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Lex Luthor: What are your pronouns?

Impulse: What’s a pronoun?

Lex Luthor: Indicative but not exclusive to your gender identity.

Impulse: Stop swearing at me.

Lex Luthor: Can I refer to you as they/them?

Impulse: But my name is Impulse.

Lex Luthor: Superboy, what are the annoying one’s pronouns?!

Superboy: Oh, we use he/him for him, he doesn’t really care though.

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A Little Legendborn/Bloodmarked Scent Theory

Scent is nostalgic.  It transports us back to a memory, a person, and the feelings that lived in that pocket of time.  When I was a teenager Snoop Dog proclaimed in Lodi Dodi “For all the bitches I might take home, I got the Johnson’s Baby Powder and Cool Water cologne.”  Yes, I have happily dated myself with that reference (all my youngins, do your Googles) but nearly every boy I knew had that scent profile and every time one of them said, “Where my hug at” I would bury my nose in its familiar embrace.  Tracy has been hella intentional with so many of her choices in this amazing series (see a bit more in my “A little LB/BM…” series at the end) and I don’t think the way our favs smell is any different.  Let’s take a dip in the olfactory pool shall we?

Bree Matthews - scent profile Gourmand, Green, Mossy Woods

“Do you want to know?” he asks in a low voice that makes me shiver.  He reaches for my hand, and his fingers are hot against my palm.  “What your magic smells like?”... “Honey wine.  Amber.  Green things growing.  The tiniest hint of copper, like fresh blood.  Something else…”  A deep inhale, and I feel him shudder.  “Power.”

Well now, Selwyn said a mouthful when describing Bree’s scent and every note fits her perfectly.  

Honey Wine - Did y'all know that honey wine is also called Meade?  Arthur went on about someone drinking all of it when Bree popped up in one of his memories.  It is made from honey, yeast, and water and can vary in alcohol content and can be mixed with fruit.  In Celtic cultures, Meade is thought to enhance virility and fertility and has aphrodisiac qualities (had Sel on his ass in the woods).  This wine was said to have been first made in secret by Irish Monks. Its origins, however, are lost in prehistory with the earliest archeological evidence dating back to 7000 BC. It was used in feasts and celebrations across Europe and Asia and still exists today. A scent fit for a King. 

Amber - Warm and exotic, amber which is derived from tree resin and described as “Gold of the Sea” and has been touted as the world’s oldest and most desired treasure.  It is considered beautiful and unique and has special chemical properties that are electrically charged and could ignite when rubbed together (A bit volatile and explosive like our Bree).  Amber is a powerful Chakra cleanser and can absorb negative energy, transferring it into positive. It can be used in meditation for relaxation and can heighten and enhance psychic abilities. 

Green Things Growing - The scent of fresh cut grass, blooming flora, mother earth.  Representing growth, new beginnings, healing, and renewal.  I find it interesting that Sel tapped into this aspect of her scent as taking in her root (after giving him consent) revitalized him.  In a way Bree’s arrival has brought forth new beginnings and growth for everyone she has come into contact with.

Copper, Fresh Blood, Power - Smelling blood (where none is present) can signify a deep connection with ancestral ties.  As we know Bree has seen Vera bathed in blood, and its use has been pivotal to her communing with her ancestors.  It can also serve as a shield or protection.  Erebus has Bloodmarked Bree which alerts him to her danger, in a way protecting her. This scent being part of her profile is telling because it is a symbol of life, sacrifice, and spiritual potency.  These attributes are ever present in Bree.  She after all is their sharpest and strongest blade with a powerful connection to the spirit realm. 

Selwyn Kane - Scent profile Oriental (amber/sweet), woody (smoky), peaty (aged whiskey)

“We are so close I smell whiskey and smoke.  His aether signature, back again.”

Whiskey - Did you know that smelling alcohol has spiritual significance involving evolution, cleansing, and reemergence with renewed clarity?  Smelling alcohol can be a call to purify oneself, to get rid of negativity.  It can signify a period of transition or transformation, a rebirth if you will.  Selwyn Kane has managed to change immensely throughout both books.  He can literally transform by owl shifting.  By the end of Bloodmarked, we see yet another iteration of him as he transitioned more towards his shadow side, his demon nature.  Historical context suggests the scent of alcohol is associated with sacred rituals (Oathing ceremonies) and can be a bridge between the physical and spiritual realms. 

Cinnamon - In the oriental scent family, this scent is exotic and seductive (just like our favorite, angsty, goth).  Some people use cinnamon for protection, prosperity, and healing.  It is said to be anti-viral, anti-biotic, anti-microbial, and antifungal “I don’t get infections.”  Cinnamon has therapeutic properties, it's no wonder Selwyn is able to heal so quickly from injury (bruised ego aside).

Smoke- While a part of Sel’s scent profile, when Bree smells the hint of smoke he gives off, it suggests her closeness to the ancestral plane and the supernatural.  Like Bree, people that smell smoke when there is none can sense the spiritual world.  Selly has an affinity for detecting those pesky Shadowborn that continuously make their way to our world. Its scent is also associated with messages from our ancestors and the divine.

Nick Davis - Scent profile Woody, fresh

“When he catches up, his fresh laundry and cedar scent comes with him.  Of course he smells good.”

