay strong, my sea child, don’t let pain scar, stay strong my sea child, I know it be hard. Stay strong, my sea child, know I love you still, stay strong my sea child, don’t let pain kill. Stay strong, my sea child. Stand strong, little sea child. Stay strong, my sea child, and always come home to me.” The whole rebellion was singing by the last line, a few people had started crying, and many were hugging each other. “The death song?” Don asked, having just arrived back. “Who- how many this time?” “Flash.” Laga looked up at the man, guilt pulling his face taught. “I’m sorry. I tried to convince her to stay with the others. She was sure it was the only way.” “She took out nearly fifty Bugs!” Someone said. “She shredded them from the inside before they knew what was happening! We only lost three of ours today!” Don’s gaze swept over the kids, as his eyebrows drew together and his eyes grew wide. “No.” He said. “Belle? My baby Belle?” “She would’ve starved within the week if she hadn’t.” Laga said. “She wanted her death to mean something.” He gave another piece of food to Bart. “I tried to stop her, but she buzzed out from under my hand. I couldn’t think of her above the all of the others.” “How did she die?” Don asked, turning to the larger group. “She tackled me out of the way of Blue Beetle’s plasma cannon.” A woman said. Red Robin’s daughter, six months pregnant, a meta with healing powers. “I tried to save her, but my powers have been on the fritz since I conceived. All I could do was take away her pain.” “Did she say anything?” Don asked. “To apologize to Bart for her. To tell him she wished him life, and that she hoped he and their sisters would be well. Sweet water children.” Bart started crying again, and flung his arms around Laga’s neck. Laga held him close, rubbing his back soothingly. “Don.” Laga said. “The food stores have been destroyed. Eat, rebuild, and find us more food, please.” “My daughter’s dying words said nothing about me?” Don looked heartbroken. “Don, please don’t do anything too rash.” Jason said, frowning at the younger man. “Don’t leave us just because a child who saw you more as an idol than a family member didn’t mention you.” “You never did have any tact, Jason.” Laga sighed. “Don, sit down, now.” One good thing about raising the children in the rebellion, nearly everyone listened to everything Laga said, half on instinct. Several people sat, including Don. “Flash, listen to me, you are going to eat, you are going to help us rebuild, and you are going to find us more food, because you still have three children and a responsibility to the rebellion. And you are not going to do any of that recklessly, because no one here can afford to lose you. Do you understand?” Laga demanded. “Yes, uncle Laga.” Don looked down, tears dripping down his ash stained face. “She was my youngest.” “I know.” Laga put a gentle hand on the man’s shoulder. “Live for her. She wanted us all to be able to live. Now, eat.”

To be continued…

#la'gaan #bart allen #young justice #yj #found family #found family fic #TamLin's works #TamLin's writing #read more

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crazililwabbit · 7 years

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Burn - A Supernatural/Black Butler Crossover Fic

Master list here.

Ch 2 - You Know You’ll Always Lose

Elizabeth towel dried her hair and glanced in the mirror. "I look so tired…" She mumbled to herself and slapped her cheeks lightly. "Come on!" She tried to pump herself up.

She pulled on a black t-shirt, her favorite shorts and black boots. She was pulling her hair into a ponytail as she walked into the library. She froze. There was someone sitting in one of the chairs with his back to her.

"Are you ready?" A familiar voice called to her.

"Sebastian?" She gasped. Even from behind she could tell he looked different.

"Ah," He looked at her over his shoulder. "Forgive me, I forgot I had changed my appearance. Is this more to your liking?" He stood from the chair and raised his eyebrows at her.

"You…" She wasn't sure what to say. "You look younger."

"Yes. I tried to ascertain your age, I guessed twenty-five, and matched my looks accordingly." He smiled at her.

"I am twenty-six." She mumbled. She continued to stare at him. His hair was shorter and messy, but still the same jet black as before. He had changed from his suit with tails into a more relaxed black dress shirt and tie. "I like your shoes." She mumbled again and headed across the room to where her dad stashed all the smaller weapons.

