#specifically after Tim but Danny CAN and WILL throw down so- anyways | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dcxdpdabbles · 7 months

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Danny's Grill Part 2

Special thanks to @mkarchin713 for letting me use their idea.

Tim's night had been hectic.

Not only have things at WE taken a turn for the worst due to some random influencer that decided Wayne Enterprises was the cause of global warming and convinced all his fans of the same- despite the fact they were the nation's leading company in green energy- sales have been down.

The board was breathing down his neck to fix the stocks while being no help at all to get the youth back on their side. He's already pulled twelve hours of overtime this week and it was only Wednesday.

He's been dealing with the PR nightmare while trying to get to the bottom of data theft across multiple big-name technology companies. Reports of scams and total funds lost were reported all through Gotham and only his city.

Tim suspects someone had been planting screen recording devices in one of Gotham's shipping factories before they left the buildings, stealing all the information from new buyers.

Since his theory is so hard to trace, he's been having difficulty pinpointing the base of operations, never mind having enough proof for his thesis. After Bruce's lost-in-time fiasco, Tim learns to have evidence before going to the family with anything.

So that means he's been trying to fight his way on his own, which usually isn't too much to handle, but stress and lack of sleep have really been slowing him down.

Thankfully, a specific food truck appears in his line of sight, and his mood improves drastically. He finds a safe roof to quickly change into his civilians, already fantasizing about what delicious food he would eat.

Dressed in his typical Alvin Draper disguise- black, almost second-skin tights and an oversized sweater- he all but skips to Danny's Grill.

"Night, Danny," He says, smiling at the back of the chef. He leans on the little extended table outside the truck's small window. He takes a sniff of the air, mouth watering at the scent.

Looks like tonight is cheeseburgers, as Danny carefully flips some patties. Danny whirls around with a smile of his own, only to drop the spatula in horror.

"Alvin! What happened!?" Danny shouts, nearly flinging himself through the tiny opening. The vigilante blinks in confusion before catching his reflection in the napkin dispenser.

In his haste to have some of Danny's food, he forgot to cover up a black eye, swollen right cheekbone, and busted lip from his last faulty lead. A goon had gotten him by surprise and had nearly rearranged his face before he was able to get his wits about him.

"Nothing, really; it comes with the job, you know?" Tim tries to play off, laughing nervously when Danny's expression crumbles into pure rage. "Look, it's no big deal-"

"How can it not be a big deal!? Half your face is swollen!"

That happens when someone hits you with a metal pipe in the face. He thinks hysterically. "I've had worse."

"That's not comforting!" Danny screams, throwing off his apron. "Let me close down, and I'll take you to a doctor-"

"No hospitals. They'll ask where I got this, and I can't answer that." Tim cuts in, voice hard. There is a tense moment where he thinks Danny will force him to go anyway, but after a moment the other man growls slamming his hands on the counter.

"Fine. Fine. No hospitals. At least let me ice it." It takes everything in Tim not to shrink back from the hateful tone. He barely has the mind to nod as Danny quickly unlocks the little door that leads into his truck, ushering the Bat inside with barely controlled rage.

He knows it's not aimed at him, but being around someone so upset makes his skin crawl. Tim has problems with offending people; his parents had been masters in drilling into him from a young age.

That's why Tim always sought the approval of everyone around him, even if he couldn't stand the person.

He has been working on it, but old habits died hard.

"Sorry." He mumbles as Danny quickly gets a zippy bag full of ice.

"Don't. Apologize." Danny bites before taking a large breath, clearly trying to calm down. He gently places the ice against Tim's cheek, staring at him with such tender worry Tim can't help but feel butterflies. "You don't have to apologize for getting roughed up. Never. Okay?"

Tim nods, shyly looking away as his stomach is rapidly overrun by even more butterflies. "Okay."

"Come home with me." Danny suddenly blurts as if the words were forced out of him. He looked just as surprised by them as Tim was.

"What?"

"Just for tonight. Just so I know you're safe." Danny all but pleas, and Tim- well, Tim has never been known to be strong enough to resist his impulses. Sure, the family might worry, but he can send them a message claiming to be undercover, and frankly- it's been so long since Tim's had a break.

