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natalievoncatte · 9 months

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“What I did wasn’t personal,” Lena said.

Supergirl had already turned to face her. There were words formed on her lips, but Alex struck first, bringing her viper wit where it wasn’t needed or welcome.

“You had a stash of ‘Kills Kryptonians’. It’s personal,” said Alex.

Lena ignored her, looking directly at Supergirl.

“You know I’d never use it that way.”

“You kept secrets,” said Supergirl. “Secrets change things. I don’t like secrets.”

“Oh really,” Lena spat, knowing she’d regret what came next. “You don’t like secrets. Okay. What’s your real name?”

Alex flinched. Supergirl stared her down. Even in this miserable place, she was inhumanly beautiful, even if Lena was a little resentful that she’d been bitching about walking fifty yards a few moments ago, and making light of exercise, when she had the audacity to look like that.

The pause grew heavy. Something seemed to turn behind Supergirl’s eyes, like she was working something out. Her expression softened lightly.

“Why didn’t you come to me about Sam? I thought we trusted each other.”

“How can I trust you?” Lena said. “You still hold me at arm’s length, won’t let me in, only look for my help when it’s convenient for you. Maybe I should have sought your help, but it isn’t like I have you on speed dial, is it? What was I supposed to do, toss myself off a balcony and hope you were having coffee with Kara Danvers again?”

Supergirl flinched. Looking at Lena intently, she stepped closer, and Alex grew visibly nervous.

“Supergirl…” she said.

“You want to know my real name?”

“Yes,” Lena said, her voice suddenly unsteady, her palms breaking out in a sweat despite the cool, stale air. She stood her ground before a being that could level a mountain with a look and held her gaze.

“Kryptonian names are patronymics, sort of. A man’s name is his own and that of his family. So, for example, my cousin’s name is Kal-El. His father was Jor-El.”

“I knew that already,” said Lena. “Your cousin shared that an interview with Lois Lane.”

“He can share his because he has a name that was given to him by his adoptive family,” said Supergirl, her voice softening as she took another step closer. “I still use my Kryptonian first name.”

Something about that itched at Lena’s brain, but she wasn’t sure what.

“Supergirl,” Alex hissed. “You can’t… we can’t…”

Supergirl threw her a glance. “What? Trust her?” She looked at Lena. “My father was Joe-El’s brother, Zor-El. My mother’s name was Alura In-Ze.”

Lena licked her lips.

“They gave me the name Kara,” said Kara Zor-El. “On Earth, I accepted the surname of the family that took me in to raise me when my cousin gave me up to them. My full name is Kara Zor-El Danvers.”

Lena stumbled a step back, her mouth falling open comically. It felt like the ground was bursting open and swallowing her up, her stomach dropping through her knees.

No. No, no, no, no. It couldn’t be.

“Look at me, Lena.”

Lena looked away from her.”

“Look at me.”

Lena looked.

Lena saw.

Her hair was down, but Lena knew those honeyed curls. Supergirl carried herself differently- her shoulders were proud where Kara tended to hunch down, make herself small, as if to pass through the world without touching it.

Lena hadn’t really looked before. Not like this. She’d studied Kara, maybe even mooned over Kara a little until she seemed to confirm she was straight by dating that alien jackass. She knew every part of her face from her soft lips to her feel blue eyes to that funny little scar right over her eye.

How had she not seen?

“Fucking hell, Kara!” Alex snapped.

Lena’s lip trembled. She clenched her fists to keep her hands steady, knowing they were shaking.

“You tricked me,” Lena hissed, “so many times, so many ways, running off and changing into that suit when I thought you were both people. The super-speed, right?”

“I’m sorry,” said Kara, her voice soft. “Let’s just…”

“I wasn’t finished,” said Lena. “You… you told me you were having coffee with Kara, but you are Kara. Kara… you caught me when they threw me off the balcony. You risked being killed by a kryptonite explosion when Metallo went critical. You… you were… Jesus Christ, the plane, the chemicals, that was you?”

Kara’s eyes grew wider with every syllable and even in the gloom, Lena could swear she saw tears welling up within them.

“She’s risked her life for you over and over and over,” Alex said, quietly. “Her faith in you has only wavered the once. She’s always defended you and insisted on your innocence even when I was ready to throw you in a cell,” said Alex. “She defended you from the first. Shit, she defended you from Superman.”

Lena looked from one to the other, staring at them both in turn, trying to keep her wobbly legs from completely collapsing under her.

“I owe you an apology,” said Kara, raising her gaze to meet Lena’s.

“Can you two do this later?” said Alex. “We’re on a mission, here.”

Lena swallowed, hard.

“Yeah. Let’s go find Sam.”

They did find Sam, eventually, but the plan went sideways. After they were thrust back into their bodies, Supergirl -Kara- curtly told her to help Brainy while she and Alex rushed off.

