#dcu worldbuilding

[bonebrokebuddy]

You ever think about how in DC, it wouldn’t make much sense to have super developed CGI for movies and practical effects would be more widely used?

Like, most shots that would need to be done via CGI in our universe could be done practically in the dcu. Especially when we began developing early CGI it would be important because there would not have been as big a push or even as big a need to advance CGI to the point where it is today for us. Especially with the comic book tech that people can make & superpowers.

Not to mention people with specific meta abilities would be highly sought out in the film industry.

For example:

In the beginning of CGI being used for fluid dynamics, large realistic CGI water scenes took an absolute shit ton of mathematics, rendering time, and a ridiculous amount of money. They were complicated to do, took a long time and again, it was expensive. Really, really expensive. So, big shots of digital water were done only for big monumental scenes that the director wanted a big impact in or had a lot of significance. Otherwise, unless there was an absolute need for a large digital water shot and they had a massive budget, scenes like that wouldn’t even come across directors minds as at the time, it simply wasn’t feasible. 

So, what would a good solution to doing a massive water scene in, let’s say, the 70s in the DCU? The answer: Do it practically. It’d not only be cheaper but would take far less time and effort. Honestly, the hardest thing would be finding metas with the specific abilities needed.

So, for that water scene hire 50 metas (my headcannon is that most metas don’t have very strong or flashy abilities. so you’d need a Lot of people for something like this.) that together can choreograph & move the water in the way needed for the shot.

But because hiring someone to make a device or via using metas can achieve the effects wanted, the film industry would continue to rely on doing effects that would, in our world, need to be done with CGI but to them can be done with gadgets and superpowers. And while our CGI programs progressed and made breakthroughs, in DC there would be less stress on developing such tech as it wasn’t needed nearly as often. As a result, it would become semi-standard to hire metas for certain types of practical effects. Hell, it would probably become more expensive to hire metas for these effects as time went on as big blockbuster movies would go on to make these insane, before impossible to make scenes using metas’ abilities. The practice would fall in & out of use as metas would fall in and out of public opinion as politics and history continued in the DCU but it would definitely remain a cemented practice in filmmaking.

Anyways, it would mean that metas with specific abilities that favor certain practical effects would be sought after in the film industry.

For example of abilities sought and why:

- minor weather control: for… weather control. Also, who needs to spray a set full of asbestos snow when a guy can come over & make it snow over your set to have it be more natural. Or even better, just have a snow gun in the prop department you can use for winter scenes.

- telekinesis: imagine the camera techniques that would be developed due to being able to hold and move a camera via telekinesis, that’s actually sick

- element control based abilities: so much shit. Especially earth based because they would be able to rearrange a landscape. Water: who needs to cgi blood & gore when you have a meta that’s bursting blood packets with chunks of meat in them?

- guns, gadgets, and gizmos: I like to imagine that there is this almost monopoly over props and tech that have advanced tech for people to rent out for filmmaking. Like, as mentioned before, a snow gun for winter scenes. Or, an intangibility ring so an actor can get “stabbed” but not actually get hurt. Etc.

- pyrotechnics/demolition: it’s Hollywood, they love that shit. people with the ability to explode things without having to pay for explosives plus a meta with telekinesis to direct the blast of the explosion safely would be amazing. People with pyrotechnic or demolition abilities would probably need a license to practice safely.

- shapeshifting: body doubles, great for comedies, stunt acting, injury scenes (need an actor to have their hand blown off? No need for prosthetics when there’s a guy that can suddenly have no hand. They could be an extra in every scene and nobody would notice that they’re the same person. 

Also there’d probably eventually be an incident in film where a shapeshifter changed their face to look like a famous actor or a political figure or smth & thought it would be fine but it made a massive uproar and resulted in laws that shapeshifters cannot impersonate real people in media without credit to the person being imitated & their consent with a lot of paperwork necessary.

- acrobatic abilities, fighting, strength, speed: stunt actor.

- control or speak to animals or plants: would help a Lot in skipping some of the effort to train animals for a role.

I just thought it would be cool to consider that due to the metagene and comic book tech existing, certain technology, like CGI & visual effects would develop at a different rate due to most effects being able to be made practically in live-action films. 

#dc #dc comics #justice league #dcu worldbuilding #long post #I’m a picky bitch and love adding unnecessary bits of reality to fictional universes #people are always going to pick the cheaper and easier option #and I’m the beginning of cg: hiring one person with meta powers is much cheaper than inventing a physics generating computer program #it just makes the most amount of sense. the fact that there’s this extra ability that we don’t have makes it a fun thing to toy with #because the existence of a metagene would effect so many things you’d normally not think of and while it would help advance certain areas #like maybe schools for certain basic meta abilities on how to do a certain effect or genre of meta filmmaking #but would absolutely effect the thing that humans excel at #creation. people would absolutely exploit the shit out of people with superpowers if it let them accomplish their artistic vision #bones writes #bones speaks

[megamindsupremacy]

Heyyyy so about that pjo/batfam au.... I love it.

I wonder if any of the bat kids are legacies or half bloods? Like, they'd be ripe for urgent adoption and training, given the inherent risk of monsters! Not to mention the specially bred deep rooted battle/hero instincts. Would only some be half bloods? Any? How would that affect the dynamics, to have some (or just B) be aware of and able to interact with this whole secret world complete with monsters hidden in plain sight?? There's got to be tons of secret pjo resource stashes like different metals, foods, weapons, armour hidden everywhere hehe.

Ooh, would a bat kid ever have accidentally eaten ambrosia/nectar (or gotten close) without knowing what it is? Is Alfred a legacy?? A satyr?!! That'd be so so cool. (and it'd be an explanation for how long lived he is lmao)

If the batkids were all legacies/half bloods, who would be who? Would there be a mix of greek/roman? Is Bruce aware of the Egyptians or Norse lot?? I'm so curioussssss

ooo okay so the batkids! i explained it like... a year ago (jeez) in this post but here's the basic rundown:

Bruce: Athena (three parents, complicated situation)

Dick: Hermes (three parents, uncomplicated situation)

Babs: mortal, clearsighted, not The Oracle but calls herself Oracle

Jason: Nemesis (still working this one out)

Cass: Shiva/Nike, raised by David Cain

Tim: Bellona/Janet (who is a legacy of zeus)

Steph: Apollo

Damian: Legacy Athena/Hades

Duke: normal ("normal") meta but everyone up to and including Apollo thinks he's Apollo's kid

-

There are definitely stashes of demigod resources! most of the stock is in the Batcave, but they definitely have stashes in all the safehouses. They're basically like any other resource- medical supplies, celestial bronze dagger, batarangs, smoke pellets, ambrosia, etc. Considering that celestial bronze and nectar/ambrosia are pretty rare, i doubt they're using them daily, but everyone definitely has emergency demigod equipment on them. I'm also making Gotham a Land Beyond Gods, a la Alaska in SoN, so there's less of a monster problem than other cities. Gotham kinda like the trash dump of the demigod world- all the weird fucked up stuff ends up there for our intrepid heroes to get chased by.