He's always wanted to know more about Danny outside his food truck. He hadn't been able to find much on him. Tim is a detective by heart. He wants to know everything there is to know about Danny Fenton.

"I can leave when I want." He says, as Danny carefully places a warm hand on his other cheek. "And I sleep in my own space. No bed sharing. I also want to take a shower but I don't have anything to sleep in."

"You can borrow something of mine/ Whatever you need." The words are practically a warm hug, and Tim feels relaxed. Already the shitty week feels less terrible, and he finds himself growing bold enough to take an obvious sniff of the air.

"Can I have a burger?"

There is a hint of an amused smile, but it does not cover up the worry. "Of course you can."

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The shower is running in Danny's house.

It's a bit out of the way, about a forty-minute drive outside of Gotham limits, but it's spacious and private, just the way Danny liked it.

Ever since he inherited his title, he's found this house on the list of properties, and that was why he chose to take Gotham by storm in his little truck.

Danny isn't really sure what the story of the property was- the suspects the place was built around the same time Gotham got its curse; seeing as it was overseeing the city and had enough natural ectoplasm in the air, he would suspect the curse affecting the town lead to here. He never cared to check.

No, rather Danny had some ghosts remodel the old building to include wiring and functioning plumbing but asked that the general overall of the mansion stay the same.

He sort of like pretending to be a Lord of the Oldden days. If anyone asked if he walked around acting out old romances of the Victorian era, that was not else business but his own.

Alvin was undoubtedly impressed when they pulled up to his house. Maybe it shouldn't have felt so prideful to have the handsome man be impressed with his mansion given the circumstances.

He seemed to accept the excuse of having been willed the house by his late grandfather. He just hoped Alvin didn't think him the same as his wealthy clients.

Speaking of, he better make the call before Alvin finished.

Stepping to his balcony, he pulled out his burner phone and pressed the speed dial five. There are four rings before the call connects.

He gets no greeting, but he's not expecting one. Danny looks over his shoulder to ensure the bathroom door is connected to the master room- his bedroom, where Alvin will be staying, seeing as it has a bigger fireplace. He needs to have them install a heating system. Danny never bothered, what with his ice core and all- before he spoke.

"Hey, Red Hood, it's Danny. I'm calling in that favor."

There is a long pause before the other man grunts. "What is it?"

"My friend is a pro whose pimp or johns have been abusing lately. Can you help me....take care of the issue? I don't want to overstep in his life, but I'm pretty sure they broke his check bone tonight, and he claimed to have had worse before." Danny sighs, his stomach overturning at what that could mean. He hasn't gone out as Ghost King to show those assholes a thing or two because this isn't his haunt.

It's Red Hood's.

Danny had met the other man when a rouge attack had busted up all the main highways he usually worked in and had no choice but to try to sell in Crime Alley. He was right off the territory's edge, freaking out about entering without the main ghost's permission, until Red Hood confronted him.

Danny's frantic fretting had been suspicious enough that the main honcho had gone to find out why he was so nervous.

They worked a deal where Danny would sell his ware in peace, and as long as he let kids eat for free, Red Hood had no quarrels with him. He even got a favor from the crime lord after Danny provided free meals to some of his men's families struggling to get food a few months back.

He also allowed Hood to use his house as a safe house to hide a few people who needed to be out of the city. Is he part of Red Hood's gang? No.

Is he an alley? Yes.

Danny had been saving the favor for such an occasion.

There is silence on Hood's side, so Danny goes in for the kill. "My friend is seventeen; in a few months, he'll be eighteen, but he said he has been doing this since he was younger."

The silence is now laced with malice. If there was one thing they both agreed on it was that kids were never meant to be hurt by the scum of the city. "Give me his name and the area he usually works in."

"Alvin Draper. He changes per night, but I've often seen him on the east side of Crime Alley."

"I'll look into it. Is Alvin safe?"

"Yeah, he's going to be staying with me tonight. Don't come by until I convince him to extend his stay." Danny knows Hood will understand. This is one of many pros to see the Zone- his mansion's name- as a sanctuary.

"That's fine. Can you get me a picture of Alvin?"