So Lena helped brainy, until it was time for her to leave. Eventually, she made her way back to her penthouse, and to a glass of single malt, neat. She savored its subtleties as she stared out at the stars.

She knew this would happen sooner or later, so she wasn’t surprised when Kara touched down on the balcony, looking utterly stunning and brave and dashing in her fancy suit. She motioned to knock at the glass.

“It’s not locked.”

“Hi,” said Kara, stepping inside.

Lena looked up. “I can’t believe I didn’t see. You’re just… you, in a different outfit.”

That wasn’t exactly true, Lena knew. As she walked into Lena’s living room, Kara had neither the mousy, retiring way of Kara Danvers nor the brash swagger of Supergirl. It was like she was seeing a third person, one who’d been fully revealed for the first time.

“I’ve been going back and forth in my mind, trying to decide what parts of our friendship were real.”

“All of it,” Kara said.

“If my brother were here, he’d say that you befriended me to spy on me and use my resources and genius for your own ends.”

“That’s not true.”

Lena took a sip, and breathed in through her parted lips after swallowing to savor it.

“I know. He said the same thing about Jack, actually. Lex always tries to convince me that anyone else in my life is just after my name or money or body.”

Kara said nothing. Lena looked up.

“Just because he’s a madman who wants to gaslight me into being a supervillain doesn’t mean he’s always wrong. Does it?”

Kara swallowed, hard.

“You’ve been very insistent on being my friend,” said Lena. “You practically barged into my life and broke down all my barriers with your earnest kindness, but you were keeping yourself behind another one.”

“The first time I ever saw you, I knew in my heart that you were nothing like him,” said Kara. “I remember every detail.”

“In my office, with Kent.”

“No. In the helicopter. That was the first time I saw you.”

Lena swirled the dregs in her glass. “Oh. Right.”

“I just had to know you. You were compelling, and the way you treated me in your office that day was a huge part of that. You seemed so… I don’t even know how to describe it. I just knew I had to be close to you.”

A fit of pique moved her arm before she could contain herself, and Lena threw the glass. Kara snatched it from the air and placed it on the table without spilling a drop.

She was closer now, standing within arm’s reach.

“You can’t just say things like that to me,” Lena almost hissed, her voice loosened by the whiskey and the one before and the one before that.

“Why?” said Kara.

Lena looked up, swaying slightly.

“You told me your name.”

“I should have sooner. We could have worked together. We could have done a lot of things.”

“Fuck,” Lena snapped. “You’re doing it again! Knock it off?”

“Knock what off?”

“You goddamn well what,” said Lena. “Or maybe you really don’t.”

“I’m sorry,” said Kara. “I just don’t understand. Can you… do you want to tell me what you mean?”

“I… sit down.”

Kara swept her cape aside and sat primly in a side chair, folding her hands in her lap, worrying at the back of her thumb with her other thumb. God, she even had Kara’s mannerisms.”

“I’m gay,” said Lena.

Kara swallowed. “But… you were with Jack… and James… and you really seem to like the letter J,” Kara said, lamely.

“It’s called bisexuality, Kara. It’s a thing.”

“Oh, I um, I don’t really get ‘sexualities.’ On Krypton, we didn’t have sexual preferences. We didn’t choose our partners at all, everything was arranged.”

“That sounds awful,” said Lena.

Kara looked away. “It was our way and it worked. We had stable families, and most people had a kind of love. My parents loved each other.”

Lena sighed. “I wish I could say that. One of my parents didn’t love anyone but himself. Your sister is gay, Kara. How can you not understand it?”

“I understand that. I just find the whole thing confusing, and overwhelming. I keep looking for this spark that everyone talks about, and these ‘gut feelings’, but every time I think I’ve had it, it wasn’t right.”

“It seemed right with Mon-El. Oh. Oh Jesus. You banished your own boyfriend from Earth.”

Kara shook her head. “I know it did. I thought it did. I just never… it was the idea of him. I was checking a box. I was with him to have a boyfriend, not to have him. We’re really different people.”

“Why are we talking about this again?” said Lena.

Kara suddenly looked nervous, and thus even more like herself.

“I don’t know. It just seems to have happened. Kind of like our whole friendship. I never made a plan to be your friend. I never had an agenda. I just needed you in my life without knowing why. You just bring me joy.”

Lena wanted to laugh. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream.

You big indestructible goof, that is the spark!

“I should have told you about me after Medusa. I should have trusted you then, but Alex talked me out of it. I didn’t push past when it counted. I know you doubt how much you mean to me now, and I’m so sorry I did that.”

“I’d never hurt you, ever,” said Lena. “Even if you weren’t Kara. But I could never hurt her. You.”

“I know.