Sebastian looked down at his feet. "Do you?" He smiled. "I saw them in one of your magazines."

"There is one place I can think of to begin." She changed the subject as she pulled several bottles of various ingredients from the chest. "It's only about seven hours away, so we can get there by morning." She checked her handgun to make sure it was loaded and then her pockets for ammunition.

"What might we be looking for?" He leaned against the table and cupped his chin in his hand.

"It's the only other place Castiel might be." She checked her backpack for water and a granola bar. "He has a, um, friend that lives there." She glanced up at him awkwardly.

"Friend?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "Normally friends don't make people feel as uneasy as you seem."

"It's not that he makes me uneasy. I actually love him. It's just that his relationship with Castiel is…" She paused again. "Complicated."

"Most relationships are." He mused.

"Well, it's just that Castiel spends more time there than he does here, where he supposedly lives. He insists they aren't a couple, but I don't know…" She shook her head. "You'll understand when you meet him."

"I see." Sebastian chuckled. "I noticed you are packing several weapons."

"Yea. You never know what you'll need." She closed her bag. "My dad always insisted that I carry a knife and gun, it's become habit." She looked down at her preparations. "What do you want? You can pick whatever you'd like."

"Oh, I am set." He patted the black pouch that was hanging from his belt.

"Oh, okay." She glanced at the pouch. "What are they?"

"Throwing knives." He grinned wickedly. "If I need to use a weapon, they are my preferred choice."

"Alright, I think we are set then." She looked away. The smile on his face was making her uneasy.

"Very well." She heard the table shift as he lifted his weight off it. "I will carry your bags."

"Oh, um…" She glanced up, blushing. "You don't have to."

"What kind of partner would I be if I allowed you to carry them?" He flashed her a quick smile that made her stomach tie itself into a knot.

"Th… thanks." She stammered and turned back to grab her dad's keys. She paused for a moment, running her thumb over the smooth metal keychain her dad kept. "I will find you Dad. Hang in there." She whispered to the keys.

She hurried after Sebastian, who was already halfway up the stairs. "Normally I would take my bike, but since we are going pretty far and I don't think we can both fit on it with all our stuff we are going to take Baby."

"Baby?" He turned and looked at her one eyebrow raised.

She held up the keys. "My dad's Impala."

The ride was quiet. She let the music pour from the speakers and he was content to stare out the window. Rides in the Impala very rarely had conversation anyway, so the silence wasn't new to her.

"We're here." She said as she parked in front of a large apartment building in downtown St Louis.

Sebastian strained his neck to look out the window. "This doesn't seem like a very safe area." He mused.

"It isn't…" She smiled and unlocked the car. "But that's why he lives here, plenty of work to keep him busy."

Sebastian only pursed his lips.

He followed her silently through the stairwell that led to the sixth floor apartment. She hesitated before knocking on the door. "Now, I am warning you. This guy is a little… weird." She turned to face him. "Don't take anything he says too seriously."

Sebastian nodded. "I promise, I will be nothing but courteous."

She laughed. "Sure. Just wait." She turned back to the door and knocked.

The door creaked open, but Sebastian wasn't able to see who was on the other side.

"Oh, it's only you Miss Lizzie!" A sing-song voice cooed.

Sebastian stiffened, even after a hundred years of being apart, he would recognize that voice until the day he died.

"What can I help you with?" The man pushed his red glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Have you heard from Castiel recently?" She expressed her concern. "The bunker was all messed up and my whole family is missing."

"Oh, dear." The man rested his chin in his hand. "I am afraid I haven't seen him in days. You don't think something happened to them, do you?" His eyes widened slightly.

"Well, I am sure my father and uncle were taken. Castiel hasn't replied to any of my calls or prayers, and I know he was home the night it all happened." She glanced over at Sebastian. "Oh! I am so sorry, I didn't introduce you two."

