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deadsetobsessions · 4 months

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Your name is Tim Drake and you are nine years old.

Today, tomorrow, and soon, you're going to save Robin.

----

Tim stares at his reflection on the sink tap. It trembles, along with the plane, as he contemplates his situation.

His face is rounder, now, with unfamiliar baby-fat rounding out the sharp lines he'd come to expect. Even with the subpar reflection, Tim can tell that his dark eyebags are all but gone, replaced with youthful skin.

Magic. He's being quite literal, seeing as he's been tossed into the body of his younger self at the hands of a crazed magician.

He could find a way back... or he could create a completely different timeline by fixing everything that went wrong. It's not like he has anything to go back to, anyways. That crazed magician was actually competent and killed everyone he ever cared about. Tim barely got away with his life. He could go back to save that shell of a world- surrounded by people whose minds were broken beyond magical and medical repair- or stay here, fix his own personal troubles and cut off the magician before he could start with his world domination bullshit.

Well, Tim already has an idea of what he wants. So he begins a list, after having oriented himself.

Save Robin

There's no point trying to convince Bruce that he knows where Jason's being held. So, Tim finds himself on a plane to Ethiopia a day before Jason's meant to die. This was long before Barbara even thought of being Oracle, and the tech is ancient in his hands. In short order, nine year old Tim has a trust fund with millions in it, all siphoned from billionaires like Lex Luthor and his own parents.

Tim toddles back to his seat, after washing his hands because he still can't shake the extra bit of paranoia that came with a missing spleen. Oh. Tim blinks guilelessly at his seat neighbor, smiling like Timothy Drake, Angel of a Son as he reels from the realization that he still has his spleen.

Tim adds another box to his list:

Keep Ra's away from my spleen, creepy bastard.

What else...? Ah, the League of Assassins.

Damian

Tim pauses. Holy crap. Damian's only six right now. Tim moves Damian's box upwards in urgency. Tim might have a mildly antagonistic relationship with his younger brother back then, but he wants baby pictures of his siblings, dammit. He's gonna put that photography expertise to good use if it's the last thing he does.

Watch over Z, Owens, Pru

'They're alive!' His mind screams. Cold rationality slaps the sentimentality down with a quick 'But they won't be if I fail.'

His mind wanders to Dick Grayson. He scowls as something pops up in the back of his head.

Catalina Flores

Contact Nightwing- in space

He's gotta call Dick back from that Teen Titans mission, Jason's gonna need all of the support he's going to get.

Find Cass

Train Steph

Save Duke's family from Venom

Tim taps at that last point. He'll save them. But that might mean Duke might never join their family.

But he'll be happy and Tim... will deal with it. He'll be the only one mourning, anyways. To end on a lighter note, he adds something that he should have done ages ago.

Give Tam a raise.

Tim sighs as he gets out of the airport, the hired escort he found and vetted, delivering him to a predetermined hotel. They think his parents are already inside. He laughs and does not say anything to make them think otherwise. He has so many things to do, Tim laments as he settles down to track the Joker's movements. Here. That's where Jason's being held. Being tortured.

He can, however, knock two things off his list in one go. Tim picks up the burner phone he acquired. He doesn't have time, or else he would have done this sooner and saved them all the trouble.

[RR: Are you in Ethiopia yet?]

[Deathstroke: Payment confirmed. In Ethiopia.]

[RR: Third building by the docks.]

An hour.

[Deathstroke: Confirmed. Target spotted.]

Ten minutes.

[Deathstroke: Target eliminated. Bringing Robin to Safehouse.]

Twenty minutes.

[Deathstroke: Basic first aid applied. Leaving.]

[RR: Secondary payment sent. Confirm?]

[Deathstroke: Confirmed. Pleasure doing business with you.]

Tim sprawls on the king bed. He sighs a breath of relief. He'd check on Jason in person, if he weren't paranoid about leaving traces that would get back to him. Tim's pretty sure that Deathstroke's going to get hunted down in the near future, regardless, so he made sure to add a huge tip on top of the extra fees for burning one of Deathstroke's safe houses and the emergency first aid. He taps into the rudimentary camera Deathstroke had given him the access codes to, to stare at Jason's rising and falling chest. On a further table, the Joker's head laid in a preservation box.

He bypasses all of the security on the Teen Titan's tech to send Dick a message.

[Robin has been retrieved from the Joker. Contact Batman for details.]

Then, he sends Bruce the location of the safe house. Tim spends the rest of the day staring at Jason and watching his father in another timeline break as he huddles close to the broken body of Tim's Robin.

Timothy Drake destroys the burner phone.

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wesavegotham · 6 months

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For a second I thought this would be a cute moment, but then Tom King had to be racist with that last bit.

What is even the logic behind having Ra's act this way? That is the heir he yearned for all this time and he puts him in a situation he shouldn't have survived? Because he couldn't tie his shoe laces? Why? Can writers please remember that an important part of pre 9/11 Ra's was that even with all his flaws Ra's deeply loves his family?

I can buy Ra's being strict with Damian's training because he wants him to take over the league one day. But this is just dumb. Also far from the first time that King's anti-arab sentiments are very obvious.

#damian wayne #ra's al ghul #talia al ghul

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intothemultifandom · 1 year

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– 𝐈𝐍 𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐒 || 𝐠𝐲𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐬𝐮

SUMMARY: In a matter of seconds, [Y/N] is infected protecting Gyeong-su, he is reminded of their 100 day celebration, and his heart is irreparably broken when you are forced to say goodbye. PAIRINGS: han gyeong-su x genderneutral!reader TAGS/WARNINGS: established!relationship ; character death ; swearing, angst + more

1.4k words

IT HAPPENS IN A MATTER OF SECONDS, so sudden Gyeong-su can hear nothing but the sound of his own blood rushing through his ears as you stagger away from Na-yeong, eyes wide in disbelief.

The shock and horror of what she'd just done had ended the cacophony of mania, everyone standing shock-still by the revelation that Lee Na-yeong had intentionally infected you right before them.

"Na-yeon, what have you done?" Miss Park asks quietly, eyeing the frantic girl warily as Su-hyeok and Nam-ra step away from her, the formers' hands clenched at his sides.

Your hand is still bleeding from where she'd dug her nails into the skin, your blood intermingling with the blood she'd swiped at you with her dirty fucking handkerchief and On-jo lets out a soft cry when a drop of red trickles from your nose.

"If you're so sure he's not infected, you can die with him", Na-yeon had cried, moving too fast before anyone could react.

"[Y/N], c-come here, you need to sit down," Gyeong-su manages to say through the tightness in this throat, breaking away from Cheong-san's side to stagger towards you.

"We need to get you a tissue," he continues, almost in a daze.

We need to stop the bleeding. Put them in the recording booth. They're not gone yet. We can still–

Before he can reach for your hands however, you step away from him, pressing yourself against the door as you shake your head firmly at him.

There are tears gathering in the corner of your eyes, and your face flickers with a multitude of emotions before your features grow ladden with grim resignation.

"–Stop," you say roughly, and Gyeong-su just knows that you've made your decision.

Now that you've been infected, you're going to walk out the door, determined not to stay long enough for him to convince you otherwise.

Because doing so would only hurt everyone more in the end, and the last thing you'd want is for them to see you turn.

(I-sak's blood is still on On-jo's collar.)

For the first time since he met you, your boyfriend wishes you were selfish enough to stay, selfish enough to fight everyone to stay by his side the same way he would if the roles were reversed, but it's you.

[First name] [Last name].

Always doing the right thing, even when it hurts. Even when he doesn't want you to.

Because you and Gyeong-su both know he won't ask you to leave, and you're stronger than he'd like to give you credit for when you make no move towards him.

"Han, please just stay there...I don't want to hurt you," you say quietly, unflinching when he shakes his head with a scoff that sounds too much like denial. "I need to leave."

"N-no you wouldn't," he insists, mouth trembling as his chest gives way to a choked cry. "Please [Y/N], get away from the door. Let me help...please just move away from the door..."

The wounded sound he makes makes Ji-min and Hyo-ryung flinch on the other side of the room, hands held firmly between them. A sentiment shared by even the more quiet ones of the group.

The truth is, they've all lost people today–teachers, classmates, friends–but none have lost someone they cared for this way, to something as preventable as a contaminated handkerchief and the paranoia of a crazed girl.

More blood drips down your nose in quick succession then, and while it is the final nail in the coffin for everyone in the room and settles your resolve, Gyeong-su doesn't want you to go.

Not like this. Not after everything you've been through and not after you were infected protecting him from your traitorous classmate.

[Y/N], how can you be so calm? He wants to shake you. Why aren't you mad?

"Cheong-san, y-you need to get my bag...there's a box with butterflies on it in there..." Though you've addressed Cheong-san, you keep your eyes locked on your boyfriend, committing every plane and edge to memory as you tell your friend what to do.

