#So I'm not sure if Tim's capture will be a part of this one

[asexualbert]

Posting this now because I don't know exactly how to start the next bit and I feel like this sits pretty nicely ("nice" being a loose term) on its own for a while.

So, thanks @nerfherdingteleporter for that lovely list of questions, I WILL answer them all, even if not all with full stories but "How did Jason and Tim get caught?" caught my eye

So let's start there :)

He was sore and achy everywhere which... Was a significant improvement over the last time he could recall. He'd been...

———

Jason woke up slowly, clawing through the foggy, muddled feeling in his mind.

Oh.

Oh...

Jason's next breath came out shaking as flashes of memory came back to him.

His mother's face as he was dragged away

The beating

Hitting his head as he was tossed to the ground

The beating

The stabbing fluorescent lights above him, piercing into his aching head

The beating

That horrible laughter, never ending throughout the endless, constant,

Beating.

It must have lasted hours, days, even. He'd lost track. All he knew was that it hurt.

It had hurt so much.

It should have killed him. It may have if it hadn't been for the- for his horrible sense of drama.

Jason whimpered quietly as more pieces began to slot together in his exhausted mind.

The clock. The big, red, glowing, digital countdown.

Bomb.

He'd been conscious. Maybe miraculously.

Maybe unfortunately.

It had hurt so much, dragging himself across the concrete, fighting his broken body to reach the door.

But he'd made it. He must have.

He couldn't remember picking the lock or pulling himself out and away from that nightmare building but, he must have.

The next thing he remembered was collapsing on hard pavement. Outside. Away. Free.

And then also... A vehicle. Coming towards him.

Bruce.

It must have been Bruce, there was no other option that made sense. After all, who else would be all the way out by an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Gotham at ass-o'clock in the morning but his dad, looking for him.

Jason relaxed as everything started to make sense. Bruce had come. He'd found him. Saved him.

He hadn't been able to bring him home yet, he reasoned, as the sterile white room around him started to process.

They'd had to go to a hospital then. That made sense.

The distant aches in place of horrible pain made sense too. He must be on a lot of pain killers. It wasn't his preference, generally he'd rather not take any drugs at all. But Bruce wouldn't let anyone do anything bad to him.

So as he drifted back off to sleep, he figured that everything must be alright.

He was safe.

-–—–-

Bruce stared, unfeeling, at the results. It was... Impossible. There had to be something else, some other proof that...

But there wasn't.

They'd spent nearly 14 hours searching, all hands on deck, and all signs had pointed towards that god awful warehouse.

That godawful pile of rubble now.

The DNA match wasn't perfect. Less than fifty percent, but they couldn't have expected much more with his... With the body so ruined.

He didn't want to believe it. Wished and hoped desperately that there was any other way but... All the evidence was there. There was no one else in that wearhouse when the bomb went. And besides, he'd had so little biological family. The body simply couldn't BE anyone else.

There was no other option anymore. They had to stop looking.

He... Jason. His baby was dead.

#So I'm not sure if Tim's capture will be a part of this one #or it's own thing #his is a little harder to flesh out #it wasn't quite as dramatic #but we'll see #Jason and Bruce are both unreliable narrators because they fully believe everything they're saying :) #i can't say that i fully understand how DNA works but i promise there's enough there that the evidence is at least comic book plausible #i have put thought into this situation #i knew the answer to this question long ago i just had to sort it out into some kind of narrative #there will be more! #after my midterms probably #im painfully behind as is #but this AU has been bringing me joy throughout #Dragon AU #jason todd #bruce wayne #batfamily au #death mention #torture #<I keep misspelling that as Tortue #no turtles were harmed in the making of this fic #bomb mention #all the stuff that generally comes along with the Warehouse Incident really

[tildexart]

The Magnus Archives (Season One) Production Design Project

Hello everyone! Let me introduce myself- I'm Tilda (or Tilde), and I'm want to be a production designer.

Production designers create the overall look of a piece of media. From costumes, lighting, environments, props, etc., these designers make sure that everything looks cohesive and sets the mood.

So, I thought it would be fun to put my skills to the test by designing season one of The Magnus Archives. My winter break started as soon as I became interested in the show. Needless to say, a new obsession and an abundance of free time go well together.

You may have seen these illustrations posted separately, this is a master post of the whole project. My thoughts, processes, and critiques are all included under the cut. If you read them, I hope you enjoy! If, not, thank you for supporting my work regardless.

The Characters

When designing these characters, I tried to avoid being influenced by fan interpretations. Though, that was a challenge (especially with Jon and Sasha). I found that I looked to my friends for inspiration. Certain elements (Jon's glasses) were based off of what they wore.

Pinterest was also useful for finding clothing and pose references. Some looks were based off of different actors- in particular, Tim was inspired by Nicholas Galitzine and Elias inspired by Matthew Lillard.

Jane was the most fun to design! I believe in making terrifying characters actually terrifying.

Elias's design needs the most work. Having now finished the show, I see that it doesn't fit him. The purple is overly saturated, especially compared to the set. He looks out of place! I'd reverse the color palette to mostly green/yellow with purple accents instead. Although, I will forever defend the purple tint in his gray hair.

The Set

Jonathan's office was a treat to design! Balancing the color and clutter was especially important. This room is meant to be claustrophobic and uncomfortable, but not overbearingly so.

The wood looks to be full of splinters, but not so worn that it can be thrown out. The chairs offer no back support, and the shelves make the room smaller. The goal was to represented Jon's mind. Intricate, messy, and suffocating (Note: that is more of a season two description).

One goal was to capture the look of an actual archive. Valuable times was spent researching the different kinds of storage, files, paper, etc. The texture and color had to be accurate.

A split-complementary color palette of blue-green, yellow-green, and red was used. Of course, I had to get green in there, and the varying hues and desaturated reds worked well for the wood and filing supplies.

Jane's ashes and the Web lighter on the desk place this set at the end of season one. I find details like this to be important, it's one of my favorite parts of design. There is much needed abundance of eye imagery as well. Most obviously in the carpet, but eyes are carved into the table and watch from the shelves.

My main critique is the lighting- the filters used could be adjusted as to not distort the colors of the boxes. They look inconsistent. The Web lighter could also be more obvious, yet it is small and pixelated.

The Props

I designed these as I re-listened to season one, and it is the most recent piece I finished. Combining the details described in the show with what the objects would have realistically looked like was interesting. That was most useful for the clown, the Ming vase, and Ex Altiora.

Each of these objects came from a specific time with a specific look. Ex Altiora was bound in calf leather from the 1800s, so those books were referenced. Same with the frills on the clown's outfit.

The Ming vase was especially interesting, as it is from the Jiajing period. When looking at photographs of Jiajing vases, I found that many of them lacked handles and had an hourglass shape. That was fascinating to me, as many artists depict a standard oval-shaped vase. Also, the vase's design is described as straight lines that create distorted patterns when looking at it. That effect was achieved using chromatic aberration and the liquify tool (chromatic aberration was used to create a vertigo effect on Ex Altiora).

My critiques are... nitpicky. minimal. The shading on top of the garbage bag is unnatural. The thickness of the gold engraving on Ex Altiora is uneven. The "I" in "Immediate Consideration" is not capitalized. Other than that, I'm happy with how the props look.

Conclusion

First off, if you read everything, thank you!! It is a lot, I know.

My greatest takeaways are that 1) ask for critique, always 2) research skills are necessary for design 3) references are your friend! Seriously guys, use your references.

I hope you enjoyed this project and I'm excited to share more of my work in the future!

#and before anyone asks #i am not doing this for any other season #feel free to ask any questions about this project! #tma #the magnus archives #tma season one #production design #tildexart #tilda rambles

[ghostreblogging]

Omg like I had this dream about it yesterday. So what if batfam decided nope we're gonna ghost proof this house. And in the way they did it, they didn't use blood blossoms, ectoranium etc (blood blossoms are extinct and hard to find in large quantities and ectoranium is a space metal that nobody knows exist yet or confused with kryptonite) They used magic, so it's little less noticable.

And Tim decides to Invite his new friend over, aka Danny Fenton . Said friend refuses to touch anything while there. He wouldn't sit, eat food, or touch any of the occupants. And when he finally accidentally touches something, the spell works and he is captured with glowing chains or straight up thrown back into the infinite realms.

Danny finally has time for normal teenager shit. He managed slowly go through the bureaucratic shithole that is the infinite realms politics and he managed to come out with his sanity intact. Phantom is no longer a menace but a hero that tragically gave himself up to seal all of the Infinite realms (that is kinda true he did go through a nightmare to make sure ghosts didn't attack the living world and had to do the equivalent of centuries worth of paperwork to do that.)

And all things considered ghosts are a thing of the past for most people. ( He hopes that the ones he allows through keep their oaths and stay hidden)

And he can finally be a normal teenager again, albeit in Gotham of all places. But the death in the city masks his more inhuman traits and he really didn't wanna go through another paper work stuff to register himself as a meta without the meta gene, he would have to do that later though.

But he can do that later, he's on a vacation and he's not doing that.

-_-_-_-

He is standing in the doorway. People around him are getting their umbrellas and sadly he doesn't have one. He was debating internally if he should just go or go back to the lost and found for an umbrella.

He was waiting for Tim as he agreed to come for dinner. The car ride to the Wayne manor was calm, filled with few words.

All changed when he came to find the whole manor was covered in intricate magical circles and traps. He saw atleast few that straight up sent him to the dark parts of the realms and he didn't want to touch that. And as much as he wanted to straight up escape, Tim had been asking for multiple days.

So as much as he wanted to flee, his social skills are shit and he didn't want to risk the awkwardness afterwards.

So he tried his best. Didn't touch the ground floated slightly above it, didn't touch the furnitures cuz apparently it was considered part of the house, couldn't touch the walls. Couldn't even touch the residents before setting the alarms off.

He thinks he pulled it off. Of course he pulled it off everything was going smoothly and he just has to make sure he has everyone in the room in his sights and float a bit. Well until the actual dinner. He couldn't touch the food and he looked quite akward so much so Tim whispers to him.

"You okay? You aren't touching your food."

"Oh I'm okay, it's just-" before he could even start with his sorrowful excuses, someone someone grabs his arm, again it wouldn't have been a problem too it would only raise the alarm, until he is pushed down into the chair thus triggering multiple traps .

Big golden chains appear and he is arleady out of the chair by then. He opens a window and turns to say sorry but he accidentally trips over another trap and is pulled into the realms. He should probably cross Tim out of his list of friends.

-_-_-_-

Tim's friend just fell through a portal, should probably call Constantine about that.

Dick was the first one to speak up after the silence that incued.

"Did we just banish Tim's new friend to the shadow realm?"

"Wait why did he trigger the alarm? He didn't seem all that ghostly, was he like Jason"

"Probably. We probably won't see him again, do we just. . . Push the blame onto Constantine?"

" We are heroes-"

"And how the heck are we supposed to enter the realms anyway? And escape! Constantine greatly expressed that portal was one way only"

*Tommorow*

They see Danny just waltzing through Gotham and they pull him aside.

"What the fuck. You got pulled into the shadow realm yesterday! How do you even trigger the alarms"

Danny who arleady went through the five stages of denial and how tf am I gonna explain "oh you see i am a warlock of....uhhhh

I didn't think this far

OH PHANTOM. THE GREAT PHANTOM"

And after a very stressful meeting with batman and the entire JL dark members cuz apparently his alter ego became a big deal without his agreement.

Where he

Had to speed learn how to create duplicates

Had to fight off a few ghost lawyers cuz they wanted to be a part of "the very important meeting of importance"

Got asked to do magic (he's still learning okay?)

He panicked tried to sell one of his powers as a spell or him just having the copy of his patrons power.

More people got worried about him supposedly creating a contract with a very powerful new unknown diety

Got into the JL dark as a warlock

People apparently trusts him now???? As FENTON??????

Apperantly showing off weaker version of patrons power was a bad idea cuz he greatly overestimated the power limit.

He is a powerful warlock of a powerful "demon"?

WHAT THE FUCK DO U MEAN I- MY PATRON IS NOT A DEMON

"so what is he"

Uhhhhhh a guardian spirit?