The man's green eyes turned to look at her partner. "Oh, my." He smiled. "You brought quite a handsome young thing, didn't you?" His cheeks flushed and he batted a hand at Sebastian.

Sebastian frowned. "Do keep that dribble to yourself, Grell." He looked away.

"Wait." Elizabeth looked back at the reaper. "You two know each other?"

Grell's eyes grew wide with excitement. "I knew I would see you again someday!" He was almost dancing with giddiness. "Oh, Bassy! It's been too long!" He threw his arms out as if to wrap them around the irritated demon.

Sebastian's frown deepend.

"Oh, but I must remember… I am a claimed girl now! I can't go letting myself get carried away by old sentiments." Grell clasped his over his cheeks. "Besides, I wouldn't trade my Cassy for all the handsome men in the world." He sighed and straightened his red button down shirt.

Elizabeth's eyes lit up. "I knew it! You and Castiel are dating!"

"Well," Grell looked away, blushing. "I like to think so, yes."

"Castiel never talks about your relationship, it's like pulling teeth to get him to say anything!" She took his hands in hers. "You will have to tell me everything!"

Sebastian glanced down at the girl who was excitedly smiling at the reaper. There was something in her expression he couldn't place, but he enjoyed, it reminded him of his promise to her, that he would remain polite. He sighed quietly and rolled his eyes. "Forgive my rudeness Mr. Sutcliff. I had forgotten a promise I had made." He bowed slightly towards the pair.

"Oh, Bassy." The reaper blushed and squeezed the girl's hands. "You are all formality and courtesy aren't you?" He looked back at Elizabeth. "You two should come in. Tell me all about what is going on and I will get you some tea."

"Thank you." She smiled at him. "I appreciate it."

"I am sorry I don't have anything to tell you…" Grell pouted as he held his tea cup near his mouth. "I honestly haven't spoken to Castiel in several days now." He took a sip of the warm liquid. "I hadn't really even noticed, I've been busy with work." He jumped to his feet suddenly. "Speaking of!" He set his cup down. "I had a soul that required my attention this evening!" He frantically grabbed his long black coat and bag. "I am so sorry dear!" He patted Elizabeth's shoulder. "Feel free to stay until I get back, and under no circumstances are you allowed to leave without me! I am coming with you. I would be completely distraught if something happened to my poor Cassy and I didn't do anything to help." He was closing the door behind himself. "Help yourself to anything! Toodles!" He gave a little wave as he closed the door behind him.

"Finally…" Sebastian sighed and rubbed his temples. "I detest that reaper."

"Awe," Elizabeth smiled up at the frustrated demon. "He's not so bad. I think he's fun."

"You have a tolerance for stupidity that I admire." He returned her smile.

"Oh, I don't know about that." She yawned and slumped back in the couch. "I do know that I am tired though." She glanced at the clock. "I can't believe we have been here for eight hours already."

"I can." Sebastian stood from where he had been leaning against the wall. "You should get some rest. When he returns I think it would be good for us to return to your home so I can take a proper look around."

"Right." Her eyelids were already growing heavy. "What about you?" She looked back up to him.

"I don't need to sleep." He smiled softly down at her. "I will stay here and watch over you."

"That's, um…" She pressed her eyebrows together. "creepy."

Sebastian's smile faded into mild shock and then returned with laughter. "I think that is the first time I have been told that."

"Really?" She chuckled. "Well, it is." Her eyes were getting to be too heavy to open. "Don't let me sleep too long, three hours tops."

"Yes." She could hear Sebastian's voice as she slowly faded into unconsciousness. "My lady."

"No!" The woman's voice cried. "I can't!" She was crying.

"Please." The man was begging. "You will be the only thing I will regret leaving."

Elizabeth couldn't see their faces, but she could hear the sorrow in their voices. It was almost palpable in the air around them.

"This…" The woman was stammering, overcome with grief. "All of this. You have gone too far this time, Azrael. You have gone somewhere I cannot follow."