"No, he's too skimmish."

Hood grunts again, his voice coming out tired despite the voice monitor. "Kids always are. I'll have my boys find Alvin's primp and johns. Ensure there aren't any other younglings before they make them swim with the fish."

Danny almost falls over in relief. "Thank you. Alvin...Alvin means a lot to me."

" Don't mention it. Stay well, Victorian."

Victorian is the code name Hood has given him to ensure Danny isn't tired of his gang. Yes, it's because his house is a Victorian mansion, but Danny also likes to think it's cause the other man appreciates the aesthetics of his house a little too much.

He once caught Hood admiring his Pride and Prejudice hardcover book displayed in his green sitting room.

"You too Hood. And thank you."

How would he convince Alvin that his house was a better place to call home than the orphanage and street corners without coming off as a wannabe savior or hopelessly in love creep?

Danny pauses at his own train of thought.

Hopelessly in love? He thinks in shock as the bathroom door swings open, and out comes Alvin, dressed in Danny's extra pajama set. He offers Danny a shy smile; even with the injuries, it is the loveliest sight he's ever seen, and- oh no, Danny is in love with him.

"You up for a late-night snack?" He asks, trying to not show the world-shattering realization on his face, and Alvin's smile grows wider.

"You're going to make me fat." The other laughs. Danny's heart skips a beat.

Danny Fenton loves Alvin Draper and will do everything he can to protect him. Even if Alvin will hate him for it.

#dcxdpdabbles #dc x dp crossover #Danny's grill #Prat 2 #Dead tired #misunderstanding #Danny thinks Tim is a protisute #secret identity #Jason is out for blood somewhere #Danny has a victorian mansion as ghost king #Tim is there for the lore and the vibes

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peterpanswendy · 7 years

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Unpopular Opinion: I think the new Magic School Bus show is actually okay

Listen up, Walkerville: The 90s are over.

In the weeks leading up to the release of the long-awaited Magic School Bus reboot, I have seen a LOT of negativity. Now the full season has dropped, I’m seeing even more disappointment, with many claiming that it has "ruined their childhoods”.

Okay, yes, it’s clear that they were making a show on a Netflix budget two decades after the craze as opposed to a PBS budget in the heat of the initial craze, BUT THEY DO SO MANY THINGS RIGHT. Or at least they’re trying.

I consider the Magic School Bus to be one of the biggest, most important parts of my childhood, and it left a huge impact that still resonates strongly years after the fact. Honestly, I take it perhaps a bit more seriously than a woman nearing 30 should.

So please believe me when I say that the new show is not so bad!

Here are three pieces of evidence:

1. They don’t try to fix what’s not broken

At its core, the original Magic School Bus cartoon is about Ms. Frizzle, an eccentric teacher with a magical school bus who takes her class on crazy field trips that simultaneously teaches them science and holds the key to solve whatever issue the kids have that particular day. At the end of each episode, the producer would clear up any scientific inconsistencies during a phone call segment. While it made science easily comprehendible to young audiences, it contained pop culture references (quotes and impersonations, celebrity voice actors, some jokes) that only older audiences would really get. It had wit, it had class, it had an endless number of really, REALLY awful puns.

In “Rides Again”, this hasn’t changed. Each episode follows the exact same pattern as the predecessor, and they poke fun at this in Arnold’s speech at the beginning of the new episode. They know it’s predictable.

Ms. Frizzle is still voiced by a popular comedienne. The theme song is still sung by a popular musical artist in their heyday. Heck, the opening theme is basically an (updated) frame-for-frame of the original. The science is there, the bus does its stuff, and oh, are the the puns still as bad as ever.

Oh, and celebrity guest stars?

Bojack Horseman, the first black female astronaut, and the former Dr. Christina Yang of Grey’s Anatomy? Not bad for a first run if you ask me!

2. Sometimes change is for the better

I dunno about you other 90s kids, but when I was in elementary school, NONE of my classmates dressed like any of the kids in the original show. Pleated skirts and saddle shoes? Initial jerseys and backwards hats? Matching vests and pants with Mary Janes? COLLARED SHIRT DRESSES AND HIGH HEELS?! Yowza! The characters were originally designed in 1989 with the release of the book “At the Waterworks”, and the show stayed pretty faithful to Degen’s original art style...so yeah, the styles were dated coming out the gate.

