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flamingpudding · 10 months

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DPxDC Family Week June 23 (Day 6)

Prompt: Grandparents | Lost

A/N: I felt like writing something with some Angst I guess, tho I don't know what all I need to TW so if I forgot something please tell me.

TW: Grieving Danny, mentions of accidental mass Genocide, Mentions of Character Death

AO3 Link: DPxDC Family Week Contributions

Danny sat on the roof of Wayne Manor staring longingly at the smog and light polluted sky. Trying to get at least the smallest glimpse of the stars above him and ignoring the two ghostly presences that he knew were watching him worriedly. He didn't want to feel like this anymore but at this very moment he resented Gotham. Despite Lady Gotham being welcoming to him and despite the warm welcome the Wayne's were attempting to give him Danny couldn't help but feel like he just wanted everything to end.

Amity had gone up in an ectoplasm powered explosion. The entire town was gone. And so were his parents, Jazz, Sam, Tucker, Valery, Wes, and everyone else he had ever known. Even Ellie had gotten caught up in it just when she had gotten officially adopted by his parents. All because he told his parents about Phantom. They accepted him, Ancients, they were even starting to change their ways. Their research was no longer biased and rather filled with the truth Danny was able to provide them. His parents had turned from Ghost Hunters to Ghost Defenders. Helping him and Ellie in sending them back to the Ghost Zone as well as rescuing them from the GIW. It was so nice not having to worry about them hunting him or injuring him any longer.

But of course everything couldn't have stayed like that. His life was doomed to not let him have good and peaceful things. Because the moment his parents changed they also stopped providing their weaponry to the GIW. Apparently that was the only thing that stopped these people from attempting to develop their own stuff. Which resulted in them creating their own highly dangerous arsenal.

Danny drew in his knees and buried his face in them, eyes stinging. Everything has gone to shit then. He knew that Jazz and probably everyone else too, would tell him that it wasn't his fault. But he couldn't help it. If he had never told his parents the truth, they wouldn't have stopped their deal with the GIW, then they wouldn't have started developing their own stuff. And then they wouldn't have come up with a nuclear level kind of ecto-bomb that was supposed to clean out Amity of all the ghosts but ended up destroying and killing everyone in town while leaving Danny as the only survivor just because he had been called by Clockwork for some stupid royal duties.

He remembered screaming, yelling and cursing once he returned and realized that his entire home town was gone. Accusing Clockwork of everything and nothing, demanding for him to send him back at least a couple of hours so he could prevent it from happening, but the other only shook his head telling Danny that even he didn't expect that change to the timeline and that it would be useless to try and prevent it from happening. Danny hadn't believed him at all as he broke down in the rumble place that used to be his home.

Of course that level of an explosion would also finally gain the Justice Leagues attention after all the failed calls he and his friends had made. He had wanted to scream at them too, blame them for so many things when they never offered their help before, but he didn't. His screaming at clockwork already had trained him of all the energy he had left. Besides one of the people coming by to check what happened was Batman and of course when they found him Batman would arrange for Danny to probably get taken care of which meant Bruce Wayne showing up and taking him in.

He guessed Bruce Wayne taking him in was still better than Vlad at this point, if that other halfa had survived that was.

Danny only went with the man because Clockwork had told him too, despite the anger still bubbling in his core whenever the ancient ghost contacted him, he listened albeit reluctantly. Because Clockwork told him that he could still avoid a Dan Timeline by going with that man but the ghostly teenager didn't know how. He had lost everything and right now he felt like he understood Dan better than he had ever before. His core hurt so much and he wasn't sure how long he could hold onto his sanity.

Sure he mimed the good kid for the Waynes, yet it had all been an act at the beginning. He got along with Jason just fine, probably because he could feel something familiar from him. Something he hadn't really paid enough attention to figure it out. Damien was nice company and he liked how the boy reminded him of Sam. Sure the kid had been a bit stabby but that was nothing compared to the time his parents spent hunting him when they hadn't known. Tim also reminded him of Tucker in a way, brilliant and adept to technology like no one else but the guy needed a better sleep schedule. Though Danny could relate to the coffee addiction they both appear to have. He kept his distance from Dick though. The eldest Wayne kid reminded him way too much of Jazz with the oldest sibling energy that came from him. Cass on the other hand was a nice and calming presence, she didn't talk much and sometimes that was all that Danny needed, just a silent presence next to him that didn't try to do something or talk about anything with him. Duke also was nice to be around though the other boy had kept his distance at first he now appeared more curious about him than before, Duke also had subtitly asked if Danny was a Meta, but luckily for the halfa, he had been able to redirect that question without answering it.

Still no matter how nice they were or how much he got along with them. It felt wrong, wrong to be here, wrong to accept their kindness, wrong, wrong, wrong. He could feel how his core fell into the chaos of is emotions as ice slowly spread around him.

"There you are, little Danny." He tensed but didn't look up. A cold wisp left passed his lips as he breathed out and he felt a ghostly presence 'sit' next to him on the roof; one was still watching him from a distance. His ice receded not wanting to end up making that other presence an ice block despite his need of wanting to be alone.

"You know, my son and his kids are pretty worried down there. I am sure that little Jason is currently tearing through every hidden nog and cranny he used to use. And little Damien is just seconds away from stabbing someone in his ire, he gave Titus one of your shirts Alfred hasn't washed yet in an attempt to find you and I believe little Tim is speed watching every video from all the cameras my son has installed. Sweet little Cass and little Duke are slinking along and using the shadows to look for you and little Dick appears to have become a headless chicken while simultaneously trying to calm down my son."

Danny didn't answer nor did he acknowledge Thomas Wayne's presence next to him. This was another thing he would have to get used to. Thomas and Martha Wayne, two of the ghosts that stuck to the Manor had taken to him the same way Lady Gotham had. But for some reasons the two were rather protective of Danny, referring to him as their newest grandchild. Something he just couldn't understand.

He was sure that if Jazz was here she could explain it to him. Ancients, he missed his sister.

"They are postponing their patrol until you're found, you know."

"I didn't ask them to." The halfa muttered lowly, still not looking up. The ghost next to him chuckled. Danny had figured out pretty quickly that the entire Wayne Family were vigilantes. In fact they were the Bat-Clan. If he hadn't figured it out by going around invisible and intangible during his first night here because he was suspicious of Bruce being another fruitloop then Danny was pretty sure that either Martha or Thomas would have spilled the truth to him sooner or later.

They had gushed so much about how proud they were of their child and grandchildren and how Danny would perfectly fit in with them. How they would give him the support he needed and the protection he deserved. He didn't want it, he was not going to replace the support he had before.

"They mean well. I know that my son can be…" Danny peaked up from his knees to see Thomas hand waving in a way that he couldn't interpret but had seen Jazz do too whenever their parents were being difficult. "... but he tries to be a good Dad."

"I don't need them trying to replace Mom and Dad." Was his grief, frustration and resentment leaking through his voice? Because if Thomas was going to give him the 'My son is a good Dad talk' he would not hesitate to change and fly away for good. He had played with the thought of running away before but Martha, bless her ghost, had convinced him to stay longer. How she had done it Danny didn't know but that woman could be very persuasive when she wanted to be or at least that was what Thomas told him.

"No one is trying to replace anyone." He felt Thomas' ghostly hand motion over his head like he was stroking Danny's hair. It took Danny a moment until he actually felt the motion, allowing the others ghostly touch to reach him and ignoring how his core painfully hummed at that action.

"Really, cause it sure feels like it with how they 'care'." Maybe that had been a low blow but the halfa was getting fessed up and bitter with the Waynes. It wasn't like they were mistreating him. No, in fact they were treating him very well despite Danny always drawing a line. Never getting too personal with any of them despite how well he could get along with them. Martha and Thomas kept encouraging him, assuring him that they were all honest with him even when he didn't want to hear that.

Because even if he denied it with his mind, his core knew, he had already stopped pretending to like them after the first week with them. Martha and Thomas constantly sought him out, claiming it as their duty as his grandparents. Checking in on him and how he was settling in, asking how he was feeling. And when Danny would refuse to acknowledge them, the two ghostly resistances would just laugh and start telling him about their family, trying to help him understand. About their son and their grandchildren. About random things the two had seen happening that the rest of the family didn't, like Alfred the cat and Batcow taking a walk around the Manor unnoticed by everyone.

Unwillingly he had learned a lot of embarrassing stories like that about the Waynes all during his first week. Dicks escapades with chandeliers, Jason's special book collection no one knew about, Tim sleep deprived action he thought no one knew about, Cass little pranks she liked to pull and no one ever traced back to her, Duke's hero speech practices and Damian's constant attempts to smuggle new animals into the Manor. His core had ached, lamenting the fact that he would never be able to share stories like that with his sisters or his best friends anymore. Rationally thinking he knew these ghostly grandparents only meant well but it only made him miss Amity more.

He curled up again, once more burying his face in his knees.

Would his core ever stop hurting? He had failed his entire hometown? What was his obsession worth now? He hadn't been able to protect anyone. Would… would his core stop hurting if he let insanity take him? If he became like Dan after all? Was that how Dan came to be? It made sense, didn't it? Dan did come from a timeline where he had lost everything.

"Oh little Danny." The pressure on his eyes became too much and the halfa could feel how wet tears soaked the fabric of jeans as he pressed his eyes against his knees. A cold touch lay across his shoulder and he was sure that Thomas was giving him a hug, he could feel his core calling out to his self proclaimed ghostly grandparents but he ignored it. "Let it out, there is no fault in grieving. Ancients know how nearly everyone in this family had gone and dealt with grief. There is no need to rush, we all will be there for you."

A sob escaped him as his shoulders started shaking.

He didn't know how much time passed as he didn't even register how the cold touch on his shoulders changed to a warm one. How it became more grounding as someone rubbed his back. The ghostly presence that had been next to him had disappeared but instead there were six other warm presences around him and a seventh one not too far away.

Danny didn't look up but he knew, he knew that the Wayne's had joined him on the roof and he was pretty sure that the arm around his shoulder probably belonged to Dick and that the one rubbing his back was Duke. The one sitting close to his legs was most likely Damien as it was the smallest and Tim was probably the presence to his right. There was another silent presence behind him, Cass most likely as well as Jason's sort of ghostly but not presence. He could even sense Bruce close by.

No one said anything and the halfa was fine with that. His core didn't warm at their silent actions but it did hurt just a little bit less. For a brief moment Danny thought that maybe he wouldn't have to become like Dan after all for it to stop hurting. Maybe Thomas and Martha were right that staying here would help him heal.

Thomas watched all his grandchildren silently giving their support and help when his newest grandchild was lost in his grief. He was still worried about the little guy, he wasn't the youngest among them but he was carrying a lot on his shoulders. His trauma and grief are so different yet so similar to the rest of their family and his core ached with that knowledge. Couldn't the children just be happy without any difficulties throwing rocks in their paths?

At the moment Lady Gotham was making sure that no other ghosts would come to bother his grandchild. Apparently little Danny already had his own little group of rogues that were eagerly awaiting to check on him. Thanks to the city's spirit though, he and his wife could make sure that the little halfa was settling in well with his new family without them trying to fight his newest grandchild.

"Don't worry dear." His wife floated over to him, laying her head on his shoulder as they watched the children. "They will help him with his grief and once they have he will fit right in with the lot of them."

A chuckle escaped him as he watched the eldest helping up the grieving boy who was doing his best to bury himself in his oversized hoodie. The second oldest ruffled the halfa's hair when they passed him on their way back into the manor, the youngest hot on their heels, sticking close to the grieving teen. His granddaughter taking the chance to hug the boy and not looking like she would let go anytime soon while the third oldest boy followed rambling about an observatory he would like to take Danny too.

"I know they will. I am just wondering how our son will deal with our grandchild's special status as well as counting as a royal family once little Danny opens up."

His wife giggled. "Well that is a problem for another day, dear. I am sure our Brucie will know how to deal with it and if not Alfred is still with him to support."

Thomas nodded. "And if everything fails, we will be here to help guide them?"

"Of course my dear."

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avaritia-apotheosis · 3 years

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Phantom Children Ch. 7

Massive thanks to my awesome betas for this chapter!

In Which: A Story is Given to the Locked Room

AO3 | Prologue | 6 | [ 7 ] | 8

DICK DOESN’T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO FEEL. Surprised, maybe? Though he really isn’t all that shocked. Not that the revelation of another Wayne kid isn’t surprising, it’s just that—well…

Bruce has a tendency to attract foolhardy kids with a strong sense of justice and a willingness to harp on Batman until he gives them wings and teaches them how to fly. It’s the way of the world. The sky is blue, the sun sets in the west, and little Robin-hopefuls flock to Batman like ducklings to their big, brooding, mother duck. (That most of them are black haired and blue-eyed with some sort of traumatic backstory is a coincidence. Probably. The universe is just weird that way.)

And Bruce, bleeding heart that he is despite all the steel walls and nuclear spike fields he placed around it, always had a soft spot for children. It’s what people don’t get when they call Robins and Batgirls, former or current, child soldiers. They think that Batman picks these children up from gutter alleys and unfortunate homes, breaking and reshaping them into crusaders for his war against crime.

(What most don’t get is that the easiest way to gain ‘favorite child’ status in the Wayne household is to just stay home and live the most normal life possible. All of them—with the exception of Damian and Cass—chose this life. And even those two chose to stick with it, even when Bruce was more than happy to give them a way out.)

Dick was one of the first to stand at Batman’s side. The original. The ‘golden boy’ as Jason always put it. He’d been there so early in Batman’s career that, years later, it’s nearly inconceivable to imagine Batman without his Robin. He’s been there for Bruce’s soaring highs, his crushing lows, his mundane middles, just as Bruce has been there for him. Sure, they’ve had their fights, but Dick had always settled himself with the knowledge that he was one of the few people that knew everything about Bruce Wayne.

But this . This nursery—no, this memorial . This monument that spoke of a life that could have, should have, would have been, is something that predates Robin’s existence. A story, a memory that had hurt Bruce so badly that he would rather hide it away than breathe even a word of its existence.

Until now. Until Bruce had no choice but to rip the wound open once more.

“Bruce. I—what’s going on?”

“Perhaps,” Alfred interjected. “Perhaps it may be best to take this to the cave. Such a story should be told once.”

Bruce laughed, a broken, shuddering thing. “What is there to tell? I was naive with a heart too open and full of longing. I let myself hope, and I let myself get crushed . I picked myself up, moved on, end of story.”

Alfred raised an imperious brow. “As you are the one who always insisted on detailed reports, I do hope your summary to the boys downstairs would have a little more detail.” His face softened as he placed a comforting hand on Bruce’s shoulder. “What recent information that has been passed to us paints a worrisome picture, given what little you have shared, but know that this time you are not alone to deal with this matter. Regardless of what you do, the rest of the family is involved by proxy."

Bruce seemed to release some of the tension in his shoulders at that. “Yes. Of course. Dick, why don’t you see if Tim is back yet. I don’t want to explain this more than once, if possible. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

“Yeah. Yeah, sure, I’ll get right on that.”

“And, Dick?”

“Yeah?”

Bruce’s gaze was intense. “How is Damian doing?”

He remembered the way Damian sunk deeper into the chair, hands clasping and unclasping at air. The white of his cast hanging limply as Damian’s legs could just barely brush against the cave floor. Dick swallowed a lump in his throat. “I don’t know. But I do know that he could really use his father right about now.”

Bruce gave a shaky nod and Dick left.

_______

Everyone has heard this tale before.

His boys have learned about the birth of Batman, of how a boy lost his parents in an alley at the age of eight. How at 14 he took to the study of criminology to an almost religious fervor. He took and aced every AP test, graduated high school at 16, headed off to get a college degree, then disappeared off the face of the earth.

Batman may have been born kneeling in the shadows of a dirty alley, but it was on the streets abroad where Batman grew up. Learning and studying and fighting until he knew what made the criminal underworld tick, how to escape almost every type of restraints, how to solve a murder with only the smallest of clues. He trained under a demon and met his daughter. When their ideas of justice clashed with each other, he tried to leave, they tried to stop him, and he set their base on ablaze.

He returned to Gotham the prodigal son, the favored prince, the charming socialite. Bruce Wayne took his place at the center of Gotham’s solar system, shining and bright and unbelievably foolish. Batman put on a cowl and learned the shadows of Gotham’s streets, and built himself up to be a symbol of fear and justice. Soon, he acquired a Robin to temper that darkness. To bring a light of hope, to instill a sense of peace— something more than vengeance and the night.

The rest is history.

Here is the part of the story that Bruce had omitted:

Early in his career as Batman, a man named Quayin had plans to steal a weather modifying US satellite. This, and certain other events, led to Bruce and Ra’s al Ghul crossing paths—and working on the same side. The details of that mission, in the long run. do not matter. Not anymore. What’s important is that accompanying him is his daughter, Talia al Ghul. She was as deadly as she was beautiful—and Talia was very, very beautiful.

It was a whirlwind romance. A storm of passion. Gotham’s Bruce Wayne and socialite Miranda Tate. * Batman and the Daughter of the Demon. The tempest reached its peak on that fateful day in the gardens of Wayne Manor. The hot summer sun and buzzing insects fading away as she pulled him aside and said “Beloved, I am with child. I am pregnant.” **

Bruce was caught unawares by the news. Stared dumbfounded at her until his brain caught up with his ears and he felt such unbridled joy bubbling in his chest. He laughed, clear and bright. He held her tight against him as if she held the world in her hands—because she did . Talia held his world within her and Bruce vowed to protect it with every fiber of his being. He called Alfred immediately to tell him the news and started arranging for discreet interior decorators and shipments for everything they needed for a nursery.

Thomas, for a boy. Martha for a girl. He swore that very day that it would be the happiest baby in the world. **

And then—

And then…

As Ra’s and Bruce planned their next move to stop Quayin from initiating a war between America and the USSR, Talia collapsed.

Talia collapsed and the baby was just…

Gone.

And suddenly Talia wanted nothing to do with him. Told Bruce to leave her alone, that their relationship would never be the same.

His child was gone .

By the time the rogue satellite was recovered, Quayin defeated, and all loose ends tied up, the nursery was fully furnished. Bruce took one look at it and then turned away. Locked the door and hid the key god-knows-where.

His child was gone.

Batman continued to work.

There was no use for an empty nursery.

--------

End Notes:

The story I'm using for the circumstances surrounding Danny's birth is basically a modified version of what happens in Batman: Son of the Demon. Modified so that people knew that Bruce Wayne and Miranda Tate were a couple and to give enough time for a nursery to be built along with the rest of the events of that comic.

*Miranda Tate is the name Tahlia al Ghul went by in 'The Dark Knight Rises'

**These lines are taken from Batman: Son of the Demon

#danny phantom #batman #danny phantom x batman crossover #dp fic #phantom children.txt

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deafeninggardenerpanda · 3 years

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Six people met at Daroach’s Café; Daroach, Meta Knight, Magolor, Kirby, President Dedede, and Waddle Dee. Kirby was brought here by Meta Knight's sudden call, and both Kirby and President Dedede, as told by Meta Knight, brought their now unsealed gears. A tag hung on the door of the café reading, "Closed Today," so there was no need to worry about customers coming in. President Dedede glanced at Meta Knight and complained.

"What does this mean? You said your name is Meta Knight? You look like an aristocrat, what’s in it for you?"

"I'll explain everything, but first, the gears you have ... " Meta Knight was saying before Magolor interrupted him.

"The gears, put them in the box!" Magolor presented a box with a lid.

"Why did you prepare a box? For what ...? " Meta Knight asked.