“For what it’s worth,” said Lena. “I felt it too. That pull, that need to know you. That’s why I allowed you to get close to me instead of being bundled off by my security. I felt it from the first, that day you came to my office. I might have felt it a little during the helicopter crash, too.”

Kara nodded.

“I feel like there’s something we’re both not saying.”

Lena licked her lips.

“I have to stop the worldkillers. I have to save Sam. I have to fix it all. I just needed to talk to you first. See you first, see you again, just the two of us.”

Lena nodded, swallowing.

“I guess I should go.”

Lena wanted to tell her not to. To ask her to spend the night, change out of that ridiculous suit, to just be Kara and stay with her, but it dawned on her now that it could never be quite like that again. Kara was Supergirl and Supergirl had to be shared with the world.

“I want to help. I’ll come to the DEO.”

“Okay,” said Kara. “I’ll see you there.”

She stood up and walked to the balcony, pausing before she opened the door. She didn’t turn when she spoke, as if she was afraid to face Lena, to face the answer.

“Do you think, when this is over, we can try it again? Try to fix it?”

“Is that something you want?” Said Lena.

“That pull is still there.”

“I know,” said Lena. “I feel it too.”

Kara’s shoulders rose and fell, as if she’d just rolled a great burden from her back.

“Okay,” she said. “Okay. I’ll see you back at the DEO. Goodnight, Lena.”

“Goodnight, Kara.”

She slid the balcony door open and stepped out, pausing for just the briefest second before lifting off, sending a gentle gust of chilly night air rolling into Lena’s penthouse.

Lena let the breeze flow in for a while before she stood up and went to the door, meaning to close it. Instead, she stepped outside, leaning on the railing as the chill raised gooseflesh on her arms.

“I feel it, too.”

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dragonbonez · 1 year

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And what’s the first thing I do after finishing finals? Indulge in a little meme redraw of my favorites. 💚💛

Honestly Aang is going to be right there with Toph for these mugshots. The guy went to prison and made friends with all the other prisoners like it was nothing! That and I’m sure whatever they did was probably Toph’s idea and worth it.

#taang #toph x aang #aang x toph #avatar aang #toph beifong #atla #atla fanart #my art #they probably have a bunch of these from each nation #they probably make it their yearly picture they sent to their friends #kinda like people send pictures during Christmas in movies #like ‘Happy Avatar Day from the Earth Kingdom!’#and every year someone has to remind aang that he should be setting an example as an avatar #and they do eventually stop but not before getting one last hoorah and sending their last (last in the liberal sense) mugshot #and Aang has a plate that says Toph will you marry me?#and Toph’s sign says ‘DUH!’#and behind their picture is a note that says there won’t be a wedding ceremony but everyone can send cash to Sokka #and they’ll go crash at his place at some point and pick it up #… ok I’m stopping now

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libbyrequiresescapism · 4 months

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Together

#get loved losers #it’s a little bit soft and sexy 👍#I just know they’re soft for each other #well eventually they’ll be #I am so sorry if taigen doesnt look like taigen #he’s weirdly hard to draw lol #mizu #taigen #blue eye samurai #taizu rise #my art #taimizu

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estrellami-1 · 7 months

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If I Should Stay

Part 1 | . . . | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35

Eddie shifts nervously as he waits for Steve to open the door. He’s halfway expecting Robin, which is why he completely blanks when Allison opens the door instead.

She casually leans against the doorframe and crosses her arm, raising a judgmental eyebrow. “Yes?”

He winces. “Is Steve home?”

“Maybe.” She studies her nails. “Why should I let you see him?”

He takes a deep breath. “I fucked up,” he says, more confidently than he feels. “I’d like to apologize.”

She hums. “And if he decides not to forgive you?”

Eddie spreads his hands hopelessly. “I’d deserve it.”

She tilts her head. “Would you keep trying?”

“It depends on how I feel he means it, what you say, and how he responds to it when I do try again. If I do.”

“Damn,” Allison says, smiling. “I like you.”

Eddie blinks. “Thank you?”

She pats him on the shoulder. “C’mon in. Just know I was the one who taught Steve how to swing a baseball bat.” She smirks as she shuts the door behind him.

Eddie gulps as Steve calls from the kitchen, “Al? Who’s- oh,” he says, walking into the living room and stopping short at the sight of Eddie.

He’d had half a smile on his face that quickly drops at the sight of Eddie. Eddie feels his heart drop in tandem. “Steve,” Eddie says, begs. “Can… can I talk to you?”

Steve looks at him for a moment, then glances behind him to toss a hand towel back in the kitchen. He clenches his jaw and nods. “Sure.”

Allison slips past him and ruffles Steve’s hair on her way to the kitchen. “Asshole,” he mutters.

“Bitch,” she calls back at him before the door shuts behind her.