"Leora…" The man began.

"No!" She yelled as she sobbed. "I can't believe you would choose this over staying here with me!"

The woman's sobs began to fade from Elizabeth's mind as she began to return to consciousness. The first thing she saw when her eyes opened was the sunlight pouring through the living room curtains. "What time is it?" She groaned.

"Ah. You're awake." Sebastian lowered the book he had been reading and smiled at her. "It is a quarter past nine."

"In the morning!?" She sat up quickly, feeling the blood rush to her head. She placed her hands on either side of her head to try and steady herself. "Why did you let me sleep so long?"

"You needed it." He continued to smile. "Besides, I did try and wake you. But you would only wave your arms in the air and mumble 'Not now Dad, I am about to meet Paul Bettany…' before rolling over and returning to sleep."

Elizabeth's cheeks burned with blush. "Sorry." She narrowed her eyes and looked to the side. "I am a heavy sleeper. It's from growing up learning to sleep in cars."

"Like I said, you needed it." He returned to reading his book.

"Is Grell back?" She stood and stretched.

"Yes." Sebastian's eyes didn't leave the page he was on. "He is back in one of those rooms." He jerked his thumb towards the back of the apartment. "Has been for about two hours."

"Thanks." She patted his shoulder as she walked by.

She tried to quietly make her way down the hall to the bathroom, but as she got closer to passing by the open bedroom door she could hear the reaper humming to himself. She peeked around the edge of the doorway to see him ironing some tan colored dress pants that were most likely Castiels. He would iron them and then fold them neatly before placing them on top of the pile of similar pants. Beside the pants were some light blue shirts hung on hangers and laid out flat on the bed.

"It helps me to act as if he could show up any minute." Grell mused without looking towards her. "Like he'll just waltz in with some greasy hamburgers he picked up from some rundown mom and pop restaurant and show them to me with a grin on his face. Like a child who has found a butterfly and caught it in a jar." His voice hitched slightly.

"We will find him." She crossed the room and placed her hand on the tall man's shoulder. "I promise."

He looked at her, tears in his eyes. "I know." He smiled sadly. "I know."

#crazililwabbit #supernatural #blackbutler #kuroshitsuji #crossoverfic #burnaSPNcrossover #chaptertwo #youknowyou'llalwayslose #ElizabethWinchester