"The gears are dangerous now that the seals have melted off. The magical power in them will burst out and destroy stuff around us!" Magolor shivered in fright. "I don't know if something will happen if the three gears are gathered in one place, so I brought a box to contain them."

"I see, then let's put the gears we found in the box," Daroach said. He tossed his gear into the box.

"Put your gear in the box, too," Meta Knight told President Dedede.

"What? Don’t be ridiculous." He hugged the gear protectively. "I had a hard time getting this gear, I'm not giving it to anyone!"

"The gear might go haywire if you don’t put it in the box!" Magolor’s expression was serious. President Dedede replied nervously.

"B-but, it’s mine. Magolor, you know how hard it was to get this ... "

"Ah! Danger!" Magolor shouted. President Dedede jumped up in surprise.

"W-what!?"

"Just now, the gear shone brightly! That must be the signal!"

"Eh!? Eh!? What—!? " President Dedede threw the gear in a panic. Magolor quickly caught the gear with the box.

"Now, put your gear in Magolor’s box as well ... " Meta Knight told Kirby, however, he closed his mouth when he saw Kirby’s face. His eyes were shining, and his mouth was about to drool.

"All three gears! With these, the deluxe lunches for 100,000 people are ours!"

" ... Put the gear in the box, quickly."

Kirby didn't hear. His head was full of deluxe lunches for 100,000 people. "Chef Kawasaki's deluxe lunch! Has everyone had it!? It's amazing, on a big plate, hamburger steak, fried shrimp, and omelet rice are set, with a huge heap of potato salad ...! "

" ... Kirby, please listen to me ... "

"Let's eat it together! If everyone can't finish it, I'll finish it! It’s okay, I don’t mind!"

" ..... I'm telling you to put the gear in the box ..... "

"Yeah! 100,000 servings, 100,000 servings~! " Kirby cheerfully tossed the gear into the box. Magolor closed the lid.

"With that, crisis has been averted! The magic has been contained, no need to worry anymore."

"Then, let's move on." Meta Knight put the photo on the table. President Dedede inspected it.

"What is this? Are these supposed to be characters ...? "

"They’re ancient characters. It seems to be an explanation of the machine found in the diamond mine."

"I can’t read it."

"It's difficult to decipher, but I can understand some of it by looking in this book." Meta Knight placed the thick research book next to the photo.

"What’s it say?" Kirby asked.

"It’s a warning."

"Warning ...? "

"The discovered ancient machine is a fearsome thing that brings both wealth and misery simultaneously. It’s terrifying."

" ... Eh?" Kirby, President Dedede, and Waddle Dee were shocked.

"That’s what it means!?" President Dedede said. "Doesn't the ancient machine make everyone happy? That’s what it said in the newspaper."

"Only the aristocrats will be happy. The ancient machine has the power to turn stone into expensive treasure, which will make the aristocrats rich, however, on the other hand, a stench will fill the town and eventually cause it to fall to ruin. It holds two opposite powers."

"What did you say ...!? " President Dedede was as pale as a ghost. "That's completely different from what was written! Wasn’t the wizard who stopped the machine evil!?"

"The opposite. It was probably a wise man with the right heart who pulled out the gears. Moreover, I assume he was unable to destroy them due to some sort of special power they have, so he sealed the magical gears and hid them instead. That way, the machine would never move again."

"This is serious ...! " Kirby jumped up and shouted. "We have to tell Mr. Fugo as soon as possible! He can't start the machine!"

"No, Fugo knows exactly what he’s doing," Meta Knight said. "He should have had an expert in ancient characters on his side and succeeded in deciphering the full text long ago."

"Huh ...? " Kirby was wide-eyed.

"In other words, Fugo has been planning to do this from the beginning," President Dedede said, furious. "To make money, he didn’t care about what would happen to anyone other than himself!?"

"He is that kind of person."

"Unforgivable!" President Dedede yelled and swung his fists.

President Dedede is selfish and self-indulgent, but he has a stronger sense of justice than anyone else. Fugo’s belief that it didn’t matter if other people suffered for his own benefit—he couldn't forgive him at all.

"We have to stop this," Kirby said. "We can't give Mr. Fugo the gears!"

Meta Knight nodded. "All of you, if you’ll lend me your strength, our hearts will be stronger as one. Let's work to stop Fugo's evil, together."

" ... Together ... huh," President Dedede offhandedly mumbled. Suddenly, his mouth warped into a snarl. He narrowed his eyes and glared at Meta Knight. "That’s funny. Why do you, an aristocrat, want to join hands with us?"

Meta Knight turned to President Dedede. "What do you mean?"

"If the ancient machine moves again, won’t the aristocrats profit? Doesn’t sound like a bad day for you." Meta Knight’s sharp eyes flickered toward him. "Even so, you’re trying to join hands with us ... Maybe you’re planning something, too? Planning to drive Fugo out of this town instead of yourself, so you can rise up ... "

Crack ...!

There was a loud noise. President Dedede jumped when Meta Knight hit the floor with his cane. Meta Knight snapped back.

"Don’t look down on me! I am an inhabitant of Diamond Town before I am an aristocrat! Are you going to sit back and watch this town perish in silence!?"

President Dedede recoiled under his intensity. " ... H-huh! You’re a solid guy, for an aristocrat. You believe in what you say." It was then ...

"A-ah ... um ... Lord Meta Knight ... sir ... " Waddle Dee said quietly.

"Hm? What?"

While everyone was talking, Waddle Dee has been staring at the photo that's been sitting on top of the table the whole time.

"This photo ... there’s something written on the bottom of it."

" ... Hm?" Meta Knight brought his face closer to the photo.

"Here, down here." Waddle Dee stretched and pointed.

Meta Knight looked carefully. "I see. You’re right, that looks to be the case," he said. "There are small characters underneath the sentences I have deciphered."

"What!? Is it a big discovery!?" President Dedede came over and said.

"No, I doubt it." Meta Knight pointed. "Look. There are very few characters and what’s there is distorted, like a scribble. It’s probably just some sort of rough draft."

"I-I’m sorry, I messed up ... "

Looking at the dejected Waddle Dee, Meta Knight added, "But, it's great you noticed the little characters I overlooked. Let's decipher it, just in case."

"Decipher? How do you do that?" When Kirby asked, Meta Knight showed the thick research book he brought.

"I'll look it up in this book. I can look at the shapes and arrangements of the characters and look for similar strings."

President Dedede leaned over the table. "What, that’s so annoying! So much work!"

"Yeah! It might be a little too difficult for President Dedede," Kirby said cheerfully. "You can rest, I'll decipher it!"

" ... What!?" President Dedede frowned. "There’s no way the ancient characters are gonna be deciphered by a lil’ brat like you!"

"I'm good at this kind of thing. Are you going to take a nap over there, President Dedede?"

"Don't be stupid! You won’t be able to do it without me!" President Dedede rolled his arms, motivated.

"Let’s do our best, everyone!" Magolor was enthusiastic. Daroach looked displeased, but there was no choice but to look into the book.

Deciphering the ancient characters was difficult. The meaning changed greatly with even the smallest difference. Murmur, murmur, hum, hum. Everyone faced each other and exchanged opinions.

"Hey, look. This string is ... "

"It's similar to this. That means this says ... "

"No, wait. The length of the line is different. This one, instead ... " It was an arduous task, but little by little, they began to uncover the meaning.

... Of course, Kirby and President Dedede were unable to keep up. They grew so tired they fell asleep on the floor. Waddle Dee suddenly raised his voice.

" ... Ah! Lord Meta Knight, this string is possibly ...! " However, Waddle Dee's discovery was loudly interrupted by Daroach.

"What are you doing, Magolor!"

Meta Knight and Waddle Dee both looked up in surprise. Before they knew it, Magolor had slinked away from the table and was approaching the door. He firmly grasped the box containing the gears. Magolor laughed as soon as Daroach noticed him.

"Bravo, bravo! Thank you all for your hard work, you guys! Thanks for collecting the gears for meeee~! " He quickly opened the door and ran outside. Everyone was frozen in place, too stunned to move by the sudden event.

"W— ... wait a minute!" The first to react was Daroach.

"Wait! Magolor!"

Daroach and Meta Knight quickly ran after him. Kirby and President Dedede, who were sleeping comfortably at the time, were trampled.

"Ow ow ow ow—! "

"What are you doing, you little—!? " The two jumped up in surprise.

"There’s an emergency, President Dedede! Kirby!" Waddle Dee shouted. "Magolor ran away with the gears!"

" ... Eh!?" Kirby and President Dedede looked at each other.

"What do you mean!?"

"That guy, he was planning to take the prize money for himself this whole time!?"

Magolor laughed loudly as he ran. Kirby and the others desperately chased after him, but Magolor was surprisingly quick. Their view of him got smaller and smaller.

"He couldn’t be trusted after all!" Daroach shouted in frustration. "We were fooled, Meta Knight!"

"Ah, that's right." Meta Knight jumped into the car parked in front of Daroach’s Café. Daroach jumped in as well and took the passenger seat. "Let’s go!"

"Right! Step on it, Meta Knight!" Daroach shouted and shut his eyes tightly. The steam car accelerated sharply and immediately reached its maximum speed. They thought they could catch up with Magolor in no time, but——

"I won't let you! Ha!" Magolor turned around and threw a capsule that broke and spewed out clouds of black smoke. Meta Knight slammed on the brakes. The two coughed as they inhaled the fumes.

"Cough ...! I can’t believe it ...! "

"Magolor ...! "

When the smoke finally cleared, Magolor was gone.

Kirby and President Dedede weren't standing still, of course.

"The chase is on! My Great King DDD XX, come to me!" President Dedede started running toward the factory where the plane was stored, but Kirby would not be defeated.

"It’ll be my Warp Star that catches Magolor!"

"Wait Kirby!" Waddle Dee stopped Kirby before he started to run.

"Ah, Waddle Dee! Come on, let's go together!"

"Yeah ...! " Waddle Dee was carrying the photo of the ancient characters and the heavy research book with him. Kirby was surprised.

"You’re going to bring that!?"

"Yeah! I'll leave the flying to you, Kirby. I need to decipher this!"

"Waddle Dee ...! " They had to hurry and chase after Magolor. It would take them much longer if they had to carry the heavy book all the way to the plane, but Kirby nodded when he saw Waddle Dee's serious expression.

" ... All right. Let’s take it!"

Waddle Dee didn't miss any small details. He could find something important from even the smallest clue. Thanks to that, he had been able to find and repair many machine failures up to now. He would surely notice something important that everyone else overlooked.

The two carried the heavy book, ran to the apartment, and boarded the Warp Star, together.

"Let’s go!" With Kirby in the cockpit and Waddle Dee in the seat behind, the Warp Star took off.

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#kirby #king dedede #meta knight #waddle dee #magolor #daroach #Kirby: Search for the Dreamy Gears!#kirby light novel #translations

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hitoshisbabygirl · 4 years

Text

Emerald eyes of an Oni~ I. Midorya

Author's Notes ♡: Hey guys! I’m back with another collab! It really loved this idea and it actually has me writing some other fantasy pieces I’ve been thinking about starting .･ﾟﾟ･(／ω＼)･ﾟﾟ･.! This is nice and steamy , I really wanna make like part two to go more into actual Oni Deku ʕ⊙ᴥ⊙ʔ. But I may or may not. I hope I did a decent job with this wonderful idea and I hope you enjoy reading this and much as I did writing it ~ bunny ❥

Warnings : NSFW!!! (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀) we love making baby Deku in control and large (the best way I could ⊙﹏⊙)

There’s some pet names, female oral, Size Kink (sorta touching on it) and overall some sex and I think that’s it!

Word count : about 3.6k give or take!

Paring(s) : Oni!Izuku Midorya x F! Reader

Enjoy ♡

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Being lost in the woods could have the right perks for the right people. It can be both relaxing and terrifying , the way the forest could be both scenic and suffocating could make the strongest man cry. Fortunately for Izuku Midorya , he knew this forest all too well. Growing up as a boy living with a small mythical village of other children rejected , stolen or given up to the village over something tragic with their biological family or for the way they came out and became. From minotars to elfs, pixies to sirens, the forest children had all types of creatures that lived in the hidden village grotto. But Izuku or Zuku , a childhood name from some of the younger children of the village, he was different.

Unfortunately , Deku was the only child of his kind, a oni born child, both his mother and father being human to oni made, him being born already a fully oni without corruption being needed for him to awaken his bloodline. Being the only child of his kind came with perks like being his own special and unique child. But it also had its disadvantagements, many were afraid of his large stature , growing horns on his head and his canines grwoig . Besides his hulking disposition, Izuku was the most helpful and sweetest child of the village.

He always made sure that his other members were well taken care of and never sad or lacking. Being as he was one of the babies of the village, he tried giving as much as he could to everything and everyone he met. The village was all he knew, and as everyone started to grow up and get out of the village or protect it, the more he realized that he would probably stay in this forest forever, protecting the place he’s become to love and recognized as his home, his safe space. Years went by and now at 20 (2000 years in his demon form) Izuku was a hulking boy, filled out with decorative tattoos running down his arms and back, dark forest green hair covering his horns coming from his forehead. He had protected the forest all his life and was used to having other children around him. But for the last couple of years as other children from the village were moved to protect their home from different sides of the forest Izuku had been lonely, sitting in the trees warding off people who tried to sneak in or steal the hidden treasures of the forest.

One day while In a tree Izuku saw a new face, a person he had never seen or met before. A girl that looked very lost , pushing through the trees as she became more distressed. With a few hops Izuku got closer , watching the human girl glance around and tripped over a root of a tree, starting to fall with a streak. At that moment Izuku jumped down, catching the girl before she could fall. With eyes close the girl waited to hit the ground only to feel herself suspended. Cracking open an eye she saw emerald colored eyes and horns looking down at her, her facing heating up as she made eye contact with a rather handsome looking giant. As the giant placed her down, she looked at the rather friendly man in front of her as he opened his mouth to speak to her. “Are you okay? I saw you falling from in the trees and I thought I’d help you out. You don’t seem like you know where you are, and I don’t think you’re planning to do anything. My name is Izuku and I’m a guardian of this forest.” The y’all and freckled demon spoke, causing the girl in front of him to smile and respond.”Well hello Izuku my name is [ ] and I’m rather lost! I’m sorry to disturb you and your home, I hope I didn’t do any damage! It seems like you’re a friendly er, person” The girl named [ ] said as Izuku felt his heart flutter in his chest. She was the warmest person he had met, and he had the urge to protect her. “I'm an Oni with a human heart, so in essence I could be called a human from my emotional state” Izuku said causing [ ] to smile as he turned around, taking her hand to help her navigate with him throughout the forest. “Well Izuku, it seems like this forest is huge, and you could use a friend! How about every so often I can come and bring you something to eat? Or I’ll eat up here so you’re not as lonely!” [ ] said as Izuku froze, looking down at the girl with a warm feeling across his face. “S-sure why not? That would be nice..” Izuku said, smiling back as the girl held out her hand , Izuku taking it as the shook hands, sealing the fate of their relationship.

The next year, the unlikely duo had a closer bond than anyone had ever seen between a human and one of the creatures that protected the village, especially a Oni. The two had become a taboo but loving relationship between a demon and his human. Within the short time frame [ ] had met the other village children and seen all types of beautiful things hidden in the forest. She tried out different hobbies with all the the different types of species that lived in the forest, she swam in the forests’ waterfall with the sirens and mermaids, ran along with the Minotaurs, climbed up trees and watched the world around them with griffins, and much much more. Izuku couldn’t of been happier with everything he saw, happy he found a human that was normal, didn’t want to catch it keep any of his family as trophies and was the sweetest and loving person he had ever ment . He felt he was his happiest now, and the villages mother Uhume , could easily see that. She pulled him aside while everyone was having a small festival in the waterfall pit, handing him a gemed ring. She smiled as the confused boy looked down at her. Uhume told him very plainly that if this human was who he wanted to take up as a wife, that it was the love that mattered, not the species. If he really loved this girl , he should take up with her as his wife and they could live in the hidden village together. And within another year, the two would be married.

As the now married couple took care of various things around the forest and the village, [ ] noticed things. Izuku would cuddle up to her more and kiss her face but when it got too heated he’d stop, walking away from the situation or changing the subject completely. He would steer clear of her and head outside when she’d give him more affection and her own kisses on his face and neck. Most affection caused Izuku to freeze up and hide from her the rest of the day. Then one day [ ] couldn’t take it anymore. She decided to wait for him to come home and trap him in their bedroom. That day, when he came home [. ] let everything be normal as usual. Once Izuku went and laid down she strutted into the room, shutting and locking the door behind her as she saw her hulking boyfriend peer at her. “Hey my love whats up?” Izuku said as [ ] smiled, walking to the bed and sitting beside him.

“Hey zuku...are you scared of me?” She started as he raised an eyebrow, sitting up on the headboard of their bed. “No I’m not scared of you. I love you my dear, whats on your mind? Why did you ask me that?” He said , taking [ ]’s hands as she felt her face heat up as Izuku looked at her. “You just..avoid my affection and touches..is there something wrong with me?” [ ] hated to admit but the fear that one of the mythical creatures would do a better justice to Izuku than her human body. She was weak, and from him bring the only Oni born child from the village she knew his blood was strong. She couldn’t help the feeling Of hold him back, and Izuku noticed the way she tensed up. “My love..I chose you, from the first time I met you I felt something different. I know you might feel like you don’t do enough for me but I can promise you, you are the most beautiful person I’ve met and I’m so glad I have you in my life. I’m just scared..if we take that next step I’ll hurt you..I’m not the smallest person yknow” Izuku finished with a light laugh, face heating up as he kissed the back of [ ]’s hand.

With a small smile and a deep breath she leaned forward, kissing her large boyfriend without giving him the chance to move away from her. With a muffled moan Izuku kissed back,placing her hands around his neck as he pulled her closer, the kiss deepening as [ ] let out her own moan. With hesitation he pulled back, [ ] letting out a whine as he sheepishly giggled. “Sorry babe I’ll uh..let you calm down and I’ll go get you something to uh drink! Yeah drink..” Izuku said as he went to get up. With a huff [ ] grabbed his arm, stopping him mid stride to the door “Zuku..stay..kiss me more..?” [ ] said as he felt his heart get in his throat “[ ] if I stay and kiss you more...I’m not sure how much I can hold back..” Izuku whispered as she crawled closer, kissing the side of his neck as she turned his face to hers “I don’t want you to hold back..make me yours” And with that Izuku let out a growl, pushing [ ] back onto the bed as she let out a giggle. With eyes voided out of focus he crashed his lips onto hers, starling her breath away as she moaned at the feeling, kissing him back just as hard. With a light touch, Izuku grabbed at her clothed hips, pulling her shorts down with a tug.

As the kiss deepened , Izuku lowered himself onto [ ] , giving her no room to breathe as he pulled away slowly, panting as they caught their breaths. “Oh my..Zuku baby are you alright? You’re..so warm” [ ] said breathlessly as she rubbed his head , the male letting out a groan as he rubbed her hips harshly, sucking in his bottom lip. “[ ], I hope you know what you’re asking for...please, if it’s too much just..stop me?” Izuku said as he averted his eyes from hers. With a gentle smile she kissed his forehead and agreed, letting her husband do whatever he was planning. With a shaky breath he pulled the rest of her shorts and underwear off, soon helping her come out of her shirt and bra as she covered herself, feeling nervous as Izuku ran his glance over her body, biting his lip as he pulled her arms away from her body, showering her neck and breast with kisses. As he made his way down her chest to her stomach he bit her hip, a yelp falling from her lips as he laughed, kissing the bite as he started to pull her legs open. As his glance went from her puffy lower lips up to the eyes boring down at him and flushed face of his lover he smiled, reaching up to kiss her one more time as his fingers danced around her core.