Eddie snorts, then sobers when Steve raises a brow his direction. “Sorry, I’m not laughing at you, just… is that what having a sibling is like?”

Steve’s expression softens as he glances behind himself. “Yeah.”

Eddie takes a breath and glances at the ground, building his courage, before looking up at Steve. “I’m sorry. I didn’t give you any chance to speak, I just assumed and when you didn’t say anything—again, because I didn’t give you a chance to—I took it as confirmation.” He shifts. “I’m not… this isn’t an excuse, okay? It’s an explanation. And it’s me saying I’m not willing to let it get in the way of us before we’re even a thing. I’m a runner. If things don’t go my way, if they get hard, if I get scared—hell, especially when I get scared—I run. I run, and I hurt people.” He takes a breath and looks Steve in the eye. His hands are shaking. “Like you. I hurt you, and I’m sorry. And I’m… I’m not going to run. Not now. Not later. I do believe you’ve changed—the past few days are evidence enough—and I want to get to know you.”

Steve takes an eternity—five seconds—to process his words. “What you said hurt me,” he says quietly. “And I’m not sure I can get over it just like that.”

“I’ll grovel every day if I have to. Until you believe me.”

Steve offers him a half smile. “That’s the thing. I do believe you, Eds. And I want us to be okay again. But I think it’s gonna take some time.”

Eddie nods. “If there’s anything I can do, to prove I mean it…”

Steve offers him a cheeky grin, and his heart skips a beat. “Kiss me?”

It’s half-joking, half-serious, and Eddie takes it as the olive branch it is. “Absolutely,” he immediately answers, smiling, moving to cup Steve’s cheeks in his hands.

He leans in and kisses him, slowly, heartfelt, the way Steve deserves to be kissed, then leans back and swipes his thumbs over Steve’s cheekbones. “God,” he murmurs. “You’re incredible, d’you know that?”

He feels the heat from Steve’s blush in his palms. “I’m just me.”

“No such thing as just when it’s you,” Eddie answers, completely serious.

Steve chuckles and rests their foreheads together. “How long did Robin yell at you?”

Eddie’s brows furrow. “I haven’t seen her. Wayne pulled the story out of me and said I was being an idiot.”

Steve begins to snicker. “Last I knew, she was heading over to give you a piece of her mind.”

Eddie chuckles, then suddenly pales. “Oh, fuck.”

Steve blinks. “What?”

“Knowing Wayne? He invited her in. They’re best friends now.”

“I see no downsides to this.”

“They’re going to gang up on us, Steve. It’s all downsides.”

“Nah. You, maybe, but Robs and I are soulmates.”

Eddie gasps and puts a hand to his chest. “Are you insinuating you’d chose your soulmate over your-”

He stops short, heart thumping oddly. “Um. Steve?”

“What are we?” Steve answers.

“Yeah.”

“That’s… a really good question, Eddie.”

Permanent Taglist: @justforthedead89 @ilovecupcakesandtea @madigoround @bookbinderbitch @suddenlyinlove @nburkhardt @artiststarme @paintsplatteredandimperfect @i-less-than-three-you @alyelf @quarble @messrs-weasley @littlewildflowerkitten @vankaar @starman-jpg @bornonthesavage @steddie-there @goodolefashionedloverboi @andienotannie @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @platinum-sunset @just-ladyme @steddiestains @swimmingbirdrunningrock @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @martinskis-lydias @notaqueenakhaleesi @sleepyboosstuff @bestwifehaver @m-owo-n @thatonebadideapanda @finalmoondragon @velocitytimes2 @callmeanythjing @ajeff855 @ilikeititspretty @knitsforthetrail @sillysparrow @that-one-corvid @ace-is-bored @muricel @harpymoth @weirdandabsurd42

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#if I should stay #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #NOW I can finally use that tag!!!#even if they’re still not completely sure where they stand #they’ll get there eventually #Allison Harrington #oc #my oc #time travel #fix it fic #time travel fix it #starambles

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justaz · 4 months

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god!merlin

druids can NOT speak in people’s minds. when they are before a high priestess, they can pray to her directly and she can hear them (hence the scene between morgana and mordred when he spoke in her mind).

merlin who constantly has this buzzing in the back of his head that he can never understand besides the occasional odd word which makes no sense. but when he’s closer to a druid or when their prayer is super strong, then he can make out what they’re saying.

merlin who brings up the fact that druids can speak into peoples minds to gaius who casually unfurls a scroll containing his ongoing list of reasons why merlin is/evidence of merlin being a god of the old religion.