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denim-boyo · 6 years

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Book Rambling at 1:00 am

Yeah hi sorry but I have a lot of feelings about a book my friend had me read and I stayed up to finish it and she's asleep and I need to YELL about this book rn so here this is. This is gonna get long and I'm on mobile so there's no read more and I'm sleep deprived and currently don't give a snit about grammar or proper English so sorry if this is impossible to read. "See You at Harry's" by Jo Knowles SPOILERS K so my friend got me into reading it cause it has a gay character in it and she knows what a ho I am for representation. I say I'll read it as long as the gay character doesn't die. (He doesn't and honestly I'm so in love with him he's a sweet bab and needs to be protected). So anyway the MC is this girl, Fern, and she's 12. I haven't read a book with a middle school protagonist in YEARS and seeing as I'm in college it's so weird to be transported back to that time but it's so accurate it's like I'm in middle school again and I still understand her struggles despite the age gap which is so cool. Anyway she's heading into middle school but for some reason her middle school starts in 7th grade? And her middle school is literally connected to the high school? Idk the layout is weird but it works. She also has two friends, Random and Cassie. Random is also a precious child who is so fucking sure of himself and unapologetically him and damn I want to be him when I grow up. Cassie has a crush on Random but he wants to just be friends and she kind of doesn't take the hint but she's really sweet and doesn't push anything so that's refreshing. Fern has two older siblings and one younger sibling. Sara is the oldest and just graduated high school, is working at the family restaurant until she can save up for college. Holden just entered high school as a freshman and is treated as 'other' (because he's gay) and tries to protect Fern from it by distancing himself from her on the first day. He's honestly so good and when he was happy I was happy it was super good. And the youngest sibling is Charlie. He's three and was an accident but he's a bright kid who deserved so much better! Because he frickin dies halfway through and the rest of the book is the fallout! I wasn't expecting ANY death in the book because usually if someone dies it's the lgbt character NOT THE THREE YEAR OLD INNOCENT CHILD! And because Fern was there when the accident happened that led to his death SHE BLAMES HERSELF AND SHE'S TWELVE AND I JUST COULD NOT HANDLE THE RESPONSIBILITY THIS CHILD FELT FOR SOMETHING SHE COULDN'T CONTROL I was literally balling for two hours devouring the book to see if there was some kind of resolution that could make it worth the heart ache. There kind of was, but holy shit I'm still reeling from it. The descriptions weren't violent or anything but they were so real it shook me. It was really weird though because I'm an only child and so I've never really had a relationship where someone who annoys you to death is someone you love and cherish with all your heart and you know that no matter what they'll be with you and support you, and then I'm reading about this girl who loses her youngest brother and just the dynamic of how the family as a whole grieved and dealt with it was eye opening to how that kind of works. Obviously I know that all sibling relationships are different but this kind of made it sink in. So I want to talk about Holden and his arc before I ultimately go to bed because he makes me super happy and I need that after finishing a box of tissues. K so Holden is a sweetheart and he starts dating this senior from a different high school even tho he's a freshman and at first I was *squint* but he turned out to be a nice guy and when the dad got all pissy over the age thing (after Charlie's death) Fern and Sara both stood up for him. The dad was ultimately coming from a place of love because he was worried about the senior wanting to do things Holden wasn't ready for, BUT he approached it with such hostility it made it more like he was attacking Holden for his sexuality. Admittedly the dad was a little bit not okay with Holden being gay at first but it was also stress from the loss and the worry of the future that Holden will face. So anyway he and senior boy are happy together and senior boy supports Holden throughout the aftermath of Charlie's death and they ultimately go to homecoming together and rent tuxes and it's super cute. Holden is protected by senior boy's friends and he has such a good time. They don't stay together but remain friends and vow to try and set each other up which is the best fucking thing. Holden's family is supportive at the end and it's just nice. Also like when Holden would come back from spending time with senior boy (his name is Gray idk why I didn't just introduce him fully whoops) he's literally described as 'glowing' and I'm so here for thst because whenever I see anything gay I feel so radiant like the world isn't horrible. I think that's why I've been following more lgbt blogs lately cause like I need that happiness. The only thing that I really hated about the book was the use of language. I understand that some people will say slurs from a place of ignorance but I literally almost put the book down because at the beginning Sara was saying the f slur very lightly and said that Holden was being sensitive when he got upset by it. There's also a 'fairy' joke near the end as well as other instances of the f slur but Holden kind of reclaims it? Idk it still kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Overall I liked the story and the characters, I was seriously emotionally attached to them by the end and balled my eyes out (which is a feat with how empty my soul is lol). And it was a really beautiful story of family and loss and life and survival and I know how stereotypical it sounds but y'all it's such a good book. I know I already revealed the main thing that happens but if you get the chance (and aren't triggered by homophobic slurs or child death) I would definitely recommend giving it a read. It's pretty short, 310 pages (40 chapters) and I was able to get through it in a little over 3 hours. Okay that's enough of me rambling. It is now almost 2 in the morning and I feel a lot better after letting this all out. I hope y'all are having a nice weekend!

#nonfandom #textpost #personal #book reading #book response #see you at harry's #jo knowles #late night chats #idk what to call this #roe's rambles #shut up roe #I know that probably no ones going to see this so I might try reblogging it in the morning because I need validation lol #anyway goodnight

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iladdie · 7 years

Text

What can we learn from the information given about the #laddiemp6 Octomore bottles without nosing and tasting them? This is an attempt by me to predict some of the notes I can expect based on the know how I currently have about the whisky making process.