For a moment, Gyeong-su has no idea why you're telling Cheong-san about your bag, about this small box with butterfly designs before the memory comes unbidden:

It was your 100 day anniversary, and Han had saved enough of his weekly allowance to take you out on a date after school. While most boys his age would aim to take their partner to a nice restaurant and shower them with even nicer jewellery, he could do only so much with what little money he had. Fortunately, while most people would've raised their brows at dining at a chicken restaurant (in his humble opinion, nothing could beat the exquisite taste of Cheong-san's family restaurant) and then being cart off to an Arcade to blow off the rest of their money, you were unlike most people. In fact, when Han had won you a back of Butterfly-themed plasters instead of the cute [favourite cartoon] phone charm at one of the claw machines, you had only laughed fondly as you placed your hands in his. Grinning as his cheeks grew flushed. "Hey Han Gyeong-su, don't be too serious," you teased gently, bumping his shoulder as you held the box of bandages. "I think these bandages are way better. Plus, I'll keep it in my bag in case I ever need it." Before he could apologise again, flustered by your earnest words, you tilted your head, brushing your lips against his as his flush deepened.

It's a nice memory, one of the more simpler ones, and Gyeong-su is sure you remember that day, too, because your breath catches as you move your hand to the door handle.

"It's a pack of bandages, Cheong-san. You need to cover Han's scratch, and keep him away from Na-yeong. He isn't infected, but he needs to keep his scratch covered. Please use it for the others, too."

There's a raspy quality to your voice now, more urgent now that there's black veins blooming from your injuries.

If he weren't so madly in-love with you, Gyeong-su would assume that your calm and poise was unnatural for someone on the verge of turning.

But you've always held a quiet strength to you, and this display of extreme will is only a testament to your character. He's glad the others seem to realise it too because no one makes a move to accost you, trusting you enough to know what you need to do.

Still, the finality in your plea seems to seep through the cracks in his heart, because this time he launches himself towards you more frantically than before, stopping only when Cheong-san wraps himself around his waist, holding him back from moving any closer.

"[Y/N] please, you don't have to do this! [Y/N]! [Y/N]! Cheong-san, let me go! LET ME GO!"

Desperate, your boyfriend bucks wildly in Cheong-san's arms, begging to be let go and cursing his long-time friend all in one breath as he punches uselessly at his chest.

Cheong-san has always been surprisingly strong, but when Dae-su and Su-hyeok join him–there's no way for Gyeong-san to reach you, no matter how much he tries.

"Han Gyeong-su," you rasp, your voice cutting through the loudness and chaos.

Saying his full name is enough to make Gyeong-su pause, gives you enough time to say what you've wanted to say to him since this whole mess started. "Thank-you for our time together. I...have loved every second being your partner."

For the first time since you locked eyes on him–hand frozen as he holds it out to you, one last attempt to reach you–you move your gaze around the whole room, hoping that as your eyes meet theirs, your classmates know there is no blame from you, or anger.

You do not look at Na-yeon, or Miss Park.

There is only sincere hope that they all make it out, and gratitude for everything they've done for you until now.

Wiping the tears that have fallen with your uninjured hand, you scrub at your face before nodding to yourself, turning to the door before you finally pull it open.

"Thank you for everything, guys. Please make it out of here. Really. And please take care of Gyeong-su for me..."

Behind you, Gyeong-su's anguished screams grow louder as you step out into the Zombie-infested hallway, the door sliding close with a soft click behind you.

Though it doesn't beat the sound he makes when he hears the first of your bones breaking from beyond the classroom door.

#all of us are dead #all of us are dead x reader #aouad x reader #aouad imagines #aouad angst #han gyeong su #han gyeong su x reader #gyeong su x reader #gyeong su imagine #all of us are dead one shot #gender neautral reader #all of us are dead hyoeng su #aouad hyeong su #intothemultifandom

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incorrect-jojolands-quotes · 2 months

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some interesting things to consider with chapter 13

Spoilers below and I might add more to the list soon.

Dragona's mispronounced name is a play-on Dragona's name and the word for trash. In Kanji, the first part of Dragona's name can be reinterpreted as JoJo (do-ra) and the term used for trash (gomi) is often used as an insult to call someone useless, shit, worthless, etc. So, Dragona is basically called "JoJo trash/useless JoJo" under the guise of mispronunciation. If we were to translate this into English, Dragona would be miscalled "Crap-ona" since Ds can be misread as Cs and Gs as Ps.

A popular drama known as "The Glory" became popular overseas around 2022 due to its story about a girl severely bullied by rich students ultimately gaining revenge. It was praised for the rawness of the bullying portrayed and it was based on a real life situation in 2006 where the victim of bullying experienced what was portrayed in the drama. What was not portrayed (I think) was the experience of the real life victim having their chest mutilated to the point of scarring.

Dragona mentioning about not wanting to live due to the circumstances reference Bruno echoing similar sentiments to Giorno before passing away. Both felt like they have nothing left to live until the Joestar gave them hope due to their actions.

Jodio's thoughts on why things happen reference Pucci having similar sentiments after Perla's death-- which leads him to reunite with DIO. While Pucci wonders why the knowledge he was forced to take in hurt him, Jodio wonders why the knowledge he was denied to have hurt him instead. We see how his quality of being methodical also has a flaw that explains him mentioning in chapter 2 how the "unfairness" of the world drives him mad.

To be blamed for the insurance payout and Barbara Ann being mostly a stay-at-home-mom means Jodio and Dagona's father must have been very high ranked to end up in such a situation while serving as a breadwinner of the family before his abandonment. Jodio and Dragona's father leaving is similar to Jotaro abandoning Jolyne for their safety. Both had to leave their children behind because otherwise their children will be harmed.

Meryl Mei's detail about school tuition is interesting due to McKinley High being a public school and initially thought to be an error. Remembering how Barbara Ann mentioned Jodio's academic performance earlier, she could have put him in a private school intended to bring his performance up, and that's why Barbara Ann mentioned school tuition. It makes me wonder if Jodio had just started going to public school; did he actually improve, was tuition ultimately too much, or did Meryl Mei manipulated things to put him in her high school so she could keep better watch on him?

Howler references King Crimson song "The Howler", which comes from an album trilogy (Discipline, Beat, Three of a Perfect Pair) that came out after the band's hiatus and known for introducing a brand new sound. Discipline features the song "Matte Kudasai", Beat has "The Howler", and Three of a Perfect Pair is yet to be referenced. There's a song in Beat called "Requiem", which caused the group to break up due to creative differences but later reconcile.

Three of a Perfect Pair has exactly 9 tracks with one side representing the New Wave style that Beat introduced and the other side representing the Industrial style that Discipline introduced. I got a whole post made about the albums here.

As a infrastructure group worth 50 billion dollars, they may have great influence over the community similar to that of Meryl Mei and branches that hire people for contract and whatnot. Is it possible that Usagi's father used to work for them? Is it possible that Jodio's father has some sort of connection to the insurance payout that Usagi's family currently live off?

Howler could be a play-on the Hawaiian world Haole, which is used to describe something not native to Hawaii, particularly foreigners. There are a few irl construction/infrastructure companies called Howler that are notably not from Hawaii. Given rich corporations' histories with exploiting resources such as land, Howler could be a company with malicious intentions towards Hawaii's lands.

The Japanese term used for "absurdity" can also be translated to "illogical", "nonsensical", and interestingly "unjust". When we see the characters mentioning absurdity, they could just not only be saying things don't make sense but things aren't fair or equal. It makes a callback to Chapter 2 more interesting.

ABSUЯD is a song written by Guns N Roses from their album Chinese Democracy, which was known to take a long time to come out and a rather very unpopular album due to how different it sounded from Guns N Roses' previous music.

#the jojolands #jjba #jojos bizarre adventure #jojo part 9 #jjba part 9 #jojolands #jjba jojolands #jojolands spoilers

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sucrows · 1 year

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This ask game might not be about breeding kink but if i try hard enough with my request i can make it so 😤🖐️(/j)

Nazuna, Madara, and Rei for C, I, and R?

(please and thank you! ❤️❤️)

It (breeding kink) haunts me. damn siren call...

(NSFW UNDER CUT)

[C] CUM:

God, he loves coming inside. Inside him or inside you, he wants it. For him, there’s something about feeling so warm and wet inside, and knowing it’s not from his doing but rather his partners... he loves feeling claimed. When he does it to someone else though, he tends to feel a bit sentimental. You trust him enough to allow this? Unprotected sex always has a level of risk, even if small but you still want him to? He also loves it when others cum on him. Over his face, his back, his stomach, anywhere. Once again, feeling sinfully claimed in such a way makes him so excited.

[I] INTIMACY:

He definitely defaults to a more casual, sweet vibe to sex. He can absolutely get very passionate or soft, but overall he aims for smooth, pleasurable sailing. He has a tendency for praise so there's always a level of sweetness to it. That is unless he’s getting railed. Then all bets are off and he’s willing to be a begging mess.