“My love are you ready..? I promise..I’ll be as gentle as I can be” Izuku said as [ ] bit her lip “Pleaae..I’m ready for you ..” she said softly as she rubbed a horn sticking out through his bangs. With a grin he continued down, kissing the inner parts of her thighs as he made his way to her clit, blowing a small puff of air onto it. A gasp fell from [ ]’s lips as Izuku carefully let his curved tongue run over her clit, his eyes focused on her reactions as he sucked the small bundle of nerves into his mouth. With a long moan the smaller girls head fell back, biting her lip as she rubbed the top of his head, giving Izuku the courage to continue.

He soon pushed her legs up higher, letting his tongue lick up and down her lips, slowly pushing the tip into her dripping hole. [. ] whined, bucking her hips into his mouth as she gripped at a horn, the beast between her legs letting out his own groans as his movement picked up, between suckling her clit till her legs shook and rubbing her lips with a thick finger. Without warning she felt the one sip into her clenching hole, then another,causing a loud moan to come from her throat as she felt him start to stretch her wider. “So small..so cute..you have the prettiest little pussy [. ] I can’t wait to stuff it full” With those words alone [. ] let out a whimper as she gripped his head to pull him in more to her clit, chasing a high she could feel brewing in her belly “I-Izuku..I think I’m gonna..I’m gonna” She started “Cum for me baby..go right ahead you got it” He encouraged as he saw the way her body tensed up. He picked up the pace onto her clit , sucking harder as she started to have her first orgasam of many for the night. Without hesitation he slid in another finger , licking quickly at her clit as the overstimulation started to kick in , [. ] whimpering as she tried to close her legs. With a growl and a smack to her inner leg , Izuku continued to pump his fingers into her heat, hitting her g spot as well as rolling his tongue around her sensitive nub.

Pulling away slightly but not stopping the pumping of his hand he smiled up to her “I’m sorry sweetheart you’re just so tight..if you expecting to take me tonight I’m going to have to get you nice and wet..and wide..I don’t wanna hurt you okay?” He said with a deeper than normal voice, his eyes darker and intimidating as she shook her head to his words. The once sweet and bubbly boy in front of her was gone, replaced with the savage blood of his demon side. With a smirk Izuku sucked her clit in time with his fingers, causing the girl to feel a even tighter sensation in her belly “H-hey Izuku...stop wait..I feel like I have to pee..” [. ] warned , whimpering as dark emerald eyes looked into hers. He moaned over her clit after hearing what she said not slowing down his ministrations as he doubled them in speed. Afraid he didn’t hear her [. ] started to push at his head between her thighs, trying to slow him down as Izuku growled and pushed back, pulling her legs even higher as he started licking her clit in tight circles, pushing his fingers right against her g spot as she screeched, clear liquid gushing out from her trembling hole.

With a satisfied moan Izuku sucked the liquid from her hole, stopping as [. ] started to scream and tug at his hair and horns. With a quick glance up eh saw a beautiful mess, [. ] legs shaking, her chest falling a rising hard, a flushing face with tears running down her cheeks. Her lip was red and trembling from being big on. Being forgiving , Izuku pulled his sopping fingers from her pussy, popping his lips off of her lewdly as he let out a deep breath. “You okay sweetheart? I’m sorry I hope I didn’t push you too hard.” He started as he wiped the wet stains from her face. “You sure you’re not some type of sex demon..?” [. ] laughed as she ran her fingers through his thick hair. “That was..amazing..I feel like I’m ready for you now..” She admitted, feeling her face heat up as Izuku stuttered “I-it’s okay I can just go handle myself, tonight was about you not about me. If you aren’t ready it’s okay! Don’t force yourself” He said sweetly as he rubbed the back of his neck shyly. With a shaky hand [. ] took his hand and put it on her cheek, opening her legs up as her puffed out pussy clenched. “Please..Fuck me Izuku..” And with that all small sense of control snapped . With a groan he pulled down his loose sweatpants, the bulbous head of his dick red as he let himself free, the thick and long shaft throbbing as he crawled closer, it full and swinging . [. ] gulped ‘oh god how is that going to fit in me’ she thought as a glimpse of shy Izuku appeared “I promise I’ll be gentle, trust my baby I don’t want to hurt you..it’s why I took so long to get you ready” With a gasp she felt the tip touch her still sensitive clit. She moaned loudly as He started to runt his hips against hers, his head catching onto the hood of her clit, giving a delicious feeling of need pumping in her veins. “Ready..?” Izuku asked as he gripped himself, positioning against her clenching hole.

“H-hey Zu?” [. ] called out as he shot his eyes right back up to hers. “Yes?” “Kiss me when you put it in..I don’t wanna scream” She said , laughing as he did too “Trust me..you’ll be screaming a lot tonight” Finishing that statement her leaned down and gave her a deep kiss, pushing his hips slowing into hers as they moaned into eachothers mouths, her arms and legs wrapping like a vice around him as he settled himself into her dripping heat. Looking at where they are joined she could see he was over half way in, and with a slight pull and push the rest slipped through her lips.

With a deep and shaky breath Izuku sighed, holding himself above her as She whimpered, getting used to feeling so...full. Soft kisses and hushed words of praise fell from his lips as he rubbed the bulge he made in her stomach, kissing her neck to get her comfortable. Soon she moved her hips , gasping as she started to gush more around him. “I-I’m ready” she said. And slowly, on so slowly he started to moved his hips, soft pants and moans falling torn their lips as they both got accustomed to the feeling of eachother, Izuku with the tightness of her pussy and [. ] with the fullness of his dick. “I-I love you so much [. ]...”Izuku whispered as his pace picked up, a high pitched whine fell from [. ] lips as she scratched up his back, causing his pace to increase again as he let out his own groans.

“Please..harder Zu..please..give me more” [. ] whined as she felt her stomach turn. Her mouth falling open as he followed her command, wrapping his arms around her small body as he pulled her even closer, biting down on her neck as she watched his dick stretch out her pussy and bulge her stomach, her eyes rolling back as he kissed the spots he bit down on. “Come on baby..I can’t feel you getting tighter..cum..cum for me yeah? I promise I’ll give you more just let it out..” Izuku whispers as he pulled away from the artwork on her neck, looking her in eyes as she let her mouth fall open, a small string of drool leaving her mouth as her tongue rolled out, the feeling of him continuously hitting her g soloist overtaking her senses as he smirked, leaning down to suck on her lip and soon taking her tongue in his own mouth as a hand snaked down to run at her clit, throwing her into another orgasam. With a loud moan she clenched down on his dick, starting to squirt again as he still pumped into her, his hips slowly getting sloppy as she gushed over them both. With a deep groan he started to pump his cum into her, moaning into her mouth as they gave deep kisses to eachother through their orgasams. As he pulled out from her dripping heat he saw the mix of hers and his cum fall from inside of her. Softly , he leaned down and kissed her once again, moaning into their deep and sensual kiss.

Once they felt like they couldn’t breath he pulled away for air. Izuku smiled down at the woman he loved , her breath heavily as she slid her hazed eyes over to his “Yes..?” She said softly “I meant it [. ] I love you...you just look so pretty..so beautiful like this..under me and fucked out..” Feeling heat pool to her cheeks [. ] looked away and giggled. “Well you did it..finally..” she said. Looking at the mess between her legs she saw that Izuku was getting re excited from their kiss. With a smirk she turned around, sticking her ass out as her pussy throbbed , some of his cum leaking down her legs Seeing her turn around like that made him re-ignite , his dick getting back exciting go again. “You sure you can handle this again baby?” Izuku smirked, smacking her ass ash she moaned out, pushing her ass even closer to him. “Please daddy?” She whimpered, turning to him as she bit her lip. “You little slut..what you ask for you shall receive..”

#my hero academia #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha x reader #deku x reader #midoriya izuku #midoriya x reader #bnharem collab

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lysissisyl · 3 years

Text

A different world

This is the story I wrote for “The Goddess Messenger” zine.

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The war had ended. Edelgard had only planned until then. Part of her probably didn’t even expect to survive it, at least not as Edelgard. Even if she won, even if she lived, the Emperor would have lived. She would have taken care of the reforms needed to truly reach her goals, she would have made sure no one ever faced what she had to face. She would have been the leader Fodlan needed, until she wasn’t needed anymore. Emperor and the justice they embodied. (She was born a rebel and she was now dealing with that herself, as ironic as it sounded.)

She was sitting in her study, a pile of unsigned documents to her right, the pile of the signed ones to her left definitely too high for the edge of dawn. According to her schedule, she was expected to sit there until lunch, reading letters, drafts of decrees and laws, spies reports, nobles’ complaints... She looked out of the window and sighed. It was such a nice day... In a different world, in a different life, she could have been having tea in the gardens with Byleth or seeing her laugh because she was putting too much effort choosing her outfit to go to the opera and wondering what flowers Dorothea would have liked the most. She shook her head. In another life she would have more probably been dead or in chains again. She shivered at the thought. Who knew, perhaps Dimitri would have ruled over Fodlan and people would have called her a tyrant. Byleth would have had a role in the church, under Rhea’s guidance. Another sigh. This wasn’t a different world, this wasn’t a different life. Luckily. She would have read and signed 3000 more boring papers to know she was going to see Byleth’s smile in the evening, the love in her eyes... She clenched her fists. What was wrong with her? She was prepared to walk that path alone, to fight alone, to sit in that study alone in the best scenario, to die alone in the worst. And now? Now she couldn’t stand an entire morning alone. No, she couldn’t stand an entire morning without Byleth. It wasn’t just about focusing. Of course her thoughts ran to her given the smallest chance. She was annoyed, but it was also comforting somehow. The problem was the tight knot in her stomach, the cold that made her shiver and shake sometimes, even with the fireplace just a few feet away. The problem was that painful feeling that made her crave for her voice, her smile, even just a moment of her presence. She felt like screaming. She signed another paper. Sure Ferdinand could call his school “the Von Aegir foundation for equal opportunities and enlightenment”. She took the paper back: maybe it would have been better to submit it to Hubert... Byleth would have found it funny. She laughed now. She wanted that laugh... She took the paper again, crumpled it in a ball and threw it in the fire. She could deal with one damn morning! But it was every morning. It had been every morning from the day she had realized Byleth had chosen to walk with her. And she rationally knew that didn’t mean they were going to be together all the time. She was totally fine with that. Each of them had things to take care of. She would have never asked anything like that. But...every time she wasn’t there, that feeling came back. And she hated herself for that. She could feel her eyes burning. Right, another thing that had changed. She remembered how to cry now. That didn’t mean she had any intention to. Luckily, because she heard the door opening a moment later. She hadn’t heard a knock, but she was...distracted. And Hubert didn’t always knock. Nor did Ferdinand. Or Caspar. Too many people didn’t fucking knock. But most of them weren’t up that early in the morning, except for Hubert, who could either be already up or not yet asleep. She sat straight on the chair, ready to discuss any urgency that had presented. To her surprise, it wasn’t Hubert coming in, but Byleth. “Weren’t you going to train? You love the training grounds at dawn, because they’re all yours. Did something happen?” But she was smiling. “Why are you here? We were supposed to meet for lunch.” Byleth slipped her weight on the other feet, pensive, then shrugged. “I missed you.” All the tears Edelgard had been holding came out, her solemn posture turned into stiffness, then breaking completely and letting her collapse on the chair and desk.

“El?” Byleth was confused. Emotions were still unfamiliar to her, something she struggled to unravel. She knew she had gotten better in those few months, but this reaction was something she couldn’t comprehend. Did she say anything wrong? Did she make Edelgard sad? She remembered crying when she was in pain, the day her father died and she remembered Edelgard crying when she thought she was dead. She moved carefully, sitting on the chair in front of her. “Did I cause you pain?” Edelgard’s eyes met hers, while she partially regained control. “No. No. You chase the pain away, my love. The pain and cold.” Byleth turned to the fireplace, already half standing, with the clear intention of starting a fire that was already going. Another small way to love her. But it wasn’t the sight of the fire that stopped her, it was Edelgard’s hand, grabbing hers. “Stay...” She was smiling, but there was a need in her eyes. She looked away an instant later and let go hesitantly. “Apologies.” “What for?” “I’m truly not myself today. Feel free to go back to your training and errands.” Byleth tilted her head in the way she often did when she was pondering something. “Why?” “Because it isn’t fair to as otherwise. It’s...selfish.” Byleth looked at her again, giving her another confused look. “But I want to stay.” Edelgard laughed, a small laugh, but her voice was clearly cracking again. No tears though, just her eyes sparkling for a moment. Then she looked at the papers and her attitude changed. Her posture stiffened, she grabbed the sheet on top and sighed. “Will you stay with me while I work then?” Byleth looked at her for a long moment. She was in control again, but she could see her lower lip tremble slightly from time to time, her grip on the paper a little too strong. In her mind she looked like an overzealous rookie who kept swinging their sword for days, until their hands were so in blisters they couldn’t even hold it anymore. “You need a break.” “I need to work.” “Is there anything urgent among those papers?” “If anything was urgent, Hubert would report it or bring the documents to me personally.” “Then you don’t need to work.” “I worked everyday from dawn to sunset since the war started. No, it’s been much, much longer.” “You definitely need a break.” “You’re not listening. I’m used to it. I know I can do it. I just need you here. I can’t waste an hour.” “I wasn’t thinking about an hour.” Edelgard smiled. “Then I suppose I can take a few more minutes.” “I was thinking about a day.” Edelgard froze. “A day?” Foolish. She couldn’t. She needed every minute to study and sign all those papers before the end of the day. She had responsibilities. She had...very intrusive thoughts of her and Byleth drinking tea in the gardens, eating cookies, chatting and smiling. It was such a nice day... Maybe it could be a different world, just for today... “El...?” It. Wasn’t. A. Different. World. “I wish it was...” “What?” “I wish it was a different world, a world I can spend the day with you, relaxing and having fun, drinking tea and laughing together. I wish, but I have to take care of it all, I must. I can do it now, so I must.” Another image came to Byleth’s mind. Edelgard dealing with reports during the war, messengers running back and forth, reports held by bloody hands, men and women and children risking their lives for words to reach her. She stayed up at night to read and study everything, send replies. Everyday she wasn’t fighting or studying strategies, she was reading and writing papers, the silent side of the war people always forget. Some days sleeping was a luxury she couldn’t afford, because someone else needed orders, because a new territory needed laws, because she had treaties and negotiations ongoing. She understood. “You can now, you can tomorrow. El, there won’t be a battle forcing you to postpone it, there won’t be an assassination interruption, a fire burning your documents down. “This is another world: the world you dreamed of, the world we fought for, the world we created together. The war has ended.” “The war has ended.” Edelgard repeated those words, as a reminder, as something to cling to. She felt lost. She had kept thinking, acting as it hadn’t, because she didn’t know what else to do. But the war had ended. “So...what now?” “Whatever we want.” Edelgard just stared back at her, the vastness in those words both beautiful and scary. Byleth could see it, she could feel it. “What do you want today, El?” An easier question. She still felt stupid answering. “I want to go to the gardens, enjoy the cool air, drinking tea and eating sweets with you.” Stupid. The first thing the mighty emperor could think of was tea and cookies, a child’s desire. “I’ll ask for everything to be prepared.” “Ask?” Edelgard raised her eyebrow. “This sure is a change. I was starting to worry a lot of people in the palace would have started complaining about not being able to do their job anymore.” Byleth giggled. “I usually prefer to do most things by myself, exactly like you do, but I told you, El: I want to stay.” She paused. “I’m still going to brew the tea myself, though. I have my limits.” Edelgard laughed.

Edelgard loved the way Byleth brewed her favorite bergamot tea. Ferdinand could go on rambling about times and temperatures as long as he wanted to (he sure did more than once), but Byleth had sort of a natural talent for making tea. If she wasn’t so rational, she would have said she could taste the love. She let her pour some in her cup, then watched her while she got some in her own. There was a calm, a comfortable calm in Byleth’s way of handling tea that had always fascinated her. There was a gentleness in her gestures so unusual for a mercenary... Now she knew that gentleness well. She smiled, a silent thank you, took a cautious sip. It was hot, but not enough to burn. She could feel the warmth spreading on her body, forcing her shoulders to relax. Byleth’s tea was the most similar thing to a hug she knew. Her voice was as gentle and warm now. It made her feel like purring. “I understand, El.” Byleth leaning forward, fingers gently caressing her cheeks, another kind of warmth. Soothing... Edelgard closed her eyes for a moment, absorbed by that lingering feeling. Then a serious note joined the sweet kindness in Byleth’s voice and she focused on it again. “New beginnings aren’t easy. Even when they are nice, even when things change for the better, even when there is hope and happiness awaiting, when you reach them after a long fight...new beginnings aren’t easy. Your mind has to learn to believe, it has to learn to let go, to relax. There is a difference between knowing that things will be alright and feeling it. “You saw me running to you, sword in hand, because I heard a noise, even if I knew the palace was safe; the other day I almost hit a kid playing a prank on me in the streets, then I had go back to the market, because I hadn’t bought anything that wasn’t dry and easy to preserve while traveling. My brain momentarily forgot I have a home now. And...sometimes, when my emotions are stronger than usual, when you smile to me in the morning and I’m still half asleep and my heart races... I freeze for a moment, because I forgot it bites now. I do understand, El.” She did. She always did... “Can we do this every day?” Childish. “A free day?” Byleth teased her. She blushed and stuttered. “You know that’s not what I meant. The tea. A moment for tea. A break. Sharing.” “We can, El. This or anything you desire. You don’t need to plan. You can, but you don’t need to. You can think about what you want everyday. Tea, walking in the gardens, a game of chess, sitting in front of the fireplace, hand in hand. Just something you want, every day, small precious things.” “Small precious things...and days off when I need them...reaching out when I need you...” She bit her lip: she didn’t mean to say it out loud. Byleth smiled. “Good girl, El. And remember that when you fought for everyone’s future you fought for yours too.” Edelgard wanted to say ‘thank you’, but it didn’t seem enough. She moved slowly, resting her head against Byleth’s chest, listening to that beating heart... A new beginning. Together.

#RedInk #Edeleth #Fire Emblem: Three Houses #FE3H #Edelgard #Byleth

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auncyen · 3 years

Text

two snippets from an early draft of “when the Cat Dragged in the Trickster” that had more buildup covering the school year and the repeat requests for Ren to be given a change of heart...because I’m deleting old docs to clean up but I still like them.

The first time they checked the MetaNav because Amamiya had been requested on the Phansite, Morgana crowed at the negative result. "See! He doesn't have a distorted desire! If he was wicked before, he has clearly reformed."

The second time they checked the MetaNav because Amamiya had been requested, Morgana rolled his eyes before explaining to a mildly curious Yusuke that people were only scared of Amamiya because of his dubious past and that they weren't paying enough attention to his current impeccable conduct. Ryuji then filled Yusuke in on what said dubious past was. Ann informed everyone the result was still negative. No distortion.

The third time Amamiya got requested, Ryuji shook his head when Makoto started to bring out her phone. "He ain't gonna be on there," he told her.

"You're certain?" the student council president asked. "With a record like his..."

"He's been on the site before, I believe," Haru said. "Was he already given a change of heart?"