Okay, yes, I am sad Arnold lost his curly hair and that Tim and Keesha’s skin lightened in tone, but overall, I LOVE the redesigned class! They look like believable modern kids. Tim especially benefits from the updated look. (I do wish they had made Wanda look a little more tomboyish and Keesha a bit less sweet, but anything was better than what they were wore back in the 90s.)

Now, the cast changes: Out with Valerie and Phoebe, in with Fiona and Jyoti. As I mentioned earlier, the show knows it’s repetitive. They needed something to change it up, and I think this was an okay way to go about it.

First: The Friz. Practically, and I know none of you 90s purists want to hear it, Kate McKinnon is more relevant in this day and age than Lily Tomlin. As a character, Fiona maybe relies on the bus a bit too much, but she brings a believable joy to the novelty of the bus’s capabilities that Valerie often took for granted. Honestly, I think they handled the “changing of the guard” really spectacularly - heck, they worked it into a story about Invasive Species. That was darn clever and caught me delightfully off-guard!

As for Phoebe, she was just the soft-hearted animal-loving “new kid” and, I feel, didn’t really contribute as much to the class dynamic as say...literally everyone else except Tim. Jyoti is the non-whiny, adventurous new girl with the tech and industrial design knowledge that brings the show into the 21st century. (Plus some Southeast-Asian representation!) She’s a much more exciting character, but I don’t really know who her foil is. Anyway, she’s smart and adorable and I’m glad she’s on board.

(Slight tangent: Wanda seems to have taken on Phoebe’s attribute of being an animal lover and conservationist. Yes, Wanda did like slightly unconventional animals in the original show - remember Bella in “Hops Home”? - but she wasn’t necessarily for preserving them in their original habitats. Do recall that she was the main proponent for clearing out the abandoned lot in “Meets The Rot Squad”, not to mention the eccentric habitat she believed was best for Bella. New Wanda still loves animals like fish and rats, and gets arbitrarily attached to them and tries to force her ideas of what’s best on them, but dang, I did not expect her to suggest field trips to preserve animals. Where’s the thrill-seeking? Where’s the reckless adventure? I can see why they needed to transfer the love of biology to someone, and Wanda was the logical choice, but like, man...I miss her edge. Maybe she matured over the summer break.)

BACK ON TASK. The kids have more or less dropped their catch phrases....with the exception of “CARLOS!” Now that they’re in their second year in Ms. Frizzle’s class, they have a stronger sense of agency during field trips. Heck, they even got to pick a location once! With a less experienced Frizzle in the driver’s seat, the kids really get to run the show...which I think is really neat!

3. They throw the old fans plenty of bones

Weatherman. Keesha directing. Arnold’s obsession with rocks. Phoebe going back to her Old School. Ralphie’s horrified face when he finds himself inside a classmate’s nose, a bodily location everyone (except Jyoti) has been once before. Janet being a snobby little bitch with a blog...who’s still a total coward. Is it just me, or did the writers include a bunch of throw-backs to the original show? I unapologetically love every single one of them.

Also. ALSO. I don’t know if any of y’all took a close look at the credits but...in the Additional Voices there’s three that really stand out:

Amos Crawley: Arnold’s original voice actor (before Danny Tamberelli). Lisa Jai: Wanda’s original voice actress. Stuart Stone: Ralphie’s original voice actor.

Wow.

I ask you, WHY WOULD THEY SPECIFICALLY GET THEM BACK IF NOT AS A LOVE LETTER TO THE ORIGINAL?

The new show’s not perfect. There’s not as much banter between the kids, and their personalities seem a bit watered down compared to the original (and unexpectedly less sarcastic)...but it’s not BAD. I’d love to hear a kid’s opinion on it, honestly. I know the kid in me can’t wait to see more!

In conclusion, haters gonna hate, the new Magic School Bus is good, and darnit, Netflix, I want more! Make of it what you will.

Thanks for reading!

#magic school bus rides again #magic school bus #msb #rant

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