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sistertotheknowitall · 2 months

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Danny is Some Guy with a not so secret admirer.

Part four? Post #four? I don’t know, none of these are exactly in order. Post one, post two, post three.

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By the time Tim opened the door, Danny had his coffee made and handed to Mia at the register. He resolutely ignored her smug face and went back to making the other orders.

Tim had been a regular long before Danny had started at the coffee shop but it was three days into Danny’s third week when Tim had stumbled in at eight a.m. and did a double take upon seeing Danny. A very obvious double take followed by intense staring before Mia had cleared her throat. The blush that lit up Tim’s face was only rivaled by the one on Danny’s.

He had never had anyone openly stare at him before.

Mia had been insufferable ever since.

It also didn’t help that shortly after their first meeting Tim had started taking his breaks at the little coffee shop. It’s been three weeks, nearly a month and Wayne Enterprise’s CEO went from a bi-weekly regular to an everyday one. (Danny wondered if he should be concerned for the man’s caffeine intake but he only had the one cup every time so probably not.)

Originally, Danny had no plans to talk to Tim. It seemed obvious the guy had a crush on Danny if the constant looks over his laptop were anything to go by and Danny didn’t want to encourage it. Danny barely had time to make new friends let alone start a relationship.

There was also the added problem of what was quickly becoming his bat stalkers. How do you explain to someone that you were being watched by Gotham’s vigilante’s for no reason? (Or worse because he had made a poorly timed sleep-deprived comment.) Danny didn’t think you could without seeming suspicious.

Incidentally though, Danny’s plan went out the window when on a slow afternoon as he was cleaning tables and passed behind Tim. Once he saw the article the other man was reading he snorted.

Bruce Wayne and The Batman? Could This Be A New Romance For Gothams Most Beloved Billionaire?

It was one of those gossip rags that printed things like: Elvis: alive and well and Superman: a mild mannered farm boy? It was all nonsense.

Danny asked Tim why he bothered with the site and Tim responded that he found it amusing to read and that his family had a group chat where they sent the articles to each other.

“Okay. But Batman? Really? Your dad could do so much better.”

“You don’t like Batman?” Tim asked. Danny had slid into the chair next to him and shrugged. “I respect what he does but for as intimidating as he is, he also seems a little silly.”

Tim had given him an incredulous look and Danny hadn’t given him time to ask for an explanation, “and his kids can be just as rude. Like that flying monkey one.” Tim choked on air and Danny politely waited for him to calm down. “Kids? Wait - flying monkey one? Which one -?”

“The one always doing back flips with the blue bird symbol. He’s also a dick that gives hypocritical lectures about fighting.” Danny wouldn’t say he hated the guy but he wasn’t sure how many more lectures he could endure before going ghost and fighting him.

Tim had turned to Danny completely and was watching him with a look of disbelief, “you mean Nightwing?”

“Is that his name? Imma call him Dickwing.”

Tim had started choking again, this time Danny patted his back hoping to help. Yet it was all for not once he kept talking, “I think I’ve only had positive interactions with the one who looks like a walking red flag.”

“Red flag? Do you men hood-?”

“No, although he is definitely a red flag, I mean the other Red one. I’m sorry, I don’t know all these peoples names yet.”

“Danny!” Mia called.

Danny stood and patted Tim, who looked a little shell-shocked, on the shoulder. “Well work calls, see you later Mr. Drake-Wayne.” As he walked away he heard Tim mutter “it’s just Tim.”

(Tim for his part, placed his head in his hands and thought, well at least I have his name now.)

After that first interaction Tim stopped playing the lurker and started to actually talk to Danny and vise versa. Danny never asked if he still had a crush on him, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

Unfortunately, their growing friendship had only encoraged Mia as she happily sang “your boyfriend’s here!”

Danny, very maturely, did not stick his tongue out at her. He did however flip her off under the counter like an adult.

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gremlin-bot · 1 year

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This is based off this prompt from @stealingyourbones! Now this does have Hanahaki disease in it as well as blood and things to do with the lungs if y'all don't like that! this is also my first time writing for DC.

Edit: Here is the ao3 link

Blooming Death, Please Love Me

Danny never thought he would get Hanahaki disease after the accident. He was too busy with ghosts and general survival. He sees that he is wrong now, with burning lungs and the taste of iron on his tongue. Small red petals cupped in now bloody hands. Most would think it was a rose in his lungs, but Danny can feel they are not. His core hurts, lungs burn, and blood blossoms bloom in his lungs.

Danny sighs. He'll have to deal with this later, his break is almost up and he still has half of his shift left. He just hopes Tim doesn't come in while he's working, his lungs and core wouldn't be able to take it.

Danny usually works nights in a 24/7 coffee shop next to the Gotham University campus. It pays well enough for his shitty crime alley apartment, plus he can go there straight after his classes. He didn't expect to see any vigilantes during his working hours, but Red Robin's coffee addiction won't rest (much like the vigilante himself).

Now vigilantes aren't the only high profile people to tumble in during Danny's shifts. The Wayne family, for some ungodly reason, tends to stop in. According to his co-workers, they mostly stop in only during his shift. Danny thinks they are liars. Why would they only come during his shift, it's not like he does anything that would catch their attention. He's mostly retired from the hero gig and keeps invisible during his ghostly flights.

Danny is just a normal tired college student trying to get through his shifts. Really he should have known that could never happen. The thing with being a barista is that you get really good at recognizing voices. So, when Red Robin came in a couple hours after Tim Drake with the same tired but steady voice, well Danny didn't tell a soul.

It's a Friday night and his lungs burn. Danny is trying his best to stay calm. Fixing the mess his heart got him into might turn his half-life into a bigger tragedy than it already was. To think his second death was blooming in his lungs over a hot, too smart for his own good, vigilante. Danny coughs, petals brush and burn his throat. They sit on the tip of his tongue, like the words he has yet to say. Blood blossoms, the only damn flower he couldn't live through. He was going to die from the burning of his chest and core. Spitting out the poison of his heart's creation, Danny gets back to work.

It was a slow night, not surprising considering Gotham is still recovering from a break out at Arkham. The chances of Tim showing up should be high but Red Robin hasn't been seen in the streets lately. Danny really should stop thinking about him, his core aches, but he really can't help but worry.

___________

Tim was tired of not being able to take a full breath. He never had Hanahaki disease before. Never fell this hard for someone. This unexpected event put him out of commission for anything related to the bats and the birds. He hated it but couldn't blame them, not when he let it get this bad.

Tim's petals didn't start with the first time he saw Danny but damn was it close. A cute guy that doesn't even blink at the amount of espresso shots he asked for, isn't what kept Tim drawn to Danny. No it was his snark and brain. Tim often sees him working on some engineering project. If he has time, Tim will get Danny to ramble on what he's doing. Danny was brilliant. If he wasn't a full time student, Tim would have tried to snatch him for Wayne Enterprises.

He really hoped that the rest of his family didn't catch on to his crush, but hope can only take you so far. It was Dick that called him out on it. He is also the one to text it to the sibling group chat, like the trader he is. They make bets to find the person that has Tim looking like a love sick puppy. The first petal is coughed up, unnoticed by the family of great detectives, hidden under tongue and deflective words.

Tim didn't look at the first petal, or the second or third. He refused to believe that his heart was gone this quick, before his family even had a chance to look for the boy who wanted to touch the stars. Another cough, more petals.

Jason is the one to find Danny first, surprisingly. He wasn't even trying to look either, but hey he'll take winnings anyway. Since then the rest of his siblings stalked the coffee shop for the boy to make sure he was good for Tim. Honestly Tim wouldn't be surprised if Bruce knew what was happening and was helping them.

The commotion of his siblings hid his flowering lungs well, but at this point denial was useless. Tim fell hard for Danny, a cute boy with a brilliant mind to match. Tim coughs hard. Lungs rattling as a whole handful of petals fall from his mouth to his dinner plate past his poorly cupped hands. Everyone stops around him, it's silent. Tim for the first time looked at the petals from his lungs, white Chrysanthemums are the flowers suffocating him. Concerned chaos enraptured him.

Bruce pulls him from patrol, even after Arkum's break out. Everyone is walking on eggshells around him, well almost everyone. Jason doesn't feel the irrational guilt of worsting Tim's flower with teasing and the like. Tim may hate the situation he got himself into but at least someone is being sensible about it, (unlike himself).

It's around the time he would stop in to see Danny as Red Robin, when Jason checks in on him. Tim is coughing up whole flower heads, their roots pulling at the inside of his lungs with a long stinging sensation that turns into a stab with each convulsion. Hands hold him upright as the petals stop falling from his mouth.

Jason looks worried before sighing, his face shifting to a shit eating smirk. "It's been a week and here I thought you are smart enough to confess"

"You just saw me cough up a garden and that's what you say to me? Unbelievable!" Tim flat start is barely held as he fights a slightly hysterical laugh.

"Really living life here, Timbo. How's those flowers tasting? Not good I assume but clearly you like them enough to keep them so fucking long"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I should confess and shit, but I'm on mandatory bed rest. If Alfred catches me going out, I think I'll die from the disappointment."

Jason smirks turns smug "Good thing I already told him I was taking you out so you can take care of your sad love life. Come on let's go before your boy toy’s shift ends"

This sends Tim into a panic. He is nowhere near ready to go outside the manor least of all talk to Danny, but Jason doesn't care. He throws Tim over his shoulder and turns to walk out of Tim's room.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!!" Tim pleads "I'm not even sure if Danny likes guys and I'm not meeting him looking like I've been dying the past week!"

"The dying thing is true and you know it but I guess you can get changed." Jason relents, setting Tim down. "Be out by my bike in 10 or I'm hunting you down"

Tim scurries to his closet. Okay, he's doing this. To think that out of all of his siblings it would be Jason that finally gets him to confess. Tim is going to make him pay for his coffee when this is all over.

___________

Danny's shift is almost over, and there is still no sign of Red Robin. Not seeing him for a week shouldn't worry him this much, Tim could be on a business trip for all Danny knows. Actually he would know, Tim has a habit of complaining about having to leave for them.

His core burns as a red vapor starts to trickle up his throat. Hanahaki disease shouldn't be taking over his lungs this fast, but life decided to deal him a bad hand. Danny painfully swallows the vapor. He just has to make it to the end of his shift, he'll call Jazz for help then.

He is resting his head on the counter with his eyes closed, trying to manage the blooming pain. He is the only one here tonight besides his manager Anna. The bell above the door rings out into the quiet shop. He stands up from his resting position putting on his customer service smile.

Tim is standing just in the door. Their blue eyes meet and red vapor fills his burning lungs. Danny is going to drown in petals and green flaked blood. Danny starts coughing hard, not even trying to hide the bloody petals falling from his lips, nor the vapor rolling up into the air.

Tim rushes to the counter, his own petals starting to fall from him. At the same time Danny's manager walks out from the back, stopping him from vaulting over the counter. She looks startled before seeing their collection of petals.

"Danny, you can take the rest of your shift off. I'll cover the rest just to figure your shit out before you come in next okay." She says while helping Danny up.

He glances at Tim then back at her before nodding. "Okay, I'll clean the mess-"

"No. I got it, plus I think that you'll only make it worse at the moment." She gives him a small smile, while shoo-ing to the back so he can grab his things.

"Well, since you are waiting for him, is there anything I can get you?" She asked.

Oh right Tim forgot Jason was there. His brain shut off when he saw Danny crumple from a familiar cough. The red vapor and amount of blood mixed with the petals was concerning but hopefully that will be fixed after this. Petals fill his mouth as he orders him and Danny coffee. Pushing Jason to the counter to pay as they discussed (argued) on the way there.

Danny comes out the same time their order is done. Tim grabs the drinks and walks up to the cause of the flowers blooming in his lungs. Danny looks nervous, but smiles at Tim with slightly bloody teeth anyway. That shouldn't be hot. Tim blushes as he holds back the worst of his coughs. Petals puff out of his mouth like the first fallen leaves in autumn caught in the wind. Danny giggles as his own bloody petals fall.

"Man, I guess we got each other huh." Danny sighs

"Yeah, wanna talk about it? It's a little late to take you out for dinner, unless you want Batburger?" Tim leads Danny out of the coffee shop, leaving Jason behind.

"Batburger for a first date doesn't sound too bad." Danny grins, and the pull in his lungs disappears. The last of the Chrysanthemums petals leave his mouth. He looks at Danny hoping to see the same, but Danny looks anxious and in pain still.

"But, before that there's something I have to tell you. If we are doing this it would be unfair for you to not know" Danny takes a deep breath and turns to look at Tim. He really shouldn't tell Tim but he'll have to trust him.

"I'm half ghost. I had a lab accident when I was younger that killed me but brought me back… mostly. Now I can turn into a ghost and have ghost power. Also fangs but that's less important and I'm rambling now. Please say something."

Tim blinked "Well that wasn't what I was expecting but at this point, it could be worse. I believe and accept you. We can talk more about that later in a different place." Tim said, looking hopefully at Danny.

The burning in Danny's lungs stopped with one last drag of red vapor and bloody petals fall from his lips. He relaxes and takes Tim's hand.

"Good, because the flowers that were in my lungs are like one of the only thing that can kill ghosts and they fucking burned. Anyway, where is the nearest Batburger?" Danny says, casual as ever.

"Wait, WHAT!!"

