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unclewaynemunson · 7 months

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It's October when the autumn chill officially dawns over Hawkins. Wayne wakes up to fogged-up windows, and his bones protest loudly when he stretches to get up and make himself some warm coffee. It's too early in the year to turn on the heating; if they start that now, they'll be bankrupt before it's even January. So while the coffee is brewing, he shrugs off the old shirt he uses as a pajama, and puts on as many layers as he'll need to keep himself warm: first an undershirt, then a soft flannel, and then a faded brown sweater that's been sitting uselessly in his closet all through the summer. It's patched up at the elbows to conceal the holes that have fallen into it, but still warm and comfortable, which is all Wayne can really ask for.

'Ed, got coffee for ya!' he calls out when he's changed into his jeans and the coffee is almost ready.

Some muffled noises sounding vaguely like 'lemmesleeeeeep' emerge from the other side of the thin wall.

Wayne chuckles as he turns on the gas, deciding he might as well make scrambled eggs for breakfast; a thinly-veiled excuse to heat up the trailer by using the stove.

'And eggs in a minute!'

Another string of muffled sounds emerges from Eddie's bedroom, 'stoocold' being the only semi-decipherable one.

For a moment, Wayne feels guilty. He knows, deep down, that this is nothing more than his Eddie being dramatic. But that doesn't change his wish that he could simply turn on the heat without giving it a second thought and make Eddie's Sunday morning just slightly more comfortable. He doesn't care about the chill in his own bones, he's had worse. He doesn't care about the condensation on the windows, that is now changing into thick droplets that are gliding down to the windowsill, leaving traces of soot in their wake. He's not even sure if he'd ever want to live in a real, proper house. But the one thing he does want, is to get his nephew through the season warm and comfortable without having to count every penny.

Eddie finally emerges from his bedroom, with only his head peeking out of the blanket he has wrapped himself in, and a sleepy look in his eyes. The phone starts ringing just as Wayne greets him, and Eddie, who's closer to it, shuffles towards it.

Almost immediately after he picks up, his eyes shed their drowsy look and light up in a way that Wayne has come to know all too well, while his mouth curves into a wicked grin.

'No, sir, he's not here,' Eddie says into the phone, his eyes wide and innocent. 'When he didn't come home last night, I assumed he'd be spending the night with you. I guess he must have a secret lover we both don't know about.'

Wayne abruptly turns off the gas and barges towards Eddie, who barks out a laugh while he jumps back as far as the phone cord allows him.

'Just joking, Mr. Clarke, he is here!' he calls out in an annoyingly triumphed tone. 'And he can't wait to talk to you, here he is!'

Wayne playfully shoves Eddie against the wall as he takes the phone from him.

'Sorry for my menace of a nephew, Scott,' he says.

He hears a chuckle on the other side of the line, slightly distorted through the horn. It's as if his hand has a will of its own, clenching around the phone and pressing it almost painfully close to his ear; like he'll be able to catch the sound of Scott's laughter better if he could only press himself tighter to his phone.

'Luckily I'm used to middle schoolers, nothing I can't handle here.'

Wayne snorts and turns towards Eddie, who is now shamelessly staring at him from above his blanket-cocoon a few steps away from him.

'Scott says you should stop behavin' like a damn middle schooler,' he grumbles.

'Yep, that sounds exactly like something sweet Scott Clarke would say,' Eddie remarks, that devilish grin still plastered on his face.

'What can I do for ya, Scott?'

'Well, I just came downstairs for breakfast, and when I looked outside, I realized this is our first proper fall day.'

Wayne directs his gaze to the wet kitchen window. He hadn't even thought to look through the droplets on the glass; but now that he does, he realizes Scott is right. The trees around Forest Hills are definitely showing more yellow and orange than they did yesterday, and some patches of fog are still lingering a few feet above the wilted grass and muddy roads. The skies are a light shade of gray, telling Wayne that even though it'll be cold, it won't likely start raining anytime soon.

'I was wondering if you have any plans for today?' Scott's continues in his ear. 'We could go for a walk in the forest, admire the colors, see if we can find some cool mushrooms... What do you think?'

Wayne wonders whether he's imagining the nervous edge to Scott's voice, merely hearing in there what he wants to hear.

'I'm free all day,' Wayne says. He clamps the phone between his ear and his shoulder, needing both his hands to fumble around in his chest pocket and find a cigarette and a lighter. 'You wanna come over after breakfast? I can make a thermos of coffee and we can head into the woods here, I know a nice path around Lov- around the lake.' He can feel Eddie's gaze burning on him, but he refuses to look at his nephew, instead closing his eyes as he places the cigarette between his lips and lights it.

Scott is kind enough to pretend like he didn't notice Wayne's unfortunate stutter.

'A walk around the lake sounds perfect,' he says instead, his voice still as chipper as ever. 'I'll be at yours in an hour. Enjoy your breakfast with Eddie.'

'Real smooth, Uncle Wayne.' Eddie's amused voice cuts through the silence as soon as Wayne has hung the phone back on the hook.

'Don't be ridiculous now, boy,' Wayne grumbles. 'He's my friend.'

'With whom you're gonna hang out at Lover's Lake. Like friends do.' The sarcasm is dripping from Eddie's voice.

'I liked you better when you were still asleep in your bed,' Wayne remarks.

Eddie laughs loudly. 'You shoulda thought about that before you made me come out of it to freeze to death.'

Wayne crosses his arms and shoots Eddie an unimpressed look. 'Are you gonna do anything today or just spending your whole day makin' fun of me?'

Eddie shrugs – or rather, that's what Wayne supposes is happening underneath the moving blanket. 'I'm gonna take the kids to the pumpkin farm with Steve.' He lowers his voice and leans closer towards Wayne, continuing in an conspiratorial voice, 'We call that a date. Maybe you and Mr. Clarke should stop being cowards and come join us. Make it a double date.'

Wayne doesn't say anything; he simply rolls his eyes and walks back to the stove, lighting the gas underneath the frying pan again so he can direct all his attention to his eggs.

---

An hour later, Eddie has left – with a pit stop at the Mayfields' trailer – to pick up Steve. Wayne has done the dishes, dried the windows and filled a thermos with fresh coffee. By the time Scott parks his car in the spot where Eddie's van had been earlier, most of the fog outside has disappeared. Wayne watches him get out of his car through the kitchen window, but he doesn't come outside just yet, afraid it'll make him seem too eager.

Scott knocks on the door and then lets himself in, like he's done many times over the summer that now lies behind them. He's wearing a woolen coat in a dark gray color, with a simple black scarf around his neck.

Wayne feels his hands twitch with the desire to wrap themselves around Scott's waist, to tug him close and bask in the warmth of his body. Would his scarf feel as soft as it looks? Would he smell like fresh autumn air? Would his touch be as warm as the quilt on his couch?

'Oof, it's chilly in here,' Scott remarks, rubbing his hands together.

'I don't get cold that fast.' It's only partly a lie.

'I like the sweater.'

The easy and earnest compliment catches Wayne off-balance; he doesn't know what to do, where to look, where to keep his hands. He wants to escape Scott's approving gaze and hide away somewhere no one can perceive him.

Instead, he clears his throat and thanks the heavens for the fact that Eddie has already left.

'Ready to go?' he asks.

They head into the woods and Wayne leads the way as they stray further from the trailer park. Their feet easily find a rhythm that feels natural to both of them, avoiding the bigger puddles on the path and stopping every now and then to admire toadstools, dewy cobwebs, and fallen leaves in beautiful colors.

As they make their way around Lover's Lake, Wayne ponders what exactly the difference is between what Eddie would call a hangout, and a date. He doesn't exactly have a lot of friends who he hangs out with. He has his colleagues at the plant, of course, who he'd always kept at a distance, which proved him right when they were all too ready to come for his Eddie last March. He has some neighbors he's friendly with; he helps them with a thing or two around their trailers and in return they share a beer or a smoke with him. But he wouldn't call that real friendship either. He has learned long ago how dangerous it can be to let people come too close. Some people only wanted certain things from him, others would judge him when they'd find out a thing too many about him. And the pain of losing a rare, true friend became all too clear to him back in Vietnam.

After that, he mainly stuck to himself. And then it became him and Eddie against the world. He never needed anyone else. He was good at being alone, after all. There was a certain level of comfort to be found in loneliness.

So this thing with Scott – whatever it is – is not something he can compare to anything else. The only thing he knows is that it's definitely not lonely. And that he doesn't want to mess it up and lose the only true friend he's had in decades.

'What's on your mind?' Scott asks when they sit down on a fallen tree at the edge of the lake to enjoy their coffee. 'You've been quiet.'

'I'm always quiet,' Wayne points out.

It makes Scott chuckle softly before he takes a sip of his coffee.

'Not as quiet as you think,' Scott says. 'Today, you're thinking loudly. I can almost hear your thoughts.'

Wayne carefully places his own mug on the tree, then grabs himself a cigarette and lights it, all to buy himself some time. But even after a long drag and another sip of coffee, he still doesn't quite know how to voice his thoughts.