Ann sighed in aggravation. "No, but we've checked both times Mishima's forwarded the requests before, and he hasn't shown up then either. I mean, yeah, you'd think if he assaulted someone out of the blue, he must be distorted, but he got arrested and put on probation for it. That'd be enough to make most people reflect on themselves, right?"

Haru nodded, accepting the logic, but Makoto still said aloud, "Amamiya Ren."

"Candidate not found."

Morgana huffed. "See?" He jumped up on the accessway's railing. "Lady Ann, I say we tell Mishima to not accept these requests anymore. They clearly have no basis."

Ann frowned, thinking. It'd be a little hard when they were still trying to keep some plausible deniability with Mishima, but she could probably...drop a heavy hint. "Okay--"

"Wait," Makoto said. "You only think it lacks basis because of the app. We don't know where it's from or how it was made, so how can we trust it to be accurate?"

"Do you think the accusation has merit, then? That he threatened the writer?" Yusuke asked. Morgana gave a loud, exasperated sigh.

"I...don't know," Makoto said slowly. "Honestly, I'd prefer if Ann's explanation was right. If Amamiya's reformed, it would mean the justice system at least works sometimes. It's just...what if these are serious? Haru made multiple requests, and you still nearly missed them before I brought them to your attention."

"By blackmailing us," Ryuji muttered.

Makoto's cheeks colored. Haru squeezing her hand as gentle reassurance didn't help. "...That's besides the point. I just want to make sure no other victims slip through the cracks either."

Ryuji and Ann exchanged looks. Ryuji shoved his hands in his back pockets and leaned against the railing. "Honestly, I kind of wonder if I'd be on the Phansite if it'd gone up before Kamoshida went down," he said. "People mostly just leave me alone now, but last year there was talk about how I was gonna haul off and hit the next person who looked at me funny. Shit made me want to quit school for a while."

"You called Amamiya-san 'the guy who stabs people'," Morgana reminded him.

"Well, that's how I knew him! And I wasn't spreadin' anything--Ann had already heard about him, and who were you gonna tell?" Ryuji shot back before a gesture from Makoto reminded him to lower his voice. "Look, I know the guy's done something bad once before, and from what I've seen of him, he's a little weird. Like, I can't get a read on him at all. But none of that means he should be harassed. I guess...we should check to be sure nothing's going on...but can we do it without bothering the guy?"

"I think...both Mako-chan and Ryuji-kun have a point," Haru said slowly. Since we don't know much about the MetaNav, we can't know for sure if it's always working correctly, can we? So I think we should do some questioning ourselves to make sure Amamiya isn't involved in anything suspicious. But we must be discreet, and if we find nothing, we ask the administrator to not accept any more requests about him. I wouldn't want us to be used as a tool for harassment. People deserve second chances."

"That seems reasonable," Yusuke said. "I agree with the proposed action." Makoto nodded, and Ryuji shrugged. Ann hesitated for a moment, but...if there was a victim...and if there was a chance the MetaNav didn't always work, they needed to know, considering how much they relied on it. She nodded.

Morgana held out for a couple of tense minutes, his tail swishing in agitation behind him, but at last it slowed. "I guess...it'd reflect badly on the name of the Phantom Thieves if we ignored a request that turned out to be legitimate... very well, then. We investigate, and then we tell Mishima to reject any further requests."

Morgana's phrasing made it obvious he expected Amamiya to be found innocent. Fortunately, he seemed to be right. Morgana tailed Amamiya from a distance. Yusuke kept an eye out for Amamiya when he people watched at the station. The four Shujin students kept an ear out for any current rumors that might have any basis. Ann asked Mishima if he would be able to find more details about Amamiya's record, since the original leak appeared long-deleted and he was good with the internet and searching for information.

Mishima was more than happy to help her find information--he actually pulled up the record itself for her. The details on the trial were sparse, with the victim's identity completely missing from the record. Was that normal...? Ann hoped it was, to protect victims. It seemed the assault conviction was legitimate enough, anyway. Amamiya had pleaded not guilty, but there was an identified witness who had testified that he had attacked the man she'd been with out of the blue. The judge had made a quick ruling--Ann guessed it was a fairly open-and-shut case. The most troubling thing was that the transcript of the proceedings gave no hint into what had provoked Amamiya to assault that man, who seemed to have been a stranger, besides the allegation that he had anger management issues. That lined up with a few of the rumors, but...the rumors were based on his record to begin with. And they were all old--nothing they turned up sounded that different from what they'd heard in April. Yusuke and Morgana had nothing suspicious to report, unless Amamiya holding three part-time jobs, one of which seemed to be where he was living, counted.

It was...weird. No, she guessed it made sense if Amamiya had reformed and was working to control his temper. They ended the investigation. Ann dropped hints to Mishima that the Phantom Thieves weren't after criminals who'd already been punished.

Mishima seemed seriously reluctant to take those hints, considering they got a fourth request for Amamiya while they were waiting for Futaba to wake up. Ann hadn't even finished reading the message before she deleted it in aggravation.

The second snippet being a slightly different form of investigating with interesting/concerning results:

Haru and Makoto were in agreement from the beginning, with Yusuke agreeing it seemed reasonable enough soon after. Ann was the first to be won over from skepticism. Then Ryuji. Finally, Morgana's ears drooped. "We really don't know how that thing works," he said with a glance at Ann's phone. "It'd be terrible if we accidentally ignored someone in danger...all right. We investigate, and then we tell Mishima to reject any further requests."

Morgana's phrasing made it obvious he expected Amamiya to be found innocent, and Ann was a little worried what would happen if he was wrong. Still, for now, they had a unanimous vote. They started an investigation.

Makoto tailed Amamiya, with Ryuji at a distance just in case she was confronted. All she learned was that that Amamiya worked at both 777 and a beef bowl shop and seemed to be a decent employee. Yusuke kept an eye out when he people watched at the station and spotted Amamiya a few times, but never saw him do anything or go anywhere unusual, and most of what he had to say about finally seeing the transfer student for himself was "his aesthetic is appallingly drab". He also figured out somehow that Amamiya's glasses were fake, but Ann didn't know what that information had to do with anything, even if Yusuke found it the one interesting thing about Shujin's transfer student.

Morgana also tailed Amamiya, and by 'tailed' he really just strutted up to Amamiya, meowed and acted like a lost cat, and let Amamiya take him home for the night. It was a lazy approach. It was also the most informative, though not in the way Ann had expected.

Amamiya returned Morgana to Ann in the morning. That, she'd expected: either Amamiya would be conscientious and return a cat he'd recognize as hers, or Morgana would eventually slip away and return on his own. What she hadn't expected was that Amamiya looked nervous--really nervous--when he let his schoolbag down on his desk and showed her Morgana, safe inside. Morgana looked upset.

"He...must have gotten out somehow? I found him in Shibuya, after my work shift--"

"He thinks you'll think he stole me," Morgana blurted.

"Okay, okay, come on," Ann said, reaching into the schoolbag to extricate the smallest thief. She was confused. Why on earth would Amamiya think she'd suspect him of kidnapping Morgana? He'd gone up to Amamiya himself--

Well, though...if Ann didn't know that, if Morgana was a normal cat--oh. Yeah, it might be suspicious that Amamiya of all people had 'found' him. Shoot. She immediately looked up at Amamiya and gave him her brightest smile. "I'm glad you found him! I was sooooo worried about this little guy. Thank you."

"'Little guy'?" Morgana muttered, but he clambered into her desk and turned himself about, his blue eyes focusing on Amamiya. "See? It's fine. Calm down."

Obviously, Amamiya couldn't understand Morgana. But he did seem to be relaxing. He smiled back a little at Ann, an awkward thing, and she felt so lost. What had happened to the guy who'd intimidated the entire class just to let a cat sit in a desk?

#persona 5 #persona 5 fic #my fic #cat and trickster

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zombiesbecrazy · 4 years

Note

clark and dick, tol and smol hug? love your writing!

(Umm. This got quickly Out of Hand.)

“Superman.”

Clark turned his head a few more times than he’d like to admit, looking around to see where Batman’s disembodied voice was coming from, before he remembered the communicator on his wrist. It was a standard Justice League issued tech.

Standard JL tech that Batman had never once used to contact Clark. As far as he knew, Bruce hadn’t used it to contact anyone outside of a pre-authorized mission, ever.

“Batman?”

There was a delay and Clark wondered if maybe Bruce had changed his mind or maybe if he had imagined the call all together, when the link came to life again. “I need your assistance in Gotham immediately,” said Batman gruffly before the telltale click telling Clark that the line had been disconnected, without even giving him a chance to respond.

Clark simply sighed and took off into the sky, headed towards Gotham. Bruce wouldn’t have called him if it wasn’t an emergency.

***

As soon as he came into view, Clark knew that something was wrong. Bruce was pacing back and forth across the roof, an unusual movement of nervous energy while his shoulder were coiled and tight and ready to jolt. It was a weird combination of behaviour for someone who prided themselves on being a bit of a stoic enigma.

Clark landed on the rooftop beside him, but Bruce ignored his arrival, instead choosing to pause his restless walking and look downwards to the street below. A soft grunt escaped him, disappointment evident in even the smallest of sounds, before he turned around to finally acknowledge that Clark was there.

“I need another set of eyes. There is a young boy, approximately nine years old, who went missing earlier tonight. Last spotted on Clifton Street, headed due west. I can’t find him.” Bruce lifted his chin in the direction of the street in question. “His guardians are concerned.”

Clark tried to remain impassive, but it was such a strange request for him to be called into Gotham on even the worst of nights, but to be called in for a single missing child was unheard of when things like that were handled on a nightly basis by Batman and the GCPD. He would absolutely help, he always had told Bruce that he was just a call away if he was needed, but this was never what he expected to be brought in for. “I can take a look but I need a little more to go on. Description? Name?”

“Short for his age. 129 cm tall. Black hair. Blue eyes. X ray scan may show evidence to healed fracture to his left wrist, from approximately two years go.” Clark was about to lift off the roof to start his search when Bruce lowered his voice to continue. “Wearing a red tunic, yellow cape and a domino mask.” His lips thinned as he pressed them together, obviously not wanting to share anymore, but knowing that he had to now that Clark was the one helping. “Answers to Robin.”

What?

“Br-.” Bruce shot him a sharp look and Clark corrected. “Batman, what have you been up to?” Now that Clark thought about it a little more, Batman had been distance from the League lately, always too busy in Gotham to assist with volunteer missions but yet the crime rate hadn’t seen any sort of spike that he knew of.

Had Bruce taken a child into the streets of Gotham to fight crime? He couldn’t have. That would be impossible and no one would do something like that.

Except that all the evidence that Clark had made it sound like it was absolutely what he had done.

Even further, was Bruce now a dad? Who had put his own child at risk?

Clark wasn’t sure which he liked less.

Batman crossed his arms across his chest, giving an irritated look that had no effect on Clark now that he was listening to the way that Bruce’s heart was pounding beneath the armor. Fast, like he was at full exertion. Beads of perspiration on the edge of the cowl. If Clark were a betting man, he would have said that Bruce was doing his best not to have a full on meltdown. “It was a training exercise.”

“What was?”

“Hide and seek. Robin was to hide to see if he could evade me for an hour. Once the hour was up, if I hadn’t found him he was to meet me here. His previous best had been 52 minutes.” Bruce looked back towards the end of the building, fingers tightening around his own arms, Kevlar bending ever so slightly under the stress. “It’s been two hours.”

Clark stared at Bruce, unable to come up with a single word to say to him. Bruce had thought that it was a good idea to bring a kid on patrol with him. To turn it into some sort of game. A nine year old, loose on the streets of Gotham at night, where the worst of the worst lived and a place that frankly gave Clark bad dreams when he spent too much time there. Part of him wanted to yell at Bruce, to try and knock some sense into him, but it was clear that Bruce was already panicking about what was happening, even if it was mostly internalized. There was a child missing, one that was apparently under his charge, and he didn’t know what to do, so he asked for help from the one person he could trust to find him fast. Just doing so was an admittance that he knew he had made a mistake. “I’ll find him.” He eventually settled on, not knowing what else to say. “And when I get back, you and I are going to have a very serious discussion.” The cowl eyes stared at him unblinking, but said nothing in return. Clark floated off the rooftop “Any other ways to narrow it down?”

“He was to stay south of Park Row.” Bruce started to pace the rooftop again, message clear that he was planning on staying put in case the boy, this Robin, appeared unharmed at their meeting place. Batman froze mid step. “The code word is elephant.” Clark raised an eyebrow and Bruce turned back towards the street. “If he asks you. He’s not supposed to go with strangers if they don’t know the code word.”

***

Clark hovered above the city, closing his eyes to try and filter through the sounds of Gotham at night, which unlike most cities somehow seemed to become more alive after the sun was down. Cars driving below. Occasional planes overhead in the distance. As he narrowed his focus he heard families in their homes, parents ushering their kids into bed. He heard drug deals and plots of robberies that had yet to take place. He heard restaurants and bars serving their clientele. Pushing the extra noises aside, he listened for sounds of kids in distress, kids where they shouldn’t be.

There were far too many of them and Clark’s heart tightened at their cries as Gotham filled his ears.

He was going to have to narrow it down and to do that, he had to follow every lead.

The first two children Clark found were homeless, curled up together under a bridge but looked warm under their blankets and sheltered from the wind. He had tried to take them to a shelter for the night, but they adamantly refused, loudly insisting that their mom was getting food and would be right back. Clark wasn’t sure if he believed them or not, but promised that he would be back later that night to check on them.

He didn’t think they would run. Children rarely lied to Superman.

Similar events happened three more times. He found kids in places where they shouldn’t be late at night. They turned down his help. He said he’d be back to check on them later. They waved as he flew away.

It was a frustrating experience to be asked not to help and he was starting to commiserate with the struggles that Batman faced on a nightly basis.

He stopped in a cold, dark alley that was filled with dumpsters and while he couldn’t see them, he could hear dogs barking behind gates nearby, threatening anyone who came too close to their claim. There was the faintest of sniffles that had his attention. Clark slowly followed them, not wanting to scare the child off, when he found the source curled up in a ball and wedged between two of the bins. He would have been impossible to see unless someone was specifically looking for him, face down but with a mop of dark hair and skinned knees curled up to his chest, yellow cape wrapped tight around him.

“Robin?” Clark asked quietly, making the child startle, head raising and a domino mask blinked up at him, tear tracks clear as day splashing down his cheeks.

The small boy wiped his cheeks quickly, doing nothing to hide the evidence of his panic, and took in Clark’s appearance. “S-superman?”

Clark crouched down as small as he could, careful not to block Robin in completely, and nodded. “B sent me.” The child’s eyes widened in a way that was usually comical to Clark when kids saw him in the flesh, but tonight it just made him sad. Had the boy thought that no one was coming for him? Or was he just surprised about who it was who had. He hoped it was the latter. “You hid too well and he couldn’t find you.”

“I got lost. I didn’t want to be scared because I knew he was coming but...” Robin sniffed, pulling the cape taut and trying to cover his bare legs completely. “I don’t know this part of the city very well and the dogs and…”

“It’s okay. Getting lost scares me too.” It was true. As a little kid, probably not much older than Robin, Clark had gotten lost in a corn maze at the fair. It felt like hours that he had wandered the paths, until his dad came in and found him. He had never felt more relieved than he did in that moment. The helplessness of the situation stuck with him, clinging to his memories and liked to slink into his thoughts late at night from time to time.

The small boy hummed in agreement, taking it in stride the idea that Superman could be afraid of something, but if Robin had a close relationship with Batman, with Bruce, he would know that there are always just people behind the masks and people could have fear, mask or not. “I kept waiting for him but he was taking a long time to find me.” Robin whispered, more to himself than to Clark. “Is he mad?”

“Not at you. I think he might be mad at himself. And he didn’t say it, but I think he was a little bit scared too when you didn’t find each other.” Which was an understatement based on what Bruce’s heart rate had been. “Can I take you to him? We can walk or we can fly. It’s up to you.”

“We can… you’d fly with me?” For the first time Clark got a glimpse at a child who wasn’t scared or lost, but rather one presented with a birthday cake on a summer day. The idea of flying had chased away the shadows of the alley, at least in Robin’s eyes.

“If it isn’t too scary. It’s faster than walking and I know my way around Gotham better from the sky.”

“I’m not afraid of flying.” With that confirmation, Clark stood and took a step back and held his hand out to Robin. Robin slid out of his hidey-hole, and reached for Clark’s hand before pulling his back at twice the speed. “Code word?” Robin asked in the most serious tone that Clark had ever hear from someone so young.

Clark chuckled at the idea that a kid dressed in a costume to fight crime was questioning the safety of going with Superman, but not flying with Superman, but he clamped it down quickly based on the unimpressed look starting to appear on Robin’s face; eerily similar to the one he had seen on Bruce’s more than once when Clark has done something that had been deemed silly. “Elephant.” Robin nodded in affirmation, like Clark had successfully worked out at difficult math problem to acceptable success, and took Clark’s hand.

It was so small in Clark’s grasp.

Clark crouch down again to Robin’s height. “We have a couple of seating options of Air Superman for you this evening. You can hold onto my neck and ride on my back. There is the ever popular bridal style carry.” He looked Robin over carefully. Besides the scrapes on his knees, he seemed unharmed, but he was trembling all over, still shaken up from his adventure through the streets. “But the recommended method for a tough night like this is the Super Hug. Tight and secure and the best for when you are feeling a little down in the dumps.” Robin’s eyes widened through the mask and nodded firmly.

Clark had barely extended his arms fully when Robin launched himself at him, arms around his neck, legs trying to wrap his waist but not quite reaching all the way to lock his ankles, and chin resting on his shoulder. Clark gave him a gentle squeeze and rubbed his back in what he hoped was a soothing way, and instantly felt Robin relax into his arms, stress from his night melting away now that he felt save. Long ago, Clark had been nervous with children and babies. Always afraid that he would squeeze too hard or drop them but his Ma had laughed him off.

“Everyone is worried at first, but everyone knows how to hold a child once they are doing it. They’ll help you figure out what they need.”

For the first time, Clark really understood what she meant as he hugged Robin securely in place against him.

“Ready to see Batman, Robin?”

“Yes, please.” Clark felt Robin yawn into his shoulder, settling down further into his arms as the adrenaline from the night leaked from his small frame. “Up, up and away, Superman.”

Despite the claim that he wasn’t afraid of flying, Clark had expected Robin to react as they left the ground. Almost everyone did. They either tensed up or yelled or gave some sort of reaction of surprise, but if anything the boy someone relaxed more, cuddled up to Clark as the ground got farther and farther below them.

As they reached their destination, Bruce watched them approach. To an outsider, it just would have been Batman scowling on a rooftop but Clark saw so much more. His heart rate slowing down, muscles relaxing, jaw unclenching and a slow, shuddering sigh with each foot closer that they got. They hit the rooftop and Robin scurried out of Clark’s hold and ran to Batman, leaping into his arms. Clark did his best to try and ignore the whispered apologies on both sides and the tears that were now flowing freely from Robin as well as the ones that he suspected might be forming under the cowl as the two hugged each other, yellow cape mixing with black. He was going to skip the lecture tonight and just let Batman be reunited with his Robin. The child was safe and sound and they just needed to be together, not hear about their mistakes that they both had made. Discussions and questioning of sanity could be had another time; this was a time for comfort.

He took off from the building again, no longer wishing to intrude on this moment, but Bruce caught his eye, message passing between them.

Thank you.

Clark nodded in return and took off into the darkness that was Gotham. He had other plans, other children of Gotham to check in with on his way back home now that he knew this one was going to be alright.