Uunhuun soo it's phantom right.?? Leme do some research

WHAT DO U MEAN PHANTOM IS APPARENTLY A GOD AND IS KNOWN GLOBALY FOR BEING THE GOD OF HEROES??

Wait . . . . Clockwork. Oh my god.

Now he is the number one call up magic person for the bats now.

#danny phantom #danny fenton #dp x dc #danny phantom au #is this done yet? #danny phantom crossover #batman #dc x dp

[wolfjackle-creates]

Bring Me Home Arc 2 Part 6

It's Wednesday! (I'm ignoring the clock that says it's 2 AM. It's totally still Wednesday. I haven't gone to bed yet which means it can't be Thursday.)

So, since it's obviously still Wednesday, it's time for another WIP Wednesday. We're getting into the real meat of the plot of this arc with this update! And now you'll maybe start to see where I'm gonna take this.

Story Summary: Tim and Danny are both neglected by parents who care more about their work than their families. They deal with this by spending too much time online and find each other playing MMORPGs. They keep up their friendship as Tim becomes Robin and Danny becomes Phantom and don't bother keeping secrets from each other.

First, Previous

Word Count: 1.2k

-----

And that was when a large, swirling-green gash opened up in the night sky and dozens of ghosts started pouring through.

“Oh man!” exclaimed Sam as they watched the ghosts wreak havoc on the street. “I’ve never seen this many ghosts attack at once!”

Danny held out his thermos as he stared. “I’m gonna need a bigger thermos.”

The ghosts all appeared to be wearing uniforms and held batons as they attacked civilians and police indiscriminately.

“Uh, Danny?” asked Tim. “Should we call in back up?”

“No!” One of the ghosts got close to their group and Danny quickly sucked it into the thermos, dropping Jazz’s milkshake in the process. “Dammit. Absolutely not. It’s bad enough with three metas here. No more.”

Across the street, they saw a couple running from three of the invaders. One of the ghosts turned invisible and entered the body of the man who went stiff before sprinting to catch up to his partner and grabbing her to hold her still.

Then one of the other ghosts turned a garbage can over the both of them. The one overshadowing the man left his body, leaving the humans crying and covered in garbage as the ghosts laughed.

“I see,” said Tim. “How do we protect Bart, Cassie, and Conner?”

“You’re metas?” asked Sam.

Cassie nodded. “Yeah, nothing special, but… I don’t want to see what a ghost could do with my powers.”

“Let’s get back to my place. My parents might be crazy, but the ghost shield works. And then we can make a plan.”

Tim nodded. “I’ll lead. Kon, Bart, Cassie, you three need to stay in the middle. Sam, Tucker, you watch our sides and Danny, take up the rear. Capture any ghosts that try to approach us.”

Amity, even during a ghost invasion, was much easier to navigate than Gotham and Tim was able to lead them back to Danny’s house without getting lost. Every scream made him want to stop and help, though. He hated being useless.

Behind him, he could hear muttered curses from his teammates and knew they felt the same. But they needed weapons. Ones that could actually hit a ghost. And they needed to make sure they could fight off any overshadowing.

A TV was thrown out of a house through a window next to them sending shards of glass raining on the ground. Sam let out a string of curses.

“Sam!” called Danny. “Are you okay?”

“I think so. Just a slice to my arm.”

“We’re almost there,” said Tim. “We’ll check it out.”

He was flat out running now, could hear the others just behind them. They turned a corner and he could see the glowing FentonWorks sign. He grit his teeth and continued to run away from the mayhem, fighting every instinct he had. He wouldn’t be able to help if he stayed. He repeated it as a mantra with every step.

And finally they were there, he grabbed the door handle and pulled it open, ushering his friends in first.

Once inside, Danny flipped a few switches and metal slammed down over the windows, though no guns or lasers came out of the walls.

“Okay. No ghosts can get in now.”

“Danny!” Jazz came running down the stairs. “You’re all okay! Mom and Dad rushed out as soon as the attack started. What’s going on?”

“Jazz! Sorry, I dropped your milkshake on the way here. And not much, just, you know, a ghost invasion.” Danny’s laugh was bordering on hysterical.

“But you’re all safe?”

“Sam?” asked Danny. “How’s your arm?”

“I think it’s all right.” Sam grimaced as she held some tissues to the injury.

Jazz joined and led her to the kitchen. “Come on, let me clean that up for you. What happened?”

“A ghost threw a TV through a window. A piece of glass got me as we ran by.”

Tucker turned on the Fenton’s TV and switched to the news channel.

“I’m Shelly Makamoto and this is Ghost Watch,” an Asian woman said in a cheerful voice. “Ghosts, can you believe it, real ghosts are invading Amity Park right now. Emergency vehicles are struggling to get through the invasion, so if you are injured and in an area of high ghost concentration, help may be delayed. It is recommended you remain put and wait until first responders are able to get to your area. Currently, the ghosts are most focused on the downtown area, so the hospital is spared at this time. We can only hope this doesn’t change. Now, our weatherman Lance Thunder is out right now, so lets switch to him to get an on-the-scene report.”

They all watched in silence as a male reporter cowered behind an overturned car as he gave his report.

Sam and Jazz returned just a moment later. Sam had a large bandaid over her arm but shook her head when Danny shot her a questioning look.

“It’s fine. Clean cut.”

Tim relaxed as well. “Glad to hear it,” he said.

Jazz nodded. “Nothing to be concerned about at all. Thanks for getting the ghost shield up, Danny. I always forget which switch is the weapons and which is the shield.”

Tim’s eyes narrowed. She was lying. Why was she lying?

“Yeah, no problem. We’re gonna go to the lab. Tim and his friends have self defense training, Gotham, you know? So I want to see if we have any weapons in the vault that they’d be comfortable with.”

“Great. I’m gonna be in my room. As class president, I want to try and make sure everyone is safe so I’ll be on the phone with my door shut. Knock before you enter!” Then she was running back up the stairs and slamming the door to her room.

Tim exchanged a glance with Cassie. That was weird.

But next to him, Danny let out a breath. “Okay, so she’s out of the way. Sam, you sure you’re okay?

Sam grimaced. “It stings a bit, but it’s fine. Jazz put disinfectant and antibiotic cream on it.”

“Great. Well, not great.” Danny grimaced and Sam punched him on the arm.

Tim cleared his throat. “You said something about weapons?”

Conner nodded. “Yeah, did you say you have a weapons vault?”

Danny laughed. “You saw the home defense system. Are you really surprised?”

Cassie shook her head. “Your parents are evil scientists, aren’t they?”

Danny led them down a set of stairs. “I wouldn’t call them evil. They’re just… a bit single minded.”

And then Tim was standing in their lab for the first time. It was all silver chrome and neon green accents. But worse, it was messy. Half assembled inventions were scattered haphazardly over every surface. And was that a half eaten sandwich on the bench? Ectoplasm dripped off one of the counters onto a puddle on the floor.

Sam, Tucker, and Danny walked in without concern, but Tim and his team held back.

Danny realized they weren’t following and looked back in concern. “What’s wrong?”

“No offense,” said Bart as his eyes darted around, “But, uh, is it safe?”

“What do you mean?” asked Danny, but then he looked around and noticed the mess. “Ah. Hang on a sec. I’ll get you rubber gloves and boots you can slide on over your shoes. That’ll keep you safe enough.”

Sam helped and soon enough they were passing the protective gear over. Meanwhile, Tucker sat down at a computer and pulled up the news report so they could keep tabs on what was going on.

“Can we get eye protection as well?” asked Tim once he had everything on.

“Sure. Mom and Dad have plenty of goggles.” Danny grabbed a few of those as well.

Still not entirely comfortable, Tim finally stepped into the lab. On the far wall, behind yellow and black doors was the portal he’d heard so much about.

Danny followed his gaze and put a hand on his arm. “Come on, Tim. The weapons vault is over here.”

-----

Next

This should be enough to figure out which episode I'm using as the base for this arc! It's not quite the Ghost Fight people were hoping for in the comments of the last update, but I think this is gonna be better.

Tag List Part 1

@gremlin-bot, @bonebrokebuddy, @britcision, @lady-time-lord-, @welcometosasakiworld, @akikkobara, @phoenixdemonqueen, @dolfay, @skulld3mort-1fan, @we-ezer, @markus209, @sjrose1216, @onyxlightdragon, @dragonsrequiem, @jesus-camp-the-sequel, @spidey29phangirl, @kyrianclawraith, @evilminji, @introvert-even-on-the-internet, @emergentpanda-blog, @lexdamo, @v-inari, @idontgetpaidenoughforthisshit, @longlivethefallen, @undead-essence, @xye-chan, @liandrin, @seraphinedemort, @kisatamao, @schalensitzbucket, @caelestisdreamer, @runfromthemedic, @nutcase8691, @channajen, @tonicmii, @ambiguouslyominous, @vythika96, @addie-lover-of-stories, @ironicvixen, @violetfox2, @pickleking8, @mysticalcomputerdetective, @ark12, @mygood-bitch99, @squirrel-wolf, @satisfactionbroughtmeback, @sometimesthingsfallapart, @automaticsoulharmony, @d4ydr34min9, @revnantdpxdclover, @midigeria, @raginblastocyst, @feral-bunny31, @lunaria618, @ghostreblogging, @ace-aro-as-shit

#dpxdc #dead tired #my writing #conner: whats that you got there? #danny: a weapons vault why? #he has no clue its weird so doesnt think to hide it #its just his basement #one weapon for you and one for you and two for you #rip jazz's milkshake #damn ghosts #i am very tired #and my tags reflect that

[im-totally-not-an-alien-2]

Tim gets cursed and turned into a swan and must find a prince or princess to kiss him or he'll be trapped as a swan forever. Unfortunately for the magic users, Tim didn't take being turned into a literal bird lightly and attacked them with his newly acquired beak (I mean. Its a swan. They should have expected this.) The magic user- clearly not well versed in bird attacks- started flailing and threw random things and spells at Tim in an attempt to escape.

This is how Tim found himself in the Ghost Zone as a swan.

---

Meanwhile, the rest of the bats find and capture the magic user and find Tim's Red Robin uniform discarded on the ground. At first they thought he was hiding somewhere due to being, ya know, naked. But the magic user idioticly boasted that they turned him into a swan.

After making sure the person couldn't hurt anyone else they turned them in to the authorities and gathered Red Robins things and began looking for him. How hard can it be to find a swan?

Apparently pretty hard when it's in another dimension.

----

Danny was currently hating his afterlife.

He was the first prince the zone had had in several eons and everyone and thier dog wanted to gawk at him. It definitely didn't help that he's been drowning in marriage requests since he turned 15. He was way too young to get married but some peopled seemed to disagree.

Like the Elderan kingdom and their very pushy princess. They had come over again tonight as guests to "discuss the political climate between thier kingdoms" which he knew was a power play because as the high prince thier kingdom was a part of his kingdom and Danny was about ready to slap one of them. Preferably the king, but the princess was a good second. Hes almost certain she was stalking him.

Danny wanted to stay locked in his room in the castle for as long as he could get away with, which is how he got a first hand view of a very much alive swan flying in from the balcony and staring daggers into his soul from Dannys own bed.

Tim saw Danny in his black and white armor and black crown and made a beeline for the balcony window. If this guy was a prince then he was Tim ticket to being defeathered once and for all. Then he could figure out a way out of this crazy place. The vigilante turned birds menace flew strait at the prince, pressing his little feathered head against the princes mouth, effectively stealing a kiss and reverting back to a human.

After a few embarrassing moments of Tim making a toga out of the princes bedsheets, he explained what happened.

Danny puts his newfound political training to use and scores not only a possible alliance with a group calling themselves the Justice League, but also manages to convince Tim to enter a fake engagement with him as Red Robin so that he can ditch the suitors. All it cost Danny was a ride back to Tim's home world, a bit of tech and some weapons.

Needless to say when Tim returned to the batcave via portal with supernatural tech, a glowing bedsheets toga and a freaking fake relationship fiance, the batclan lost thier collective minds.

Nightwing: You ditched your clothes for an hour and came back with a husband

Red Robin: Fiance.