'Was just admirin' the fall colors,' he decides to say instead, when the silence starts taking too long.

He can practically feel Scott's eyes on his face as he stubbornly stares over the water in front of them.

'It really is the perfect day to do that,' Scott finally says. Apparently he has decided he'll let Wayne get away with it this time. Or maybe it isn't like that. Maybe he decided that he'll allow Wayne the time he needs to sort out his thoughts before he can voice them. Maybe he understands that Wayne sometimes needs a while before he's ready to talk about things. Maybe he decided that he didn't want to intrude. Maybe he decided that he values spending time with Wayne, no matter if they're talking or sitting in silence. And maybe this fall will be a little less cold than the ones Wayne has gotten used to, because when he risks a glance towards his left, he sees Scott wearing a smile that's appreciative of the nature around them. It's a smile that warms Wayne from the inside, in a way that the heater in his trailer has never managed to do.

#it's been a while but look i'm back on my clarkson bullshit #don't mind me rambling about stranger things #clarkson my beloved #wayne munson #scott clarke #eddie munson #clarkson #wayne munson x scott clarke #stranger things #fruity ficlet

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trashpandato · 8 months

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Romance

Earth customs are weird.

Kara knows this; has known it for many years. And sure, she’s spent all those years trying to learn, trying to understand what makes humans tick so she could mimic it successfully enough to not stand out.

“Fake it til you make it”, Alex used to say, implying that if Kara spent enough time pretending, human behaviour would eventually become second nature to her.

And fake it she did. Some Earth customs were easy enough to adopt. Like wide smiles that cover up her pain, the concept of comfort foods or all-you-can-eat buffets, or even humans’ tendency to find excuses to turn any random day into some kind of celebration - Hump Day, Tax Deadline Day, Polar Bear Plunge Day, National Frozen Yogurt Day. (She’s half-convinced that most of these are inventions by Alex to confuse her, but she celebrates National Gummy Worm Day on July 15th anyway.)

But if she’s honest, a lot of the things that humans do, their customs, their rituals, still seem a little strange to Kara. Even after years of trying to understand.

Chatting up strangers, for example. On Krypton, interactions with someone not known to a person would have required some sort of intermediary, an introduction through a trusted person. If Kara had even dared to walk up to a stranger to talk to them, she would have faced discipline not just from her family but also from the broader community. When she first landed on Earth, she relied on Eliza or Alex to make introductions and felt intensely uncomfortable when kids at school would randomly talk to her. It took her a long time to believably mimic these kinds of human interactions, and if she’s honest, she still prefers an official introduction over just chatting up people out of the blue. (It’s why she was happy to tag along with Clark for her first encounter with Lena.)

Or there’s the act of blowing out candles on a birthday cake. Extinguishing light instead of keeping it burning as a means of celebration. The first time Eliza prompted Kara to blow out her candles, Kara was horrified and it took a lot of gentle reassurances from her adoptive mother to even consider partaking in this peculiar human tradition. To this day, Kara prefers her candles away from her cake and to leave them burning for as long as safely possible.

And then there are all the gestures associated with romance. With Krypton’s system of arranged pairings based on compatibility across a number of important factors, there was no need to wine and dine anyone. She could remember her parents showing affection for each other, but there was never any ritualized approach to romantic moments. Humans, on the other hand, humans have rules about dates, about which flowers are appropriate to give to someone and when, about who pays the bill at the fancy restaurant, about slow-dancing and little gifts and how many feelings to reveal and when.

It’s a lot to keep track of and confusing, and all the romance movies in the world cannot prepare Kara for her first official date with Lena.

She shows up with plumerias, because she knows Lena likes those and she knows, knows, that she’s supposed to bring flowers. But then Lena has tears in her eyes as soon as Kara hands them over, and she’s also wearing this dress that hugs her body in ways that make Kara’s higher brain function fizzle out. So she doesn’t protest when Lena pulls her inside with her hands fisted into the lapels of Kara’s suit jacket, follows Lena’s lead when she pushes her against the kitchen island and kisses her senseless, and finds herself naked and sweaty in Lena’s bed not long after that.

When Kara’s stomach rumbles a couple of hours later and Lena calls to have some food delivered, Lena chuckles.

“We kind of did this all backwards.”

Kara frowns. “How so?”

“Well,” Lena leans in and presses her lips close to Kara’s ear, making her shiver, “usually, the clothes come off after the fancy dinner.”

“You humans have a lot of rules about romance,” Kara huffs, and Lena laughs.

“I suppose we do. But I’m happy to break every single one of them with you, Kara Zor-El.”

#supercorp #kara x lena #supercorptober2023 #supercorptober

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darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 2 months

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Life in the City 5

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as bad friends, creep behaviour, abuse of power dynamics, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You move to the big city and find yourself swallowed up by its chaos.

Characters: Clark Kent, Thor Odinson, short!reader

Note: Heloooooo.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you. No tag list, do not ask for updates.

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

As promised, you’re shown to your new office by the end of the day. You put your meagre box of belongings on the desk and unpack a piece at a time. Isn’t an exhaustive task so you take your time.

You put your watermelon post-its by the base of the monitor’s pedestal and your cell phone screen lights up. It’s been buried in your bag for much of the day but you took it out to reconnect to your work accounts. Melanie’s name fills the top of the screen. You still haven’t responded to her since the weekend.

You swipe up your phone and cross the office. You answer as you shut the door, eking out a tiny hello as you turn back and bite your thumb. You pace aimlessly as your stomach knots. You don‘t think you’re mad at her, just embarrassed about how it all turned out. She knows how many times your excitement was burnt to disappointment, you hoped she wouldn’t have added to your pile ashes.

“Hey, girl, you busy? I’ve been calling you all week.”

It’s Tuesday, you think to yourself.

“I’m sorry, I just have a lot going on at work--”

“That’s great,” she interrupts, “did you see my texts? I really am sorry about the other night. You know, I was stressed. Clark was out of town for his job and I hadn’t seen him all week. Really, I didn’t forget about you, I just thought we were meeting Saturday, not Friday.”

Your mouth slants as you weigh her excuse. You don’t know if you believe her but it could be true. How long have you been friends? Doesn’t she deserve the benefit of the doubt?

“Everyone gets busy,” you say with a brittle laugh, “I totally get it. Next time I’ll be clearer, that’s all. Make sure there’s no misunderstanding.”

“Of course,” her voice is trills and is overly affected, “I just wanted to check in since Clark said you were so upset.”

“He did?” You frown as you stop by the desk and take your stapler out of the box.

“Uh, yeah, he did. So, in the future, if your upset, you can just let me know, hon,” her tone drips like syrup, “we’re friends, aren’t we? I mean, it’s a big city and we gotta stick together.”

“Erm, sure, I’m sorry, I didn’t think... I wasn’t upset. I didn’t say anything, you know, I was just tired.”

“Whatever, hon, it’s behind us now, isn’t it? You forgive me?” She pauses, waiting.

“Y-yeah?” You answer.

“Aw, that’s so wonderful,” she chimes, “anyway, you sound busy. You must be working so I’ll let you go. Ciao.”

She hangs up and you hold the phone to your ear for a moment after the line dies. That was weird. Like she wasn’t really talking to you, but more putting on a show for someone. Strange.

You drop your arm and a knock comes at the door. You wince and put your phone screen down. You face the door and fold your hands.

“Uh, who is it?” You call out.

The door opens and a throat clears, “just me,” Thor says as he enters, “wanted to be sure you got some of the leftovers.”

He has a container in his hands. You try to blow off the tension and force a smile. You drop your arms straight and drag a finger up and down the seam of your pants.

“Thanks, that’s too sweet,” you chirp.

“Ah, I made sure to get you some cinnamon cookies,” he nears and offers the container.

“Oh, my, I shouldn’t,” you accept the box.

“You shouldn’t?” He wonders, “you’re not on some diet, are you? You hardly need one.”

You laugh nervously, “oh, no,” you back up and spin to put the container on the desk. You go back and reach into the box, “I just... I have a rotten sweet tooth, you know? Sugar keeps me up.”

“Mmm, well, you should indulge. Enjoy. Nothing wrong with allowing yourself the small things,” he goads, “so,” he claps his hands, the sound making you jump, “your office. How do you like it?”

He looks around theatrically as he pivots. You take out your small blue mug with the teddy bear on it and follow his gaze, “it’s nice. Big.”

“Yes, I suppose you don’t take up much space,” he remarks, “if you need any supplies, you can just let me know.”

“Oh, um, I shouldn’t. I... I could just contact finance--”

“Come to me,” he insists, “accounting takes too long.”

“Okay,” you agree.

“Are you excited?” He asks as he turns to you.

“Sure,” you answer.

“Mm,” he hums, “you’re sweet, but I don’t want you to stress. If there’s anything overwhelming me, don’t be afraid to let me know.”

“I know, thank you, Mr. Odinson.”

“Thor,” he corrects you with a wink, “you don’t know want to know Mr. Odinson.” He grins and you look at him blankly, “my father. He’s an old grump.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” you put the cup down and rub your palms together, “it’s been a long day.”