Fresh Laundry-Nick’s scent has been described as a bit boring, but I tend to disagree.  Tracy has been extremely intentional with her choices in this series and I don’t think Nick’s scent is any different.  Fresh laundry makes you want to bury your face in it.  After a long day and a nice shower, it feels like home to snuggle into freshly laundered sheets (Is it just me?).  It is comforting to snuggle up in your favorite blanket that smells of your favorite detergent.  It is soothing and in a sense freshly laundered linens are a clean slate.  If that isn’t Nick, I don’t know what is.  He is deeply comforting to Bree and is a soft place to land for her.  Whenever she is in his room, she is smelling his clothes, sheets, she is able to find respite with him.  He is a change of pace in all the chaos happening in her life.  Not only does he serve as comfort for her, but for Sel as well (hello Bloodwalk).  Plus, tell me you haven’t taken clothes out of the dryer and took a big ol’ whiff.

Cedar- I love the smell of cedar.  Symbolically it represents protection, wisdom, strength, and spiritual grounding (come on Nicky!).  In some cultures Cedar trees are considered sacred and are known for their healing relationship with humankind.  The scent of cedar clears the mind, opening it to past memories. Cedar trees in particular are said to store energy, only releasing it when important healing needs to occur.  We know Nick has a lot of inner rage (Max fucked around and found out), but he is also optimistic and seeking correction of the wrongs his father and The Order have imposed on the Legendborn.  I don’t know about you, but I’d bathe my clothes in this for sure.

Scent is such a powerful medium. What do you think of our faves’ scents?  I find it interesting that the spiciest characters (looking at you Bree and Selwyn) are in the oriental/woody scent family and our more level headed bunch is in the fresh scent family. 

In part two, we’ll take a look at Valec, William, and Incense Daddy himself, Erebus. 

Color Theory

Symbolism

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all of my favourite characters be like

#selwyn kane

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Bruce: Listen up teens, there’s nothin’ meme about smoking cigarettes. It’s not ‘Netflix and chill’ to do drugs. Fidget spin yourself into a place of worship

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Is this. Is this anything.

#canon #i said so #also damian literally reads shoujo

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Hello, yes, the Gotham Knights cutscene where Jason was trying out his new “rubber bullets” on dummies and Tim stepped right into the line of fire and dared Jason to shoot if he really thought the bullets were soft enough to be non-lethal and Jason recoiled in horror?

I still think about that at least once a day. 🥺✨

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Lets just ignore that I was meant to post this a week ago okay

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The reason I love the Red Hood being a crime lord instead of a vigilante is that Crime Alley, functionally, doesn't have the same problems as the rest of Gotham. Their main problem isn't the mad Rogues running around, it's the cycle of poverty, violence, and crime that they're all stuck in. And you know what one of the main ways to combat this is? Community. Organizing. Working together.

Except Crime Alley can't just choose to do that. Who would choose to join such a risky proposition instead of a gang that you know can help protect your family? So the Red Hood comes in and he looks like he's just creating another gang, the same as all the others.

Except he's serious about not selling drugs to kids or people in danger of overdosing. Except he protects the working girls fiercely, even if it loses him money. Except all the money he does make goes straight into the community if it's not making sure his employees are alright.

Working within the system is often a necessary measure to fix the system. Except the system in the case of Crime Alley isn't the government that abandoned them, it's the volatile, terrible gang set up. So Red Hood didn't just work within the system, he took it over and made it work for him instead.

Is this perfect? No. The other bats have valid disagreements with Jason's way of doing things. But he is doing so much good.

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Damian's love language and i have proof

alright let's start off simple:

Damian + colin

Damian giving colin a motorcycle after colin helped Damian in a childrens fighting tournament with zsasz

Damian trying to help colin find his mother on mother's day, eventually settling for giving Colin the flowers he was planning to give to colins mother

Damian + bruce

Damian giving bruce Marthas pearls that he dug out of the sewers, the ones Damian searched for in said sewers for hours

damian travelling to multiple places in the world, finding old memorabilia of martha and thomas wayne to give bruce in a scavenger hunt

Damian + Jon

Damian giving jon an extremely rare console that even clark couldn't find so him n jon can play games together

Damian + Dick

Damian finding an old piece of memorabilia from one of the first villains dick fought, just cause he told him the story of when they fought

there's also too bits with maps that i can't include due to image limit

1. Damian giving maps a batarang after finding out she was a batman fan

2. Damian giving maps a mystery hunt as Robin, letting her find a first edition handbook of serpents and spells (DC version of D&D) and calling maps (who, again, is a known batman fan) his friend in his robin identity to make her happy

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say it louder

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today my bf and i were talking about visiting my home for the holidays and i was (sadly) wondering aloud if i should cut my hair and our kid was like "why would you cut your hair??? your hair is cool" and not knowing how to explain it to him i said "my family doesnt think boys should have long hair" to which he went silent, wordlessly pulled out his phone and then swiftly held it out with a picture of keeanu reeves on his phone

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robin finds this strange little guy with a camera while on patrol

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Why do witches like always wanna fatten kids up before they eat them?? fat is like the grossest part of meat

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reblog if you’ve read fanfictions that are more professional, better written than some actual novels. I’m trying to see something

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"Damian, sometimes we should keep thoughts to ourselves." HELP, WHEN BATMAN HAS TO TELL YOU TO BE LESS RUDE, YOU KNOW IT'S BAD, I HAVE BEEN HYENA LAUGHING ABOUT THIS FOR THE LAST FIVE MINUTES.

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me, with english as not my primary language, trying to follow sherlock when he blurts out the whole sequence of deductions at the speed of light:

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tim should be the next oracle

cass should be the next batman

damian should be his own hero separate from batman