#merlin just can’t remember bc he was born into a mortal body and his mortal brain couldn’t begin to comprehend #what it’s like to exist as a god #so he forgot #but every time he dies and comes back - or even casts a spell - a bit more of his mortality burns away #merlin emrys #emrys the god of life death and magic #(real)#high priestess morgana #god!merlin #bbc merlin #morgana pendragon #after arthur repeals the ban and a bunch of druids come to camelot to work out all the messy business #the druids gather before a hearth and make an offering to emrys who is literally in the same castle as them #their prayer is so strong and so close that the buzz in the back of merlin’s head turns into very clear screaming #gaius adds one more item to his list #eventually he’ll reclaim his status as a god but he’ll still stay by arthur’s side until the end of his life #and then - as a god - he’ll take arthur’s soul (and all his friends souls) and carry them into the realm of the gods #and they’ll all live there for eternity together bc i like happy endings #(+ now arthur gets to stand at merlin’s side as merlin leads his people (the gods))

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puppetmaster13u · 2 months

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Prompt 260

You know what could be a really funny and fun crossover? Especially with my constant dragon AUs? Danny Phantom and Wakfu.

See, Danny and Tucker have decided to reincarnate together, almost like a vacation after reaching the age of 100. But see, they let Sam choose where they were going to be hanging out for the next however long, for fun!

And see, she saw world full of plants and life and an utter asshole trying to destroy a plant-person city what the fuck- and she tosses their souls into that world right away.

Now see, they didn’t really have any request about their reincarnation except that they were able to stick together. And what better way than for them to come from the same egg! Okay so maybe they arrived a little early- thank you Clockwork- but it’ll take a while to hatch anyway.

Okay, so maybe they’ve hatched alone, but that’s also fine! Sure for literal babies probably not, but they know how to do stuff- mostly. They’ll figure it out! Besides, Tucker is a freaking dragon now, and that’s so cool! And Danny has these cool wing-horns and mini portals too! Sure it’s currently only for this world, but still!

It’ll be fun, and honestly they know how to survive a desert! Mostly!

#Prompts #Danny Phantom Crossover #Wakfu Crossover #Tucker deserves to be (eventually big) serpentine dragon with a cobra hood & several horns #Danny & Tucker know technology & will figure out how to mix it with magic #Yes there is a random pair of children in the middle of the desert #Yes it is incredibly concerning #Tucker discovered his sand control means he can create most computer chips a while ago #Danny Fenton can build so many things from borderline nothing #They’ll figure it out eventually #Until then they get to enjoy being feral siblings #Tucker is delighted in the shapeshifting ability & uses it to hide the fact he’s a dragon #They have matching cloaks/hats to hide their horns #There are definitely several people concerned about the pair of desert children-toddlers they see sometimes

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blaithnne · 3 months

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Menaces when they team up. Need to find a dynamic name I can tag them with that doesn’t sound shippy. Does Kaisen work

#I love them so much #drawing their wildly different body types was sm fun #their eventual relationship after sketchbook gets together is like my favourite thing ever #their dynamic isn’t easy to out a label on #they mostly act like siblings but they’re definitely not siblings #Kaisa doesn’t really take much of a parental role with Lauren bc that’s a grown woman #and Lauren is never gonna call this lady mum #but they care about eachother a lot #and Lauren is protective of kasia the same way she is her mother #and Kaisa sometimes starts fretting over her the same way she does her kids just sorta out of default #they don’t like the terms step mum or step daughter #it just feels wrong to them #sometimes when they’re in a rush to describe their relation to someone they’ll just say yeah whatever that’s my mum or my daughter or smthn #anyways they team up to annoy anders #hilda #hilda the series #netflix hilda #hilda netflix #art #my art #digital art #fanart #doodle #drawing #Kaisa hilda #Hilda kaisa #Lauren hilda #Hilda lauren #kaisen #?

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loveandthings11 · 10 months

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Mark Mylod on eventual Kendall optimism ❤️

The Hollywood Reporter, 8/16/23

#this sounds reasonably accurate- some crazy plans for a while but eventually finding himself #and I love that he refers to Kendall as a family member or his child 🥲❤️#he’s the only one who’s allowed to talk about the show right now because of the strikes 😭#so I love him for doing so!!!#I didn’t think we’d get another interview from him and I’m so glad we did!#THANK YOU to the interviewer for asking about the characters’ futures #he also talks about Shiv and Roman in this article #he sounds more optimistic about Ken than Roman kinda but he seems to think they’ll all keep going #kendall roy #succession #mark mylod #Jeremy strong #Roman roy #shiv roy

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a-lost-crow · 5 months

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What makes Johnshi a neat ship is that their backgrounds contrast from a Hollywood actor to someone trying to get his clan out of the Yakuza. Both men have anything and everything else to do, away and apart. But at the end they’ll find a way to have time for each other :]

#mortal kombat #mortal kombat 1 #mk1 #johnshi #johnny cage #kenshi #the game is about time in some way #they have time to grow and get along #eventually they’ll spare their time for their love #THIS IS ONLY MY INTERPRETATION ACK