“It has indeed,” he checks his watch, “you’re almost done... I should let you finish.” He flicks his finger towards your desk, “tomorrow, the heavy lifting begins.”

“Yeah,” you murmur.

“Don’t forget your treats,” he points to the container, “you’ve earned it.”

“Right, thanks again,” your smile trembles as fatigue nips at the corner of your eyes.

“See you tomorrow morning,” he avows before he spins and goes to the door.

You return your attention to the box as you sense him hovering at the threshold. You think he’s looking at you but you’re too nervous to check. Finally, the door closes and you exhale and close your eyes. You can’t believe how much today has taken out of you and the days to come promise much of the same.

🏙️

You yawn as you come out of your building, eyelids heavy and itchy as you rub them with your knuckles. You hitch up your bag as you turn down the sidewalk and cross to the stop on the other side of the street. You barely slept through the anxiety and anticipation. The unknown stresses you out more than anything and you really have no idea what you’re walking into.

You let your head lean back as you give another silent roar of fatigue. You roll your shoulders and urge yourself to wake up. You got to get with it. You can’t show up at the office half-asleep.

The whir of an engine approaches and you look towards the direction of the bus route. Its too quiet to be a bus. Instead, there’s a vaguely familiar car that slows instead of passing. You squint and cross your arms defensively. You have to keep reminding yourself this is the city.

The window rolls down as you bounce on your feet awkwardly, “hey,” your name rises in the deep timbre.

You bend and find Clark smiling at you. Of course! That’s why you recognised his car.

“Heyyyy,” you say, “what are you doing... here?”

“Working on a story, actually. Was in the area and... what timing, huh?” He pushes his shoulder up as he keeps one hand on the steering wheel, “you on your way to work?”

“Yup,” you answer brightly, swallowing another yawn, “bus should be here soon.”

“The bus? Get in, I’ll give you a ride.”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to... that’s too far.”

“Where do you work?”

“Tempest,” you answer.

“Tempest? That’s right by the paper. I’ll take you, no problem.”

“Really?” Your brows arch dramatically, “that’s so nice of you.”

“Of course,” he pats the passenger seat and the door unlocks with a loud click.

“I owe you one." You open the door and get in, tempted to melt into the seat. It’s so much better than the stiff ones on the bus. Ugh, your head is tenuous at best. It could start pounding at any minute.

“How are you?” Clark asks as you buckle in.

“Alright,” you repress yet another yawn, “how are you? How’s Melly?”

“Melly?” He chuckles, “she’s fine, I think. I'm... fine too.”

“Oh...” you twiddle your fingers in your lap as he slowly leans on the gas and pulls away from the curb, “just fine?”

“Yeah, yeah, we’ve just been... talking a lot. You know, relationship stuff,” he drives with one hand, combing his other through his hair.

“Ah, right,” you nod, “hopefully it’s okay.”

“Huh,” he scoffs and puts his other hand on the wheel, “you’re a good friend.”

“I... guess,” you shrug. “I... I just think Melanie really likes you.”

“Oh, I know she does,” he laughs, “doesn’t keep her from being... how she is. I like her too but we both know she can be very demanding.”

“She can be,” you agree, “but I think that’s just her personality. Sometimes I wish I could be more like her.”

“Why would you want that?” he asks.

“Er...”

“I just mean, you’re you. Everyone’s different right and you’re just so sweet,” he says, “this world has enough Melanies.”

“Maybe,” you turn your head and cover your mouth as you yawn at the window.

“I’m dying for a coffee,” Clark says, his tone shifting smoothly with the topic, “how about you? Green tea?”

You look at him. He remembers your order? You rub your cheek and drop your hand to your lap.

“I’m okay, but thank you--”

“Really, it’s no big deal,” he flips the blinker on, “I need an espresso so, how about it? Iced, hot?”

You bite the inside of your lip. You really could use a boost. You don’t often get the chance. Your bus ride is too long to factor in a cafe run.

“Could I get a matcha latte, iced? I have some change,” you open your bag and shove your hand inside.

“Don’t worry about it,” he waves you off.

“Really, you’re giving me a ride. The least I can do--”

“The least you can do is let me buy your drink,” he insists, “because I kinda have a big favour to ask you.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, uh, it’s for Melanie. You must know her birthday is coming up.”

“Yeah, I know--”

“I really wanna work through things with her and I figured if I threw her a party, maybe it’s better than all this talking,” he joins the queue for the drive thru, “and you’ve known Melanie a lot longer than me so you’re like an expert. Do you think you could help me out?”

“A birthday party? Well, I... could try. Mel’s always been the one into parties and planning and all that.”

“I’m not good at it either but you know what she likes. I could use help at least with colours or whatever,” he suggest, “I mean, obviously, you don’t have to. I’m not going to blackmail you with a car ride and a latte.”

You laugh rockily, “well, I could try. It wouldn’t be so bad and I should do something special. We’re both finally living in the same city. Maybe this would help with us too.”

“Us? You and... Mel?”

You give him a look then look through the windshield. You fidget as he rolls up to the speaker and orders. You wait until he’s done.

“Things were awkward the other day when I crashed your date night,” you say, “I’m sure you caught on.”

“Yeah, yeah, she wasn’t very gracious,” his tone lowers sharply.

“It’s okay. She didn’t mean anything. I’m not upset--”

“Did she apologise?” He asks abruptly.

“Uh, yeah, of course, but she doesn’t have to--”

“I think you deserve the apology,” he interrupts again. “You know, you don’t deserve to be walked all over like that. Hell, if I had friend like you, I think I’d treat you a lot better.”

“I’m not upset,” you assure him, his mood making you uneasy. It’s flattering he would be so upset on your behalf but you’d rather just put it all behind you, “she said sorry, it’s all good.” You wiggle your foot as you think, “alright, I can help with the party.”

“Ah, yes, you’re a life saver,” he pulls up to the window and pays. He gets the drinks and hands you the matcha before he slips his in the cup holder, “great, I’ll get your number and we can throw around ideas when you have a chance.”

“Oh, yeah, sure, I could...” the cup soaks your hands in condensation, chilling you, “I’ll do my best. I have a new assignment at work so I’ll be a bit tied up.”

“No problem, whenever you can. Hope you don’t mind if I send you a couple of pictures I saw,” he says, “tryna come up with a vision, you know?”

“That’s cool,” you pause to sip the matcha, nearly sighing at the refreshing flow that coats your stomach, “thank you so much for the tea.”

“Any time,” he says as he pulls out into the street, “anything you need at all.”

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marshmallow-rainbow139 · 11 months

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Things Anne Wayne has said since becoming Batmom - Part 2

"Don't come anywhere near me; you stink of Poison Ivy."

"I will give both of you a hundred bucks if you manage to hang out with each other without trying to kill each other."

"We have a perfect training area in the batcave. Why are you butchering my garden?"

"Should we create a secret handshake in case a clone ever appears?"

"Selina is coming! Hide my jewelry!"

"So when the bat signal pops up, you answer immediately, but when I text you to ask what you want for dinner, it takes you 3 to 5 business days to respond!"

"When I said you could bring in stray animals that we could temporarily foster, I didn't mean creatures from another dimension!"

"Alright, what's the deal between Hawkgirl and Green Lantern? Their tension is so thick that not even krypotanite can cut it!"

"So who's your work husband? Jim or Clark?"

"You already have multiple weapons; why do you need a flamethrower?"

"Honey, there's a space ship in our yard!"

"Put a jacket on; you're going to fight Mr. Freeze!"

"Why can't those big villains execute their world domination plans during the summer and not during the school year? I'm running out of excuses to give your teachers!"

"You survived the Joker. You can survive dodgeball."

"Can you ask Clark if we can use the fortitude of solitude? I can't handle this heat anymore!"

"I got so bored that I named the bats. Be careful with Sheila; she bites!"

"Use the stairs like a normal person! You don't need to use the grappling hooks all the time!"

"Did you know Harley broke up with the Joker and is now with Poison Ivy? Good for her!"

"Can I borrow a bat-pen?"

"Don't you dare use the bat voice on me! We're having a serious argument!"

"With the amount of Wayne buried in the backyard, I'm not surprised if this place is haunted."

"Oh, Alfred! I found one of your guns!"

"Can you guys hurry up? You promised to watch Grey's Anatomy with me before patrol!"

"Your ass looks fine today, Bruce. Sorry kids, I forgot the coms were on!"

"I'm sorry? Which of my sons did you take? The little one? Oh, God bless you! I hope you said goodbye to your loved ones!"

"I learn Arabic for two reasons: making Damian comfortable and cussing at Ra's Al Ghul."

"I wish I could gloat at Margie. Yeah, her son won the spelling bee, but mine saved the universe!"

"The Joker's laugh is more sincere than Margie's."

"Duke, I assure you, the t-rex is just a statue."

"Damian, is that your mother on the rooftop? I gave her my number to tell me when she was coming to visit."

"You have so many things on that utility belt but not chapstick for your wife?"

