#the kent family constantly attacking me

[unlikely-alliance]

this shot of the kents in 3x20 🥹🤧

#the kent family constantly attacking me #natalie watches smallville #smallville

[lukeevangelista]

Nick cheating on sophomore yn which is now junior yn and she gets with Steve 😏

More than Friends - Steve Holtz

FUCK YES I love THIS

Send me more Steve stuff thanks

I even added more than requested

Nick finds out 😏

———————————————————————————

“You.. you did what?” You asked over facetime, your eyes scanning the screen.

“I’m sorry.” Nick whispered, “I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

“But you did. Otherwise it wouldn’t have.. you told me she was harmless, but here we are, huh?” You said as you hung up the phone, cutting off his pleading to hear him out.

You actually already knew about this, unfortunately.

Nick had confided in some of his friends about cheating on you, who had your back, and told you before he had a chance to, as long as you didn’t call him out on it before he tried to talk about it.

Steve was the first one to tell you. He didn’t want you to find out he knew and then be mad at him because he was protecting Nick.

You had always been a good friend of his- him being the reason you had started dating Nick in the first place.

Over the next couple of weeks, Steve had been there for you- through it all.

Your sobbing fits over Nick.

Your anger towards him.

All of it. He never left once, knowing you needed him.

What the boy didn’t know was the feelings that he had for you were reciprocated.

“Can we talk?” Steve asked as he sat down next to you. You were lying on your bed.

“Yeah sure.” You whispered as you sat up, swinging your legs over the side of the bed, “What’s up?”

“I- uh.” He ran his hand over his face, “I like you Y/N.” He stated, “and I have for a while. I just didn’t say anything because of Nick.” He continued, “You and I have grown closer since.. you know.. and I just- I cant do this anymore.”

“Oh.” You were taken back by his confession.

“Oh?”

“I- I don’t know what to say.” You admitted, “Steve..”

“If you’re about to turn me down, can you just do it already?” He huffed.

You let out a chuckle at his actions, “I honestly think if Nick hadn’t gotten in the way, we would have ended up together.” You said, “I’m willing to give whatever this is a shot if you are.”

A grin spread across Steve’s face, his pulling your head close to his as he attacked your face in kisses.

“I promise I won’t let you down Y/N.”

“You never have.”

**

Nick, Owen, and Kent were set to come back to Michigan for Christmas due to them being closer than the others. It was hard for them to get home to their families and back so why not spend it with their second family?

They all left after a game, Vic and Kent’s girlfriend, Kaitlynn with them, the game just so happened to be Columbus and Buffalo playing. Owen didn’t fly home with the team, him driving up with Kent and Nick.

“How’s Y/N?” Owen asked, not knowing Nick and you had broke up.

“We uh- we broke up O.” Nick said.

“You what?”

“Yeah. We broke up a couple of months ago.”

Owen was taken back by the news of this. Kent already knew, only because he was constantly around Nick.

“What did you do?” Owen quietly asked. He didn’t raise his voice, hoping his friend hadn’t royally fucked up with you and could have a chance at getting you back.

“Please tell me you didn’t do something stupid.” Vic chimed in.

“I did.” He sighed as he gripped the steering wheel even tighter, not ready to tell them, “I cheated on her.”

“You idiot.”

“What makes it worse is- it’s the girl he told her not to worry about.” Kent glared at his former captain.

Owen pinched the bridge of his nose, thanking the heavens he wasn’t in the front seat because he was liable to knock the shit out Nick.

These boys adored you. Because you were with Nick, you were constantly around and they had gotten to know you quite well.

The ones still in Michigan didn’t take the news well- some of them not even talking to Nick as of now.

“It’s water under the bridge now. I’ve heard she moved on anyways.”

***

“No, you’re hanging the lights in the wrong spot!” You laughed as you tried to guide Ethan, who was currently on the ladder to reach the top of the tree.

Everything was last minute these days. You didn’t know if any of the boys would be coming in and none of you bothered to put up a tree. It was something you and Nick always did together and you couldn’t be further away from the holiday cheer.

So since you had gotten wind that there were some that were spending their holiday break in Michigan with you all, you were rushing around to make the house as homey as you could with such little time.

You glanced around the room trying to see Steve, but he was no where in sight.

The front door suddenly busted open, revealing Owen, Kent, and Nick.

Nick. You didn’t know he was coming. No one had said anything to you or Steve.

“Owen!” You squealed as you let go of the ladder you were holding onto causing Ethan to gasp as it slowly rocked. You ran over, wrapping the taller boy in your arms, him embracing you. You quickly embraced Vic too, telling her about how much you missed them.

You slowly moved on to Kaitlynn and Kent, wrapping them in a warm hug before waving at Nick.

“Can i get some help?” Ethan asked as he tried to reach for the star.

“Stop before you fall.” You laughed as you handed it to him, him quickly placing it on the tree before hopping down.

“We make a good team.” Ethan wrapped his arm around your shoulder as you two admired the tree you had put together and decorated in less than a hour.

“That we do Edwards.” You said, leaning your head on his shoulder.

“Aye Ethan,” Steve hollered, him walking towards you two with his hand tucked behind his back, not realizing you had a few more guests in the house, “Stop hogging my girl.”

Vic let out a slight gasp as she turned to look at Owen, who was just enjoying the show that was about to happen.

“What’s behind your back?” You laughed as he pulled his hand around.

“Mistletoe.” He grinned down at you as he placed his free hand on the back of your neck, him pulling you in to meet his lips, “Just wanted to make sure I got the first kiss under this this year.”

“I always knew this would happen.” Owen heard Nick from behind him.

“You did it to yourself Nick.” Owen commented back, “You pushed her right into his arms.”

Kent nodded agreeing with Owen as Steve grabbed your hand, pulling you away from the others, feeling Nicks eyes on you.

“He’s back.” You whispered as Steve’s face fell.

“Nick.. Nick is here. And-“ Steve sighed, “He knows then, doesn’t he?”

“None of them knew till just now.” You said. Only the Michigan team knew. Anyone that was not in Ann Arbor did not know. And that’s how you wanted it.

“This is going to be an awkward Christmas, huh?”

“Sure is baby.” You laughed as you wrapped your arms around his waist, “Sure is.”

#steve holtz #soft thoughts w/ari

[lacrimosathedark]

I have made some DC posts that people actually show interest in (and most of them seem to like with...one exception) but I know a not insubstantial portion of DC fandom watches the Young Justice cartoon, and I don’t. I have no intention to change that in the near future. But because I Have A Problem and constantly feel the need to explain myself for things, I’m going to do that.

Before that, DISCLAIMER: I am NOT saying the show is inherently bad, nor do I think anyone is dumb or wrong for liking it or even preferring it to the comics. It’s just not MY thing.

If you are sensitive to people not liking things you enjoy, seriously, don’t read this. I’m not attacking anyone, this is all my personal opinion and preferences.

So!

Reasons I Don’t Watch Young Justice

1. I suck at watching things.

Honestly my biggest reason. I was that kid in school that everyone was like “you haven’t seen [supposedly culturally iconic or currently popular movie]?! Seriously!?! That’s insane! You HAVE to!”

AND THEN I DIDN’T

A big part of that is my brain is Dumb. I have Inattentive-Type ADHD. This means my brain is very bad at focusing, especially on things I’m not like, super fixated on (and even then, I often overwhelm myself). So I’m not good at sitting down and watching things, even when I AM interest.

People have been telling me to watch and/or read Lord of the Rings for pretty much ever. GUESS WHAT I’VE NEVER SEEN

I loved Supernatural, as shitty as it could be. I haven’t watched every episode in any season past season 6.

I have had lists of anime and video games I want to watch. Still haven’t.

I’ve been recommended books (and I’m generally better at reading than watching) that sound awesome that I STILL have not picked up.

I have been intending to watch Moon Knight, which I actually really want to watch. Guess what I haven’t done.

2. My brain seems to like comic books more.

I didn’t get to have comic books as a kid just because it wasn’t a big thing where I lived so my exposure was limited. However, there’s a crossover exposure that my brain liked.

I grew up loving anime, and read a lot of manga. I also grew up playing Spider-Man video games. And then, I also grew up watching the old Teen Titans cartoon.

All these kind of combine into a certain predisposition towards consuming media in a certain way.

3. It doesn’t mesh with my comic experience.

I, like I presume a good chunk of other tumblr users, got into comics because of ThePandaRedd from TikTok. He is just so fucking funny and it drew me in. And if you don’t know, a lot of his content is Bat family related. So, that’s what I was drawn to. Growing up with the Teen Titans show, I was also lowkey predisposed to an interest in Robin anyway.

I quickly learned all I could about all of Batman’s many kids (because wtf my guy). To do that, I started watching comic videos on youtube, reading wikis, finding comic book pages on tumblr. I eventually grew to love all of them.

But I learned about and almost immediately fell in love with Jason Todd, Tim Drake, and Cassandra Cain.

Why does this matter to my point? Well...

4. That’s not Young Justice.

The show is called Young Justice, but like...that’s not Young Justice. That’s basically the Teen Titans.

I have seen clips of the first episode. I don’t remember all of it, but three characters I distinctly remember being present for the formation of that Young Justice was Dick Grayson, Wally West, and Roy Harper. In comics, they were never Young Justice. Those three specifically founded the Teen Titans with Garth and Donna Troy. Like???

Young Justice in the comics is formed by Tim Drake, Superboy (later named Kon-El and Conner Kent), and Bart Allen. Not long after they add Greta Hayes and Cassie Sandsmark and on and on but like, those three boys are at the center. So much so that them, along with Cassie Sandsmark, are known as the Core Four among the fandom. And they are all intimately close friends and those relationships actually mean a lot to me.

Just a glance at the wiki makes me just...my skin is crawling. Kon joins the team with Dick, long before Tim is on the team. Ugh.

Kon dates Miss Martian, which...I don’t know much about the Martians and Kon is a flirt but like...the other characters he’s usually closer with--ugh.

Tim dates Cassie??? Without the influence of losing Conner??? And also idk does he date Stephanie? Because Tim and Steph are like, a big thing and tbh the only more intimate relationship Tim has is with Conner effin Kent, and I know Steph is in the show. (Also for a show that has a bunch of queer stuff, why does my duck boy not have a boyfriend of any kind? I know Bernard is super recent but he’s been like queercoded forever so like where is it?)

Speaking of that relationship, where is it? Even in a platonic sense, because Kon is consistently borderline obsessed with being Tim’s friend. Tim is probably the most important person to him; throughout especially the Teen Titans run Kon relied on Tim for emotional support and put a lot of faith in him. Tim literally lost his goddamn mind when Conner died. Like, he tried to bring Steph back with a Lazarus Pit. Okay, kinda fucked, but it’s happened. But when Kon died, Tim changed his costume to match Kon’s colors, tried to clone him, and “dated” his ex-girlfriend (who had, at the time, literally joined a cult who had hoped to bring Conner back). Um??? And then when Kon came back, Kon’s support made a huge difference in Tim’s shitty mental health. And the second time they met after Kon came back, Tim threw himself at Kon to hug him. And Conner refused to accept anyone but Tim (Damian specifically, but also Steph) as Robin. To him, Tim will always be Robin (and he will always be Tim’s clone boy <3). These two are a pair, platonic or otherwise, and that they aren’t so close in this show is upsetting to me.

Bart at least doesn’t appear before Tim does but he’s still seemingly not close to the rest of the “Core Four” and that just makes me so incredibly sad. I mean, points for making him not straight I guess but like...those friendships are really important to him. Like, Kon has historically been almost like his mom-friend, making sure he’s taken care of even when Bart is doing everything to avoid his issues (not that Conner’s much better at that, but yknow). The newer Young Justice comics, Conner totally mom’s Bart. He full names him (”Bartholomew Allen the Second! Don’t run away from me!” literally all that’s missing is his middle name and a scolding “young man”), and grabs some of his favorite snacks for when he wakes up after he passes out. And he also immediately called Tim because from the beginning there’s been the joke of the co-parenting Bart. And another point to Conner relying on Tim and just UGH.

And y’know, if they’re just gonna do Teen Titans, where are Vic and Raven and Kory? Like, I’m glad they had lesser known Titans like Karen Beecher and Mal Duncan but like...idk. I personally grew up with them, and if you’re gonna have Beast Boy, I feel like Cyborg and Raven kinda come with that package. And Starfire comes with the Raven package. Just my personal feelings there.

Small note since I mentioned my other beloved Bats: I know very little about what’s happening with them, but Cass is Cassandra Wu-San and Jason seems to still be brain-dead. Like, pre-Lazarus Pit brain-dead. Like I just...don’t know.

5. Artemis unreasonably pisses me off.

Prefacing this with, she’s not necessarily a bad character (I honestly can’t judge that with what little I know). This is honestly mostly because my brain is dumb.

First of all, it takes my brain several jumps to figure out who someone’s talking about when they talk about her.

“Y’know, Artemis.”

“You mean Artemis Grace of Bana-Mighdall, badass redhead Amazon, archer and ax-wielder,  and Jason Todd’s bestie/former girlfriend?”

“No, the blonde archer, in Young Justice.”

“...You mean Cissie King-Jones, Arrowette?”

“No, from the show.”

“...Oh.”

And then she’s paired up with Wally West apparently. Which unnecessarily gets under my skin.

Look, the only person I can see Wally with other than his wife Linda is Dick Grayson, and that is really because he seems just as obsessively protective about both of them. I cannot imagine Wally without either of them, and tbh the idea of him not have Jai and Irey makes me so fucking sad. Man would do literally anything for his children. I know he’s dated other girls before Linda, but it still rubs me the wrong way.

In that same vein...

6. Zatanna

I know she’s implied to have...been with Dick Grayson in the show. In general, who can blame her, it’s Dick Grayson.

However, in the show, she’s around Dick’s age.

In the comics, she was childhood friends with Bruce Wayne. Those two are best friends. They sort of almost dated for a while. I may be wrong, but I think Z may even be a little older than Bruce.

And that just really freaks me out, okay? It puts me off. My brain doesn’t want to compute that her age is different than it is in the comics.

(Also I’m a fan off her on-off relationship with the lovable chaotic fuckboy that is John Constantine.)

7. What the FUCK is going on with Roy Harper? Also Cheshire and Lian.

Like, there’s like, three different versions of him or something? And the “real” Roy isn’t even Lian’s father? Like, this is things I’ve just learned from vague clips and they make me irrationally frustrated.

As for Cheshire, I know she’s played to be sympathetic in the show, to at least some extent. Which isn’t a problem.

But I don’t like her.

She did, at one point, truly love Roy. She genuinely loves her daughter probably more than anything in the world. She is, arguably, the best mother she could be given the circumstances.

That being said, this is a woman who loves what she does. She revels in her job as an assassin. She enjoys the taunting, the fighting, the killing. She finds amusement in seeing people fall to her poisons. And as much as she loves her daughter, she would not give up being an assassin to raise her.

Jade Nguyen is an awful person in my eyes and that cartoon won’t change that.

I’m also not invested in that Lian.

Every clip I’ve seen of cartoon Lian looks nothing like any version of Lian I know and love. Like, the closest is Kingdom Come Red Hood with her long red hair, but her hair was distinctly curly and she looked like Jade, according to little Lian. Then there’s little Lian, black haired, clearly Asian girl, being raised with numerous superheroes and knowing Navajo traditions, sweet and clever and brilliant and whose favorite color is red. And then there’s Shoes, who while many don’t like her mostly due to her amnesia, I do. Blue hair and usually blue lipstick, seemingly temporary (or at least inconsistent) tattoos on her neck and arms, one of Catwoman’s Alleytown Strays and upcoming vigilante Cheshire Cat. Clearly clever, already a hacker, wears a red baseball hat (like Roy!) and fishnets (like Dinah!) and all around a ‘fuck you’ attitude while still being a sweetheart, very much like Selina.

The overall white-looking brown-haired girl in pink I keep seeing doesn’t click as Lian to me. That’s not the girl I adore. And as of late, Lian has been really important to me.

I don’t know if that’s even everything, but I felt I had to get it out of my system. Particularly about Artemis. I really don’t know why that makes me so upset but I don’t like it. At All.

Sorry, my content, aside from maybe a jokey reblog, will never be about the Young Justice cartoon. I don’t intend to bash it, but I’m not gonna watch it, and comment much on it either. If that’s content you want, you won’t find it here.

#Young Justice #Young Justice cartoon #Young Justice comics #Teen Titans #my rambles #Artemis #Lian Harper #Tim Drake #Conner Kent #Kon-El #Bart Allen #Cassie Sandsmark #Dick Grayson #Stephanie Brown #Zatanna Zatara #Roy Harper #Jade Nguyen #my brain is dumb #Jason Todd #Cassandra Cain #Cassandra Wu-San

[seehowsupplethespineis]

Let Yourself Fall Apart

(Jon Kent rapidly became one of my favorite superheroes recently and, like most of his fans, I hate that DC decided to age him up. What really bothered me was how no one acknowledged how traumatic the circumstances by which he grew were. My boy was literally trapped in a volcano for five years, his sole visitor a sadistic version of his dad. No one who has worked on Jon since bothers to address this in any meaningful way, too intent on shoving Jon into the Superman role. Even aged up, I think he should have remained Superboy a little longer. Anyway, this fic seeks to remedy this disservice to Jon! Take that, DC!)

(Summary: Painful memories send Jon spiraling during what was supposed to be a peaceful evening. Expecting his father or Damian to come comfort him, Jon is taken aback by the shadow of the Batman looming large in his doorway.)

(Warnings: Panic attacks, crying, yelling)

(Note: This fic will directly reference the events of Superman and Robin #1 as well as a quote from Superman (Volume 5) #32. Also, the safe house the Kent family is staying at was established in Superman: Son of Kal-El #10. As of the date I am posting this, Clark is still off world and also died in Death of the Justice League along with Bruce. I obviously don't know how all of that is going to be resolved, so let's just say it was a happily-ever-after situation so they can all chill at the Kent safe house. Cool? Cool.)

(AO3 Link)

The stars twinkled brightly high overhead. Out here, on a mountain in the middle of nowhere, the sky remained untouched by city lights. It was a view Jon was used to, having grown up on a farm and visited space many times. Still, it never failed to comfort him; with the whole world constantly watching his every move, the vast cosmos served as a gentle reminder of how small he really was. While others might find the concept unnerving, sometimes it was the only thing that allowed him to sleep at night.