Nightwing: I'm so proud.

Red Robin: Its a fake relationship anyway

Nightwing: For now ;]

#fanfiction prompts #prompts #danny phantom #danny fenton #tim drake x danny fenton #tim drake #red robin #brain dead #fake relationship #fake dating #ghost king au #ghost prince au #dp x dc #gz alliance with justice league #nightwing is over here wiggling his eyebrows at tim #he gets a pillow to the face for his efforts #cass is best sister #shes the one who threw it

[gotham-daydreams]

Heeeeeyyy,

I don't want to be pressuring, but how will they even find y/n. Like, they're so many people in Gotham, and they know nothing about them except from thire own name. And if they were found, would they put up a fight? 🤔 she could beat tim in a one on one, with her being a black belt and all... so how will the capture be like?

From

👾anon

You're good! No worries.

As for your questions, I will say that how the Batfam ends up finding the reader is revealed in the 3rd part. Though I will drop a small spoiler and say that they don't get kidnapped... not right away, anyway ;] (or at least not in the part I'm currently writing, as of right now.)

It is still angsty, and honestly I'd say pretty heart wrenching since, y'know, it doesn't go well at all. Which I'm sure pretty much everyone expected-

Though, I will say that if anything where to happen, the reader would definitely put up a fight! Granted, they don't want to fight the Batfam- not because they can't fight at all (and as you've mentioned, they do have a black belt (as mentioned in "Not Here"), and they do have some experience in boxing as mentioned in "Not Tonight" (though I can't recall at the moment if it's also mentioned in "Not here"), among other things that could help them out in a fight), but because to them, I can imagine it's more of a last resort kind of thing. If they have to, they will, and considering the Batfam? They definitely will.

For one-on-one fights? Yeah, the reader probably could beat Tim, and maybe get scarily close to beating Steph (or just flat out beating her too). For Dick and Jason, I think they'd honestly need a little more polish and refinement on their skills and fighting style to actually beat them, but they could get a little close. As for Damian and Cass? Ehh, they'll definitely need more training and experience for that. Both are trained to be weapons before anything else, and working with Batman isn't exactly going to make that suddenly go away. If anything- it'll probably put the skills you learned from that experience to the test (fighting/combat wise, anyway).

I don't think I have to even mention Bruce, but if that were to happen the reader would like to think they at least got halfway there to beating him, and they'd probably be half right.

Though, this is all just on strength, agility, skill, reaction time and such alone. Everyone in the Batfam easily has quicker reflexes compared to the reader, and more experience when it comes to combat (not that the reader doesn't have their own fair share of experience, but y'know), but the reader would definitely try to use their head more than just fight the family head on (which is just... asking for failure and disaster).

Even if it isn't going to be easy to out smart the World's Greatest Detective, or someone with a mind like Tim- not to mention Oracle being on their side. Or really just, anyone trained under the Batman, at all. It isn't impossible.

So, in a situation where the reader has to fight someone from the Batfam, they'll try to utilize both their brain and brawn. So, if they can't beat whoever they're fighting, at the very least they can get away from the fight and escape. Which they definitely have better odds at succeeding in since they took track and field as mentioned in "Not Here." The reader might try to take down whoever they're up against depending on who it is, but I will say that they'll mostly choose to have a smooth getaway more often than not.

Again, like you said, Gotham is a big place- they could probably get away for a little while, if nothing else. :]

Besides, the reader could also unintentionally suprise the Batfam with some of their skills and techniques when it comes to combat, but I don't think it'll be enough to throw any of them off enough to beat them- but that also depends what caused the Batfam's surprise and how big their reaction was to it. So, now that I'm really thinking about it, it's possible to catch them off guard and defeat them that way. Unlikely- but possible. (Also because it depends on how certain members of the Batfam view the reader and their own fighting capabilities. Since that can really determine how shocked or surpised they'll get at certain things. Which I'll say right now- despite the awards in your room, some definitely don't think you can defend yourself, or could hold up well in a 'real' fight. Dick is one of them.)

Nevertheless, how would a kidnapping play out?

Honestly, it really depends on multiple things.

1. Why they resorted to kidnapping above everything else. (Which can vary from you being in danger (from their perspective), or just them just getting impatient.)

2. Who is doing the kidnapping. (Which can be multiple people.)

3. How whoever is kidnapping you, plans to do it.

4. How urgently they want to kidnap you (which can affect #3).

5. Do they have a plan, or are they doing it impulsively?

6. How likely are they to mess up, and if they do, how quickly can they recover.

These can all change and differ, with the reader's reaction and action changing accordingly, but again, it depends. In some situations the reader may be put into a position where they can't fight back. Or maybe they realizing what's going on much too late. Maybe they even fight back and manage to get away, or they fight back but their attempts are fruitless in the end. If the Batfam fucks up, even a little bit or unintentionally, the reader could take advantage of that- but that's if whoever is trying to kidnap them can or can't recover fast enough.

Sure, the chances of anyone in the Batfam messing up are low, and go even lower depending on who you're talking about. However, those chances are never zero, and again- the Batfam doesn't really know much about the reader at all. With some knowing more than others, sure, but you also have to take into account that some of these people are going to be selfish as yanderes, and don't want to share certain pieces of information about the reader with one another because maybe they want to be the only one to know about whatever they're keeping to themself.

Hence, making it more likely for mistakes to happen, but the Batfam is also really good at what they do- which is also why how quickly they can recover from said (most likely unintentional) mistake or slip up is kind of important. Seeing as it can make or break the reader's chances of escaping successfully.

Not to mention that certain pairs work better than others, but depending on what leads up to the kidnapping- some unlikely teamups could be made. They could either get in the way of each other, or work scarily well. Though solo attempts are also possible- let's be honest, with how most of the yanderes feel about the reader at this point in the series, that's not going to happen. They all want to see and meet the reader as quickly as possible, to a point where they're almost borderline not allowed to see you without being in pairs or something. Not because they want to stick together necessarily (most do want to just, be with the reader alone, after all), but because of their own selfishness, greed, and sometimes jealousy. (Though there are some exceptions, like part 3.)

Basically: who knows? It can go one of many ways, and depending on which way it goes, the reader could possibly escape or just be left helpless at the hands of the Batfam. As for THE kidnapping? I'm not gonna spill, we'll see how things go :]

Tldr:

1. How the Batfam finds the reader is explained in Part 3 and I'm not spoiling.

2. Yeah, the reader will fight if they have to- and stand a better chance against some of them compared to others. Though for the most part would use their brain and, if they can't defeat someone, they'll make a quick getaway instead, and have higher chances of succeeding in that. Though it is possible for them to catch whoever they're fighting off guard, and defeat them that way.

3. How the reader reacts and acts to a kidnapping highly depends on the kidnapping itself, and who is trying to do it. The reader may or may not be able to fight back depending on the situation, and there is more room for mistakes because the Batfam doesn't know much about the reader — and if someone does know more they'll probably keep it to themself out of selfishness. The chance for a slip up is small, but could be enough for the reader to get away.

- As for the actual kidnapping that may or may not happen in the series, and how that'll go with everything? I'm not spilling, sorry!

Hope this answered your question! If it didn't, I apologize and I can clarify anything specifically that may have confused you or anyone else in another ask.

If anyone else has a question, or you yourself have another question, feel free to send in an ask! I'm trying to answer these as much as I can while writing the 3rd part, if you couldn't tell!

#platonic yandere batfam #yandere batfam #yandere x gn reader #gn reader #sibling reader #that was also a bit of a ramble... #welcome to my overthinking brain #talking daydreams

[igotanidea]

The fear: Jason Todd x fem!reader part 1

"I'm calling Y/N."

"I don't need her here!"

"We both know you do."

"I don't want her here!"

"Jason." Dick was caught in the middle between getting angry at his brother and being annoyed with his stubornness.

"Do not call her!" he yelled in frustration "I can handle myself. There's no need to."

12 hours earlier

In fact, nothing happened. It was just a regular day, regular patrol, regular criminals. Nothing unusual. Red Hood was running around the crime alley making sure no kids or working girls were harassed by any scumbags. Quite peaceful night to be honest. Until one particular bat decided to come by Red's territory. It was official business. Apparently, Scarecrow escaped from Arkham, again, and was last saw by Tim, crossing the Crime Alley's border. Jason was not happy with Dick appearance (since obviously Tim decided to stay behind, not ready to face his angered resurected brother) and instead of working together to capture Crane before any damage was done they started bantering. Who would have thought, right?

"Cut it off, you two! Something's happening there!" Tim yelled through the comms trying his best to take hold of the situation

"The only thing that is happening is Dick getting his ass handed to him!"

"I'm serious, Red. There's some.... smoke? Oh shit."

"Oh, shit!" Dick repeated in sudden realisation "where is it, Red Robin? Where do we go? What do you see?"

"It's coming from the building on your right side, Nightwing. And it's spreading really fast."

"We're on it." Dick assured "Hood?"

"I am not working with you. Not now, not ever. Get the hell out of..."

"Oh, screw you." Dick hissed and moved to the edge of the rooftop in order to swinging away. Jay could have stayed there for what he cared, but Dick was not going to be passive. Crime Alley or not, there were still people exposed to Crane's fear toxin. "You know, I was really hoping you grew up just a bit."

"Wait. I'll help you. But only because of the kids living in that building. They.... they don't deserve any of that toxin to reach them."

"Good choice, Red."

However, despite boys best efforts they could not fully eliminate the threat and when they started their rescue operation some children were already crying in fears and terrors their poisoned brains produced.

"Janet." Red turned towards one of the working girls, who usually took care of some of the kids "is everyone out?"

"No. We couldn't find Jimmy, he wouldn't come out. Red, what is happening?"

"Where did you last see him? On which floor?"

"Third, but I still don't...."

"Watch them, Wing. I'll get the kid!" Jason took of running. He knew Jimmy Thomas. He was barely 8 years old and has already been through too much trauma. To tell the truth, Jay saw too much of himself from the past in this boy and made it his personal mission to protect him. And now, he was failing at that.

"What are you...?" he was not even listeing to whatever his older brother was saying when he burst to the building, heading towards the third floor in frantic search for the boy.

"Jimmy?! Jimmy where are you?!"

"I'm scared. Please, don't hurt me....." trembling voice came just from around the corner and Jay's heart clenched.

"Fuck! Jimmy, hey, you're good, kiddo, you're good" he grabbed that little broken figure in his arms, cradling him into his chest, covering boy's face so he wouldn;t inhale any more of the gas. "I'll get you to safety, all right? It's gonna be all good, I promise."

"Red? Are you good there? Did you find the boy?" Dick spoke throught the comms

"Yeah, I got him. I'm taking him out right now. Did you call for help?"

"I though you didn't want to work with the bats...."

"MEDICAL help, you idiot. Of course I don't want more of you."

"I don't think any doctor will help with Crane's toxic. You know it just have to wear off."

"Yeah, thanks for the clarification, replacement. And you keep wondering why I don't want you around."

Funny thing about Jason Todd was that while he was always ready to kill and kick asses, full of anger and tended to be harsh, he would NEVER let anyone hurt a kid. That was exactly why his hotheadedness took over when he rushed for the rescue and didn't spend one second wondering how the fear gas will affect him.

And he was about to find out.

edit: part 2 is up!

#jason todd fanfiction #jason todd angst #jason todd imagine #jason todd #jason todd x reader #jason todd x fem!reader #jason todd x oc #jason todd x you #jason todd x y/n #red hood fanfiction #red hood imagine #red hood angst #red hood x reader #red hood x fem!reader #red hood #red hood x y/n #batboys x reader #angst #dc angst #jason todd fluff #red hood fluff #fluff #dc fluff #batfamily #batfamily x reader

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

Reading the fleetway Sonic comic now and

I'm convinced that Tails is his special little guy??

I mean, he's an asshole, no doubt, but he passes up a party (mind you, he loves being celebrated as a hero so much) to go looking for Tails

He goes looking at his "favorite place" and literally dons shades and a worse attitude at learning Tails was taken

He genuinely cares about him as his buddy? Sure he complains about him or insults hin fairly often, but he clearly likes having Tails around enough to want him back??