"Oh, thank you, sweetie, I mean Batman!"

"Do I need to speak the opposite of what I mean for Bizarro to understand me?"

"All of my sons are like orange cats. Not one single bit of common sense in their brains."

"I bet Lois doesn't feel anxious when her husband goes on a mission. His only weakness is glow in the dark rock!"

#batman #batfamily #batmom #bruce wayne x oc #oc #anne wayne

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total-drama-brainrot · 2 months

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Hello! About the fake dating!au, I was wondering how the episode Niagara brawls would play out if Alenoaheather was happening. Would Alejandro and heather still be paired up or would one of them be paired up with Noah?

Well, to be entirely honest, I haven't really thought too much on it yet. Mostly because it's still kind of up-in-the-air as to when Noah's elimination would take place in this AU. I think we've sort of settled on post-merge, so he would be present in the Niagara Falls challenges, but the timeline's still really vague so I personally haven't really invested any time in figuring out the semantics of how each episode would play out.

But since you asked, I might as well toss my hat into the ring! I'll just type out my thoughts as they come, so please excuse this response if it's a little all-over-the-place or formatted weirdly.

Off the bat, it's been fairly well established that the canon final four remains unchanged, so at the very least both Sierra and Cody are still present in this challenge; this is important, since in canon the only reason Heather ends up partnered with Alejandro is because Sierra is the one who rejects him as a husband first. I don't really see a reason to change the canonical play of events here, unless a brainstorming session later on down the line necessitates Noah being paired with either Heather or Alejandro for whatever reason. Mostly just because keeping as many "pre-written" plot points as possible lessens the workload on our shoulders (us, of course, being me and @perpetualexistence, and occasionally @ur-local-brown-multifandomist).

But that does leave the question of who Noah would be paired with.

And again, this would be super dependant on who's left in the competition at this point; since Noah's made it to the merge, we know someone has to have taken his place in the London elimination- just that small change could have potential consequences on all of the subsequent eliminations afterwards, so the merge cast might look almost completely different to World Tour's "official" line-up.

And this is also super dependant on whether or not it's Blaineley who wins the Aftermayhem challenge- I'm not sure if any of the others intend to swap her out for a more interesting/plot relevant contestant (which, as much as I do love Blaineley, she's just find of there with no real relevance to the story) like perhaps Lindsay, Leshawna or maybe even Beth- I assume it'd have to be a girl, since the show itself works to even out it's gender ratios, but it could hypothetically be anyone.

So Noah's partner could be... literally anyone, save for the Final Four (Alejandro, Heather, Sierra and Cody).

...Unless?

Now, don't judge me here, but I do kind of like the idea of Noah ending up with Heather as his partner. Maybe it's the vast potential of how their (entirely self-constructed, and self-indulgent) character dynamic could play out in this scenario, or maybe I just want the opportunity to write Noah trying and failing to pick up Heather, eventually leading to her being the one to carry him across the Falls tightrope like a pathetic, soggy kitten. Or maybe I'm just getting my Noaheather on- who knows?

All I'm saying is, they'd be giving a lot of Connecticut Clark and Malfina vibes and I'm so here for it.

And maybe I just want to see something new; there's so many explorations of how an Alenoah Niagara Brawls challenge would play out (and they're all wonderful, don't get me wrong!) so it's time to give some other pairings the spotlight!

Plus, this particular scenario would not only allow the contestants to see Heather and Noah acting like the "fake" couple they're supposed to be, but Alejandro could also play it as either a double-breach of his trust (since he's also supposed to be "fake" dating Noah, at least, and he has his whole romantic rivalry with Heather) or take advantage of his position and try to charm whoever he's partnered up with and either secure a valuable ally for later on down the road, or beguile his next elimination target into a false sense of security- since a huge part of Alejandro's character is his conniving flirtatiousness, and I don't want to completely negate that.

Now that I'm thinking about it, Alejandro's flirty nature could be a conflict point between himself and his partners. That's a thought for another time, though.

But, again, it's still very up-in-the-air and I don't really think I can give a definitive answer until a proper elimination order has been established- or, at the very least, the elimination order pre-merge. So, uh, sorry for the lack of a definitive answer!

#alenoaheather save me... save me alenoaheather...#going to have to dedicate myself entirely to this au at some point. but. my drafts...#at the very least we'll have to make a mock-up of how the elimination order will go. just so we can built a plotline around it.#just so i know what characters we're working with at any given time.#total drama #td alejandro #td heather #td noah #alenoaheather #fake dating au #ophe rambling #silly ideas #replies

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givehimthemedicine · 7 months

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🛁💧 Moms, bathtubs and fear of water

today I'd like to dig into some support for the Virginia/Henry/bathtub theory, most notably a Will/Henry parallel I've not seen discussed before, and some thoughts on the rabies thing.

for those just tuning in, we have hints that something awful happened involving Virginia, Henry, and a bathtub of hot water. (that idea is aemiron-main's, you can read the original here)

where there's a tub, there's a mom

let me start by seeing how many ST bathtubs can be tied to mothers. (much of this will have been pointed out before, but I have a couple observations I think are new)

starting at the top: Virginia's vision (turning on the hot water tap and spiders fill the tub instead of water):

Karen soaking in a hot bath listening to "Memories" before milfing it up with Billy, a minor, a boy her daughter's age. check

Will and Joyce "he likes it cold" you better believe that's a paddlin

we saw the Byers' tub before. when El saw it in the mirror (lol) and went to tell Joyce (Will's Mother) about her water tank idea. ok she was addressing the group but Joyce is the one who actually engages. I'm counting it. ps when they do set up the bath for El, Lucas uses a thermometer to make sure the water is the right temperature

this is a tiny one, but Nancy goes to sit on the tub and cry after excusing herself from Barb's mom at the KFC dinner.

that scene where El and Max find Billy's tub with ice bags?

darn, nothing immediately motherly in this scene. but what if we check the last dialogue in the prior scene? or the first dialogue in the following scene?

both hits! mom/age-inappropriate-sexual-knowledge + mother/son combo.💀

next up, FOR WHAT REASON was I made to see Murray get naked and get into a tub full of ice while on the phone with Joyce in 4x01?

let's also toss in a shot of Joyce being weird in her front yard, prompting a neighbor child to dispense a line of dialogue involving mothers.

but seriously. after all the flayed/ice tub imagery throughout s3, why kick off s4 with Murray in an ice bath? no, I'm really asking.

we've got a dash of sexual inappropriateness, or so Joyce thinks - Murray happens to plop into the ice at the exact moment that she observes the Russian doll has nipples, which makes her think his reaction is about that:

the only tub scene I'm struggling to tie super directly to mothers is Heather. you could say it's that Joyce appears in the next scene, but that's weak. or that Flayed Heather later drugs/kidnaps her mom. eh.

as em pointed out, the tub Heather's in here is extremely similar to Virginia Creel's. is that sufficient?

so anyway, some of those are def stronger than others, but they all provide some combination of: mothers, bathtubs (esp with attention drawn to water temperature), and fear/ sorrow / discomfort / sexual inappropriateness.

am I forgetting any other bathtubs?

now let's talk more about fear

what started me on this post was how possessed-Will's reaction to the bathtub is so explicitly labeled as fear - NOT by Will, but by Mr. Clarke's voiceover:

yet what sparked One's strength was a memory that made him "sad, but also angry" - which, if the implied tub incident indeed happened, would totally fit the bill.

sad and angry. not afraid. I guess it makes sense that fear isn't one of the emotions he would draw power from later upon recalling this event, but he undoubtedly would've been afraid in the moment. he didn't say that though.

not in that scene.

now, idk if he's referring to The Incident here, or his early lab life or what, but. oh I'm at my image limit. ok well his lines leading up to this are (close up of dead kids) "why do you cry for them, Eleven? after everything they did to you? you think you need them, but you don't. you don't."

why exactly would El "need" the other lab kids? according to NINA, they treated her poorly. tbh kinda sounds more like a projected reaction to the death of an abusive mother.

anyway. apart from that "I was scared once" reference to some past turning point, man will not say he is or was scared. he'll imply and project but he won't say it:

you know who else won't say they're scared? Will.

Will has never said once on the entire show that he's afraid. ever. throughout all the utterly HORRIFYING situations he's been in. he undoubtedly has been scared, and other characters say that about him many times, but Will has never said, in his own words, as far as I can find, that he's afraid.

he dances around it and veils it and teeters on the edge of it, but he will not actually say I Am Afraid.

"how did you feel?" "it felt like when you're scared" boy what.

but Will has not always been fearless!

wanna know what the very first mention of fear on the whole show is? Will assuring Joyce he won't have nightmares from seeing Poltergeist because:

is it not giving "I was scared once too" ?

now here comes my favorite part:

Joyce replies with the "my witch" thing, and she doesn't actually finish the sentence, but I think that last word can be guessed pretty accurately:

cook him up in your what?

your cauldron? cauldron, kôl′drən, noun: 1. A large vessel used for boiling?

so like... have I got this straight? our earliest flashback of Will involves his mother playing an evil character who's gonna put him in a large vessel of hot liquid?