The fun part would be that I write something in the blog that turns out, when tasting the drams on the 4th of May 2017, to be utter nonsense. That would spark some questions and it would make me learn!

Disclaimer: I haven’t a clue what these drams smell and taste like when I write this, but I want to test my knowledge and see if I can give it a fair snog. (<<<is that proper English?)

So what do I know about these Octomore’s? The Bruichladdich website gives some details on this dram which can be found here.

2010 Octomore cask – 4468

Distilled 2nd December 2010

60.4%,

Warehouse P2 L12,

Cask type – 2nd fill Rivesaltes (Hogshead)

I’m expecting Peat, Red Fruits, Nuts, Sweetness, all the standard Bruichladdich notes, but not yet Pineapple.

2003 Octomore cask – 0022,

Distilled 7th November 2003

59.2%,

Warehouse 12 B12,

Cask type – Ribera del Duero / Bourbon

I’m expecting Less Peat, Some Red fruit, dates, nuts, some vanilla, light oak, less sweetness, leather, clove and pineapple.

2010 Octomore cask – 4819,

Distilled 15th December 2010

62.2%,

Warehouse 14 13H,

Cask type – Fresh Bourbon

I’m expecting Big Peat, Wood smoke, Spice, Clove, Sharp, leather, fruitiness, saltines and the standard bruichladdich fruity / grassy / malty notes below that.

Ok, not lets find out what I can learn from doing a tad of research online into the casks types and the previous content.

Cask #4468

First up is Cask #4468, which was a 2nd fill Rivesaltes. Rivesaltes is a French fortified wine from the Rouselion region of France.

Wikipedia quote:

Rivesaltes is an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée for naturally sweet, fortified wines (vin doux naturel) made in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region of France. They are similar to Muscat de Rivesaltes AOC wines, except the grape varieties are not restricted to Muscat. The wines are red or white, and made from Muscat, Grenache noir, Grenache blanc, Grenache gris, Macabeu and (rarely) Malvoisie grapes.

A grape from Portugal also has the name Rivesaltes, so this indication on the dram can also indicate a Portugese wine. lets presume that the French Fortified wine is meant. The notes that are found in Rivesantes are dependent in the type produced.

Ambré: An oxidative maturation of at least two years in barrels. Amber-colored wines with odours of nuts, almonds, roasted coffee and candied fruits.

Garnet or Rouge: The wine must be stored reductively for at least 12 months, of which three months on bottle. The young wine is deeply ruby red and has aromas of red fruits (bramble, raspberry, cherry and cassis).

Tuilé: Is stored oxidatively for two years. The orange-brown wines, often rancios, smells of roasted coffee, cocoa, tobacco and confectionery fruit.

Hors d’Age: Is a Ambré or Tuilé which is stored for a minimum of five years.

Rancio: With the elderly a wine can be named “Rancio”. It is therefore an extraxified wine, which is stored for some twenty years.

So I think I can expect some nuts, coffee, (red) fruits, cocoa and tobacco from the wine together with some oak that comes from the casks.

The vanilla and spice influences should be low depending in how long the first fill casking lasted. Is there some information to be found how long the previous fill was in the Rivesaltes cask? Actually thanks to the Transparency campaign by Compass Box and Bruichladdich we know Rivesaltes casks are used in the making of the Classic Laddie.

Classic Laddie 14/009

So we know that after 7 years in a 2nd Fill Sweet Red and White Hogshead the content was used. This does not give us to much information on how long it was filled at first fill though. I am guessing that the first maturation is shorter or equally long. Why am I saying that? The first fill gives more in less time, so if the second fill was good enough as a component part, the first fill was probably ok too at that age. Not very scientific I know ;)

We also know the John Evans’ Valinch was in a Rivesaltes Cask.