#dp x dc #danny fenton #danny phantom #tim drake #dc x dp #brain dead #dp x dc crossover #dp x dc prompt #tim drake x danny fenton #hanahaki #blood blossums #tw blood #danny phantom au #ao3 link #Petals and Arrays of The Dead and Those Yet To Be #Writing on the walls

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void-writing · 2 years

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One Batfam and Danny interaction that just came to me:

Danny, pointing fingers: How come that you can control those powers already?! It took me months not to clip through the walls!!

Whether or not said Batfam member really has as much control over their new, Danny-given powers as Danny at first believes is a different matter. XD It's about his outrage.

Hahaha lol.

I haven't gone into power shenanigans yet (that'll probably be an extra story somewhere down the line) but my thinking is that the Bats had a fairly easy time with their powers because 1) superpowers aren't that unusual in the DCU, so they have not only real live points of reference but people they can turn to with questions, and 2) they really only have to deal with 1 power whereas Danny was dealing with 3+ simultaneously.

Of course, I haven't shown it yet but like Danny, the Batfam's new powers are largely stuck in the "on" position if they aren't passive, and even then there's something of an adjustment period.

Dick floats if he's not mindful of it and now frequently hovers over his bed when he's sleeping, The Exorcist style. He kind of just lets himself do it when he's alone or in the company of other Bats or heroes, so it's not too much of an issue so long as he's not seen doing it in pubic as a civilian.

Jason is going to have a hard time getting needles through his skin now, so he better be careful about exposure to airborne chemical weapons. And also getting yearly vaccines.

Tim's astral projection doesn't necessarily mean that he's fully resting. The energy is more split between his astral form and his physical body, so the longer he spends in astral form, the less restful his sleep is. Also, the activation of his power depends on how tired he is when he goes to bed. If he's exhausted enough, he'll just sleep normally and not project at all.

Damian definitely melts a few things in his hands when he's not careful (canon seems to portray ecto-blasts as heat-based attacks, so I'm going to roll with that even though Danny is definitely more ice-affiliated).

Cass slips into the shadows a little too easily sometimes.

Steph sometimes ends up blocking herself with her own shields.

Barbara has to be mindful of what her new telekinesis grabs onto and from what direction it's coming from.

Kate is fortunate that her duplicates can't make duplicates, otherwise she'd have a harder time hiding it.

Duke definitely underestimates his own strength for a while after the abrupt buff. He may not have super-durability, which would enable him to punch through things or crush them without hurting himself, but he does keep accidentally pushing and pulling things too hard. Doors are tricky for him for a bit XD

Bruce regularly keeps blinking out of the visible spectrum, if not the entire detectable spectrum all together. Basically, his power has two settings: plain vanilla invisible (where he's just not detectable on a visible light spectrum), and Super Invisibility (where he just plain stops being detectable period). He can only maintain Super Invisibility for a few minutes continuously before it starts to wear him out (and you can bet that every time he uses it, Clark is sending him a "you good?" text or just straight up calling him to make sure he's okay XD). Of course, his power wants to be "on" all the time, so he has to be mindful of keeping himself within the visible spectrum, lest he just blip out of peoples' perception for a while.

And a note on Alfred's power: He's not going to "de-age" past his prime. I'm putting his age in CiM at around late 70's, early 80's. What his new power is doing is walking his physical body back towards the top of the "physical aptitude" curve, so he'll look like late 50's, early 60's instead of his actual age, but it won't go further than that. And most importantly, he'll feel like he's in his 50's again too :)

To note, when I say "Alfred is immortal now" I mostly mean that he doesn't age anymore. He can still be killed or fall ill, but time no longer wears on him like it used to (and really, as far as CiM is concerned, time was the only real threat to Alfred''s continued presence, so functionally, he is immortal now lol).

One thing that I do plan on writing later is that Jason and Duke spar a lot both for training and for fun because their powers kind of balance each other. Jason can take Duke's hits and Duke can wrestle Jason on fairly equal standing.

But we will be seeing Danny's reaction to the Batfam's swanky new powers fairly soon :)

#void answers #change in management #dc x dp #dc #danny phantom #batman #i recently read 'Batman and The Signal' and i loved jason and duke's dynamic in it #jason was the tough love older brother for duke but you could tell they were pals

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just-an-enby-lemon · 3 months

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The main cast of my Two Watchers AU, presenting:

● Elias Bouchard ●

- Head of the Bouchard Institute of Paranormal Studies

- Choose a Lonely Marked guy no one remembered the name of to be his "sucessor" so he could finally keep his original name when body hoping. Not realizing the nepotism acusation.

- Has morals and tries to avoid murder but is still an avatar so still does it.

- Major Eye Avatar through a series of unlikely coincidences, bad choices, bad friends and complicated shennanigans.

- 200 years of this and he still has no clue what he is doing but he thinks is somewhat working? Maybe??

- Smokes A LOT of weed.

- Has a weird thing going on with Peter Lukas (toxic love triangle where at least two of the three people involved hate it).

- Has a massive crush on soft boy Michael Shelley.

- Is trying to launch merch for the Institute for extra money.

- Has multiple failed tentarives of murdering both Jonah and Gertrude (for different reasons).

●Jonah Magnus●

- New employee of the Bouchard Institute of Paranormal Studies

- Only in his late tweenties. But has a very vintage fashion sense (plus eye jewerly at least partialy influenciated by Annabelle)

- The Eye new chosen Watcher (to Elias dispair)

- Had a traumatic enconteer with the End once.

- Never talks about his past but got into supernatural circles young (killed some people) and knows a lot of other avatars. It's friends with Annabelle Cane, or as much as both of them can even call someone a friend.

- Is a very competent avatar and manipulator.

- Elias' assistant (the one that does the actual work)

- Wants to find out how to make a sucessfull Watcher Crown and end the world.

- Has a thing with Peter Lukas (is the one that is enjoying the love triangle).

- When not plotting and being evil he can be found making random spreadsheets with Jon, sleeping around (mostly with donors) or using his powers to steal other people's birthday cakes.

• Gertrude Robinson•

- Comptent queen

- Cold ass bitch

- Ending rituals one explosion at a time.

- Doesn't even consider Elias assassination attempts as a real threat. Does consider Jonah as a threat tho.

- Sacrificed Emma to the Spiral instead (because she discovered Emma true intencions earlier).

- Has some complicated romantic tension with Agnes Montaugue.

● Michael Shelley ●

- Oblivous ray of sunshine

- Oldest of the Archival Assistants

- Thinks he is responsable for the younger assistants and tries his best to take care of them.

- He and Martin had at least one tea making competition.

- Likes Elias but is shy.

- Works with a literal ghost and still just doesn't see the paranormal.

• Sasha James •

- Was called in to replace Emma.

- Besties with Tim and in good terms with Jon.

- It was only her and Michael under there for a bit (and the Delanos but Eric is a ghost and Gerry DOESN'T WORK THERE).

- Gertrude wants her to be the new Archivist.

- Is noisy because she is too curious not to, but tries to use the knowledge for good.

- Believes everyone wears a bit of a mask and it's fine with that.

- Is protective over Michael.

- Requesting Jon and Tim as research support (not really part of the archives but the research team that actually does the follow ups) was her idea after she and Michael had to deal with the chaos that is Halloween in the Archives by themselfs.

● Tim Stoker ●

- Sexy and he knows it.

- Besties with Sasha.

- Works with Jon on research. They are research budies.

- Sasha helped him during the year for extra help on the Halloween influx of fake statement givers mess.

- When Elias decided to turn the extra help into "actually archive work is not researching stuff so having some researchers specifically of the archives makes sense here's a bonus" he accepted it for Sasha's sake but thinks it will help him with Danny.

- Don't let the not really archive tittle get you, he is bound to there.

- Tries to make Jon chill from time to time.

- Calls Elias 'Double Boss' , Gertrude 'Boss' and Jonah 'Boss Jr.', convinced Jon and Michael on calling Sasha 'Future Boss' with him.

- Dresses even wilder because while it deeply annoys Jonah not only Elias has no dress code but Elias always dresses with different punny weed t-shirts (and sometimes punny Eye t-shirts). Gets wose when he discovers it annoys Jonnah.

- Does not like Jonnah from the start.

●Jonnathan Sims●

- Early twenties, baby researcher Jon.

- Recently started walking with Tim and Sasha and is still on the 'holy shit friends' phase.

- Jonah is obcessed with him and it creeps him out soo much.

- OG Elias is exploring him but instead of the original "planning to use him to End the Wolrd", Elias just is a bad boss and is super keen in how much of a workaholic Jon is.

- The weird new tittle was made to go around Gertrude's refusal in hiring new assistants but also was because Elias knew if he did that Jon would work in both places. Jon does. He has two jobs but is only payed for one. Tim is pissed over it.

- Secretly just wants to play DnD.

- Since the Eye was displeased with both it's Archivist and Watcher (until Jonah came along) and Jon started going into the Archives earlier he is already starting to became the Eye specialest lil boy. But it's still way too early for anyone to notice.

- No one understands how come he and Gerry (rebel who doesn't even work here) became friends so easilly but they are cool.

- Isn't mean to Martin because he doesn't have the same reasons so he is just akward with Martin. While annoyed he at least does help Martin with how to do things right this time (as his insecurity over not fitting is canonically the reason he was mean to Martin and he was shocked Martin faked his resume I'm a fiirm beliver paranoia man S1 Jon thought Martin did a bad job on purpose because Martin knew Jon had no clue what he was doing). He is a bit mean to Michael first, because while he gets the whole listening to authority (specially sterm old ladys that scream with you and ignore you), the affection and "must protect Gertrude and my juniors' freaks him out at first.

●Martin Blackwood●

- Elias third favourite employee (first is Rose because he rly rly needs a PA, second is Jon because he can always persuade Jon to make any extra work necessary) because he finds the whole lying on the CV thing hilarious. Elias always smilles at Martin as if they are sharing a joke and is nicer to him than to most. Martin is confused by it.

- Was transfered to the Archives by Jonnah that used his place as personal assistant to saciate his curiosity (and maybe bet with Peter later over the guy).

- Has a crush on Jon, specially after Jon starts to begrundgly help him out.

- Tim likes him very fast.

- Had a dispute over who was the best tea maker with Michael and won.

- Is unconfortable with Michael at first because HE is the one that takes care of people. His coworkers should not be taking care of him and even less ofering him biscuits. Later they start to combo their methods and it gets easier.

- People compare him to Michael, but Martin has bite and knife skills. You'll NOT want to deal with an angry Martin. (He can also be VERY passive-agressive).

- Writes poetry at work.

●Gerard Keay Delano●

- Got Eric page at age 8 and runned from Mary at 13 getting by with the help of the ghost of his dad. Later found a way to take Eric from the book but since was via an artifact Eric's ghost is still around.

- Against Eric's advices decided to help Gertrude but refuses to get hired

- No matter how much Elias tries Gerard does NOT WORK AT THE INSTITUTE. Jonah tried to kick him out once but gave up.

- Basically a third assistant, Sasha and him mostly do the dangerous stuff to protect Michael. They also agreed to keep him in the dark for his sake.

- Thanks to having a bigger support group than Gertrude he discovered his cancer at an early stage and was abble to get treatment.

- Sasha and Jon tried to help him dye his hair better but he still sucks at it.

- He and Jon are friends and no one gets how people that are so different can work so well together and bond the way they did

- It's very criptic and mysterious, Gertrude finds it funny, Sasha thinks it's a bit annoying, Michael and Eric think is cute and Jon thinks is the coolest thing ever. Jon is just very hyped about Gerry in his own Jon way.

- Aro boy. Made out with Tim at an office party.

- Might have made out with Jonah (as a replacement for Albretch) but I'm not sure yet

•Eric Delano•

- Is a ghost

- Connected to the end

- Tried to guide Oliver into avatardoon

- He could accept death still but he hangs on for Gerry's sake

- Really loves his child and wished he could've been a better dad

- Obviously has a massive relationship trauma

- Lots of dad jokes

- Knows a lot about the supernatural

- Fights with Gertrude over how she treats the assistants, it's the only person Gertrude actually listens for out of mutual respct.

#tma #the magnus archives #the magnus archives au #possibly ooc

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helloblobbyblobfish · 2 years

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A snake in the nest

I think most people would have no idea of who Danny Temple is (he was in like, one arc of the Robin comic and was then gone), so resume: In Robin #82, while Robin is having difficulties in his relationship with Spoiler because he refuses to give her his secret identity, he meets a guy named Danny he strike somewhat of a friendship with, but the guy has a barcode tattoo on a foot and a massive scar over his body, so Tim is suspicious.

The plotline really gets picked up again in Robin #88, when Tim and Danny go on vacation (after Bruce landed on the “Dick moves” side of the spin coin and revealed Tim’s identity to Spoiler so that she go check on him because Bruce doesn’t want to be confronted by Alfred) and Danny gets kidnapped by robots of the Kobra cult (Who has a whole thing for conjoined twins, in comics lore. That’s the origin of the scar, separated twins) because he was one of the most likely candidates to become the new leader after the previous one had too many failures.

Unfortunately, Robin’s at-the-time nemesis King Snake wanted access to the Lazarus Pit the himalaya base of Kobra had (only accessible with the barcode on Danny’s feet) because he had lost his eyesight previously. And the previous leader wasn’t ready to back down from his position, even after the cult tried to murder him. The story ended in Robin #92 with King Snake blind again, the previous Naja-Naja possibly dead, and Danny leader uncontested.