Not wishing to dwell on that last thought, Jon forcefully returned his attention back to the earth. Absently, he wondered what the citizens of the world would think if they knew that Batman, Robin, and two Supermen were currently sipping hot cocoa while seated around a campfire. Would knowing that their heroes engaged in such mundane activities comfort them? He liked to imagine so.

“...masterfully, we coaxed the creature to trust us and guided it back through the portal. Child’s play,” Jon just barely caught the end of Damian’s story. Raising an eyebrow at his friend, he tried to stifle a smirk.

“Actually, if I remember correctly, I was the one who did all the coaxing. The creature would have torn your hair out if not for me.”

He was rewarded with an annoyed glare from the boy wonder. Out of the corner of his eye, Jon caught their fathers sharing an amused glance.

“Yes, well, I did most of the Nazi butt-kicking,” Damian huffed, “And I was the one to suggest we wear the armored suits.”

“Sounds like a solid team effort,” Jon’s father broke in, “Right, Bruce?”

Wayne side-eyed his comrade and nodded, “I’d say so, Clark.”

Jon beamed at the praise. Damian dipped his head, though not before Jon spotted the small smile playing at his lips.

For the first time in a while, Jon felt at peace. With his father back from space and his best friend returned from his own adventures, he felt tension he hadn’t realized he’d been carrying ease off. He didn’t like being separated from his loved ones. He imagined that was a universal feeling, though it was especially poignant for him.

He went to take another sip of his drink when the fire crackled loudly. Sparks erupted from the flames as the fire leaped. It was hot- too hot. It burned his cape. He patted it down frantically as eruptions continued around him. The magma pooled about his feet. He tried to leap away but it was no use. He couldn’t fly. He was trapped. He was alone. Everywhere, there were only the flames.

His super breath could topple buildings, and yet he couldn’t even catch a breath. As his vision blurred to a haze of red and orange, someone spoke to him. He ignored the voice, knowing full well who it was and what he had to say. He’d heard it all countless times. Ultraman’s sobs landed on deaf ears.

Except, as he listened closer, there was definitely something different. There was a note of…concern. It sounded like…

He snapped back to reality as his dad prompted him again.

“Jon, what’s wrong?” Worry shone in his father’s wide blue eyes. Jon grounded himself in them and in the solid earth beneath his feet. The campfire continued to roar, but it was only a campfire; he wasn’t there anymore.

Suddenly, he could breathe again and inhaled shakily. Three sets of eyes bored into him. Damian wore the same anxious expression as Jon’s father. Wayne’s gaze was entirely inscrutable.

At last, Jon managed to stammer out, “N-Nothing, I…I just…need to use the bathroom.”

Before anyone could say anything, he’d scrambled to his feet and hurried back to the house just a hint faster than a normal human could go. He told himself he just needed some time to calm down. No matter how hard he tried, though, he couldn’t force the memories from his mind. He didn’t understand what was happening to him. He’d been fine just a minute ago!

The front door slammed behind him as he made a beeline for his bedroom. This house was larger than the one he’d grown up in. It was a Justice League safe house paid for by Bruce Wayne, so that was to be expected. He was grateful for the size right now; it meant he could easily slip past his mother’s office and his grandparents’ bedroom unnoticed. As much as he ached for his family, he didn’t want them seeing him like this.

When you came back to us, somehow you were the same compassionate, selfless, outgoing, happy kid you were when you left.

Jon clung to those words like a lifeline as they echoed in his head. He wanted to - needed to - believe them. He could still hear the pride in his dad’s voice.

The resilience that must have taken, Jon. It defies all understanding.

In the safety of his bedroom, Jon allowed himself to collapse to his knees as sudden anger swelled within him. No, his father couldn’t begin to understand. He couldn’t even understand it himself.

Five years. He’d languished in a volcano for five years. Everyone believed he’d somehow bounced back from that; good old dependable Jon, as chipper as ever, like nothing ever happened. Agreeing with everyone’s praise had been so much easier than admitting how broken he was inside.

At least this way, his parents could remain proud of him.

A shadow fell across him. He hadn’t even noticed the door open. At first, he assumed it was his father (the last person he wanted to see right now). The heartbeat was different, though. The steadiness reminded him of Damian, but it was too loud to be his friend’s, meaning it could only belong to one other person. Stunned, he turned around slowly.

Wayne’s broad shoulders filled the doorway. He stood with his arms crossed and his gaze turned down toward Jon. The same unreadable expresson of before sized him up.

Unsure what to do, Jon only stared. His vision swam and he realized - with a start - that there were tears in his eyes. He turned to wipe them away and Wayne seemed to take that as an invitation to come inside.

Wordlessly, the larger man removed something from his pocket and offered it to Jon. It was a handkerchief. Jon took it mechanically as Wayne seated himself on his bed, forcing Jon to look up at him.

The silence that ensued was maddening. Eventually, Jon couldn’t take it.

“Why are you here?” he asked icily.

Wayne didn’t react to the tone, “I assume you were expecting your father or Damian.”

Jon simply glared down at the floor.

“Would you rather they were here and not me?”

Yes, Jon was about to snap, when he stopped himself. If he was being honest, he really didn’t want to see either of them right now. They were two of the people he loved most and who loved him in turn. If they saw him like this, all they’d want to do was tell him everything was okay. They’d say he could get through this, that he was strong enough to get through this. Right now, he didn’t want to hear blatant lies.

“No,” he whispered at last.

Wayne nodded, “I figured.”

Jon felt his nose start to run. Without thinking, he blew into the handkerchief, before realizing his mistake.

“Um, sorry,” he said sheepishly as he folded up the snot-soaked cloth.

“That’s what it’s for,” Wayne replied gruffly.

Jon bowed his head awkwardly, still not sure what was happening. Everything just felt like too much right now. Too many unpleasant memories crowded in his brain; he could feel a headache coming on.

When Wayne spoke again, Jon merely listened, unwilling to meet the gaze of the Batman.

“Your father and Damian wanted to check on you. I told them to give you space.”

Jon didn’t look up as he repeated his question from earlier, “Then why are you here?”

“I’m giving you space,” Wayne replied simply, “To talk.”

That last bit made Jon glance up, “Talk?”

Piercing blue eyes met Jon’s watery gaze and the teenager did his best not to look away. Satisfied he was paying attention, Wayne continued.

“I heard about what happened to you,” he stated plainly, “Clark and Damian filled me in.”

Swallowing thickly, Jon resisted the urge to duck his head, “Okay?”

“Five years trapped in a volcano, alone but for the occasional visit from a twisted version of your father.”

It was strange to hear someone relate his own story back to him. His lungs started to seize again.

“No hope of rescue. No hope you’d ever see your family and friends again.”

His breath came in ragged gasps. Every agonizing moment flooded back to him. The loneliness, the despair, the fear-

“Trapped for the rest of your life.”

“Stop!” The whine escaped Jon unbidden. As soon as the word left his mouth, Wayne stopped. When he could gather enough air to speak, the teen rounded on the vigilante.

“Wh...Why are you-?!”

“I need you to understand how traumatic that experience was.”

“I know how bad it was!” Jon felt his eyes heat up as his laser vision kicked in. Despite the imminent danger of getting blasted to bits, Wayne didn’t flinch.

“I don’t think you do,” Wayne shot back sternly, “And neither do your parents. Not even Damian.”

Jon had to forcefully keep his power in check as he hissed, “And you think you do?!”

“I’m not afraid to understand,” Wayne gritted out, “Unlike the rest of you.”

He pressed on before Jon could take drastic action, “None of you are willing to process what happened. You all act as if you simply aged into a seventeen year-old within three weeks.”

He leaned in closer. If Jon let loose the lasers pulsing behind his eyes, Wayne wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Jon,” his tone was quieter now, yet somehow more intense, “You were gone for years. You were trapped in a volcano for years. None of you can keep pretending that never happened.”

By now, Jon had to squeeze his eyes shut against the energy beams, “Why not?! Everyone’s happier this way!”

“You’re not,” Wayne stated plainly, “I saw you back at the campfire. Clark and Damian might not have picked up on it, but I did: you were suffering a post-traumatic stress induced panic attack.”

There was that word again: traumatic. Jon hated it.

“I’m fine!” his voice rose to a shout, “I…I was fine! It was just…just a fluke...”

Even as he spoke, he didn’t believe himself. This hadn’t been the first of his so-called “flukes.” While this last attack had certainly been more intense, it definitely wasn’t the first time unwanted memories had intruded on his thoughts.

Wayne’s silence spoke volumes; he knew Jon was lying.

Still, Jon felt the need to defend himself, “I’ve been around fire since…since that experience. I helped someone with fire powers without freaking out!”

There was a low exhale before Wayne responded, “Traumatic memories often resurface when we let our guards down- when we feel…relaxed. You didn’t feel relaxed in that situation, but you did tonight.”

With his eyes cooling off, Jon could at last face Wayne again. There was something incredibly open in his gaze, and Jon felt some of his anger dissipate.

“How do you know so much?” he murmured wearily.

It was Wayne’s turn to bow his head, “I’ve known a lot of hurt kids…myself included.”

He glanced up after a moment’s pause, “Everyone keeps telling you that you’re strong- that they’re proud of you for being strong…but even the strong need to be weak sometimes; it’s the only way they can keep being strong.”

With his eyes now cooled, Jon felt tears well up again. There was a pressure in his chest and throat that craved release. He tried to swallow it down, but that only made it worse.

His voice was high and shaky when he could finally speak, “I…I don’t…” Tears trickled freely down his cheeks, “I don’t want them to know…”

Closing his eyes, he buried his face in his hands, “I just want to be a boy again.”

The confession was barely a whisper and yet it reverberated in his ears. I just want to be a boy again.

He wanted to clutch his dad’s cape as they soared through the air. He wanted to lie in his mom’s lap while she typed and stroked his hair. He wanted to patrol with Damian and bicker about nothing. Everyone always lamented that they’d missed him growing up. None of them paused to consider that he’d missed it, too, and maybe they should stop feeling sorry for themselves and just let him be.

“I don’t want to be Superman!” he sobbed, “I just…I just want my dad.”

There was a telltale whoosh and suddenly another figure appeared in the doorway. Jon looked to Wayne, who now got to his feet. He planned this. He had gotten Jon to open up knowing his dad would be listening in. It should have angered him, but right now, Jon was too spent to care. Slowly, he turned to face his father, readying himself for the disappointment he expected to see.

Instead, watery blue eyes met his own. Superman was crying. Just like that, the pressure within Jon exploded.

His father was beside him in an instant. Strong arms enveloped him in a tight embrace. It felt as if all his emotions were being squeezed out of him. His sobs were harsh and desperate, like they couldn’t stand to be cooped up any longer. He thought he might break apart from the sheer intensity. Footsteps thudded in the hallway and soon his mother was at his other side, with Damian and his grandparents crowding into the room behind her. They said something but Wayne urged them all to silence.

“Jon, what’s wrong?” his mother asked urgently. Jon only buried his face in his father’s chest.

“I’m sorry!” he found himself babbling, “I’m sorry!”

“Shh,” A large, warm hand moved to cup the nape of his neck as his mother’s delicate fingers carded through his hair. It felt so impossibly right yet so out of place.

“It’s okay,” his father murmured into his hair, “You’re alright.”

“No, I’m not!” he fairly screamed. A hush fell over the room, broken only by Jon’s continued sobs. He hated the quiet, but it was better than meaningless comfort. If he imagined hard enough, he could pretend he was a kid again and his parents were comforting him after a sad movie.

It’s over now, Jon, they’d say, Let’s get you to bed.

The hand at his neck moved to cradle his face. A gentle thumb scraped a tear-stained cheek.

“No,” The agony in his father’s voice made Jon’s breath catch, “You’re not. You’re not alright.”

It sounded like it broke his heart to admit it. Glancing up, Jon went to say something, though he wasn’t sure what. His dad’s next words forestalled whatever they might have been.

“And that’s okay.”

Jon couldn’t breathe, though this time it was for an entirely different reason.

“You…You don’t have to be okay,” his father reiterated, his voice wobbling, “I sh-should never have expected you to be. Jon, I…I’m so sorry.”

The apology was choked by a sob. Jon couldn’t bear to see his father this way.

“Dad,” he began, “It’s-It’s okay. I know you-”

“No,” His father shook his head viciously, “There’s no excuse. I…I d-didn’t want to…to think about what happened to you. It was selfish and I…I’m sorry.”

He had to pause for air, during which Jon’s mother spoke for him.

“We’re sorry,” she breathed. When Jon turned to her, there were tears trailing down her face. The sheer remorse reflected back at him made another sob escape the teen.

“Oh, Jon,” His mother pressed closer to his side. By now, his parents were the only thing keeping him upright. Exhaustion weighed heavy on his shoulders. He closed his eyes with a shaky exhale.

“I don’t…I don’t want to grow up,” he whispered.

“No rush, kiddo,” His dad planted a kiss on the top of his head, “Take all the time you want.”

“We’re here for you,” his mom added, “All of us.”

A small hand rested on his shoulder as his grandparents moved to either side to join in the embrace.

“We’ve got your back,” Damian pledged.

“We love you so much,” his grandma enthused.

“You’re never alone,” his grandpa promised.

Surrounded by so much love, Jon couldn’t help but cry more. No one tried to stop him. No one told him he would be alright. Instead, they allowed him to fall apart, knowing full well they’d be there later to pick up the pieces.

Lulled by their loving presence, Jon began to slip into a warm doze. As his awareness faded, he just barely noticed that Wayne still hadn’t left, though he was keeping his distance. Shrouded in the corner of the darkened room, his silhouette was instantly recognizable to Jon, making it all the more surprising when the Batman smiled.

#DC Comics #DC #Jon Kent #Bruce Wayne #Clark Kent #Lois Lane #Damian Wayne #Jonathan Kent #Martha Kent #Superman #Writing Entity #TW Panic Attack #I know the majority of our followers probably aren't into comics #(at least other than Transformers) #but to heck with it! #I'll explode if I keep hiding my greatest passion any longer! #COMICS!!!

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

Out --- Toxicology Bonus Content

Description: Jon Kent comes out as bisexual.

Inspired by this post.

Toxicology – Masterlist

Damian was dreaming.

Usually it was of her. Sometimes it was his family.

On bad nights, they turned to nightmares of losing her. Those were the worst.

Then Damian started entering a half-sleep world.

And he felt a finger trace a line down the back of his neck, right down the center.

Damian Wayne was trained to be awoken by the smallest noise. He always had to be alert. His mother started such conditioning when he was just a toddler.

The only people that could wake Damian without getting a knife to the throat were Y/N and sometimes Dick. Alfred learned quickly to wake the young master from a distance.

“Wake up, my love.” Y/N whispered softly.

Sometimes she used her pheromones to make Damian recognize her presence in his sleep and prevent him from startling awake and immediately attacking.

“Beloved, let me sleep,” Damian muttered.

Y/N was very protective of Damian’s sleep, constantly worrying about the lack of hours he allowed himself. If it wasn’t patrolling, it was something with Wayne Enterprises. And if it wasn’t that, it was something off world, involving the Justice League or the Titans.

“I know, Dami. But Jon is coming over soon.”

That finally made Damian snap his eyes open. “Kent?”

Y/N gave him a shy smile. “I’m worried. He sounded upset on the phone.”

“He called?” Damian was awake now.

Jon was a product of his generation and almost never called any of his friends. It was all texting or a surprise appearances at their tree house.

Y/N nodded. “Said he needed to come over to talk to us about something.”

Damian could tell she was stressed.

He reached up to cup her cheek. “Beloved, I am sure all is well.”

She forced a shy smile and nodded.

“Anyway,” she sighed. “I figured you’d want to put some clothes on before he got here.”

Her eyes glanced down with amusement.

Damian had been so exhausted after coming back from patrol last night that he’d stripped his uniform, got in the shower, and then didn’t bother to put fresh clothes on after, and just jumped right into bed fully naked.

Y/N had no complaints. But Damian was shy about nudity with everyone except her. And she knew he wouldn’t appreciate a surprise visit from Jon while he was butt naked.

“Want me to make you some tea or coffee?” She asked him gently.

She watched as he reluctantly got up to put some clothes on. And by clothes, it was just a pair of black sweatpants, not bothering with a shirt.

“I want to go back to bed,” he grumbled.

But his irritation wasn’t aimed at Y/N, because he pulled her to his chest and gave her a gentle kiss on top of her head.

“He just landed,” Y/N hummed.

“How did you hear that?” Damian asked.

Surely he would’ve heard Jon’s flight or landing. Usually a sonic boom followed the Kents around. But he hadn’t heard one this time.

She shrugged. “Plants told me.”

Even after all these years, Damian was still amazed at the depths of her powers.

Instead of landing at the foot of their stairs like a normal person, Jon landed right outside their main door above ground. He could’ve easily landed on one of their balconies, but Jon Kent was raised with manners and his parents would be appalled by such an entrance.

“Come in!” Y/N called as she started filling a pot with water to make tea for all of them.

Damian stopped what he was doing to stare at Jon with confusion.

“Are you…sweating?”

“What?” Jon blurted out. “N-No!” Then he desperately wiped at his face.

“Jon,” Y/N said sweetly, grabbing his face. “What’s going on?”

Damian watched his girlfriend relax Jon a bit. She always had a skill for comforting people in a way he never could. They were opposites in that way. And it was moments like these that he was envious of her.

“Right.” Jon was very clearly anxious and started running his hand through his hair.

Y/N gently steered him to their table to sit.

But Damian remained standing with his arms crossed. “Is it your father? Kon? What is going on?”

The questions raced out of his mouth.

But Jon just shook his head, eyes glazed over.

Y/N gave Damian a warning look that said, ‘Let him speak.’

“Ummm,” Jon bought himself some time. “Right. OK. OK. OK.”

It was like he was pumping himself up.

Jon finally looked at both of them and took in a deep breath. “I just wanted to tell you guys something that I’ve been…I don’t know…figuring out.”

Y/N and Damian shared a look.

Jon cleared his throat awkwardly. “I think I’m…umm…bisexual.”

Y/N and Damian were quiet for a moment, processing what he just said.

“No,” Jon suddenly blurted out before they could respond. “I don’t think. I know.”