[R] RISK:

He has some hard limits. While he can be convinced to at least try a lot of kinks and BDSM related action, things more along the lines of RACK rather than SSC are too much for him. He doesn’t want to hurt his partner in any way. In terms of unprotected sex, he’s very willing to finish inside his partner, but less willing to let his partner cum into him if he can get pregnant. He wants children one day so it’s not the end of the world to him if you have them early, he just doesn’t want it to interrupt his studies or idol work just yet. For things more along the lines of public sex, he’ll outright refuse to do so if there’s any chance of getting caught. While he does love the idea and is more than willing to roleplay it, he can’t risk Ra*bits reputation like that.

[C] CUM:

Also a big fan of coming inside. For him it’s pure breeding kink, just instinct that makes him crave his partner so desperately he can’t help it. He almost feels like he’s wasting resources when coming outside. Oral sex is pretty much the same for him too. Cumplay and spitting are just not it for him. He wants to see his partner open their pretty mouth to show off his cum, then swallow it. He’s also perfectly into returning the favor without question.

[I] INTIMACY:

He tries to keep it light and almost playful, but sometimes a ferocity overtakes him that he can’t resist. His go to is to tease and praise you, coaxing you into fun. As sex goes on though, he’s more than prone to just giving in and wrecking you, likely singing praises the whole time. He rather likes it when his partner feels perfectly relaxed in his arms.

[R] RISK:

Ok, as nice as he is, he is very horny and very willing to give almost anything a shot. He’s a bit intimidated by things such as intense impact play and choking and extremely hesitant about any type of weapon play, but otherwise he’s willing to give almost everything a shot no problem. Public sex isn’t his go to but if the opportunity arrives, he gets way too excited for it lmao. With unprotected sex it’s extremely iffy. With a long-term partner? Maybe, but only maybe. Unless you’re fully committed to each other he doesn’t want to risk it, it’s not that he doesn’t trust you to be a potentially good parent, but rather, he doesn’t trust himself.

[C] CUM:

Honestly? He’s not too against sex where he doesn’t orgasm. He’s much more interested in watching his partner fall apart than pursuing his own pleasure. He doesn’t have a preference for inside or outside, though when his partner comes inside him, he loves being plugged up. There’s something about feeling so full of them and feeling used by them that he adores. He is also into plugging his partner, but that’s just more because he wants the moment to rest after finishing and because it gives him an excuse to hold you close and whisper sweet nothings into your ear.

[I] INTIMACY:

He’s typically pretty sensual! Sometimes it’s more romantic, sometimes it’s sultrier. He puts his partner above him and wants them in the mood above all else. He likes to do everything he can to rile them up and if he has to pull out the stops he absolutely will. His usual is mostly teasing you while occasionally being a brat himself to tempt you.

[R] RISK:

Very experimental! He’s often on the lookout for things to spice up your sex lives in terms of toys and people but he’s also very willing to give most new kinks a shot. The only thing he’s actually fully not into in my eyes is being a sadist. While he loves seeing his partner fall apart, something about inflicting pain- even if they’re begging for it- makes him cringe. He can tolerate some light painplay on his partner, but he will shy away from anything beyond some regular rough sex in terms of potential pain. Also, as much as I want to say he would, realistically it's a big no on fully unprotected sex. He's very concerned with his family's condition being passed down so the prospect of his own children is one that requires a lot of discussion beforehand. Maybe one day, when you are both ready... but not yet.

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artbychromo · 7 months

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so... ace-sabo roleswap AU? (I saw one too many ASL drawings of luffy & sabo laughing tearfully while a transparent ace smiles in ghostly benevolence. now I'm side-eyeing myself like, "...you good?")

au where ace goes missing when asl are kids (after picking a fight he shouldn't have) and is presumed dead... sabo doubles down on watching over luffy and sees him through to the day they both leave

I didn't really firm up anything about the AU, except I think it'd be interesting to see how the brothers' themes would change... like

maybe Sabo's story would explore freedom vs. isolation--all the years that sabo was looking after luffy on Goa and desperately avoiding capture by his parents, he was itching to run away... as much as he loves luffy, sometimes being on the same island as his parents made him feel like he couldn't breathe

his time with the RA gives him a taste of what real freedom is like. a part of him is still trying to reconcile his love for his brothers with how it burdened him at times; after all, threats against them were part of the reason he was captured when he was younger

the climactic moment at marineford;;; would be him finally seeing how it's all connected--how his dream and luffy's and ace's all fed into each other, how the love between them gave him the strength and passion to get up every day. akainu's taunting sabo that weakness and sentiment is all the revolutionaries/pirates know, and compared to the order and stability of the govt, no single one of them will ever stand a chance--"you're like a tiny drop of water against the flames of justice" as he goes after luffy

then sabo can loosely reference one of my favorite cloud atlas lines with "what's an ocean, but a multitude of drops?" as he saves luffy, knowing that this small act of love will billow out a millionfold and he finally feels both free and connected

i guess?????? i don't know

and then

ace's story would still focus on self-worth & love, but give way more emphasis to the idea of unconditional, inherent worth

in the fight that left him separated from L & S, he was trying to sacrifice himself protect them by rushing their attacker and throwing them both over a cliff into a stormy ocean. it knocks him around and nearly drowns him--he clings to a log to float but still winds up passing out from a blow to his head

after drifting ace is found... by the whitebeards? somehow? but when he wakes up, he doesn't remember much about himself. only a feeling like someone out there needs him to protect them, he just doesn't know who

the only thing he can really do about it is beg the WBs to help him get stronger... whitebeard's heart goes out to this kid, who apparently made his entire identity about his family

he tries to subtly teach ace the idea that he doesn't have to be needed by someone to deserve to live/be a part of their family, but it never quite gets through to ace, who's got some sort of allergy to acknowledging his own self-worth (it's really bc he has nightmares about all the terrible things he heard as roger's son)

and then... 8 years have gone by, and ace is looking at a familiar face in a newspaper. he's devastated as he remembers--he knows who needed him now, his family, and he's already failed them

he still feels the need to go find luffy, though, and with WB's blessing he tracks down the strawhats... sick to his stomach the whole time, wondering how luffy will react to such a worthless older brother

[insert the art at the top of the post :) ]

luffy's immediate, unwavering joy at seeing him and learning he's safe makes it all finally click for ace--that he's loved no matter what. or, to quote another fav story, "I'm loved now, but when I wasn't, it didn't mean I wasn't worthy of it."

UH anyway this is sappy and longer than planned. sending this out into the world acting like i don't care about it when in fact, now that i spent this much time on it, i care very much

#portgas d ace #monkey d luffy #one piece #not tagging sabo since this is a lil sad for him #uhhh #headcanons #?

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thatthirdtriplet · 2 months

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Relationships:

Tim Drake & Jason Todd Tim Drake & Dick Grayson Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne Tim Drake & Damian Wayne

Characters:

Tim Drake Jason Todd Bruce Wayne Dick Grayson Damian Wayne Ra's al Ghul

Additional Tags:

Batkids Age Reversal Tim Drake is Red Hood Damian Wayne is NightwingcDick Grayson is Robin Dick Grayson is a Ray of Sunshine bitter Tim Drake Tim Drake Whump Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-cononly in vague terms Child Neglect Reconciliation Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent Lazarus Pit Mad Tim Drake hurt/Comfort creepy Ra's al Ghul Bruce Wayne is Bad at Communicating aftermath

Summary:

"Did you really save Robin?“ no tact, just blunt honesty.

"I did."

Jason made a curious noise, somewhere between a hum and a question, but Tim didn't react.

"Why?"

"Kids shouldn't be sold" Robins shouldn't be sold, but he wasn't about to air out that sentiment.

"So you’re a crime-boss with a code?" Jason prodded. Tim snorted.

"Something like that. Is there a point to this meeting or can I go?”

"B told us—Who you are, I mean"

"Of course he did. You probably got a kick out of listening to your failed predecessor, huh?"

Jason shook his head.

"I think you're still good. I just wanted to let you know that. You're Dick's hero, too"

Tim hefted himself off the wall. "Well, I guess you know what they say; Never meet your heroes"

What a strange talk.

The aftermath of a failed kidnapping reveals issues Tim had taken with him to the grave. But his family is too stubborn to let certain things rest in peace (hah).

Ps: This is inspired by Coal to Diamonds (sold to fools), i suggest reading that one first.

#tim drake #dick grayson #jason todd #damian wayne #bruce wayne #ras al ghul

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switchcase · 4 months

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hello! please feel free to ignore this question if it makes you uncomfortable, i totally respect it if this isn’t something you want to talk about or get into.

i’ve been seeing the sentiment that the ISSTD is “corrupt and not to be trusted,” almost always tied to discussion of asserting that recovery of repressed memories isn’t “real” or that ritual abuse “isn’t real.” i’ve also seen folks tie this into accusations of antisemitism on the part of the ISSTD for validating victims of RAMCOA. (i apologize that i do not have screenshots of nor links to these posts so please feel free to take what i say here with a grain of salt, i understand that it’s on me to substantiate my claims and i don’t have anything on hand to do so.)

may i ask what your thoughts or feelings on this are? i only ask because you are clearly extremely well read on this subject in addition to your lived experiences, and i’ve been having a really difficult time just trying to wrestle with it on my own. i genuinely hope my asking you this isn’t disrespectful, and if it is, then i sincerely and deeply apologize and want to reiterate that i respect your right to not answer this or deal with it. i don’t want to be cruel or intrusive to you at all. i would appreciate your insight if you’re able and willing to give it, but if not then i understand completely, and in either case i hope you’re having a good day and i wish you the best. your blog has been very helpful to me in getting a better understanding of all types of disabilities, not just DID, and i’m deeply appreciative of everything you do here.