AND NEXT TIME Kobra is back, EVE, the original Kobra leader AND King Snake’s lover and assistant, last seen crushed by a pillar on the lower half and shot by the previous leader, has taken over, and there is ZERO mention of Danniel/Danny! (Due to the fact Danny wanted to make Kobra neutral, and that wouldn’t have been interesting for the writers, I guess.) Oh, also. The paging in #92 is confusing, but I think it implies Daniel knows who Tim is? (Because more people know who tim is than people know who Steph, Kon, Cassandra, maybe even Damian and Jason are

Also, Tim. TimtimTim! You were supposed to be the “normal one”. Why do your male friends include: A half-kryptonian clone, a speedster from the future, Conner Hawke, a prince who used a magical artifact to send a demon hired to kill him after the summoner, the possible leader of a cult raised by who were implied to be robots, Buzz, who was implied to have a mystery involving HIS family that went nowhere, the daughter of a mafia boss who was resurrected as a crazy magician… BERNARD is the most normal person he ever met, no wonder he got a crush on him! Probably means Tim can look at Waller, say “Kneel, Peasant!” and get away with it, though, so that’s nice!

It starts on a day like any other. Bernard is watching the latest edition of the Daily Planet news in his boyfriend’s apartment. He scoffs at the fact that they believe the new Superman is the previou’s son all grown up and not obviously a clone like the two previous ones. Lois Lane still knows nothing about Superman after all those years. Distressful.

He looks at the sleeping form of his boyfriend on his knees. Don’t get him wrong, Bernard will always find sleeping!Tim is adorable, but it seems Tim has decided that his dates with Bernard are the only moments of the day where he would sleep. And that is hurting the relationship a lot more than the millionaire seems to think it does.

What’s the point of dating someone if they are never conscious enough to listen to you when you actually get to meet, which is not enough, in Bernard’s opinion. Even if he understands being the likely prince of a mafia group means Tim doesn’t have much sleep at night. Bernard is hurt that Tim doesn’t want to admit that part of his life. He tries to throw hints at his boyfriend that he knows, but Tim is completely oblivious.

Or is much better at acting than he is given credit for, but Bernard has seen him trying to lie. Would be hilarious if he wasn't trying to hide such important things. Suddenly, Tim’s phone rings. Tim, ever the light sleeper, which Bernard finds sad because that means he can’t touch his boyfriend’s hair while he sleeps, is on his two feet in an instant.

“Danny? I haven’t heard from him in years!” And he goes into the bathroom to have a private discussion. Of course, like any good boyfriend, Bernard tries to listen through the door. It’s a Gotham thing, you wouldn’t understand. The sound of Tim running towards the door makes Bern run towards the couch. Thankfully, Tim is never a very observant man, so he completely misses the fact that Bernard accidentally fell into the couch in a very undignified way.

A few instant laters, or minutes, but who cares about that, Tim is entering with a dark-haired guy with a pointed chin and a look that screams “I'm handsome and smart, and I know it”. Bernard has to refrain himself from gripping Tim and growling at the intruder. Tim makes the introductions. “So, Bernard, this is Danny Temple. We were at Brentwood Academy together for a time. Danny,” and Tim beams with pride, which reassures the conspiracy theorist after the odd wording, “this is my boyfriend Bernard Dowd. I met him at the Louis E. Grieve Memorial High School after I transferred from Brentwood.” Danny looks impressed.

“And you have stayed together since then? Impressive! Congrats, Tim! That does explain why you didn’t care about the girls when we were at the beach!” That does reassure Bernard. Apparently, it was only his fears that led him to see a rival. Tim blushes. “Oh. N-No! We didn’t date back then, but we met again, we started dating!” Daniel opens his mouth like a fish in comprehension. “Ohhhhhh! okay. Now, maybe I didn’t come at the right time? I wanted to ask for your help, but you might want to finish the date first, or?” “Tim’s help with what?” Bernard is genuinely confused.

Danny gives Tim the stink-eyes. “You told him. Right?” Tim isn’t looking at either of them. “Told him what? I have no… Is this money.” “No. Tim, come on, you two are dating, you should-” Tim shows a surprising amount of strength; not so surprising, thinks Bernard, he might hide it, but Tim has some seriously ripped muscles; grabbing the man, holding him over his head, and running into the bedroom. Bernard scoffs. That bedroom has sound-proof everything. He never was certain why, but at least, it won’t be used to hide sex noises given the fact Daniel seemed fine with the relationship.

Still, he is wondering, “What are they talking about?”

I throw Daniel on the bed. I realize he is wearing his- “Daniel, you’re walking around with your Naja-Naja armor underneath your clothes???” I only receive a look in response. I unbutton my shirt to show him. “See, no robin suit.” My old friend isn’t looking impressed. “Yeah, because it would be hard to explain if you take off your clothes in front of your boyfriend why you have a robin suit.”

He is right, but I am not going to give him that.

Anyway,” I decide to distract him, “why do you need Robin for? Kobra was back to being evil in no time, with no news of you.” Suddenly, I panic. “Oh my god, you’re a clone of the now dead Danny, aren’t you.” He looks part-offended, part-horrified that I reach this conclusion. “What, no! Tim, I had to regain strength and rebuild my power slowly on my own. Also, Eve didn’t get back the entirety of Kobra, thank you very much. No, the problem is that we are in a full-blown war, currently, and my spies reported to me that this bitch is planning something against batman, to show off how cool and powerful she is.” he is putting air quotes when saying “cool” and “powerful”, and seems to respect her as much as Tim respect Crazy Quilt.

“So, we need to stop Lady Eve. Okay. Something else? Having the support of part of the Kobra cult will help a lot. Thanks, Dan.” Danny moth’s twitches. “Actually…” Now, it is I who gives him a dead-pan expression. “Given how much Batman and others have stopped the plans of the Kobra group, even my spies aren’t angry at Eve for trying to kill your mentor. Actually, my counselors are recommending that I take her by surprise with a plan to take out Batman first.”

I facepalm and think of everything possible. After an instant, Danny asks: “You’re thinking about..?” “Should I give you coordinates of rogues to make a very impressive display, do I give you weaknesses to use so that we almost loses against your agents in exchange for infos regarding lady eve’s schemes, should I pretend you brainwashed me to join, because i am NOT even pretending to join Kobra willingly, friendship be damned!” He looks a bit hurt at it, but I think he understands why. Even if my support could help. Or maybe it would convince members of his side of the cult to leave.

I sigh. “Can… you give me a day to get a working plan. Also, I would like to get the most you can give me about Lady Eve’s plan. Please?” He rises up off the bed. “Of course. Thank you, Tim.”

Bernard is surprised that the conversation didn’t last longer when he sees the door unlock. He grabs his phone and takes a picture as soon as that Danny guy shows up in the crack of the door, before hiding said phone. Maybe that will help him identify who Tim is hanging with.

Danny closes the door with “Once again, thank you. Tim. It reassures me that you are ready to help.” Tim seems to have mixed feelings. Bernard gets really worried about what his boyfriend got involved in.

Afterwards, it’s very awkward as the both of them are trying to come up with a credible lie to shorten their date, all plans forgotten. Bernard can’t even remember what he said to Tim as he closes the door, besides a “See you soon, Timmy!”

He puts his head in his hands to muffle his screams in the corridor as he waits for the elevator.

And Danny Temple doesn’t seem to exist. True, Bernard can find his name in the records of Brentwood Academy, but he apparently never finished his studies. And he has no online presence on any social media. rather weird for a handsome guy like that. Also, Brentwood is a private academy located near Gotham. That means money. Lots of money. So how the hell does Bernard come back empty-handed? The fact that there are many people named Danny Temple doesn’t help him either.

It’s not until much later, when Bernard is going through lists for international terrorists, expecting nothing, that he finds him. And he let his mug of coffee drop on his bed, spilling its content everywhere.

DANNY TEMPLE: One of the leaders of the Kobra Cult. Searched in 42 countries for terrorism, thiefs, blackmailing of US official, hijacking of a sattelite…

Well, lots of it seems to have been done by a guy named Kobra, AKA Jeffrey Franklin Burr. Danny Temple is considered to have agreed with those opinions and the attempts to destroy the US, but Bernard couldn’t find anything the Kobra cult had done recently in terrorism that weren’t connected to a woman nicknamed “Lady Eve”. And there were rumors of on-going power plays and tensions inside the cult.

Still, even if Temple was “only” a random cult leader, that he tried to get close to a mafia leader like Tim was worrisome. Even if it was simply an alliance for guns, Bernard wasn’t super keen on his bf dealing with a cult. Nevermind all that! Giving GUNS to Terrorists???? He had to go see Tim immediately!

And here is what I am reduced to.

“Please, Jason! You’re the only one I can trust to not hold my friendship with a member of Kobra against me! Please help me!”

“Timothy, I am NOT helping Kobra, even if it’s a nicer Kobra. I may be a gang leader, I have standards. And I am not screwing my already tenuous relationship with Bruce”

When you spit his name like that, no wonder he doesn’t like you, Jay.

“To make you happy!” “We can work together on it! Say it was my idea but I want the plan to stay between you and I! It’s true, and Bruce will leave you alone!” I feel humiliated, begging Jason on his knees. The fact he came in his full armor and I’m in my sweater is not helping. I look like a dumb member of Gotham’s elite who, like most, over-though his importance.

It's in this especially awkward situation that Bernard slams the door open.

“Tim, I- red HOOOOOD?????!!!! OMG! No, please, don’t hurt my boyfriend! I know he did bad things, well, actually, I know he did bad things but not sure why, I was ready to let his mafia stuff unaddressed-”

My boyfriend thinks I’m part of the mafia. What. Jason gives me a look. He might have his helmet on, but I can tell his body image is a “WTF, Timothy.”. I sweat even harder. Jason, thanks whatever deity he believes in, doesn’t take advantage of the situation to spread slander. I would have, in his position.

“What? Mister whatever, I’m not planning on killing him. Jeez. There are so many people who deserve it more. No, your… fffrriend, here.” He called me his boyfriend, Jason, you can call me that, damnit. Oh God, is Jason? “Decided to call for my help, and I’m not feeling generous today.”

Bernard rushes to grab him protectively. "Don't worry, Tim. It’s about that kobra guy who showed up earlier on. Does he have blackmail material on you? you know I used to be in a pain cult before, tight? You can talk to me about things like that.” I’m uncertain about how to respond to his scared face, and then, The Red hood just leaves like that. Me and Bernard are so shocked that I don't realize at first he is calling Dick. Fuck.

It’s then that Tim realizes he is running on adrenaline and crashes to the floor out of unwelcome relief.

Bernard tucks Tim in his bed, but doesn’t join him. He is too excited to join him, even if he needs the sleep too. Holy shit! Tim was able to contact Red Hood! HOW? An ex-robin, one of those who survived and became their own heroes! Albeit, given the changes in behavior Red Hood manifested throughout the years, Bernard wouldn’t be surprised if they were at least three people who occupied the costume. maybe five. And then, he is reminded of his suspicions there were multiple Batmen and he looks back at his notes on his phone.

Suddenly, he realizes the Red Hood left the window open. Would be bad if the current Batman showed up. But when Bernard enters the living room, he is shocked to encounter two of the Bagirls, the signal, Nightwing, the newest Robin, didn’t he leave, Batwoman and Red Hood. Bernard would call this a reunion of Gotham vigilantes, but. How many people are missing? Batman, Red Robin, Spitfire, Batgirl #3, Ghostmaker, Nightwing, Clownhunter, Catwoman, The Question… He is so occupied counting them that he doesn’t hear the first time Nightwing coughs.

“Hum, excuse me… Civilian, but could we talk with Tim Drake? Privately, if possible?” Even if it’s said in the nicest way possible, and they all look awkward meeting him, Bernard isn’t exactly feeling safe. “Well, uh. He fainted, so maybe later?” Oh dear Lord, did he just say “Later” to a superhero that isn’t even located in this city?

They all seem shocked he dared say that too. The current Robin even says: “Well, he at least chose a man who stands his ground. Kind of needed.” Bernard is taken aback. “Tim is known for being pushy? Since when?” New waves of glances exchanged between the Gotham Knights. Bernard is getting annoyed.

“Well, Tim isn’t disponible, try again tomorrow.” And Bernard turns his head and walks out on them. On the inside, he is panicking more than that time their school was attacked and he saw Darla die in front of him. He notices the spoiler look-alike Batgirl runs towards the bedroom. He is not quick enough to stop her. She sounds surprised when she opens the door. “Seriously?!?” “Shhh!!!! You’re going to wake him up, and he is never sleeping at a decent hour!”

Bafflingly enough, she seems to actually be ashamed. Who would have thought a superhero could feel bad. The group discreetly escaped while he was looking at her, and she gave him the slip by the entrance door when he noticed that. Bernard double-lock the window and sits on the couch to keep watch.

Sadly, even with all that, he ends up sleeping too.

I woke up in a panic. And get confused. I'm in my bed. Jason wouldn’t have done that, and he already left anyway. But why isn’t Bernard with me in bed? I think of what we could do in bed together and I blush hard. I frown when I open up my phone, expecting him to have left a message. Instead, Barbara sent me a text telling me to come. that’s in the intervention. Jason! I quickly put my costumes on and leave by the window. Bernard probably went back home.