Y/N looked at him softly and gripped his hand from across the table. “Jon, that’s what you got yourself all worked up for?”

Jon nodded, looking like he was about to start crying.

“I don’t want to steal your moment,” she told him quietly. “But this isn’t news to me.”

Jon’s baby blue eyes widened in surprise. “It isn’t?”

Then he looked at Damian to see if it was the same for him.

Damian shrugged. “I had my theories.”

“H-How?” Jon couldn’t help but ask.

“Your pheromones,” Y/N explained. “They’re already a bit different because you’re half Kryptonian. But they’re similar to my moms.”

“Oh, right.” Jon said lamely.

He peaked up at Damian.

Jon wondered if the two of them constantly talked about it. Like his sexuality was so obvious to them while he was struggling to figure it out.

Damian gave another shrug. “I’ve seen you eyeing Selina…but I have also seen you eyeing Grayson.”

Jon just once again said, “Oh.”

“Jon,” Y/N cooed. “Did you think we weren’t going to accept you? Or that we’d think differently about you?”

Jon let out an awkward laugh. “Uhhh. Yeah, something like that.”

Y/N finally got up from her seat and pulled Jon to his feet before hugging him tightly.

“You’re the same person I’ve been friends with since I was a kid. I’m just happy you can feel more like yourself now.”

Y/N felt a wetness on her shoulder and she realized Jon was crying.

“Oh, Jon. It’s OK. Everything’s OK.”

“I know,” Jon sniffed as he pulled away.

“I am a little insulted that you thought we’d react so poorly,” Damian huffed with his arms still crossed.

“Damian, shut it,” Y/N snapped in warning.

But Damian's comment actually made Jon laugh and rub his tears away.

“Give me a hug and stop being a jerk,” Jon told him.

Damian gagged. “I don’t care what your sexuality is, I hate being touched.”

Jon laughed harder. “I don’t care.” And the next second, he had basically tackled Damian into a hug.

Damian groaned and pretended to be disgusted.

But both Y/N and Jon knew it was all an act.

“You hug Y/N all the time,” Jon pointed out, still not letting go of him.

“She is my girlfriend,” Damian spat.

“Right. You’re beloved,” Jon teased.

“Are you done being dramatic now?” Damian finally ripped himself out of Jon’s embrace. “I want to go back to sleep.”

Jon smiled. “Sure, Damian. Thank you.”

He nodded and started walking back to the bedroom, knowing that Y/N and Jon would probably hang out while he was sleeping.

“Love you!” Jon sang, really pushing it.

“Ugh. I love you, too. Whatever.” Damian called over his shoulder, shooing the whole interaction with his hand.

Y/N giggled and shook her head at her boyfriend.

Once she was alone with Jon, her eyes brightened with an idea.

“Should we make some margaritas?” She jumped excitedly.

“It’s 2PM, Y/N.”

“Moms say there’s no wrong time for a margarita. And we’re celebrating!"

Jon laughed. “Alright. Margaritas it is.”

–––––––

A couple weeks later, it was Damian’s 24th birthday.

Both Alfred and Bruce had convinced him to have a party at the manor. Just close friends, most of which were superheroes or knew of the family's other life. But then they didn’t have to worry about hiding powers or identities or any other chaotic things.

Damian had his usual frown on his face. But everyone that really knew him could see the spark in his eyes from being surrounded by the people he loved.

Bruce and Clark were standing off to the side, talking amongst themselves.

If it weren’t for Clark, Bruce probably would’ve snuck down to the cave to work. He only pretended to enjoy parties when he was playing a part.

“Is something going on with Jon?” Bruce asked politely.

He might not be in tune with his emotions, but he was disturbingly observant. And he had seen Y/N and Damian watching over Jon protectively the whole party.

“Oh, right.” Clark said awkwardly. “He just came out.”

Bruce looked at him, a bit surprised.

“He’s bisexual,” Clark confirmed with a nod.

Bruce nodded back.

“Said he’s known most of his life. Apparently, he used to have a crush on Damian and Y/N when they were kids. That’s long gone, though.”

Then Bruce asked, “How’s he doing?”

Clark had a shy smile on his face as he watched his son laughing with Y/N. “He seems so much happier. Which is strange to see because he’s always been a happy, carefree kid. But it’s like something’s been lifted off his shoulders. I can’t explain it.”

But Bruce understood. “Tim was the same way,” he muttered.

“They sure find ways to surprise us still, huh?” Clark laughed.

Bruce smiled as he watched Tim and Jon now having a passionate conversation about something. “Yes, they do.”

–––––––

I know this was short. But hopefully it was also sweet.

#toxicology #toxicology series #toxicology bonus content #damian wayne x reader #jon kent #daughter of poison ivy #poison ivy!reader #damian wayne x daughter of poison ivy!reader #damian wayne x poison ivy!reader #superfam #batfam #clark kent #bruce wayne

[the-army-brat-and-the-nerd]

Which are your favorite comics featuring clois?

Hello! Thank you so much for asking...there's no way I can keep this one short, please forgive me for that. I've read quite a lot of Superman comics (but not enough) and to minimize it to a catalogue has been far from my mind, and is thus gonna be-indeed, hard. So, without much ado-here goes:

#1: LOIS LANE: ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE

It is simply the best comic I've read in ages- maybe I'm biased because of Lois- whose characterization was on point with the excellent combination of wit, sarcasm and badass..Her snarky, daring, cynical and outspoken nature was toned to perfection, highlighting her unquestionable love for Clark, her uttermost commitment to her job, the lengths she would go to protect her family and the risks she was willing to face to steer clear of a massive threat which bombarded itself into the Kent household. She pushed her limits, found her way out of her comfort zone to defend her husband, all the while keeping him away from the limelight- about her ultimate intentions, proving that even invincible superheroes, sometimes, need saving! Most of all- Clois was so well written, and I just don't have enough words to express my gratitude and admiration for the fantastic duo behind it- Greg Rucka and Mike Perkins. The best part about clois is their unrelenting faith in each other- the wonderful way Clark just does not push Lois into revealing what she's actually upto, trusting her and supporting her dead-set decisions throughout, the way they keep the spark alive, and still manage to effortlessly maintain an unbreakable bond to that day, even after so many years of marriage and raising an upright, virtuous and morale seventeen year old son in the process. They are just the best example of everlasting love!

Some Clois snapshots:

#2: ACTION COMICS (2016)

I totally loved this as a comic, it was fascinatingly written, but I guess I fell for  clois immediately. Depicted as a strong passionate couple who support each other’s dreams, ambitions and intentions,(Clark wholeheartedly stands up for Lois’s ambition to write, which leads her to eventually publish a hit seller under the pseudonym, “Author X” and willingly cooperates with her desire to take up her dream job at the Planet, even though they endanger everything, especially when they are in a different universe altogether, and Lois’s selfless commitment to do the right thing- never hesitating to encourage Clark to do what he does, motivating him to go on despite her deepest, well-masked fears of her and Jon being alone, and constantly inspiring him every single day) standing by each other’s side in the darkest of times (Path of doom was a nightmarish experience for Lois, who had gone through the Doomsday scenario once and was scared of losing her husband again) and never giving up on each other, (I loved how they battled mxyzptlk and found their way back to each other at the day’s end)- so all in all, I can say they were flawlessly captured and adorably cute- the family was complete with Jon Kent, and their little moments of bliss together are such a delight, and it makes my day!

CLOIS SNAPSHOTS:

Goodies for you:

#3: SUPERMAN: LOIS & CLARK

It was an enticing portrayal of the power couple, giving us a glimpse to how well they adapt (with each other’s help) in another, unfamiliar world, (which was under Darkseid’s menacing attack) battling through challenges and struggles of their daily life and upbring their young son, Jonathan Samuel Kent, keeping him in the dark about their true identities, taking refuge in a small home, far away from Metropolis. The initial years, though hard for them to get used to, they  came to the realization and mutual agreement that as long as they were together, they could make the impossible possible. This was indeed a masterpiece and I would recommend it any day to the cloisers out there.

CLOIS SNAPSHOTS

#4: Smallville season 11

Loved the version of Clois depicted here, it was too good to read, with cute, endearing moments. The transformation from the mysterious Blur to the red-and-blue spandex adorned Superman was great, but most importantly- it was an exploration of how they coped up with Clark’s debut , the home that they build together 6 months post “Finale”, their daily life and  the way they were born to handle the unpredictable situations thrown at them. It was a meticulous version of the couple, and it still remains to be one of my favorite clois comics books.

CLOIS SNAPSHOTS:

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

# SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT(one of my favorite comics of all time)

# CONVERGENCE SUPERMAN

# SUPERMAN (2018)

# ALL STAR SUPERMAN

# JUSTICE LEAGUE(2018)

# THE MAN OF STEEL(2018)

# DOOMSDAY CLOCK

# INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US (The only thing I like about it is this first part)

# MAN & SUPERMAN (2006-2009) (I enjoyed their banter/flirting 101)

# ACTION COMICS 2011 (NEW 52)

No doubt this received mixed feelings, with Super-Wonder shipping and a poor characterization of Lois(in some parts, not entirely). But, one cannot deny Clois and their obvious attraction to each other.(even when both were in seperate realtionships)

Clark Kent hallucinated this:(fantasized, really- even though he was already involved with Diana)

And this- was what really happened(weird as it was)

There’s more:

Ok- hope you all liked my *hem* essay!

#clark kent #lois lane #comics #ask #anon #clois comics #rec #lois lane 2019 #convergence #dc comics #flashpoint timeline #prime earth #smallville season 11 #new 52 #action comics 2016 #action comics 2018 #injustice: gods among us #doomsday clock #all star superman #superman birthright #the man of steel #justice league 2018 #superman:Lois and clark

[imonthinice]

The Criminal Psychology Majors, Jason Todd x Fem!Reader Part 2/?

Word Count: 2k

Author’s Note: Y/N - your name, A/N - any name (your best friend’s name)

Warnings: Swearing, no beta bitch we die like Jason Todd

Welcome Back! I have, once again, written more of Jason Todd because he’s a fucking teddy bear and I love him.

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9) (Part 10) (Part 11) (Part 12) (Part 13) (Part 14) (Part 15) (Part 16) (Part 17) (Part 18) (Part 19) (Part 20)

Y/N and Jason both returned from that date feeling all giddy about each other, but trying their dammed-est to not let their hopes get too high about the other. However, that was extremely, extremely hard for Jason to do with family like Dick in his life. It’s like coming home to a hopeless romantic of a shipper as a nosey bitch. Lovingly, of course. No one’s like Dick.

“So, Y/N?” Dick asked Jason immediately as he entered the Manor.

“Yeah, what about her?”

“So, many questions: Was that a date? If no, will there be a date? Is there going to be a second date? Do you like her? Do you think we’ll like her? Does she know you’re Bruce Wayne’s son?” Dick rambled at his little brother.

“Okay hold on god damn, yes it was a date, yes there will be a second, yeah I think she’s cool and I like her, slow your roll Circus Boy, I don’t know when she’ll meet you lot, I don’t think she knows who I am, she’s from Metropolis, so I don’t think she knows the Waynes well.” Jason answered Dick with confidence.

“So you like her!” Steph mocked as she entered the hallway, probably heard her brothers talking about Y/N, so she wanted in on it. Somehow she had evaded Jason’s gaze though, so she startled him immensely.

“Jeez, how many of you will scare me today? And yeah, dumbass, I like her. But I’m doing this magical thing called ‘Not getting my god damn hopes up about her since it’s only the first date’ you hopeless romantic fucks.” Jason barked at them.

“Yeah, but you love us.” Dick said.

“That might be true, but your meddling is only going to cause chaos, Dick and Steph.”

“What about my meddling, Jay?” Bruce asked. Once again, he had heard the talking about Jason’s new crush and decided he’d parent the boy on his girl. Jason jumped out of his skin, because, he had once again, not seen Bruce enter the hallway despite his best efforts to not get startled again.

“You, are going to give me a heart attack.”

“Looks like this girl let your guard down.”

“Can we just go on patrol and stop badgering me?” Jason muttered under his breath.

“Nope!” Barbara exclaimed. Clearly, there’s a pattern with Waynes escaping Jason’s attempts to not get startled today, “We’re still going to badger you, Jay,” Barbara finished.

---------------------------------------

When Y/N made her way back to A/N, she couldn’t help but turn her radio as loud as she could and try to take the longer journey back home. Pieces of quiet and tranquility always surprised and drew her in. Like a good book on a Sunday morning before the rest of the bustling city of Gotham or Metropolis awoke itself. If New York never sleeps, she thought, then what the hell do Gotham and Metropolis call themselves. She laughed.

There were a few good things about Gotham, like the people you’d meet on the street at 4am were some of the weirdest but kindest people you’d ever know. It’s like the city radiated off of the energy of the people in it, and in spite of the villains constantly hitting the city with their worst, somehow everyone never let it get to them. It was admirable. Metropolis was the same in that avenue, but it didn’t feel like the cold Gotham streets.

Y/N thought Jason was one of the kinder people she had met in her travels and classes. And she never thought that she’d meet someone she liked this much in her criminal psychology class of all places, but hey, the universe had different pen strokes for her.

She went and parked her car in the driveway of the rental house she and A/N shared. Only the two of them shared it, but if either of them lost their jobs, they’d be looking for another roommate immediately. Pulling out her bag which was full of notes written by Jason, the original notes written by her, and binders upon binders of criminal cases she was looking into at the time, she would get out of her car and begin walking to her door.

Of course, like most people, she would kick off her heels the minute she walked through the doors of the house, to which, A/N paused her music and went to go question Y/N about Jason.

“So, you know how this works, babes, lay it on me, how’s hottie? Is he kind?” A/N pondered.

“He’s so kind, he paid the printing fees for my notes and rewrote all of them, I guess it’s a system for us now. I write the notes in class while he tries to take it all in, we meet up, and he rewrites them all and pays the printing fee.”

“He paid the fee?! At that college?” A/N said, completely shocked.

“Is that shocking?”

“Well, the printing fees are so fucking expensive, hun. Mans must have daddy’s money to do that.”

“Really? Well regardless money doesn’t matter, he’s kind and I can make a name for myself if I graduate at the top of my class.” She said, fully believing this. Smart woman. She knew she could do it.

“I believe in you, do you have homework tonight? I can make dinner for you so you can study.” A/N offered.

“Nah, I’m just going to go file my notes and shower, I’ll come join you and help after.”

“Well, don’t drown.” A/N joked.

“Do you know how much effort that would take?” She laughed as she walked towards her room, once she got there she pulled out her papers and began the slow filing process of them into her desk.

About 2 minutes into this, she got a text:

Hey stranger.

If someone had a heart monitor hooked up to her, they could have bet their last penny on her heart skipping a beat. 

Hey Jason. She sent back.

I had a fun time today with you, do you want to do the same thing tomorrow, I could use your fast writing skills to get by in classes. And I just like talking to you. What do you say?

She thought. Maybe something legit is here, hopefully I’m not just used for notes. She worried about that, since she was just a tad insecure about him. He was pretty. She knew she was a looker, sure. But he was something more.

I would love to go on another budget date with you.

Budget? Actually yeah, I guess it is budget lol. Maybe next time I’ll actually take you out to lunch like I said I would.

I, honestly, completely forgot you said you’d take me to lunch, I was just having fun as we were talking.

Me too. You’re a hoot.

A hoot? That’s a book nerd statement if I’ve ever heard one. She joked. She didn’t actually know if he was a book nerd at this time, but they had been joking the entire time when she was filing her notes. She was no where near done filing her notes, Jason was a distraction from that, it wasn’t that important, she would end up finishing it later. She just liked some semblance of organization so she didn’t have to put it off.

I’ll have you know I’ve probably read more books than you.

Well book nerds are cute.

Eventually the messages from Jason and Y/N started slowing, Y/N assumed he was tired or working so she took her chance to file her notes and start running her shower.

Sorry Y/N, this has been fun but I’m going to get really sparse with replies, I got work to do.

That’s fine! Where do you work, by the way?

And she got into the shower. Halfway through her shower her phone pinged, she assumed Jason was texting back, so when she finished her shower, before she even got her towel on, she decided to answer him:

I work at Wayne Enterprises with my dad. It’s quite fun.  He had said.

Oh! I’ve heard the owner of Wayne Enterprises is a lovely man, have you met him? She asked him back.

And within an instant, he answered.

He’s my dad, so yeah.

You’re the Jason Todd? Heir to the Wayne Manor and Wayne Enterprises? She started thinking back on what A/N had said. Yep, she thought, Daddy’s money indeed. She started to slip into her pajamas, which were literally a mess and not put together, because this is the real world, not every girl has matching sets, when he answered:

I hope that doesn’t change much, Y/N.

Explains the camera I saw but didn’t mention, and that’s about it.

You saw the cameras? Damn it. I tried to shield you, they may have pictured us together, sorry.

Worth it for a lovely date. I’ve seen worse, my mum works with Clark Kent, who I guess you probably know since he’s Bruce’s best friend, and the paparazzi loves to take Clark’s picture.

Oh yeah, Uncle Clark. Yeah, the pap love him. You get used to it. I guess you somewhat know my family lol.

Nah, that’s about all I know. Wasn’t really interested in drama about you lot because it’s just not my business. Probably not a shared ideal with the general public.

She finished getting dressed and went to go cook with A/N, and share the news.

----------------------------------

“Girl! You were right about daddy’s money oh my god,” Y/N said when she entered the kitchen.

“Go on,” A/N urged.

“You know Jason Todd? Guess what. That’s hottie from Crim Psych 101.”

“Are you serious? That’s insane. You’re probably plastered across the internet right now for that date,” A/N laughed, “are you scared to date a famous man?” She asked.

“No, he’s really sweet and if this gets serious, I can just block out the flashes.”

The two of them laughed and started cooking. A/N was Latina, so, of course, she was in charge to cook most nights. But Y/N made killer desserts and pizza. Tonight was fajitas, so Y/N kind of sat bat and let A/N do her thing. Trying to know more so one day A/N wouldn’t have to do all the work, Y/N went onto the internet and the first thing she saw?

Globally Revered Son of a Millionaire, Jason Todd, out on a DATE with a Mystery Girl?

Like clockwork, Jason answered:

I guess I have a lot to teach you, and I hope you haven’t been on the internet recently.