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sketchesfromanon · 3 months

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hatred

#fallout #fallout new vegas #fnv #fallout fanart #fallout oc #fnv courier #craig boone #courier six #my art #they HATE each other but i love them #they’ll get over it eventually

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crowned-aeris · 3 months

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The preqel to my Reverse Robins Wingfic; aka "To Brace Upon Benign Feathers"

Its from tim’s POV, because he’s my pookie and I love him very much. it also briefly switches to bruce’s POV toward the end, so i hope it’s not too jarring

Also: Warning for self harm, ig. Y’know how some species of birds pluck their feathers when they’re stressed? that’s what Tim does

===

Tim watched; his eyes glimmered with an awe-struck light as Batman and his Shadow soared through the sky. The pair weaved through the air, their dark-clothed forms momentarily blotting out the streetlight as they descended upon the cluster of criminals.

The edge of Shadow's blade flashed as a criminal's scarlet blood spilled across the ground. The wounds were shallow and non-lethal, but Tim still captured Batman's disapproving look.

"Tt," Shadow scoffed before flaring out his dyed wings, the criminals shrieking before scrambling away from the teen, only to end up in the grasp of the looming Batman.

Tim raised his camera and snapped a photo, his teeth digging into his bottom lip to silence his excited hums.

Click.

Batman tied the criminals together before leaving them on the side of the road and contacting the GCPD. Shadow glared at the criminals, "Tt. In the League, dissenters would have their wings sawed off as a warning to other potential traitors."

The criminals stared at the Bat with wide, fearful, and pleading eyes. Tim winced, ruffling his still-fresh flight feathers.

"But we aren't in the League," Batman sighed. It sounded like the pair had had this conversation multiple times, and Tim wouldn't doubt it.

Shadow narrowed his eyes behind the domino mask, pivoting before launching himself onto the roof Tim was on. The falcon stifled an undignified squeak before ducking behind the HVAC unit. The sound of heavy wingbeats filled the air as Batman chased after his son.

"Everything would be easier if you adopted the League's teachings as Mother suggested," Shadow growled, unconsciously ruffling his wings in a manner glaringly similar to Batman's.

"We've been over this," Batman sighed, sounding more frustrated than ever, "Talia left you with me. You're not in the League anymore, D- Shadow. You need to follow my rules, which means no killing. No Maiming. And no lethal use whatsoever."

Shadow hissed in irritation, but he didn't bother to argue.

Tim hummed. What was Batman about to say?

As the fledgling watched the pair leap off the roof to continue their patrol, he prepared to procure a list of names that began with "D."

-----

How likely were Batman and Shadow to be Bruce and Damian Wayne?

It would make sense...

Oh god, his neighbors were the Batman and the Shadow! Wow, that... actually made sense.

Huh… that’s so cool.

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This... was decidedly less cool...

Tim stared at the social worker, his expression lax with shock. In his chest, Tim's heart jack-rabbited against his ribcage, beating out an incredulous tone that filled him with disbelief as dread pooled in his gut.

His parents had died in a plane accident while on a plane back from Taiwan. Tim had talked to them last night, and his mom had even said he'd bring back a souvenir and some snacks for Tim to try out and- and-

"Sorry, son," the man said, but he didn't look too sorry. In fact, he looked guilty.

It took everything in him to force his disposition to remain calm and collected. He was a Drake, and Tim would be hard-pressed before he demolished the castle his mother and father had built brick-by-brick that was their reputation. He will not allow the Drake Name to fall into ruin just because he was careless.

"Will I be going into the system?" Tim asked, feeling his claws pick against the skin of his palms. His parents hadn't even seen his first flight... and now they never will.

The man pressed his wings tighter against his body; he was uncomfortable, unsure, and way out of his depth. That was... suspicious... shouldn't social workers try to calm children rather than agitate them further? This one didn't seem trained, either.

"What will happen to me, Mister?" Tim asked, hitching his wings up and drawing in his shoulders to appear smaller. The falcon tilted his head down and forced his eyes to water before gazing up at the man through lashes that glimmered with tears. Tim was smaller than most other kids his age; he would use that to his advantage.

The man's feathers bristled, and he took a half-step back. Tim pushed out a pathetic-sounding chirp. He remembers his mother's lessons on the intricacies of body language, and Tim will not allow himself to forget.

Tim chirped again. From how he reacted, the man seemed familiar with the chicklet calls, so he could've been a father, teacher, or just someone around kids enough to be swayed by a random kid's chirps.

To really sell the "hapless, pathetic, hopeless chick act," Tim sniffed and allowed the beginnings of pitiful sobs to fall from his lips.