I arrive at the cave thinking of excuses. “Well, excuse me. I have this friend who’s part of Kobra and I know it’s bad news, and I promise I don’t agree with his idea of keeping it running.”

“You WHAT, Drake!!!!!?!” Damian shrieks. I notice everyone besides Bruce and Luke are here. Jason is covering his head in shame, and everyone looks horrified. Cassandra is first to get her senses back. “We here… Talk.. you boyfriend.” Oh. OH. OH NO.

“Why do we need to talk about it? It’s not like you guys always tell your civilian dates!” Dick is the one who talks back. “Timmy. He thinks you’re in the mafia.” Touché. Stephanie goes on the offensive, oh shit! “Tim. If you don’t tell him this week, I WILL.” She lets her threat hang in the open. And I know her. We dated for several years. She will put it into practice.

I shake my hands. “No need, Steph. I was planning on telling him.”

When? You never told Ariana, Zoanne or Tamara. Cassie knew already when you started dating and Bruce is the one who told Staph.

Shut up, guilt. And she seems to have the same train of thought as I did, because her face becomes notably harsher. Cassandra states what everyone knows. “Liar.” Suddenly, I feel Kate’s hands on my shoulders and I tense. “And now, what is this about a friend of yours being part of Kobra, Robin…”

Bernards wakes up and is shocked to see Tim is gone, his window opened. A quick search shows the window was opened from the inside. Suddenly, a knock is heard at the door. Bernard is shocked to see that terrorist dude. “You live with Tim… Bernie?” “Bernard.”

The blond grabs his boyfriends’ blackmailer and brings him inside, before shoving his finger in the other man's muscular torso repetitively. “And Tim’s not there. I’m not sure where he is. But. I. Think. It. Has. Some. Thing. To. Do. With. Red. Hood. Showing. Up. Last. Night.” Wow, he needs to take some breaths. Bernard is so focused on his panting he doesn’t notice the look of fear on Danny’s face. “I hope your boyfriend is okay.” That surprises Bernard. “You say that only because you need him for whatever Kobra has planned”, he spits with a harsh expression. The dark-haired cult leader is shocked and actually steps back a little, before shouting. “HOW DARE-”

“Hello you two! Now, can we get you separated? Mister Temple, we want to talk to you about what we can do to stop Lady Eve. And… Bernard Dowd? I think Tim Drake has something to tell you.”

Huntress and the silent Batgirl escort Bernard to Tim’s room. He is sitting on his chair, which he dragged in the middle of the room. Then, the two are left almost alone, with only Spoiler-Batgirl staying to look over them. Bernard opens his mouth. “So… This is the moment where you tell me you’re going to jail, isn’t it.” The Batgirl slaps her face and groans.

Tim seems to hesitate. He starts many phrases, then whispers something in a language Bernard doesn’t even know. Tired, Bernard turns towards the girl. “You know what he means?” She looks uncomfortable. “Well, yes, but…” “WAIT!” Shouts Tim. “I’mrobubyudon’guyed…” Bernard exchanges a quick glance with the woman, before they both turn towards Tim. “Yeah. Hum? Sweetheart? You’re going to need to talk louder for me to try to understand what you mean.” Tim gets a lot redder than Bernard ever saw him and gives a pleading look to Batgirl. SHe sighs and goes to the closet.

Bernard looks, intrigued, and is shocked when she clicks on an invisible button, which opens to reveal: “A Robin costume? Why does Tim have THAT! I thought the Waynes were like criminals?”

His boyfriend makes a sputtering sound and hides his face in his hands while Batgirl rolls on the floor laughing.

"WHAT???" Shouts Bernard. She rips her mask and takes off her hood. "Stephanie Brown!" Bernard is shocked to see Tim's ex, now sister, is Red Robin's ex. A light bulb burst into his mind. "Tim, you're an ex-Robin? But I thought you guys were adopted BEFORE becoming Robin!" Steph looks like she is dying of laughter and Tim is trying to disappear, with how small he is making himself.

Then, the reveal truly sets in, and Bernard has to sit on the bed. After some thinking, he only says: "Tim, you're a… superhero?" He sounds hurt. Tim runs towards him and kneels by his side to look him in the eyes. "I'm sorry. I never told anyone, you know? Besides some teammates. Even Stephanie didn't know who Robin was when he started dating Spoiler."

Tears spill from Bern's eyes. "So, you keep secrets from everyone you know? Tim, how am I supposed to trust you when I won't be able to take anything you say as face value. I-" He hugs Robin… Tim.

As they whisper things to one another and Stephanie goes to the door to give them space, Damian enters. "Drake, I think you had enough time to talk. Now, come on, we have plans to… Oh."

Stephanie drags the young Wayne by the ears. "Come on, Damien. They need some time to deal with it."

Bernard is clutching his sofa so much he wonders if he is going to break it. He can see the images on the screen repeat in his head.

A massive attack from Lady Eve in a bank, trying to bring out Batman. Suddenly being attacked by Black Mask's gang, who was planning a robbery. Nightwing, wearing a snake-theme mind control helmet, sent by the Naja-Naja, whoever that was. Batman being caught by a rival faction of Kobra who wanted to get to him before Eve.

The massive brawls that resulted, in which Sionni almost killed Nightwing- Dick, Tim would have been devastated, by slashing his throat. Tim arrived late, because traffic is terrible in Gotham for a motorbike rider like him. The batmobile can fly at least. Or is the batcopter truly a different thing?

His phone distracts him. It's Tim sending a pic in costume. "Don't worry, Bernie, nobody was massively hurt."

"Don't call me that to distract me from the fact Dick almost died, asshole!"

Tim doesn't answer for a moment, but Bernard can see he is typing a lot.

"Yeah, sorry babe. I'm coming over?"

Bernard hesitates. His fingers stay above his phone for what feels like hours.

"Yes. We need to talk about security. I love you too much to stomach seeing you so much of you throwing yourself like that."

And that's true. Tim was fighting like he didn't care that he got hurt. Red Robin/this Robin often did, and Bernard was always worried. But now that he knows it's Tim…

He hears the flutter of his boyfriend's cape in the wind and smiles at the man opening his window.

"So, a conspiracy theorist who thought we were criminals and was part of a cult? You could have picked better." Damian complains.

I pretend to look at my phone. "Oh, gosh, robin! Never thought about it! Maybe the Rhafi of Dhabar would be better suited indeed! I haven't talk to him in some time, but-"

"What?"

"Or, I know! Do you think Bruce would accept a speedster as my boyfriend if I told him the other options are an amazon or a half-kryptonian?"

"Drake, I. You."

"Maybe I should see how the third Lynx is doing, but she might remind dad of Selina too much."

"Who?"

"Maybe. Or maybe I should seek Darla out. What do you think of me dating a mafia leader's daughter with magical power? Don't worry, she's good now."

"Drake, why are you like this?"

"Trauma, my dear Damian. Trauma."

#TimBer #dc comics #batman #my writing #tim drake #bernard #bernard dowd #robin #red robin #stephanie brown #spoiler #jason todd #red hood #danny temple #batfamily

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fox-guardian · 2 years

Text

I'm gonna make a list of my Tim headcanons now

Flirting is a work skill and he cannot flirt well with people he's actually interested in

He's the comedic "straight man" as in, the most normal of the bunch, relatively speaking, and he thinks the others are a bit nuts (affectionate)

He looks like he wears normal socks but they have secret fun designs on them hidden under his shoes. Either that or they're day-of-week-socks that look plain black at first

He has the funkiest of patterned shirts. His closet is full of them. Ms. Frizzle-core. He has many matching ties as well

He wears glasses/contacts

He has a morning playlist of the happiest bounciest songs to put him in a good mood for the day

He is a morning person

If he's tired and needs his hair out of his face/off his neck he will put it up in several ridiculous little ponytails/buns because he stopped caring two hours ago

He's a purple person but also has a special place in his heart for whatever color baja blast is (aqua??)

He's like 5'8"

His humor is based on pop culture references, not memes, and he is very much not up to date with memes. He is an old man in that regard

I always draw him with purple hair but just know that this man has gray streaks somewhere under all that

He baby talks animals really hard (ex: who's a good pubby? Who's a good pubby-bubby-boo?? Good pububub! Pubsy-bubsy-wubsy-bwubba-bwoo!)

He becomes a massive germaphobe after the Prentiss incident

He's great with kids

He collects colorful gel pens and uses them at work (this bothers Jon because "why can't you be more professional, Tim")

He is good at his job and is mostly professional but hey. gel pens fun. and it's all perfectly legible, so there

He has rotating crushes on his coworkers and friends

Jon is like a brother to him. Mostly because he reminds him far too much of Danny

He is a couple years older than Jon, but doesn't know it at first, and if/when he finds out it'll be all over for Jon. He's got an older brother now and Tim will make it his problem.

He can, will, and has bonked Jon on the head with file folders

He is a very tactile person and will hug you so tightly

If you are Jon, he will likely pick you up and perhaps throw you if it is safe to do so

He cries at cute animals

He cries when he's really upset

He can't sing unless it's showtunes

He may have somewhat outdoorsy hobbies but hes not super athletic or buff

He has a few small stuffed animals he keeps mostly for decoration or sentimental value and hugs a pillow at night

He has a few keychains on his work bag, one of which is a bee that he is particularly attached to

He has idle animations, especially when he's tired, hungry, or excited

He definitely has ones of those giant spoons in his house somewhere

He collects mugs with cheesy sayings on them, as well as funky prints and novelty mugs

He owns at least one pair of white with red heart print boxers

When he's off work he dresses mostly plain but does have some very odd pieces he's obtained over the years, as well as shirts with weird phrases on them

Dude loves grape flavored stuff

He is a lover of stickers

He has great sideburns and shapes them like that because of the tenth doctor

#ramblings with major #the magnus archives #tma #tim stoker #had this in my drafts for ages

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phantoms-lair · 3 years

Text

BatFam Snippet: Vlad makes his move

"This suck." Tim groaned, flopping on the bed, then immediately regretting the action.

"Sprained ankles normally do," Danny said sympathetically. Maybe not so much for him now since he could heal really fast, but he'd gotten more than one pre-accident.

"Think of it as a sleepover. Young Danny shall be here should you require immediate assistance, and I of course will be one call should either of you require anything."

"We can handle it, Alfred." Tim smiled at him. "You'd better be on call for Bruce." Not that Bruce tended to need the help, but he knew Alfred worried over him the way Bruce worried over them.

"Bold of you to assume I can't do both." Alfred said with a small grin.

"Did he just meme?" Danny whispered to Tim.

"The world will never know." Tim whispered back.

It was half past two in the morning. Wayne Manor was dark, the sole awake inhabitant down in the Batcave providing intel to Batman.

Vlad didn't know that last part. All he knew was everyone appeared to be asleep. And that all he needed. He flew through the rooms until he found the one where both boys were sleeping. Perfect. His shield was a very useful power. He normally just used it to deflect attacks, but it had other applications as well. Pink spread from the door as he formed a shield around the room, trapping the boys inside.

One of them, Tim Drake, the known one, shot awake. He grabbed a lamp off the nightstand and chucked it at Vlad, who just phased through it harmlessly.

"Existing heirs are a problem." Vlad said smoothly. "One I've found is best dealt with by using said heir as my vessel and taking the blame. the removal of my target and all other heirs.

"Try it," Tim snarled, grabbing a crutch like a weapon.

"Oh I will, but not on you. The emotionally volatile and antisocial new adoptee makes a better case for snapping and killing everyone. Besides," Vlad eyed the crutch and bandage around Tim's ankle. "Some might call into question the feasibility of someone who can barely stand going on a killing spree."

Vlad pulled the blanket off the remaining boy, expecting him to still be asleep. He didn't expect the glowing eyes glaring back at him. He barely had time to whisper "Daniel?" before his world lit up green.

"Cool," Tim said simply as he saw his foster brother's ghost form for the first time.

Danny was breathing heavily, for all he didn't need to. This was it. He had been found. No matter how this ended, he was going to have to face whatever waited for him in Amity Park.

"So this is where you've been. Daniel you know if you wanted to be adopted by a millionaire all you had to do was ask."

"Bite me." Danny snarled.

"Yeah, this explains so much of your issues." Tim added dryly.

Vlad ignored them. "This does put a wrinkle in my plan. I can't very well have my heir and future adopted son take the blame for this, but young Timothy is injured. Ah well, 'The Butler did it' may be a cliché, but in this case a useful one."

"You want to use Alfred to kill Bruce?" Tim felt a deep current of rage run through him. Villains he was used to, but the very thought of forcing Alfred to kill the man who was basically his son? This man, he was just sick.

"And of course I'll save the day rescuing Daniel and bringing him back to his Mother, making myself a hero in her eyes.

"Newsflash Vlad, she doesn't want me back," Danny said bitterly.

"Oh course she does. Once it's the three of us, as it was always meant to be-"

"It's going to be one of you if you put Danny and yourself in that sadistic wanna-be scientist's hands." Tim snarked.

Vlad had mostly ignored Tim, but that changed as he flew into a rage, his hands around Tim's neck. "Do not DARE speak of Madelyn that way in my presence!"