I found only one Tasting Note for this dram on Maltkanzlei facebook

Google Translated to English it reads: (sorry for the odd translation)

Quote:

The 24th single barrel from BRUICHLADDICH’s single Cask series, just like this year’s Feis Isle single Cask bottlings, is a Rivesaltes barrel. What else was Rivesaltes? In short, it is a strong, sprinkled, liqueur-like southern French sweet wine with a particularly high sugar content, regularly obtained from the extremely aromatic muscatel grape. Eye / nose: Golden apple juice. Handwarum is the malt and diligently breathed it also, the frame agrees. In the nose, I also notice the ‘John Evans’ first a Laddie’s rather unusual, youthful alcohol note. Ouch, that is powerful! Okay, 9 years maturity are not the world and he also has nearly 60% ABV, which must be tingling basically. Nevertheless, there are barrels in which the nose is still rounder under similar conditions. Regardless of the alcohol influences, malty sweetness and a certain fruitiness are unmistakable in the nose. Palate: “Rich and full with an exotic fruity note: grapefruit, papaya and mango. The sweetness is complemented by the intensity and power of this dessert wine.” Thus Rivesaltes is tasted in the net z.T. Described. And so it finds itself in the beginnings also in the whiskey again. Amazing potpourri with exotic hints. Very unusual for Bruichladdich, where in the new spirit you find more European fruits like apricots and mirabelles. The Rivesaltes converts the Brennereich character here interesting. I wonder if the fruit notes remind me of my exotic love of my hotly-liked old Bowmores or Glenglassaughs. Hmmmh … the wineiness of Laddie is very much different from the old heroes. But he is not bad. I feel it very much in waves. Sometimes great, sometimes more of medium kind and goodness. Finish / Conclusion: Amazingly long finish. Toward the end, the winey sweetness and fruitiness of the palate of an unexpected malice, somehow a bit bitter, reminds me of the wash at Laddie. Somehow crazy. Again a nice Valinch with interesting aromas, as it should be with a single Cask – if one likes just Rivesaltes. Otherwise I make it a bit difficult for me. Good, but not really outstanding whiskey among the crew Valinches.

Also a 2016 Feis Ile Bottle was matured in a Rivesaltes Cask. I find some notes on this dram on the whiskynotes.be site.

To quote the whiskynotes website.

Quite:

Bruichladdich 9 yo 2006 ‘Islay Grown’ (61%, OB – Feis Ile 2016, Chalice barley – Dunlossit Farm, Rivesaltes cask #3304, 410 btl., 50cl) Nose: very malty and slightly lactic, on porridge and breakfast cereals with milk. A custardy note, but without the overdose of vanilla. Quite a lot of fruity notes underneath, like peaches and ripe melon with drizzles of honey. Hints of wet hay and yellow flowers. A soft sea breeze as well. Not entirely my style.

Mouth: very sweet and fruity now, with a thick texture. Lots of apricots in syrup, or poached butter pears – really beautiful. Almost a pear liqueur, alongside the big malty notes. Some vanilla and candied ginger. Also a greener note, something zesty. Greengages. Butter pastry.

Finish: drier, woodier now and not too long. This one had some spectacular elements (due to the Rivesaltes maybe) and a few quirky sides, which makes it difficult to score. Around € 90.

There has actually been a Rivesaltes matured Bruichladdich before this cask. The Octomore 6 Year Old 2008 (cask 5716) – Rivesaltes Cask (Rest & Be Thankful) (70cl, 64.1%)

I haven’t been able to find any notes. Sorry ;)

Cask #0022

Cask #0022 is a Ribera del Duero / Bourbon cask. Another Octomore that also is a Ribera del Duero / Bourbon cask is the Octomore 07.3. Notes on this dram can be read on the Bruichladdich website and many blogs. Feel free to download the notes here.

The 07.3 is 5 yo and this much younger than Cask #0022. Cask #0022 is 13 years old and would therefor be more oaky, more red fruity, more nutty, more vanilla-like, more spicy and less peaty. Also Pineapple, tobacco and leather would come in from the standard Bruichladdich distillate.