-

Most of the Batkids are aware of who they are, eventually! Bruce, Cass, and Damian always know, Dick and Jason figure it out pretty quickly after living with Bruce, Tim figures it out himself before becoming Robin, and Steph only figures it out after she "dies" (poor guy). Bruce isn't very good with the Mist, and monsters aren't like, a huge problem in Gotham, so it's not really a big deal to them if they are/aren't demigods. Babs kept up just fine as a mortal, after all. Like i said earlier, ambrosia/nectar are in short supply in Gotham (bruce doesn't really have a consistent way of getting more besides through diana, who also doesnt really have a consistent way of getting more), so nobody's eating any by accident.

-

I have literally no idea what's going on with Alfred. I joked a while back that he's a minor god, which I'm not opposed to, I'd just have to work that one out a bit more. The satyr idea is fun and works really well, except imagining Alfred with goat legs and eating aluminum cans freaks me out and I don't know what to do about that. He could also just be a mortal blessed by [insert god here] to have a longer lifespan, or someone who made a deal with [insert god here] to be alive as long as Bruce/the Wayne family needs him. It'll be interesting to figure out, whenever I end up doing that!

-

Bruce and Co. are NOT aware of the other pantheons! As in, they are so unaware of the other pantheons that nobody can figure out who the fuck Tim's godly parent is. Bellona is on nobody's radar, everyone is split between Ares/Dionysus/Athena/????. They also haven't figured out he's a Zeus legacy, because his ancestor fled to Gotham during WW2 and then did their best to hide their heritage for their and their kids' safety. Poor guy doesn't know what the fuck is going on, basically. Bruce is actually pretty cut off from CHB, so he's not super up-to-date about the demigod world. He tends to focus more on the superhero side of things. His kids have varying levels of interest/affiliation with the demigods, but they're definitely not on the "first to know" end of news whenever things happen. It takes a hot minute for anyone to figure out the Romans exist, and considering that Percy and Annabeth try pretty hard to conceal the Egyptian and presumably Norse pantheons, we can assume the Batfam isn't aware of those guys for quite a bit after the Greeks learn about them.

#i should make an ask tag #pjo batfam au #pjo #batfam #dcu #percy jackson #i also want to clarify that most of this isn't set in stone until its posted on ao3 #im still wiggling things around to make everything fit right but the VIBES. the ESSENCE is still there. thats what matters #<- tags from a person trying to convince themself that worldbuilding on the fly is the correct way to do things #also THANK YOU for so many questions in this ask sorry this took me FOREVER to respond (two days) #i love talking about my aus everybody come yell questions at me

[cheritouu]

Ok yes she’s currently talking about her parents who just broadcasted their sacrificing of themselves to save their people but listen-

#I would say I’m no better than a man but tht will never be true as a sapphic #I have so many worldbuilding/design thoughts sometimes they really went off with her outfits #starfire #koriand'r #kori anders #dc comcis #dcu #new teen titans #the new titans #dickkory #precious speaks

[moonshinesonic-moonstarslight]

Just a Little Reference for Later

DC YJ Story/Worldbuilding notes!

Size difference between Kalrion (Red Diamond) and Nabu (Yellow Diamond) in True Forms

Note: Klarion is not the largest of the Lords (either Chaos or Order) but he is not the smallest. He is just a bit smaller than average. But Nabu is the smallest of the Lords. Being the literal infant of the group.

This will be referenced in Nurturer and a few other stories dealing with Klarion's and Nabu's relationship as Lords and family. (Especially the ones that have a scene of Klarion finding Nabu abandoned on Earth trapped in his Anchor with no idea on what to do or how to do anything. Fun times await comparing Klarion's parenting style to Savage's! [Note Klarion might not be the best choice for a parent. But he beats Savage and the other Lords by a long shot in comparison.])

Regarding the Lords:

In total before Nabu's creation: 42.

21 Lords of Order

21 Lords of Chaos

Nabu's creation was a panicked decision and made the natural balance between Order and Chaos tip towards Order by numbers alone. No one on the Chaos side of the Balance likes it.

Klarion is the one to step up and raise/train Nabu as a Lord. Seeing that it was his games with a mortal that forced the child to be made. And the Old Geezers are not bothering to do so. Despite the fact that they are the ones who made the child what he is now.

Klarion was annoyed by the Lords of Order before. But understood their required existence in the universe, for all their spoilsporty ways. Now he has a pointed dislike regarding them. Said dislike gets passed down to Nabu. Not that Nabu would ever admit his views on his fellow Lords of Order are affected in any way by a Lord of Chaos. Especially the one who has been fluttering in and out of his life ever since his death. (Klarion is trying darn it! But Nabu has trauma that he cannot comprehend or does not know about. Because Nabu is not talking about it.)

Teekl is a point of contention between Klarion and the Lords of Chaos. The other lords don't like the fact that Klarion has gotten attached to an anchor. Especially as it has gotten impossible to tell where one begins and the other ends.

Aka: I will have my familiar! No matter what life this is! And there is nothing you can do about it! My kitty! -Klarion

Should be it for now. Will add on when I can think of some. Back to writing! (Hopefully... Have I appeased my worldbuilding side now?)

Moon

#story writing #worldbuilding #dcu #dc young justice #Lords of Chaos #Lords of Order #klarion the witch boy #Nabu (DC) #Memo to Moon #klarion

[irregularjohnnywiggins]

Part of my vision for the Ideal DC Trinity dynamic is that:

Diana and Bruce, within about 5 minutes of meeting each other, come to the conclusion that they're never going to be as close as Clark and Bruce or even Diana and Clark, largely owing to some fundamental differences in worldview (I refer you to 'Batman is a person from a dystopia who believes the world can be better, Wonder Woman is from a utopia and knows it can be') that mean they're rarely going to have deep conversations with each other without some form of fight or disagreement.

That being said, there's one aspect in terms of 'friendship with Bruce' where Diana has the edge over Clark, because to Diana Gotham is like a fun day out with some light exercise thrown in - what, a gothic-deco nightmare city filled with murderers and mad scientists and cursed about twenty separate ways? Bring it on, she grew up in a palace with a gateway to Tartarus in the basement - whereas to Clark it's an eldritch nightmare that he takes every effort to avoid.

#wonder woman #batman #dcu #dc trinity #superman #the 'Gateway to Tartarus in the basement' thing is incidentally a bit of worldbuilding I came up with #based on my favourite location in Dark Souls of all things #that Doom's Doorway is guarded - obviously - by Amazons who volunteered for the task #but if they fail Hippolyta was damned if she wasn't going to be the first line of defence for her people #so the Royal Palace is built right on top of it

[tiredkershyff]

Birds of Feather

DC x TWST

Summary: Tim Drake is a trouble magnet, everyone knew it. Well, it was time for new problems!

on ao3 Chapter 1: I've been feeling lightheaded since I lost enough weight to fit back in my skin Chapter characters: Tim Drake, Grim the Greatest, Dire Crowley Warnings in tags

‎

Ah… My dear beloved,

my noble and beautiful flower of evil,

You are the fairest in the land.