This isn't disrespectful at all and is a very good question to ask! My answer will be very long because it's complicated.

Specifically the phrasing of "corrupt" for the ISSTD in regards to memory recall and RA stems in large part from TST and Grey Faction wording who launched multiple harassment campaigns against the ISSTD, specific therapists, and individual survivors. In all honesty TST engages in a lot of shock-value and primarily antitheistic politics (eg the "become a Satanist so you can say you have religious reasons for abortion" thing as if actively pairing abortion = Satanist is At All a good idea in a predominantly Christian society), and their primary reason for proposing this is that decades ago, the term used for ALL forms of RAMCOA was "SRA". It was an umbrella term for all forms of extreme abuse (because the first ones to be noticed by the psych field were cult and religious abuse survivors) and was frequently disclaimered as not necessarily being related to cults or Satanism until the various name changes for the abuse type came into play (RA, RAT, severe sadistic abuse, etc). But mainstream society assumes that RA = Satanic cult, in part because of the original usage of the umbrella term, in part because of Satanic Panic, in part because they misunderstand "ritual" as in the occult definition and not "ritual" as in "methodical" in the same way that OCD is described. Either way, TST and Grey Faction jumped on this. Also, it is just kind of weird to me to associate a research journal as having certain collective thoughts and ideologies. They don't. It's a place to submit, publish, and read research papers, and a place to get CE credits if you want to pay extra for that. There are people who know each other and work together sure, but also a lot of them do not know each other and a lot of them disagree with each other. They aren't really much different from any other research journal like The Astronomical Journal.

Recovered memory discourse began for two reasons: 1) when this issue started, which was around when mandatory reporting of abuse became the law in the states, the psych field did not have a protocol for how to handle missing memories or court abuse cases especially where children were involved. This meant that therapists, investigators, and lawyers often used leading questions or asked directly about certain things, and those types of questions are now known to be able to mess with someone's recall (eg, "what were they wearing" vs "was he wearing a blue sweater"). They did this especially due to the time crunch in court cases where they felt they couldn't afford to wait for the memories to come back on their own. 2) abused children who had become adults started suing their parents (successfully) for their child abuse, and this led to the creation of the mostly parent and nonprofessional group False Memory Syndrome Foundation. They did exactly zero science but were very loud about how unfair it was that they were getting sued by their kids, and it led to this becoming a mainstream thought that ended up being researched by others. There is no evidence that FMS is at all true and recovered memory research shows accuracy is actually very high so long as someone remembers it organically and hasn't been manipulated (by accident or on purpose) into it. (Incidentally also why I deeply hate it when people in trauma circles label others' experiences for them)

As far as the antisemitism. In psychology textbooks and papers and so forth: I really, really need people to understand that a psychologist writing down what their patient believes has nothing to do with whether they actually think that's accurate. Outside of the academic texts: I really, really need people to ask themselves why they think groups of people willing to abuse and torture other people as a collective would have progressive, unproblematic worldviews and believe people should have rights. The type of person that devalues others' lives to the point of being able to torture someone else of their own volition is most likely going to have certain views of who is "worthy" of existence and who is "worthy" of having power over others. They will also feed these ideologies to their victims. Whether because they genuinely believe this OR because they are deliberately making sure that if their victims talk, they will not be believed and will just be perceived as crazy. Again, group that tortures people, lying is not exactly going to be taboo to them. Especially when it comes to preventing victims from running away, saying shit like "oh the entire city/the cops/the govt knows we're doing this, they'll just bring you back if you run" is effective at intimidating, creating despair, and causing submission and simultaneously sounds like a conspiracy when a survivor says "the government and all politicians are in on my abuse." They don't even have to be an organized group to pull that, I've seen people with parents or in DV situations where they'll claim they're buddies with cops/judges so you can't report them or they'll threaten to call the cops on their victim. And honestly also: survivors can simply be bigoted. Doesn't mean they were never abused or that they're lying about their abuse just because they exhibit poor behavior or harmful beliefs. Otherwise a lot of the DID community and a lot of people in trauma spaces in general would magically become trauma free.

My stance on this is that I don't surround myself with people who are engaging in harmful behaviors, regardless of their rhymes or reasons for it or whether I can sympathize. This is not limited to bigoted beliefs, but includes things like paranoid beliefs, lashing out frequently, emotional regulation issues in general, people who have no ability to set boundaries, etc. (I am not trying to say bigotry is equivalent to these other behaviors, simply that I do not stop at avoiding bigotry) The cause of behavior can be understood without being tolerated. It is not conducive to my own recovery to do so, particularly because the things they say are often triggering for me as someone who used to have extremely paranoid beliefs that I was fed, as well as my own group having been white supremacist in nature and much of my abuse having a racialized aspect to it. Whether they improve or not does not affect me. I hope they do change and grow, but I do not tie myself to people in the hopes that they'll change. People will only change if they themselves want to.

I hope this is helpful for you.

#ask #anonymous #ramcoa

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voidgenesis · 2 years

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this. THIS. THIS. I keep hearing the sentiment of "rhaenicent?? alicent deliberately caused the death of rhae's children and her downfall!!!" WE KNOW! and it's absolutely heart wrenching to see that it lead to that.

like I haven't seen any rhaenicent stan who genuinely wants to see them together again? because we are all very well aware that ship has sailed and what remains now are the tragic remnants of two people who once loved each other. THE ANGST. THE PAIN. THE TRAGEDY THAT COMES WITH IT. from what I can see that's what RAs are here for, the idea that it's possible for two people whose souls used to be so closely binded to destroy each other ultimately is just.... intriguing and compelling to some.

most of us are rooting for moments to come that shows "the love was there, maybe it'll always be there but this hatred and pain is so much bigger. and the both of us have to deal with that." they will hurt and tear each other mutually so bad in the future, both parties will wish for the head of the other. AND WE ARE VERY WELL AWARE OF THAT. I'm not here to hope for some lovey dovey-ride in the sunset, sudden redemption moment, alright?

I know the writers has said something about maybe there's still "hope" for Ali and Rhae in the future being foreshadowed by that torn paged Ali kept all these years. But personally, I think it's way past that. I don't think it'll be good to go down the route of "ooo maybe I can still forgive her!!1! kyahhh!!" when Rhae literally lost Visenya and Luke bc of the Greens. If the writers see it that way, I think most of RAs don't share those same sentiments. Don't lay that on us, we're just here for the childhood sweethearts to ultimate nemesis pipeline.

#lmaooo pls don't start any arguments tho i dont have energy for if I'm just here rambling #also stop bringing up the book source WE KNOW THAT IT DIDN'T EXIST THERE but show! Dany/Missandei is a thing tho??#even tho in the books they have a motherly dynamic just like how book! alicent/rhaenyra was #rhaenicent #rhaenyra x alicent

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talonabraxas · 9 months

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The Venus Star Point or “cazimi” (a Latin term that translates to “the heart of the Sun”)

The Venus Portal occurs when Venus retrograde slips behind the degrees of the Sun: Venus needs to link up with the Sun and then retrograde past it. The portal is what we call the energetic shift which occurs at that moment in time. This will be one of the major shake ups of the summer and August 13 will bring this cosmic change to center stage in the sign Leo, which is known for its artistic, loving, and passionate nature.

Two major cosmic phenomenons are happening on August 13. First, the Sun and Venus retrograde connect for their annual union, which is called The Venus Star Point or “cazimi” (a Latin term that translates to “the heart of the Sun”). This is a conjunction between the two planets, meaning they align at the exact same degrees. The last Venus Star Point in Leo occurred four years ago on August 14, 2019. This is the next part of the story that began then. Since Venus runs in an eight-year cycle, it’s important to note that this is the final chapter of the Venus Star Point from August 15, 2015 (the last time Venus was retrograde in Leo).

The second point of astrological interest happening on August 13 is Venus shifting from being an evening star to being a morning star. Venus will now be clockwise from the Sun in the sky — that is, after the planetary conjunction — and technically in lesser degrees than the Leo Sun. As a morning star, Venus is led by its desires and emotions. One will make impulsive decisions when it comes to romance and never think of the consequences. As an evening star, Venus, can make us ruminate and dwell over the past, without moving forward. Relationships are serious business and must be handled with delicacy.