I have. Globally Revered Son of a Millionaire. She texted back.

Fuck those damn tabloids. He said, she couldn’t help but agree, the paparazzi seem like they’re very invested in stories that aren’t theirs to tell.

Can’t agree with you more. We should put on a show for them tomorrow, actually give them something to write about.

I like your thinking.

You’ve opened up a lot today.

Is it your turn now?

What do you want to know? You asked him before turning to A/N.

“Tabloids talk too much,” you sneered at her.

“Cat should get their tongue and choke on it,” she finished, “did you at least look cute in their pics?” she asked.

“Somehow. Wasn’t even posing,” Y/N finished.

“Well, food’s done, are you still hungry?”

“Always.”

--------------------------------------

Jason turned to his brother, Dick, Nightwing, and said, 

“She knows now.”

“That you’re rich?” he asked.

“Yeah, I guess I have to be more wary of her now,” he sighed, “I hope she’s not in it for the Wayne fortune.”

“Doubt she is if she agreed the tabloids can suck it, Red Hood.”

“I pray you’re right.”

He then drew his guns and fired at the ground underneath their laest venture into crime-fighting. This was gonna be one hell of a ride Y/N embarked on, not even knowing what she was getting into.

#jason todd x reader #jason todd #jason todd x fem!reader #jason todd x y/n #jason todd x you #red hood #red hood x reader #red hood x fem!reader #red hood x y/n #red hood x you #batfam #batfamily #batbros #jason todd fluff #red hood fluff #dcu #dc #dceu

[themaybewoman]

Ted Lasso has ADHD

He’s just super well-adjusted to it and has had lots of support through his life in this particular area. In all honest, he’s like ADHD goals; someone who’s comfortable and accepting of himself and his neurology.

This is so not a scientific analysis. Just a nerd looking for solace in yet another fictional character. ;)

Five reasons why I firmly see Ted Lasso as an ADHD character:

1.) Pasta Water.

Right off the bat, here’s what started this whole internal discussion: pasta water on the stove. As well-adjusted as he seems in day-to-day appearances, little details slip his mind. Forgetfulness is one of the more obvious traits of ADHD. In 1.09 when Ted and Roy Kent are having a heart to heart about Roy’s future on the team, the scene starts off with Ted trying to offer Kent something to eat/drink like any good host, and he makes a joke about offering the pot of pasta water that’s been sitting on his stove for two days. Kind of odd to have that sitting out, right? Not for a neurodivergent, though. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve baked cookies and then left all the materials scattered about on the stove and counters overnight, and then just didn’t have the energy or mindfulness to clean it up until someone got on my case for leaving a mess.  Our minds are just on a higher plane; we prioritise differently. Ted’s not at all concerned with the material. It’s the heart and soul that gives things meaning and thus gives him muse to pursue something, and frankly, cooking and cleaning up doesn’t give him that joy.

2.) Reminders.

He has little signs that say ‘believe’ tacked up all around his house, and in the same episode that’s mentioned (1.10 if I remember correctly – when he, Nathan, and Beard are discussing tactics for the game against Manchester), there’s also a fleeting mention of having a reminder to floss (that he also states to ignore due to exhaustion). I constantly have to write things down; anything that pops into my head, I put it on a flashcard and pin it to the wall, because even if it’s something I believe in, it might leave in the next few seconds so if I want it done/ingrained in my head, I have to have it somewhere outside my head. It’s because of our absolutely shot executive function – doesn’t really work too well – that leads us around our day in a spiral, constantly finding something different/a new angle or another story off our previous story that leads us astray. We get acquainted with backpedalling, mainly from other people (or ourselves) who keep telling us: hey, you were about to tell me something? I don’t have all day. Or something similar.

3.) Mentality.

It’s obvious that Ted’s thought process is miles away from the people he’s surrounded by, and the more people try to drag him back to his way, the more firm he gets. (The only person who I’ve noticed doesn’t try to sway his mentality is Keeley, they actually vibe really well together, right off the bat, which is funny because I see a little adhd-coding in her as well.) In my experience, the more someone tells me to see a different side/do something else, the more I want to keep doing what I want to do/keep believing in my way. (It’s only recently that I discovered this was a trait shared among many with ADHD; I thought it was just me being a dick to be honest XD.) I work so well with opposition. Losing that feels a bit like losing a purpose. It’s just so lucky that Ted’s way of staying true is optimism, because there’s a lot of rampant pessimism everywhere you go, so he never truly lives without his purpose. Breaking away from this core is painful, too, and we see him refuse to do just that literally every episode.

4.) More Reasons for Optimism.

Here’s another reason for optimism: RSD. We all know that positive thinking is the first line of defense against negative thinking, and you’re thinking duh right now, I can feel it. ;D That just helps me warm up to what I’m really trying to say which is about RSD, or Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, a way to describe a symptom of ADHd. Now, at first, I didn’t see much evidence for this. RSD is what makes it very hard for us to bear criticism, and from what I see of Ted, he manages to handle criticism pretty well, he’s pretty civil about it, always taking it with a smile. And typically, people with this dysphoria don’t handle rejection or perceived rejection too well. Then, I realised that Ted’s intense optimism acts as a coping mechanism against this. If something is hard to hear, if criticism pulls him down to the depths, he forces himself to bounce back up because, in all honesty, everything starts with a smile, and after you start that (starting is the hardest thing), picking yourself up becomes slightly easier. He’s clearly had a lot of support in this area, not to mention a lot of his rambles almost sound like he’s searching for support – for validation – too. He latches onto people easily because of this, because external validation is such a powerful force. (The same goes for the lack of that, powerful in the opposite effect.) He knows this well, which is why he tries to be such a strong force of support for others. I can see this as being a contributing factor to why his divorce lead to an alarming/seemingly uncharacteristic bitter outburst and a severe panic attack – although that could also be because he spent so much of his life/devotion loving his wife and raising a family, that anyone forced into the situation wouldn’t have fared much better. In my experience, living with RSD has shaped me into a selfless person, ceaseless supporter, and postive-thinker, because I don’t want the people around me to feel as lonely and rejected as perceived criticism and the like leaves me. It doesn’t even matter whether I like them or not, I always end up feeling nauseated if something I say leads to even slight aggravation. (That’s something I’m working to address, as not everything I say or do will lead to people hating me, but it’s such a big motivator in my life.)

5.) The peanut butter jar.

This is a clever hack to combat the munchies. My ADHD leaves me hungry all of the time, but it’s a hunger that’s all in the head. Eating gives me stimulation to stay focused on whatever I’m doing, which isn’t always the healthiest (I like eating crunchy and/or salty things especially, as savoury keeps him going for longer). Leaving an open peanut butter jar on the table is honestly a clever hack. Peanut Butter isn’t the worst food to snack on, especially if it’s all natural/doesn’t contain processed sugars (those do not work well for our brains). It’s sweet but a little salty, and it’s a protein, meaning a little goes a long way in making us feel full. I know I don’t like to eat too much peanut butter, because then it starts to make me feel a little stuffed (not sick per se, just uncomfortable). Swinging by every so often to eat a bit of peanut butter is the perfect lil boost of dopamine, doesn’t over stuff, and the movement to get there is also refreshing. (I think I’m actually going to try this out for myself!)

There may be more, but alas, I’ve uncovered all the major signs that have been rattling around in my head since my first rewatch of this incredible show. XD!

tl;dr –

#ted lasso #adhd #adhd in characters #charactisation #memes #ted lasso has adhd #projecting #lilly's musings #lilly's analysis #favourite characters

[aj-artjunkyard]

I really want to read a specific AU fanfic of the Justice League Dark: Apokolips War movie

Hear me out

Instead of splitting up at Teen Titans Tower, Damian and Raven stay together and Superman finds them both and the three travel together over the next few years

At first Damian DESPISES Clark for being the cause of the Apokolips War that cost him his father and brother (in this AU Damian never leaves for the League of Assassins and therefore never gets to the Lazarus Pit to bring Dick back to life). But Damian feels he has to stay close by Raven, who is getting weaker and is starting to rely on Clark as a dependable adult figure. He figures that if he tries to exact revenge on Clark, then Raven would probably send him away.

But after a good few months, Damian realises that he’s always had a strong familial figure in his life, his grandfather, his mother, his father, his brother (even if some of the formers weren’t actually good for him) and now that there’s no one, he finds himself leaning towards the kind, protective, gentle giant that is Clark Kent to fill that void, just like Raven is.

There’s a lot of back and forth, but eventually Clark becomes Damian’s uncle/godfather figure, and Raven’s father figure

Then the rest of the two year gap between the initial attack on earth and the setting of the movie is just “Tired farmer from Kansas tries to raise two traumatised and socially inept goth children who are obviously pining for each other as the three try to survive in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world by fighting parademons and raiding abandoned Kmarts”

(Then when they defeat Darkseid, Batman comes back to see the ever-prickly Damian getting free hair ruffles and hugs from the constantly tactile Superman and he’s just. Give me back my son)

#idk I just think that’d be neat #aj au #damian wayne #dc comics #apokolips war #justice league dark: apokolips war #jldaw #clark kent #superman #Raven #rachel roth #robin

[soulmate-game]

It had been a trip to Metropolis. Why would Francois-Dupoint go to Gotham, a crime-ridden city crawling with danger and supervillains, vigilantes that toed the line of being bad influences, and a really high chance of lawsuit, when they could go to the city of Superman himself?

Exactly. No good reason.

At least, that was what they all thought. Marinette’s parents even volunteered to chaperone, deciding that they could survive shutting the bakery down for one week. Marinette had helped raise enough money for the trip that the school could compensate them a bit for their time, and their food, hotel, and plane were all paid for. It was supposed to be a great trip. One to remember. And yeah, Marinette would never forget that vacation.

Because she stood with the rest of her class, watching smoke and dust rise off of the pile of rubble that just dropped on top of her parents. The fight was over. Marinette couldn’t even remember who it was. But even with his son by his side, Superman and Superboy couldn’t save everyone. Nobody could. It was asking too much, to expect any one or two heroes to save everyone when an entire city was being attacked and buildings reduced to rubble.

But that wouldn’t soothe the sight of blood creeping out of the rocks.

That wouldn’t soothe the scrapes on Marinette’s knees when she dropped to the ground.

It wouldn’t smother the sound of her agonized cries.

It wouldn’t heal the burns and scrapes and bruises, the chipped fingernails and bleeding fingertips that Marinette gave herself as she tried desperately, sight blurry through tears, to lift each and every piece of still-hot concrete off, shove it to the side, in an attempt to unearth them. They could still be alive, right? Right?

The fact that she was shoveling what amounted to pebbles off of a hill of rubble argued with her. No. No, they weren’t.

It wasn’t until gentle, but unyieldingly strong hands clasped hers, making them still.

“You’re hurting yourself,” that soft, deep voice came from whoever owned the foreign hands, but she didn’t have the mental strength to look up and identify them. Instead, she resorted to kicking rubble away. The voice sighed. “Back up. I can help. Okay? Will you let me help?”

It had been so long, Marinette furrowed her eyebrows. When was the last time someone had actually asked her that question? When was the last time someone ever offered her help? Legitimate help, not just something superficial.

She couldn’t remember. How should she respond?

Marinette’s tongue darted out, wetting her dusty lips. Her deep breath came in with a disconcerting rattle. Somehow, she managed to nod. The foreign hands loosened slightly.

“Okay. Good—“

“I can’t stop,” Marinette finally managed to choke out. “I can’t— I need to—“

“I know,” the voice said again, endlessly patient. Endlessly understanding. “But you’re hurting yourself, so put these on first. Then you can keep digging.”

With his help—yes, him. She vaguely managed to pin down that the voice was male— she was able to slip on thick gloves. They were several sizes too big, probably belonged to one of the firefighters nearby, her mind numbly supplied. She didn’t care. As soon as they were on, she dropped down and began to dig again. The man who had offered to help did just that, moving just a foot or two away and lifting up impossibly large chunks of concrete before placing them down gently in an open area.

With his help, they were uncovered. They were carried away, under blankets, as best as they could be. Marinette saw none of it. Hands covered her eyes, younger than the voice-man’s hands but almost as strong. The only thing she saw was whatever was left once most of them was taken away. Later, she would thank him. But in the moment she was furious.

“I’m not a baby!” She growled at him, her voice lower and scratchier than usual because of all the smoke and dust clogging her throat. “I need to look at them! I need to remember!”

“Not like this,” the new voice said. When he removed his hands, Marinette saw Superboy. He was probably just about her age, but that offered little comfort for her. At least his eyes were understanding, calm, and empathetic. “You don’t need to see them like this. Remember them like they were, not how they ended,” the young hero advised gently, keeping a respectable distance between them now that he was no longer covering her eyes. He wasn’t even floating, staying on solid ground to stay closer to her eye level. “Today will be hard enough on your mind as it is. You don’t need to make this more painful than it is.”

Marinette could only bite her lip at that, her shoulders trembling. Is this what it took to have someone worry about her? To have people realize that she wasn’t superhuman, that she wasn’t infallible or mentally indestructible? Is this what it took, to finally have people try to help and care for her?

Because if it was, she would gladly deal with Lila Rossi and be held to far too high a standard for the rest of her life. She would rather suffer quietly for decades with that much more gentle pain than deal with this agony right now.

She finally let the tears fall, but they were mostly silent. Only hiccups and gasps for air added sound to her sobs. Superboy gently removed her hands from her arms before she could draw blood on herself, and when she lunged into the touch he drew her into the hug she clearly needed. When she pretty much collapsed into his hold, getting snot and tears over the symbol on his chest, he said nothing. He just held her and shared a glance over her shoulder with his father.

—*—*—*—*—*

Lois Lane was an investigative reporter. And when her husband and son asked her to make sure the girl they had sat with for hours after the latest attack on their city would be taken care of, she did not cut corners in her research. What she came up with was less than reassuring.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng. With her parents gone, she didn’t have much in the way of possible guardians. Her paternal grandfather was dead, just a few months earlier of old age. Her paternal grandmother Gina was consumed with wanderlust, not very responsible and not likely to be able to win custody. Even if she did, Lois doubted Marinette would do well in such an unstable, constantly moving lifestyle. Some people would, but Marinette was much like her son from what she gathered from her investigation. She would need stability before anything else. There was her Uncle from her mom’s side of the family, but he only spoke Mandarin so the language barrier was not promising either. The last thing Marinette needed was pressure to learn a new language. If she hyper focused on anything to deal with her grief, it should at least be something she chose on her own. Lastly there was her maternal grandmother, but she had gotten in an accident and passed away almost two years prior.

Luckily, Lois Lane was also a woman of extreme, if mostly secret, political power. She knew several billionaires with political sway, international superheroes, and politicians. Also, not that she would ever tell her husband, but she might have squared away some blackmail and favors that she might cash in with some folks in the legal system if it decided to fight her on her new personal mission.

Nobody got in the way of Lois Lane and lasted long.

But first, she ran her idea past her family. It wouldn’t do any good if they didn’t agree with her, after all. Luckily enough, her offer seemed to be exactly what they had hoped for. Apparently Marinette was the type that was easy to get attached to.

And that was how, after twelve hours of intense phone-call sessions and very, very many in depth discussions, arguments, debates, bargains, and subtle manipulation, Marinette Dupain-Cheng ended up in the temporary custody of the Kent family.

The process itself was extremely complicated and in normal circumstances would have taken anywhere from days to months to complete, but as mentioned before Lois Lane is a secret political superpower in and of herself.

Officially, Marinette’s grandmother Gina assumed custody. Unofficially, her grandmother had plans to enroll her in school abroad in, you guessed it, Metropolis, so that she wouldn’t have to deal with the melancholy memories that Paris would supply her. In doing so, she contacted the Kent’s who were apparently old family friends and asked them to take her granddaughter in for the time being. She was oh so busy traveling the world, after all. And that’s no life for a teenager recovering from grief.

After two weeks to allow Marinette to go back to Paris for the funeral, pack up her things and say goodbye to her friends, she ended up on the Kents’ doorstep with her grandmother by her side. Any attempts to get more information out of the old woman were futile, she refused to say a word on why nobody had mentioned these “family friends” before.

(Lois figured out fairly quickly that Gina Dupain was not somebody to take lightly. The fact that Gina answered the phone thinking that Red Hood was calling was a giant tip off. Lois was pretty sure that Gina knew damn well who her son and husband were, but wasn’t saying anything about it. It really was a shame that she wasn’t exactly prime parenting material at the moment.)

Lois and Clark opened the door together, having been double and triple checking that everything was set up and ready for their new addition. Sure, Marinette wasn’t being adopted or even officially fostered by them, but they would still treat her like a Kent.

“Marinette, hi,” Clark greeted, smiling warmly down at the short girl. “I’m Clark, and this is my wife Lois. If you need absolutely anything, don’t be afraid to ask. Okay?”

The small girl nodded, her hair flopping behind her a bit. Normally she would have it held back in pigtails, but she just didn’t have the energy for that anymore. Maybe she would regain it one day. With that, Gina and Marinette said their goodbyes and she started her life with the Kents.

—*—*—*—*—*

It took a while. Luckily the trip to metropolis had already been in the early summer, so Marinette could be excused for the last few weeks of the school term and relax over summer before being forced back into society. Her grades at Francois-Dupoint were finalized, Marinette doing all the extra work during her two weeks in France for the funeral. She had been told it wasn’t necessary and that she could take her time with it but, as the Kents soon learned, Marinette hated being idle.

But even though Marinette was nowhere near healed, it only took a week for her to warm up to the youngest Kent. Jon was a very much welcome presence in her new life. Just about her age, he was always patient with her and never pried for information or asked about why she occasionally couldn’t bring herself to talk. Words just failed her sometimes, she couldn’t get her throat to work. Something would remind her of her parents, or that day, and she would just feel the dust in her throat again and the blisters on her palms and she just couldn’t say a word.

All three of the Kents helped her through these episodes as best as they could, but Jon always stayed close by so she could tug him into a hug when she was ready. As a very tactile person, she really appreciated that.

And somehow he and Clark, despite being very awkward and physically unsure of themselves on the surface, gave the best hugs.