──Mirror, mirror on the wall,

who is the most…

‎

Tim was a bit dizzy, thought tumbling one over each other, trying to make him come to senses. The words, those words were ringing in his head, and they were concerning. What in Snow White was this? Part of him wanted to point at the particular creep known as Ra’s Al Ghul. He would definitely call Tim ‘dearly beloved’. And ‘the flower of evil’? Another speech about ‘come to the dark side, we have cookies’? No, thank you. (God, he is really getting under my skin)

But put away such thoughts, he needed to deal with the situation on hand: WHERE THE HELL IS HE!?

Okay, he was incased in some type of box, the size is just enough to let him a little room to wiggle. It was not a wooden crate for sure, that was obvious from touching it. It was a solid hard material that definitely held some weight in it, smooth and cold to touch, so it was probably some polished stone. It was hard to say what exactly it was, Tim couldn’t see anything, but it might be marble or something similar. 

Tim pushed walls, to see which would move, and only the first one responded to his action. For now Tim decided to let it stay closed. He needed to assess the current situation, his state and equipment. It would be stupid to rush right away without giving it at least some thought, it looked like he might have some time for it. 

Although he better not to spend too much time. The front lid was heavy enough and didn’t allow any airflow if it was untouched, so the situation with oxygen was a bit difficult. Yeah, Tim could open the lid a little bit, but who knew if it would catch someone’s attention or not. So no sneaking some oxygen inside. So he had some time to think, but the time was not unlimited. 

The first question was, why was he here? The second one was where was he? And the third one when was he? His mind was so confused, so who knew for how long he was held there, plus the time-space shenanigans happen so it was always worth considering it.

So, the first one. Why? Tim could remember clatter of hooves, horses neighing, wheels creaking, rolling on the stony road. Those memories were blurry, but he was able to piece it all together. So, it was most likely some type of carriage. That was a bit of an archaic way to kidnap someone. They also keep him in a fancy box, judging by the material. Could it be the Court of Owls? Those assholes are pretentious enough to do this. But still, it was a questionable choice. 

Tim examined himself, to find more clues. The wig on his head, the heels on his feet, it already was a give-away that he was in a Caroline Hill disguise (unless they for some reason decided to dress him up like a girl). The texture of the wig was familiar enough to think it was Caroline’s, he spent a hefty amount of money on the new one, so it would look completely genuine and wouldn’t be itchy. Light touches on his face also confirmed the makeup on his face. Small prosthetic chest and hip padding were the final confirmation of his theory. (I’m glad I don’t have those big boobs like first time, those are much better)

That led him to some thoughts about other reasons on why he could be kidnapped. It was less likely that it was because he was TDW or RR. Were they targeting Caroline in particular? Or someone in the medical industry? Or were they targeting women in particular? Tim doubted someone would uncover his disguise and target him because of it. 

He also was wearing some type of long attire made out of some smooth material, cold to touch, reminding him of silk. That… led to interesting thoughts. It felt like those were some ceremony robes and he was going to be sacrificed by some cult. Probably just his paranoid mind whispering those ideas. But Tim hated how probable this scenario was. (Or maybe it’s some weird-ass ritual from Ra’s)

He didn’t have his utility belt, not like Caroline had it. He did, however, have some cards in his sleeves. Or, well, birdarang and batarangs. It was hard to actually pull them to properly touch them to understand which properties they had. He didn’t have space to put them back. So he slid just one down in his hand. It was an electric one. (Okay, that’s a good one. I wish I had my disks though)

By the look of it, he would need to adapt on the spot and use his surroundings after all. 

Now, to the where question. The probable kidnappers were: Ra’s, Owls, some weird cultists and a percentage for other people (who wanted to have fun, who targeted a specific group, who chose on random, to either kill, torture, sell and a lot of other fun activities). That was… A lot of variables to consider. 

Whatever it was, he would need to decide to be RR or CH in this situation. 

At least the assessment showed that he didn’t have a concussion or even bruises, which meant they were gentle with him. It excluded some minor options. Or, they beat him to near death and the small amount of Lazarus Waters he had kicked in. Though, it would heal only the immediate fatal injury if he was on a ley-line. And then it would have a cool-down, like it was some fucking game. So, they probably were gentle. 

His thoughts were interrupted by a commotion outside. Someone was trying to open the lid, and obviously struggled with it. So it wasn’t someone who kidnapped him, they would have a way to open it without any trouble. So it was someone unfamiliar with it, and, presumably, weak too. Did they want to help? Or cause harm? In any case, Tim gripped his birdarang a tid bit stronger.

He heard a high-pitched voice talking about people coming soon. So they were a third party. And they were talking about getting a uniform. So they presumably needed Tim’s attire. An interesting choice of voice for this cloak. 

Tim decided to open the lid. Judging by the information the person outside said, people were coming soon, and those are definitely his abductors they were talking about. Not good. But it meant right now was the prime chance for an escape, there was only one person outside currently. 

And as he did that, the person said that they were going to use their secret move. So when Tim peeked outside, he was met with a circle of blue fire. He hoped it was a trick that made it blue, because actual blue fire was the hottest. 

As Tim was readying to use his weapon, he saw who was causing all this ruckus. A cat. A goddamn flying cat. (Was it like Teekl?)

“Kyaaa! Why are you up?! And what a girl is doing here?!” It screeched, it looked scared. 

So this gives him some new information. Firstly, apparently he wasn’t supposed to be awake. If he was drugged, that meant his training helped. He wasn’t sure what made him wake up earlier if the cause was different. The second piece of information was the surprise of seeing a girl. So he was less likely to be kidnapped for appearing female. This place was not meant to be for women. If the cat needed a uniform, maybe to blend in or for other personal use in a non-female place, he could be male-presenting. 

While doing the mental gymnastics, Tim gave a quick look-over of this place, his theories about it being a cult resurfaced again. The room was dark, not fully lit. The first thing that he noticed were floating coffins with some ornaments and glowing round stones in the middle. The windows had metal ornaments in the best Gotham traditions. And the chandelier was made out of a clutter of chains with glowing purple stones. But what made his breath hitch and his body freeze was the fountain with a green liquid. It was more goo-y and paler in color, but… The place had an incredible Gotham atmosphere and they used to have some pits with Lazarus Waters. Who knew what could’ve happened with them in the shit-hole that Gotham was with her hazardous water. On top of the fountain was a floating mirror.

So it was a cult. It didn’t look like League, they would use different aesthetics. The placement of coffins indicated it was not the Court, they would do it differently. But Gotham had enough cults on its own. 

At least he knows the where question. Not fully, but even this was helpful. 

The cat was not happy with Tim ignoring Grim the Greatest. (Grim? Like Grim Reaper? Maybe he needs the uniform in hopes of getting into this cult?)

The cat also made a cute attempt to attack him, but Tim easily dodged it, ducking and making a quick escape to one of the exits he noted earlier. The creature was not fast enough to catch up to him, so Tim managed to outran him and discovered himself in the library. He perched on top of one of the bookshelves, the dark cloak worked perfectly with concealing himself in shadows. Plus, this place was poorly lit. 