Tim had plenty to say about what he thought of a woman who'd prefer her son dead rather than having to admit she was wrong about being a bigot, but the hands crushing his throat prevented any of them from leaving his mouth.

"Leave him alone!" Danny leaped onto Vlad's back and slammed a ectoplasmic stinger into him. Danny hated using that power, hated the feeling of electricity under his skin and what it reminded him of. But it would flow against foreign ectoplasm and disrupt it, so it was his best chance. Vlad dropped Tim with a cry of alarm as the pink shield fell.

Alfred burst into the room with a shotgun in hand. He took barely a second to assess the situation, taking in the two ghosts fighting, as well as the hand shaped marks on Tim's throat, before he aimed the gun at Vlad. "Master Bruce should arrive in about four minutes time. But for now, Young Danny, please get Master Tim out of here."

Alfred could see Danny doing some quick calculations of his own before coming to a conclusion, likely that Masters would be far more interested in the two of them to care one wit about Alfred himself, before grabbing Tim and flying through the nearest wall.

Good lad. He hadn't wanted either boy to see this, and it was a small mercy Master Bruce would be arriving to late to.

"I'm quite afraid that your time terrorizing others is at an end." Alfred clicked the safety off.

Vlad laughed. "A gun. You bring a mere gun against a god?" He spread his arms, giving a clear shot.

Alfred knew Vlad was assured that he didn't know his true capabilities. A foolish thing after now knowing he'd been in contact with Danny. Perhaps he assumed Danny wouldn't say anything of their shared state out of fear, in which case he was wrong.

He knew Masters, or Plasmius as he currently styled himself, could turn intangible and the bullet would pass through him. He knew getting hit by a slug or cartridge would do little damage at all to a halfa's ghost form and could easily be healed in very little time. He knew all this, and still he fired.

The shotgun gave a single quick retort and Plasmius fell from the air, red mixing with green that oozed out of the gaping wound in his chest.

"How?' He asked in a strangled voice, not enough strength left to stand.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure." Alfred admitted. "There are many sources and stories, so I hedged my bets, as it were. Hollow point shells made of Nth metal, purified salt densely packed in the tip, and extract of Blood Blossoms mixed with holy water. In truth I couldn't tell you which component or combination there of is responsible. But it works, and that's enough for now." Alfred reloaded the shotgun, but there was no need.

Vlad 'Plasmius' Master would never threaten another life, another child, again.

#Danny Phantom #Batman #CW: Death #BatFam AU #Ghost Writing #Incidently if anyone was wondering why I had the smirking gif as a reaction to Alfred saying 'So you have chosen death"#It was this #Taking Flight

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ghostbsuter · 3 months

Text

Batclan and Catband (part 3)

> previous part

.・゜-: ✧ :-

"El," Danny stage whispers, drawing the attention of most people in the room.

"You see the man around glam glam?" Ellie nods, eyes focused on the man, Bruce, who looks back with fondess.

"Wanna know a secret?" The toddler nods, excited and leans forwards. Danny meets Selina's eyes with mischief, cupping his mouth for the effect.

"That's glam glam's crush!"

She gives an exaggerated gasp, putting her hands in front of her and staring between the man and her glam glam.

"Really!?"

A few snicker at her enthusiasm, Selina blushes faintly, smiling dazzingly when her fiance looks at her with knowing eyes. She'd talked to Ellie about him.

"Glam glam's crush?" Her eyes turn to the man, both in awe and caution.

"Does Bat know?" She whispers back, someone dick—? is recording.

"I don't think he does. Glam glam is very shy, remember?" Danny gives her a shit eating grin at that, knowing fully well and ready for it.

"I think little Ellie should tell Bat that glam glam likes him. How else will they get together?" Another gasp and the toddler got serious, fists balled in determination as she stomps her way to bruce.

Bruce is only mildly fumbling with handling a toddler and has Ellie staring down on him from his knees in no time.

"Glam glam likes you." Ellie bluntly states, stephanie hides her chocking by pressing her entire face into Tim's back.

"She's also shy," she adds, it has danny grinning, sharing a look with dick who's still recording with glee.

"So," Ellie's tiny hand reaches up to grasp his chin, making sure Bruce is looking at her, nodding when he's serious.

"You hurt glam glam," her eyes burn a faint green that has Bruce freezing. "I'll take everything."

Selina wonders if she is copying the men from her telenovela's, whenever they'd take a hostage.

Jason whistles at her threat, telling the eldest to send him the recording later for this sole moment.

Being threatened by a toddler was not in Bruce plan.

"My my, little lady," Alfred steps inside the room to the rescue. "A cookie?" He holds a plate politely in her reach, eyes on Bruce once she'd taken one and left him to roam.

"A child's love for their family is always admirable."

Bruce doesn't answer him.

#elle calls selina glam glam #dcxdp #dpxdc #dp x dc crossover #part 3 #ellie is dannys daughter #and danny is selinas son

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aster-aspera · 3 years

Photo

It’s just my skin

@badthingshappenbingo

Prompt: loss of hearing

Pairings: (platonic) jonmartim

Warnings: claustrophobia, hospitals, hearing loss

Masterlist

If you liked it please reblog <3

The aftermath isn’t as quiet as Tim thought it would be.

Maybe it’s the fact that he isn’t dead even though he should be, maybe it’s the dreadful ringing in his ear, maybe it’s the way his chest is heaving in gasping breaths he can’t hear.

There’s a thousand pounds of stone pressing down on his back and somewhere far above him he can feel the ground rumble and shift. He can’t even find it in himself to worry about the whole place coming down. He wasn't planning on making it out alive either way.

He thinks he floats in and out of consciousness for a bit. Time seems to wind and stretch and loop back, only the rubble on his back and the incessant ringing to keep him company.

Something shifts eventually, a change in the air at first, the darkness becoming just a bit softer, a bit less cloying.

And then there are hands and stretchers and needles and people pulling and prodding him and over it all is still that high pitched ringing, rising higher and higher into an impossible crescendo. He thinks they ask him things, he is sure he sees their lips moving and their expectant gazes. He thinks he tries to say something, but his lips feel awkward and unwieldy.

Everything goes dark after that. A cool blessed darkness where he just floats, no stone, no rubble, no dust, just peace.

He thinks about Danny for a while, and the ritual and the burning collapse of it all and the way Sasha smiled at him every morning when he came into the archives. Then he just sleeps.

He wakes up a bit more coherent the next time. The ringing isn’t gone yet, but at least his brain doesn’t feel like it’s through different planes of dimensions at a hundred kilometres per hour anymore. At least now he can breathe without the dust clogging his lungs.

He looks around the overbright hospital room, the disconnected monitor and the IV dripping a clear fluid into his veins. There’s a bouquet of orange flowers on the bedside table. Probably from Martin, he thinks bitterly. There’s no one else who would go through the trouble.

Martin walks into his room at some point and Tim wonders why he’s here and not hovering around Jon like some lost puppy. Maybe Jon didn’t make it out of the explosion.

Something sharp and painful shoots through Tim’s chest at the thought and he does his best not to examine it too closely.

He looks up at Martin, whose lips are moving as he fusses with the flowers on the little table. Tim stares up at him uncomprehendingly, waiting for sound to come through, waiting for that unbearable ringing to resolve itself into something he can understand.

It doesn’t.

“I can’t hear,” He says, his lips forming the words, his vocal cords vibrating, but no sound comes out, not to him at least. Martin looks up at him with concern, his mouth moving in shapes that should have been familiar, had they been accompanied by the right noises.

“I can’t hear,” Tim says again. And this time, it doesn’t come out half as controlled. He can feel something very close to panic crawling it’s way up his throat and he doesn’t quite manage to swallow it down.

Martin presumably says something else, before giving up and typing something on his phone, shoving it into Tim’s hands before stalking out of the room.

Getting a doctor, stay here

Well of course he’s going to stay here, does Martin really think he’s going to wander around London when he’s just survived an explosion? He isn’t Jon.

He waits impatiently in his bed, rubbing the uncomfortably thin hospital sheets between his fingers and trying to adjust the flat pillows so he can sit up.

Eventually the doctors come in and once again, it’s back to being poked and prodded. Doctors examining his ears and brain and all the million scans they take, with Martin occasionally coming in to hover over him, bringing along coffee from the cafeteria.

In the end, the verdict is predictable. Permanent damage from his proximity to the explosion. Figures he couldn’t just walk out of that unscathed.

And most people would probably consider being permanently deaf better than being dead. Tim wasn’t too sure he agreed with them yet.

They let him go home eventually, with a whole laundry list of instructions on how to care for himself. Tim throws the papers into a corner as soon as he gets home. He’ll be fine, he’s survived Jane Prentiss, he can survive this. And it isn’t like it matters much.

His phone buzzes to life when he sticks it into the socket, all the messages he missed streaming in at once, a tidal wave of promotional mails and push notifications. He’s half tempted to just shut it off again when he notices one text notification between all the others.

Jon

Martin had told him he was alive, of course. But something about seeing his name displayed black on white on his phone screen drives the point home in a way Martin’s scribbled notes hadn’t done. Something sharp and hot shoots through his chest and he wants desperately for it to be that familiar anger that carried him through the last few months.

But as he lets his head fall back onto the couch, he can’t quite feel it burn the same, and without its familiar warmth, he feels hollow in a way he hasn’t since Danny died.

He swipes away the message without reading it and curls up on the couch, pulling an old, dusty blanket over himself and shutting his eyes. He tries not to think too much of the darkness after the explosion, of the plaster dust swirling through the air and settling in his lungs, of the stone crushing his limbs at awkward angles.

A dark apartment isn’t much like a collapsed building but his brain doesn’t care when it brings up vivid images of his time under the rubble. Despite it all, he does eventually drift into the comforting darkness of sleep, his slumber taking the pain and weariness out of his bones for just a moment.

It’s peaceful, till he wakes up gasping from a nightmare.

His desk rattles slightly when a heavy book is dropped on it and Tim looks up in annoyance, ignoring the painful squeezing in his chest when he meets Jon’s tired, regretful eyes.

‘Learning sign’ The book proclaims and Tim feels irritation bubbling up.

“Fuck off,” He says, focusing his attention once again on his desk.

‘I know sign, I can help, or at least recommend you some classes/books’ Jon informs him through the notes app on his phone.

“I don’t need your help.”

‘I know you don’t, but I’d like to'

“Why? So you can feel better about everything that happened? You think this is going to fix it?”

‘I’m sorry Tim’

“Sorry is too late,” he bites out, shoving out of his chair roughly. He tries to move past Jon, make it out of this stifling, dusty room, get somewhere it doesn’t feel like the walls are watching him.

A rough, calloused hand shoots out, wraps around his wrist like a vice. Jon’s eyes are dark with concern and Tim feels an odd anger at the expression. How can he show so much empathy after everything that happened?

He looks at the hand wrapped around his wrist and suddenly, it’s all just too much.

The deafening ringing in his ears, this wretched place that trapped him and choked him and took his best friend from him. And Jon, eyes still hopeful, still compassionate, after Tim had blamed him and hurt him for months on end.

“Go away,” He tries to say and he doesn’t even make it to the first syllable before his voice betrays him with a choked sob. A shudder runs through him and he looks down at the wooden floor, trying to compose himself.

The grief has never felt as all consuming as it does in this moment and it chokes and burns and pulls him under all at once.

And then, there are arms around him. A familiar touch, a familiar weight, from days so long ago Tim can barely remember them. The first touch that isn’t hostile, the first comfort he has felt in so long.

And it’s all from the man he’s tried to hate for months.

His hands curl themselves tightly into Jon’s cardigan and he buries his face in his shoulder, biting back tears with all his might. It doesn’t do much good against the tidal wave of emotions sweeping through him and soon he’s shaking all over with the sobs that wrack through his body.

Jon’s hand comes up in a familiar movement, brushing through Tim’s messed up curls. It’s hesitant at first, as if Tim will yell at him again, but when he makes no motion to do so, only melting deeper into the hold, the fingers carding through his hair become surer.

There’s a rumble against his cheek as Jon says something and Tim wishes desperately he could still hear it, hear Jon’s sure and steadying voice.

He remembers when, near the beginning of it all, he would stand in the corridor outside of Jon’s office and listen as his voice drifted through the halls, all the pain and fear and emotions painted so clearly on it. He’d always thought Jon a bit ridiculous for the way he read those statements. Now he just wished he could hear it one more time.

He closes his eyes as the loss of his family and his friend and even his hearing tear through his chest, leaving him shattered and shaking.

Jon’s chest rumbles again and Tim presses his cheek into it, pretending for just a moment he can hear a sound that isn’t the awful ringing.

Another pair of hands close around him, softer ones, broader ones. They pull him up gently and he’s not entirely sure how they both ended up on the floor, it probably has something to do with how broad he is and how skinny Jon is.

He’s pulled close against a soft, broad chest and relaxes into it almost immediately. Martin’s safe, he always has been.

He’s deposited gently on the cot, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and a warm mug of tea pressed into his hands. He feels a bit like a child, being coddled and carted around. But right now, he can’t find it in himself to care.

He thinks Jon and Martin are saying stuff. Martin’s chest is rumbling against his back and he tilts his face so he can feel it better. Martin runs a comforting hand along his face, brushing away the tears that stick to it.

A hand settles on his knee, comforting and grounding and he’s sure it’s Jon’s. Both of Martin’s hands are occupied holding him together after all.