But, even though Jon and Clark had resigned themselves to being slightly more on-guard about their identities than they usually would be at home, they hadn’t quite anticipated just how hard it would be to keep a secret identity. Not necessarily from Marinette, since the girl spent most of her time out in their backyard or in her room, or occasionally going out for short visits to the city with Jon. No, it was the other way around.

Because of course Marinette couldn’t just give up being Ladybug and the Grand Guardian. Fu wasn’t there to take over for her anymore, so she took it upon herself to watch over Paris twice as vigorously. Mostly through keeping an eye on news channels and texts with her friends, general media stuff. She didn’t want to tire Kaalki out.

And this was how, two months after Marinette started living with the Kents, she walked through a portal into her room and was met with Clark and Jon staring right at her. The elder Kent had his arms crossed, posture oddly confident for the man she had come to know, and one eyebrow raised. Jon looked like his smile was about to rip his face in half, and he was bouncing a bit on his heels. Even then, though, Marinette could pick out the slight worry in his blue eyes. In both of theirs.

She immediately jumped backwards and closed the portal. Trapping herself back in Paris.

And instantly crumpling down to moan in despair on top of a random Parisian rooftop.

She was sitting on the very top of the Eiffel Tower when Superman and Superboy found her, and it didn’t take much for her to guess that they had flown straight over from metropolis. Stupid super-speed flight. She drew her legs to her chest, resting her chin on her knees as they floated to her side of her patiently. She had long since separated Kaalki, and sat in just her Ladybug costume.

“I knew Lois could contact you guys, but this is a bit too quick even for you don’t you think?” Ladybug drawled monotonously, looking over at both of the heroes dryly. Now that she was mostly of sound mind and not in the middle of a traumatic situation, she was able to make connections she couldn’t before. She was able to actually observe their faces, whereas before she hadn’t really been in the right mind frame to really commit anything about them to memory. But now?

Ohhh, she knew those faces.

Marinette’s eyebrow twitched as she did a double-take, followed closely by a deep breath. Maybe the glasses and, for Jon, baseball cap, would be a good enough disguise for most people. Especially when combined with the frankly impressive body acting they both pulled off on an apparently daily basis, they felt like totally different people in and out of the suits even if they looked the same.

But Marinette was not a normal person. She was a designer, she had a very critical eye, and she had just spent the better part of the last two months living in the same house as these two. And now she realized that they severely toned down the body acting and general “disguise” of their civilian selves when they were at home rather than outside. She had shrugged it off as them simply relaxing at home and, while she was right, it wasn’t until this moment that she put everything together.

“No masks, seriously? Some day, someone with eyes as good as mine is gonna figure you guys out,” she told them blandly, earning shocked blinks followed quickly by soft grins.

“I would normally sit down next to you at this point, but you haven’t exactly left us any space,” Superman— Clark, Marinette reminded herself— joked lightly. Marinette looked down to the small tip of the Eiffel Tower and back up to him, pointedly raising both eyebrows. Jon giggled.

Rolling her eyes and fighting a smile, Ladybug stood up without any apparently care about her footing. Somehow, balance seemed to just come naturally to her. It was so different from the usual Marinette that Clark and Jon had seen literally walk into a wall on multiple occasions that they had to grin. Seems like she fit right in on their acts-clumsy-and-awkward-but-isn’t trope.

(No, they later realized, that was completely Marinette. Ladybug just brought out a different side of her, but the awkwardness was still there. Just better hidden.)

“I was kinda trying to stay somewhere that nobody else could join me on purpose. You know, I was a little busy catastrophizing about you guys wanting to get rid of me now.”

“What?!” Jon asked, horrified. “No way! Even if we were normal, we wouldn’t just toss you away because we found out you’re a hero. That just— do you honestly think we would do that?”

“No,” she admitted softly, crossing her arms and sighing as she looked down over Paris. Over her city. It was a bittersweet view nowadays. “No, but I always freak out over things like that pretty easily. I’ve had people leave me over less. Sometimes it’s hard to convince myself that anyone else will be different.”

“Marinette—“

“Ladybug, actually,” she corrected with a small smile. “Don’t wanna slip up here. You never know who’s listening.”

Clark blinked, needing a moment to let that sink in before forcing himself to continue. “Ladybug, then,” he paused to gently lay a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to meet his gaze. As always it was soft. Patient. Just like his voice had been that fateful day. And, oh, there were the memories. They had both been there, helped her, and they stuck with her. Even though it hadn’t been their fault, even though they could have easily stepped back and let her deal with own problems and who had her custody on her own, they didn’t. She would have blamed them if they did, who was she to expect heroes to care about her like she was their child? That would be horrendously selfish of her. They saved hundreds of people every week.

And yet here they were, treating her like family.

And there was the phantom dust, clogging her throat. Strangling her words. She opened and closed her mouth, but nothing came out. Clark understood, he always understood, and his grip just tightened slightly. It tethered her.

“Ladybug,” he repeated even more softly. “We are not going to toss you out. Not for something like this, not for anything. You’re family now. You might not have the Kent name, you might not be kryptonian, but you’re one of us. Lois understands. Heaven knows she’s put up with both of us long enough, one more hero in the family is probably not that surprising. I just hope that… that you knowing doesn’t—“

“I don’t blame you,” there we go, her voice finally decided to work again. It came out a little hoarse, so she cleared her throat and started again. “I don’t blame you. I never did. It’s stupid, blaming a hero for things that never would have happened if the villain hadn’t attacked in the first place,” she told them, ripping her gaze away from his to trace over Paris again. “Maybe it’s because I understand that not everyone can be saved. I get it. But I never blamed you. I was actually grateful from the very beginning. You helped me dig them out even though you very well could have just carried me to the sidelines and stopped me from digging at all. And you, Jon, you didn’t complain once when I pretty much tackled you in a hug. You both sat with me as the paramedics looked me over. You didn’t leave until you were sure I was back in my hotel and in good hands. You never got impatient with me. That’s more than I could have asked for,” suddenly her mask was wet, and she roughly swiped away the tears that had leaked from her eyes. “You guys being Superman and Superboy isn’t going to make me treat you differently. It’s… actually nice. Not having to hide anymore, I mean.”

Jon grinned and flew over, enveloping her in a tight hug. Ladybug only chuckled and returned it, never once faltering in her balance. “I know exactly what you mean!” He said happily, making Ladybug laugh even more. It quickly devolved into Jon having to compensate for Ladybug’s balance, since she was suddenly leaning all her weight on him as she laughed her little heart out and no longer seemed to care about her balance at all. Not that it mattered much, Jon was more than capable of keeping her safe at close range like this, but it was cute to see. And for Clark? It was really relieving to see the girl he had come to think of as a daughter laughing so genuinely for the first time. Not a chuckle, or a soft huff of amusement, a full blown belly laugh.

It was amazing.

“Come on. I think you have some explaining to do, if you are comfortable with it anyway. Do you want to fly back, or portal back?” He asked, tilting his head slightly. He wouldn’t force Marinette to use her powers, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t curious about them. Marinette straightened up, easily regaining her balance on the pointed tip of the tower beneath her, and slipping on a pair of glasses that she pulled… out of her yo-yo?

Wait, why was a yo-yo on her hip her only weapon? Maybe Clark should look into the Paris situation a bit more in-depth. He was clearly missing a lot, and none of what he was seeing was necessarily filling him with joy and confidence. Maybe Marinette could help soothe his worries later, if she decided to explain her abilities to them.

One transformation and a portal later, and all three of them stepped back into Marinette’s room. And when the portal closed and Marinette let down all her transformations, she took a deep breath and looked around. At both men in the room with her. At her bed and all her belongings. At the way this space has become her own. It felt nice. Warm. Welcoming, familiar.

Home.

It felt like home.

And Marinette’s smile hadn’t been quite so wide since before that infamous Metropolis trip.

Part 2

Yes, Lois kept her last name when she married Clark. I just like alliteration, okay? Besides, my story my rules lol :P

#maribat #mlb x dc #ml x dc #platonic jonette #jon kent and marinette #Marinette joins the Kent family #Marinette Kent

[ingek73]

Stifling, Toxic and Racist—Duchess Meghan Never Had a Chance at The Palace

Royal editor-at-large Omid Scobie sounds off on the outdated practices and attitudes within the royal family that left the Duke and Duchess of Sussex forced to make a change.

BY OMID SCOBIE

MAR 10 2021, 3:20 PM EST

I remember the feeling of frustration well. My work on an extensive biography of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Finding Freedom, was coming to an end. After hearing countless stories from multiple people close to the couple about how they felt unsupported and unprotected by the institution of the monarchy, it was time to address the matter with the palace side. A chance for them to respond.

“This is nonsense. … We did absolutely everything [for Meghan],” the senior aide told me over the phone. I asked for examples. “Everybody welcomed her, and she was given all the support she needed,” they continued. I asked again. “They forget how accommodating we were when it came to navigating the duchess through her first steps [as a working royal],” the aide added, somewhat curtly. I had several conversations like this over the weeks that followed—each party, be they from Clarence House, Buckingham Palace, or Kensington Palace, for the most part seemingly baffled by the Sussexes’ grievances. Finally, I took what I had and moved on.

Well over a year has passed since these calls, and the full severity of Harry and Meghan’s situation has finally been laid bare. Sitting in front of Oprah Winfrey, the duchess tearfully opened up about her darkest days as a working member of the royal family. Unprotected, undefended, and left to face a near-daily barrage of hateful commentary and negative stories, Meghan revealed how her circumstances had, at times, seen her virtually stuck indoors for weeks on end. Lunch with friends could have momentarily lifted her spirits, but social outings were dismissed by royal family members and aides who said it would be better to lie low. Her image was “everywhere right now,” they told her. Her isolated existence stood out in particular to her worried mother, Doria Ragland, who during a summer 2019 visit to Frogmore Cottage was surprised to discover that neither she nor her daughter was able to go out into Windsor town to pick up coffees. “You’re stuck in here,” Doria told Meghan at the time, according to a source.

The Oprah interview was the world’s first time hearing Meghan describe the true toll of the palace’s “no comment” policy when it came to dealing with inaccurate press coverage. One report that caused Meghan particular upset was the November 2018 allegation that she’d made the Duchess of Cambridge cry during a children’s bridesmaid dress fitting for her Windsor Castle wedding. Though the palace knew the claims were untrue (and that it was, in fact, Kate who made Meghan cry), Meghan was repeatedly told that it would not be possible to set the record straight, despite it being a story that fed into a stereotype-laden narrative. Other royal family members were often afforded more sympathetic support when it came to dealing with inaccurate press (officials even issued a statement to deny Kate’s use of Botox in July 2019), but both Harry and Meghan felt they did not have access to this same privilege.

The couple’s exasperation came to a head in January 2020, when Kensington Palace urgently requested that Prince Harry cosign a statement against an “offensive” newspaper report stating Prince William “constantly bullied” the Sussexes before their decision to step away. “Well, if we’re just throwing any statement out there now, then perhaps KP can finally set the record straight about me [not making Kate cry],” Meghan emailed an aide, asking why side of the story public image was never considered important to anyone. But, as with many requests made by the couple, her suggestion was ignored. The Duchess of Cambridge, she was told, should never be dragged into idle gossip.

Meghan’s state of well-being deteriorated as the institution refused to defend or protect her during her toughest moments. Talking to Oprah, Meghan revealed that her mental health was so fragile during her pregnancy that she “didn’t want to be alive anymore.” She turned to senior staff—including the palace’s own HR department—but her plea for help in January 2019 was repeatedly shut down. It’s not a good look for the family, she was told. Even friends who wanted to help her or speak up in her defense were regularly reminded by palace aides to keep quiet. As the cruel commentary, racist attacks, death threats, and negative tabloid stories piled up—and the institution continued to ignore the problem—Meghan later likened the experience to a friend as “death by a thousand cuts.” Her reference to an ancient Chinese execution method was no coincidence.

For the millions around the world who watched Meghan share her story, some of the experiences shared were perhaps all too familiar. Princess Diana revealed in several interviews that she considered suicide during her marriage to Prince Charles and spoke candidly about her battles with bulimia and mental distress, both of which were ignored by the institution of the monarchy. Sarah, Duchess of York, was also open about how the pressures and loneliness that came with palace life led to her own struggle with eating disorders.

When Kate quickly found public adoration as the Duchess of Cambridge, the palace would proudly tell members of the press that lessons from the past had been learned. “There has been a concerted effort to ensure that history never repeats itself,” one senior staff member working for the Cambridges told me in 2014. Yet, here we are in 2021, with a very real image of Britain’s oldest and most revered establishment once again engaged in neglect and gaslighting, and dismissing mental health.

When Kate quickly found public adoration as the Duchess of Cambridge, the palace would proudly tell members of the press that lessons from the past had been learned. “There has been a concerted effort to ensure that history never repeats itself,” one senior staff member working for the Cambridges told me in 2014. Yet, here we are in 2021, with a very real image of Britain’s oldest and most revered establishment once again engaged in neglect and gaslighting, and dismissing mental health.

This time, however, race—or more specifically, racism—plays a major role. Harry and Meghan’s revelation that a member of the royal family (not the queen or Prince Philip) had expressed “concern” over how dark the skin of the queen’s great-grandson might be, left many, including Oprah herself, openmouthed. But for those familiar with the institution—which on Sunday celebrated the diversity of the Commonwealth realm’s population of 2.4 billion—it comes as less of a surprise. This is an establishment that only last week briefed The Times of London that Meghan wanted to be royal “the Beyoncé way,” and that the help offered to her included establishing the queen’s Black equerry (a senior attendant, if you will) as a “mentor.” Princess Michael of Kent’s ignorance regarding wearing a blackamoor brooch during her first encounter with Meghan is a reminder that even racial sensitivity can be lacking within the family. An establishment that, as Meghan herself explained, has yet to learn the difference between rude and racist press coverage. The stiff upper lip, no matter how painful the attacks, was expected to remain impossibly rigid at all times.

The palace has continually proven itself to be unable to empathize with any person who crumbles under the pressures of its outdated and unreasonable expectations.

But when does forced silence turn into abuse? Ignoring gossip and drama may fall under the royal family’s famed (but questionable) “never complain, never explain” mantra, but expecting the victim of racism to remain voiceless while sections of the press call her “ghetto,” “straight outta Compton,” and “un-royal” borders on complicit with the attacks. As does refusing to learn how to identify the existence of the very racism that fuels them.

If it’s not considered appropriate to acknowledge racism or racial ignorance when aimed at a mixed-raced senior royal, then how should the 54 countries of the Commonwealth and its predominantly Black, Brown, and mixed population feel about the realm’s figurehead belonging to an institution that claims to celebrate “diversity” but in practice appears to uphold white supremacy? And if the lack of awareness Harry described to Oprah is true, then were race-related public duties, including Prince William recently calling out racism in British soccer and Prince Charles speaking out about racism in architecture in 2000, simply performative? It’s hard to forget that across the full lineup of working royals, all failed to acknowledge last year’s Black Lives Matter movement, which saw just as much protesting across the United Kingdom as the United States.

A brief, 61-word statement shared on behalf of the queen by the palace on March 9 revealed that the family is “saddened” by how challenging recent years have been for the Sussexes. But with the note also admitting that the family are somehow only just learning of the “full extent” of the couple’s experiences, isn’t it all a bit late? With yet another “commoner” leaving the House of Windsor emotionally battered and bruised, the palace has continually proven itself to be unable to empathize with any person who crumbles under the pressures of its outdated and unreasonable expectations. A glass-half-full view is that recent events could perhaps serve as a catalyst for change (and I hope they are). But given Harry’s own admission that his family is trapped within a “system” so fearful of the British press and public that they’re often unable to live up to their own ideals, is it actually time for us to just finally set them free?

#royals #meghan markle #prince harry #brf #duchess of sussex #duke of sussex #kate middleton #prince william #british royal family #duchess of cambridge #duke of cambridge #omid scobie #princess diana #sarah ferguson

[thesupermanandsuperfamarchive]

Small question friend, who are your personal favorite members of the superman family? This can extend to anyone Clark and/or Lois have interacted and been friends with and not have to be directly related. So out of the direct family, Chris Kent, Lana Lang, Steel, Karen Starr, etc also count.

My personal favourite members of the Superfamily include:

#1 Jor-El ll/Jon Sam Kent, as seen with my blog’s icon, and he has been ever since I started casually reading Super Sons since I liked that they were caped crusaders who were close to my age and then when I saw Jon Sam give these pleading looks with those big baby blue eyes of his that could convince just about anyone to do just about anything for him (can my absolute adoration for Jon AND Jorge Jimenez’s style of illustrating and colouring BE any more apparent?), including reading up on any and all of his previous comic appearances, which was when I read up on ‘Superman: Lois & Clark’ that had handed hands-down one of the best characterisations of Jon Sam that I’d seen so far (some other comics whose characterisations of Jon Sam that I also like are ‘Son of Superman’ and ‘DCeased: Hope at World’s End’, and ‘DCeased: Dead Planet’).

Like, I loved how he had figured out his dad was Superman ON HIS OWN, how he had understood that he and his family were from an alternate universe which was why there seemed to be TWO versions of his parents occupying the same space at the same time, how he had AMBUSHED AND ATTACKED an ADULT with A GUN in his hand who had been hired to kill him and his mom with A TIRE IRON he had taken out of the trunk of his car hard enough that he had knocked this ARMED AND ARMORED ADULT out at the age of 8-9, to which he showed ZERO REMORSE towards, proof that he’s REALLY quick to be on his feet with a weapon in his hands and a plan of attack in his mind, even WITHOUT receiving the training or having the experience needed to be a superhero beforehand, a clear contrast to Jon Sam's fanon characterisation where he’s almost always described as being unable to hurt a fly.

Not only that, the history behind his existence is especially engrossing to me (and I’d love to do more with it), as it is exceptionally multifaceted in nature, as he is the son of Pre-Flashpoint!Clark and Lois who was born in Flashpoint!Gotham City on Telos, located outside of time, was delivered by none other than Flashpoint timeline!Batman, otherwise known as Thomas Wayne, Bruce Wayne's father, in his darn Batcave (as much as I hated Jon Sam in LOSH I would have loved to have seen him encounter and interact with Flashpoint!Batman again), then was brought up in Post-Flashpoint!Salinas, California, where he and his family were constantly on the move, constantly taking on new identities, constantly taking up jobs far, far below their skill levels, etc.