“Uuugh, you, puny human! I will find you and you’re gonna regret crossing the Great Grim!” the cat exclaimed, getting all worked out. (suure)

Tim was spinning the birdarang in his hand, looking over the library, noting the path through the bookshelves and possible exits. The creature was going to set the place ablaze and Tim started thinking about giving him a mild shock, but was interrupted by the sound of a whip, hitting Grim. (Is it hypocritical of me calling it too much? I was going to electrocute him… Yeah, it’s hypocritical. Still going to call it too much and shame this guy at least in my head)

“This is not a mere rope, but the Whip of Love!” the man exclaimed. A man that looked like someone who could pass as one of the Gotham crazies. If he had a PhD then he would definitely count as their Rogue. Really, most of them had PhDs. Bruce forbade them from becoming Doctors so they wouldn’t become part of the Rouge gallery. Jokes on him, Tim already worked with Catwoman when he was a kid, and now was wanted by InterPol. Although, B didn’t appreciate Tim dropping out of the high school and refusing to go back citing the no PhD rule. 

Also. (Did he just call it the Whip of Love?! What in the name of BDSM is happening right now?!) 

“And you!” the Crow man exclaimed, looking directly at Tim, which made him instantly wary. This immediately placed this bird into a dangerous category for noticing him so easily. “Ah, one of the new students…” he said in a calmer tone.

A student. A fucking student. (THIS IS SCHOOL?!) he screamed in his mind. With that the second thought followed: (He uses this BDSM whip at school???)

So the cat meant school uniform… It was an all-boys school? There were no such schools that looked like that in Gotham. Although the cult theory still worked, some of them worked like that. People wouldn’t immediately realize it’s a cult, and they either realize it when it’s too late or they get brainwashed. Well, he will need to investigate it from the inside. The second time he did that. But… This place had a lot of floating stuff, the cat was obviously magical. And there was a big chance the school either abducted or lured people with magic, and Tim didn’t have an ounce of that. Meaning he would have to pass it on to Zatanna and would help with it in some other way.  

“I finally found you. You shouldn’t have left the Gate on your own!” the Crow furry exclaimed. The Gate… Did he mean those coffins? Why Gate though? (Gates to Hell, Gates to Heaven… Some cults love religious themes. Huh, they could actually use religious guilt and promise to ‘cure’ those kids, while binding them to their use) 

Again, those were just wild theories that always ran through his mind. Most of them were just theories passing by, with a very low chance of being true. But he was also proved multiple times that even those low probable theories were true. Also, Bernard just amplified this urge to make crazy theories at every moment. 

He will roll with the student role right now to learn as much as he could, until the matter of him having no magic will present itself. Then he would see how the situation would unfold to decide how he would have to leave.

Meanwhile the crow man started talking about his familiar breaking rules, how it was so rebellious… Nope, he’s not rolling with this one. Nuh-uh. 

This cat would ruin everything with his attitude alone. And, as Tim predicted, Grim immediately protested. Crow ignored him.

“Now, come out,” the man asked him. (I’m bi. Ah, wait, that’s not what he meant)

Tim gracefully landed in front of the staff member, removing the hood to see the reaction on him looking female-presenting. 

“A girl? What? Or..?” The Crow was confused. 

The ‘or’ indicated on him thinking Tim was trans. But what way? Did they think Tim was a trans guy who either didn’t transition yet or decided to look like that for another reason? That would be progressive. Or did he think Tim was a trans girl, but because he was AMAB he was here? That would be… No. But what about intersexes? Crossdressers? Enbys? Ah, so many questions. “We will deal with it after the ceremony,” Crow shook his head. God. No, it was a 100% cult, Tim will stop thinking otherwise. He didn’t need to hurt his brain even further worrying with thoughts if it was or was not a cult. 

Although, it was in a way helpful. Who knows how they would react to him having no magic. Maybe he would cite him being a girl to dip? Part of him wanted to do a Valley Girl accent, but instead decided on a British accent, the strong one like Alfred had. He lived with that man for a few years, he even adopted a few words. Although, it wasn’t like Bruce had it. Half of his vocabulary was British words and he often slipped to that accent when he was tired or didn’t care much. Dick had it to some degree and so did Jason. Though, when tired Dick would slide into a Romani accent and Jason into the Crime Alley talk. Tim, however, would descend into a French accent in most of the cases. When he was a kid he would even use French words from time to time, the result of being raised bilingual (though, there were Korean words from time to time, but not enough to make him trilingual). It was most noticeable when he was way too dizzy, hadn’t slept for days or was under a lot of anesthesia or a lot of pain meds. Fun times. 

“I doubt I am a student here, there must be a mistake,” he started. “I don’t even remember how I got here,” he made a bait for an answer. This time the furry guy actually listened to him!

“There’s no mistake! You got here through the Gate, after all. Although, you are quite eager, aren’t you? Leaving the gate before the ceremony… Ah, the ceremony! It probably is well under the way. Let’s head to the Mirror Chamber!” The man was so full of joy. Disgusting. Tim already didn’t like the guy. 

They went to the ‘Mirror chamber’, probably that place with coffins, seeing how it had a floating mirror there. 

“This little buddy blew the lid off. And I don’t remember going through any ‘Gate’”, Tim huffed. 

“Your familiar is your responsibility,” Crow man said and Tim scoffed at it. “And any student who wishes to attend this Academy must go through the Gate’s door,” answered the furry. “Normally the students wake up only after the door is opened with a special key…” he continued. Tim decided to interrupt it. 

“Well, then why wasn't mine closed? There was no key-hole too,” Tim noted. 

“That’s weird,” the crow man frowned and said it mostly to himself.

Tim’s bird brain immediately went to playing a meme in his head. (That’s weird. That’s suspicious)

“Anyway!” energetically said the staff member. “The open ceremony is about to end. Let’s haste!” ushered the crow.

“I don’t understand where I am, or who you even are!” Tim said in a bit demanding tone. Not a loud one, more on a scolding side. Though, British itself could sound like that no matter what you say if you want to. 

"Oh my, are you still dazed? It appears that teleportation magic has left you disoriented," the bird dude, the bird fella, the guy in a mask said.

(Magic. He said the magic 'magic' word. And so I was teleported here, huh)

"Well, it's alright. It happens pretty often!" The staff member explained.

(NO IT'S NOT ALRIGHT YOU MORON)

"I shall explain everything to you. Ahh, my kindness is boundless!" The bird serenaded to himself. (Oh god, he is a broken reflection of those people on Galas, who donate money and praise themselves for it endlessly)

As they went to the courtyard, the bird man continued: “And I am Dire Crowley, the Headmage appointed by the chairman to take care of this place.” (Crowley? Could’ve figured this much. And Dire? Well, that’s certainly the way. He would fit in Gotham so well), "This is Night Raven College, the most prestigious academy of Twisted Wonderland for those who are blessed with a rare aptitude for magic," and whoo bay was it a big can of worms to open.