Are we gonna talk about how Tails breaks free from Robotnik's control because he can't bear to keep hurting Sonic, because he cares?

This scene too reminds me so much of that scene from Fang the Hunter issue 1 where Tails called for Sonic and Sonic bid himself to be patient and not lash out because Tails is his friend. Like again, Fleetway!Sonic is an asshole, but he's holding back when it comes to Tails even a little bit

There's just constant proof whenever Tails is put in danger or captured that Sonic cares about his well-being. In fact he cares so much he just kind of is just indifferent about those he puts in danger by zeroing in on saving Tails (and those he saves he doesn't necessarily save with intent to). In this issue specifically, Sonic, the animal companions with him, and an unconscious Tails get washed away in a current of water, and rather than worry about his own well-being or those of his companions, he yells at them to keep ahold of Tails in the water so he can take care of the badnik.

Personally I feel like this sequence speaks for itself? Although Sonic is fairly confident, he risks his life on the chance that he can steer the Death Egg off course (and we're not even factoring in whether he can escape in time), and sends Tails away in the only escape pod. He literally gambles his life on this act of saving Emerald Hill and worries first about securing Tails', even if only Tails may end up escaping.

There's also the setting? Tails crying for Sonic and calling him the bravest hedgehog he ever met, Sonic reacting like he didn't just narrowly avoid death and that Tails is just stating the obvious, the two of them floating down in the escape pod during the sunset

I don't have the picture space to show it, but there's also another part of this issue where Sonic continuously nags Tails to stay out of danger and to let him handle everything alone, and then (after falling into a trap), starts talking to himself about how glad he is that Tails wasn't around to see him make such a rookie mistake. It's easy to read as Sonic always leaving Tails behind because he doesn't think much of him or thinks he'll be in the way, but I don't think that's completely true! I get the idea that Fleetway Sonic likes having his buddy around just as much as he wants his buddy to be safe. So he brings him around everywhere he can, but he forces him to hang back during the dangerous bits. And that's not to mention how this issue showed just how much Sonic values Tails' opinion of him.

And BOY does this scene get me

It's like

This is the first time Super Sonic ever appears in StC. Are we going to ignore that Fleetway!Super Sonic stops attacking and reverts back into regular Sonic because of Tails?

This is like Mecha Sonic in Archie's Mecha Madness special all over again, except Fleetway!Super Sonic is under no one's control. He stopped attacking because Tails bids him to remember them.

There's just so many little things about them in my reading so far that I almost can't believe it (and would hit the tumblr photo limit a number of times if I were to show it off)

If I had to label their relationship in StC, I'd say that, to Tails, Sonic is someone he admires greatly. He doesn't seem to be fond of Sonic's attitude (largely when it's aimed at those other than himself), and he expresses criticism as to how vain Sonic is and his eating choices, but ultimately he cares about Sonic enough to stick around with him and go on adventures from time to time. For Sonic, I think Tails is someone he secretly likes having around. He often criticizes him, and depending on his mood he'll do it whenever he gets an opening, but he's also just...bad at feelings. When Tails is in danger, he'll zero in on saving him, almost above all else, and then when he saves Tails he's going off about how he can't trust Tails to be alone, angry and annoyed. He's a jerk, but a jerk who cares more than he lets on about Tails. Tails isn't just some admirer, he's important to him, and at the same time, Tails' is someone whose opinion of him he values. Ahsjsjs and....he's also the kind of guy who would say something like "Hey, that's enough! Only I get to bully Tails!"

Is their relationship healthy? No😂 But also in StC it also comes off like...they're both choosing this. Despite everything they choose to be buddies

Idk I'm fascinated so far😂

The Sonic the asshole and his special little fox

#sonic the hedgehog #fleetway sonic comics #stc #sonic the comic #sontails #unbreakable bond #tails the fox #miles tails prower #fleetway sonic #fleetway tails #i just be ramblin #I cannot express to you guys how surprised I get every time I touch another Sonic property/adaptation and find primo content of my otp #This happens with Archie too‚ but as I've been reading fleetway Sonic it's been hard not to be surprised that no one talks about it #Also after reading Fleetway Super Sonic's debut I kind of hunger for some Fleetway SS/Tails you know? #I'm still crazy about that short scene #It also gets me that fleetway Tails has dealt with Super Sonic before #makes me laugh that his initial reaction is 'Yeah he's gonna destroy stuff and get ticked off easily. just keep your head down and wait #it out' #stc issue 1 #stc issue 2 #stc issue 3 #stc issue 5 #stc issue 6 #stc issue 7 #Idk there's so much I can say so far #I actually kind of agree with both StC and Fang the Hunter's characterization of Classic Sonic the most right now

[wesavegotham]

I could make an even longer post including panels to explain all the reasons why I don't agree with the people I've seen online who act like the recent stories of Tim saving Bruce at the end of Batman #135 and Damian saving Bruce at the end of Batman vs Robin are very similar and treating Tim and Damian equally good, but that would probably end up being too long. So here is the slightly less long version to explain what fundamentally sets them apart:

Tim is simply allowed to be good and heroic with no drawbacks. And Damian is not.

There was no argument before Bruce vanished that Tim saving him is an apology for. Bruce didn't get lost because of a mistake Tim made. Tim's way of travelling through the multiverse didn't require him to do anything bad to get it and his travels don't have any negative consequences for him or the places he goes to. Tim didn't only manage to save Bruce after asking for help from a bunch of other characters he met during his journey through the multiverse.

He is simply allowed to be Batman's shining saviour.

Now that alone isn't a problem. The problem is that the other character currently wearing the Robin mantle gets treated very differently.

If Damian was the one trying to save Bruce in the same arc I'm pretty sure some of the things I've listed above, if not all of them, would have been done. Because making Damian at fault for the problem he is trying to solve, punishing him repeatedly for messing up and not letting him solve the problem simply through the power of his own abilities is a pretty persistent pattern in Damian's stories.

Like in Batman vs Robin, a recent story some people try to argue gave Damian a "Robin saves Batman" story equally as nice as the one Tim just got.

Let me break down what Damian's role in that story actually is:

He opens the tomb of Nezha because of his recklessness, Mother Soul only had to arrange for the key to fall into his hands (thus causing all the following terrible events)

He gets possessed by Nezha

He tries and fails to kill his father multiple times, not because Damian is successful in fighting back against Nezha's possession, but because Bruce is simply shown to be superior to him in every way

Bruce dons the helmet of fate and frees everyone possessed by Nezha from his influence, including Damian

Damian begs Bruce for forgiveness

Damian and Talia try to defeat Mother Soul but she simply jumps into an abyss

Damian tries to stop Nezha from killing Bruce, but Nezha then just tries to shoot Damian instead and Bruce jumps in front of the blast, causing him to die

Black Alice and Pigsy manage to revive Bruce, but he's still in a very bad condition

Damian flies them all out of there and crashlands the plane into the Hall of Justice

Damian tries to explain to the heroes what is going on, but everyone turns to (a barely conscious) Batman and they only start listening to Damian once Bruce tells them to do so

Damian comes up with a very vague plan that...I guess one of the two teams had success? The other part of the plan failed and had some unintended consequences though, like Nezha taking full control of Bruce's body, which turned Bruce into nothing more than a husk for Nezha.

Damian remains at the Hall of Justice while the other heroes leave to execute his plan

He gets attacked by King Fire Bull and is completely useless the entire fight even after gaining temporary powers (seriously, it's stated in the book that his heat vision does nothing against a magic being like King Fire Bull)

He yells at King Fire Bull that if he learned anything these past few days it's that you will never be better than your father

The freed magic users defeat King Fire Bull

Nezha in Batman's body returns to the Hall of Justice without the rest of Batman's team, but Damian doesn't become suspicious of him

Damian wakes up captured by Nezha

He manages to escape but Nezha chases him

Monkey Prince explains to Damian the longer Nezha stays in Batman's body the stronger he will get, so they have to get him out of Batman and into his old body fast to banish him, but Nezha is the only thing keeping Bruce's body from dying. If they want to save the world Damian has to kill his father

Damian calls the rest of the batfamily for help to capture Nezha/Batman

After the batfamily wears him down first Monkey Prince uses his cloning ability on Damian to make 20+ (?) clones of Damian that wear Nezha down even further

Zatanna, Enchantress and Pigsy arrive to shackle Nezha and transfer his soul back into his original body on Damian's orders, leaving Bruce dead

Damian then asks Enchantress to transfer his life to Bruce to revive him, arguing that the world needs Batman far more than it needs him. She replies that his sacrifice wouldn't be enough to bring Bruce back, shocking Damian. Zatanna says countless people would need to give parts of themselves to revive Bruce.

Damian asks the entirety of Gotham to give a part of themselves to revive Batman, reminding them of all the times Batman has saved them and to shout "we are Batman" to transfer a part of their lifeforce into Bruce

Bruce comes back to life and they hug

The concluding sentence tells us that this story serves as a lesson to the world that there is no more formidable team than Batman and Robin

Even though we never saw them truly working  together as Batman and Robin at any point of the story and the only lesson I took from this is that Mark Waid really wants you to know that Bruce is the greatest and that Damian will never be as good as his dad. How uplifting.

But hey, they hugged in the end, surely that makes up for all of it, right?😑

Who needs Damian to not be at fault for yet another disaster? For Bruce to say something nice about him that goes beyond "well, he's my son, so I guess I have some love for him even though I can only describe him with bad attributes"? To simply see Damian filling the role Robin is supposed to serve in a story?

Or why let Damian enjoy the privilege that all other male Robins enjoyed? Which was to be Robin without sharing the mantle and getting to be Batman's main crime fighting partner?

Why do that when you can just use Tim for these things instead, right?🙂

And I want to make it clear that it's not just because "the characters are just like that". The characters are fictional, they have no free will.

A writer could simply let Damian have a story where he's not at fault for the problems he faces, where his own abilities allow him to solve the problem and he doesn't have to make shitty decisions because he's been forced into dilemmas other character simply don't get subjected to.

They just constantly choose not to.

#damian wayne #bruce wayne #Tim Drake

[phantom-z0ne]

Kingdom Come - Part 2

Part 1

WC: 3545

CW: Minor Character Deaths, Corpses, Disfigured bodies, Cults, Blood

Damian was missing and Dick was going crazy.

Damian hasn't responded to any inquiries of his location since he missed his scheduled check in time. It had already been two hours past that and they still didn't have any clue where he was. Last they knew, he was heading towards Chinatown. Damian knew a couple of the locals and regularly visited some animals, mostly cats and dogs but occasionally a bird or two.

They would have been able to track him with his comm, but Damian had modified it so that it was untrackable unless it was being used. Unfortunately, they hadn't learned of it before today. If they were to track him through his comm, they would only have a short time to triangulate his position. Damian stated that he wanted his privacy, likely so he could disobey orders without them realizing. They had allowed it because they trusted his judgment, not to mention they all had their rebellious phase, but now it was coming back to bite them in the ass.

It was unfortunate they didn’t have Barbara helping, she was off on her own mission with the Birds of Prey and not in Gotham. Finding Damian would have been way easier with her help, she was an expert in navigating the surveillance systems around Gotham.

Dick could tell he wasn't the only one concerned about their youngest, the others were worried in their own ways. Jason fidgeted with his gun, which Bruce was just barely tolerating, as he paced the rooftop while Tim ran the diagnostics multiple times, his fingers flying on his wrist hologram.

Cass and Bruce’s unease was less noticeable, the only reason he caught it was that he knew them for such a long time. Bruce double checked his trackers and flew across the roofs in search of Damian. Cass was tense and alternated standing near each of them, subtly clenching her hands into fists as she did.

“Robin, come in.” Bruce demanded, Dick felt the desperation in his voice although it was hidden well. He didn't want to lose another son while Dick didn't want to lose another brother. 

There wasn’t a reply, only the sound of static filled their ears.

Dick sighed, running his hands through his hair. They needed to find Damian quickly. The longer they didn't locate him, the longer his captures had to smuggle him out of the city. If Damian was taken out of the city, it would be infinitely harder to find him. 