He closes his eyes. He can deal with the mess of it all tomorrow.

Right now, he just feels safe. His friends are here and that’s enough.

#tma #the magnus archives #magnuspod #tim stoker #jonathan sims #martin blackwood #jontim #jonmartim #martim #jonmartin #i do not know how to tag for this fandom yet #anyway tell me if i missed any warnings #bad things happen bingo #my writing

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forestlingincorporated · 3 years

Text

Tim Drake’s Friends (not to be confused with Red Robin’s friends)

Inspired by this post by cryptocism, I bring you: Tim Clique-Breaker Drake.

(Don’t mind me, this is also basically just me taking notes for a fic I’m working on. Tim’s various normal boy friendships. High School Musical has nothing on Tim Drake.)

(One of these days I’ll write half these characters’ DC Database entries. Today is not that day. All characters listed know Tim primarily as Tim Drake; anyone who knows Tim primarily as Robin/Red Robin, or who know Tim equally as Tim and Robin, is not included. If I miss someone... I missed someone.)

Sebastian Ives (Tim Drake’s longest civilian friend, met at Gotham Heights High School as freshmen. Geek, genius, bit of a coward, lyme disease and follicular cancer survivor)

Kevin Hudman and “Hudster” Hudson (Because "Hudman and Hudson” isn’t confusing or anything - classmates at Gotham Heights, play Warlocks and Warriors with Tim and Ives.)

Karl Ranck (classmate at Gotham Heights, varsity football jock, bully, wants to be friends with Tim, Tim was never particularly interested in being friends with him. Tried to recruit Tim to his gang, Tim said no.)

(Deceased, shot in altercation with fellow classmate and rival gang member)

Ariana Dzerchenko (Tim Drake’s 9th grade girlfriend, Russian Ukrainian immigrant, wants to be a fashion designer.)

Glenn Doppler (Gotham Heights classmate. Went out with Ariana once while she and Tim were still dating, after Tim stood her up for a date. Felt bad enough to come clean about it.)

Philmont Denlinger. (Gotham Heights classmate, friendly with Ives and Tim. Bullied.)

(Deceased, murdered by fellow classmates)

Ali Ben Khadir (Tim’s first roommate at Brentwood Academy and the teenaged religious leader of the fictional small country Dhabar)

Tim’s other Brentwood friends: Wesley Thomas (Tim’s second roommate, recovering alcoholic), Kip Kettering (geek, likes film and thriller novels, non-wealthy scholarship kid, counts cards in online gambling), and Buzz Cohen (football jock at a soccer school, rage management issues possibly requiring medication)

Star (skateboarder, taught Tim how, my lesbian awakening; Stephanie Brown thought her brother, Tito, was Robin)

Danny Temple (Brentwood classmate, young new leader of Kobra, knows Tim is Robin [does this make including him cheating?])

(of course, how could I forget Tim’s best friend and goodest boy, Cardigan?)

Bernard Dowd (classmate at Louis E. Grieve Memorial High School. Bit of an asshole, has a crush on Darla Aquista and Dana Drake.)

Darla Aquista (classmate as Louis E. Grieve Memorial High School, Mafia boss’ daughter, doesn’t date anyone, wants to date Tim. It was at this point I decided Tim was a babe magnet)

(Deceased, shot at school, died in Tim’s arms while he Tim attempted to resuscitate her but she died after being taken to the hospital. It appears as if she died in Tim’s arms if you’re only reading the Robin run, but she lives just slightly longer if you’re reading all of War Games. Resurrected, Warlock’s Daughter.)

Darla Aquista’s unnamed jock friends Tim SOMEHOW charms.... by offering to take a punch for his terrible friend.

(It was at this point I decided Tim was a jock magnet.)

Tyrone (football jock, bully) and Byron (freshman computer geek). Tim mediates. Tim seems to hang out with Tyrone more than once, though this is the last time we see Byron.

Jimmy (another jock at Louis E. Grieve, friends with Tim, Tyrone, and Darla)

Zoanne Wilkins (classmate at Gotham City High School, “allegedly” Tim’s tutor, hopes to get into Harvard, Tim’s ex-on-and-off-girlfriend)

Jared Walton (tennis player, rich kid, classmate at Gotham City High School, kidnapped with Tim once)

Craig/Greg Pulaski (tennis player, Gotham City High School classmate)

(This period of Robin comics is NOT great with remembering names)

Randi (Gotham City High School classmate, friends with Zoanne, unclear if she’s friends with Tim)

I think that’s everyone??

EDIT:

God fucking damn it, I missed Callie.

Callie Evans (Classmate at Gotham Heights High School, basketball player. Had a crush on Ives when they were younger, but grew out of it by the time he considered her an option.)

#Tim Drake

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book-o-scams · 3 years

Text

'Sorry Wrong Ed' Alternate Ending Storyboard Sequence

Check out Al Kang's Ed, Edd n Eddy portfolio!

Al Kang worked on the show during seasons 3-4 and had roles on the storyboard and prop teams apparently. (IMDb says he was credited as Al Choi at the time, but it also says he worked on season 1 episodes, which doesn't line up with the timeline he mentioned.. anyway.)

I discovered his portfolio a few months ago after seeing fandom discussion of the alternate 'Sorry Wrong Ed' ending. I was pleasantly surprised to find a few other treats as well! But yes, I even sorta liked what I learned about 'Sorry Wrong Ed' in the process... (I threw in a little analysis comparing the two endings at the bottom)

I noticed Al seemed to mix up the order on these, so I thought I'd try my best to figure out the right order. This was the most confusing one for me to try and figure out the order of since almost all 8 pages were out of order. I think I finally figured out what's going on in the original ending.

So this alternate ending starts at an unknown point with Eddy flat on the ground, presumably injured, picking himself back up. At this point in the final cut of the episode, Eddy has just been squashed by a tree, but this seems more like a different injury, and he's not even retaining his injuries from the truck scene... The scenes with Jonny and Plank from the final cut of the episode seem to not exist at all here, Jonny and Plank don't appear in this sequence.

Anyway, Eddy picks himself up in the middle of an on-going scene, sees Jimmy drop a coin in a jar for Ed, who has inexplicably turned the cursed phone into a scam on his own. Edd is glaring at the off-screen kids, who have somehow learned about this phone and are excited to kill Eddy with it.

Eddy: "Jimmy! No!"

Jimmy answers the phone: "Hello?"

Ed: "HA HA HA"

Edd: "You people don't seriously believe--"

Then we sync up with gags that did happen in the ending of Sorry Wrong Ed, with context that makes its tone a little more sadistic than random. Jimmy's paid phonecall drops the sandbox on Eddy.

This page has the most skeletal dialogue...

Kev: "Yes." (I think he's meant to be fist pumping because Eddy got hurt, more of a "Yes!")

Jimmy: "BAD LUCK EDDY PHONE." (this dialogue must have been a placeholder)

Edd: "HA HA" (sarcastic ha-ha or did Al mean to write "Ed" for this?)

Jimmy seems to offer the phone to Edd.

We sync up again with Edd's denial from the final cut of this episode, except now it actually makes sense that he's so one-track-minded, because there are people actively arguing with him and keeping him disengaged from the victim.

Edd: "There must be a cargo plane overfilled with playground supplies..."

Sarah interrupts him.

RING RING

Sarah: "Oh, that's for me."

Eddy at this point holds Ed responsible, as he should, and starts running to stop Ed or Sarah. Ed offers no explanation for his betrayal.

Eddy: "Ed! What are you doing!?"

Sarah: "Hello?"

Sarah's paid phonecall summons the hippos, the most random moment in the final cut of the episode. Note how both of these slapstick gags were storyboarded on the same generic background, seems like the lane or an empty lot, but clearly a different location than Eddy's front yard from the aired ending.

And that's all we have to go off of!

I'll put my updated opinions below the cut, but suffice it to say, I like the episode a little better now! Knowing what the ending was going to be and trying to figure out the choices that led to the ending we got, I feel more appreciative that it didn't end up a lost episode or something and less annoyed that it was 11 minutes of one joke.

I know I have a reputation for not finding slapstick funny and disliking this episode, but violence was never my only issue. Lots of episodes have lackluster slapstick that I just let wash over me. My point that never gets as much focus is that this episode never felt FINISHED to begin with. It's just a slapstick vacuum with no ending and no point, and it used to be frustrating to me not knowing for sure if my hunch was right or not that it felt like the episode just wasn't working and they had to cobble it together from the scenes that almost worked.

I am surprised to say I like the episode more now that I know that is pretty close to the truth. Judging from this peek into the episode's development, this episode seems to have reached Danny Antonucci's and/or Wootie's (the episode's lead board artist) limit for being mean-spirited with the characters without a reason. I'll still probably avoid rewatching it, but knowing the episode has no ending specifically because it's been trimmed to bare bones is somehow reassuring.

The most obvious flaw to this original ending is the lack of motivation for Ed's or the kids' actions. The kids presumably still weren't in the rest of the episode, so there's really no reason for them to be here other than reiterating the same idea from 'Your Ed Here' and 'The Good Ole Ed' that the neighborhood kids are always looking for a reason to gang up on Eddy, something that isn't really true of those characters in earlier seasons.

I think I can imagine how, on paper (in the writers' outline), this episode sounded funnier. Trying to imagine this ending as part of the whole episode, I think the script's idea of the final joke is that Ed is not satisfied with ending the tests at the point where they tried to return the phone to Rolf. I think Ed converts the curse-testing process to a scam at that point, building off of how Ed already wasn't processing Eddy's safety in anything so far, and is probably more focused on proving to Edd that curses are real (as Ed was previously in league with Evil Tim). The addition of Ed running his own tests and the kids arguing Eddy's point against Edd's while Eddy's busy, does sound more like a complete manic cartoon boiling point than the way the finished episode just petered out with Edd as the sole antagonist. But unfortunately, in visual execution, suddenly piling in so many aggressive characters and so much random violence at once, would only really result in it petering out at a higher volume.

Meanwhile Edd's characterization is made much more structurally sound in the original ending. He's annoyed FOR Eddy's sake, and the only reason he's not actively helping Eddy is because like 3 other characters were supposed to be arguing with him while this was happening. It seems extremely apparent to me that the cuts made to this ending were for the sake of mitigating Ed's reputation in the fandom, as well as the kids', and I think it's really unfortunate that Edd's characterization was the cost for salvaging everyone else's. I'm glad I already considered his behavior in 'Sorry Wrong Ed' non-canon, because now it feels like the reason the aired ending is so out-of-character is just because Edd is basically arguing with the ghost of the original scene. I formally forgive 'Sorry Wrong Ed'. Production turnarounds are tough and AKA did their best to not turn this into another forgotten 'Special Ed' episode that simply wasn't working.

I think ditching the original ending was ultimately the right call. It was not an exemplary episode, but I can admit it's less out of place to have a pure "vacuum of violence" story than it would've been to essentially give the kids a supernatural revenge plot like this. That would've been really weird to have to accept-- Eddy definitely wouldn't want to be friends with anyone at the end of the movie if THIS was their past. Changing it to an unaware Jonny and a questionably aware Plank being responsible, indeed, was a vibe that landed much more like standard EEnE fare. It was weird enough that the kids all saw Santa in JJJ, can you imagine if they all knew curses were real AND participated in attacking a neighbor with one??

If there was a silver lining for me the first time I saw this episode, it was that none of the kids were directly involved in Eddy's suffering. It made the questionable reality of the cursed device slightly more acceptable that only the Eds and Rolf know about the curse. If this ending had happened, I would've reacted the same, but I would've rejected its continuity even more than I do now, because it would just feel like they animated one of the DC Comics (where the kids can blow the Eds up with fireworks at the end or the Eds can randomly be crushed under an avalanche of anvils)-- the art could end up gorgeous but the characterizations don't exactly land as real human beings, the balance this show strives for typically.

And I think that's all I wanted to say! In the end, I found myself liking 'Sorry Wrong Ed' slightly more than I used to, all thanks to this glimpse into how the animation production system morphs the outcome of a cartoon. Thanks so much to Al Kang, for sharing your art and this insight into the industry! I don't know whether he did both the gesture drawings and the revised art, but judging from his other boards I think the cleaned up art is his, and I liked seeing the poses that almost were!

#ed edd n eddy #sorry wrong ed #al kang #storyboard #concept art #alternate ending #deleted ending #alternate sequence #analysis

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captaincravatthecapricious · 3 years

Text

After the Circus- Part 3

@janekfan

cw: strained friendships, arguing, fainting, dizziness, trauma, references to Jon's getting covered in lotion, disassociation, food mention, mentions of panic attacks (none in the story), canon typical season three Tim headspace (although he's being less mean!)

After his kidnapping, Jon continues to have a rough time

The next time Jon wakes up, he is actually able to sit up. He’s alone on the cot. For a moment, he almost panics, looking for Martin in the darkened room.

It’s hard to see. The only light is from the hallway, oozing in because the door isn’t entirely closed. He doesn’t have his glasses on. He doesn’t know where those are.

Does he just have to resign himself blurry vision and the headaches? Not as if he doesn’t get enough of those. He sighs. He can’t even remember when he last had them. Did he have them when he was kidnapped? Did he have them when he got back?

He makes out Martin’s blurry form sitting slumped in front of the cot. Leaning against it and the wall. Asleep.