Hug Drabble Prompt List

#bruce wayne #clark kent #dick grayson #hug drabbles #i don't know how to drabble and this got out of hand

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unremarkable-house · 4 years

Text

Polaris by unremarkable_house

The X-Files, MSR, Rain King

Mulder and Scully attend Holman and Sheila's wedding in Kroner, Kansas.

Tagging @today-in-fic

Part One: Mulder and Holman

“Platonic intimacy is the foundation of my relationship with Agent Scully, Holman, and risking physical intimacy affects both parties. I don’t want to take that risk unless we are both willing.” There is a condensation of intent that settles around the patio of the Kroner Prairie View Ballroom and Suites where Fox Mulder and Holman Hardt - weatherman, meteorologic anomaly, crack relationship analyst, and now very newlywed - share their conversation during a small break in the matrimonial festivities.

It is also something Mulder has never admitted out loud, his desire for something more, and he feels the uncomfortable humidity of it fill the blissfully mild Kansas air. Holman has made it vexingly clear that he expects him to dish on the so-called Mulder-and-Scully-relationship while the blushing bride and redheaded FBI agent were otherwise occupied. Apparently, he and his buddy the weather wizard had a special affinity for these kinds of chats.

“Are you really worried that you wouldn’t be compatible in bed with someone who looks like your partner?” Holman is projecting a bit of his newfound sexual confidence with Sheila, but he doubts he’d have any trouble if Agent Scully came to bed instead. Or both. Holman’s eyebrow quirks appreciatively.

Mulder is not worried about his level of attraction to his long-suffering and comely partner, he does get to look at her every day after all, but he is worried that the weight of their traumas could make the next level of intimacy challenging. He didn’t need a degree in psychology from Oxford to figure that out, he need look no further than his own baffling sexual history. Plus, he knows how much energy she puts into maintaining their professional distance, especially since Antarctica. And Diana. As always, part of how he shows her he cares is by respecting that.

“There is something to be said about the fact that it’s been six years and no one has even mentioned sex. With each other or otherwise. Maybe she’s just not that into me.” He shrugs, also thinking that really isn’t the case. Although it had been not-so-helpfully suggested by a Gunman or two before. As if any of them had any real experience with women outside of chat rooms and computer labs.

Because Scully hasn’t left him either. Hasn’t ever expressed an interest in a life outside the X-Files. Hasn’t ever, ever let him down. She stands entirely too close to him on elevators and drinks from his coffee cup when she’s in a rush. She waits up for him in the middle of the night, she lets him watch her sleep. She rises like the Phoenix time and time again. She touches the stars and toils in the basement. And she kissed him on Tuesday.

Though she would be seriously perturbed if she heard him acknowledge any of that out loud. Especially that last part.

But he was allowed to acknowledge it, right? He had to, or else they were never going to get past this bizarre phase where their relationship was even a secret to themselves. Will they or won’t they? Are they or aren’t they? Damned if he knew.

They didn’t even have the X-Files anymore. The entire pretext for their relationship hovered over the razor’s edge, completely unprepared for Salt Lake Cities and Diana Fowleys and meaningless days spent tracking down literal piles of shit. He made it clear he wasn’t ready to handle anything personal and then they RSVP’d to a wedding together.

Polaris or utter chaos. Scully had once called him unfathomably capricious.

“Yea, but don’t you want to just take her in your arms and kiss her?”

Holman’s aggressively simple advice is reflective of a man who got everything he wanted. Easy words from someone who finally found safe harbor.

Three months ago, he was offering Holman dating advice. Now Holman was freshly married and all Mulder’s gotten were a few chaste kisses he wasn’t supposed to think about. Cosmic justice or just complete fucking irony?

Sighing, Mulder looks back through the windows where Holman and Sheila’s wedding reception is just getting into full swing. Dazzling lights, disco balls, even a few novelty lasers spin dizzily over the guests as they start feeling the liquor and therefore, the groove. Scully is in there somewhere and his eyes scan for her instinctively, but he doesn’t see her red hair in the crowd. She must still be in the bathroom or surely she would come to find him out here, right? Mulder couldn’t believe the amount of insecurity he had been feeling since she came out in that dress and asked him to help her zip up the back. He needed a drink, big time.

“It’s not just about kissing her -” Above them, the full moon is in dazzling brilliance. Not a cloud in the sky, not a hint of chill in the breeze, downright perfect humidity. On Holman Hardt’s wedding day at the end of April. Figures. “I don’t sit around and pine for Scully the way you did for Sheila. We are in a relationship, have been for years, I guess. We are not just partners, I know that. And not just friends. But it’s about being with her all the time - forever - I think. I want to keep that possibility alive.”

At whatever the cost, he doesn’t add, an onslaught of near-misses hurtling past them like a vengeful comet wrought by some dissatisfied god. The weight of the knowledge that he would follow her anywhere - and she, him - whether they liked it or not. Something that was beyond what a ring or social status could ever symbolize, objectively speaking.

It was as simple as wanting Scully like air to breathe, simple as obeying the laws of gravity. A purely biological necessity. No need to complicate things. And no need to scare her off by being as lousy a lover as he was a friend. If all she ever needed from him were chaste yet unforgettable kisses, he would be honored to provide. Ad infinitum, if that’s what it took to keep her in orbit. No need to define the bonds that connect them. Just the need to stay connected.

A light in the sky from which he could chart his course.

Mulder looked hungrily back into the pulsating throng behind him, seeking his personal universal invariant. As much as he wanted her to return so he could end this candid and hyper-intimate conversation, he especially did not want her to overhear how pathetically punch-drunk he was after just the smallest morsels of her affection. He was supposed to remain coolly and Mulder-ish-ly aloof. It was part of their unspoken agreement for partaking on this exclusive jaunt they had both surreptitiously cashed in their vacation days for.

“I’ve kissed her a couple of times, though.” Except for that, of course. Holman gives him a high five. Then he says in the wistful way he’s been saying everything tonight:

“You know, I’ve been in love with Sheila since I was in high school; I was completely infatuated.” Mulder knows, but not really. Who could be in love with someone with a voice like that? Who consistently kicked you under the rug to date the people you detested the most? To him, the sexiest thing about Scully was that she willingly spent time with him. That and she smelled like a secret garden and her skin was as soft as a petal. His own luscious Atropa belladonna; look but don’t touch. It was a fitting match considering his life was rotely defined by his personal, unattainable longings.

“I think it's different, Holman. I love Agent Scully--” more of that condensation settles. “I have for a long time. As a friend first. But I'm not lovesick. I'm not…” he trails off because to say he’s not also in love with Scully isn't the whole truth. But it’s not the same. “I'm still working on being in love with her in a way that is most fair for her. For us.” He looks up into the starry night and grips the edge of the stone wall that he is perched on. “I tend to be a bit overbearing and unpredictable.”

And incomprehensible and dog-headed and nebulous and borderline unreliable - but he’s not really interested in listing all the ways he’s failed Scully or why he knows he’s badbadbad for her. The reasons why she shouldn’t be wearing a short navy blue dress at a private and completely voluntary event with him tonight. Why he should have done the gentlemanly thing years ago and convinced her to get out and save her reputation, to save herself from a lifetime of pain. Should have resisted the tender, irresistible way she always pulled him back to her. Should not have RSVP'd to this damn wedding, at least.

Instead, he spirited her away from the world living into the world of the half-dead and always searching.

Then again he’d probably be dead ten times over, considering the numerous occasions she’d saved his ass over the years. But life without Scully would be a fate worse than death.

He’s seeding the rain cloud, he knows. These are the kinds of words phrased in such a way that he’s been avoiding admitting - let alone thinking - for years. It’s admissions like these to people like Holman that will force him to pay the piper. He envisions Holman and Sheila forcing them to slow dance beneath the dizzy lights to Fools Rush In. He’d prefer a Whiter Shade of Pale, himself. Something a bit more subtle.

“Loving someone isn’t about being fair, Agent Mulder. My life has basically been at a standstill until I finally got my chance to be with Sheila. I wasn’t willing to move forward with any decision in my life if it meant missing a chance I might have with her. I accepted a job in the same town I grew up in, for Chrissake, because she was here! And yes, there were times when I resented the fact that she refused to see me as more than a friend and instead chased after the people I liked the least.

I have a few buddies from high school who got pretty sick of my laments for a woman - who you will probably agree - is completely out of my league.” Mulder resists reacting, different strokes and all. “The fairest route would have been to save myself the drama of Sheila’s many romantic interludes and settle down with someone else - you might not know it but I’m quite the catch in a small town like this - but I was determined to wait until it was my turn. Now those same guys from high school are here dancing at our wedding!

Look at me! I’m married to the most beautiful woman in Kroner! In all of Kansas, probably! And we are already talking about starting our family right away!”

Holman, glowing with pride like the light of the moon with his arms outstretched, has a nostalgic, faraway look on his face, back to his days as the awkward teen in love with the prom queen. Indeed, Holman had received his just rewards for patience, diligence, and the honor of a respectable life.

Scully is his reward too, Mulder knows. Has always known, since the day she walked back into his basement office after spending thirty-six hours hiding in the rain forests of Puerto Rico with no food or water and scared to death that the kill squads were going to find them and use extreme force. He was constantly falling in love with the versions of herself that she shed with each tragedy - always a moment too late. Always under her sharp and disapproving eye. She wore her newfound vulnerabilities with a sign that read: “Danger, Stay Back”. That she refused to be worshipped just made her easier to love. He’d had no clue dignity was such a turn on.

Mulder was just worried he hadn't paid his dues with such noble qualities as Holman’s. His many wrongdoings play with a sad soundtrack in his head, as sad as the desperate way she always looks at him when they’ve cheated death yet again. She had been particularly unzipped by his recent near-drowning and nick-of-time rescue in the Plantagenet Bay. The Gunmen published it in their quarterly and referred to Scully as the Babe of the Bermuda Triangle. He still felt kinda bad about that one.

Was it just Mulder or was the moon shining a little more brightly right now?

“One of the best days of my life was when Sheila started working at the station.” Holman gets another dreamy look upon his face as he recalls the day. Mulder remembers too, it was chronicled in the local paper. That and a portfolio of other newsworthy weather events Holman was responsible for sat neatly collated within his X-Files. And now including their invitation to the blessed Hardt-Fontaine nuptials. It wasn’t every day he got to hang out with one of the curiosities from his wonder cabinet.

Unless he counted Scully which he explicitly and vociferously did not.

“May 11, 1992: residents of Kroner, Kansas, report witnessing a rare quadruple rainbow,” He recites.

Mulder has a similar best day of his life, but he doesn’t recall any meteorological event that marked the moment. It wasn’t even a full moon. Just a regular March afternoon that he had been antipathetic about.

Holman grins. “Some reported seeing a fifth arc as well, but it was never substantiated.” Then his face grows cloudy. “That same day, while we were catching up, was when she told me she was moving in with Darryl Moody and that they were ‘engaged to be engaged.’” He spits the last words out like venom. And that would explain the subsequent supercell lightning storm that knocked Kroner off the grid for three days (also in his files).

“She just wanted to be friends,” he bemoans before becoming annoyingly cheerful again, “but being her friend was the next best thing because here we are! Sheila recently told me that the best relationships are rooted in friendship so if that’s what it took to get here, I wouldn’t change a day.”

Mulder, dipping his chin to his chest, was appalled he found that so pathetically endearing. And a little bit wounding. Were he and Scully not rooted in friendship? For someone who was so quick to believe, he knew he was certainly wanting for a little more faith in the matter. Because here we are, he thinks, together, in other lifetimes, always.

In this particular lifetime in Kansas, there might be drinks and dancing and more than one excuse to touch her companionably and then maybe a little more familiarly, as soon as she finished up inside and he could end this awkward conversation with the groom.

“Don’t let some bad luck cramp your style, Agent Mulder,” Holman says, reaching the end of his proselytizing. “The future will be as bright as you make it.”

Following Holman’s gaze up into the night sky, Mulder finds that the heavens are now alight with the ethereal trails of meteors, dainty and otherworldly, glittering their way across the universe.

Mulder sighs again, equally entranced by and indifferent to Holman’s bizarre skills. “Easy for you to say, Holman.” But Holman just laughs the contented and mirthful laugh of a man in love. To him, everything is limitless: life, love, the weather, and now the entire galaxy.

And though there was once a time where Mulder would have imprudently coveted the ability to touch the unthinkable like Holman Hardt, tonight he is content to reach only one star.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24564760

Notes:

WIP, I hope. There should be a chapter for Scully + Sheila and another for Mulder + Scully. Fingers crossed! Mad love to my favorite fanfiction of all time, Parabiosis by Penumbra. This story includes some loving references to that masterpiece. Made with the utmost respect. Thanks for reading.

#if you read this #THANK YOU!!!#xf fanfic #the x files #msr

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athenamgh · 4 years

Text

No One Can Save Me, But You...

They all think that I am dauntless that no monster, no enemy, no war could terrify me. And in some case, they are all right, because a long time ago fear of those things faded away.

But I am not fearless. Of all, I am scared to sleep, because then I drift into the darkness I am afraid will never manage to open my eyes again. There is nothing more fearsome and heartbreaking than seeing your face drowning in the shadows every time I close my eyes.

And now I understand that the light never really had enough space for both of us. But maybe, one day, we will meet again, in my world. Where we will have a chance to be together.

Maybe in the dark side, we will be able to be together… forever.

The sun floating high in the blue cloudless sky cast the golden light around Jaina Proudmoore standing in the middle of the square next to the giant castle gates, once called ‘home’. The playful wind time to time smoothed her pale skin or messed with her silky white hair.

Taking a deep breath Jaina filled her lungs with a fresh swing of air. Tilting her head high she stood there masking the overwhelming emotions filled with home longing and youthful memories. But the clenched fists and firmly tightened jaw was betraying her. Jaina’s eyes were fixed on, once so familiar, face in front of her. “Do you accept the judgment of your homeland?” Katherine Proudmoore said, her voice rigorous and strong.

Jaina searched for something familiar in that stoned demanding face opposite hers. The wind, years and may that were tears stoned queens face clenching all the happiness and softness under the leather mask. Even those warm, loving eyes that Jaina remembered leaving decades ago now was looking back at her frozen and betrayed.

“I accept your judgment…” Proudmoore’s eyes fell on the bricks based ground, couldn’t suppress the intense gaze anymore, making her voice almost sank into the whisper “mother”.

As Katherine Proudmoore came up closer to her, for a split second Jaina felt how hope flashed before her eyes. The expectancy, she kept holding all this time. The same light that dared the Archmage to even let near the thoughts about the possibility to ever come back home again, the courage to step on her homeland after so many years. The silly desire that the queen would at least hear the solicitation of the Alliance.

Jaina felt her mother pinning her gloved hand under the necklace that was secured on Jaina’s neck. Letting it slip through fingers until it landed in her palm gripping the silver anchor tightly. With a swift movement ripping it off her daughter’s neck shoving Jaina forwards with the force. Archmage shot her head up quickly facing her mother’s stone-cold face. Katherine turned her back to the beloved child, barely glancing over the shoulder, her lips slipped cruel words “You are no daughter of mine”.

“Do what you will. She is nothing to me.” Jaina’s eyes were pierced on Katherine’s Proudmoore’s figure until it disappeared in the depths of the hall dragging and vanishing all the hope that was left with her into the darkness.

Jaina plunged head down, closing her eyes lightly. The words reverberated in her head, again and again, like the sharp waves striking the rocky shore.

Suddenly, two pair of hands roughly gripped the side of Jaina’s Proudmoore’s arms, sinking their fingers deep in the clothing material. “Guards! Lead the traitor to the dungeons.” Jaina lifted her head once more from the gray bricked ground, catching the slight smirk shadowing Lady’s Ashvane’s lips, she lunged her dark eyes at the Archmage. “Where she will be waiting for justice of her towering actions.”

A forceful arm touch pushed her inside of a nearly pitch-black cell. Jaina’s knees hit the frigid floor as soon as the sharp lock hit the bars behind her. The Archmage’s hands found the stone ground just as quick, fingers tightly gripping the smallest cracks of the floor. Jaina’s eyes firmly shut, but there was no mark of tiniest tear on her pale cheeks.

She didn’t think she had it anymore, the courage to let her eyes flood with salty liquid, she didn’t think there was any left anymore. A long time ago the last piece of teardrop dried on that fair skin.

Bringing herself up the mage shifted forwards turning around and adjusting her back to the freezing cold wall of rough bricked rocks. Even if Jaina’s eyes were fixed on the deep dark reddish wall slightly visible through the metal bars, they were drowning somewhere deep further.

Jaina didn’t feel hatred for her mother nor the people of Kul’Tiras. A long time ago, she acknowledged and made peace with herself that the return of traitor daughter that everybody regarded her, would never be sprinkled with colorful flowers or accompany with cheerful regards. But she would have done everything to alleviate, to heal the wounds which caused her actions to Kul’Tiras.

No, she wasn’t carrying any hate in her heart for those people. Even her loathing for the Horde wasn’t that powerful as her impossibility to not only forgive her father, but most of all forgive to herself. Maybe it was time for her to accept this conviction. After all, she needed to pay for what she did. To release all the faith that was still promising that there was another way, a better way to do it.

After it seemed like a couple of minutes, but probably could have been hours Jaina felt how the place she was locked in was starting to mess with her consciousness. First, it was her senses. A second ago the palm, she was pressing against cold, moist stone became boiling hot, but a moment later it turned back cold like someone just poured the chilly liquid over it.

All the strength that she still had in her body was sucked like the warm sunray into the black hole. She felt her eyelids become heavier, her muscles tense at the coldness she was being surrounded by.

When her body was weakened, the force went for her mind. It was trying to force to confess things she was never guilty about, to think and believe things she was even afraid to pronounce out loud.

Jaina didn’t realize her lips were uttering things until her ears hit the heavy words “Life is pain n Hope…” she could feel herself chuckle “Hope fails…”.

“It doesn’t suit you, Lady Prodmoore” bold and oddly familiar voice ran across to meet hers. “It’s just not in your genes, Jaina”. As intruders lips left her own name, something hit her and Jaina’s lips shadowed light smile.

Archmage’s eyes were running across the darkroom desperately searching for the voice source “Oh really, wasn’t that what you told me once?”

Suddenly the dark silhouette in front of her shifted. Jaina’s vision finally caught the pointed ears sticking high from the hood, tinny firm shoulder covered with heavy armor, a slim torso constructed of strong muscles. “Don’t let those thoughts get to you Jaina, you are stronger than any of this.”

“The Lord Admiral, the once Leader of the Kul’tiras, The Daughter of the Sea. And all it needed was just several moments, couple gestures and a few harsh words to leave Jaina Proudmoore herself feeling helpless and alone, with everything crashing around her” one more chuckle escaped her dry lips. “I don’t think this is the term of boldness.”

In a blink of a second, a creature dived out of the darkness. The dark red eyes were pierced at her ocean blue ones daring to say at least one more cruel word about herself. “It’s not you,” her voice was firm.

Jaina narrowed her eyebrows, glancing down to the filthy floor. She felt ghostly fingers dancing on her cheek, seeking for Jaina to look up. Her eye’s flowed up to meet the elf’s glance, this time not a challenging, but softer, with a slight hint of uneasiness in that sight. Jaina’s lips split the gasp “Sylvanas”.

Jaina stretched her hand to touch Sylvanas jaw, but the second her fingertips seemed to reach their destination the sight in front of her blurred and disappeared in seconds. Leaving her arm clenching the empty space.