He couldn’t let that happen, especially to Damian. He’s already had a tough life, what with how he grew up. His integration into the family was difficult on everyone, B was gone and Tim had chosen to pursue a theory he had thought of at the time insane. Jason wasn’t on talking terms with them at that time and Cass had her own responsibilities across the world. Steph was also busy with juggling her hero and civilian lives, though her attitude towards Damian did turn around in the end.

The comm crackled, faint sounds coming through. Dick jolted, jarred out of his thoughts from the abrupt opening of the comm. Both Cass and Tim’s hands went to their comms as Jason stilled. The shuffling of cloth was most prominent, though he could hear a quiet voice.

“Robin, report. What is your location?” Bruce asked, hope underlying his words.

There was the sound of shuffling before a young, unfamiliar voice sounded, “Is this comm trackable?”

That was not Damian. Did he kidnap Damian and was going to ask for a ransom or gloat? Another also kidnapped alongside Damian? Or perhaps a concerned civilian who had nothing to do with Damian’s disappearance?

“Who are you?” Bruce demanded, treating the unknown as a hostile. It was understandable, this was a stranger who possibly abducted his son.

“You can call me Polka. I'm not sure of the location but Robin is unconscious. We are in a warehouse.” The voice responded. ‘You can call me Polka?’ Was he implying that Polka wasn’t his name or the only one he goes by? Dick’s siblings crowded closer to Bruce as if they couldn’t hear out of their own comms.

The good news was that they now knew where to search. Most warehouses were either near the docks or the Warehouse District. That meant they had two areas to search if Tim didn't triangulate where Damian’s comm was during the short conversation. He could see Tim hunched over, one hand typing swiftly in his wrist hologram. 

“Stay where you are, I’ll be there shortly.” Bruce said curtly, his cape snapping as he turned to Tim and asked if he captured the location of the comm. Tim gave him a thumbs up and sent the coordinates. 

They piled into their own vehicles and sped their way across the city, heading towards the warehouse Damian was held in. 

They surrounded the warehouse once they arrived, Bruce entering first before they snuck in from different entrance points. Dick shivered slightly as he situated himself behind the boy who Damian was laid out on. His siblings spread out and surrounded the boy from all sides.

The warehouse was a mess, blood pooling from the disfigured bodies laying every which way. Dick could faintly spot a chalk circle underneath a pool of blood. Another cult, he surmised grimly. There have been too many cults running around lately for his liking, though it looked like this one had fallen victim to their own summoning. 

There wasn't much he could tell about the boy from behind, his baggy clothes hiding his frame. His hair was what stood out the most, cropped silver hair. It seemed to almost glow in the dark warehouse. Dick’s attention went back to Bruce who stepped out from the shadows and addressed the boy after taking Damian back into his custody, though he kept an eye out on the boy.

“None, I just happened to find him. Who are you?” The boy asked, standing. That was interesting. Everyone from Gotham knew who Batman was, and even if you weren't, Batman was still a famous figure.

Bruce answered in his signature low voice, obviously gearing up to interrogate the boy. That was his cue to step in. They’ve done this routine before, good cop and bad cop. It was surprisingly successful.

“Happened to find him?” Dick questioned, rolling down from the support beam he was perched on and revealed himself. The boy turned to him, his hair fanning across his face. A black stripe cut into his silvery hair. It was the inverse of Jason’s hair, Dick thought absently. 

The boy’s face was blank, unsurprised to see another vigilante popping up behind him. Dick’s eyes were drawn to the scar on his neck. It spanned most of the neck and would be most definitely fatal if it was deep enough. The boy was 15, 16 years max. Where would he have gotten a scar like that? Not to mention, he was too calm in this situation. Blood and viscera surrounded him and all he seemed was bored. 

Slight motion to the right made Dick’s eyes snap to the plush on the boy’s shoulder, almost certain that it moved on its own. “How exactly did you find him? We can't be sure you weren’t the one who abducted him, after all.”

The boy took his time to answer, his face slightly scrunched in thought. Faint sound of movement emerged from his comm but he showed no signs of hearing it.

He pointed to the body of the cultest then to the mound that Dick hadn’t paid much attention to as he answered, “They kidnapped Robin, me, and a couple other kids. They killed the others. Who are you?

Dick heard a sharp inhale, likely in reaction to the dead children. It looked like they were thrown there uncaringly, Dick thought angrily. They were piled on top of each other, some of their limbs bent unnaturally. Most of the injuries were from a slit neck, but there were signs of other injuries. These poor kids were likely tortured first then slaughtered. 

He could see Bruce soften after the boy answered, likely thinking the same things as Dick.

Dick sighed silently, sheathing his escrima sticks as he walked to stand closer to Bruce and Damian. “I’m called Nightwing. Can you tell us why you and Robin are unharmed?”

“They already summoned the God of the Dead, or Corpse God, by then. It wasn't needed.” Jason cursed. They were too late, for both the kids and the summoning. Not to mention the ominous name of the being that was summoned. Just what were these cultists planning for summoning such a being? Probably to ‘rid the world of impurities’ like every other cult he came across.

Bruce asked for confirmation of the being, pulling out his ‘victim voice’. It was significantly softer than what he usually spoke as Batman. The boy nodded, affirming their suspicions on the being. Though, where was it? Usually, summoned being raged and caused destruction in their wake, especially ones with such ominous names. There was no sign of this one.

Dick pasted on a smile and bent closer to the boy, “Did you see where the God of the Dead went?” 

The boy nodded as he bit his lips, visibly nervous. It was a bit strange to see such an expression on the child when he was blase for most of the conversation. He leaned forward as the boy cupped his hand over his mouth and whispered, “He’s still here.” 

Dick felt a shiver race down his spine, one of his siblings sucked in a breath. That was… not good. Was this a trap? Had the God of the Dead been lying in wait and observing them since they had arrived?

The atmosphere was thick enough to cut with a knife. Everyone was tense and ready for battle. Of course, that was when Damian began to stir, calling out to Bruce once he opened his eyes. Bruce adjusted his hold on Damian, beginning to answer Damian before he was cut off by the boy.

“Can I go now? I was with my friends before this. They’re probably worried.” Dick most certainly couldn't let a key witness, and a most definitely traumatized child, wander off without supervision. 

“Sorry, you’re coming with us.” Dick said apologetically. 

The boy did not like that. He crossed his arms and gave them an annoyed look. “Why?”

Jason, Tim, and Cass took this as the perfect time to reveal themselves. They hopped down from their respective posts and gathered near Bruce. Tim, however, aimed for the cultists as he responded, “We need more information and to verify your story. And for your protection.” 

The boy's eyes lingered over Cass and Jason before focusing on the latter, his expression curious. Jason obviously noticed but didn't pay it any mind, more interested in fussing over Damian who wasn’t having it, swatting Jason’s hovering hands away. 

“Won't that be kidnapping? Since I don't want to go to a secondary location with strangers? Kidnapping is illegal, you know.”

Jason answered as he finally relented from teasing Damian, “Well, it's a good thing the law is more like suggestions to us.” This did nothing to stop the boy from looking apprehensive. Good job, Jason, Dick thought tiredly.

Tim interrupted the boy when he stated that the cultists were, in fact, not dead. It blindsided Dick. Many of the cultists were in pieces as others had bled enough to be six feet under.

Damian looked mildly curious as Bruce and Tim questioned the survival of the cultists, likely thinking over the logistics of how they still lived. Eventually, Bruce asked Tim to alert the hospital and GCPD. They wouldn't be arriving in a long while, it was still Gotham after all.

Dick walked over to them as they discussed the boy and the cultist, hearing the tail end of Tim’s suspicions. 

“—clearly up with him. Despite the situation he’s in, he is unusually calm.”

That was true, not many kids were so nonchalant about almost being ritually sacrificed. Or seeing mangled bodies and pools of blood laying around.

Dick glanced at the boy—he really should be calling him Polka by now, since it was the only name he was given—seeing him grow red-faced as he spoke with Jason. 

The almost silent crackle of a radio signaled their time was up, they needed to leave before the police arrived. 

Herding Polka out of the building and out of sight was easy, all they needed to do was avoid cameras and stick to the shadowed side of the alley. Those who saw the group were quick to run away.

Losing Polka, however, was not something Dick expected to happen. They all were hyper aware of their surroundings, and in turn, the kid. How he managed to disappear under the scrutiny of six highly trained vigilantes, Dick didn't know. 

They had to admit defeat after searching the area and beyond for an hour and a half, Damian being sent back for an examination despite his objections early into their search, and trudge back to the cave unsuccessful. 

Dick watched Jason walk into the infirmary—jokingly nicknamed the “batfirmary” by Steph— and remove his helmet from his seat next to Damian’s cot. Steph walked in after him, plopping down on the end of the mattress next to Jason and ignored Damian’s hissed demands for them to get off. 

Cass slunk in a moment later, Tim behind her. He was still typing on his wrist computer as he sat on the opposite side of Damian. Cass leaned on the arm of his chair, gazing curiously at the screen.

Off to the right, through a sliver of the thick cloth that blocked the med bay, sat Bruce. The light from the Batcomputer illuminated his bent figure. 

Dick pursed his lips, not liking the expression that crossed his father’s face. Whenever there were children involved, Bruce always got into a mood. It wasn’t that the rest of them didn’t, but Bruce’s mood was always the worst. He wouldn't accept any food or comfort until he solved the case and got justice for the innocent children. 

As his child and fellow vigilante, Dick couldn't let Bruce neglect himself like that, least of all when it wasn’t his fault the children died. He stood, walking over to Bruce and laid a hand on his shoulder. He gently squeezed, offering all the comfort that was allowed. Bruce gave him a weary smile.

“You should join us.” Dick said, retracting his hand to cross his arms. “It does you no good just sitting here. Damian needs you right now.” 

“I know.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I just… I need to give those children justice.”

“Bruce, they aren’t going anywhere. You need to focus on the child in front of you.” Dick winced at how that came out. “I mean, Damian should be your priority right now. He’s recovering from being kidnapped!”

“You're right.” Bruce sighed, straightening his back slightly. “They aren’t going anywhere.”

Dick walked back to his seat, pleased with the sound of Bruce’s footsteps behind him. He watched as Damian’s face brightened when he spotted his father, and the subsequent haughty look he made to cover it up. 

“How are you doing, Damian?” Bruce asked, sitting on the cot. 

“I am fine, Father. It was just a scratch.” Damian answered, lifting his chin then frowning. “I didn't need to be hauled to the infirmary. I could have helped track down the boy.”

“We had to check if the cultist had done anything else to you. Would you rather not know if they had? And how did they manage to even snatch you anyways?” Tim intervened, crossing his legs as he looked up from his wrist computer. 

“They used defenseless animals against me.” Dick almost cooed at Damian’s pout. He was always glad to see Damian act his age. 

“What kinds of animals?” Steph leaned forward, her eyes gleaming. 

“… Kittens.” Damian admitted quietly.

“They lured you in with kittens?!” Jason said hysterically. Muffled snorts came from all around, Dick himself wasn't exempt from laughing either. Everyone but Jason quickly pasted on an innocent face when Damian furiously glared at them, he didn't bother covering up his laughter. Even Bruce seemed amused, his eyes darting between them with a fond look on his face.

“Do you remember what happened?” Cass signed. Dick could tell she was still worried about Damian, the sides of her eyes were creased and her lips held together tightly.

“I passed out after I was hit over the head.” Damian began, the bedding clenched in his fists. “I remember waking up a couple of times but it wasn't for long. The last time I awoke, the boy was there.”

Bruce put his hand over Damian, his lips pursed. He clearly didn't like how his son was treated, and looking around, none of them were. “Did he do anything?”  

“He told me to rest.” Damian said simply, brows furrowed.

“And you did?” Tim asked, dumbfounded. Dick was just as confused, Damian barely took orders from them that he deemed unnecessary, so him listening to a random civilian? It was unheard of.

“That was the strange thing. The moment he told me to, I was overwhelmed with drowsiness. I couldn't help falling asleep.”

A magic user? Dick thought speculatively. Or perhaps a meta? There were many abilities that could cause someone to fall unconscious with just a word, and just as many with aftereffects. Dick prayed that there weren’t any lasting effects on Damian, he wasn't sure what he would do if there were.