Guilt pools in the bottom of Jon’s empty stomach. He doesn’t know what time it is. But Martin has, presumably, been here for hours. Jon doesn’t know how many, sliping in and out of lucidity too quickly to get a firm sense on space and time. Martin should be at home, forgetting all this supernatural shit as often as he can, for as long as he can. Not worrying about Jon. Christ, certainly not worrying about Jon constantly since Prentiss.

All those times Martin dragged him to lunch, or provided tea when he still treated Martin like shit.

Jon can’t look at him.

He wishes he could get Martin onto the cot and let him get some proper rest, but even in top health, he couldn’t lift Martin, let alone do it without waking him. Best to just drape a blanket over him and let him rest.

Jon… well he needs to get up. Get to the loo, get a jumper, get some water or food if he can manage it. He isn’t sure. There’s still a good chance he’ll just end up on the floor again. Especially without his cane.

At least he doesn’t have to worry about Georgie. He was leaving her place anyhow. She wouldn’t have expected a call. Probably.

Standing isn’t great, but he manages his first two tasks. Leaning on the wall is the best he can manage, but he makes the way to the break room, drowning in an oversized hoodie. And finds Tim.

Tim is on his phone. He looks… tired. He’s still wearing that familiar scowl, but it’s softer. If Jon didn’t know better, he’d say Tim was looking worried. If Jon didn’t know better, he’d think Tim might be worried about him.

He’d think about that more, if his vision wasn’t starting to darken. He takes a rather abrupt seat on the floor, in hopes of staving off another faint.

Jon, essentially slamming into the floor makes Tim look up. There is a long moment where he is caught between sitting still and rushing over. (See if he’s still awake, if he’s hurt himself, if he’s hit his head, get him some salt and a sports drink. The routine still ingrained.) But. He doesn’t know.

He finds himself half standing, phone halfway on the table, screen still on, game chirping at him angrily as he loses.

He finds himself hesitating for a long moment, before he walks over to Jon. Slowly.

Jon’s conscious, but looks he’s contemplating if he’s going to stay that way.

Does Tim want to help?

Does Jon even want his help?

If he touches Jon, will he scream again?

If Jon screams, will Martin wake up?

He does care if Martin wakes up. Martin hasn’t gotten much sleep… in months, but especially not in the last couple days looking after Jon, and making sure Jon got enough water, and any meager amount of sustenance that he can manage.

Tim wouldn’t stay for Jon, but he is staying for Martin.

He stands there, looming over Jon. Jon shrinks away. Instead of making Tim feel vindicated, he just feels empty.

He should help Jon. So Martin doesn’t lose even more sleep making sure Tim doesn’t follow the impulse to yell and kick and argue, or simply run away. That won’t help anything. He’s been fighting the impulse to hurt Jon for a while. But… but he can’t muster that anger, not now.

Not when Jon’s wearing a jumper that Tim left at Jon’s flat back in Research.

Not when Jon looks small and tired and sick and beaten.

And, Tim knows, he’s had his place in this. Much as he wants to blame the circus…

And that’s another thing, isn’t it?

This should bind them together, right? Even more so than the years of friendship before everything went to shit. This shared trauma. Even more so than the worms? That was a one-and-done day, and yeah, there was stuff leading up to it. Yeah, it left a hell of a mark. But it didn’t really change Tim’s life the same way the Circus had. Yeah, there was pain and pt and permanent scars, but the worms didn’t take Jon for a month, they didn’t kill Sasha and Danny.

Fuck, he doesn’t know. It all sucks.

The Worm trauma should have brought the three of them together (four, if Sasha had made it out, but that wasn’t the worms, now was it? Well, if not for the worms, maybe she wouldn’t have been taken. HE DOESN’T KNOW.) The more Tim thinks about this, the more half finished, nonsense bullshit he thinks up for himself.

None of what he’s trying to tell himself makes sense, and the confusion and anger sit heavily in his gut as he just stands there, like a moron.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

He drags his hands through his hair. Greasy and coated in days old gel. He needs some sleep. He needs a shower.

He should get Jon something to eat.

“I’m going to touch you, ‘kay?”

Jon looks too tired to argue. Good. He doesn’t think he can deal with Jon’s waffling or guilt or any of that bullshit. The ‘oh no I’m just grand why am I on the floor? no reason, let me just stalk you it’s fine.’

Not now, Tim.

Too tired for proper anger, and even if he wasn’t… Jon looks just pitiful, and the fight that he’s itching for won’t be satisfying if Jon passes out or cries on him.

Jon mumbles out, “‘kay.”

Good.

Tim scoops him up, just about effortlessly. And Tim doesn’t know if that’s the months of pt and vigorous workouts, or that Jon has dropped maybe 5 kilos that he didn’t have to spare. Or both.

Tim’s gotten his muscle mass back, maybe even more than he had to start with… all that extra rage funneled into gym time. Not particularly healthy, but better than drinking himself into a stupor every morning. Just… you know, most mornings. As you do.

The change of position is enough to knock Jon out the rest of the way. Head lolling against Tim’s chest.

Something flickers deep in Tim’s chest. His first impulse is to crush the feeling, but… he doesn’t. Jon isn’t okay. Tim isn’t okay.

He wants his friend from Research back.

Which… He doesn’t know if that’s possible. Not with broken trust and hair-trigger tempers. But, he’s just so tired.

He dumps Jon on the couch. Not too gently, but he props his feet up and goes to get him some lucozade and heat up a can of soup.

Jon’s starting to come around again by the time he gets back. The soup is… lukewarm at best. They ought to harass Elias into getting them a better microwave… In any case, it’s full of salt and it isn’t cold. So… that’s something. A little more substance than water and lucozade. So. It’s better than nothing. Try to get Jon up to eating an actual meal, but Martin had pointed out that he isn’t sure when Jon last ate solid food, since he was kidnapped by plastic bastards who apparently don’t really know how humans-or vaguely nonhuman monster bosses work and how often to water or feed them, so they should take it easy on Jon’s system for now. Which will make it easier on all of them.

Jon struggles to sit up, and Tim doesn’t know if he wants to help. Instead he holds the food and drink and …looms. Jon sits up and tucks his feet up, so the blood doesn’t pool, Tim’s memory supplies. Not particularly monstrous. …It’s painfully familiar.

“Small sips, then a little bit of soup.”

Jon nods, squinting up at him.

Probably not a good sign that Jon, apparently, couldn’t find the glasses folded on the box next to the cot with another glass of water. One Martin instructed Tim to keep constantly full. Should he be worried that Jon is still so out of it? Maybe?

But he’s heard what the Circus can do to people, and he doesn’t have any clue what they did to Jon. All he knows is, Jon is even more shy about touch than he has been. Not that Tim really noticed. But… he isn’t blind. Jon’s been waking up screaming more often than not when someone touches him. He seems okay when you go slow, or wakes up with Martin holding him, but an unexpected, or sudden, or moving at all hand, starts him into a panic attack.

How much does Jon even remember of those? How many has Martin talked him through? How many did Jon lose consciousness during? A lot of the last variety. But he doesn’t know the numbers.

Jon’s looking dizzy again by the time Martin rushes in. Tim had just helped ease Jon back down. Martin is trailing the blanket that Tim had been pretty sure Jon had been draped in last time Tim had actually been in the room and not playing on his phone. That besotted fool, Jon, must have put it over Martin before getting up.

“Where is he, Tim!”

“Martin, Martin. Stay calm, would you? Keep your voice down.” Tim is not used to being the one trying to deescalate. But Jon looks about half asleep. Barely registers the shouting. “Relax. I didn’t hurt him. Think he got up for the loo or for something, nearly fainted in here. Got him some soup and everything.”

Martin drops heavily into the nearest chair, with what Tim figures must be a hell of an adrenaline crash.

“He’s okay, Martin. Didn’t hurt him. I… I don’t think I want to hurt him. Not sure if I did in the past…I sure wasn’t helping. But I don’t think I do now.”

Martin doesn’t respond.

“He… he looks so… fragile. I… miss him. And I miss you.”

Tim looks down at Jon, and almost wants to tuck his hair back. That frizzy and tangled hair that Jon usually keeps… well not neat. But clean. It’s been scrubbed within an inch of its life. It’s dry and sad, and Tim almost …almost wants to fix it. But he isn’t ready for that.

Christ, he’s tired.

He joins Martin at the table, not quite ready to meet Martin’s eye. Not ready to see what Martin might say in return.

“I miss you too.”

#the magnus archives #tma #jonathan sims #tim stoker #timothy stoker #martin blackwood #whump #hurt/ comfort #jon has pots #cane user jon #cw strained friendships #cw arguing #cw fainting #cw suicidal ideation #cw ptsd #cw dissociation

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xreaderxo · 4 years

Text

batsis!reader x danny phantom

@itzagothamcitysiren

meeting the batfam:

ok so they all know of danny phantom

you had a crush on him lowkey but not a serious crush, more of a “wow he’s cute and a hero?? sick”

but yeah they all know him and his secret identity but besides them and the people told in amity park, nobody knows

like phantom planet didn’t happen bc i refuse to acknowledge it

but like?? bruce is batman he’s gonna know of every vigilante

so you & danny have been dating for a while

you met because jazz had an interview for an internship at wayne enterprises and the fentons went with her

and you two bumped into each other at starbucks

it was a cliche!! danny spilled coffee on your shirt like the dork he is

you were annoyed but then you looked up and you were like

holy shit that’s danny phantom

“holy shit you’re danny phantom,” you said

“what? no i’m not he isn’t even real,” danny panicked

you gave him your number

and it just went on from there

you told him about your identity about two months in

and then four months later, there were ghosts in gotham and they needed danny phantom

bruce is like “i’ll send clark to get him”

and you’re like “no i got it, i know him”

they’re like ???

you’re like “yeah we’re dating?? did i not tell you??”

so he comes to gotham

and these are how your brothers reacted

dick:

dick liked him right off the bat

they’re a lot alike in the way that they have hearts of good and ALSO

their love of WITTY BANTER

you know that episode of atla where sokka goes backstage with cue cards full of witty banter for the actor playing him to use?

dick and danny do that

“‘’prepare to be concerted??’ that’s genius!!”

“‘you and what toaster??’ that’s so good!!”

he’s also lowkey offended you didn’t tell him

“did you think i wouldnt approve??”

“i thought i was your favorite brother??”

jason:

immediately bonds over technically being dead

“it’s so cool how your boyfriend is a ghost like me, y/n”

makes danny and honorary member of the dead robins club

pulls danny aside and asks if there’s a possibility the lazarus pit could have the same thing that made danny a ghost in it

after all, the same shade of green? the fact it gave jason a white streak and danny has white hair in ghost form??

like he knows it’s not exactly the same but he’s curious if there’s any like overlap

danny and him decide to investigate it

also jason finds out about how dash bullies him

dash gets a visit from the public menace red hood one night

he never bothers danny again

his sneers turn into looks of terror because fenton is friends with red hood??

tim:

wants to pick his brain

not literally of course but like

they have barely any info on the ghost zone and danny‘s been in there countless times

so he’s instantly like “please tell me about it let me get my notebook”

he also recognizes the similarities between them

they both weren’t popular in school

they’re both constantly underestimated

so they quickly bond over that

when danny brings tucker and sam over one day tim and tucker become best friends

tim goes with you to amity park all the time

“why are you coming with me”

“i gotta see ol t-dawg”

“you call him t-dawg??”

duke:

here’s the thing

dick LOVES ghosts

his favorite show is buzzfeed unsolved supernatural

so when he finds out you’re dating THE danny phantom??

he screeches

“YOU’RE DATING DANNY PHANTOM AND YOU DIDNT TELL ME???”

when you introduce danny to him his jaw goes slack

star struck

and when i say he went all fanboy mode

he went HARD

“youredannyphantomimsuchahugefanifreakinglovethesupernaturalicanthelieveyoureboningmysister”

asks danny for his autograph

danny’s like ?? “you’re signaal i want YOUR autograph”

duke almost passes out

danny phantom knows who he is???

he tries to spend more time with danny than you

“duke leave my boyfriend alone”

“sorry y/n i think you mean *our* boyfriend”

damian:

see damian didn’t believe in ghosts

in a world with demigods, aliens, and resurrection, the boy someone didn’t believe in ghosts

so when gotham started being overrun by them he was shook

and then why you say you’re dating danny??

“that is not factual, he doesn’t even exist”

he doesn’t believe it until he sees danny transform

damian wayne never gets flustered but when he sees your boyfriend turn into a ghost??

speechless

then he also thinks danny’s too immature for you

does not approve

until he meets sam

they hit it off INSTANTLY

damian going with you and tim to amity park

he still doesn’t approve of you and danny but he tolerates it for sam manson

#danny phantom x reader #danny fenton x reader #danny phantom imagine #batfam imagine #damian wayne x reader #dick grayson x reader #duke thomas x reader #jason todd x reader #tim drake x reader

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bluejayblueskies · 3 years

Text

philautia

n. a love based on deep connection to one’s well-being and built upon a love for one’s self; a centered wholeness

Words: 2.3k

Fandom: The Magnus Archives

Relationship: Sasha James & Tim Stoker & Martin Blackwood & Jonathan Sims, Past Tim Stoker/Sasha James, Minor Jonathan Sims/Martin Blackwood

Characters: Tim Stoker, Martin Blackwood, Jonathan Sims, Sasha James

Additional Tags: AU - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fluff and Humor, Statement Fic (but not in the way you expect!), Aromantic and Asexual Characters, Implied/Referenced Homophobia (very minor), Implied/Referenced Arophobia (also very minor)

Summary:

SASHA

So, according to Tim, I’m supposed to be recording a statement on, quote, my “most swashbucklingest experience as an esteemed member of the LGBT community.” He left this recorder on my desk and stole my scone. Timothy Stoker, I will not forget that.