The Venus Star Point is urging us to reflect upon our heartfelt desires and asking us to connect with what we value. Once the Venus Portal occurs, our passions will be heightened. With the wildcard planet Uranus activating the Venus Portal, we’ll act extra quickly and erratically. The centaur Chiron and asteroid Vesta are in close proximity to the portal, we may run towards partnerships and projects that heal us and make us feel whole. Although the Fixed Star Ras Elased Australis (situated on the lion’s head in the Leo constellation) echoes that sentiment and fires up the need for artistic expression, it reminds us to look before we leap. Make bold moves, sweeping changes, and lead with the heart, just try to pay attention to your actions.

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spopsalt · 4 months

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https://www.tumblr.com/zhanael/737323861598748672

This person missed the point of the criticisms SPOP has been receiving completely. I haven’t seen one person complain that the world was saved with the power of friendship bc it WASN’T. It was saved by a poorly written rushed abusive romance. In fact, the critics actually wanted to see Adora’s friendships save the day instead of her awful romance with Catra since the show is called She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, despite the princesses barely getting a role. And if there HAD to be a romance, it could’ve been with Glimmer, which would’ve made more narrative sense and sent a better message to kids.

Next, I’m not sure why OP described SPOP as a show with a “pastel color palette about friendship and love and unity” as if these things detract from the bad writing, plus these themes weren’t even handled well. I have no issue with Catra being redeemed and I liked her in seasons 3 and 4. That’s not why the show is being accused of abuse apologism and this isn’t comparable to when Sugar was accused of being a nazi apologist over the SU finale. SPOP was rushed as well (I’m not sure if it got canceled like SU) but Catra’s redemption either should’ve started sooner or the romance should’ve been ditched. SU at least had a much better writing, representation, and messages for kids. It’s funny since imo SU and SPOP are not two sides of the same coin as OP claims. If OP wants shows that are ACTUALLY comparable to SU with “pastel colors, nuanced yet positive and relatable messages about love, fun for kids,” then they should watch MLP and Amphibia instead. Also I haven’t seen one SPOP critic who’s “appalled by anything that is remotely challenging to toxic masculinity” so that’s a load of BS. As for the remaining claims, those may pertain to the SU critics for all I know, but I have yet to see any SPOP critics express such sentiments or behave in such a way. The “hate blogs” for SPOP are really just critical blogs like yours that make valid points rather than “a shit ton of bad faith misinterpretations” and aren’t “tearing [the show] to shreds,” plus the only harassment I’ve seen towards teens over a kid’s show has been from SPOP fans themselves.

This post also included a bunch of nonsense in the tags which I can no longer see since OP recently deactivated their account (in fact the only reason I’m able to share a link to the post is bc someone reblogged it), but they contained more misinterpretations of the criticisms along with slander towards the critics. I’m so sick of SPOP fans continuing to have no critical thinking skills while blindly defending the show and demonizing anyone who dares criticize it. It’s pathetic.

Thanks for the ask! Yeah, the show was saved because of a rushed abusive relationship. The thing is, I wouldn't be half as mad if it wasn't directed towards kids. I don't believe it's intentional, but kids are getting the thought that the way Catra treated Adora is ok because she loved her. Basically the "He bullies you because he likes you!" thing. Instead of actually considering if they have a valid point, they just assume that the critical blogs are just angry homophobic white straight men when a lot of the blogs are queer women like me. Also, yes a pastel color palette makes up for us having to watch a rushed toxic relationship in season 5. It's like spop stans don't realize that their perfect little show can have flaws and anyone who calls them out are homophobic racist. Also from my experience, nobody said the creator romantizes abuse, they are complaining that the show itself does whether it realizes it or not. This show is being marketed to kids and kids will believe that this is ok. That's probably my biggest gripe with the show.

#anti spop #spop criticism #spop crit #anti catra #anti catradora #anti c//a #antic//a #spop salt #spop critical #spop discourse

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explosionshark · 1 month

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20 questions for fic writers

Tagged by @coraniaid and @isagrimorie. thanks!

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

45 stories

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

361,583 words

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Actively? Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Life is Strange, Mass Effect, Avatar the Last Airbender, Warrior Nun. But i'd be down for other stuff!

Formerly: MTV Scream, She-Ra, Oxenfree

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

You Got Cool (She-Ra, 6,990 kudos)

Everybody Needs a Fence to Lean On (Life is Strange, 2,140 kudos)

Tear You Apart (Life is Strange, 1,918 kudos)

Every Other Freckle (Life is Strange, 1,579 kudos)

Dream Blue Haze (Life is Strange, 1,535 kudos)

5. Do you respond to comments?

I've been trying to more recently! But I'm not always great at it. At the very least when someone comments something detailed and thoughtful I try to reply - those comments always mean a lot to me.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Not fully intentionally but the place @holdsteady and I left our collaborative fic How to Live Here was basically right after a massive fight/breakup between characters that we fully planned to resolve and then just.... never did. Oops. Surprisingly, people are very rarely mean to us about this.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably Body Language? Very much intended to have that one wrapped up with a bow.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not in a long time. Last time I really did was on some of my Life is Strange fics (either homophobic hate or bc i was writing a ship people didn't like).

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yeah! Femslash only.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I sometimes joke about/hc elaborate crossovers when I'm watching stuff with my friends, but I don't really have any interest in writing any. Or reading any, really, for that matter.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah! Had one of my LiS fics translated to Vietnamese. That was cool.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yeah! I co-wrote How to Live Here with my best friend @holdsteady! That's the only one that's been published, at least. @nataliving adn @jewishsuperfam and i have worked on some stuff together too and that's been fun :)

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

I don't know if I actually can pick one but honest Buffy/Faith are all-timers and absolutely formative. Second to that would be Rachel/Max/Chloe from Life is Strange.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

God, How to Live Here absolutely haunts me. There's a few Mass Effect ones (Shepard/Liara arranged marriage AU and my Jack/Miranda series) that I would love to finish but probably never will. Those are the ones that probably have the most written for them that I just haven't wrapped up.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm good at a lot of it! I write pretty good smut, I'm good at character voice, I think my writing is pretty readable

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Actually writing lmao. I struggle with coming up with workable ideas. I intimidate myself out of projects a lot. I fall off stuff kinda easy too tbh. And I'm TERRIBLE at writing alone - for anything bigger than a oneshot I need someone to hype me up and hold my hand through it or else I get bored or lose confidence :?

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Generally in favor of skipping the google translate stuff. It's usually pretty whack

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Technically digimon when i was a little kid and before I even knew what fanfic was. First i posted was Danny Phantom

20. Favorite fic you've written?

I think Body Language is probably my best fic but for sentimental reasons I really love How to Live Here, since i wrote it with my best friend.

tagging @nataliving, @holdsteady, @shittinggold, @earthenterran, @lafgl, @aliceinwondrbra,, @strangesmallbard, @areweunderscoreweare, @jewishsuperfam, @morningsound15

#tag games

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keicordelle · 6 months

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The Daily Inconveniences of an Au Ra: Horn Caps

Keshet bit back a curse as he twisted free the cap adorning the point of his horn, careful of the ragged edge where the arrow had sheered through the metal. He almost wished it had hit him in the face instead; it was a pain in the ass to get the damned things on and off, and an even bigger pain trying to fix it this far from home. He certainly couldn't replace it without putting in a custom order, but the marks from his last shoddy solder job were still visible along the underside, and he really didn't want to ruin the finish any further than he already had...

"Wait, those come off?" G'raha's eyes were wide as they flicked from the twisted metal in Keshet's hand up to the naked point of his horn.

"Of course they come off. Did you think they were welded to my head or something?"

The guilty flick of his ears was answer enough. "Um, yes?" he offered tentatively, and Keshet swallowed down a snort as G'raha hurried to add, "They just seem so tight to your horns - they never slip off, even in the deadliest of combats, and I've never seen your remove them before either. So I just thought, maybe, you couldn't?" His face was flushed as red as his hair by the time he finished, his tail sweeping sheepishly behind him.

"It takes a bit of force, but I can get them off if I want," Keshet admitted. He tugged at the other, undamaged cap until it too pulled free in demonstration. "I don't, very often. Only to clean or fix them, when necessary. I've worn them since I was just a boy; they're practically part of my being now. Literally and figuratively," he added with a grimace, rubbing at the scarring on his horn where the edge of the cap usually sat.

"Is there some sort of significance to them?" G'raha asked.

Keshet shrugged. "Not any more than there is to your necklace or Urianger's rings. They carry sentimental meaning, that's for sure, but they aren't like markers that I'm of age or anything like that. They're just adornment. Not everyone wears them, but I like it. Besides, it's not like we can wear earrings, like the other races are so fond of."

G'raha let out a startled laugh, grinning at him. "I suppose that's true." He peered closer at the caps, cocking his head. "What's that engraved on them? I can't make it out."

"Oh." Keshet flushed, closing his hand around them to hide them from view. "I, uh. Really liked karakul when I was younger."