Octomore 07.3

Cask #4819

I am not predicting anything on the last cask. Thats because I think this will be a good dram. Bruichladdich and First Fill Bourbon goes well together. It may just be resembling the Octomore Futures II – The Beast /167 . I could not tell personally but who knows, maybe someone can.

Octomore Futures II – The beast

So to summarise. I found a whole lot of “similar” drams.

2010 Octomore cask – 4468, could be like 2008 Octomore, Rest and Be Thankful

2003 Octomore cask – 0022, could be like Octomore 07.3, only far more mature

2010 Octomore cask – 4819, could be like Octomore Futures II – The Beast.

Who knows! I know one thing! The online tasting is going to be friggin amazin! I am really really really looking forward to comparing the second and last.

Bruichladdich Octomore #laddieMP6 What can we learn from the information given about the #laddiemp6 Octomore bottles without nosing and tasting them?

#ウイスキー #व्हिस्की #barley #bourbon #bruichladdich #islay #malt #Nerd #Octomore #peat #phenols #Scotland #whiskey #Whisky

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geneticmisfit · 5 years

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Okay, so, I had posted this before, but it was during my Identity Crisis and Waning Muse so it didn’t really stick. Not anymore. Basically RIP to MCU canon but we’re doing things differently here.

Below you will find a numerous canon rewrites from Peter’s highschool years up to his post-graduation days, incorporating elements from the MCU movies, tv shows and games. No specific mentions on relationships and other characters unless it is necessary to the Narrative, because a lot of that tends to be extremely thread and partner based. We got it? Good.

ANYWAY ON WITH THE SHOW:

HIGH SCHOOL:

Freshman Year

-JANUARY 2016

-Being a kid and wanting to make a quick buck with his abilities, he enters a wrestling competition against Crusher Hogan.

MARCH TO JUNE 2016:

CIVIL WAR INCIDENT - JUNE 26TH 2016

HOMECOMING - END OF AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 23RD 2016 / SOPHOMORE YEAR

OCTOBER 2016 - MAY 2017

THANOS INCIDENT - MAY 2017

ENDGAME - DATE UNKNOWN

JUNIOR YEAR

SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2017

JANUARY 2018

-The Gang War™ begins in full force. -Spidey’s hands are full navigating the powder keg of a situation, with Tombstone and Manfredi vying for control, with Hammerhead planning something behind the scenes.

LATE FEBRUARY - JUNE 2018

-Spidey is basically doing clean-up duty in the aftermath of the Gang War™ -He is trying to find where Hammerhead is, but comes up empty. -All Spidey can find are the rumors that he went back to his old employment under the Maggia. -He takes down last of the known Manfredi fronts before preparing for his Europe trip (it’s the restaurant fight from the FFH trailers)

SENIOR YEAR

SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2018

JANUARY - MAY 2019

END OF MAY 2019

FRESHMAN UNDERGRAD

SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2019

JANUARY - MAY 2020

-Harry joins the ESU football team, his performance enhanced by The Green. -Electro is Born and he’s Angry -He blames Smythe for his condition and tries to attack Oscorp, not knowing that Smythe is imprisoned. -Spidey arrives and fights him, fight eventually spilling to Times Square -Is it obvious I’ve started ripping off TASM 2 yet or…. -Electro is arrested and sent to Ravencroft for rehabilitation. -The news of a new Big Man starts making the rounds. -Harry’s Green Juicing gets bad, he starts blacking out.

SOPHOMORE UNDERGRAD

SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2020

JUNIOR UNDERGRAD

September - December 2021

SENIOR UNDERGRAD

SEPTEMBER 2020 - MAY 2021

ALL THAT AND MORE, NEXT TIME ON, THE SPECTACULAR ADVENTURES OF THE AMAZING SPIDER MAN!

#headcanon tag.#this is still my magnum opus ngl #rip to mcu canon but fuck em kids

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