All to avoid being found by any government, any organisation, or even that timeline’s Justice League, because ensuring their son was happy and healthy was emphasised to be the most important thing to them (Where? WHERE was ANY of this when was taken by Jor-El, when he was taken by the LOSH right after?), and then was later crucial to the combination of Pre-Flashpoint and Post-Flashpoint timelines (Mr.Mxyzptlk even confirmed this when he had called him the ‘architect of all this weirdness’), which caused just about everyone to think that Jon Sam was always there, as seen with this new narrative where Jon Sam had been born in the Fortress of Solitude during an alien invasion with Batman and Wonder Woman on guard.

#2 Jon-El/Jon Lane Kent, even though this might be considered cheating, since Jon Lane IS Jon Sam from an alternate timeline that had taken place in Post-Flashpoint, which was otherwise known as the New 52, but I don’t care since I AM one of those people who consider Jon Lane and Jon Sam to be separate characters (unlike SOME people who I see tag Jon Sam Kent as Jon Lane Kent, or worse, Jon Kent, in Ao3, in Tumblr, and in Twitter, these people will one day be my villain origin story so help m–), who CAN occupy the same space at the same time as twins, or as brothers in general, I have been ever since I’d read almost all of New 52 Superboy only to ignore the annoyingly complicated plot, for the most part, and had Jon Lane in my headcanon be the feral brother who bites, claws, and thinks highly of himself. Honestly, Jon Lane’s feral vibes are SO off the charts that I really think that he WOULD walk around on all fours and hunt for his food in the woods with nothing but his bare hands if he could.

I also consider him to be one of my personal problematic favorite members of the Superfamily since though I AM horrified of the sheer level of calculated sadism Jon Lane has shown to have I DO love how it took Jon Lane less than a day to switch from being a genocidal maniac with an agenda to take down everyone and everything in his way to being a genocidal maniac who will gladly die for these people who had saved his life and had showed him kindness because they were decent human beings. Also, Jon Lane’s the one my mind goes to when I think of genetically unstable, psychologically unhinged, human-hybrid super, so he’s the one who I dump most of the many, MANY headcanons I have for what physical and psychological issues a hybrid super would suffer from, which is a lot of fun, whereas his siblings, cousins, and other relatives who are also hybrids, who are also HUMAN-hybrids, don’t suffer from as many issues (though still DO suffer from a few issues) as Jon Lane does in my headcanon.

#3 Chris Kent, he has been ever since I read Superman: Last Son, no surprise there, the first half of the story IS filled with all that feel-good family fluff with a pinch of past trauma that some of the characters ARE getting some form of therapy for that I LOVE AND LIVE FOR, though whereas I found the first half absolutely heartwarming, I found the the second half absolutely horrifying, reading Chris sacrificing his health and happiness by returning to that HORRIBLE hellhole that is the Phantom Zone where he could have been abused and used by Zod and Ursa ALL OVER AGAIN to save everything and everyone, basically because Chris believed that when he had escaped the toxic environment he was born and brought up in by just as toxic people, not parents, NEVER were they parents– he was dragging other people into it too, and it’s putting their lives on the line, HE’S putting their lives on the line, and it hurts him because these people love him, and he loves them too, he loves them SO much that he’ll do the ONLY thing that there is left for him to do, really, and that is to go back. *insert me sniffling, sobbing, WAILING as I am falling on my hands and knees here*

And then, though I was happy that he had come back the FIRST time, I HATED how Chris was aged-up, no surprise there either, seeing as I had been reading up on New Krypton AFTER reading up on almost anything and everything following Doomsday Clock, including how Jon Sam had been aged-up as well. The entire thing with the deities Nightwing, Flamebird, ​​Vohc, and Rao was immensely interesting to me and I was a bit bummed out that Thara and the Flamebird entity had sacrificed themselves and Chris had separated with the Nightwing entity towards the end of New Krypton (though I AM going to explore and expand on them even more in my headcanons, especially when I finally work on Chris and Thara’s parts in my blog so there’s that at least). Also, as happy as I was when he had been brought back the SECOND time, I LOATHED how Chris’ relationships with Clark and Lois, with Ma and Pa Kent, with the Superfamily in general was wiped away, and now he had always been, and always will be Lor-Zod, and he’ll always have only known, and he’ll always only know Zod, Ursa, and Non.

Reading and re-reading Renaroo’s fics, Second Son and Super Brothers, on Ao3 DID help with the hurt though. Also, aside from the entire thing with the Nightwing and Flamebird entities, I also dump my many, MANY headcanons on the Phantom Zone onto him because I was INTENSELY intrigued by the fact that Chris was born and brought up in the Phantom Zone, where its main horror factors are that your senses such as your sense of sight, smell taste, touch, and hearing, are made moot as your physical form is made into that of a phantom and you start to see these HORRIFIC hallucinations that drive you more and more mad the longer that you’re there, to begin with and wanted to explore and expand just WHAT kind of being he would be with THAT kind of background.

#4 Cir-El/Mia Kent, she has been ever since she met Clark and Lois for the first time by dropping in on them from the sky and calling them Daddy and Mommy, respectively, in a public place with NOT A SINGLE FUCK GIVEN, and then went on to have a father-daughter relationship with Clark SO sweet that I swore I could’ve gotten cavities at some point, seriously, I LOVE that scene where Clark tells Cir that even if she WASN’T his and Lois’ biological daughter from the future, he STILL would want to be her father, would want her be his daughter, and would want to teach her all about Krypton, Kryptonians, etc. And Mia’s relationships with Natasha and Traci were really, REALLY great, admittedly, these three ARE my OT3 and I really think that if she had stuck around a little longer those concept sketches of Cir, Traci, and Natasha seemingly pursuing a healthy, happy polyamorous relationship with each other could have and would have been made canon the comics (though that MIGHT just be wishful thinking when looking back on WHAT THE FUCK DC did to Nat and Traci OFF-PANEL for no real reason right after they were confirmed to be together in a romantic relationship–). But as this was not the case, I’ll just make do with as many posts of my OT3 as I can when I get to work on Cir, Nat, and Traci’s parts of my blog.

Also, the concept of Brainiac creating her to act as a trojan horse of sorts is a great concept, and it’s concept that I’d like to tie into their world collecting even more so she’s but one of MANY trojan horses who was utterly unaware of her true nature until Mia’s unconscious programming judged that the planet and people had been considered just about ready for collection, after which a transformation would take place. HOWEVER, unlike other trojan horses like Indigo, the nanomachines in Cir’s body had her body and mind to transform into not only that of a informant and a combatant who could contact and communicate to Brainiac that they could bottle up Metropolis right after Mia successfully sabotaged Earth’s defenses by acting as a beloved superheroine, (similar to how The Reach would conquer and plunder planets with their scarabs and their hosts) but also that of a Kryptonian-Human hybrid, having her seemingly share the same set of abilities and skills Clark has without having her share the same set of weaknesses Clark also has as a Kryptonian, as well as share some of Clark and Lois’ features, in order to successfully pass Cir off as his and Lois' superpowered daughter from the future who had come to visit her dead parents in the past as Brainiac had been aware that Superman would NEVER ever be able to raise his hand against his own child.

#5 Ari-El/Ari Kent, I ADORE how she embodies the Silver Age’s whimsy and wonder, how she's a spunky amnesiac Supergirl with unlimited power who just wreaks havoc just by coming in contact with a semi-logical space, how she’s a time-traveler and a universe-jumper (there is no universe or timeline or continuity that is safe from her shenanigans) who's out there surfing through space and time on her flying skateboard just like Linda, just having a good time, just living out her best life, how she’s nicknamed THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS, THE DEMOLISHER OF STAR SYSTEMS, of all things, (the Worldkillers out here being NOTHING next to her) because she ended up destroying an ENTIRE alien planet and people at some point in her trip to the 853rd century by sneaking into their ships and fucking with all of their weapons in the middle of them invading another alien planet and people BY ACCIDENT (she just wanted a playmate to play with), how she went back in time and became best friends with tiny baby KLARION, of all people, who was utterly SMITTEN by her, she’s just a TINY six-year-old out there with the powers of an all-powerful god out to have such a good time AND I LOVE HER, SHE'S PERFECT, SO PERFECT.

And it was SO sad to see that though I KNOW that since Supergirl: Many Happy Returns was a Supergirl-centric story, her and Linda’s mother-daughter relationship was focused on and explored much, MUCH more, I STILL wished that her and Clark’s father-daughter relationship was ALSO focused on and explored just as much as her and her relationship with Linda was, like, AT LEAST have them share a SINGLE panel. Also, even though Jimmy showed up in Supergirl: Many Happy Returns, the two of them DIDN’T hang out and have their own set of weird, wacky adventures together on-panel even though the story took place in the SILVER AGE, the same Silver Age where Jimmy could and would be seen constantly getting transformed into different monsters, or participating in murder mysteries, or marrying gorillas, or a VAST variety of INSANE events that could easily have taken place in the Silver Age EVERY OTHER DAY. So these kind of things are also something I’m going to be exploring and expanding A LOT when I work on her part in my blog.

#The Archivist Answers #Hello there to you too! #Thank you SO much for sending me my first ask! #I hope that you don't mind that it's a bit long that it's a bit longer than what you might have been expecting #Really was overthinking and overdoing it here wasn't I? #Will work on NOT doing either of that #To everyone else interested to send me asks feel free to do so my ask box IS open #I'll be happy to talk about anything and everything that there is to with the Superfamily and the Supermythos

[hyunrun]

Dream SMP/Batfam

This is my reasoning for connections between Dream SMP members and the Bats. This was all just for fun, but feel free to give feedback if you’d like! And do say if I’ve made a mistake. I haven’t done everyone, so if there’s anyone else you’d like me to do, lemme know! Please read, I spent a good while on this :D

Batman (Bruce Wayne)/Technoblade: Technoblade's Dream SMP origin story starts with his parents dying, so the backstory fits. He swears to kill all orphans because of the way they killed his parents (Similar to the way Bruce wanted to stop crime from running rampant in Gotham). Techno is also, technically, an orphan as Bruce was. I've always imagined Bruce's voice to be kinda like Techno's, especially that monotone tone he uses, and especially when he's Batman and not Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne is -Bat-man and Technoblade is a pig, need I elaborate? Both of them seem to stay up till ungodly times of the day, and I'm sure their sleep schedules are never on the same clock as anyone else's, Bruce's because of his vigilante lifestyle and Techno because... well, he's a Minecraft YouTuber. Both of them have a father figure, although not biological. They also have a friendly rivalry with a fellow content creator/hero (Cough Dream/Superman cough). We say Dick/Wilbur is dramatic, but you can't possibly mean to tell me Batman/Technoblade isn’t subtly more dramatic. They practically invented being dramatic in their respective businesses.

Alfred Pennyworth/Philza Minecraft: Is the father figure to Batman/Technoblade. Is really a force of chaos but everyone pictures them as a soft, loving dad because we all have parental issues and we need more father figures. Both of them are very badass in their own ways. Old and British. Here's a parallel I thought was pretty cool. Philza had been building up his hardcore world for 5 years before he died. It was like his home disappeared in front of his eyes as he fell away from his life. I'm not sure which continuity/arc this is from (Please do not hate on me, I am but a small child) bUT I do know that Alfred died of a heart attack/stroke at the same time the Wayne Manor was destroyed. His home was destroyed as he died. Just as Philza's had been.

Damian Wayne/TommyInnit: Is never really loved by anyone at��first glance (From the fandoms). Tommy's the loud, annoying one, Damian's the grouchy, haughty one. But everyone eventually gravitates towards their characters later on. Their families were wary of them at first but grew to love them. Both of them are the youngest, and generally angriest child. Both are not American, Tommy being British and Damian, Arabic. They both have ICONIC mothers. MotherInnit is a queen, we all know this. If she can handle Tommy, she can handle absolutely anything. Talia Al Ghul has a reputation of her own right, and while she hasn't quite the pristine repertoire, she definitely strikes a strong mark on people. Now, this is a dumb connection between the two, but hair!! Tommy’s seems nice and floofy while Damian's is generally drawn spiky, and I think that's a cool contrast. Their love for pets is also important to note. Tommy's the one that's known for starting wars over the deaths of his pets, and it's easy to know that Damian wouldn't hesitate to hurt someone if they did anything to Titus or Batcow. It’s been shown on multiple occasions that he loves his pets a lot.

Jon Kent/Tubbo_: Best friends with Tommy/Damian. Do not try to argue that Jon and Damian aren't best friends because come onnn. And PLEASE do not take this as a dumb excuse to ship Tommy and Tubbo, as I know people ship Dami and Jon. Both are the embodiment of chaos wrapped in kindness, and both are definitely the more stable of their friendship with the other gremlin children. I am confident that both would probably refer to their parents as mother and father dearest. You cannot convince me otherwise. Tubbo has already done so, and Jon would never disrespect his parents, so this would obviously be the next best alternative for when he is upset by them. Jon’s powers fluctuate upon shifts in emotion and he can’t really control his powers, like the shifting of Tubbo’s alter egos. We never know when Toob or Big Law will creep out of the shadows.

Dick Grayson/Wilbur Soot: (Second) most dramatic in the family, though perceived as the drama queen because of their boisterous personalities. The one that was probably a theatre kid in school. The lighthearted one that keeps everyone cheerful, but also the one with the easiest path to a horrid descent into madness. They have a flair for drama, the glitter and sparkles to Batman/Technoblade’s sombre smoke and haze, which is why they work together so well. The closest family member to Tommy/Damian. Their little brother/big brother dynamics are just impeccable. Both are the most simped for by their respective fanbases (from what I’ve seen). The token pretty boys. Both artistically talented in different ways, with Wilbur’s music and Dick’s acrobatic skills. Also the ones that get constantly shipped with every woman they literally even look at. They also express their dramatic tendencies through their clothes, Dick with his jazzy Discowing suit and Wilbur’s dramatic L’manburg outfit.

Superman/Dream: The OP gods, need I say more? Friendly rivals with Technoblade/Batman. Very often perceived as ‘Perfect’ which they are not, but many refuse to accept that. A funny parallel I drew was the fact that both of them are famous in their own rights, but can just walk around and not get recognised despite millions of people knowing their online/superhero identities. Both are technically not human.

Stephanie (Batgirl/Spoiler)/Sapnap: Both of their names start with S! Not my only reasoning, but I’ll take it into account anyway. Both are basic looking in my head (Blue eyes blonde hair for Steph?? There’s at least 3 other girls that look EXACTLY like her in the nearby DC universes. And Sapnap blends in with every other white boy, though I love him regardless.) but both also have immaculate personalities to make up for it. They’re the most normal people out of all their co-streamers/superheroes in my eyes, also my favourites. (I didn’t realise as I put them together that I loved them most but here we are). They’re both great at dumb banter. They don’t have huge, hilarious bits often or any constant jokes that are pulled on time and time again, but their general atmosphere makes everything seem like a joke. They may not be the best at what they do in their friend groups but are actually really good nonetheless and do not get due credit for their effort and talent sometimes. Has a warring relationship with Damian/Tommy (Sapnap over the pets and Steph and Dami didn’t have the most friendly relationship at the start)

Jason/BBH- Same but opposite but same. Exists to cause chaos. I wouldn’t have associated these two with each other till the Badlands became a thing… but then the Badlands became a thing and I had to. Now, I know that technically Bad doesn’t have a grudge against Techno, but Jason would totally set up a whole empire just to mess with Bruce’s plans, just to get in the way, to instigate, to fan the flames of the fire till he’s driven Bruce to his breaking point. Bad isn’t exactly trying to do that, but he’s only around for the chaos. He’s only here for his own benefit, and he’s only here for that because of the hurt caused to him by the nation he came from. A parallel being Jason causing havoc because of the pain Bruce caused him. Besides, both have a cool red and black colour scheme, and both wear jacket!! Both are also technically not alive (If we're considering BBH as a demon).

Roy Harper/Skeppy: I have absolutely no explanation for this, but it just Fits. Besides, they have cool opposing colour schemes and are best friends with BBH/Jason!!

Aaaand last but not least

Jason/Technoblade: Now you must be thinking But Kaly you already spoke about them! And yes, I did, and they do go really well with their respective characters but I couldn’t simply ignore the connection between these two, so I thought I might as well write about it. Technoblade was an English major (If I remember correctly) before he dropped out to pursue his youtube career. Jason, though this may not be a well-known fact, was a definite literature nerd at school before he met his demise. Their cut off education in English is an interesting parallel to me. Both of them also have destructive tendencies, with Technoblade being an anarchist and Jason periodically running an underground empire to make sure he can do whatever the hell he wants to. They don’t generally care who they hurt on their way to reach their end goal. Jason’s reckless shooting and killing clearly shows this, as he continuously justifies his actions by saying he’s ending crime rather than just making it wait in line for its turn to pop up again, while Technoblade’s release of the withers and excessive use of his firework crossbow clearly shows that the deaths of the residents of L’manburg do not matter to him as long as he abolishes the government.

#dream smp #mcyt #mcytblr #batman #dc #jason todd #technoblade #roy harper #skeppy #badboyhalo #stephanie brown #red hood #spoiler #robin #jon kent #superboy #superman #clark kent #dreamwastaken #dream #dick grayson #richard grayson #nightwing #discowing #wilbur soot #tubbo #tommyinnit #philza #alfred pennyworth #philza minecraft

[nerdzzone]

Light After Dark: Chapter One

Summary: Brooke Harris was trying her best to be grateful. As the world tackled the COVID-19 pandemic, she was healthy and safe and so was the rest of her family, but her dreams had very quickly been crushed by the economic fallout. Trapped on the quaint island of Jersey with nothing, but free time to wallow in her mistakes, Brooke’s mental health was taking a hit, but when she collides with a handsome stranger she starts to realize that the future might not be so bleak and there might still be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Pairing: Henry Cavill x OFC

______________

April. 12. 2020

Stress.

Everyone was feeling it these days. Pandemics will do that to people. Especially when the world that everyone knew and loved had crumbled into an entirely different, almost unrecognizable version of itself.

Restaurants were closed. All stores that were deemed non-essential were shuttered. The streets were empty.

It was an odd kind of bittersweet. It was heartbreaking to see all the bustling cities turn into ghost towns, but it was good because it meant that people were listening. People were caring about their vulnerable friends and neighbours, their elderly grandparents, the health care workers who fought tirelessly to save those who needed their help. 