I ask you again: is it not giving "I was scared once too"?

I'm tacking my red conspiracy yarn in at "Henry was five years old."

now, just wondering, what was the turning point that made Will stop having nightmares from movies and "getting scared like that"? Bob_one_day_the_nightmares_suddenly_stopped.wav

now let's talk about rabies

Robin proceeds to list some rabies symptoms and what's funny about that (besides the fact they're standing in a mysteriously dry lakebed) is she left out possibly the best-known symptom: fear of water.

in fact, rabies used to be called hydrophobia ("fear of water").

hydrophobia in rabies stems from paralysis of throat muscles making it difficult or impossible to swallow, and so sufferers will panic at the prospect of drinking or even the mere sight of water. excessive salivation + inability to swallow it leads to the other pop culture rabies symptom, the appearance of "foaming at the mouth".

pretend here I put in screenshots of El and Barb spitting up water when they wake up in the UD and that unnecessary shot of Billy drooling when El is levitating him

Robin's isn't the only reference to rabies on ST. it's come up in two other seasons:

so every time rabies comes up, it's in reference to demodogs, demobats, and flayed rats. all critters that are part of the hive.

ostensibly controlled by one guy, who is afraid of water.

misc honorable mentions:

what do you wanna bet Dart not only doesn't need water, but would hate water like he hates heat?

Dart grew up to be a demodog, and demodogs dug those tunnels - the ones Bob figured out were a map of Hawkins because the "roads" outlined recognizable bodies of water instead of crossing over them.

when Bob said that, he didn't know the "roads" were underground, and therefore it wouldn't be crossing over water but rather crossing through water. if your tunnel breached a lake or river, it would flood. the demodogs were avoiding water.

also: no one in the water, you say?

speaking of Hawkins Pool, there's also the thing I've mentioned before, how it seems incredibly relevant that One chose Billy as his s3 host - a lifeguard whose one possession-busting happy memory involved his mother warning him not to drown.

also: Hopper saying that jumping into the quarry would result in the water "breaking every damn bone in your body"

and Jason asks Patrick, right before Vecna breaks every damn bone in his body in Lovers Lake:

I'm going to think of more as soon as I hit post but that's all I have for you today.

I want real answers on the Murray ice thing btw

#btw in this and any analysis please mentally insert 🥁 any time I use the word 'one'#in disbelief that they've not yet worked the phrase 'getting into hot water' into the show somewhere #analysis #givehimthemedicine analysis #mine #btw what's the water table like in hawkins #where you can dig tunnels right along the perimeter of lakes and it stays dry in there

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parental-unit-of-chaos · 1 year

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Clark and Kon react to Autistic Reader.

[Teen Titans (2003-2011) #10]

So, you can 100% blame me staying awake at 02:40 because I can't stop cackling like a crow being waterboarded on @gatorbites-imagines and his/it's/xyrs kyrtontian's purring at a frequency that humans can't hear headcanon. I'm autistic, and I hear shit on the other side of the building, sometimes on a different floor.

Cw: Swearing, idk else, unhinged/ blunt replies ( R giving).

__Clark Kent__

Clark having his super hearing, I feeling like he hears distracting noises constantly but feels like he can't say anything about them.

So when he hears a frustrated voice say,' Can we please fix that god damn janitor's closet door on the floor under us!? It squeaks all day'.

Clark is shooketh, I don't put it past him thinking you are possibly kryptonian. Like he did with Shazam. Probably try to phish out info to see, but bad at being subtle.

'Why do you keep bringing up Superman??', 'Oh.. Well I mean, he is this City's hero'. You probably read his inquiring wrong, and believe he thinks your SuperMan.

'The reason has to why my hearing is above average, is because my autism makes me more sensitive to sounds. I promise you, I'm not Superman. I could not live comfortably with such a jarring unpredictable schedule.' , you word vomited, pitching the bridge of your nose.

'Oh.. uh I'm sorry if I made you upset', the more exhausted tone reminded him of Bruce a lot, when he bugged him too much. 'Its fine, just so many people make jokes about it. It can get old fast.'

Basically the mf would be balanced between panic and false hope of finding a relative he could keep on earth.

__Kon-el Kent__

I feel like he's got so use to no one being able to hear his purring, he doesn't care to suppress them. At times when he's to lazy to do this hair himself, he gets one of his friends to do it. Not worried.

He just enjoys the comforting feeling and begins to pur away. For the sake of it, let's say Tim was the victim of doing Kon's hair.

Tim would be the first to notice you walking around the common room, looking like you are going insane looking for something. Kon not really caring has he doesn't see it has important.

'Did you lose something?', Tim questioned, pausing shortly from combing Kon's hair. 'There is a sound and I don't know where it's coming from', you kept walking around the room listening.

Tim would try to reassure that you'll get use to the sounds of building, the more you stay. At some point, you walk over to where they were on the couch, and figured out it's coming from kon. 'The sound, it's coming from you!?'.

Kon would be so confused and Tim would be too, for different reasons. Tim doesn't hear it, Kon is not sure if you're referring to him purring or not.

'Huh?', 'You, it's coming from you. It sounds like a rumble or some shit'. Well fuck, he can't really play that off. 'You're not suppose to be able to hear it..', his tone resembling that of Oz media reading a cursed post.

'Hear what, exactly?', Tim feeling more like a third wheel in the conversation and wanting to be in loop. 'Kryptonian's have an organ that can make a sound, the best way I can describe it in human experience is a cat pur. But, we can only hear it.', Kon tries to summarize.

Tim would be the one that's extra, and suggest a DNA analysis. 'Tim I assure you, my mom used the excuse of popping me out of her, far too much for me of too be found in a capsule.', you then explained the autistic symptoms you have. Sensitivity to sounds being one of them.

This dose not stop Kon from jokingly referring to you has his sibling from now on. Which would confuse everyone that wasn't there to hear this interaction. Kon being Kon, he wouldn't explain it anyone, because he feels like that would ruin the joke.

_____________________________

Ha ha ha, it's 04:30 and I get up at 05:00. This is gonna fun.. but at least my dad feeds my caffeine addiction by giving me offerings of energy drinks, in hopes to encourage my autistic brain to be okay with doing the dishes, and other medial tasks.

#Crow!Writes #conner kent #clark kent #x male reader #x gender neutral reader #this is my first attempt at bullet point fanfic style.#autistic reader

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moongazeonastarfillednight · 4 days

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Been reading the Franklin Conspiracy again because I had some times on my hand and I had never gone past the first third of it... I just couldn't get past this passage because it was so ludicrous.

Like what do you mean "wondering what autopsied John Hartnell" 🙃

But also this about James Clark Ross.

"hOw diD hE KnOw?!!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?"😂

And I'm reminded how easy it is to make up a conspiracy:

(Warning, the rest of this post is just me going on about how stupid this book is...

TL:DR, it IS stupid and I think the author was a coward for never actually saying the A-word when that's clearly what he wanted to say)

1. Ignore that time is linear (like... excuse me 😂 how was my man JCR supposed to know that this was were Franklin would go? More like... the cairn was visited BECAUSE the expedition knew it was there... not the other way around. What?

Also, maybe he stopped there and went no further because he was running out of supplies or because it looked like the end of the western shore and not more land to explore and not because... aliens?)

2. Set yourself on one hypothesis and never consider anything else (like... he keeps asking why they hadn't gone to KWI in the first search... and I could come up with a hypothesis that did not involve aliens so easily: how about they thought that Franklin would have attempted to go further west and not go toward known land. He was there to explore, after all...

Also, why would he wonder why so many people searched around the Boothia Pen when he himself keep bringing back the Fury Beach stores?)

3. Ignore what we know of physics (that whole chapter about pretending that sundogs and aurora borealis are something else than light refraction...????)

4. Ask questions and not think to hard about the answer (The whole accusation that JCR had purposefully made the search slower by using man-hauling sledges instead of dogs... my bro... even if he used dogs in 1830 for his first go at KWI, those were not his Uncle's dogs... they were purchased from the Inuits... bold to assume that after 3 recorded hard winters the Inuit would have dogs to spare...) or (asking why the bones were cut off and skulls had holes in them... man, I sure don't know what you think your butcher does but you do know that you need to make cuts to get meat, right? Also that brain is edible?)

5. Making a point and omitting details (he goes at great lengths about how "convenient" it was that JCR and Abernethy were in the Arctic together for the wreck of the Fury (which, of course, was caused by aliens) and the trip to Victory Point and what they saw there was the reason why JCR and Parry refused to lead the expedition... but Crozier was also part of the voyage that wrecked the Fury AND was a notable close confident to Ross... why would Ross not discourage his friend from going if there was something too terrible to go back and why would Crozier not have been aware from his own experience? Blanky was also on Ross's sledge party to Victory Point. Surely, he knew.

Also, lmao... if Ross somehow did not want the "truth" to come out and that's why he sabotaged his rescue mission... and if the Admiralty knew also, why did they even sent someone else out there?