So he was right about magic, and about them abducting people with it. Because, yeah, magic was still rare, but they made a school for it. That was a front for a cult and didn't even try to hide it. Although, the atmosphere could be mysterious on purpose, to appease kids. Plus, none of the magic users he knew mentioned something like that. And they would, seeing how it looked so Gotham, just to tease about their gothic brand. 

And, Twisted Wonderland? What in Lewis Carrol did he mean? 

"I don't–" Tim got his confirmation. So it's better to confront that man about Tim having no magic now, instead of in the middle of the ceremony. And of course he was interrupted.

"Only those who the Dark Mirror perceives as talented in magic are admitted to the Academy. Those are summoned by Gates which could appear anywhere," the crow man kept feeding him information without any thought.

So, it could appear anywhere. Such an easy way to kidnap. Could spin the story about them being so talented, that they were the 'chosen one' to study here. And why was he transported without his equipment then? Did it just drop right where he was standing before being abducted? That could be bad. 

"Anywhere? Then why–" started Tim, only to be interrupted again. A bit more and he was going to go full on Janet Drake on him.

“An Ebony Carriage carrying a Gate should have come meet you”

(Ebony? Ebony Dark'ness Dementia…Focus!)

“I don’t recall such thing,'' managed Tim to say something. 

“Huh? Seems like you had a bit of a bad reaction to the transportation…” murmured Crowley more to himself then to him. “Anyway! Let’s go to the entrance ceremony!” (god this man is awkward…)

Grim was trying to say something, but no one cared enough to listen to him. 

When they came closer to the ‘chamber’, they heard people talking about Headmage. Huh, looks like students weren’t thinking much about him as well.

But then all looks were on him, as Crowley asked him to go to the mirror. Tim tried to argue, but Crowley really wasn’t listening. That's bad.

“Wait, a girl?”

“What girl is doing here?”

“Maybe that’s…”

“State your name” said the ominous mirror, floating on top of /not/ Lazarus Waters. Tim tried to look as confident as he could. It really was time for Janet Drake.

“Caroline Hill” he said with some dominance in his tone.

“Your real name, boy” (Aw, there goes my cover)

––––

“Wait, what?”

“So… it’s a dude?”

“For real?”

“Since when is the mirror transphobic?”

“It wasn’t before…”

After some pause Tim tsked in the manner some socialists did. Or Damian. It was bad, because explaining later why TDW was here? But it looked like there was nothing he could do, not with all those people around, who all presumably had magic. Too many and he wasn't prepared enough.

“It’s Timothy Drake-Wayne, mirror,” he said, proud of his name.

“Hmm, the shape of your soul… is tarnished and unknown to me”

(Tarnished, you say…)

.

.

.

(sounds about right)

#birds of feather #disney twst #twisted wonderland #twst #twst wonderland #twst worldbuilding #twst writing #disney twisted wonderland #twst fanfic #twisted wonderland writing #dc #dc batman #dc comics #dc fandome #dc robin #dcu #timothy drake #tim drake #batman and robin #red robin #dc fanfic #nonbinary tim drake #caroline hill #finally posting it here #lmk about missed warnings #tw kidnapping #tw cult #alleged

[vermillioncrown]

seeing IT infrastructure from multiple R1 universities to gov't research and ops and i legit have to huff into a paper bag when i must witness the popular depiction of hacking/IT/cybersecurity

#redglyphs #opinionated verm #yeah let me just grab a random laptop and access your network--- #password at '123456' tier at all credentials #where is data stored/hosted. you don't even have vpns #very much i do not care how many genii you have on board. everyone has 24 hrs in a day and ops/project mgmt is a full-time job #what's the point of your work if you can't transfer that knowledge? can't refer back to it bc it's stored like trash? #chasing after my prof's data hoarding tendencies was a special position lmao #(not me but i saw the person go through the 5 stages of grief so many times) #(and this guy also had to run a separate division within the lab. only he had the elevated privileges to track that data) #so you gotta imagine it like that 'city within walls with no farms' worldbuilding #ofc ofc suspension of disbelief and all if it's not the focal point of a particular media #but when it is it gets the whole goat farm for me #esp egregious in dcu/batfam stuff #but then i gotta look into the distance and tell myself ''treat it like the superspy gadget conceit. eat a snickers.'' #me @ me: i fucking can't... #but you know what it's probably for the best it's wrong lol

[the-earth-470-project]

The Guild System - Overview

The Kryptonian society is supported on the backs of their Guild System. The Guilds are the institutionalized method of grouping together jobs and careers that make up Kryptonian society. All jobs in the world are classified under various guilds and are overseen by a variety of Guildmaster Panels.

When Kryptonian society created The Matrix - used to prevent the worst of inheritable diseases and to intentionally activate selective genes - children began being designed to better suit one Guild or another. It was almost never an intentional thing but rather, the things that their parents considered desirable in their children were traits that suited one guild over another. This is especially present in the Laborer's Guild which is primarily populated with individuals that build muscle easily - especially in the arms and core.

Every major city in Krypton - both Old and New - have their own guilds where the population of each guild varies based on the area. They’re so important that most members of Krypton will agree that a city without a guild is no city at all but rather, a village. Whenever anyone moves cities, their previous guild will be responsible for transferring their paperwork to the next guild so that all of their history and information is easily accessible to any potential employers in the area.

Guilds have housing districts - areas that are reserved specifically for the safety and security of a family. Typically, a family will decide which Guild their family places more value on and will move to that specific district. Guild Districts provide public education, hospitals, play areas and daycares for younger children. 

To Old Krypton, a guild was your life. 

It was very rare for anyone to change their professions once they entered their chosen guild and if they found themselves dissatisfied with where they are, they merely swapped to a profession in their guild that’s close to another guild. Such an event would require cross-training in the second guild allowing them to survive.

New Krypton is slightly different, where the beginner ranks are the ones considered to be the most acceptable ranks for someone to swap guilds. 

All children attend general education until they’re about 14 years old, learning about the basics of their culture, their history and math. This is about the time where children are discovering themselves and exploring their world, making friends and creating bonds with each other.

At 14, the children officially enter the Guild System and become Rank 1 rookies. The Rookie Ranks are ranks one though four (1-4) and are meant for newcomers to the profession. This is when specialized education comes into play and the members are frequently taught the history of their guild, certain universal safety laws and of course, shadowing professionals. 

One you graduate from the rookie ranks, you enter the Experienced or Professional ranks (5-8). They’re the backbone of the Kryptonian workforce, consisting mostly of late teens and adults. This is the rank where you start being given actual jobs in the form of internships and co-opts. These ranks have no set timeline for graduation, and many individuals are content to spend most of their young adult years in the experienced ranks, allowing them to master the skills they’d been studying for.

The final ranks to graduate to are the Expert ranks (9-12). These people are highly regarded traditionally as consultants or those who’ve invented impressive creations for their field. They’re the ones responsible for monitoring and ensuring the skills of those who were part of the experienced ranks. It primarily consists of older people who’ve long since mastered the tools of the trade, teaching themselves certain shortcuts and tricks to make their jobs more efficient.