“I knew there was something up with him!” Tim announced, jumping up from his seat. “The fact that he was so calm in such a bloody environment was the first clue. Why would he be calm, let alone stay in that warehouse, when he was abducted and watched others be sacrificed? Plus, despite telling us the Corpse God—or God of the Dead, whatever— there was no sign of the being other than the cultist’s dismangled bodies. Why did he lie?” He paced back and forth, letting his theories flow like water.

Cass knocked on the wall, gathering their attention. She signed, “He didn’t lie.”

“He didn’t?” Dick questioned, understandably confused.

She shook her head, “He was truthful the whole time, but was he hiding something.” 

“He could have been misleading you.” Steph crossed her arms. “He was being pretty vague in the recordings I watched. Plus, some of his words could have been taken in a different way.”

“That's true. The way he slipped away from us wasn’t something a civilian could do. Even a meta would be hard pressed to disappear from right under our noses.” Jason spoke up, a thoughtful look on his face. 

“I’ll call Zatanna.” Bruce sighed, getting up from his seat. “Get some rest, we’ll have a long day tomorrow.”

“He’s right. We need to conserve our energy for interrogating Polka tomorrow.” Dick ushered his disgruntled sibling towards the staircase leading to the manor.

Once he was sure they were in their rooms, Jason deciding it was too late to go to his own safehouse, he returned to the cave. Damian was unsurprisingly still awake, his stubbornness fighting against his weariness. 

Dick dimmed the lights of the cave and headed towards the infirmary. Giving his brother a quick peck on the forehead and tucking him in, much to Damian’s displeasure, he grabbed a tablet and wrote up a report next to the cot. He made sure to include his sibling’s theories in the notes margin.

Soft muttering sounded off to the side, behind the infirmary’s curtain. After making sure Damian was asleep, Dick crept towards the sound. Around the corner, Bruce’s frustrated voice spoke. He ended the call a minute after he spotted Dick leaning on the wall with his arms crossed.

“Constantine?”

“Zatanna was busy.” Bruce ran his hands through his hair. He was clearly tired after the eventful day, but Bruce would continue working despite his complaints, Dick bitterly thought. He shook his head, now was not the time for those kinds of thoughts. 

Dick hummed and walked towards the Batcomputer. He sat down, Bruce a couple feet away typing away on another monitor. He transferred his half finished report to the computer in front of him, finding a keyboard easier to write with than a tablet. 

He let out a yawn. He had been up for more than twenty four hours, most of that time spent patrolling and studying cases in the Batcave. He laid his head on his arms, a quick nap wouldn't hurt, would it?

Distantly, he felt a heavy weight cover him. He let out a murmur of thanks for the blanket and fell asleep, not hearing the whispered response. 

The insistent buzzing of the tablet woke him. He stretched, his back popping, before unlocking the tablet. A gasp escaped him once he laid eyes on the screen.

“Uh, B? You’ll need to see this.” Bruce looked at him in question before rolling closer, eyes widening slightly once he read the article.

In strikingly bold letters, the headline was “JOKER MAULED BY THE UNDEAD”.

──── ∘°❉°∘ ────

Wrote a large chunk of this months ago and just sat on it since I didn't know how to write batfam interactions. I'm pretty satisfied with how it came out :)

──── ∘°❉°∘ ────

Masterpost | Part 3

#dead mount death play #dmdp #dimension travel #polka shinoyama #corpse god #dc comics #dc universe #bruce wayne #justice league #damian wayne #duke thomas #cassandra cain #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #batfamily #no beta we die like jason todd #minor character death #cults #cw blood #tw corpse #cw death #wip: Polka’s second dimension travel (but with his brother this time!!) #stephanie brown

[trulybetty]

Sunday Week In Review XV

What a couple of weeks! Took a little break from my weekly updates as Sundays started to become a little crazy around the Truly household - so I may have to switch up the format for the new year, but we'll see!

But anyone else have have no clue where time has gone? How is it Christmas Eve already? With things a little busy I've had limited time to read. So this is a mishmash from the last three weeks of what I managed to track.

T R U L Y  U P D A T E S . . .

December x 500 is underway and we're in the home stretch now. Sickness has thrown the Maplewood AU's for Marcus and Joel out of sync - but I will be working on getting them out as soon as possible!

December x 500 Masterlist

W H A T  I  R E A D . . .

Bakers Dozen (Various) by @avastrasposts This is such a delicious series and just keeps getting better and better! On the edge of my seat waiting for each new update!

Caught Kissing Santa (Dave) by @wildemaven This was so incredibly sweet and oh so festive! The idea of Dave dressing up as Santa for his kids just makes me swoon! 

Paranoid Heart (Javi) by @goodwithcheese This series just keeps getting better chapter after chapter and this weeks update has me counting down the days until it’s Tuesday again!

Holiday Prompts (Joel) by @jomiddlemarch Jo manages to capture so much in all her little drabbles as she follows along a month of prompts! Definitely recommend getting in on following them!

Working Title (Dieter) by @rhoorl Have I mentioned in the last five minutes that I love a soft Dieter? That's what Jess delivers with this series and this latest installment in Dieter and Belle's relationship has me on edge for what's to come for them next.

Here | Catalyst 'Verse (Joel x Frankie x Reader) by @ezrasbirdie The latest installment to this series certainly doesn't disappoint and explores the dynamic that's been growing since the first installment and the complexities of that come with any relationship, but the added addition of another person. If you've not read this series, I very much recommend it!

Are You Alone & Are You Going To Be Quiet? (Benny) by @rhoorl With this series Jess has created around Benny it's impossible not to drop everything to read it once it's released. These two additions this month were deliciously spicy and festive, just what the season calls for!

Holiday Prompts (Various) by @ladamedusoif Rose has been knocking it out of the part using the same prompt list I've been working through and they're all just so good! I'm slowly getting caught up with them and will be bringing them to a re-blog real soon - but I highly suggest diving into these for some festivities!

A New Tradition with Frankie (Frankie) by @nerdieforpedro Frankie, check. Baking, check. Mishaps, check. Frankie being incredibly sweet and Frankie? Check, check and check! This is incredibly sweet despite the baking issues in the story - but Frankie more than enough makes up for it.

Footprints (Joel) by @sin-djarin Ohmigod, I get a lump in my throat when I think about this fic Becca so beautifully wrote exploring Joel creating Christmas magic for Sarah with the help of Tommy pre-outbreak. Dare you to read it and not have a tear in your eye!

Don’t Drink the Punch (Dave) by @wildemaven Heidi's Holi-Dave series is just the soft Dave I didn't know I needed, but can't live without now! Christmas Office parties would be a whole lot better with Mr. York around, that's for sure!

Undercover (Tim) by @secretelephanttattoo I've been wading in the Rockpool for a while now, and El just further confirms I won't be leaving anytime soon with this series! The slow burn and the forced close proximity makes for a fantastic read that builds the anticipation for the next installment.

Nourish (Joel) by @goodwithcheese This is the second of Megan’s one-shots featuring Joel and she’s managed to build this cozy little world in Jackson between Joel and our reader. Really enjoyed the dynamic here and the inclusion of Ellie.

Smutsgiving 2023: Sweet Potato Casserole (Wing Pit Pedro) by @something-tofightfor This is another instalment in the Daniel Harper Wing Pit character that I have totally fallen for. Like seriously, if you’ve not read the previous fic’s by Rachael you should get over there and check them out!

12 Days of XXX-Mas (Various) by @morallyinept Jett’s 12 Days Of XXX-MAS has been delivering banger after banger (literally 😏) with this festive series and there's something for everyone here.

Delta Landscaping (Various) by @rhoorl This is my favourite soap opera and live for updates on the residents of Mule Fall Court! Even if you're not a fan of Triple Frontier (is there such thing? lol) - stick around for the PPCU (Pedro Pascal Character Universe) cameos!

You Me & John McClane (Dave) by @wildemaven It's by no exaggeration when I say this is the festive rom-com of my dreams 😍 - I have a hard time sometimes with Dave fics, but this Holi-Dave series has a permanent residence on my re-read list and every time this has popped up I've read it again!

Sunny & the Grinch (Jack) by @gnpwdrnwhiskey I love Sunny and Jack and this festive instalment is such a treat! I’m still giddy over it and still not okay - not giving anything away, but it still has me kicking my feet in excitement when I think about it!

Symphony (Joel) by @maggiemayhemnj The opening chapter to Jeanne’s first series set in Jackson dropped this week. A great introduction to our characters and I’m already excited for the next instalment to see where things go! I love a good OFC and I know Jersey isn’t going to disappoint! 

Give (Joel) by @goodwithcheese Another jump into post TLOU word in Jackson with these two. It’s such a cozy bubble that makes me feel warm and fuzzy every time we visit them. I love this little festive addition!

Common Thread (Frankie) by @wildemaven Such a dreamy series of vignettes between our reader and Frankie. The whole thing was a great balance of spice and domesticity of an established relationship. 

Gift Wrapped (Dieter) by @sp00kymulderr This is the chaotic festive Dieter of my dreams! This was such a fun read and if you are a fan of Dieter this needs to be on your reading list!

In Reality (Dieter) by @sin-djarin Becca’s coming home series is beautiful and this addition of Dieter, in follow up to ‘In Fiction’ is in part a great character study and a festive slice of warmth. Highly recommend!

T H I S  W E E K ' S  J A M . . .

It's not Christmas until this album has been played and this is my favourite from it...

Hope everyone, no matter how you celebrate the season, is doing well and staying safe ❤️

Sending lots of love and hugs to you all!

#betty's sunday in review #sunday week in review #pedro pascal character fanfiction #pedro pascal characters #Spotify

[meaninglessblah-writes]

⚰️☕ + 🙄 + 👁️

Thank you for helping me work towards my Nanowrimo goal! 💙

"You're always behind the camera," Jason points out. "I figured it might be a nice change to see you on the other side of the lens, for once."

The man hasn't stopped smiling since Tim reluctantly handed over his digital camera. He thinks Jason's face is at risk of splitting, he's been grinning so wide for so long. He's sure Jason's committing every second of Tim's torment to memory, and to his SD card.

The camera clacks loudly in the quiet room, and Tim freezes with his hands on the hem of his shirt.

"I'm having second thoughts about this," he admits.

"C'mon, baby," Jason drawls, peering through the eyepiece. It feels horribly distant, intimate without comfort. Jason lifts his head from behind the camera; Tim tries to focus on his face, and not the wide eye of the lens. "You promised me you'd at least try this. See what it's like when you snap me."

"I just feel a bit... exposed," Tim settles on, hating how the word tastes in his mouth.

"I bought lingerie for the occasion," Jason says, gesturing to the lump of lace on the bed behind Tim. "You can wear that, if you don't want to be naked."

Tim's expression feels flat. "That's hardly a choice."

Jason straightens from behind the camera, stepping around the tripod to take Tim's face in his hands. His voice is gentler, his smile dampened, when he murmurs, "You promised me you'd try. I know you're nervous," Jason adds, when Tim opens his mouth. "That's part of the experience. Give me a chance to show you why it's worth it."

Tim swallows, but nods. Jason pecks a kiss to his forehead, hands dropping from his face as he returns to his post. He fiddles with the focus as Tim tosses his shirt aside, bending to finger the muddle of lace.

"Take it slow," Jason reminds him, punctuated by the clack of the shutter. "Take your time with me."

Tim tries to keep his own experience at the forefront of his mind. It had taken some convincing to have Jason let him bring a camera into their bedroom, but it had opened up a dimension to their relationship he otherwise never would have been able to share. He tries to remember how patient Jason had been with him then, posing as Tim instructed.

He owes Jason the benefit of the doubt, even if Tim would much prefer to be behind the lens, not captured by them.

He strips off his pants, kicking them out of sight, and fingering the elastic band of his boxer briefs. The camera gives off a series of staccato clacks, and Tim feels a heat rise on his cheeks. He perseveres, bending to pull them over his heels.