Also, you'd think that hundred of seaman having been around on the Parry and Ross voyages in around the Boothia Pen. would also have something to talk about for the newspapers to catch on fire with when the news of Franklin was the talk of London...)

6. Just going around like a compass in the arctic circle (In one chapter, John Ross is the only one who wishes to TRULY save Franklin and the next he is in on the conspiracy)

7. Making it so much more complicated than it needed to be (If JC Ross floundered his mission by getting rid of the evidence... would it have not been all the way easier to "hide" whatever by forging evidence? Such as... "oh, look! I found one of those cannisters we were looking for! They say the ships were crushed by ice and only a few men survived without having been able so save much supplies two winters ago! Well, I guess they couldn't have survived so far north! That settles it!" Instead of, idk... hiding evidences that would just make people go on more and more and more search expeditions)

8. ... never actually naming what he thinks happened. It's always like... "historians think this... but this would only be so IF what So-and-so said was true!" Ok... genius, what do you think happened? Say it, coward, say the A-word.

And FURTHERMORE... why would this guy keep pestering JCR for not exploring KWI more on his third Parry voyage (the one where they had to survive a bad winter with little ressource on 1 ship and hope for the best and there wasn't that much time or extra men power to spare when it was an unending crisis?) Or after John Ross abandonned the Victory (see same reason above also, they were starving?!) Or going on about how the Admiralty should have heeded the Native's words about Boothia being a peninsula only to just call in question every stories they had about the Franklin Expedition? Brother, your hyprocrisy is showing.

ALSO! Somehow there was X-files level of bs going on in the Arctic from John Ross' first voyage in 1818, up until 1848, and it all ceased to be noticeable when hundred of people just went on their merry way to pick up bones and buttons?

ALSO! Somehow we're at once praising the Inuit's knowledge of their land, dismissing their stories of Franklins AND never questionning why none of their oral tradition ever mentioned visitors from the sky 🙄 guess the little green men only make themselves known when white men are fresh for the picking.

ANYWAY. It's a... book, I suppose... fun enough get a summary of all the search expeditions that went on but! I think my doctor would object to what it did to my blood pressure 😂😂

Only part I found interesting was the dates analysis and review of the added note about going to Back River on the Victory Point Note. That was a refreshing view on the thing because I also agree that the plan to go to Back River was insane but it's just another interpretation of the document and looking at how much the guy jumped to conclusion (or dug his one trenches just to be able to jump) I think it be more prudent for me to research that third ink story than start taking it as fact 😂

#pseudoarchaeology #19th century dead sailors #reviewing The Franklin Conspiracy #it's stupid lmao #Imagine thinking you need aliens to explain why people die or disappear in the Arctic in an age where post was the only long distance comm..#ranting and stuff #bad for my blood pressure #pseudohistory #I ain't sayin it was aliens but...#not a book recommendation

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pintobordeaux · 2 years

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to elaborate:

Bruce terrorizes Superman villains with just angry glares and growls.

Clark has to learn to live in a not invulnerable body.

Clark on his first night as Batman: "Ouch! You stabbed me! It hurts!!!!"

Everyone thinks Batman has gone completely insane and might turn into a new Joker.

The Pentagon is this close from activating their anti-Superman plan because the man looks one inconvenience away from a worldwide dictatorial regime.

Bruce has to learn to hold his strength back because he breaks absolutely EVERYTHING.

obligatory NSFW: they masturbate to see how the other's body works (bc of course Clark has alien genitals).

Bruce starting to have blood pressure issues from having to act meek with all the ppl shitting on him at work.

Clark not putting up AT ALL with Riddler's schemes and riddles and stops him by entirely other means.

Clark getting anxiety from having to be in the spotlight all the time and being chased by ladies.

@jellyfitzjelly OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG. Yes this 100000000000x this!!! (You sent it in two messages so I screenshoted the first for context for everyone and I’m using the second as the answer since I didn’t wanna transcribe it lol)

I am WEAK in the soul for body switching fics and headcannons. To add on more thoughts to your thoughts

The absolute body horror/dysmorphia/dissociation at being in a body but not your body but still having that vouyerustic fascination at being able to explore someone else’s body from your own consciousness.

^^^ I am 100% on my bullshit about those “I have a crush but we haven’t said anything or been close yet and it’s so wrong but this is my opportunity to get as close as possible to them in a way I’ve been dreaming about” tropes.

The uncanny valley at seeing the other’s expressions on their face! Like Batman’s signature scowl on Superman’s normally cheery face. Or Clark’s sunbeam smile on Batman.

An excuse to push them together to work through it! Maybe secret phone calls alllll day to each other. “How do you deal with the Wayne enterprise board?” “I broke another door handle. What now?” Just so many options.

Do they try to hide it? CAN they hide it? If not who figures it out first?!? If they don’t hide it now what? What do they do with their time?

I 100% believe that Bruce would make Clark practice sparring/ hand to hand combat in Bruce’s body. Just let the implications of that sink in. Are those thoughts nice and marinated yet? Because YES.

Do they have the angst and unsureness of “this might be forever?” Or the bittersweet relief of “we only have _ amount of time to experience each other like this.”

And on that note - if it’s established relationship Superbat. O.M.G. The wonderful idea that they get to use this opportunity to get to know each other in ways they never could under any other circumstance.

Like imagine Clark finds out all the little things bruce has been hiding. Maybe Bruce actively suppresses blushing every time Clark runs a finger up his arm. He had no idea. And Bruce finds out that while he knew Clark doesn’t need to eat he actively craves certain things sometimes. They use this to learn more about each other and carry that over into a stronger relationship once they’re switched back.

My obligatory NSFW addition - sleeping together. Is it an act of ego? Sure, maybe. But the body is a shell to house the person they love. That can change and they’ll still love them no matter what. I wanna see some fic that just goes for it. Let Bruce as clark sleep with Clark as Bruce. No cop out ‘this is too weird.’ Na bro it’s interesting and novel and Batman is a detective who loves puzzles, and Clark is an investigative journalist. You bet your ass they’ll sleep with their partner who physically looks like themselves.

Second NSFW addition - in Smallville the heat vision is absolutely first triggered by horny feelings. I just want Bruce to have to experience that and Clark having to bumble through and explain it to Bruce. But then Bruce’s mind immediately goes to “so you have to be turned on to use heat vision!?” And letting flashbacks of all of the times he’s seen Clark use it.

And if you wanna go the public/political/social investigation route - ooooo boy! How does each of them handle that stress? Are any aspects of each other’s life harder than they thought? More pleasurable? Surprising?

Does bruce cry big alligator tears when visiting Martha Kent and she calls him “son” and looks at him with such love? Sources say yes. (Sources are my head)

Okay okay but also if they don’t know each other’s identity when the switch happens?!!?!!! Wouldn’t that be something? Alllllll the identity reveal. And the mad dash to find each other to help hide both secrets from the world. Do they form an initial alliance? Lay it all out?

Alternatively, what if Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent body switched. Neither knows the other’s superhero identity. But the sheer panic from Clark about Bruce using super strength and immediately finding out. And Bruce panicking because Alfred doesn’t know he’s not him. What if he says something in 2 seconds upon arriving home about anything batman related and this investigative journalist will now immediately know who batman is.

I just have a lot of thoughts and feelings about this. Not enough cohesive ones to write something. But A LOT of thoughts and feelings.

#superbat #plotbunny headcannons #AskAnswered #if anyone wants to use these ideas PLEASE take them. I’ve literally read every fic tagged ‘body switching’ for Bruce/Clark. i want MOAR

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distort-opia · 2 years

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i think youve talked about something similar before, but do we get to see proof of batman genuinely caring for joker? and not having an excuse of "oh im doing this because i need joker to be fine so i can save other people".

sometimes i get paranoid and think that the whole batjokes thing is just my shipper brain speculating and i have to look at all the evidente again so i dont think im crazy lmao 😅

There's plenty of instances of Bruce caring about Joker, and yeah, I've talked about various aspects of it in different asks. There's a more extensive response I posted a while back as part of an interesting Batjokes discussion, in which OP argued that Bruce does not reciprocate, and I disagreed; you can find that here (though fair warning, that whole chain of reblogs is loooong). I also answered some asks about Bruce finding Joker funny here, and about Bruce constantly saving Joker's life here, and made a compilation of some of the best times Bruce got incredibly unhinged over Joker here.

But I'm assuming you mean... Bruce blatantly spelling it out that he cares about Joker, with zero alternative excuse? Since Bruce is so repressed and caring about Joker is something he cannot easily admit to himself, these moments are rare. But if I were to point some of them out, I'd say the ending to Batman: The Killing Joke remains to this day one of the biggest.

No matter how you look at it, Bruce telling Joker "You needn't be out there on the edge anymore. You needn't be alone," right after Joker shot Barbara in the spine... is something that’s difficult to explain away. Not to mention Bruce laughing alongside Joker -- maybe you could argue that Bruce offering to rehabilitate Joker is just something he'd do with all his villains (which isn't actually true, Bruce hasn't had a moment like this with anyone else), but the joined laughter has no possible "excuse" on Bruce's side. It's commiseration, plain and simple.