While 14 is the traditional age for children to enter the guild system, it’s not uncommon for adults to really impress upon the values of their guild to their children. Some kids are rather skilled and advanced in their lessons as a result and as they speed through their general education, they are recommended the chance to take the guild exams early. Such children are given a lighter load to participate in when they first enter the system as they’re still considered too young to put that sort of pressure on them. As a result, 10 years old is the very youngest any child can take the guild exams.

For a long while, Krypton made do with only one Guildmaster per guild, but in the days of the Kingdom of New Krypton, it was confirmed that it wasn’t safe for only one person to be in complete control of a guild. As a result, in the age of new Krypton it was decided that a panel of Guildmasters should be elected for each guild. There is now a minimum of two guildmasters per ranking system - a rookie master, a professional master and an expert master. 

#the earth 470 project #krypton 470 #krypton culture #the guilds of krypton #worldbuilding #krypton worldbuilding #dcu fanfiction #dceu fanfiction #dceu #dceu fandom

[myths-of-fantasy]

The Guilds of Krypton: Overall

Kryptonian society is based around the Guild System. Guilds are the collections of jobs and roles that need to be done on Krypton. After the Sealed Gates and the creation of the Matrix, most Kryptonians were genetically engineered to be in peak physical condition and the desired combination of traits their parents want from them.

While some of Kryptonians still have children the “messy” way, many use sex as a strictly recreational activity, considering genetic modification to be vastly superior to having a child the natural way. In fact, many considered it reckless, to allow chance to decide on your child - risking the child’s health when you could simply use the Matrix to ensure things like asthma are never a risk. 

Because of this, many children are designed to be physically suited for one guild or another. Children enter the Guild System at 14 years old, where they spend the year taking tests for all the eligible Guilds. In old Krypton, the guild they scored highest for was the guild they joined. In New Krypton, the highest score is recommended but not forced, as they want kids to stay involved in their culture.

New Krypton resulted in some changes to this dedicated way of life. With the destruction of their planet, the Matrix was lost to most of Krypton’s people (though allegedly, Kahl Ehl is in possession of a back-up Matrix granted to him by his father), Kryptonians were forced back into having children the “messy” way. Despite this, decades of their  lives being sorted by the Matrix have affected the way Kryptonians think - many of them borrow Manji technology to continue their tradition of modifying their children. While not as detailed and efficient as the Matrix was, it was detailed enough to allow for higher ups or doctors to make pairings with others by comparing them.

Guild Zones all have housing districts where people live, sleep and build their homes in a community of people who all dedicate their lives to similar things. Barring The Council, each guild is made of ranks and with levels within them. There are 12 ranks in every guild. The 12 ranks are broken into three sections:

Ranks 1-4: Rookies

Rookies are usually made of children, as they’re meant to be for newcomers and those who are still getting the fundamentals of the guild under their feet. Rookies tend to work in groups and spend less time doing official jobs and more time studying. As such, Rookie Ranks are often looked at as specialized schooling.

 In the age of New Krypton, it's also the ranks where it's most acceptable to drop out and try another Guild. While not common, it's generally accepted that it's better for someone to change guilds as a Rookie rather than as an Experienced member or an Expert. On Old Krypton, people rarely changed guilds even if they found themselves not enjoying the work - entering a guild was considered a one and done deal, and you just have to choose a job within your guild that you'd enjoy.

Ranks 5-8: Experienced

Experienced members make up the backbone of the Kryptonian guilds. Mostly consisting of late age teens and adults, the Experienced Ranks are when you start doing actual jobs. You get an official mentor, often working under the watchful gazes of upper Experienced members or (if you're lucky), Experts. Once you’re Experienced, you’ll rotate throat the sectors of your guild - you tend to perform the roles and work of 3-4 jobs, ensuring that you’re well-rounded and have some options. On Old Krypton, these jobs were selected for you based on your test results showing which jobs you had the highest aptitude for. New Krypton allows their members to choose their positions as they wish, although they will lean heavily on them to choose one that they have good scores for.

Ranks 9-12: Experts

The smallest upper levels in the Kryptonian Guild System. These are people who've mastered their craft and no longer merely follow standard and guidelines, but invent and innovate new methods of doing things. Experts are held in high regard for their skills in their particular trades.

Guildmasters

Guildmasters are the leaders and overall representatives of their crafts. Guildmasters are for the various jobs within guilds - such as doctors, veterinarians and firefighters - and frequently act as representatives meant to bring papers and concerns of the guilds to their Council Representatives.

While 14 is the traditional age to join a guild, children are observed by their family and potential guild mates while going through general education- as such, some children with exceptional talent at certain ages are given recommendations to take guild exams early. Such children are given a lighter load to participate in alongside their general education for up to 4 years of experience. 10 years old is the earliest a child can be recommended to a guild.

#the guilds of krypton #earth 470 #projects by ankh #dcu #dceu fandom #krypton #krypton worldbuilding #worldbuilding #old and new krypton #lore

[lightdancer1]

There's also one understated benefit to making Death the Endless of choice for a Sandman fanfic

The rules that deal with the other six are fairly convoluted and have some Wishmaster-tier Jackass Genie aspects in how they can operate at times and where the lines are insofar as they exist. And then there's Death, who has the Swanson permit.

It's a neat way to backdate in aspects of characterization that Death can do X,Y, and Z and then her siblings just....can't because for a variety of reasons the laws and customs restrict them. And then simultaneously noting that the laws and customs that restrict them are why the other Endless can avoid a major multiversal catastrophe if they have a minor injury and that's not nearly as true with Death, as there are always drawbacks.

It also allows for a wider range of exploring different scenarios where Death, a being that more than most has a very specific aspect of freedom as a defining part of what and who she is, would react much more harshly than other Endless to things that would be relatively more minor to entities that take certain degrees of restriction and lack of action as a straightforward part of their own existence.

It also plays into the ways I interpret the whole 'most like mortals of all cosmic entities' thing. Death accordingly has measures of mortal good traits....and bad ones. With greater freedom of will and action come various downsides that the other, more restricted entities do not have and do not face. The things that make it easier for her to relate to mortals provide barriers to other beings like herself, who do not understand the reasons for her actions and more pointedly do not want to try.

The further irony is that while Death is the most mortal-like of the Endless, Destruction is someone far easier for them to get along with because Destruction is the most affable of the Endless and wears his power the most easily. Yet, in the end, Destruction is less human and truly mortal-like than Death, as is noted by those subtle elements in the speech balloon and the way that even outside his job Destruction, like Delirium, showcases the most raw power of what the Endless can really do and does the most casual reality-warping.

Add to this that both of them are the only Endless to leave, or to try to leave, their jobs and it's why they work as well in Destruction's absence as in his presence in foils. They are the only Endless to shoot for more, and Death's surviving the universe means that she, like Destruction, is in many ways one of the Endless to whom her function really is a job and not a duality pushing and pulling at the nature of her being.