It was an illusion. Her mind was playing tricks on her. And here it was… the tears. Seeming to have Sylvanas so close to her, but at the same time so far away was too much to handle.

Hmm... I don’t know... This was something that kept lingering in my mind... well... I hope you liked it!

#II (part)

#III (part)

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batfam-imagines · 5 years

Text

Hope

This is loosely based off another fic I wrote for one of my other blogs @mymarvelimagines here’s the link to the original fic: Is That Her? Obviously this fic has quite a few changes, so I hope you like it! Let me know what you think!

———————————————————————————–

“I can’t, Arthur. I have a date tonight!”

Arthur lets out an exasperated huff, “I don’t really care what you have planned. You’re my Captain of the Guard, and I need you at this Justice League meeting. I’m going to introduce you to the rest of the JL members. Mera said I’m no longer allowed outside of Atlantis without an escort, so I’ve chosen you.”

You let out a huff and debate on just hanging up on your king, but eventually decide against it. “Very well. I’ll cancel my date, but next time I want at least 24-hours’ notice. You know I hate this last-minute shit.”

“You aren’t in the place to demand anything, Y/N. I am your king”

“Funny. I thought you were my brother. It’s you who can’t demand anything from me. I was your Captain of the Guard but got tired of all the ‘half-breed’ comments people kept making. You know damn well that I chose to live on land, so you can’t demand anything from me anymore!” You can feel the oceans magic that constantly thrums beneath your skin rising up as you speak, preparing for a fight. The days of you being an official Atlantean are long over, and sometimes Arthur willfully forgets that.

Arthurs growl crackles over the phones speaker, “Fine, you were one of my best fighters. I would greatly appreciate it if you would come with me this afternoon to the Watchtower. The soldiers still respect you, and the war council will take your word more seriously than mine. You’ve fought beside them more than I have, Y/N, you have their trust”

“And?”

Your brother groans, “Seriously? Alright, alright. Next time I need you I’ll try to give you some more notice”

“And?”

“Damnit, woman! I’m sorry! Is that what you wanted to hear? I’m sorry for being a total ass, and for trying to pull the whole king-thing on you”

“Thank you! It’s like pulling teeth to get an apology out of you!”

“Can you just be ready at 6 tonight?” You grunt an affirmation, and Arthur sighs, “You know I miss you, right? It’s just not the same without having you here”

“I know, but I’m not coming back, at least not permanently. And, you know, if you miss me so much you could swim your lazy ass back home and visit me and dad” You glance over at your aging father, sitting hunched and quite on the pier. “You should really come visit him soon, Arthur. He misses you”

“I will, Y/N. I promise, once this meeting is over tonight, I’ll be staying for the weekend. Speaking of, wear your gear, I want to show up the Bat and his brood, but keep your hood off. You’ll be getting to know everyone’s identities tonight”

“Fine, now I have to go. I need to call my date and cancel and make dad some breakfast. Oh, and warn your friends, if I get stopped by some kind of security it won’t be pretty”

“Noted, brat. I’ll let everyone know not to mess with my badass little sister”

“I’m only 8 minutes younger than you!”

Arthur lets out a barking laugh, “I’m still the oldest! See you tonight!”

–

Once Arthur hangs up, and breakfast is made, you retreat to your room to call your date: Jason. Koriand'r had introduced the two of you when the Outlaws had a mission that crossed Atlantean borders, and the two of you had instantly clicked. By the end of the mission they two of you decided to keep in touch. At first by sending letters, and once you had moved onto land by exchanging numbers. But even though you’d been talking to him, had even been considered his friend for almost a year, he hadn’t let you see his face. Whenever Snapchat was used, or the two of you video-chatted, Jason was always wearing at least his domino mask. Tonight was supposed to be the first night where you finally saw his entire face. But now you had to cancel.

Jason picks up on the first ring, “Hey, Y/N, I was just getting ready to call you”

You can’t help but smile at his sleep-roughened voice, it wasn’t easy being awake during the day when most of your crime-fighting happened at night. “Oh really? You just couldn’t wait until tonight?”

He chuckles, “Unfortunately not, sweetheart. Batman called me in on a last-minute assignment, he actually called all of us in, wouldn’t give any details until tonight though. I’m not real sure what the hell is going on, but I’m gonna have to cancel our date.”

Letting out a soft chuckle, you close your eyes in relief. You really hated to cancel plans or disappoint people, and now you wouldn’t have to feel guilty about not being able to make the date. “That’s fine, Jay. That’s similar to what I was gonna say too. My brother called me, said he needed me for some secret meeting tonight”

“Crime never sleeps, doll. Guess we’ll just have to reschedule when no annoying brothers or crazy family members can reach us”

“Yeah, Jay, we definitely will. If you think you can get out of showing me your face because of one botched date, then you’re sorely mistaken”

Jason chuckles, “Wouldn’t dream of it, Y/N. I’ll text you tonight after this thing for B, alright?”

“Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll let you know how my meeting goes. Bye, Jay”

“Bye, Y/N”

–

You stroll up to the ZETA Tube at 5:55 pm, “Hey, Arthur!”

Your brother pushes himself off the disguised transportation machine with a scowl, “You’re late”

Checking your watch, you flash a bright smile, “I’m not late. You said to be here at 6, it 5:57. And plus, I just had to stop for some chicken nuggets on the way here”

“Did you get me any?”

“I did, but then I ate them”

Arthur huffs, “Rude, I freaking love chicken nuggets. You’re getting me some after this damn meeting”

You roll your eyes, “Thought you were the ‘big brother’, aren’t you supposed to take care of little ol’ me?”

“Shut up and get in the ZETA. If I’m late to another meeting Batman will feed me to his children”

“Batman’s up there?” Arthur nods as he punches in his access code, “Cool, I always wanted to meet him”

–

“So, brother dearest, what’s this meeting about anyway and why do you need me to convince the War Council to take action? You’re the king, can’t you just command it?”

“I could try, but ever since you left any war actions I make are questioned. You were the one who actually won your arena fight, you gained their respect by the old laws. I only have it because I was deemed worthy enough to wield King Atlan’s trident.” Arthur’s shoulders slump slightly, “I just need you to listen to what the others have to say, then decide if Atlantean troops are necessary, okay?”

“Okay, okay. I will”

The two of you marched into the meeting, heads held high, “Everyone, I’d like to introduce you to my sister, Y/N. She’s -”

“Y/N?!” A man quickly stands up from the back of the room where he’d been leaning against the wall. He wasn’t wearing a mask, none of the heroes were now that you’d had the chance to notice, but that shock of white hair was unmistakable.

“Jason? What -?”

“You’re Atlantean? Why the hell didn’t you ever tell me that?! You never fuckin’ told me that you were Aquaman’s sister!!”

“I thought would be something you tell someone on the first date! Not over the phone!”

A dark-haired man, Nightwing going by his costume, leans closer to Jason, “Is that her? The girl you’ve been talking to for months now but were too shy to meet up with? I can see why you were nervous, Littlewing, she’s -” He’s cut off as another boy, this one shorter even than him and fine-boned – probably Red Robin – shoves an elbow into his side.

“Leave Jay alone, Dick. This is the first girl he’s shown more than a passing interest in since he’s been back” The pale boy smiles at you innocently, but his eyes are calculating. He plays innocent, used to people underestimating him before he strikes.

Then your eyes turn to the smallest of Jason’s brothers, the current Robin, who has yet to say anything. He just continues to sharpen one of his many swords while watching you, and smirks when your eyes lock. You can’t help but wonder if he’s ever trained with a trident.

Superman clears his throat, drawing everyone’s attention back to the center table, “Back to the reason we’re all here … We’ve received word that your half-brother is planning to start a war, and we need to help us stop it”

“Orm is always trying to usurp Arthur and take back the Atlantean throne, this isn’t anything new. Unfortunately, he’s … exceedingly difficult to capture because several of our people are still loyal to him, and Mother does not want him killed.” You sit down next to Arthur and Batman, quickly scanning over the notes they have about Orm’s forces.

Batman turns slightly to face you, “He isn’t just planning to attack Atlantis this time. He plans to start a war between the Atlanteans and Amazons that will wipe out most of the human race. He managed to hack our servers with the help of Black Manta and found the file for when Flash went to an alternate timeline where Amazons and Atlanteans were at war, destroying both themselves and us. The only way to stop this war from happening is to work together”

Nodding along, you continue to read the list of possible plans that the Justice League have written out, “Mmhmm. So looking at these, our little brother was planning to kill Queen Hippolyta and blame it on our people, causing your people -” You gesture across the table at Wonder Woman, “- to retaliate and kill Queen Mera, thus causing a huge war. And let me guess, he would ride in, or I guess swim in, with his little army and turn the tides of the war causing the Atlanteans to be victorious. All of our people would hail him a savior, Arthur would be booted off the throne, and Orm would once again rule all the oceans as Ocean Master, but this time he would have control of the land as well”

Flash nods along, quickly demolishing 6 more hotdogs as you talk, “Yeah, that’s pretty much what’s gonna happen if we don’t do anything! You’re really good at this”

Jason leans over the back of your chair, “So, sweetheart, you got any ideas on how to stop the end of the world from happening?” One side of his mouth curls up in a handsome smirk, “’Cause, if the world’s at war, then we can’t go on our date”

Arthur’s hand tightens on his trident, “Watch it, brat. I’ll skewer you and feed you to the Karathen”

“I don’t need you to defend my honor, fish-brains, I can take care of myself” You wink up at Jason before turning back to everyone else, “As for an attack strategy, Arthur and I will go down to Atlantis and convince the War Council to mobilize our forces. We’ll set up a perimeter in Themysciran waters, that way when Orm arrives we can meet him head on -”

“Only women are allowed on Themyscira, we do not allow men to freely roam our island” Wonder Woman’s eyes lock on Arthur, “Not even kings”

You nod, “That’s perfectly fine. If you want, only our female soldiers will get close to your islands’ borders, the men can be kept further away. Queen Mera and I will need to talk you’re your queen and general about the upcoming battle, I can show you the places to attack on Atlantean armor.”

“Very well. My mother will be much more … amiable to your plans if the men stay away” Wonder Woman extends her hand towards you, “I am Princess Diana of Themyscira, you may call me Diana. Once you have met with your people, I will be the one guiding you”

“It’s nice to meet you, sorry my little brothers a little - ” You swirl your finger by your temple, “- crazy”. You and Diana spend the next few minutes discussing the layout of Themyscira, the entire time you’re completely aware of Jason still leaning on the back of your chair having a hushed conversation with his brothers.

“Okay, now that everyone knows how beautiful the island is, are we ready to talk about weapons?”

Batman’s eyes flash up to his son, “Jason -”

“I’m serious! If we base Amazon fighting technique on Diana, then they predominantly use swords or something similar, shields, arrows, and hand-to-hand: mainly close range. But Atlanteans have the technology to fight at a distance, they have weapons that only need water to power them. Both Atlanteans and Amazons are equal in strength and speed, but if Orm manages to drive the fight to the water then it’ll be a massacre! Shit, he won’t even have to drive anyone to the water, plenty of Atlanteans are trained in magic and can bring the water to the fight!”

Everyone’s eyes are locked on Jason now, and you can’t help the slow smile that splits your face. Knowing that Jason, someone who’s physically attractive and who you’ve wanted to go on a date with for a long time, is smart enough to see flaws in a potential battle is ridiculously attractive. “Then tell me, Jay, how should we plan to overcome these flaws?”

Jason flushes pink, “I-I mean you guys are the battle experts, I don’t know everything -”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Littlewing! You’re the one who pointed out the flaws, you must have a way to fix them!” Nightwing gives his brother an encouraging pat on the shoulder, “Come on, tell us what you got”

“Okay. Well, Black Manta is human, right? So if he was able to figure out how to use Atlantean technology enough to build his own suit then we should be able to teach Diana’s people enough to shoot Atlantean guns. First we need to lay a trap though, get Orm and his fighters away from the water. They’ll be weaker, and easier to take down without easy access their main power source. Plus, only royals can breathe air, so if we can plan a stealth attack and expose the soldiers to air then they’ll be useless to Orm and his cause.” Arthur looks up at Jason in surprise, both at his knowledge of Atlantean physiology and of the possibility that his strategy could actually work.

“We’ll fine tune the plan once we know exactly how many soldiers and weapons we have available to us” You glance around the room, “Meet back here same time tomorrow with more information?”

Diana nods, “Yes, that should give me enough time to contact my mother” The Amazon stands without another word and leaves the meeting room.

“Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice, Y/N. I know you had other plans tonight” Batman stands as well, holding his hand out for a brief shake, before leaving with a swish of his cape.

The other heroes take Batman’s departure as a que and all stand to leave as well. Arthur grabs his trident from where is was leaning against the wall, “Alright, brat, looks like we’ll make it home in time to see Dad before bed”

“Wait, Y/N, before you go -” Jason scratches the back of his head lightly and clears his throat, out of the corner of your eye you can see Arthur walk over to talk to Superman, “- I know this wasn’t exactly the way our first in-person meeting was supposed to go, but you were amazing discussing battle strategies with Diana. And I was wondering if …”

“Will you go on a date with me?” You interrupt, the words coming unbidden from between your lips, “Like a real date, not one where there’s a bunch of other superheroes around and we’re trying to stop World War III. Not that you weren’t amazing -”

“Ugh, you guys are horrible at this” Red Robin just seems to appear at Jason’s elbow, “Hi, I’m Tim, Jason’s younger brother.”

“Replacement!”

“Don’t mind him, his time dead kind of stunted his emotional growth. He’d love to go on a date with you! Jason’s a total romantic at heart, so he’s the kind to pack a picnic and watch the sunset, you know? But if you aren’t into that I can schedule a dinner at the nicest restaurant in Gotham -”

“Drake, do you really think Todd would go to you for assistance if he needed to find a decent eatery? You survive off of granola bars and coffee. Besides, I have a much more refined palate, I will be assisting Todd in choosing his dates with the Atlantean” The smallest brother, the current Robin, sticks his nose up in the air with an amount of arrogance that you’ve only seen from people born and bred as royalty.

“Damian! We’ve talked about being mice to Tim! Why don’t we all help Littlewing with his date. I mean there are so many great places he can take her! There’s the pier, the aquarium -”

You snort, “Are those all water themed because I’m Atlantean?”

Jason groans, his hands raking through his hair, “Will you three go away? I don’t want to shoot you, but you’re starting to piss me off enough where I think that might be a good idea” The taller man turns back to you as his brothers make their way down the same hallways that Batman had gone down, “After meeting them I totally understand if you want to take back your offer for a date”

“Nah, they seem like fun” Jason raises an incredulous eyebrow, “To mess with that is, I mean that’s what siblings are for. And honestly Tim’s idea of a date was the one that sounded the best”

“The fancy dinner in Gotham?”

“No, no. I mean packing a picnic and watching the sunset. Picking out constellations, talking, getting to know each other more” You reach up and gently skim your fingertips across Jason’s strong jaw, “Maybe one on the beach, away from the city”

“When this whole war this is over, I’m taking you up on that, Y/N. You won’t be able to get rid of me” Jason pulls you into a brief hug before he starts backing toward the same hallway his brothers had gone down, “I’ll call you tomorrow morning when I get off patrol, alright?”

“Yeah, Jay. Talk to you in the morning”

The imminent future looks dark and full of bloodshed, but beyond that there’s hope. Hope for a future, hope to rebuild everything that will be lost, and hope for peace. Already you can feel your phone buzz with a mew message, and your brother nudges you playfully when you finally join him. There’s hope for the future, you just have to get to it.

———————————————————————————–

Let me know what you think! Send any ideas or requests you have to my Ask Box!

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laniebby · 4 years

Photo

hi! i’m cora and i’m so excited to be here and to write with everyone! i’m 24 and live in the est timezone, but i’m on at weird times because i work night shift. this intro will probably suck, so i’m sorry in advance LOL also ignore my crappy edit lol im a picsart biiitch

the tarot

meaning: high priestess is a card of mystery, stillness and passivity. this card suggests that it is time to retreat and reflect upon the situation and trust your inner instincts to guide you through it. things around you are not what they appear to be right now. upright card: spiritual insight, hidden talents, intuition, things yet to be revealed, mystery reversed card : secrets, information withheld, ;ack of personal harmony element: water ruling planet: moon

the basics:

name - lanie sierra reynolds age: twenty face claim: madison bailey zodiac: aquarius dorm: carstone house

the aesthetics:

BABY OUTFITS, FRESHLY PICKED FLOWERS, A SONG ON THE WIND, SUMMER NIGHTS, ART GALLERIES, BEETHOVEN’S SYMPHONIES, UNOPENED PRESENTS, THE PANIC OF A NEW MOTHER, NEW FAITH, LOVE, SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, MESSY HAIR, NOTICING THE SMALLEST THINGS, VIVID DREAMS, EYES FULL OF STORIES, LONG HUGS, DEEP CONVERSATIONS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, SHADOWS FROM CANDLE LIGHT

the biography:

lanie’s entrance into the world was a chaotic one. a storm blew threw the town and knocked down trees and power lines. roads were blocked and piled up and lanie was born in the backseat of the family car.

as a child she was pretty quiet and kept to herself for the most part. she didn’t have a lot of friends and she was really okay with that. she liked playing with the people she made up and the younger neighbor kids. she didn’t care if the kids in her class called her weird and didn’t play with her at recess or sit with her at lunch.

her home life was not very ideal. her father cheated on her mother on more than one occasion and though he tried to keep it a secret, the whole town knew. her mother knew, of course, but she still loved him and hated the idea of being alone. neither of them believed in divorce, so they stayed unhappily married. lanie swore she would never live like that. she hated the idea of living a lie for all of her life.

as she got older, she came out of her shell. she spent her middle school years joining clubs and sports and made friends with all types of people. she wasn’t necessarily popular, but she was that girl that everyone knew in some way.

she still thinks high school was the best years of her life. she had such a good time, and honestly a little too much fun. she spent her days studying and doing homework and spent her nights sneaking out her bedroom window to go to parties or to meet boys to kiss in the backseat of a car.

she was actually a really good student, as well. she made straight As and always had high test scores. she ended up graduating the first semester of senior year and started college the following spring semester.

her relationship with THE STAR was a complicated one. for the longest time, she loved him so much. the relationship was everything she dreamed of and more. it was healthy and nothing like her parents. as time went on, things got a little worse. they would fight and make up and break up and get back together. that was their typical cycle for the longest time. their last fight was the breaking point, however. lanie couldn’t take anymore of the back and forth. it broke her heart that the person she once loved the most was now someone she hated.

she found out she was pregnant just less than a month after the breakup and she really didn’t know what to do. it was an internal struggle for the longest time, but she couldn’t keep it secret forever. she told evangeline first and somehow her best friend convinced her to join the church she had been skeptical of her whole life. she never felt a connection to god before, but being pregnant gave her a whole new perspective on life. she still doesn’t trust the church completely, but she thinks they mean well.

through all of this, she really became close with JUSTICE. they were the person who was there for her through the hell she went through in her relationship with THE STAR. she fell in love with them and it almost felt a little selfish. now with helena missing, who was such a sweet person, she doesn’t want to hurt them anymore than they’re hurting already. more than anything, she doesn’t want this relationship to end the same way her last one did.

the thoughts:

YOU JUST WANT WHAT’S BEST FOR YOUR BABY. AND ACCORDING TO THE HIEROPHANT, THAT MEANT JOINING ROSE’S THE SECOND YOU FOUND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT. SO FAR YOU HAVE NO COMPLAINTS — EVERYONE IS INVOLVED IN YOUR LIFE, PREPARING YOU FOR WHEN YOUR SPECIAL DAY COMES, INVESTED IN THE WAY YOU LIVE. IF ANYTHING, YOU COULD ALMOST SAY THEY LOVED YOU TOO MUCH, TRIED TO HELP YOU TOO OFTEN. AFTER ALL, THERE’S A FINE LINE BETWEEN BUYING YOU DIAPERS AND GIVING YOU A STRICT MEAL PLAN YOU CAN’T STRAY FROM. IT’S OVERBEARING, YES, BUT THEY JUST WANT YOU TO HAVE THE BEST, AND YOU’RE NOT USED TO THAT. SO YOU’LL TRY YOUR BEST NOT TO BUCKLE UNDER THEIR PRESSURE.

the connections:

THE HIEROPHANT - BEST FRIEND; IN ALL THE TIME YOU’VE KNOWN THEM, YOU WERE UNSURE OF DRINKING THEIR KOOLAID. NOTHING COULD BE AS PERFECT AS THEY CLAIMED IT TO BE — NOT RELIGION OR PEOPLE OR ANYTHING ELSE — BUT YOU’RE BEGINNING TO DOUBT YOURSELF. IT MAY TURN OUT TO BE CLOSER TO PERFECTION THAN YOU THOUGHT.