"You look amazing, babe," Jason interjects, a little husky. Tim angles his hip away from the lens. It feels childish to cover his cock with his hands, especially when that's the whole point of this session; but he still isn't totally comfortable with his junk being immortalised in high res.

Thankfully, Jason seems to be attuned to his discomfort.

"Can I get you to hold a few poses for me? Back turned to the camera?" He ducks back down to the eyepiece, whistling low. "You're stunning, Tim. That waist, those hips..."

The camera marks his interest, and Tim starts to relax into the abrupt clacks. When he thinks of them as an auditory mark of Jason's attraction to him, the camera doesn't seem so foreign any more.

"That's perfect," Jason hums, and then requests, "Can you put the panties on for me, baby? Slowly? I want to get as many shots of this as I can. Proper spankbank material."

Tim snorts, but fishes the lace panties off the sheets. They feel tiny in his palm, barely any material to them when he pulls them over one leg. They're a dark red, nearly burgundy, and they fit like a dream. Even Tim has to admit they look damn good on him; Jason chose well.

Feeling bold, Tim slips a hand into the snug panties to fist his own cock. It feels so good, the heat and friction of his palm divine. Tim bites his bottom lip, and hears Jason groan behind the camera.

"God, Tim, you're a natural at this. Keep going, baby. Get yourself properly hard."

Galvanised by Jason's words, Tim hooks a thumb into the lace and eases them down enough that he can pull his cock out. He's not sure he can see the appeal from his angle, but from the way the camera goes nuts, Jason is certainly liking what he sees.

If Jason's enjoying himself, Tim can find it in himself to go along with it. He hooks one foot up on the comforter, leaning back a little to stretch himself out. He knows from his own time behind the camera how well the light plays along his abdominals, accenting the lean muscles in his thighs.

Tim keeps one hand on his cock, stroking slowly as the camera clicks. When he chances a glance over at his partner, Jason has a hand on the front of his pants, shamelessly getting himself off to the image of Tim.

The flush that rolls through Tim leaves him tingling in its wake. He thinks he understands why Jason loves being his model so much; being the centre of his attention is getting Tim harder than he's ever been.

Jason watches him in enthralled quiet for a few minutes more, until Tim is hot and panting, cock leaking into his own palm.

Tim realises he didn't ask Jason what his goal for the shoot was, and feels like he should warn him before he spoils it. "I think I'm gonna—"

"You go right ahead, baby," Jason purrs, his voice sex-rough. "I'm gonna be right here watching you. Come for me, Tim."

7,943 / 50,000

Help me reach my goal!

#meaninglessblah answers #meaninglessblah conquers nanowrimo #anonymous

[baileys-3]

CHAPTER 20 ONLINE on AO3

So, 5 days of alternating shifts begin this chapter. Let's see how our two deal with it.

Then thanks again to Cookies for beta reading. You are awesome. Because she always has a proofread and not only reads over it quickly, but also makes sure that everything is always true to character. Invaluable.

Then the current status: I started chapter 28 yesterday and am in the middle of it. Somehow everything always turns out to be longer and more detailed than expected. I'm currently at 146,000 words.

Sneak Peak:

Tim's alarm clock rings and, as always, he is immediately wide awake. In his childhood, oversleeping was never an option, and as a soldier, he learned to react to every sound, even in his sleep. Every morning, he goes for an early run, following the same mechanical routine, with only breakfast occasionally varying. On this particular day, Kojo is not there, which means that he finishes earlier than usual.

He sends his sister another quick text to check whether dinner at hers is still on for tonight.

As he checks his phone, he notices some new messages in the group chat with his work friends. He realizes that one of the group admins, Angela, has renamed the group to "Mid-Wilshire Legends". After reading the messages more carefully, he learns that the group is discussing Nolan's birthday present, which happens to be a voucher for a paintball match. Nyla came up with the idea as Nolan's failure in the shooting arena, where he was distracted by a man in a diving suit, still gets teased. Everyone in the group plans to take part in the paintball match and then go to a restaurant together. Probably the only highlight for Nolan, because Tim won’t give him five minutes at the paintball arena. He will shoot him down personally.

The conversation is now all about finding a date when everyone has time. Which is not so easy, with a big group they have. He makes it easy for himself and basically takes Lucy's free dates and simply cross-checks his own calendar before posting the same list. That's that sorted.

Then he writes a quick message to Lucy.

Tim: If I'm on the team with Nolan, I'm out. Don't forget to nap before your shift. Otherwise, I'll have to order T-shirts again.

He looks at his watch and decides there's no point in hanging around at home any longer. He'd rather be at work earlier. Before he leaves the house, he takes another look at his combined dining and living room. He sees the cactus on his dining room table. He is now the proud owner of a plant. Lucy will water it. Or it will die. It's not his problem. He didn't even want it in the first place. He shakes his head and smiles. It's just like Lucy to do something like this. And it's just like him to be unable to say no to her. Comparing him to a cactus ... he has no words.

The day gets super stressful. He receives countless messages requesting him as a supervisor. So many that he can no longer fulfill them all and needs to prioritize. What on earth is going on in this city today?

The most inquiring case was the discovery of drugs during a traffic stop hid den in a bag that contained ready-made chicken. The man who was caught with it was so co-operative – or in other words, scared – that he gave up the dealer right away namely the seller from the roast chicken stall, who was captured quickly after that. Who not only offered his customers chicken, but also drugs. Wrigley was hailed as the hero of the day for conducting a traffic stop. Upon noticing a broken taillight on the car, he immediately became suspicious when he realized that the car did not carry the aroma of roast chicken, which it should have since the bag was on the passenger seat. This led to further investigation and Wrigley's quick thinking eventually uncovered something important. Good job.

Time flies as he rushes from one call to another. He writes a few messages to Lucy during his lunch break, like how the coffee in the break room tastes increasingly strange and that she should bring one from home. But then he is on the road again on his way to another call. At least he's back at the station before Lucy's shift starts. He is sitting at one of the desks reading Wrigley's report. It’s clear to him that Wrigley rarely writes reports like this. Reports about drug possession and intent to sell, so he needs to read the report carefully and can't just skim it through. He needs to make sure, that everything is documented correctly, and the prosecutors can’t refer to any procedural error later.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees someone place something on his desk. It's a coffee mug with the logo of one of his favorite coffee shops. He likes the place because they serve good black coffee. He can't exactly judge the rest because he's never really cared for any other offers there. He only drinks black coffee there. He is a simple man with simple needs, sue him. He looks up and sees Lucy standing next to his desk, already in uniform. Her smile warms his heart. And even more when he thinks about the fact that she took a detour just because of him, as the coffee shop in question is not on the direct route from her apartment complex to the station.

"Hey. How was your day?"

#chenford #lucy chen #the rookie #tim bradford #tim bradford x lucy chen #archive of our own #chenford fanfic #tim x lucy #chenford fic #chenfordsource #lucy x tim #lucy and tim #ao3 link

[fictionadventurer]

Have you ever seen the Alistair Sim Scrooge? My personal favorite.

PS What do you think of the theory that Scrooge's dad was also visited by the three spirits?

I have now!

After getting this ask, I was shocked to discover that I'd never watched a straightforward adaptation of A Christmas Carol. I thought I'd seen a million versions, but upon reflection, all the ones I've seen were either the Muppet version, stories where fictional characters from other franchises play the roles, or shows that adapt the basic framework to another setting. Since I've seen praise for the Sim version elsewhere, I figured this was a good place to start.

Some thoughts:

Sim's Scrooge is slimy. Playing up how odious he in his demeanor and body language. (Made me think of how some people play Mr. Collins from Pride and Prejudice).

The acting style was very old-fashioned and theatrical and it took some getting used to.

Bob Crachit was excellent. Just a nice, steady guy. I'm starting to suspect that Crachit's a role that's hard to mess up. There are lots of different flavors of "cheerful everyman" that can all feel like a valid fit for his role in the story.

I liked that this version included the "spirits walking the Earth and bewailing their inability to help" scene, even though it looked really weird.

The Christmas Past section had a lot of odd changes. Scrooge's father hates him because his mother died giving birth to him (even though in the book, Fanny is younger than him). Belle is now called Alice for some reason. They seemed to be trying to create a "Scrooge was terrible because of his relationship with his father" narrative that doesn't really match the book.

I don't think either the past or present sections captured the joy of the Christmas parties.

There's a reason the book didn't go into detail about Scrooge's business dealings. The board room meeting was so boring and I couldn't follow it at all.

On the one hand, it's interesting to see the extra scenes about Scrooge's rise in business. On the other hand, I have a very hard time believing all these events took place at Christmas.

The Ghost of Christmas Present was excellent. I loved how they explicitly made the Spirit of Christmas about having Christian charity. (Though I'm not sure I like the notion that the Spirit himself lives all year--he's tied to the festival, and if every day is Christmas, then none of them are.)

I'm impressed that they included the scene with Want and Ignorance.

The change in Scrooge's arc was interesting and a bit baffling. Making him recognize the need for change early on but thinking he's too old to change. It makes him rather cowardly, and I'm not sure how the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come would motivate a man like that--this could seem to be confirming his idea that he's past hope.

The thieves selling Scrooge's things were an excellently entertaining (if terrible) group of Cockneys.

By far the best part of the story was its adaptation of Stave 5. It's so much fun to see the extra scenes of everyone reacting to Scrooge's change. I doubled over laughing when he started chasing after his terrified housekeeper. The scene of the maid encouraging him to go see Fred was adorable. Loved how Tiny Tim guessed the turkey was from him.

My very favorite bit was Scrooge saying, "I don't know how I can be so happy. I don't deserve it. But I just can't help it." I keep thinking about it--it's such a lovely expression of how redemption is a gift that goes far beyond what we have earned.

I don't think I've ever heard the theory that Scrooge's father was visited by the three Ghosts, but I don't think I'm a fan. I don't like the idea of the Ghosts interfering so much in this one family. I much prefer a mundane explanation for Scrooge's father's change of heart.

#answered asks #a christmas carol

[wolfjackle-creates]

Ghost!Robin Part 8

Look at you lucky ducks! Two WIP Wednesday excerpts today! I'm afraid you won't be able to get used to it. Going forward I may update each fic on alternating weeks. I have a busy few months coming up if everything goes to plan and could use the buffer in case I can't get much writing done. We'll see, though.

I'm going to start leaving a fic summary at the beginning of every excerpt in case people find this in the wild and want to know what they're getting into.

Summary: Danny is finally going to meet Jazz's boyfriend Jason. At Jason's family's mansion. He spent weeks making sure he could have an evening off of any Ghost King business. But when he meets Jason on the steps of the mansion, he can barely pay attention to the guy because his focus is on the ghost of the dead Robin hanging off his shoulders. Who is very happy to find someone who can actually see him.

Word Count: 1.4k

First, Previous

----------

“Right. Um… Well, I do just kinda do whatever is necessary or find someone who can. Because, um, well, I’m… kinda the High King of the Infinite Realms? There’s a bunch more titles after that but I refuse to memorize them because ugh.”

Danny looked down at his plate, not wanting to see everyone’s reactions. Jazz must’ve made sure he got a piece of pie because it sat in front of him. It looked so good. Did they even know about the Infinite Realms? Justice League Dark members did, but did Batman? Jazz reached over and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Tim and Barbara’s typing seemed to get faster. And then a pair of pixie boots and legs settled on the table next to his plate. He looked up and met Robin’s eyes.

Robin reached out an poked Danny on the nose. He gave a little trill of safe, friends drawing a smile out of Danny.

At the same time, Duke exclaimed, “That’s why you have a crown!”

And Steph said, “Okay, I may be out of the loop, but what the hell are the Infinite Realms?”

Damian snorted. “Aren’t you too young to be a king of anything?”

Danny half stood. “Look, do you want to go spar or something? Is that why you keep picking fights? Because we can do that. Fighting is good for young liminals. But I really don’t think this is the time or place.”

Jazz groaned and dragged him back into his seat. “Stop it, Danny. You’re on Earth right now.” Speaking over Danny’s protests, she explained to Damian, “We wish. Managed to get them to delay until he turned eighteen at least, but his grandfather wouldn’t let us wait any longer than that.”