G'raha eyes brightened, something caught between mirth and excitement shining in their crimson surface. "You wear engravings of karakul on your horns?! That's so sweet!"

"They're just little designs in among the cross. Look, please don't tell anyone about it," he begged, and G'raha stifled his giggle behind his hand.

"Your secret is safe with me."

Read the rest of the series on Ao3!

FIRST | PREV | NEXT

#ffxiv #ffxiv fanfiction #au ra #wol #g'raha tia #au ra headcanons #my writing #daily inconveniences #keshet dotharl #~K

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linkspooky · 1 year

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You know, you should talk about your DC comic passion anyway. I’ve seen examples of when you tie it into other media in your metas and I really enjoyed it. If it helps I’d love to hear your thoughts in general about it.

Okay, so here is something I have been dying to talk about for awhile.

There's this weird sentiment in the MHA fandom that if you like the heroes, you're not allowed to sympathize with the villains or even enjoy them. This is not really the case in western comics, and in the case of DC's most popular superhero, batman IS his rogue's gallery.

Batman works well because he has such well-written, effective and sympathetic villains. The relationship between Batman and his rogues is the story. This is going to be brief but all the major rogues have a core character trait of batman.

Batman: Arkham Asylum: Sometimes, I think the asylum is a head. We're inside a huge head that dreams us all into being. Perhaps it's your head, Batman. Arkham is a looking glass. And we are you.

HARVEY DENT

What could a guy who has a case of disassociatoive identity disorder that splits him right down the middle into two personalities, who began as a prosecutor trying to clean up Gotham's Streets and then after a traumatic incident turned into a violent masked rogue out for revenge possibly have in common with Batman? We just don't know.

Two Face Year One.

In most continuities Bruce and Harvey are friends long before Harvey became Two-Face. Harvey and Bruce both represent the way your life can take a completely different turn after one traumatic incident. They both have a dual identity, but Harvey's has entirely collapsed as there is no balance between himself and Two-Face. He can't control his own life and decides everything on the flip of a coin. Bruce Wayne's future was permanently changed, and Batman is continually insecure if he could just give up Batman permanently and live only as Bruce Wayne just as post scarring Harvey feels like he can't go to his former self either but Batman at least strikes a balance between these different aspects of his life.

Batman and Harvey also represent the balance between revenge and justice, Batman is already working outside the law, there's really no checks and balances on what he's doing besides the one he sets for himself so he's walking a dangerous line between fighting for what's good for the city or punishing crimminals out of personal revenge.

SCARECROW

Scarecrow: Year One

Scarecrow represents the part of Batman that was created with the intention of striking fear into the hearts of criminals as a crime deterrent. I tend to go with Jonathan Crane's year one origin, Scarecrow was terrified throughout his entire childhood and now he seeks to control fear through his studies of psychology and fear toxin. Bruce's ideas of safety, a home, family love were all ripped away from him in that alleyway by a mugger's bullet, and Bruce is on some level that same scared little boy who watched his parents die that night.

Batman and Scarecrow both put on halloween costumes and make others feel fear, because it gives them a sense of control. Batman is literally using it to control the crimminal element of Gotham. When Juxtaposed to Scarecrow who uses fear to strike terror in the hearts of whoever he chooses, it questions Batman's own methods. Is scaring criminals really the best way of fighting crime? Does fear as a tool even work, or is it just a blunt instrument that causes more pain than it helps spare innocent people? After all batman has been striking fear into the hearts of crimminals for years now, and crime still happens.

Ra's Al Ghul

"Your parent's death is not your fault. It was your father's. Anger does not change the fact that your father failed to act." "The man had a gun?" "Did that stop you?" "I've had training." "Training! The will is everything! The will to act." -BATMAN BEGINS

Ra's canonically trained Bruce and tried to make him his heir, but the differences don't really stop there. They are both extremely wealthy men who inhabit positions of power, who use all of that money and influence they have, and leverage it in order to make the world a better place.

Ra's strongest quality is his nobility. Noblesse obliged, the inferred responsibility of privileged people to act with generosity and nobility towards those less privileged. I believe the best versions of Ra's 100% believe that their cause will make the world a better place. While Batman and Ra's can both be noble, Ra's takes a lot of Batman's good traits and twists them. Batman is determined to see Gotham CIty one of the most corrupt and crime ridden cities saved even though he will probably never win that battle. Ra'as is six hundred years old, and literally will not ever die or give up on his ambitions and will keep dunking himself in the lazarus pit.

They both seek to use their resources to try to make the world into a better place, they both have families who they wish to pass down their ideals onto (the batfamily and the demon's head) but Ra's once again will never give up control, not only will he never die and simply let the title pass on but he also twists his daughters and grandson around his finger and doesn't let them be their own people. Bruce is also a huge control freak there's a famous storyline called "Tower of Babel" where Ra's steals a bunch of plans that Bruce made to take down members of the Justice League if they ever went rogue and then uses them against them. All because Batman was too paranoid to trust his teammates.

Harley Quinn

"I had a bad day too, once." BTAS.

I probably do not need to tell you Harley's backstory, because she is one of the most popular comic book characters ever but a lot of Batman villains start out well-intentioned gone wrong. The thing about Arkham Asylum is that it does not function as it should, a lot of the crimminals sent their aren't prisoners, they are patients, and they are meant to be treated. If a lot of them don't show any improvement then obviously there is something wrong there.

Harley Quinn is one of the few doctors who came to Arkham actually interested in the idea of making these patients better (depending on the story, in the original mad love she wanted to write a book but you know characters change over time), and like yes she's been suckered by the joker but if Joker is sent to the asylum for treatment then his doctors are supposed to try to you know... treat him. Not just go "Well, he's evil so there's nothing we can do about it."

Harley represents Bruce's desire that these costumed crimminals can reform, which is what a lot of people miss about Batman. Bruce acknowledges that the line between him and his rogues gallery is so thin that 1) he never kills any of them because it is his job to stop them from hurting people, but it's not his job to decide whether or not they are worthy of redemption. 2) In a lot of cases Batman reaches out to those same crimminals, because he wants them to get treatment and be better. In the animated series alone Bruce continually believes in people like Harvey and their chance at recovery.

JOKER

The Killing Joke

Joker's different from a lot of these rogues because rather than having one of Bruce's character traits he is his ridiculous and absurd opposite. In a way, Bruce and the Joker kind of represent the tug of war between costumed crooks and costumed heroes in Gotham.

"And you're wearing a mask, jumping off rooftops. Tkae this guy. Armed robbery, double Homicide. Got a taste for the theatrical like you. Leaves a calling card." Batman Begins

The Joker isn't really meant to be redeemable like some of the other rogues, or even have noble character traits like Ra's, but the connection between the two is undeniable. The Joker ties most closely to Batman as his shadow.

On the surface, it is easy to suppose that the JOker himself is the personification of the Shadow archetype: Lustful and aggressive, he is a mass murderer who relishes the macabre. These are impulses that Batman generally rejects for himself. At the time Batman matures, he gains more awareness of these SHadow elements within himself, eventually facing the shadow that lives within his personal unconscious. Alfred drives this point home when he says "Death and chance stole yourparents. But rather than become a victim, you have done everything in your power to control the fates. For what is Batman if not an effort to master the chaos that sweeps our world? An effort to control death itself." (Batman #3) (THE JOKER PSYCHOLOGY) Travis Langley

If Batman is trying to control death by saving lives in Gotham, then Joker is the embodiment of death, and lack of control that Batman himself is fighting against.

If batman rejects chaos, then what can the joker do but "introduce a little anarchy, upset the established order." (THE JOKER PSYCHOLOGY) Travis Langley

That's the Jungian perspective, but if you were to take a Freudian perspective then you could say Batman represents the life drive. This is why I put such an emphasis in Harley's section on batman wanting to reform his rogues, and see to their healing not kill them. Batman's ultimate mission is the preservation of life, he is an idealistic as superman he's just goth. The life drive represents the drive of people to live, heal, grow, fall in love, have children, it's generally our positive urges. It's no coinidence batman frequently adopts children and has a big interconnected Bat Family he works with. Then, there is Joker who represents the death drive, generally our self destructive urges. In a way Joker is death himself, he has killed batman's allies (even one of his children) he kills his own henchmen, if Batman is trying to heal Gotham, than Joker is trying to hasten it's death.

If you're curious for more, send me more asks because I could literally go on all day long.

#dc comics #dc #batman #harley quinn #bruce wayne #harvey dent #Scarecrow #Ra's al ghul #joker

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notyour-valentine · 1 year

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A Fair Exchange XV ~ Aemond Targaryen x Reader/OC (Angst)

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Summary: Will Aemond truly help her and can she accept his help if he does?

Warning: bullying, blood, mention and threat of violence and death, mutilation, mention of torture and death, childbirth, injury, misogyny. Expect canon conforming tone and language. (18/21+)

[Series Masterlist]

Previously

Part XV

They had left him as abruptly as they had come, without a word of explanation or even the slightest hint of their state of mind.