#death of the endless #destruction of the endless #i set the two up much like Desire and Dream #they conflict with each other at points #Destruction is better than Death at the things Death most wants to do #Destruction envies that Death actually can do what HE wants to do #both of them have standard Endless levels of inability to discuss very simple points like the adults they seem to be #Death encourages Destruction to leave to enjoy something by proxy #Destruction is more likeable in the short term but that hard stop gets very bad very fast #Death is the most humanlike of the Endless or the most sapient-like given this is the DCU we're talking about #and that means both the good and the bad traits #endless meta #fanfiction worldbuilding background

[acupofsolacemoved]

I understand why they don't, but I think DC should make worshipping the greek gods (Hellenism? i think?) a semi-common/upcoming religion in their comics.

#i love a good worldbuilding exercise #Em's worldbuilding adventures #dcu x pjo musings #<-because i'm working on a fanfic which is why i got this idea in the first place

[tossawary]

I've been having thoughts about Soulmate AU worldbuilding for a long time, both the mechanics of the magic system and how that magic system came to exist (hence that post), but my thoughts only organized themselves recently because I was scrolling along (I was not looking for soulmate fics) and came across a Soulmate AU fic for the DCU. It was some Batman fic, I think.

I've been rewatching the "Justice League" animated series and the "Batman: The Animated Series" cartoon recently, and in the former, magic is very explicitly a part of the DCU. There are gods and demons and wizards and sorcerers and other people who know magic all over this universe. This is where my mind went immediately upon being reminded of Soulmate AUs.

I think it would be funny if Dr. Fate knew exactly how soulmates worked and exactly who is responsible for this magic system. Like, "Oh, yes, soulmates were the work of the Inverse Dimension Immortal Being Asdfghjkl in the year 10,000 BC, and no one's managed to undo the spell yet, though the world has frequently nearly been cast into several apocalypses by people trying. People are not open to hearing this particular explanation, however."

Someone asks Zatanna to get rid of their soulmate mark and she's like, "Uhhhhh, sorry, but I like not having my head exploded by matchmaking demon gods, thanks. It's a personal preference."

(Is just this an Earth thing? Do aliens wake up with writing on their arm one day and go, "What the fuck is this?! Am I sick?!" And eventually they meet a (non-human) Green Lantern or someone who sees it, and that Green Lantern is like, "My condolences, but there's a human out there who has decided you're its mate." And the alien is incredibly pissed off about this, which eventually leads to a screaming fight upon the first meeting, where the unwitting human in question is like, "I didn't choose shit about this, you jackass! Stop destroying my fucking house!!!")

And if you want to do a world where soulmate marks are a brand new problem that everyone is being forced to deal with due to a worldwide spell, then you can just explain why this is all happening by saying, "It's John Constantine's fault." And I'll be like, "Ohhhhh, that makes sense. Please continue."

#tossawary dc #fic ideas #soulmate au

[frownyalfred]

Hello! I’m a huge fan of your A/B/O worldbuilding and characterization, especially with omega characters such as Bruce, Jason, and Lex- I was wondering what other characters you headcanon/have as omegas in the DCU/sky of honey universe? I just only noticed that not many outside characters are mentioned/ categorized A/B/O wise, so I’d love to hear your thoughts :0

Thank you! Specifically omega, I think I’ve definitely thought about Roy, and maybe Barbara. Jimmy hasn’t showed up yet, but I was toying around with him being an omega posing as a beta who doesn’t escape Clark’s freaky nose.

As for the others, I’d need to think about it. Dick is definitely an alpha, so is Oliver. Our friend at the end of this recent chapter is an alpha.

#asks #anon #thank you anon’ #myfic #theresurrectionist #a sky of honey #a/b/o tw #a/b/o mention #mpreg mention #mpreg tw

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

A Cruel Trick of The Heart

by Goldmallow Tim learned what soul marks were from his parents when he was just three years old and eating his sugary Urkel-O’s. Words: 7137, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), Robin (Comics), Batman and Robin (Comics), DCU (Comics), Detective Comics (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Young Justice (Comics) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Tim Drake, Janet Drake, Jack Drake, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Alfred Pennyworth, Original Batfamily Member(s) (DCU), Original Characters Relationships: Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson, Tim Drake & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Alfred Pennyworth, Stephanie Brown & Tim Drake, Cassandra Cain & Tim Drake, Bart Allen & Tim Drake & Kon-El | Conner Kent & Cassie Sandsmark, Jack Drake & Janet Drake & Tim Drake Additional Tags: Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Platonic Soulmates, Family Feels, 90's Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Coming of Age, Wordcount: 30.000-50.000, when fully posted, why do my fics always end up so long (Insert skull emoji), Family Dynamics, Secret Identity, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Communicating, Bruce Wayne Has Issues, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Tim Drake-centric, Hurt Tim Drake, Tim Drake is Robin, Tim Drake is Not Okay, Tim Drake Has Issues, Bad Parents Jack and Janet Drake, Slow Build, Platonic Relationships, Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily (DCU) Feels, Batfamily Dynamics (DCU), Batfamily is a Mess (DCU), some characters are pretagged, but they will eventually join, we stay comic book authentic around here, Tim Drake Angst, Worldbuilding, Child Neglect, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, with jack and janet drake, Romantic Soulmates mentioned via https://ift.tt/jPxG3OK

#IFTTT #bruce wayne #batman #the dark knight #the caped crusader #gotham #dcu #dc #ao3 #ao3feed

[allgremlinart]

hi hello hi u were lookign for some superbat fics w some clark angst on the side so here's some fic recs in no particular order. mind the tags before you read!

bricklaying by evocates - [E] [DCEU] [148k] a fic ive only recently read and has blown my mind out of the water, mostly because of how it tackles organized crime and the dynamics of dceu superbat. it does a wonderful job of worldbuilding and bruce and clark's dialogue is just poetic and philosophical at times its *chefs kiss*.

Didn't Know Which Way Was Home 'Til I Found You by watchingthestars13 - [E] [DCU] [312k] a bit of a meaty fic, it mostly centers on the superbatfam, because its a canon retelling of the batman mythos IF superbat were together since the start. there's this one arc where they all cope with Bruce being dead lost in time and Clark's POV chapters are gut-wrenching with grief and mourning. If you wanna skip to that part it's on Chapter 19.

Porridge (New And Improved) by ren_makoto - [T] [DCU] [19k] - ok this is like. ANGSTY. and kinda dark? the author doesn't tag much but i assure you this is sad, like clark-mourning-for-bruce sad. i don't wanna spoil you because I consider this one of THE superbat classics since this author's been writing superbat since their fanfiction.net/livejournal days. they also have a sort-of sequel wherein its bruce being fucked up called everybody knows the plague is coming.

what is (and what should never be) by TheResurrectionist / @frownyalfred - [Not Rated] [Batman - All Media Types] [2.7k] - a lil tumblr prompt fic from one of my fave superbat authors! its got bruce getting cancer and clark being angsty. what more could you want?

When the Hummingbirds Return by Emanium - [M] [DCU] [19.4k] - i havent finished this one yet actually, but its been recc'ed to me and on my fic reading list for a while now. its about the aftermath of bruce being put into a coma by bane and its reaaaal thick with the angst

5 Times Superbat Had Sex and the One Time They Admitted It Was More by April_Blooms - [M] [DCU] [19k] - despite what it says on the tin, it's also surprisingly angsty! because its about the pining!!!!