It was a necessary evil, but nevertheless it was odd to see and the uncertainty of how the future would unfold was anxiety inducing.

At first, I wanted as much news as possible. Staying informed of everything happening in every affected country gave me some comfort. It was as if it somehow gave me more control, but I quickly realized that wasn't the case. It gave me no clearer indication of how or when things would end or when some kind of normality would return. It left me overwhelmed and drowning in hypothetical worse case scenarios when really the truth was that no one had any idea. Even the experts couldn't say what would happen next. It was all just guess work and while some of it was educated, most of the articles were not and it was turning me into a nervous wreck.

So I decided to disconnect. I decided to trust that I would be informed when the number of cases dropped and the lockdown was lifted and trust that the process would not be sped up by me consuming as many statistics and projections as I could find.

Turning off was hard though. I wasn't one of the lucky few who could simply do their job from home, I had nothing to fill my days. I had also chosen to isolate with my parents in the lovely house they'd bought a few years earlier on the beautiful island of Jersey. In some ways this was a lucky choice as the risk was far lower than in London where I was living, but it was quaint and the lack of hustle and bustle made me feel even more restless.

Which was how I found myself out exploring the trails. 

My mother had kicked me out of the house when she caught me doing one of my niece’s art projects for her out of boredom. My niece hadn't wanted to do it anyway, so I didn't see the harm, but my mother had reminded me that she was seven and didn't get to just opt out of schoolwork if she wasn't in the mood. She then cited some article she'd found about how the government were still encouraging people who were feeling cooped up to go outside to exercise once a day and tossed me my shoes and bag before pushing me to the door.

I'd wandered sulkily at first, frustrated that at thirty I was in a situation that had my mother tossing me outside the way she did when we were kids and our endless energy was getting on her nerves. But I soon realized she was right. It was a beautiful island and I should appreciate the opportunity to explore it. So I found a map, picked a destination and then hiked for almost an hour until I'd reached the viewing point I was looking for.

I had to admit it was a beautiful view as I looked out over the ocean, sitting on the little bench I'd found, but the peace it brought was short-lived. I started wondering if I really should have sat down at all considering I had no idea who had been there before me. My legs were tired so I had figured it was worth the risk as long as I didn't touch anything, but was it really?

Sighing into the mask that covered my face, it struck me again how strange the world currently was. Two months ago, I wouldn't have thought twice about sitting on a public bench or worried what would happen if another group joined me in the little clearing I'd found, but now every stranger was a potential threat.

I quickly grew frustrated with my negative thoughts. The walk was supposed to get me out of my head and I was annoyed that I couldn't shake it, couldn't think of anything else except the stupid pandemic for even just a few minutes. The mask on my face suddenly felt suffocating and I just wanted to get home so I could rip it off.

Rising from the bench, I checked the time on my phone before tossing it back into my bag with a sigh and heading off down the trails. I was in a world of my own as I walked. Day dreams about how things would be now if none of this had ever happened filled my head and then, when the inescapable reality broke through my thoughts, I pondered what kind of new cocktail I could try when I got home to ease the pang of loss that seemed to constantly fill my stomach.

I was in the midst of drooling over a prosecco and elder flower concoction that I'd recently read a recipe for when suddenly it felt like I was hit by a truck.

I landed on the ground, flat on my back, fighting to breathe as the wind was knocked right out of me. My chest was tight and my vision was blurry as I felt a familiar panic rising in my chest. Did I bring my inhaler? Where was my bag? What had even happened?

As the thoughts raced through my mind, I could vaguely hear the sound of someone next to me.

"Are you alright?" They asked, their tone conveying a similar panic to the one I was feeling. "Shit, I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

I nodded as the spasm in my chest subsided, but my weak lungs seemed to struggle to recover from the shock. I coughed into my mask as I forced myself to sit up, looking frantically for my bag and spotted it a few feet off to the side. My breath was coming out in short wheezes as I struggled to move closer to it, but the man was much faster. He thrust it into my arms, watching me like a worried puppy as I quickly dug through it.

Relief flooded through me as my hand wrapped around my inhaler and I quickly pulled down my mask as I pressed it against my lips. It took a few moments, but I felt myself calm down as the tightness began to subside and my body relaxed. It wasn't until I'd taken a few deep breaths that the man spoke again.

"Are you alright?" He repeated, clearly realizing I was in a much better position to actually give a response. "I'm so sorry."

I nodded as I finally took a good look at who I was talking to and suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe again for an entirely different reason. He had a baseball hat pulled low on his head, probably in an attempt to hide his identity, but it didn't work as I realized I was face to face with Superman himself, Henry Cavill.

"Y-yeah, I'm, uh, I'm fine, thanks," I sputtered out. "What happened?"

Henry rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he squatted next to where I was sitting on the dusty trail.

"I was running and I crashed into you," He admitted. "I wasn't paying attention and didn't see you around the corner."

"Oh," I nodded, still trying to come to terms with the situation. "I wasn't paying attention either to be fair. It's not your fault."

He pulled a face that made it clear that he didn't necessarily agree with that statement, but he didn't argue.

"Are you really alright?" He asked again, guilt written all over his face. "You fell really hard and then you weren't breathing. I thought I'd killed you."

I snorted a laugh, quickly covering my face as it turned into a cough.

"I'm okay," I insisted, my voice raspy. "And for the record I don't have that stupid virus either. I have asthma. I think I got winded when I fell and it triggered an attack."

"Shit," Henry rubbed his face nervously. "So I almost did kill you."

"Nah," I smiled, appreciating how genuinely bad he felt about the situation. "You can't be blamed for my broken lungs."

He chuckled and flashed me a smile before standing and holding out a hand for me. I took it happily, but once he'd pulled me to my feet another issue became apparent. As soon as I put weight on my left foot, I crumbled into Henry's arms, gasping in pain.

"Whoa, I got you," He soothed as he caught me. "What hurts?"

"My ankle," I groaned, shifting all my weight to my right foot and off of him.

Henry's brow furrowed in thought before his eyes widened like a little light bulb had gone off in his brain.

"There's a park nearby," He informed me. "Can I take you there and look it?"

I raised an eyebrow as I hopped slightly to keep my balance.

"I don't remember the Superman movie where Clark Kent went to medical school."

There was a brief flash of surprise on his face when he realized I knew who he was, but it disappeared almost instantly as he chuckled and shot me a smirk.

"I can't say that he did," He confirmed. "But as someone who had to stay in pretty decent shape for that role, I'm more familiar than I care to admit with sports injuries."

"I don't think being bowled over by a man with muscles bigger than my head counts as a sport," I matched his smirk. "But I would appreciate your opinion if you don't mind looking at it. It hurts quite badly and I'm clueless with this stuff."

"Of course," Henry nodded. "Ready?"

Before I could even answer, Henry had one arm tucked under the back of my knees and was holding me bridal style in his arms. I gasped quietly at suddenly being lifted off the ground, but my surprise quickly turned into awe at the ease with which he had picked me up and how he was now walking quickly down the trail as if I weighed nothing at all. It had been far too long since I'd been in a position this intimate with a man and my mouth suddenly felt dry as his biceps flexed under my back and I couldn't help, but imagine what they would look like if we were in other intimate positions.

Stopping those thoughts as fast as they appeared, I pulled my mask up to hide my reddening cheeks.

"We are definitely not six feet apart..."

My mumbled words were muffled even more by the mask covering my mouth, but the shake of Henry's shoulders as he chuckled and the wink that he shot me made it obvious that he'd heard me loud and clear.

****

"Alright, well, it's pretty swollen, but I don't think it's broken," Henry informed me as he sat on the bench of the picnic table he'd placed me on. He'd spent a few minutes wiggling my foot around, watching my response before announcing his opinion. "I think it's probably just twisted or sprained."

"There goes my dancing career." I sighed dramatically in an attempt to make it clear I was joking, but the slight drop of Henry's jaw and the guilt that riddled his face meant I'd missed the mark. "Kidding! I'm kidding. My lack of coordination killed that dream when I was a child. I'm a baker. Or rather, I was a baker."

Henry quirked an eyebrow at my change of phrasing.

"Decided on a career change?"

I looked down, wishing I hadn't brought it up in the first place. I was starting to accept the way things were, but it wasn't something I was eager to discuss just yet.

"I didn't get a chance to decide really," I started to explain, my voice suddenly coming out much meeker than it had before. "The pandemic kinda made the choice for me."

"Oh," Henry frowned. "Well, it can't go on forever. I'm sure they'll start letting places reopen by the summer."

"Not my place," I smiled half-heartedly in an attempt to hide some of the self-pity I was wallowing in. "I put all my eggs in one basket...A basket which the pandemic then threw off a cliff."

Henry chuckled at my explanation, but there was sympathy on his face.

"Is there no chance you could pick up where you left off?"

I sighed, but shook my head.

"I opened my own bakery in January," I admitted. "I barely had it up and running when the pandemic hit and with my asthma, I'm pretty vulnerable so I closed up shop as soon as things started heading south. I sunk all my savings into it though so I don't have enough to keep it a float. I was past the point of no return after only a few weeks of being shut."

Henry was quiet for a moment and I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me as I realized that I'd massively overshared my problems with a stranger who was simply trying to make polite conversation. I opened my mouth to spout out some apologies when Henry cut me off.

"I'm very sorry to hear that."

His eyes met mine as he spoke and even though it was a simple sentence, it put me at ease. His eyes were warm and comforting and it was clear there was sincerity to his words. Not wanting to burden him too much though, I simply shrugged.

"It could be worse," I pointed out. "I'm healthy, my family are all healthy. People have lost a lot more to this virus than I have."

"Just because people have lost more, it doesn't make you loss insignificant."

I had heard his words before and I appreciated the sentiment, but it still felt hard to grieve for a lost business when an incomprehensible number of people were grieving for lost loved ones. 

"You sound like my therapist," I teased, feeling a strange warmth in my stomach when a smile slid onto his face. He really was very handsome. It was no wonder why women and men all around the world would kill to get this close to him. "Anyway, I should probably call my dad and see if he can pick me up. I don't think I'll be able to walk home."

Henry nodded and passed me my bag from where it was placed on the ground. He waited patiently as I made the call, arranging for my dad to meet me on the road I could see running past the park just up a small hill. Once it was all set up, I turned back to Henry.

"Thanks so much for all your help," I smiled. "I think I'll be okay for now though, you don't need to waste any more of your day."

"It's not a waste," Henry argued. "Besides, I still maintain this whole mess was my fault so it's the least I can do to help you up that hill when your dad arrives."

"You really don't need to," I insisted. "I can hop or crawl or something."

A laugh slipped from Henry's mouth as he shook his head.

"As entertaining as I'm sure that would be to watch, it wouldn't be very decent of me to let you struggle like that," He held firm, clearly not one to back down easily. "How about as a trade off for my assistance, you can give me your number?"

I snorted a laugh as I looked at him in disbelief.

"You want my number? Is that a joke?"

"No!" He grinned from ear to ear as he fished his phone out of the pocket of his shorts. "It's the least you can do after I gave you my expert medical advice."

"Wow, Mr. Cavill. Very smooth," I smiled, my cheeks heating up as I rattled off my number. He entered it in carefully before looking up at me again.

"Now, I just need a name to go with it."

"Oh! How rude of me." My blushed deepened when I realized I hadn't even introduced myself. "I'm Brooke."

"Brooke," Henry repeated as he typed it into his phone. "It's nice to meet you, Brooke."

"You too," I agreed before deciding it was time to to turn the attention back to him. "So, what brings international superstar, Henry Cavil, to the little island of Jersey?"

"It's my home," He informed me, a fond smile on his face. "I grew up here so when production got shut down due to the pandemic, I decided to come here to isolate with my family."

"What an amazing place to grow up," I said, my words dripping with envy. "You must have had the run of the island!"

"We did," Henry nodded with a chuckle. "I have four brothers so my mother always knew we'd keep each other safe and let us do what we pleased for the most part."

"Four brothers?" My jaw dropped slightly at the thought. "I have one sister and that was more than enough siblings for me."

"It was a lot," Henry agreed. "But it was nice. I love having a big family and we all went to boarding school so there wasn't five of us in the house together all the time."

"That makes it easier," I nodded. "Are you close?"

"Absolutely! I'm closest with my younger brother because we're only two years apart, but we're all quite good friends. We try to get everyone together at least once a year if our schedules permit it."

He grinned as he spoke and it was clear that he loved his family very much. I couldn't help, but return his smile.

"That's really nice."

"Are you close with your sister?"

"I am," I nodded. "It's part of the reason I'm here, I guess. My parents moved here a few years back and she decided to bring my niece here to isolate so they could help look after her. My brother-in-law is a paramedic so he knew things were getting bad long before the lockdown started and he felt it would be safer for her not to be in the house with him in case he gets exposed. My sister is working from home though so home-schooling Molly by herself while trying to do her own work would be tough. Since Jersey is obviously safer for me too with my asthma, I decided to tag along when they came over from London way back at the beginning of March so I can help my sister with Molly too."

I felt like I was rambling and oversharing again, but Henry's eyes were on me the entire time and he never once seemed disinterested. It was refreshing to meet someone who was actually interested in having a proper conversation.

"That sounds like a very sensible choice," He nodded when I was finished my explanation. "It must be hard for your niece to be separated from her dad so I'm sure she appreciates having you around. A couple of my brothers are in the military and I know when they've been deployed, the kids really struggle."

"She's doing better than I expected, but there's days when we can tell she's having a hard time," I admitted. "Are you just isolating with your parents?"

"No, no, we're doing a similar thing to you," Henry smiled. "One of my brothers was over visiting at the beginning of March during a school break so when there was talk of schools closing, they decided to just stay over here. So it's my parents and I, plus my brother, his wife and their three kids. Oh, and my big fluffy dog."

My whole face lit up at the mention of a dog before I could even control myself.

"You have a dog?!" I practically squealed, making Henry's shoulder shake as he chuckled. "Do you have pictures?"

"Of course!"

Henry picked up his phone from where he'd placed it on the table and quickly opened his camera roll. From where I was sitting, perched on the table above him, I could see dozens of pictures pop up on the screen, most of them of a big fluffy, black and white dog. He scrolled for a moment before tapping on one and turning the phone towards me.

"Awwwe," I cooed, looking at the big goofy grin on the dog's face. "What's his name?"

"Kal."

I stared at him for a moment, confusion written all over my face.

"You named your dog Cow?"

Henry tossed his head back laughing, shaking it slowly.

"No, not cow! Kal!" He emphasized the 'L' as he clarified. "As in Kal-El."

"Ooh, I get it," I giggled, realizing my mistake. "Wow, you're a nerd."

"I am," Henry chuckled, not fazed by my jab. "If you think naming my dog after Superman is bad, wait until you hear how I've been spending all this free time."

I wrinkled my nose in mock disgust.

"Let me guess...some video game like...World of Warcraft?"

Laughter once again erupted from Henry, making me laugh at the sight.

"No, surprisingly not," He shook his head. "Even though I did almost miss the call for Superman because I actually was playing World of Warcraft..."

"Oh my god, really?" I raised an eyebrow, finding it hard to believe someone who looked like him was into something that many people consider so uncool. He nodded in confirmation before I got us back the point. "I need to hear that story too, but what have you been doing with your free time then if not gaming? Lifting cars to keep those muscles in perfect condition?"

Now it was Henry's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Cars?" He questioned, but I simply shrugged in response. "No, not that. Well, I mean, I do spend a good portion of my day keeping fit, hence this fateful run, but what I was referring to is this..."

Henry flipped to a picture on his phone and showed me. I wasn't entirely sure what I was looking at so I took a guess.

"Painting figurines?"

"Pretty much," He nodded. "It's all tied in to gaming. They have a whole world and lore created about it."

I giggled and shook my head in mock disbelief.

"If only your fan-girls could see you now..."

"Oh, they love it," He smirked. "I posted the picture on my Instagram and apparently they find my nerdy side rather endearing."

"They're just blinded by your handsome face," I teased. "And your gentlemanly manners."

"Most likely," Henry agreed with a grin that filled me a warmth. "Speaking of, I think your dad has arrived."

I looked over my shoulder towards the road and spotted a man waving his arms.

"Yep," I nodded, shifting over to the edge of the picnic table. "Now, how are we going to do this? Can I hold your-"

Before I could finish my sentence, Henry had his arm tucked under my knees and lifted me up bridal style once again.

"Show off," I teased, reaching back to grab my bag from the table just before Henry started the walk up the hill. "I think you're just trying to impress me with your strength."

Henry glanced down at me with a smirk on his face.

"Is it working?"

It was, but I shook my head.

"No, not at all," I lied. "If the tables were turned, I could carry you just as easily."

I was jostled slightly as Henry laughed at that bold statement.

"You're much stronger than you look then," He informed me as we got to the top. “Hold on to me now."

I listened to his instruction, keeping one arm draped around his shoulders as he lowered me to the ground, letting me lean my weight on him and off my left foot.

"Henry, what a pleasant surprise!" My dad greeted us, making me raise an eyebrow in suspicion of his rather familiar greeting of my new friend. "What are you doing here?"

"Unfortunately, I'm to blame for your daughter's injuries, Mr. Harris," Henry explained looking rather sheepish once again. "We collided on the path."

"It wasn't his fault," I insisted. "Neither of us were paying attention and he was kind enough to check me out after."

My dad glanced between the two of us, curiosity written all over his face.

"Check you out?"

My cheeks heated up as I realized how he'd chosen to interpret those words and I rolled my eyes.

"Check my ankle out," I clarified. "He says it's probably just sprained, but I can't put much weight on it."

"Well thank goodness Dr. Cavill was here to assist you," My dad teased, his smirk making me suddenly very aware that Henry still had his arm around my waist. "Your mother is worried sick though so we should probably get you home."

I nodded and hobbled towards the car with Henry's support. Once I was settled safely in my seat, I looked up at him.

"Thanks, Henry," I smiled. "I really appreciate your help."

"Anytime," He nodded. "Let me know when your ankle feels better, yeah?"

"Of course."

Before I could say anything else, my dad leaned over from the driver's seat.

"Can we drop you anywhere, Henry?"

"Oh, no, that's okay, thanks," Henry waved him off. "I should probably finish my run."