Instead, she had only grabbed Rhaena by the arm in her flight from his sickroom, with him remaining red-faced and humiliated.

He had begged for Helaena's sake and would do so again, but that did not mean that such …openness came easy to Aemond Targaryen.

So when he thought it had all been for naught, the taste in his mouth had been beyond bitter and the invisible belt around his already aching chest growing ever tighter.

But to his surprise she had come, even if it had been in the afternoon, with slow steps and a downcast gaze, making sure to take the seat furthest away from him and clutching a trinket in her hands.

Today Ser Erryk was her shadow.

At first, their interaction had been just as successful as their last attempt, with the only difference being that his questions and inquiries were met with one-word answers and silence instead of rage.

She also hadn't rushed out of the room.

Still, it took Aemond over an hour to figure out a way in which this could take on even a remote semblance of a constructive interaction.

Since she did not trust him and was clearly unwilling to share any and all information with him, the only way he could get an answer was by sharing his own.

Only if he described his own struggles, past and present, and his own pains, short-lived and lingering, would she give an indication of her own state.

More often than not, their trials were the same.

He couldn't help but pity her and sometimes when he watched her lips tighten, he thought she mirrored his sentiment.

The loss of an eye was a lonely fate, too removed from most other ailments and injuries so that one gathered sympathy at best, mockery at worst, and ignorance of the true implications of such a wound was most common, malicious or not.

And yet it remained a rough road.

It took three days in which he explained and described in great detail, hoping for any reaction from her until she dared to ask a more concrete question and six before she dared to bring up a topic of her own.

They were little steps, against the mountain of mistrust that lay between them, but she took them and Aemond welcomed each and every one.

With the dawn of the second week, she had come with the servants that brought his meals, and he knew why. She was testing the validity of his advice by watching him, her eye following his hands until he himself felt conscious of even the slightest movement.

But even if she hardly spoke, it was a great improvement to have a mere other person present while he took his meals.

Sometimes he’d talk along, repeating his advice, sometimes he’d ask her if she was well and she would return the question. Sometimes he’d ask about the tides and the weather.

Their conversations never went beyond that.

The usual courtly conversations were void and would feel false on his tongue and he didn’t dare ask anything more than that for fear of making her or the people who accompanied her angry. And he didn’t ask what he truly wanted to know, the meaning of her words, with any witnesses.

Rhaena was her most frequent companion, and the most encouraging, with soft words and gentle touches. Sometimes she even took notes. Her presence did not make things entirely awful.

Jace would have been his next choice, although he was the rarest of her companions. It was also more difficult admitting his own weaknesses with him in the room, but that feeling only grew if Lucerys was her companion of the day.

The boy no longer met his gaze, but he could feel the resentment a half mile away. And his guilt.

He had never felt that when it came to Aemond’s eye, but now he felt it tenfold with his sister, placing blame for each limitation, pain or struggle at his own feet more than Aemond’s.

Unlike Baela, who made no attempt to hide her open disgust for him. The only thing that kept her sharp tongue in check was the fact that her sister suffered the same ailments, so much was plain as day to him.

She was also the quickest to remind him to keep his distance and he didn’t doubt she’d pull that blade of hers and chop off a hand to match his eye if she thought eh was getting too close.

The only thing that kept her in check, was her sister and the willingness she had recently shown to try.

For show, they had set out a placement for the both of them, with a pitcher and cup to pour on the round table at the end of the room, well in the view of the corridor.

Aemond was seated a good distance down due to Baela’s sharp glare.

Sometimes he thought she was just waiting for any possible misstep, ready to make him pay tenfold.

Quickly, he averted his eyes and turned his attention to her.

“Go on.”, Aemond encouraged. “You know what to do.”

He had told her, and she had watched him do it countless times.

Measuring distance was a chore, but the body remembered things the eye could not see, and so he had taken to setting, or resetting his own plate at each and every table, to make sure it always had the same distance from table edge to plate, from plate to cup and cup to cutlery until it was just where it always was.

What he did by now in a matter of moments, was still a conscious thing with her as she was trying to find her perfect distance.

And her hands still shook from nerves, and fear of failure, an old companion to Aemond but still a fresh nuisance to her.

His eye traced her every moment as she moved the plate a little closer, the cutlery a little away, before tracing a line along it to where she wanted to place the cup.

Hand and eye working together was easier than attempting it with only one of these things.

But she was doing it with too much caution, as if she feared her slightest of touches would send the cup tumbling, so when she brushed against it, she pulled back as if it had burned her.

Then she tried once more, her hand wrapping around it and placing it just where she wanted it to be.

Then she reached for the pitcher, bringing it closer to the cup as anyone else would have done, anyone with two eyes that was.

With one hand wrapped around the cup, she brought the pitcher almost down to the brim before pouring with the greatest caution, taking thrice as much time as Aemond would, but she was still learning, and she had listened to him.

When she put the pitcher down again, without a single drop spilled, she breathed a sigh of relief as if she had just escaped the clutches of a monster, lowering her head.

The “well done” was on the tip of his tongue, but one glance at Baela made him think better of it.

So he gave her a nod instead, and he imagined that he saw her lips twitch into the resemblance of a smile.

But while he had looked to her, he had missed the blur of colour and feet that fell upon them from the corridor until they were already upon them.

Or rather, upon her.

As soon as she had pushed her chair back the slightest, a little boy with silver hair had scrambled into her lap, pudgy little fingers reaching out to cup her face and squeeze her cheeks before leaning up and kissing her with that foolish “Mmwwuaah!” sound children sometimes made, mirroring the nonsense games adults or older children played with them.

That brought a real smile to her lips, and little Viserys laughed.

But his laughter froze as soon as he saw Aemond sitting there.

He was a stranger to the boy, having only seen him once, but it would be foolish to reduce his reaction to just that.

A violent shudder went through him and he turned his head, burying it in his sister’s chest with two hands clutching the fabric of her dress, as if her closeness could shield him from all the harm in the world.

Little Aegon had a slightly different reaction.

He was barely older than Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, but his first instinct had been to hide in his sister’s side, but while he remained half concealed behind her, he glared at Aemond, not letting him out of his sight.

Then he tugged at the scarf to get his sister’s attention.

“What is it, hm?”, she wanted to know, stroking the back of Viserys' head to soothe him.

He looked to Baela, then back to her and jumped up and down in urgency, so she indulge him and bent down.

Aegon grabbed hold of her face and brought it closer to his lips, whispering into her ear.

“He’s here because the Maester is helping him get better.”, she explained, smoothing down Aegon’s hair, making Aemond realise his nephew was asking about him.

Not content with her explanation, he tugged at her again, whispering once more.

“No,”, she said, sharply this time, “Joffrey did not hit him again. He learnt his lesson.”

As if a dozen Joffreys could put him in such a state, Aemond thought, although the last part of her statement made him pause.

Surely they wouldn’t have punished the boy for his outburst, after all they were at war. If it had been the other way around, there would have been praise, at least from Aegon and his grandsire.

“And hitting people is not a very knightly thing to do, or a princely thing.''

Aemond could argue that that was what made Princes Princes in the first place, but Aegon shook his head and his sister seemed pleased.

His half sister, he reminded himself, as he watched her coax Viserys out of his hiding place with soft words and gentle touches, and when he did dare to look up at her once more, she offered him the sweetest of smiles.

“Now what are you two doing here?”, she wanted to know.

With that, the ban of fear Aemond had cast, had been broken, at least for Aegon.

If his sisters weren't afraid, he had no reason to be either, at least in their presence.

Funny, Aemond thought, as he remembered that Rhaenyra's presence had never put him at ease. The opposite, really, since he had also seen his own mother tense whenever they shared company.

“We saw you.”, Aegon admitted, pointing at the corridor.

“Hm did you?”, she asked, exchanging a look with Baela, who for the first time was also smiling at the sight of her siblings - half siblings.

As Aegon quickly recounted the days excitements, Viserys grew interested first with his sister’s scarf, before moving on to the embroidery on her sleeve.

She let him, with the only sign of discomfort being a slight wince as he turned in her lap, accidentally giving her a little kick in the stomach as he reached for the cup on the table, drinking eagerly.

As she listened to Aegon, her fingers stroked over Viserys' back.

Once he was finished, he handed the cup to her before wiping his mouth with his hand and then, seeing them wet, reaching for her scarf once more.

“Oh Viserys.”, she sighed, when she caught him using the fine silk as a handkerchief.

He leaned back into her chest, giving her the most dashing of smiles to make up for his mishap.

She didn't seem to mind his closeness, nor did Viserys treat this invasion of her personal space as anything out of the ordinary.

It was almost as if this was their day to day occurrence that Aemond was witnessing.

“And-”, Aegon asked cautiously, looking first to Baela than to her. “Now that you’re all better, can we go flying again?"

She inhaled deeply and leaned back in her chair.

“Aegon!”

“Please please please! It’s been forever!”

“And me!”, Viserys quickly added, his cheeks burning red at the fear he would be left out, bobbing up and down in her arms.