Then there's Batman: Endgame, and the insanity that is the ending of that comic. And leaving aside the heart-shaped pool of blood, the sheer suggestiveness in the imagery of their fight... Leaving aside Bruce choosing to die alongside Joker, literally pleading with Joker to stay with him as he dies -- there's this:

Batman calls Joker a friend. This cannot be understood as anything else but what it is; Bruce allowing himself to admit he cares about Joker, at the end of the road. Arguing otherwise ignores the context of the story and the writing that came before and after it (besides indicating a worrying lack of media literacy).

And hey, have some Batman and Joker canonically kissing, in Flashpoint: Batman -- Knight of Vengeance:

Yes, it is Thomas Wayne who's Batman, and it's Martha Wayne who's Joker, but I think that's plenty. There's a Universe in which Joker is Batman's wife. The sheer fact this is a thing that exists inevitably implies that Batman and Joker have romantic potential.

But I'll leave you off with the beauty that is Bruce being directly called out on his Joker bullshit in Injustice: Gods Among Us -- Year 1, by his best friend:

Eyy! If you're crazy, Clark (and Alfred, and Tim, and Selina, and Barbara, and many other characters who have explicity remarked on Bruce's unusual attachment to Joker) are too!

I hope this answer helped! <3 But either way, leaving aside the fact Batjokes objectively has plenty of canon support, my advice would be not to stress yourself out by caring too much about evidence. Shipping, and fandom in general, is supposed to be fun. We're in control over here, and we do what we want. So even if you were crazy, that'd be perfectly fine, as far as I'm concerned.

#this is only hammering it in that I should make a pinned post or a meta post or something #with links to stuff #dammit. I'll do it this week-end I swear #never thought I'd reach the point of needing to organize my blog #asks #batman #batman meta #bruce wayne #joker #batjokes #batjokes meta #my meta

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pseudo-hero · 6 months

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So I Just Read Superman Issue #8...

(I think it came out right after my predictions post for it. I'm hoping, because otherwise, that was just clueless of me.)

OH. MY. GOODNESS. SO MANY THOUGHTS.

Did this issue seem like a short one to anybody else?

2. I thought about the first interaction shown in the above image here between Clark and Lex since Lex got shanked. It's just so cute to me (even though Lex doesn't have a right to be that cute). Especially considering how we just saw him last issue, literally rushing to try to get to Superman so he could help him. Like, I think he's just being pouty and difficult here so Clark will feel compelled to apologize (probably because it reassures Lex that Clark does care—even if no one else does—and that he didn't willingly leave Lex on his own die). No one else in-universe understands because they're not Clark or Lex.

3. Conner: "Sorry for what? It's not like Lex didn't have it--"

I wanted to believe that Kon (who is called by his Earth name this entire issue for some reason, despite being in hero mode not civilian mode) was about to say "have it under control" but that's just too nice for Lex, right? Of course he was probably actually going to say "have it coming".

Conner: "Hope you know you're not worth all this, Lex."

Ouch, another jab from he and Clark's unclaimed son. Why not just tell him you wish he was dead, while you're at it? (I know, I know. Almost happened not too long ago.) Also, Mercy's name makes for a good joke a lot of the time.

(Side Note: I'm glad he called him Lex, at least. [Meanwhile, Clark's back to calling him Luthor. I wonder what triggers it. Maybe it's when he knows a bad deed is connected to Lex?] And this is, I believe, the first time in years since he and Lex have even spoken! Over a decade if you don't count the Nu52 version of Kon-El as being the real deal. Also, do Lex and Clark still have some paternal feelings left for Konner like they more or less did at times in past comics from the 2000's - 2010's? Doesn't seem like it in this run—but I'm still taking what I can get!)

4. He sprints in for the catch...aaand...he's caught her!

Oop, he lost her.

(Side Note: Umm... Nice glove, Lena? Not a bad fashion statement/reference to spontaneously appear out of nowhere. Really screams "Daughter of Lex Luthor".)

So yeeep. Everyone (except Clark) in Lex's birth, created and by-proxy families despise him. Even his daughter (who I guess was told about all the things he's done, including to her) now seems disgusted by him. I get it's him and all and that many of his past actions have been horribly despicable and unforgivable (and spoken of or hinted at in this issue and acknowledged by him, too) but DAMN. The guy just finished healing from an attempt on his life. AND his mother came to visit! Guy can't catch a break or breath (which means anyone in close proximity to him won't be able to, either). Still, he's stronger than me.

5. Luthor: "I did it because Sammy killed his father. He KILLED Sebastian Stryker."

Superman: "Then you should have had him arrested! Not kept him in some dungeon to rot! (emphasis mine)"

Luthor: "[]...He's a monster."

HAHAHAHA. SUPERMAN AND LEX LUTHOR ARE SUCH HYPOCRITES HERE!!!!!!! WITH EACH OTHER AND IN THEIR VIEWS OF OTHER PEOPLE!!!!!!!

Seriously! How many times has Lex been found to have killed his father or even both parents? Even if the excuse is that there's been a change in continuity, it still comes across as unintentionally hypocritical to those out of the loop! Hopefully they'll explain what happened to "this version" of Lex's father (if they haven't already) to help clear things up. As for The Superman himself? Uhhhh, Phantom Zone villains?? (There's even an on-going miniseries involving Clark and Lex right now that has the Phantom Zone in it, fwiw!!) This is at least the second time now in this run, that Clark has been blatantly hypocritical; and on the same subject. Here he even mentions and excuses himself for using the PZ:

So it's okay for Clark to permanently lock up his species' criminals in a distant, cut-off-from-society place with little to no stimulation, but humans can't do the same with theirs?? (Or is it just because it's Luthor?) Also hilarious how in this recent issue, they were so far in the game, yet Clark still wouldn't so much as admit that Lex may have been justified in thinking this was his only way to stop Sam/my! Or somewhat acknowledge that the situation they're in is largely happening now because Clark WOULDN'T LISTEN TO LEX AND RELEASED SAM.

However:

He seems to have finally conceded to obeying Luthor's advice here. But...was it worth it in this case, considering how this issue ends? Is Lex just destined to be harmful to all no matter how hard he tries to be beneficial, or is it just the current situation that he's put himself in making it seem that way?

6. Yes!! They reconfirmed that Conner is "a bit of [Lex] and a bit of [Clark]". It was said very "quickly" and in an almost clinical manner, but this still did the trick for me! All three of them seem to have already been aware of this, too.

Yep, and Superboy's powers are indeed based on Sam's but he DOES NOT (as far as I can tell, based on the wording) get any of his DNA from him.

7. Another reference to Lex's Smallville past from Superman Lore.

Why is the watch separating their sections in-panel and why is this perfect? (It looks so beautiful here, too. Almost as much as during its debut.)

Now I understand why Clark was concerned here. I assumed earlier that it was a case of hindsight being 20/20 and him not realizing yet that Lex was right to make that his weakness (not sure how that's possible if Sam is only a human, but oh well). But it was actually Clark thinking about the risks involved, for him and/or others that have the weakness.

8. The different types of art in this issue were overall on point! However, this style (above image) was...interesting. Not bad, just interesting. That large MOUTH of his.

9. (Wish I knew how to shrink images. This one should be wayyyyy smaller, imo.)

Yes, yes, yeeesssssss. SUPERMAN. SAVE ME. He knows Clark will (and does)!!

10. YEEEAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! That's our Superman!! Risking his life for those he technically risked the lives of to begin with!! (I forgive him and give him a pass here. His heart was in the right place and he doesn't usually screw up like that anyway.)

11. *whispers* The use of/dependence on kryptonite in 2023 is kinda lame. Arguably always was. However, it really helped push the story forward here, so I see nothing wrong with its presence. Plus:

It often adds to the DRAMA.

Seriously though, this upsets me greatly. I know he'll be fine but the damage looks severe. 🥺

12. So, Lex was down. Now Clark is. (Kon and Kenan were too, before Clark. If you count the events of Action Comics.) Looks like it's becoming a pattern. Like the LL's and K's in either families'/teams' names.

Anyway! As usual lately, I can't wait for next issue!!

#Superman #Superman 2023 #Clark Kent #Lex Luthor #Superboy #Conner Kent #Clex #issue review #spoilers #Sam Stryker #Sammy Stryker #Superman: Chained #chains #glove #watch #DC Comics fashion

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ali-annals · 4 months

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i could be the way forward (i know I'll pay for it) (forever is the sweetest con, pt 2)

Pairing: Jason Todd x Marinette Dupain-Cheng PART ONE Moodboard

Rating: G | Masterlist | Main Masterlist | Ao3 | WC: 1.6k | TW: -

A/N: This is part of a series called The Eras Tour (Jasonette’s Version), a collection of Jasonette-centric fics I wrote for the Maribat discord server Maribat? Get In!’s 2024 Civil War event. Not beta’d.

Years after retiring from Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng goes by many other names, switching identities as easily as she breathes…until she tries to swindle the wrong guy.