"Is that the safest plan?" I questioned, a smirk on my face. "Maybe you should get yourself a bell first so you don't mow down any more unsuspecting women..."

Henry fought back a smile as he feigned indignation.

"You never told me that your daughter was a comedian, Mr. Harris." He said to my dad as I giggled away at my own joke. 

"Yes, well, we try not to encourage her too much," My dad rolled his eyes. "Don't need her getting too big headed now, do we?"

I protested his comment as Henry laughed before we said a quick goodbye and he jogged off down the hill.

We drove in silence for a few moments before my dad looked over at me.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," I assured him. "I fell pretty hard and obviously banged up my ankle, but it's definitely not broken so it'll heal."

"I'm glad to hear that," He nodded. Another silence settled between us before he spoke again. "Your mom's worried about you. She said you seemed down this morning and that you’re getting antsy."

I looked down at my hands, not wanting to delve into this conversation.

"Everyone's getting antsy," I shrugged, deciding I needed to quickly change the subject. "Anyway, why didn't you tell me that you knew Henry Cavill?"

"I don't really know him, but his parents live just down the street from us so I've met him once or twice," He explained. "I didn't know you were such a fan."

"Well, I'm not really," I admitted. "I'm not not a fan, but I don't know much of his work. He is rather...You know, he's got a nice..."

I trailed off realizing who I was talking to, but my dad simply smirked.

"A nice face?" He suggested. "Nice abs? Nice arms? Which I'm sure you got a great feel of since you definitely weren't six feet apart, young lady."

My cheeks were red as I swatted his arm.

"I know we weren't," I muttered, feeling like a teenager who'd just been caught sneaking out with a boy. "But I was injured and I couldn't walk."

"Well, I hope you're good at hopping because I won't be able to carry you into the house like that with my old back," He informed me. "I'm no Superman."

I rolled my eyes and mumbled a quick 'shut up' as I looked out the window, but there was a smile on my face that I couldn't shake and for the first time since this whole pandemic fiasco began, I felt a little flicker of hope.

#henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill x ofc #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill fic

[demiwonder-a]

like a train coming off the track // discord

WHO: Cassie Sandsmark, Donna Troy, Illyana Rasputin. 

WORD COUNT: 2041 words.

LOCATION: Central Park then the Sandsmark/Kent apartment.

GENERAL NOTES: Back dated to after the siege. Cassie sees the results of the fight between Kara and Donna and goes to help her. Illyana shows up at the apartment to do some healing.

WARNINGS: Mentions of injuries, blood, near death experience. 

CASSIE: had watched in horror, frozen in fear and dread as the live footage of the fight between Kara and Donna occurred. There was this need to watch disaster unfold before you, it was in human nature it seemed. You knew it was awful, you knew it was devastating, but you couldn't tear your eyes away. Flashes of Kon's death played back in her mind, her screaming as Superboy Prime threw him into the ground and he was unmoving. His clammy, cold skin as she refused to budge from actively sobbing over him. It made her stomach roll as Donna hit the ground. 

Get up, Donna. GET UP.

She wasn't moving. No. No.

There was no thinking involved, Cassie was just moving. A blur of red in the night sky as she flew as fast and hard as she could to where her sister laid. There were tears actively dripping down her cheeks she couldn't even feel at that point. Her mind was a constant of 'get to Donna, get to Donna, get to Donna' and she refused to stop. 

The girl landed hard enough that the concrete cracked under her feet, a bright crack of lightning behind her lit up the sky as she felt the rage overtake her body, red lasso tight in her grip. Even Zeus seemed to feel the rage that was flowing in Cassie's veins, untapped and never ending. She knew, somewhere in the back of her mind, that this wasn't who she was, what she did, but if someone got between her and her sister? They may just be taking their last breath. 

"Donna—" Cassie gasped out as soon as she finally spotted her and she surged forward, collapsing to her knees beside her sister. She smoothed a hand over her cheek to brush the errant hairs away and swallowed hard. "I got you. I'm gonna get you help. I'm right here, big sis. I'm not leaving."

DONNA: The stars had been so bright on Themyscira. Not in the glaring way of the city lights or the soft glow of candlelight. The stars were something unearthly. The gods map to the history of the world. But now Donna knew that surrounding those stars were planets full of people that she sometimes longed to meet, and sometimes those stars were long dead, their dying rays not yet reaching Earth. She dreamed of the stars, tangling in her hair and pressing into her skin and calling her home to other universes parallel to her own. There, she floated along as an observer of a hundred lifetimes passed her by -- beginnings and endings. But was there ever truly an ending in the infinite loop of time?

Something soft brushed against her cheeks and eyes fluttered open for a moment only to snap shut against the glare of harsh spotlights. A spatter of water on her face. Was it raining? A flash of blonde. "Kara?" she groaned. Something about Kara. Something was wrong with Kara. The floating -- that had been easier, she thought. Maybe if she could sink back into that then this could all go away.

CASSIE: "Fuck," the blonde whispered and her hands shook as she tried to figure out the best way to approach picking up the older woman. She let out a harsh breath and swallowed hard, gingerly pressing an arm under Donna's legs and the other under her back in an attempt at the bridal hold. She carefully stood with her in her arms and couldn't help the whimper that escaped her upon feeling the warmth of the blood that touched her arms, likely staining her suit too. 

"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay," Cassie whispered insistently, entirely unsure if she was trying to reassure an incoherent Donna or herself. It was so much easier to be angry than to feel this utter dread. She was strong, she was. It just felt...hard to be strong with her older sister, lying broken and bleeding in her arms. "I'm gonna get you help. I'll fix this." She said determinedly. She was smart, she could find a solution.

The apartment was the first safe place Cassie could think of. She laid her sister on their couch and tried to not let her hands shake too much as she got out the first aid kit. She'd call Tim. He'd know what to do. "I got you, Don," Cassie said softly.

ILLYANA: The fight between Donna and Supergirl had reached the news but it hadn't caught Illyana's attention until it was over. She watched the footage on the tv, Donna being picked up by her sister who she assumed took Donna to somewhere safe to tend to her injuries. This really didn't have anything to do with her, or maybe it did, she still had her doubts about how Magneto had convinced Supergirl to destroy those bridges. She could claim ignorance though, just turn the other way... instead she conjured a pentagram under her as she sat with her legs crossed, searching for Donna's energy. It was similar to how she'd found Donna when she was stuck in that pocket dimension just easier this time around. 

Once she'd picked up on Donna's energy she teleported herself there, from what she'd seen on the news it was a safe bet that Donna's sister would be there, who she didn't think would take to Illyana's presence kindly. As soon as she appeared in Cassie's apartment in front of her Illyana made her sword disappear. "I'm not here to fight" she said quickly, though she did keep a magical forcefield around herself just in case. "I can help her."

CASSIE: had so much blood on her hands, her eyes stinging with how many emotions swirled around in her chest. There was used gauze on the ground, Cassie digging constantly through the first aid kit to do what she could to take care of the wound. Red, red, red, red. Red the color of her uniform. Red the shade of hands. Red suddenly flaring in her vision the moment someone teleported into her home. She was up in an instant, lasso taut in her hands and rage coming back in an instant, roaring as loud as a wildfire in her veins. 

Of course. Of course.

Cassie's grip on her lasso didn't lessen and she looked at her sister before looking back at Illyana. "Help her then. This changes nothing. It's a truce at best." Reluctantly, she stepped back towards the end of the couch and kept her eyes on her sister warily.

ILLYANA: She was prepared for Cassie to yell at her, maybe even attack her and was a little surprised when she agreed to let her help Donna, even if it didn't change anything as she said. "Those things don't have the best track record against me so you might as well put it away" she said, nodding towards the lasso, she'd already cut through one with her sword. "She's more injured than I thought" she told Cassie as she walked over to Donna, standing in front of the couch as she looked at the injured form of the Amazon. She didn't like seeing people she... cared about? trusted? Honestly it was complicated but she didn't like seeing Donna like this. "I won't be able to heal her completely but enough that she'll survive and wake up, and ease her pain somewhat" she didn't have the energy to completely heal the extent of Donna's injuries but she'd do what she could.

Illyana took one of Donna's hands in both of hers and closed her eyes. She muttered a few words in demonic script and when her eyes opened they were glowing white as she started transferring some of her own energy into Donna in order to heal her injuries.

DONNA: Everything burned. Donna's eyes snapped open, but all she could see was red as she gasped for air, back arching in pain. She vaguely registered a hand gripping her own as her eyes threatened to roll back and she squeezed instinctively, unable to hold back what strength she had left. The burning increased until she couldn't bear it and then... a kind of numbness as the world drifted in and out of focus.

Donna groaned. "Kara. 's Kara?" she managed to slur, still gripping the hands holding her own. "Illy?" she frowned. Something was wrong. She jerked her hand away with a hiss as a fresh wave of pain reminded her just what was wrong. "You," she grit out. "Did you know?"

CASSIE: watched with a seemingly permanent scowl on her face. Her fingers were wrapped tightly around her lasso and could feel the anxiety thrumming in her veins as she kept her eyes fixated on the woman trying to heal Donna. She took a half step back as Donna finally came to, the anxiety lowering and relief coursing through her. 

Of course that could only last for a moment.

Cassie pushed in between them and a hand pushed back behind her. "Stop. You just got hurt, stay down." She said firmly. It had been awhile since she broke out her own leader voice, leaving it usually to Tim, but can't even remember the last time she had tried to use it on her sister. Her eyes fixated back on Illyana. "That's enough. You helped. Thank you. You need to leave. Now." Her voice was firm and unwavering as she held onto her lasso, it lighting up with the threat of a charge of electricity.

ILLYANA: She was careful not to use too much of her energy to heal Donna, just enough so the injuries wouldn't be life threatening anymore and Illyana wouldn't exhaust herself in the process either. Donna jerked her hand away when she woke up and Illyana stumbled a few steps back, even if she hadn't used all of her energy it had still taken a lot out of her to heal Donna. "Wait" she told Cassie before she turned her attention to Donna "did I know about what?" She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer, but she needed to know whatever information Donna had about Supergirl and what had happened.

DONNA: There was something about the way she asked the question. Something in Illyana's voice that assured Donna that her trust hadn't been so wrongly misplaced -- that even if they'd found themselves again on opposing sides, Illyana would never cross the line to hurt her family. "He used kryptonite," she said through gritted teeth. "Magneto. He did that to Supergirl." She tried to sit up again but this time let herself be forced back down by her sister's hand, biting back another cry of pain as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She turned away, hating that anyone should see her this week. "You should go." She didn't know who it was directed at -- Illyana, her sister, or both.

CASSIE: The girl's teeth grit in irritation, feeling her temper flare. Which was normal, the constant thrum of anger and rage that filled her on a daily basis. She had about enough of this, especially with the dried blood still staining her hands and arms, smeared over her uniform. It was enough to make her stomach churn and remind her of another devastating time in her life. "Leave my house. I don't want to have to make you. I'd be thrilled to actually, but I'm playing nice so just go. She asked nicely. I did too. Leave."

Without glancing back, her lasso still coiled tightly around her hands, Cassie replied to her sister, "I'll take you home in a bit."

ILLYANA: Magneto. He did that to Supergirl. She knew she shouldn't have believed him after she'd asked him about it and he managed to convince her nothing was wrong. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists together, her nails digging into her skin as they changed to claws, she needed to get out of here before she fully shifted into her demon form. When she opened her eyes again they were glowing orange and part of her armor started to cover her arm as her sword appeared in her hand. "I'm going to kill him" she said before she teleported out of the apartment.

#int: discord #int: donna troy #int: illyana rasputin #donna troy: 009 #illyana rasputin: 003 #discord: donna troy #discord: illyana rasputin #ofcosmicwonder #ofmagikandlimbo #blood tw #injury tw

[supersxn]

GROUP CHAT || SUPERFAM + CASSIE

WHO: Jon Kent, Cassie Sandsmark ( @demiwxnder​ ), Conner Kent ( @kxnel​ ), Clark Kent ( @lastsxn​ ), Kara Danvers ( @maidenxfmight​ ). Mentions: Erik Lehnsherr, Bruce Wayne, Lois Lane. 

WARNINGS: Mentions events of Red!K/drugging of Kara with the red kryptonite. Kon and Cassie both love to swear! plus Clark being a Bad Dad. Vague mention of sex, oops. 

SUMMARY: What started out as teasing Jon turned to Clark revealing something about Kon that had the entire group chat questioning his intentions. 

Cassie: how long until the baby finally decides to stop hiding behind mom and dad and comes home do we think?? just curious

Conner: not for another week at least 🙄

Jon: 😐 thanks.

Conner: tell me i'm wrong 

Cassie: you know he's not!

Jon: maybe i want to avoid you two being GROSS

Conner: avoiding grossness by going to the farm? yeah, okay.

Jon: didn't ask for your opinion, especially from you two.

Cassie: yikes.

Kara: let him have kansas

Conner: I don't want Kansas anyway so there

Cassie: we're having a great time in nyc so we'll pass.

Jon: 'we'

Conner: the best time. in every room 🙂

Jon: EW.

Conner: lol

Kara: oh gross

Cassie: 😉 don't get snarky and we won't overshare!

Conner: he never learns :pensive:

Jon: i hate this.

Clark: Jonathan stop adding me to chats.

Jon: i'm innocent!

Cassie: oh ew.

Conner: whyyyyyy

Clark: If having Jon at your apartment is such an inconvenience I'm sure something else could be arranged, Conner.

Cassie: so you do know how to acknowledge him? fascinating.

Conner: Jesus, that's not what I even meant [UNSENT] whatever.

Jon: he didn't mean it like that, dad.

Clark: We'll be speaking about this later.

Jon: great. [UNSENT]

Kara: they're brothers, this is pretty par for the course for them. i promise they’re fine, kal

Conner: You know I'm pretty sure even Batman can go two sentences without ruining a conversation, Supes.

Clark: sure, brothers.

Cassie: they are brothers, but whatever makes you feel better about never acknowledging your other kid.

Clark: I have a name, Conner.

Conner: Cass, it's fine.

Cassie: it's not, but i'll back down if that's what you want.

Clark: Conner, now that I have you would you mind telling me why Magneto seems to be so fond of you?

Cassie: ...what is he talking about, kon?

Conner: oh fuck off, Clark.

Jon: uh oh

Clark: Language!

Conner: fuck you. Don't tell me what to do.

Cassie: kon-el, what is he talking about?

Clark: I cannot believe you continue to live with this... disrespectful hooligan!

Jon: dad. breathe. he's my brother, this is pretty par the course.

Conner is OFFLINE

Kara: he's family you would do well to remember what family is kal-el

Cassie: fuck you, clark. i hope you realize how shitty of a dad you are. if you can even be called that for your blatant favoritism of your only 'actual' kid. actually. do you even pay attention to anyone outside him and your wife? probably not, huh.

Clark: That boy has been speaking with the man who just caused you to take part in a terrorist plot.

Cassie is OFFLINE

Kara: and i'll be talking with /him/ about that maybe this is a good time for everyone to step back and take a breath

Jon: yeah.

Clark: He's more Luthor than Kent, Kara, there's no changing that.

Jon: how? how is he? what proof is there of that?

Kara: do you know him? really know him?

Jon: do you think batman would even let him get near one of his robins if he was? i mean, seriously.

Clark: Other than the fact that Magneto seems to think they've forged some sort of kinship? You just saw how flighty he got, don't be naïve, son. I know enough.

Jon: you accused him of colluding with a terrorist. i think i'd be flighty too if you accused me of that. i'm not naive.

Clark: He knows he's a Kent. Now where else could he find that out, Jon?

Kara: sometimes it's good to /ask/ first. if you'd spend some time getting to know [us–DELETED] him, maybe you'd know when something is off. why don't you try talking to him? without attacking him.

Clark: I handled Lex with kid gloves and it nearly cost me everything. I'm not letting that happen again.

Clark is OFFLINE

Jon: he's not lex!

Kara: kon isn't lex

Jon: great.

Kara: okay then

Conner is ONLINE

Conner: is he gone?

Jon: yes.

Conner: dude, he sucks

Cassie is ONLINE

Cassie: are you going to explain then?

Kara: he's gone, but can we still talk about this magneto thing?

Conner: it's not like what he made it seem like.

Kara: i'm asking, not accusing, i promise

Cassie: excuse me for being worried when you've been disappearing constantly lately. [UNSENT] we just want you to explain we're not accusing like kara said.

Conner: just like, during the siege I went to Stark tower and told him to fuck off and then we might've like met for coffee or whatever. it was nothing

Cassie: why the fuck are you meeting him for coffee?

Conner: Look, what he did was wrong but he has shed light on a ton of stuff. He asked to meet, I said fine and we had coffee. That was it.

Jon: on /what/, conner?

Kara: 'wrong' is an understatement–[DELETED] he /drugged/ me–[DELETED] can we talk? in person?

Cassie: why didn't you tell me?

Conner: Depends, will you lie? I didn't want you to worry over nothing

Cassie: this seems more than nothing. since when do you keep things from me?

Jon: are you being careful at least?

Kara: no, i promise honesty

Conner: I'm not keeping things from you! You just never asked. yeah, I mean obviously, or I'd be dead, right?

Cassie: how am i supposed to know to ask about you getting coffee with magneto, kon-el?!

Conner: I don't know how you want me to answer that

Cassie: because you know any answers you have are shitty. whatever, kon.

Conner: Kara, I'll just... come to you I guess.

Cassie is OFFLINE

Conner: Goddammit. Tell your dad to stay the fuck out of my life, Jon.

Jon: sorry, conner. i'm sure she'll...be less angry in the morning? maybe. she's angry all the time, so i don't know

Conner: heh, yeah. Well it's not your fault. You obviously got more of your mom's genes. 🙄

Jon: i'll tell her you say hi?

Conner: says a lot about me, huh? [UNSENT] yeah. Thanks, Jon.

Jon: good luck, dude. on both fronts.

Conner is OFFLINE

#int: text #text: conner kent #text: kara danvers #text: cassie sandsmark #text: clark kent #int: conner kent #int: kara danvers #int: cassie sandsmark #int: clark kent #conner kent: 005 #kara danvers: 003 #cassie sandsmark: 001 #clark kent: 002 #kxnel #maidenxfmight #demiwxnder #lastsxn