Cardboard World by dracoqueen22 - [E] [Justice League Cartoon] [10k] - pain. and sad. there's a reason why this is tagged apocalypse

The Only by pasdecour - [M] [DCU] [3.7k] - oh this one hurts. this one genuinely hurts. i need to sit down

and anything by these authors honestly: susiecarter, FabulaRasa, liodain, mithen, amyritter, Resacon1990, serephent, batsy_rocks, rotasha

hope this helps!

((first of all so sorry this took so long to get to, my asks have gotten very backlogged lol))

THANK YOU... for this feast.. a lot of these authors are very good and I would recommend their works in general so 👌

#porridge... mm... a classic #superbat fic rec #allgremlinasks

[cactusspatz]

August recs

Okay, I've got a handful of miscellaneous recs, and then ten recs for Victoria Goddard's Nine Worlds series, which I'm putting under a cut because at least two of you I know are still reading and the recs are full of spoilers for At the Feet of the Sun. Enjoy!

MISC

The Long Way Home by itsnatalie (DCU, gen)

With Jason tentatively back in the Batfamily, things are going pretty well for him--except for the whole thing with Tim. But who gives a shit about Tim Drake? But when Jason and Tim are pulled into a frightening race for their lives inside a labyrinth that's out to kill them, they may have to look past their differences just to stay alive. Maybe along the way, they'll discover they aren't as different as they thought, and family comes in many different forms.

Spectacular in every aspect: the horror, the action, the hurt/comfort, the brotherly devotion underlying their swarm of issues, and the ending. I really can't rec this one highly enough.

Late Night, North Station by raitala (Untamed, Wangxian)

Lan Zhan finds A-Yuan lost in the railway station. He maybe finds more than he bargained for. Some mornings you leave for the office and come back with a son (and possibly a husband too).

Sooooo sweet, with a lovely autistic LWJ POV. The sequel is still a WIP but is great so far.

Beginning at the End by WerewolvesAreReal (Temeraire, Granby/Little)

In many ways it seems that John's life revolves around William Laurence.

Lovely character study trilogy with Granby sorting out his unrequited thing for Laurence and his ongoing thing with Little.

thou, who art victory and law by The_Apocryphal_One (Goblin Emperor, Csethiro/Maia)

He couldn’t help his unintelligence, any more than she could help her father. And he was kind. She should try to remember that. (Or: Csethiro Ceredin goes into her betrothal to Emperor Edrehasivar VII with assumptions, and has every one of them challenged.)

Great Csethiro POV as she works through her pride and preconceptions.

NINE WORLDS

Embers by alfgifu

Kip Mdang returns to Solaara, hardly confident that the Imperial Service will take him back but sure that there is no place for him in the Vangavaye-ve. The City of Cities is still expanding from the backwater village it was before the Fall; the work of reconstruction continues but it is no longer a simple crisis. In the Palace the big political beasts are circling for position under the newly awakened Emperor. Despondent and determined to bury himself in work, Cliopher finds his former patron disapproving and the new Master of Offices openly hostile. But he is still a fifth degree secretary, and some problems are easier to solve when you feel that you have little left to lose… and don't care which enemies you make along the way.

Amazing!!! Basically a novel-length series digging into the difficult period between Kip returning and Kip becoming the Hands of the Emperor, with tons of bureaucracy and corruption and competence porn and of course, his devotion to His Radiancy and building a better government. Also features wonderful OCs, worldbuilding, a really horrifying bit of magic, some unexpected allies, humor, and Kip being just a really lovely (and determined, and traumatized) person.

thank you!!! no walnuts!!! by mage-pie

Pikabe has fucked over his army career (and maybe his whole life) by refusing illegal orders to commit a war crime and kinda sorta leading a mutiny (he was cleared of wrongdoing, but still, mutiny). He’s been shuffled out of the way to some random base where everyone gives him the side-eye (because mutiny) and he’s never going to see anyone from his old unit ever again. (Which doesn’t matter, his former lieutenant’s also-fucked-over life is none of his business, whatever, it’s fine it’s fine.) Then he gets a mysterious package and a mysterious Solaaran visitor who might have an idea about turning things around (a suggestion, even).

Fun possible backstory for Pikabe; part of a series that I haven't read in full yet but it stands alone.

Signals by Penguinity

Kiri cleared her throat, and the secretaries looked up as one. She waved the letters in one hand. “The stack in the second pigeonhole, what sort of letters are these?” “The ones from people who aren’t crackpots, but don’t need help from our office.” Cliopher nodded, satisfied. “Indeed, well-sorted.” Kiri held up a finger to silence him. “And?” There was a brief pause, before Gaudy gave an almost inaudible sigh and answered. “And who are flirting with Lord Mdang.”

SO funny, featuring the junior secretaries and Kip's ace obliviousness.

A Good Man by Quasar

It takes a while, but eventually Masseo discovers why a man with no name got saddled with a family curse.

Brilliant little premise run off that line about how Ludvic violating the Emperor's taboos would curse his whole family.

One Bed Too Many by white_hart

They slept beside each other on the deck of the vaha, and in a nest of cushions in the solarium, but this is the first time there's been a bed. In fact, there are two.

Sweet immediately-post-ATFOTS fic with them negotiating physical intimacy.

Five People Who Were Surprised The Next Time They Met Cliopher by Quasar

Five people who were astonished when they met Cliopher after the events of At The Feet Of The Sun.

What it says on the tin! A fun collection of people, culminating in Pali and Kip figuring out a detente.

Thrive in the Sun by electropeach

A day in the retired life of Cliopher Mdang: the sun, the sea, the wind, his fanoa… and a cousin baking up a storm in his kitchen. (Alternately titled "Enya Hears About Sardeet")

Immensely soft and funny series, with just a dash of feels about Fitzroy's tragic childhood.

The Tanà’s Day Off by rattyjol

Kip takes the day off. Fitzroy fills in.

In which they are so so cute and extremely married.

Homing by oliviacirce

Homing, adj., (1) having a natural ability to find the way home from a long distance away, (2) guiding or directing homeward; v., (1) to aim at something and move quickly and directly toward it

More on the theme of Kip and Fitzroy figuring out their asexual/allosexual relationship, with an assist from the retirement house squad. Lovely and domestic.

Kip Thistlethwaite by alfgifu

His tone was light on the offer itself, despite the sturdiness of his declaration of identity. She could refuse him with no embarrassment to either of them, turning this into a joke that they could laugh over with Basil later in the evening - but - but - those steady brown eyes were serious. “A marriage of convenience?” she said, equally lightly, “how gallant, sirrah.”

I am going absolutely feral waiting for more of this delightful series, in which Kip happens to be visiting Basil when Jullanar is blackmailed, and offers himself as an alternative. The second story deals with the Emperor finding out that his secretary is indeed married to THAT Jullanar.

#nine worlds #the hands of the emperor #the untamed #wangxian #dcu #batman #batfam #goblin emperor #csethiro/maia #temeraire #granby/little #monthly recs #fic rec