"You know what, fuck this!" the man shouted before turning tail and striding down the stairs. Once he was out of sight, Tim sobered and wiped the tears from his cheeks, uncertainty brewing in his chest.

The falcon relaxed his wings and draped them over his shoulder like a cape. He struggled to open the door, but Tim eventually struggled his way in. With a deep breath, Tim steeled himself, grabbed his mother's conditioner, and shuffled into his parents' bathroom.

As the days blinked past, Tim noticed his appetite waning. Mrs. Mac, the heron house-keeper, had stopped coming over after Tim had told her about his parents' death. She'd said something about not working if she wasn't paid, and then she'd hung up.

He was sitting at the base of his parent's Alaskan king bed, the one they've barely used, his hands gently running through his plumage before plucking out some feathers. Tim sees the blood rush from where the sensitive, newly-grown feather was yanked. The blood joined the other trails and pooled onto the floor. He released the feather in his hand and watched it gently drift to join the other gray-black fluff on the hardwood floor.

Tim reached for another clump of feathers, only to have the action interrupted by a hand that eclipsed his own. The hand gently pushed Tim's bloodied hands away from his wings, and he couldn't find the energy to resist. A soothing croon and low churring rumbled through Tim's chest and settled a roiling feeling he didn't know he had. The fledgling answered with a weak chirp, and Tim was swept into someone's arms. The low vibration continued to rumble through his chest, and Tim allowed his eyes to slip shut and his body to fall boneless.

("-long has been there? He's practically skin and bones!"

"They've been dead for at least a week now... He's seven."

"Can't we just hand him to the social services?"

"Damian..."

"Fine!")

When Tim wakes up, he is somewhere different. His wings felt stiff like they were covered or wrapped with something. He opened his eyes, and his theory was confirmed. White bandages made specifically for wings were applied to the patches of missing feathers, and a glance around the room confirmed that he was somewhere completely foreign.

With a twist of his lip, Tim forced his wings shut, ignoring the protesting pain of the bandages tugging against his feathers before shoving himself against the corner. The wall was cool against his skin, and Tim twisted onto his stomach and wedged himself farther into the corner.

A few minutes later, the door to the room creaked open, washing the box with warm light.

"Master Timothy, are you awake?" a British voice asked.

Tim didn't respond.

The door closed, and the light vanished.

Not even fifteen seconds later, the door opened again, and someone entered. Their footsteps were solid against the wooden floor. Tim didn't bother with looking up.

"Hey," Bruce Wayne said in a low yet gentle voice. The bed shifted under the man's weight, "I know you're awake."

No response.

"Damian used to do the same thing, you know," Bruce said, his tone light and careful, "he'd pretend that he was asleep so he wouldn't have to get up for school. He was close to his mother, and when he moved in with me, Damian had a rough time being away from her."

The silence was filled only by their soft breaths.

"When was the last time you've eaten?" Bruce Wayne asked.

Tim did not respond.

"...Is it alright if I touch you?"

The fledgling did not respond. Timothy was small, especially for a fledgling, and Bruce found it difficult not to sweep him under his wing.

The harpy eagle carefully kept his claws tucked against his palms before gently lifting Tim from the corner he'd wedged into. After a few seconds of deliberate maneuvering, Bruce has Tim slumped against his chest, the fledgling limp and his wings drooping. If it wasn't for his lethargic blinks and barely-there breaths, Bruce would've thought that he'd died.

When he entered the dining room, Damian was sitting at the dinner table with a furious expression as he addressed a blank-faced Alfred.

"Why hasn't Father arrived yet?" Damian demanded, his voice just shy of a growl.

"Master Bruce had something he needed to see to," Alfred responded, "he will join you shortly, Master Damian; patience is a virtue."

Damian seethed, but he'd learned better than to disobey the barn owl. Bruce grunted a greeting as he sat beside Alfred's spot and directly in front of Damian. But as he sat Tim on the chair to his left, Damian caught Bruce's eye with a furious expression.

"Why is he here? Damian hissed, eyes narrowed as Alfred returned with plates of food.

Bruce gave a weary exhale. The noise wasn't quite a sigh, but it was just about. "Damian..."

"I do not wish to be replaced by a catatonic- rat!" his son spat, pushing back the chair with the harsh sound of wood scraping against wood as he leaped to his feet. The fledgling flared open his wings and slammed his palms on the table, causing the dishes to rattle and shake dangerously.

"Son-"

"You obviously don't view me as your son," Damian sneered, eyeing Tim with a positively venomous expression.

Bruce held back a frustrated hiss. Damian's mule-headedness was undoubtedly Talia's fault. No way in hell was Bruce this stubborn when he was a teenager. "Damian, you are not being replaced."

"Then what in the world do you call this?" Damian jabbed a finger in Tim's direction.