Danny let the fight drop, but he did notice how Damian’s grip on his spoon tightened. Looked like they would be having that spar tonight if Damian had anything to say about it. Still, Jazz was right and he had to follow human customs on Earth so he bumped his sister’s shoulder and spoke to her instead. “You know as well as I do that he would’ve if it was possible. But thanks to Pariah, there are things that haven’t been done in a thousand years and it’s been causing so many problems.”

“Steph,” said Barbara. “The Infinite Realms are the spaces between universes according to Constantine. His documentation states that the Realm’s inhabitants are all incredibly overpowered and should not be approached under any circumstances. Just one being can evade all methods of capture with standard supplies.”

Jazz nodded. “And our parents dedicated their lives to building a portal to the Infinite Realms, or the Ghost Zone as they call it, and destroying all ghosts.”

“By ‘ghosts,’” asked Bruce, “Do you mean beings from these Infinite Realms?”

Jazz nodded. “Yes. Most beings from the Infinite Realms come into being when a living creature dies in a traumatic way, with a lot of emotion, or near a large source of ectoplasm. Usually some combination of all three.”

Both Tim and Bruce tried to ask further questions, but Jason’s voice cut in over theirs. “Jazz, when you say your parents wanted to ‘destroy all ghosts,’ did they stop after Danny’s accident?” Jason’s question did, at least, cause silence to fall as everyone stared at the two siblings.

Jazz looked down and gripped the tablecloth tightly, jaw clenched. Now it was Danny’s turn to lay a comforting hand over hers.

“No,” Danny said. “They didn’t. They didn’t know what happened for several years and when they found out… Well, there’s a reason I can’t use their last name and Jazz won’t call them ‘Mom’ or ‘Dad’ anymore. But”—Danny clapped his hands—“this is a great segway into what is actually important. Does the Justice League know about the Guys in White? More formally known as the Ghost Investigation Ward? Or even just GIW?”

“That name is unfamiliar to me,” said Bruce.

Tim agreed. “Babs and I aren’t seeing anything in the JL databases.”

Even Robin just shrugged.

Danny didn’t expect the jolt of pain that sent through his chest and Jazz turned their hands around until they were gripping each other’s hands with more force than any baseline human would’ve been able to.

“I told you, Danny. They didn’t know. They didn’t know.” Her eyes were wet, but she forced a shaky smile. “You could’ve had help.”

Danny just shook his head. “Even if I had believed they didn’t know… Without meeting them, without knowing how many of their own were in danger, I would’ve never trusted them. Too many people rely on me for me to risk it.”

“Care to enlighten the rest of us?” asked Dick. His posture was relaxed, but his voice had an edge that hadn’t been there earlier.

Robin nodded from where he sat staring at Danny. He sent out a questioning Danger? pulse at Danny.

“Yeah, danger,” agreed Danny. “Barbara, Tim, if I give you a law code number, can you pull up the law I’m referring to?”

“Of course,” agreed Barbara. “Just a moment… And shoot.”

Danny gave them the code for the Anti-Ecto Acts. “The Guys in White are the government agency responsible for enforcing the Anti-Ecto Acts which classify all ‘ectoplasmic entities’”—he made the air quotes—“as non-sentient and non-sapient and excludes us from the metahuman protection acts.”

“What the fuck!” shouted Duke.

Next to Danny, Dick suddenly was sitting up tense. “That’s impossible.”

“The league would’ve noticed such an act being passed,” said Damian, though he didn’t look as sure as his words would seem.

Cass merely tilted her head and looked at him while Steph choked on her drink.

Bruce looked to Tim and Barbara. “Is this true?” he asked them.

Robin pointed to himself and mouthed the word ‘Me?’ at Danny.

“I’m afraid so. And Bruce, Cass, Steph, and Damian as well.”

Dick’s spluttering got louder. “How are they all in danger?” he demanded to know.

Before Danny could reply, Tim was speaking. “It’s all true. And far worse than Danny implied. Not only are ecto-entities not protected by the metahuman protection laws, but they are to be actively hunted and turned over to the GIW for experimentation and extermination and anyone who assists them is declared guilty of treason.”

“When did they pass?” asked Bruce.

“Four years ago,” said Barbara. “While Luthor was president. They were hidden in some laws about green energy.”

“Ghost are made of ectoplasm,” explained Jazz. “Ectoplasm is a fantastic energy source.”

“It happened a few months after I defeated the previous king but before my coronation,” added Danny.

“Why do you think myself, Damian, Cass, Stephanie, and Jason will be targeted by this Ghost Investigation Ward?”

“It’ll be easier to show you.” Danny reached down and pulled up his bag. The thing was made in Pandora’s realm and was bigger on the inside. Once open, it took him a moment to find what he was looking for. He could see Robin signing to the group next to him. “Here we are,” Danny said as he pulled out three devices. “These are all different ectoplasm detection devices. One is my own design, one is the Guys in White’s design, and one is my parent’s design. I’ll show you mine first because it’s the best.”

“Might be a dumb question,” started Dick, “but what the hell is ectoplasm?”

“So you know how all the elements in this universe came about from nuclear fusion of hydrogen in the cores of stars?” asked Danny. When most everyone nodded, he continued, “In the Infinite Realms, that base element is ectoplasm. But there’s no need for a star to transform it into anything else. It will mold to the shape any consciousness that interacts with it wants. When sentient creatures slip through, either by a portal or through death or any other means, they shape the part of the Realm they’re in to their will. The stronger the ghost, the larger the area they control.” Holding out his hands, Danny called forth a ball of ectoplasm, shaping it into a glowing-green ice duck. “Something like this,” he commented grinning around the table.

Only to be met with horrified looks as most of the table were staring at his hands with distrust. Damian had his knife out again. Jason, his gun with the other arm held protectively in front of Jazz. Bruce was standing and Cass tense.

“What’s wrong?” asked Danny. “It’s just an ice duck sculpture. Completely harmless.”

Jason’s voice was low and threatening. “It’s an ice duck made of Lazarus water.”

More alarming than his voice was the way his eyes glowed ecto-green and the fear-anger that filled the room.

----------

Next

Challenge: Stay on one topic for more than two sentences.

Outcome: Failed.

They keep getting side tracked with more questions. And Danny still hasn't had a bite of his pie. This evening will never be over.

Tag List Part 1

@addie-lover-of-stories, @justwannabecat, @gin2212, @amercurio, @regonold, @overtherose, @readerzj, @sjrose1216, @echoednonny, @deeterzz, @blu-lilac, @number-one-jew, @rowanaway-fromthisbs, @vythika96, @tired-yet-awaken, @themirrorghost, @emeraldcorpral, @all-mights-asscheeks, @darkhinauniverse, @blep-23, @phandomhyperfixationblog, @larkcoe1, @thegatorsgoose, @job-ross-the-second, @britcision, @lenacraft, @bubblemixer, @androgynouslordofescapism, @purefrickingspite, @leftmiraclechaos, @lizisipancardo, @starlight-sparks, @miraculousandmore, @gildedphoenix, @sometimesthingsfallapart, @letmesayfuxk, @phoenixcatch7, @skulld3mort-1fan, @abaowo, @dhampir-princess, @idkmrpianoman, @sarina-elais, @ballzfrog-blog, @undead-essence, @spookytragedyshark, @flyingpansaurus, @akintoabitch, @marivictal, @8-29pm, @justreadingthefanfics, @happybear135, @kisatamao, @spoopyspoony, @adorablechaos, @sara0055, @screamingtofillthevoid

Looks like 50 is the limit for active user tags in a post. Good to know

#dpxdc #danny fenton #jazz fenton #jason todd #Ghost!Robin #anger management #my writing #every sentence out of danny's or jazz's mouths leads to more questions #they will never be able to get through them all #but more importantly! #will danny ever get to eat his pie? #even he's forgotten about it #and its sitting right in front of him #but so is a ghost so...

[ectonurites]

No hate meant towards him at all, but ngl I really kinda didn’t think Tim and Bernard would make it this far as a couple or like, last this long? I’m not even sure Meghan Fitzmartin thought they would, because I remember an interview or something where she was asked why she chose Bernard and rather than it being something about his character or relationship with Tim, she said it was because he was from the time period in comics she wanted to evoke, iirc. Do you have any thoughts on that?

Ah yes, so first of all I do know exactly which interview you're talking about, I had gone and transcribed the section you're referencing myself a while back! I'm not gonna copy & paste all of that, but here is a link to the post where I did it so you can see her exact phrasing.

One thing I do want to note is that Bernard's relationship to Tim was at least kind of part of her reasoning—specifically that Bernard was a friend of Tim's who existed outside of the hero life: "[...] it really was important for it to be like, ya know, not in a superhero space but like in a- in a very Tim personal space. Like, this is who Tim Drake is and this is a person who knows Tim Drake."

Also, funnily enough your paraphrasing ("because he was from the time period in comics she wanted to evoke") actually kind of... sounds more like it's based on a line in the commentary I made where I was explaining how I interpreted what she said ("A seemingly big factor in why Bernard was chosen was to evoke feelings of that specific time") rather than her actual words ("I, um, I really sort of wanted to get back to that particular emotional space for Tim.") Maybe we just make similar word choices though lmao.

But anyways: I did specifically link the version of that post where I had made that additional commentary talking through my thoughts on the reasoning behind picking Bernard—tldr being that imo the story of Sum of Our Parts was about 'Tim figuring out his identity' above 'Tim finding the ultimate romance', so picking Bernard as a supporting character from Tim's old solo run to solidify and support the theme [rather than an extensive history with Tim being the deciding factor] made plenty of sense for the story being told and worked effectively.

Now, that post was written in 2021 so obviously things are in a different place now—but I do say something there that I wanna bring up, because I think it captures what my opinion on the future of the relationship had been back when it was new:

"From here on they could either further develop the relationship to be something with a lot of romance, or maybe Bernard just serves his purpose as the guy Tim realizes he likes guys with and they part ways to go on to date other people, either thing could work and make sense depending on what stories future writers (either Fitzmartin if she gets to continue with Tim after Urban Legends #10, or anyone else who picks him up for content focused on him in the future) are trying to tell."

I was always in a 'this could go several different ways' camp! Kept an open mind, lmao. And I do think that like, from the ending point of Sum of Our Parts, that was probably the intent—while having one bit to continue the story in Urban Legends #10 was obviously secured by the time of publication for #6, the vague end note of #10 (which just states the fact that Tim would get content in 2022, not specifying what) definitely implies that beyond that/at that point in time things were less certain about his upcoming direction. Having things end in an open enough way where if Meghan didn't get to continue with Tim there would be a complete story, but that if things did get to continue with her she'd have a plan/path to go down, yk?

And I think it's clear now that they did end up going down the 'further developing it' path since Meghan stayed on as Tim's writer for a while (between Tim Drake: Robin and Dark Crisis: Young Justice). And frankly, despite the reasoning behind Bernard being chosen seeming more theme-related than anything else, I think it's also clear Meghan just had a fondness for him/that timeframe he came from, hence why she took the opportunity to explore things further with them when she was given it. Like, idk maybe this is just based on Vibes™ but I feel like Meghan's intent was always to keep going with the Tim/Bernard thing as long as she was the one writing Tim.

I do feel like if anyone else had ended up as Tim's primary writer after the Urban Legends story, things may have turned out differently and the relationship may not have lasted the way it has—but it's hard to truly say since that's not what happened.

Now that she's not currently slated for anything upcoming with Tim (at least not that I'm aware of, frankly Tim doesn't have much coming up at all aside from a general 'he'll likely be showing up in some capacity in batbooks' sentiment) I think the future of the two of them is a bit less steady. Not that I think they're immediately doomed or anything, but just that next time Tim gets solo content it could easily be from someone who doesn't want to deal with a civilian boyfriend element, who knows. But now that they actually do have some content under their belt in Tim Drake: Robin, it could be something someone else wants to pick up and explore even more, too. It's simply... hard to say!

But basically: I definitely understand being surprised they've lasted this long, because a part of me is surprised about that too/didn't expect it to last this long—but another part of me is less surprised based on some factors of the situation (namely just: who has been doing the majority of writing of Tim).