▶ FRIENDS - LAUNDRY DAY

REMEMBER BEING THAT KID ON THE FIRST DAY THAT ALWAYS HATED THAT IT WAS THE FIRST DAY, BUT THAT’S THE DAY WE MET

▶ MALIBU - MILEY CYRUS

HERE I AM NEXT TO YOU, THE SKY IS SO BLUE ▶ THESE ARE MY FRIENDS - LOVELYTHEBAND

▶ THESE ARE MY FRIENDS - LOVELYTHEBAND

THEY DON’T CARE WHO YOU ARE, THEY DON’T CARE WHAT YOU DO, NO. THESE ARE MY FRIENDS, I LOVE THEM

THE STAR - EX; THEY’RE THE FATHER TO YOUR CHILD, SO YOU AREN’T SURE IF YOU CAN EVER HATE THEM AS MUCH AS YOU WISH YOU COULD. IT ENDED BADLY — VERY BADLY — BUT YOU WANT YOUR CHILD TO GROW UP WITH BOTH OF THEIR PARENTS. EVEN IF YOU CAN’T STAND THEIR GUTS.

▶ JULY - NOAH CYRUS

FEELS LIKE A LIFE TIME, JUST TRYNA GET BY WHILE WE’RE DYING INSIDE. I’VE DONE A LOT OF THINGS WRONG, LOVING YOU BEING ON

▶ EASTSIDE - BENNY BLANCO, KHALID, HALSEY

WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I FELL IN LOVE, WE USED TO HOLD HANDS, MAN, THAT WAS ENOUGH

▶ NOT IN THE SAME WAY - 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER

WE FUCK, THEN WE FIGHT, THEN YOU CALL ME A PSYCHO. I WALK OUT THE DOOR BUT YOU WON’T LET ME LET GO

THE DOOR BUT YOU WON’T LET ME LET GO JUSTICE - CURRENT RELATIONSHIP; THEY WERE COMFORT WHERE THE STAR WAS ANGUISH, THE PERSON YOU LEANED ON THROUGH EVERY FIGHT, EVERY LATE NIGHT CRY SESSION. WHEN YOU WERE PANICKING ABOUT OFFICIALLY BEING BROKEN UP, ABOUT RAISING YOUR BABY ALONE, THEY WERE THERE FOR YOU. IT ONLY FELT NATURAL TO TAKE THIS STEP, BUT SOMETHING JUST FEELS OFF.

▶ MOONLIGHT - ARIANA GRANDE

I NEVER KNEW, YOU COULD HOLD MOONLIGHT IN YOUR HANDS TIL THE NIGHT I HELD YOU

▶ CVS - WINNETKA BOWLING LEAGUE

I’M AT EASE, AS QUIET AS SUBURBAN TREES WHENEVER YOU GET AROUND ME

▶ VOLCANIC LOVE - THE ACE

I GET THE FEELING, YOU WORRY ‘BOUT ME WAY TOO MUCH

the wanted connections:

friends turned enemies enemies turned friends exes cousins study buddy new friends unlikely friends unrequited love flirtship hateship literally anything!!

#atonedintro

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allisondraste · 5 years

Text

In Freedom, Justice

An Angst August Gift for @apostatetabris :D Summary: Anders thought he'd be able to leave Vigil's Keep unnoticed. He thought wrong. [AO3 Link]

Anders fumbled around in the dark, worried that even the smallest spark of light would alert the Keep’s other inhabitants to his escape. His hands trembled as he frantically collected his things, things which consisted of little more than his staff, some potions, and a few sentimental items that he could not bring himself to relinquish even though he knew he probably should. It was already bad enough that he had to leave his cat. Even if Ser Pounce weren’t such a stubborn beast and knew how to keep his kitty voice down, he would still be safer at Vigil’s Keep than wherever Anders was going.

Anders didn’t actually know where he intended to go, only that he needed to leave and it had to be tonight. Justice could suffer his selfish and amoral lack of motivation no longer. “Sloth,” he called it. A tad melodramatic, but what else was he to expect from such a lofty creature as Justice? It became harder with each passing day to draw any hard lines between himself and his passenger, and with each day he gained clarity of purpose he’d never known. It wasn’t enough to gain his personal liberty. Not anymore. He had to help his fellow mages to be free as well, and he would stop at nothing to ensure that it happened. He would kill if he had to. Die, if he had to.

If his newfound mission also gave him a reason to abandon the Wardens, then good riddance! What was it the Warden-Commander said? Mages who become Wardens aren’t truly free; they just wear different chains. She understood, and the longer he stayed, the more the truth of that statement sank its teeth into him, dread seeping into his skin and bones. He had to leave, to escape that overwhelming fear, and to give Justice what he wanted. What he also seemed to want now.

With his belongings in hand, Anders stepped quietly out of his quarters and shut the door behind him, making his way down the dimly lit halls. A shame he was no rogue. It would have made the sneaking about much more effective. As it was, he’d have to settle for making as little noise as possible and hoping he ran into nobody who’d care if he just disappeared. He made it out of the main hall without incident, down to the courtyard and past the makeshift market that stood barren in the dead of night, then finally to the main gate. The final barrier standing between him and the freedom he so desired.

Just as he moved to walk through it, something flew past his head, nicking his cheek before landing with a thunk into the door. He jumped and moved his hand to the stinging cut on his face. It wasn’t bleeding, at least. Then he turned to examine the arrow that protruded out of the door just beside his head.

Bloody Nathaniel.

Anders sighed, rolled his eyes and turned to face the Keep, where Nathaniel stood several yards away, bow in hand. “You missed.”

“I wasn’t aiming at you,” Nathaniel said matter-of-factly, “But be certain, if I do, I won’t miss.”

Anders crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes as he stared at the other man. “That’s a little hostile, Nate, don’t you think?”

“Depends.” He shrugged and took a few steps forward. “Where are you going?”

“Don’t worry, mum! I’ll stay out of trouble!”

Anders winked, but Nathaniel glared at him, unamused. It was difficult to guess his thoughts. He always had that same dour expression. Still, Anders knew him well enough to know that he’d absolutely object to desertion.

“Listen,” he sighed. “This doesn’t concern you. Just… stay out of it.”

“A fellow warden— a friend, even— decides to pack up and leave without telling anyone, and it is not my concern,” Nathaniel asked. He cared, apparently, which shouldn’t have been surprising considering the amount of time they’d spent together, but Anders was not accustomed to people giving a shit. At least not in any meaningful way.

“Flattered, truly,” he remarked and then shook his head, “But no, it’s not.”

“You swore an oath,” Nathaniel said, voice rougher but not raised.

“I know, and now I am breaking it,” Anders admitted, dismissively, watching as Nathaniel grew more and more frustrated. He was difficult to ruffle, but Anders knew how to hit a nerve. “I was never big on commitment anyway, but good for you. I see you’re still taking this all very seriously. I guess I’d have my head stuck up the commander’s arse, too, if I were you. It’s hard to feel like a disgrace if someone relies on you, right?”

“The commander happens to be a good person, and I am grateful to her, to the Wardens.” He paused. “You should be, too.”

“Why?” Anders snapped, his attempt to get under Nathaniel’s skin having backfired.“The Wardens have done nothing but give me nightmares, and I already had plenty of those to begin with.”

“Are you not grateful for your freedom? For your protection from the templars?”

“Freedom?” Anders laughed dryly, all humor drained from his voice. “You think this is freedom? Doing absolutely nothing wrong except being born, but having to join some cult that requires you to corrupt your body and spend your days protecting thankless people, just to be allowed to live outside of a prison?

“I know that ever since you had your cozy, privileged, little life turned upside down you think you understand what it’s like to be oppressed, but you don’t, and you never will. You may be redeemed by your service as a Grey Warden. People might even begin to respect your family again and you’ll be forgiven. The world will never forgive me for being a mage.”

“And you think running away from everything is the answer?”

“I-” Anders began, but couldn’t continue as Justice started to struggle against him, tugging at the back of his mind. He wanted to speak to Nathaniel. He wanted control. Anders resisted. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He promised. Despite his efforts, a blinding blue light burst out and overwhelmed him, then everything went dark.

***

Nathaniel watched as Anders fought with something inside him, though he could not say what. A demon, perhaps? The mage brought his hands up to his face, shaking his head violently and shouting “no” over and over again until his skin cracked open, radiant blue light shining from the seams. Nathaniel’s fist tightened around his bow reflexively and he took a cautious step backward. What in Andraste’s name had this idiot done now?

Anders settled and looked up at him, eyes glowing the same blue as his skin.

“Nathaniel,” boomed a voice that was noticeably not Anders’, but familiar all the same.

He frowned in recognition. “Justice?”

“Indeed.”

“What have you done,” he asked, stomach churning. He didn’t actually want to know the answer.

“Kristoff’s body had begun to decompose to such a degree that I could no longer inhabit it,” Justice explained as it was some problem of logic, “Yet, there is still much to be done in this realm. I took your advice and sought out a new host.”

Nathaniel’s blood ran cold, recalling his conversations with the spirit. “This is… not what I meant. You can’t just possess someone!”

“This is not possession,” Justice argued, light glowing brighter in his fury. “I am no demon.”

“That doesn’t matter. If the wrong person sees you like this, Anders will be killed on sight.”

“Anders granted me permission to use his body, so that together we might improve the lot of mages in this world.”

“And just how do you plan to do that, Justice? If you intend to show the world that mages are not monsters, you aren’t going to make much progress looking like… this.” He motioned vaguely with his hand. “It will not end peacefully.”

“I said nothing of peace,” Justice stated, “I prefer peaceful solutions, but if none can be found, I will not hesitate to act.”

“And how does Anders feel about that?” Nathaniel crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight. “Or are you even taking his thoughts on the matter into consideration?”

“Anders would be content to take no action at all were it not for me. He would sit in his selfishness and cowardice, and allow his fellow mages to suffer.”

“As is his right,” Nathaniel protested.

“I am helping him.”

“I am glad you’ve convinced yourself of that little lie. Whatever you have to say to believe taking more of his freedom from him is ‘just,’ right?”

“Silence mortal,” Justice commanded, and flames sprang forth from his hands.

Nathaniel moved to dodge them, but wasn’t quite fast enough, and the fire crashed into his side, searing and burning his skin. He fell to the ground and clutched the wound, hissing in pain. He looked back up to address Justice again, but Justice was gone. It was Anders who stood before him now, eyes wide as he looked from his hands to Nathaniel and then back to his hands.

Nathaniel wished he’d never spoken to the spirit at all, let alone give him any ideas about finding a new body. Justice would have likely arrived at that conclusion on his own anyway, and Anders was stupid enough to say yes to his request. However, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was his fault.

***

“Nate,” Anders said, disoriented, blinking as he observed the man on the ground before him with a burn on his side that hadn’t been there before. Had he done that? He couldn’t remember anything. “What happened?”

Nathaniel laughed and shook his head. “Justice? Really?.”

“You… spoke with him then?”

“Yes.” Nathaniel said tersely, looking down at his wound and then back up at Anders, narrowing his eyes, “We talked.”

“I’m sorry, for what it’s worth. That’s the first time he’s done that.” Anders moved forward and knelt beside him, examining the scorch marks more closely, “I could heal that, if you-“

“I’m fine,” Nathaniel said through his teeth, flinching as Anders attempted to touch him. He grunted in pain and moved to stand up. “I will have Velanna or the commander take a look at it.”

“But-“

“Just go,” Nathaniel shook his head and pointed to the gate forcefully. “That’s what you want isn’t it? I won’t stop you.”

“What changed your mind?”

“I think it’s best if the others don’t see what I saw.” Nathaniel stared intensely, and Anders shifted, uncomfortable.

“Right,” he said with a nod, realizing that Nathaniel intended to keep his secret. He wondered what it had looked like, how Justice had been, and why he’d attacked. There was a big, dark gap in his memory. “Thank you, Nate. I guess this is, uh, goodbye then.”

Anders turned to walk away, toward the gate, but was stopped when Nathaniel caught his arm, roughly. It kind of hurt, but he figured that was intentional.

“Don’t do anything stupid.”

“That’s rather vague don’t you think?” He laughed even though he knew it wasn’t funny.

Nathaniel scowled more deeply. “Just... remember yourself without Justice. As much of an arse as you are, it’s better.”

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to,” Anders replied, flinching at the quiver in his own voice.

“If that doesn’t bother you,” Nathaniel said, his words much gentler than his grip, “It should.”

With that, he released Anders' arm with a slight shove, and turned to head back inside the Keep, still clutching at his side. Anders stood silently for a moment, Nathaniel’s warning ringing in his ears, before he walked through the wooden gates and away from the Wardens for good.

#dragon age #dragon age awakening #anders #justice #nathaniel howe #angst #prompts

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jeusev · 4 years

Photo

h-hewwo it’s my dragon age oc, his name is Tarenan. He is an ancient elf who went into uthenera after the fall of Arlathan. He fought with the rebeliion along with Solas ;w; im up for RP/HCs! also english is not my first language so please excuse my grammar / vocabulary errors dshsdhhsdh

Tarenan

Taren : Mind

Nan : Revenge

Renan : Voice

Taren was born in Arlathan, to healer parents, servants of Elgar’Nan. He was born conveniently attractive, wrapped in smooth, fair skin. Silky jade coloured hair draped along his shoulders gracefully, he was fit, slender built with average height. The glint of his emerald orbs were mesmerizing. He was unblemished.

However, alas, it was like the universe was trying to nerf him, Tarenan was lacking the ability to wield magic, much to his dismay. Taren had 2 older brothers, so naturally, his parents did not really mind his “defect”, however the elvhen did not took it so kindly. Slithering whispers on his back whenever he went was inevitable, and it always riled him up. The discrimination and the pity stares he received shaped him into an ambitious, prove-thirst chaotic individual. He was notorious, he’d pick a fight whenever one of his peers started to pity his inability to use magic. “I’m still better than you even if i could not wield magic.” Taren would always find a way to prove that he was indeed better than everyone, and easily enough, he realized violence solves the problem. Taren did not really care about his academic achievements, for he saw the best on academic matters would probably ended up working in the grand library doing monotone research anyways. Boring.

So he trained, ceaselessly, with a goal in mind to become Elgar’nan’s elite warriors, so no one could ever belittle him anymore. If someone without magic like him can join the elites, then who are you to belittle him, right ? Taren was not gifted in terms of strength and muscles, but his assessment were always on point. Thus, he realized something crucial – The ancient elves... DID mind about their gracefulness when they fight. They thought so highly about having to look good even when you’re about to bathe in someone else’s blood, which is… bullshit, if Taren must say. So Taren took advantage of that, and developed his own fighting style. It was definitely.... beastly, wild, its “ugly” ; according to everyone. But he won. Mostly. Him, against elves with magic.

Ultimately, his notorious achievement reached on Elgar’Nan’s ears, and so he was recruited and joined the legion. Even though Taren was still a rookie, he worked harder than most, and showed an indomitable determination. As a gift, Taren was given a chance to receive a “lyrium marking”, which enables those so called “defected” elves to use magic. Sometimes Elgar’nan would send his troops to the dwarven underground for the lyrium, and only the maker knows what Elgar’nan would do to those lyrium. (x) (I suspect the Tevinter / Fenris’s lyrium markings was a technique derived from the elvhen) Taren was delighted, and after a series of excruciating experiments, it finally happened.

Strange markings appeared all over his body. Levitation was the first thing he tried to master, he was able to phase through objects, and then shapeshift, though it requires extreme concentration to be able to keep up the transformation for a long time, and ultimately, Taren were totally unbeatable in the battlefield. He soared the sky, killed Elgar’nan’s enemies as much as he could, hoisted Elgar’nan’s flag on every landmark he could see, all he did to show his loyalty to Elgar’nan. To spat, on those who underestimate him. Pride and arrogance filled his heart, it blinded him to the bitter truth he chose to ignore. Then, Taren became an arcane warrior, one of Elgar’Nan’s elite bodyguard, appointed exclusively by Elgar’Nan himself. Tarenan did not possess the tall and bulky body like other warriors. In fact, he was probably one of the smallest elite bodyguard Elgar’nan ever had. It becomes an advantage though. People unfamiliar to him would underestimate his physique. Little did they know, Tarenan was one of Elgar’nan prized champions. Taren was deadly and impeccable. Strong, boisterous, never wavering. Naturally, having such title comes with great burden and responsibilities too. As a champion, it was one of his duty to do Elgar’nan’s dirty work. Taren understands, and he tremendously enjoyed the title bestowed upon him.

Until one day, he found a baby. Crying. Under the bed, where her supposedly parents killed by Taren. Taren had killed widows, whores, rebel teenagers, concubines, men with families, soldiers, but not…. A baby… When Taren picked her up, her crying stopped. She stared at Taren, wide eyed, curious. Using the last of his conscience, Taren decided that it was.. better that she was brought back, rather than killed. She could become a nurse, or farmer.. and so he jumped from the window, flew to the horizon, with a baby slept soundly on his arms.

It was NEVER on his thought, to actually have a kid. He did had meaningless dangles obviously, but a family ? To become a father ? Never. But there he stood, changing her diaper. The baby started to cry whenever Taren was not around, and she looked like she was the most comfy baby when sleeping on Taren’s arms. In the end Taren decided that she will be his responsibility, because she threw the biggest tantrum when she was handled with the midwives and milk mothers, and Taren did not trust those lame ladies anyways. They treat babies as if they’re fragile creatures, must be protected at all costs. For Taren, babies had to be taught the cruel world from early ages. Let them fall when they learn to walk, so that they will understand pain and refrain from doing the same mistakes again. Besides, the baby seemed to like being handled with Taren. It cried when the midwives put her in frilly dresses, she seemed to grow fond of the lame, comfy baby onesie Taren picked for her. She giggled cheerfully when Taren threw her up on the air, and snorted adorably when she was being carried upside down by him.

Taren the savage arcane warrior ? The beast who always wore armor and kept his wings visible all the time ?

It was a surprise, really. So Taren could not really blame them, he did not believe it at first either. People were worried about the girl’s future, about how Taren would accidentally sit on her or drop her. Or stab her with that stupid claw armor he wore all the time. Little did they know, Taren was actually a great father, and he loved his daughter, dearly, as a father should. Gold ain’t always golden, and he named her Minaya.