Alfred, unbothered, made a crooning noise at Tim, and the fledgling began to mechanically start gently sipping at the soup the butler had made.

""This,"" Bruce returned, "is a fledgling who'd lost his parents and was almost kidnapped. Damian, you are being unreasonable-"

His son snapped his wings shut, his feathers bristling in an offended fashion, "Then why haven't you snatched up the other children who have lost their parents? Answer that, Father. There are other younger chicks on the streets of Gotham, yet I don't see them bounding around right now!"

"Timothy doesn't have a next-of-kin, and he was plucking," Bruce was fighting desperately not to raise his voice at Damian. From experience, it was only going to make him fight harder. Talia was the exact same...

"And that hardly narrows down the other children on the streets of Gotham! What makes him so different that you resorted to bringing an outsider into OUR HOME!" Damian borderline screamed before his voice dropped to a whispered hiss, "Mother would disapprove."

Bruce bit back the retort that clung to the tip of his tongue. He decidedly didn't say, "Then good thing she's not here"; "She's never not disapproving something or another"; "What's one more tick against my record"; "This manor is owned by Bruce Wayne, not Talia Al Ghul"; and the countless other responses that would be inappropriate for this situation.

But what he does say, in retrospect, probably should've stayed unsaid as well.

"Don't bring Talia into this."

The two harpy eagles stared off in a silent battle of wills that ended in a draw when Tim slowly blinked himself into reality. His breathing shifted slightly, and his gauze-covered wings tucked closer to his back.

"Of course, you'd say that," Damian's voice dropped to a low growl, "you never did care for Mother, did you?"

"Damian!" Bruce snapped, his hands clenching on the table.

"You never wanted me- don't you dare deny it! You are seeking to replace me!" Damian spat, his claws digging into the wood of the vintage table. Alfred made a disapproving trill, and the fledgling instantly released his grip.

"If you'd just listen to me," Bruce grounded out, but Damian steamrolled over him.

"There is nothing to listen to, Father. You've made your stance clear as-"

"You're acting like a child," Tim huffed, staring into Damian's eyes with no shortage of defiance. The fledgling's wings were eerily still and unexpressive. Although it was relieving to see Timothy out of his depressive state, Bruce only wished it had happened while Damian wasn’t in one of his, to put it lightly, moods.

"Excuse me?" Damian growled, his tone dangerously still. Unlike many other people, Damian had zero reservations about harming a younger person.

Tim's hands clenched slightly before relaxing, but his expression remained bored and lax. Where did their son know how to mask so well? It was... concerning.

"You complain about Bruce not caring for you, but he still took you in even though Talia left you at his doorstep. If he didn't want you or didn't care for you, he would've placed you somewhere else, or he could've also handed you back to Talia."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Damian hissed. Bruce stood up to try and defuse the situation.

"You don't either!" Tim hissed, but it lacked the threatening rattle that someone truly enraged would possess, "You're entitled, conceited, and you can't see beyond your over-inflated ego!"

Damian flared his wings and pounced across the table. Bruce cursed under his breath as he lunged forward, crashing into his son in a whirlwind of wings and thrashing feathers. Damian bit into Bruce's forearm, and he frowned as his son's needle-like fangs ripped into his skin and his atavistic claw slashed inches away from Bruce's neck.

Alfred had grabbed Tim and swept the fledgling away to someplace more secure, and Bruce wrestled Damian off the table and onto the floor.

"DAMIAN!" Bruce shouted, frustration dripping off every word, "We do not. Hurt. Chicks."

"THEN WHY ARE YOU HURTING ME?!" Damian screamed, and Bruce instinctively lightened his grasp on Damian's limbs.

His son took that chance and twisted in Bruce's grasp, thrashing his wings to loosen Bruce's grip before lunging for his throat. Bruce ducked before pinning Damian against the ground, a firm grip on the back of the fledgling's neck and his wings forced against the ground.

Bruce narrowed his eyes, waiting for Damian to stop thrashing before speaking, "Tonight, Batman will be going out alone."

Damian froze.

"You can't do that!" he protested. Anger blazed brightly in his eyes as his thrashing continued. "You- You can't bench me! You need me- Father! Father, please! Batman needs- he needs Shadow! You need-"

"You need to go to your room," Bruce interrupted. "Batman did fine in his years before Shadow arrived, so I don't see why Batman can't go back out on his own."

Damian opened his mouth, probably to argue some more, but Bruce cut him off with a growl, "I will allow you back out when you learn how to behave yourself. I am disappointed, Damian. You should know better."

#tim drake #batman #fanfic #batfamily #bruce wayne #damian wayne #reverse robins #wing fic #world building #batfam #feral damian #angry damian wayne #canon?#who’s canon? Idk a canon #they’ll get along….#eventually #Fic: to brace upon benign feathers

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