The little ones had no dragons of their own yet, which could only mean she would take them with her on Tyseleys. He was large enough to carry more than one rider, unlike Arrax, or Moondancer.

Still, she looked to Baela.

“What does my Lady of Driftmark say?”, she asked.

Baela hummed.

“Tis past time Joffrey knew the stories of the Halls of Nine.”, she said, “Why don’t we make for High Tide after midday?”

Aegon threw himself into Baela’s arms in glee, before doing the same with his other sister.

Then, he reached for the pitcher, while speaking of the many ways he’d help her ready and fly Tyseleys, pouring a half cup for himself without even looking.

As Baela ushered them out, he drank with one hand, the other holding Viserys’.

It left them in a haze of silence, made harsher by the contrast to the children’s bubbly presence.

He watched her sigh deeply, as she pushed the pitcher back to it’s allotted place, not oblivious to the look on her face.

“You’re doing fine.”, he told her under his breath, watching for the door in case Baela returned.

She sighed a deep sigh filled with regret and resignation.

“It takes me days of practice, and he pours while dreaming of dragons and drinks while walking.”, she mumbled, before scoffing and shaking her head as she pushed herself into a stand.

“He is young enough to be my son, technically speaking.”

The math was close but possible, and she promptly reminded him just how possible.

“If I had started as young as your sister, that is.”

She made her way towards the window, taking deep and calming breaths that did little to stop the way her hands shook. Nor could they banish the sadness in her eye.

It was all too familiar to him.

Aemond stood slowly, glancing at the door once more.

“There’ll be things that work, things that only ever work after hours, weeks, years of practice and things that won't ever work the way they used to.”, he told her, not bothering to coat his words in false courtesy, even though they remained gentle.

“Nevertheless, digging yourself in a hole of misery and self pity, does not do anything to improve your situation.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but thought better of it, but Aemond maybe wished she hadn’t, because if she had spoken, her voice would have drowned out his own words, which perhaps he should have better kept to himself.

“I should know.”

She matched her breaths to the sound of the incoming waves.

Having spent most of her life close to the sea, she often never even heard the waves until she actively tried to listen to them, but if she did, it always claimed her.

She had started the day as she always had, with the taste of blood in her mouth as for a split second her mind thought she retained the strength, senses and certainty of her dreams, before the glaring disappoint that she was not, in fact, a fearsome beast, but rather a weak, wounded girl.

Sure, her fever had subsided and the scar at the bottom of her eye socket was healing nicely and even the pains in her foot had begun to retreat, but it would be a fool's notion to attempt to deny her limitations.

They were many and more, some obvious to all, others she could have kept to herself and yet others she had refused to count among the consequences of her injury until Aemond had admitted to them.

Aemond.

The thought of what they were going to attempt had filled her with terror, and she had practised all throughout breakfast, ignoring her porridge in favour of attempting to pour again and again.

But even if she had succeeded a thousand times from the safety of her own rooms, doing it in his presence was something else. And yet the success had filled her with infinite relief which had been brought to a rapid end in light of Aegon's actions.

The sweet poor boy had only ever been thirsty, not knowing how heavy the blow of his actions was, or rather her inability to replicate his actions with even a semblance of ease.

And so after false strength, disappointment, terror and relief, desperation had followed.

And then confusion at his words.

That was nothing new though, for just as sure as she came to their meeting nervous, she'd leave confused, unable to place a look on his eye, or uncertain if this word was meant as mockery or genuine encouragement.

The sound of approaching steps made her eye flutter open as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

When she saw who entered, she rose to her feet.

"Don't.", Her mother waved off but she curtsied all the same.

Even if it were only the two of them, in her own bedroom, her mother was her queen.

Rhaenyra smiled softly and took her hand, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"Baela told me you are to make for Driftmark."

She nodded.

"The change will do you some good and it is past time Joffrey learned more about the name Velaryon.", Her mother said, as her thumb drew circles in her hand.

"He is already learning.", She reminded her. "The Hulls are teaching him the ways of the sea."

"The Hulls, huh?"

There was more to her mother's question, she knew, no matter how innocently she put it.

"Alyn, was it?"

"Yes.", She mumbled, her gaze downcast.

"I had thought of commandeering him to Dragonstone.", Her mother mused.

Her eyes snapped up.

She had expected, not a scolding per se, but an insistence she stop, if for appearances' sake only, but not this.

"What for?", She asked.

"For you. He can be your guard, your companion, your shadow."

Her mother's suggestion rendered her silent for a while as the waves outside seemed to grow louder.

"Alyn's heart lies with the sea.", She told her mother. "He is made for rope and oar, not sword and armour."

"There are ships on Dragonstone he can tend to and duties he can fulfil here to do with sand and salt.", Her mother agreed. "And only when necessity commands it, or when you wish it, he can be your shield."

Her mother gave her hands a squeeze.

"I wish to see you protected by not only those with genuine care but skill also."

"Alyn is not trained as a knight."

"Nor do I wish him to don a lance and ride in a tourney.", Rhaenyra said. "But he does know the way of fighting, with knife, fist or whichever weapon the situation presents while knights only know sword and bow."

Oh.

That did make sense.

"I will rest easier knowing someone of his skill and loyalty to be at your side, especially with your time with Aemond."

Her mother's lips curled as she said his name as if it was poison on her lips.

"Aemond won't do anything that will spoil his chance of contacting Helaena.", She argued.

"Aemond won't do anything that is not of his advantage. The moment it changes, he will be the first to jump to cruelty and violence. You know how he is."

A week ago, she would have agreed wholeheartedly, but a week ago Aemond had not spoken of pains and struggles, his gaze downcast and voice soft.

She had dreaded their meetings for they would expose her vulnerability to him, especially today when the risk of humiliation had been so high. But until today, until she had heard the advice he had given her after her sweet brother had taken her newly gained confidence and crushed it in his quick and certain hands, she had not realised that he had been doing the same thing.

And unlike her, he was not doing it out of his free will.

It was curious, really. He had been so bold during that summit at Driftmark, proclaiming it all a fair exchange, arrogant and fierce in equal measures, the thought that he too had struggled had never crossed her mind.

But he must have had, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to give voice to her troubles, and share advice on it.

And Aemond had been little more than Joffrey's age.

The thought of something like that, the pain and the limitation, the shame and the self-agony, happening to her sweet baby brother made her heart clench and her stomach turn, but she had never given a second thought to Aemond's pain.

Not until now.

Her mother's hand reached up and gently stroked along the edge of her eye patch, as if to soothe what no longer existed.

"You know more than anyone."

She turned her face away from the pain in Rhaenyra's gaze.

"Mother,", she said as she got up once more, walking towards the window to look out at the sea.

Her new pale gray gown brushed against the floor with every step, a far cry from her looser dresses or riding leathers and a stern reminder of her changed situation, both true and false.

"You need to remember that this is just an act.", She told her, "I took my own eye with my own hand. He did not do the deed nor did he force my hand."

"He threatened-"

"Lucerys.", She interrupted. "He threatened Lucerys and he demanded tribute from him, not me. Who knows what could have happened if he hadn't been stalled in his aspiration."

If he had wished to take from her he could have, but it was her brother's blood he wanted.

She turned to meet her mother's gaze.

"While I am able and willing to act the perfect victim for the rest of my days, I need you to remember that I am not."

Her mother opened her mouth to speak, but she did not let her.

"I also consider my eye fair payment for the certainty of Lucerys safety."

Rhaenyra seemed less than pleased with her response but she did not argue, even if only at this moment, the librarian entered, a stack of books in his arms.

"Here are the volumes you requested, Princess. All we have on the religions of Essos and R'hllor, as well as Queen Rhaenys and the Dornish wars"

There were a good half dozen, thrice the size she normally would read. If she would read.

"Thank you.", She said, unable to keep the exhaustion in her voice hidden.

"No need. My deepest apologies that we could not be of assistance in your other matter."

"What matter?", Rhaenyra asked.

"The Princess has inquired about a myth describing a 'Prince that was promised' but we could not find anything in that regard."

Her mother's lilac eyes went wide as the knuckles on her hand turned white.

The sight alone made her stomach drop.

"Mother?", she asked.

For a few heartbeats all her mother did was stare at her in disbelief.

"Where did you hear this?", She asked in a whisper.

"I- I don't know.", She lied. "I picked it up somewhere. Why? Do you know of it?"

Her voice trembled as she realised that this too had not been a lie, not the ramblings of a mad woman. And that her own mother knew of it.

Now it was Rhaenyra's turn to walk a few steps, as the wheels turned in her mind.

"Guards.", She called, "find Prince Jacaerys and bring him here."

"Why?", She immediately demanded to know, confusion mixing in with her fear.

When her mother looked to her, it seemed she had aged half a decade.

"If I am to tell this tale, I shall tell it but once. It is his to hear, as my heir, and yours since you already seem to know of it."

Her words, and the way she said them, made her stomach turn.

Part XVI

Thank you so much for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts xx

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