Minaya grew into a sensible, gentle woman in nature. She was his pride, she was Taren’s 80% impulse control. Taren used to teach her everything, now she taught Taren about compassion, to let go of all the hate and hatred Taren kept, to find his own happiness in the harsh world they live in. It changed how Taren saw the world. Every path Taren took, he calculated how it’d affect Minaya in some ways, he realized how his path were always against what Minaya had taught him. Finally Taren was forced to acknowledge all his past misdeeds. He realized how filthy he was by doing Elgar’nan’s dirty works. He realized how despicable the lies Elgar’nan preached to comfort the soldiers when the poor souls were about to be deployed to an unjust war. He was furious at the evanuris. He was angry at how Elgar'nan’s pride could cost innocent lives, gallons of blood spilled for unworthy cause. He was enraged, for the pride he sought turned out was an illusion. Sweet lies Elgar'nan whispered on his ears, glorifying what was horrible. Exasperated, because the most guilty had the cleanest hands.

When he came back from the battlefield, the pain changed him.

Taren could not just escaped and ran away from Elgar’nan, he could not just joined the other “better” evanuris. He could not defy Elgar’nan, he could not risked Minaya. Elgar’nan was merciless, he was utterly cruel to those who oppose him. He was called a “god” for a reason. Taren was helpless against his fate.

Minaya, of course, realized it. Taren’s pain was her own, she was always there for him during Taren’s difficult times. She gave him a reason to keep thriving for a better future, to keep the fuel burning. She turned his pain into wisdom, helplessness into fortitude. His daughter was the only light in his dark path that kept him away from being astray.

Just when Taren thought about starting over, to do things right - Mythal was killed. It was a catastrophe, the world was on fire. The sounds of the blacksmith forging metals filled the sky, soldiers kept marching day and night, the whispers of prayers were heard everywhere Taren goes. Taren had to accompany Elgar’nan, and left Minaya to her own. She was already a healer at this point and she’d be safe at the shelter, while tending those who were injured. If he kept Elgar’nan close, then Taren would knew what was his enemy up to, right ? Because Taren knew, the death of Mythal was one of many Elgar’nan’s shenanigans all along. Because Taren, was indeed, involved in some ways. Elgar’nan overthrew his own father, what made people think that he would not overthrow his own wife too ?

Mythal was justice, she cared about her people. Taren never saw Mythal soldiers being sent to an unjust war, when she waged a war it was because of a good cause. Never for her pride. Taren secretly respected her, and Mythal’s right hand too. Solas. War after war raged on, it was pointless. It never ends. Until finally Taren found out that the dread wolf led a rebellion army against the Elven gods. Taren always played the obedient pet role to Elgar’nan, so naturally, it would never occur to Elgar’nan that Taren would betray him. And so he did.

Taren joined the rebellion army, along with Minaya. He wanted a redemption, a chance to regain his dignity back after all he had done. His vallaslin was removed by Solas, for Elgar’nan was no longer his master. The path he took now was even more bloody and jaggy, but it also gave him freedom; a privilege to choose his own actions. It felt right.

Minaya married one of the healers she worked along with. He was a great, honorable man. Taren cried during the ceremony, the joy he felt was overflowing from his chest. She told Taren to not worry about her anymore, and that he should focus on his dreams, on things that made him happy. So Taren did. He worked along with Solas, they gave the freed slave sanctuary from their tyrannical masters. His people defended the valley in which the sanctuary sat, and he protected them all. Many joined him in his fight for freedom from the gods. (x)

The war did not stop though, and at this point Taren and Solas knew that the evanuris would eventually destroy the world, because their lust for power was insatiable. Taren spent most of his life serving under Elgar’nan, he knew what the gods were capable of. So Solas came up with a solution, and he needed Taren’s help to achieve it. The price for it was tremendously huge, but Taren agreed because it was necessary.

Kill hundreds to save thousands. It was judicious.

Eventually Solas sealed the elvhen gods within the veil, and for that Taren was utterly grateful, but he also felt intense despair and guilt as he watched the fall of Arlathan. His pain was so great, even Minaya could not made it better. She watched him cried all his tears. Taren succumbed into his depression, his life was now devoid of emotions, it extinguished the fire ignited within him.

So he went to uthenera afterwards, and slept for eternity.

Only to be awoken from his long slumber after the Inquisition disbanded. Confused and not knowing whatever happened to his world, he started his journey to relearn his new world, and to find out what happened to his daughter.

---

ps. Minaya is my Lavellan’s ancestor

#dragonageoc #dragon age #ancient elvhen #elgar'nan #original character #oc #dai #dragon age inquisition

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breg21 · 5 years

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Ladrien Week: Valentine’s Day

@ladrienjune

Fanfiction Ao3

Sweets, sweets, and more sweets.

Cupcakes are gooooooddd. Hope you enjoy!

Neither hardly noticed when, in a blink of an eye, four months pass.

While they were starting to become more bold with going out and enjoying the day— always making sure that they didn't get caught by paparazzi of any of the sort— they still liked their time in his room.

Like, for instance, right now it was nearing two in the morning on the weekend— week days they were regulated to a One AM curfew because of school, which they actually kept to pretty well, considering it was only themselves that could inforce it— both in front of the TV, controller in hand as she and Adrien battled bot against bot.

She was detransformed with a Ladybug mask she had gotten just for the occasion. She wore Adrien's clothes, as to not be identified by her civilian outfit, and she wouldn't deny the coy smile that had graced her lips at the look in his eyes at the sight of her in his clothing.

It also allowed Tikki to rest, which she was happily doing on a plate of cookies Adrien had provided her— the two actually got along quite well. Two peas in a pod almost.

Every now and then, she'd mindlessly pluck a sweet that he had set on the table for them to munch on, her fingers always going for the cupcake with chocolate frosting first.

As the game intensified, with tongue sticking out in concentration, she plucked one of the cupcakes up from its plate and licking the frosting clean off before taking the tiny cake into her mouth to consume.

And with only one hand, she won the game.

She jumped up from her spot on the couch, whooping in victory, all the while, Adrien grumbled about how unfair it was that she literally beat him with one hand.

She sunk back down into the couch, rubbing her nose against his cheek. "All's fair in love and war, hot stuff.."

He grumbled again, but there was no heat attached to it. "Anyways," He said as he went to change the subject. "Valentine Day's just around the corner, and I was wondering if you'd like to do something special? I have the plans all sorted out, I'd just have to direct you there as we go, but I already have a thing set in motion. But only if you'd want to, of course."

Ladybug squealed, throwing herself at her boyfriend. "I'd definitely want to go! So, on Valentine's day? That's…" She paused to look at the date on his phone, smiling at the background picture of them cuddled up together. "In three days. Should I be by early?"

He shook his head. "Nah, usual time should be good. Less people out, the better."

She nodded in agreement and settled into the silence around them as they decided to pick one last game to play before she was to head home. But that silence didn't last before Adrien broke it once more. "Hey, I was wondering…"

She looked away from his stack of games and met his eyes. "Yeah?"

He moved from his couch over to his computer desk, and grabbed something flimsy— almost like….paper— off of the desk and handed it over.

It was the Valentine's day card she had given to him. He had gotten it.

He kept it.

"I..um…" He hardly got nervous around her anymore, but in the few cases that he did, Ladybug found it adorable. "I had been hoping it was from you."

She smiled. "It.. it was."

A smile of his own flashed across his lips. "T-that's great. Really great." He paused, as if to consider what he wanted to say next. "At one point, I thought it was a friend from school, but then I realized that she probably likes this other boy, so it couldn't have possibly from…..her…."

His words trailed off as he took her in, as he really looked at her, as if he was looking through her— through her mask. He was studying her.

And as quickly as he looked at her, he shook away whatever thought that had been lingering in his mind.

Ladybug couldn't help the way her shoulders slumped just a bit at that. At the possibility that he was considering who she might be and just maybe was making the connection. Even if she should be relived. She should be. She was. She was.

But she couldn't help but wonder. "Who… who did you think made that card for you?"

He chuckled a little. "Um, well, a friend from school: Marinette. Now, please don't be worried. She's just a friend."

Ladybug had to hold back the flinch her body automatically wanted to make at those words. "What… what if… hypothetically, I was Marinette. I'm only asking out of curiosity sake."

"Honest answer?"

She nodded.

His tongue ran the length of his bottom lip. "I would actually be pretty happy. Marinette's an amazing girl. Strong, brave, smart. She has a strong sense of justice. You are a lot alike, honestly. I mean, I've called her our everyday Ladybug because I truly believe that. But you couldn't be her, because she likes Luka. Besides, she's just starting to get comfortable around me."

Ladybug felt as if her brain was ready to explode. He thought about her like that? He thought that highly of her? If Ladybug never existed, would they be together? So may thoughts with this new insight. She couldn't tell him that he was wrong, that he didn't make her uncomfortable. But one thing couldn't help but slip through.

"What makes you think she liked Luka?"

His eyes went sideways once before going back to her. "I don't know. I saw them at the ice rink, and it kinda seemed like… she well, liked him, I guess."

Her heart dropped to her stomach. She wanted to correct him. Tell him. Tell him that she actually loved him— Adrien. So many things that she wanted to do.

But what she wanted, and what needed to happen were to completely different things.

And a good superhero listened to her head, not her heart. No matter how much the heart wanted to speak.

The date finally arrived, and she had been directed to take them to a random rooftop that had an amazing view of the city.

And what was set before her was a table with arrange of her favorite— and a couple of his as well— foods.

But the best food that he had on the table was the cupcakes that she could eat days on in.

Did… did he know that was her favorite of all the sweets? Sure, a chocolate cupcake was simple and anyone could make it, but she had a soft spot for the plain deserts.

"I can tell you like them so much because they're the first thing you look for when you're distracted. Every time in fact. You know, I'm more observant than you think."

He noticed. He cared to the point that the smallest things about her was what he wanted to learn about her. Even if it was as simple and plain as a cupcake, the effort that he put into making sure everything that she wanted was what she wanted. She was a priority to him, and that just made her heart flutter a little more so.

She turned her head just slightly to see that signature goofy grin plastered on his lips. It was one he only used for her. It made her feel all the more special.

Her gaze continued to go back between the dinner table and her boyfriend. "You did all this….for me?"

He pulled her in close, sliding his arms around her waist. "You and only you, Lovebug. Now, c'mon. This dinner isn't gonna eat itself."

She laughed, hugging him just a bit tighter. "Kay."

They took their seats, but not before he pulled her chair out for her, being the gentleman that he was.

Once both comfortable, Adrien raised his glass of orange juice, asking her to do the same. "Happy Valentine's day, Ladybug."

"Happy Valentines Day, Adrien."

#ladrienjune #mlb #ml #Miraculous Ladybug #love square #Ladrien

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tessatechaitea · 5 years

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Wonder Twins #5

Jayna just punched straight through her brother's butthole.

If you're a being who turns into water, your dick and butthole don't just disappear, right? They just become part of the water! So I'm almost certainly correct in my comment on the cover. Hopefully Mark Russell will explore this topic in a future issue. Until then, I'll be certain to tell everybody I know that Jayna basically fisted Zan. Luckily for the Wonder Twins, I don't know many people and also they are fictional characters. This issue is called "Magic and Games." I think. It will probably take me less time to read this entire comic book than it took me to puzzle out the word "Games" in the font used for the title.

Sure, you can see it now that I already told you what it was! But it was difficult before I worked it out! Although I still wouldn't be surprised to learn the title is "Magic and Galljes" or "Magic and "Gaines" and that the second word is somebody's name.

Usually I don't comment on Mark Russell comic books because to comment on a Mark Russell comic book, you should probably be smart and serious. Sure, he's having fun and writing an entertaining book that I can easily use to make jokes about fisting incest! But he also writes sensitive stories about social justice and systemic bias and ethical dilemmas in changing times and, well, other stuff that I'm too dumb to even discuss in the most general terms! He's a smart guy which is why I hate him with a burning passion! But it's a good hate! It's the kind of envious hate that pushes me to my own Emerald Twilight! I probably won't wind up destroying an entire town and ruining my reputation and becoming the most vilified hero in our universe but I almost certainly will eventually become the avenging spirit of God judging everybody around me! Wait, I think I already am that! Whatever my point is, it's that Mark Russell writes good and I'm too weak to not despise him for it. Polly Math has just won first prize at the science fair because her last name is Math. I guess Sandra Science didn't compete this year so Polly was the obvious next choice. Jayna wins second place because her project on fucking hot guys while being a nerd in high school fell apart when the guy she attempted to science fair fuck turned out to be a villain. It's also possible I'm confusing story lines but you have to expect that kind of thing! I'm not spring chicken! Remembering details between chapters that come out a full month apart has been nearly impossible for the last twenty years! I shouldn't make fun of Polly Math's name because I have a name that people always try to make jokes about too. It's not Grunion Guy! You can probably find it if you do even the smallest amount of Internet research! I'm not going to help you though because I don't want to get called a Deaf Chef anymore! Polly is upset that her father is working with Lex Luthor and the League of Annoyance. But Jayna has a plan to fix things! I bet her plan is to turn into a giant tortoise while Zan turns into an ice dildo and...wait a second! Why am I giving out good ideas that Mark Russell will just steal in a few issues?! Better to not speculate on things! Also, I mean, the cover shows Jayna going with the shark plan.

Okay fine! I'm finally interested in Fox News!

The most disturbing thing about people who watch Fox News is that they ignore five hundred other channels that are showing entertaining things on their television at the same time! Who chooses that shit over Comedy Central or the Game Show Network?! I haven't had cable for nearly twenty years and whenever I'm staying somewhere with cable, it's locked on the Game Show Network 24/7! Who the fuck chooses to watch state propaganda over old game shows?! Fucking psychopaths, that's who!

Polly Math's father wound up working with Lex Industries because only Lex Luthor hired African Americans, I guess? Hadn't he heard of STAR Labs?! Maybe Silas Stone and Sarah Charles fulfilled their quota?

I might be misreading this scene but I don't think I am because the white guys with white guys playing golf pictures behind them seem interested in Filo Math if he's Norwegian (so, you know, totally white!) and then when they meet him, they don't want to hire him. It could be that they really are concerned with his specialty! What could that be?! I mean, it can't be any worse than Silas Stone's specialty of turning his son into a cybernetic example of the castration of the black male in America! That's a really terrible specialty! Although Sarah Charles seemed to be pretty into it. See?! This is why I can't review a Mark Russell book! He's making a great point about the systemic bias inherent in corporate hiring practices and I'm not taking it seriously! I mean, he isn't either, really? He's being light-hearted while still making a good point. Which is what I've done, I think, in my comment about Cyborg's lack of a penis! The Scrambler wants to play a trick on society. He's a magician that believes people are frightened of magic and only like the part where everything is normal again. Magician: "Is this your card?" Audience Member: "Why yes! Thank God you picked my card! I was worried I was going to have to live in a world where my card wasn't picked!" Maybe I'm not comprehending his point. Anyway, The Scrambler wants to do a trick where things don't ever go back to normal! He's a monster! Imagine picking the Three of Clubs and nobody ever showing you the Three of Clubs ever again! Ugh, I'm feeling faint. To save Polly's Dad from definite prison time (or possibly, if Superman shows up, an eternity in the Phantom Zone. As if Superman can be bothered with Earth's judicial system! Pshaw!), Jan has challenged the League of Annoyance to a duel at the zoo. I guess if she wants to stress out all of the animals there with a big battle, who am I to judge? I mean other than being the real life version of Hal Jordan's Spectre, of course! At the zoo, Jayna recruits a bunch of Australian animals to help fight which goes as spectacularly as you can imagine it would. And what I mean by that is that a koala is blown to bits. But I guess that's worth it in the grand scheme of getting Polly Math's father to stop working with the League of Annoyance. It's like that philosophical conundrum about an ant that sacrifices its life for even the tiniest amount to better the world. It's just an ant! It practically owes it to the universe to die for nearly nothing! What does this koala bear expect? It should get to live in luxurious confinement at the zoo and not die for a trivial reason? Stupid koala bear. Go fuck yourself, you selfish bastard. The Wonder Twins defeat two out of three of the League of Annoyance members at the expense of just one koala's life and the bruised jaw of an innocent kangaroo. The third member, some woman with a Kryptonian cell phone whose name maybe I should remember, gets away to go regroup. Sylvia is a racist that joined the League because she didn't like the demographics of her small town changing. She's startled by Filo entering the League's headquarters to pack up his stuff and winds up zapping him like she zapped the koala. Okay, I guess the koala isn't as dead as I first thought. I should have realize a Kryptonian phone is probably sending everything to the Phantom Zone. So once again, I, the Grandmaster Comic Book Reader, was correct when I speculated that the worst that could happen to Filo was prison or the Phantom Zone! I'm the smarterest! Sylvia is caught on camera zapping Filo Math and then messes up in an interview when she kind of admits to having maybe zapped more than one black person with her phone off-camera? It's a real public relations nightmare!

But Lex can fix it! His greatest strength is turning public relations nightmares into public relations wet dreams!

Lex News turns Cell Phone Sylvia into a national hero. Because anything is excusable if you just say how scared you were! I mean, as long as you're white! It's scary being white! Sometimes you have to kill people with your legal gun while standing your own ground after confronting somebody for the most inconsequential reasons! It's just the way the world works! At least in America! Happy 4th of July! Just in case some readers weren't smart enough to get that everybody blasted by Sylvia's phone went to the Phantom Zone, Mark Russell supplies us with an image of Filo and the koala and a bunch of Sylvia's other victims (hmm, all black! But that's probably just a coincidence!) in the Phantom Zone. Polly, at the end of her rope with doing the right thing in an unjust world, decides to contact The Scrambler. I can't wait for her big magic trick to fix the world! The Scrambler's big trick to fix the world is to threaten to scramble everybody's identity. Everybody's minds will switch around so that they're now in different bodies. That means the powerful might wind up being the poorest people in the worst poverty. And the only way he won't do it is if the powerful fix the world in thirty days. Seems like a good plan! Except I'm curious to see how they fix it. Most people's ideas of fixing the world rely on the current world still existing somehow. So the fix is handicapped from the beginning by needing to be built on the ruins of the old system. To truly make a new system that works, the old system must be completely razed to the ground. But nobody has the stomach for that. So we make exceptions and compromises, building the new structure on top of a rotting foundation. It's why DC's Universe fixes always fail. They rely on making things new and better but need to remain rooted in the past. Crisis on Infinite Earths was built on a world that still contained members of Infinity Inc. who suddenly didn't fit in the world anymore. So DC then had to do Zero Hour which told new origin stories but still refused to throw out everything that came before to simply start again. Even The New 52, which people hated because they felt it did exactly what I suggested (razing the shit to the ground), didn't work because, I believe, it didn't go far enough! It still accepted Superman had died. It still accepted all of Green Lantern's past. It still contained a Batgirl who was shot by Joker and became Oracle. It was still the DC Universe but with arbitrary and subtle changes that made no real difference except the jettisoning of a ton of history. So it didn't work for anybody! Um, anyway, my initial point was that real life political structures and social dynamics and economic systems can never really be restructured in a meaningful way because they have to kowtow to older ways of thinking and doing things. The comic book stuff was just easier to write about! I'm sure Mark Russell will figure it out! Or he'll just have The Scrambler and Polly Math arrested and nothing will work out like it should and it will just be the punctuation on the idea that everything fucking sucks. Yay! Wonder Twins #5 Rating: A+. Come on! Everything Mark Russell writes gets an A+! It shows how smart I am!

#Wonder Twins #Mark Russell #DC Comics #Comic Book Reviews

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