---

Statements of members of the archival staff at the Magnus Institute, London, regarding certain facets of their aspec identities. Statements compiled by Timothy Stoker on 10th June, 2016. For personal use only.

Ao3 link in reblogs

Or read below:

[CLICK]

MARTIN

—really don’t think this is necessary—

TIM

Aaaaand we’re recording!

MARTIN

(exasperated) Tim.

TIM

Oh, come on Martin, it’s more fun this way!

[MARTIN MAKES A NOISE OF DISAGREEMENT]

TIM

You cannot look me in the eye and tell me that this doesn’t appeal to your, and I quote, “retro aesthetic.”

MARTIN

(reluctantly) It… might.

TIM

See! So it’s perfect!

…

[HE SIGHS]

Obviously you don’t have to if you don’t want to, Martin. I just thought it might be nice—to have something to look back on when we’re all old and sick of each other, you know? Here, I can go first.

MARTIN

Tim, you don’t have to—

TIM

(overlapping, adopting the ‘Archivist’ voice) Statement of Timothy Stoker, regarding the first time he went to Pride with his brother, Danny. June 10th, 2016.

(cheekily) Statement begins.

TIM (STATEMENT)

(in his normal voice) I realized I was into blokes too when I was 15, you know. Think it took me a while because of the whole ace thing, though that took me until I was in uni to really figure out. I was still fine with sex, you know, always enjoyed it when it came up, just… never really wanted it with anyone in particular. So I suppose I’d assumed for a while that the things I was feeling toward other guys weren’t romantic because I never had the sexual parts to go along with them. (with wry humor) Almost ruined a few relationships that way, actually.

But I’m getting a bit off-topic. Can’t be one of those rambling statement givers Jon hates. God, I can see his face now, that thing he does with his nose—Martin, you know the one, the- the way it looks like he’s just smelled something really, really rank.

MARTIN

I thought you said you weren’t going to ramble.

TIM

Cheeky, cheeky. Okay, where was I. Right.

TIM (STATEMENT)

Mom and Dad weren’t real big on the whole bi thing, so the first time I got the chance to go to Pride was in uni. The first time I got the chance to go with Danny was after he turned 18 and got his first modeling gig. At least, I think he was already modeling back then. Point is, we were both out of the house, and Danny had been dying to go to Pride with me ever since I sent him pictures of me and Sasha eating an entire box of rainbow-colored donuts that first year. I’d figured out I was ace by then, but it had been pretty recent, so when we got there, I found one of the vendors selling those big flags you drape over your shoulders and got an ace one. Felt a bit weird having the ace flag instead of the bi one like the other years, but I had worn that pink, blue, and purple button-down Sasha got me for Christmas once, so overall, it felt all right.

And Danny—god, he loved it. Pretty sure he ate his weight in fried food that day.

[HE LAUGHS]

Almost got the aro flag he’d borrowed from Sasha dirty, actually, when he—

(quickly changes course) Ah, nothing! Sasha, if you’re listening to this, absolutely nothing happened to your flag, and I definitely did not have it laundered before I returned it to you.

TIM

Aaaaand that’s it! Statement ends, I guess.

See—easy! (a bit more seriously) But really—you don’t have to record one if you don’t want to, Martin.

MARTIN

…

No, I- I want to.

TIM

Are you sure? I don’t want you to do that thing where you just do something because you think someone else wants you to.

MARTIN

I do not—!

…

Okay, okay, fine. Point taken. But yeah, I- I’m sure.

[RUSTLING AS THE TAPE RECORDER IS PASSED FROM TIM TO MARTIN]

MARTIN

(with an audible smile) Statement of, er, Martin Blackwood. Regarding… a crush. No, no, wait—god, that sounds so juvenile. Regarding himself, and a person who- er, someone whom he—

[HE SIGHS]

Fine. Regarding a crush. Statement given June 10th, 2016.

Statement begins.

MARTIN (STATEMENT)

I’m always a little embarrassed to tell people that I’ve never dated anyone before? Okay, a- a lot embarrassed, actually. I try not to bring it up, but people will say things like, oh, you know how it is to shop for a partner or meeting her parents is definitely nerve-wracking—which is wrong on, er, two accounts, actually—and then I feel more awkward not telling them that I don’t know, actually, because I’ve never been in a relationship longer than a week or so. Then, they’ll get all sympathetic, like it’s some- some tragedy that I’m not involved with someone, and that’s worse, because then they’ll offer to set me up with people, or say that they don’t understand why I’m single because I’m a catch or whatever, and I have to give them some excuse about not interested at the moment.

It’s not that, not really. Dates with strangers, they- they just never work out for me.

I think I fall somewhere on the aromantic spectrum? I didn’t think about it much until Sasha mentioned it once over drinks—I think you were there, Tim, although you were (laughs) very drunk by that point. I told her I hadn’t had a crush on anyone since sixth form, and she threw around a bunch of terms. I- I honestly don’t really remember, it was kind of overwhelming and (laughs) I was also pretty drunk as well. But yeah, it… it sounds about right.

(hesitantly, as if bracing himself for impact) So… this person. Who I, er. Recently, that is, who I…

[HE CLEARS HIS THROAT]

It’s really strange, that’s all. And a- a lot. I—heh—I don’t really know what to do about it.

MARTIN

…

Uh, statement ends? I guess? I, uh, don’t really have anything else to say. (jokingly) It’s not like there’s any, er, follow-up or whatever. (to Tim) Was- was that okay?

TIM

(audibly smiling) Yup! Most excellent, Marto. (more seriously) You felt okay, right?

MARTIN

(huh) Yeah. Yeah, I- I did. A bit nice, actually. (quickly) As- as long as this stays in the archives, though. It… it is staying in the archives, right?

TIM

Oh, definitely. Right next to the section on love potions, I think.

MARTIN

Tim!

TIM

(laughs) Yes, Martin, it’s staying in the archives. Pinkie promise. Just you, me, Sasha, and Jon. (in the tone of a man who knows a great secret and wants nothing more than to share it) Speaking of Jon—

MARTIN

(quickly) Uh, recording ends!

TIM

(undeterred) —is he the—?

[CLICK]

SASHA

Right. So, according to Tim, I’m supposed to be recording a statement on, quote, my “most swashbucklingest experience as an esteemed member of the LGBT community.” He left this recorder on my desk and stole my scone. Timothy Stoker, I will not forget that. It was white chocolate raspberry, and I’m stealing the money it cost out of your wallet.

…

Anyway.

[SHE CLEARS HER THROAT]

Statement of Sasha James, given 10th June 2016. Subject of statement is… hmm. Let’s say… (laughs) A brief relationship with one Timothy Stoker.

Statement begins.

SASHA (STATEMENT)

Tim, I know you’re listening to this, and I just want to preface this by saying that yes, it was Italian that we had for dinner that night, not Greek. You’re thinking of a different friendship-turned-hookup-turned-awkward-aftermath-turned-friendship.

[SHE LAUGHS QUIETLY]

Anyway, I guess the best place to begin with this whole thing is by saying that I’ve known I was aro since I was 16 and that I’ve never been very good at talking about it. I’ve ended plenty of tried and failed relationships with the it’s-not-you-it’s-me talk because I didn’t know how to explain that I just… wasn’t interested in romance.

I wanted to explain it to you beforehand, Tim, I really, really did. We’ve had this conversation, I know I know—I won’t rehash it over tape.

[SHE SIGHS]

But the important thing is that I like you so, so much, and—god, this is stupid—I guess maybe I thought that it wouldn’t matter with you? That you could like me romantically and I could like you platonically and it would be fine. Like I said, stupid, but you asked me out to that Italian place—yes, Italian, for god’s sake, I had the chicken parm and you had some sort of lasagna abomination—and I just… couldn’t say no. And it was nice, really. I had a lot of fun.

And then we slept together. And… that was really nice. But then, the next morning, the… the guilt set in. Because I felt the same as I always had about you—which is to say that I loved you, just not in the same way you loved me—and I became convinced that I’d gone and ruined the whole thing.

Ignoring you for a week was probably not the correct response. (quieter) Yeah, definitely not my finest moment. But I’d gotten it in my head that the moment I told you that I didn’t feel that way about you and that I would never feel that way about you—or about anyone—you’d hate me. And you don’t have to say that you’d never hate me—I know you wouldn’t. I think I knew it then, too. But fear is a powerful thing.

…

Anyway, you know how it all turned out. You finally dragged me out to coffee and I finally told you why I’d been avoiding you and it was really, really awkward for about a month after that and then it just… wasn’t anymore. (audibly smiling) And you’re still my best friend, Tim. Even if you did steal my scone.

[THE SOUND OF PAPERS RUSTLING AND A CHAIR ROLLING BACKWARD]

Recording ends.

[CLICK]

ARCHIVIST

Statement of Kyle Henning, regarding a strange mushroom he found growing in his garden. Original statement given April 15th, 2011. Audio recording by Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London.

Statement begi—

[DOOR OPENS]

TIM

Hey boss! Got a moment?

ARCHIVIST

(irritated) Tim, please at least knock when the door to my office is closed. I was just about to record a statement.

TIM

(unbothered) So if you were about to, that means you’re not recording one right now, which means you do have a moment.

ARCHIVIST

(flatly) Shut the door on your way out, Tim.

TIM

(brightly) Right you are, boss! Juuuust going to leave this here on your desk. Bring it back whenever you’re done!

[PAPERS RUSTLE AS SOMETHING IS PLACED ON THE DESK]

ARCHIVIST

(dryly) I’m fairly certain that I’m the one who assigns you tasks to complete, Tim.

TIM

That you do! I guess I better get back to them then. Have fun!

ARCHIVIST

(firmly) Tim—

[DOOR CLOSES]

[HE SIGHS]

ARCHIVIST

Right. Well, given that this recording is essentially useless now and I hadn’t even gotten to the statement, I may as well start over. (mutters under his breath) Bloody waste of tape and my time—

[CLICK]

[PAPERS RUSTLE. FOR A MOMENT, THERE IS ONLY THE SOUND OF BREATHING. THEN, JON SIGHS.]

ARCHIVIST

Before I begin, I would like to make it very clear that this is not an appropriate use of working hours or the tape recorders, which should be used for statements that won’t record digitally as per Elias’s request.

…

That being said, I am… not entirely opposed to this project. So, I suppose…

[HE CLEARS HIS THROAT]

Statement of Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London, regarding… regarding a black ring worn on the middle finger of his right hand. Statement recorded by subject, June 10th, 2016.

Statement begins.

ARCHIVIST (STATEMENT)

I’ve often been told that I am not a very open person. I don’t necessarily intend to be closed-off, but I’ve also never found the need to disclose every aspect of my personal life to everyone I come into contact with. And yes, Tim—because I trust that you and you alone will be listening to this tape—that is a perfectly respectable way to live one’s life. Not everyone needs to know what I ate for breakfast that morning or who my favorite primary school teacher was.

…

I… will admit, though, that in certain circumstances, I… could probably stand to be more transparent regarding aspects of my personal life. Perhaps that’s why Georgie bought me the ring.

It wasn’t a special occasion. She just brought it back from the shop one day, a few weeks after a… particularly illuminating conversation about certain sexual identities, and dropped it atop my copy of Wuthering Heights. Honestly, I had no idea what it was at first. I- (heh) I tried to make a joke about unorthodox proposals, but I- I don’t really think it landed. Georgie just looked at me and said that she’d seen it on one of the online forums, that it was called an ace ring, and that she thought I might like it. I think I was more surprised about the fact that the ring fit perfectly than at the fact that she’d bought me the ring in the first place.

So I wore it. And it felt… nice. Understand, I don’t keep quiet about my romantic and sexual identities out of shame or embarrassment or indecision; I simply don’t feel the need to announce them at any given moment. So I’ve always been fond of small things—pins and stickers and such—that I can incorporate into my life, insignificant enough that they aren’t readily apparent to anyone but me, as they’re for me more than for anyone else. My ring is one such thing.

[THERE IS A MOMENT OF SILENCE. MORE WORDS SIT IN THE AIR, WAITING. EVENTUALLY, HOWEVER, HE SIGHS, AND THE WORDS REMAIN UNSAID.]

ARCHIVIST

Statement ends.

…

Right.

(with something that might be a smile) As for your other request, I do have a prior engagement with Georgie and Melanie this weekend. Though if you’re willing to accommodate two more, I’m sure they wouldn’t be opposed to coming along. Georgie’s always telling me that Pride is more fun when you’re with a group, after all.

End recording.

[CLICK]

#tma #the magnus archives #tma fic #the magnus archives fic #AspecArchives #asexual jonathan sims #gray-aro martin blackwood #aromantic sasha james #asexual tim stoker #sex-favorable tim stoker #biphobia //#arophobia //#(minorly for both)#my fic #my writing

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