Marinette swirled her olive in the dregs of her martini, forlornly chewing on the other. The chatter of the multitude of people passing through the bar was a welcome background noise for her to tune out as she thought of her ex-partner.

The news anchor’s voice suddenly cut through her thoughts of dark hair and teal eyes. Had he said-

“Oh, he was the sweetest boy, always so polite,” said a little old lady who had appeared on the stool next to her. She looked harmless, but she wouldn’t have survived this long in a city like Gotham without having something up her sleeve. “We all missed him greatly. He was a ray of sunshine, one that Gotham let through her smog to give us all hope.”

Marinette turned to her. “Would you mind telling me more about him and what’s happening? I’m somewhat new here.”

The party was in full swing by the time her limo pulled up to the event hall. The chauffeur opened the door for her, her date for the night getting out and offering his hand in silent escort.

They entered the hall, fashionably late and thus commanding everyone’s attention without even trying. She knew she looked good, having put her own touch on the off-the-rack dress she’d found in an adorable boutique.

She took in the crowd as she descended the stairs, using her temporary height to her advantage. So many dark-haired men here, yet the one she wanted to see wasn’t.

Her date led her to a small group of people by the foot of the stairs, two of which had ‘PRESS’ lanyards over their suit and dress.

“Clark, Lois, it’s good to see you! How have you been? This is my date, Melody Dupain. Melody, these are my friends, Clark Kent and Lois Lane.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” she nodded.

“It’s nice to meet you, Melody,” said Lois. “We just talked the other day, nothing’s changed,” she added to her date.

“Good to hear. Excuse us, the mayor wanted a word.”

Marinette continued on her way, taking the time her date was socializing to scan the room.

She excused herself from the conversation, heading in the direction of the French doors she’d spotted as she came in.

The cool air was refreshing after the heat of the ballroom and cloying perfumes. She found a quiet spot overlooking the gardens, underneath a garden party tent of some kind. Little drops of rain soon echoed calmingly as they bounced off the canvas top.

“May I have this dance?”

She startled, the rain having covered anyone’s approaching footsteps.

“Dancing is a dangerous game. Haven’t you read any Jane Austen, where the characters fall in love because they danced?”

She turned, her breath catching.

He smirked. “Of course I’ve read Jane Austen; I’m not a heathen, what do you take me for?”

“What are you doing here?”

“Watching my ex-swindling-partner attempt to swindle my dad, apparently,” he shrugged. “And just when I thought life was going to be boring again.”

“How…was everything I heard true?”

“Depends on what you heard, but probably. Although the rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated. I’m fine now.”

“Jay.”

“Look, this isn’t a great place to get into everything. How about we skip the party and go get Batburger?”

She hadn’t even heard the end of his proposition and she grabbed his hand, leading the way out.

“I’ll take you to my favourite gargoyle and we can talk there.”

“Of course you have a favourite gargoyle,” she rolled her eyes at him fondly.

He opened the door to a black Rolls Royce.

She settled in the comfy seat appreciatively, running her hands over the dash. “You finally got your fancy car, huh?”

He chuckled dryly. “Yep. First long con I ever did, and I’m still runnin’ it. Now I’m actually old enough to drive the things.”

“Please just tell me you’re not pretending to be Bruce’s dead son,” she said as they pulled into the Batburger drive through.

“No, I wouldn’t do that…well, maybe. But no, I’m the real dead son. But why are you trying to swindle the guy who has a dead son?”

“Not so dead anymore,” she retorted, waving at him. “Because I had to see if it was really you, homme stupide . I came to Gotham because it’s a wonderful place to hide, and then I found my ex-partner beat me to swindling high society, only it might not be a swindle at all! What did you even need the money for, if your dad is the richest guy in America?!”

He shrugged, paying and collecting their order. “His money ain’t my money. Also, he didn’t know I was alive, and I had some…things to take care of first.”

They climbed up the rusty fire escape to the roof of the building that housed his favourite gargoyle. Jason handed her her burger and fries.

“Your dress looks really nice, Mar. Did you make it?”

“I restyled it,” she sniffed, biting hungrily into her burger. “Thank you for the compliment.”

“Why are you so mad? I’m not even stopping you conning my dad or giving you away.”

“Because I thought I’d never see you again, and then I did and I wasn’t even prepared for it, and now I’m thrown all off-kilter! And I can’t in good conscience hustle your dad, he’s your dad !”

“I mean, if it helps, I hustle him all the time,” he shrugged, bumping her shoulder with his.

“It really doesn’t…okay, maybe a little bit. But I’m still not stealing from your dad! This was going to be my last con.”

“What? Why?” He looked at her, startled. “Are you in trouble?”

“Not as far as I know,” she bit a fry moodily in half. “I’m tired of it. Constantly looking over my shoulder, switching up my identity, never getting close to anyone. I’ll use what I have to settle down somewhere and set up a sewing shop or something, live a boring life and find a husband and have two-point-five kids…”

“It’ll never work.”

Marinette punched his shoulder for his immediate pessimistic shut-down.

“Ow! I mean, you won’t be happy without the adrenaline rush, the danger. But,” he raised his finger, “I have an idea.”

“Do tell,” she said dryly, used to his ideas.

“Marry me.”

She coughed out the fry she’d been eating. “Excuse me?”

“I’m serious. Marry me. It’ll take care of a lot of problems for us. We can’t legally testify against each other, in case our pasts catch up to us. You’ll be richer than Croesus, you can bug Bruce all the time –and it’ll be great leverage for me: “Bruce, how could you date your future daughter-in-law”--and we can go around long-conning society with a permanent identity and no one to catch us.”

“And just how will we do that?” she asked, getting interested in spite of herself.

“I can only tell you if you agree,” he said mock-solemnly.

She punched his shoulder again.

“Ow! If you’re gonna turn to punching me, maybe I'll take it back!”

“Tell me why we’re long-conning society, Jason,” she threatened.

“Because we’re the Todd-Waynes during the day, but the vigilantes Red Hood and Mrs Red Hood (name subject to change) at night!”

She blinked at him. “That makes so much sense. Wait, why will I be a vigilante?”

He gave her a flat look. “Pixie. You told me you used to be a hero. You need the adrenaline rush, that’s why you’re currently a swindler. You can go back to heroing, get your thrills, and feel good about it while you do it, instead of sullying your conscience by swindling old men grieving the loss of their son-ow!”

“Fine, I’ll do it.”

“Really?”

“Yes. But you have to answer a few questions for me first.”

“Only if you answer three of mine.”

“You’re a horrible negotiator.”

He simply smiled serenely at her.

She huffed. “Fine, I’ll answer three of your questions, but you have to answer as many as I ask you. You are getting the better part of the deal, may I remind you.”

“Sounds good.”

“Why do you want to marry me?”

“Ooh, loaded question, right off the bat. Well, I like you. I can trust you, we work well together, we know each other well already.”

“Why did you stay so long with me if your dad is a billionaire?”

“To take care of you. Also, it was nice to have someone around who knew me but also didn’t know me, if you know what I mean.”

“Crystal clear,” she deadpanned. “But yes, I think so. You wanted someone to know you without knowing the past you with all the baggage and pre-made judgments. I felt the same way. Why did you want to take care of me?”

“Why not? I like you.”

“Jason! You can’t just say stuff like that!”

“You wanted the truth!”

“Yeah, but I’m gonna fall off this roof in shock!”

“I’ll catch you then. As long as you’re falling for me.”

Marinette sputtered at his blatant flirting. “ You’ll be falling because of me.”

“I already am.”

“Jason Todd!”

The banter and interrogation continued until all the burgers and fries were gone. Jason sighed, leaning back on his elbows, kicking his feet over the side. “There’s something you should probably know before we do anything else.”

She eyed him cautiously. “Okay…”

“I wasn’t planning on partnering with you, but I felt like there was something between us after the first night. We got along so well after that, and it was an easy cover to keep when I had some Hood business to take care of. But we spent more time together, and I started falling for you. It wasn’t the plan, but I couldn’t stop–and I didn’t particularly want to stop, either. I love you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

She bit her lip hard, willing away the tears. “I love you too, Jason Todd-Wayne.”

#jasonette #fic #ali writes #mgi cw 24 #dcxmlb

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dairy-farmer · 2 years

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No because I live when fics bring in the social media aspect of the world into fics but I think it would go beautifully with secretary!Tim because the media will go insane

Like Lois and Vicky I know are dragging Bruce through the mud and Dick reading the papers would also strengthen his disapproval over the relationship

Now Timmy’s presence in social media would be what I wanna see because try as I might I know he would be an inspiration for many as he bagged a wealthy bachelor and kept him

Like I want Timmy to be a material girl dripping in diamonds and flaunting his relationship to the public via social media

a fic purely from the social media POV would be incredible i've seen fics like that that are so well done but i don't think i have the chops for that since it's almost all dialogue and i'm much more of a narrative and describe-the-scene and feelings type of person but i can see it so much!!

vicky does this because she wants the best story, because she and bruce used to have something and maybe its gross of her to be petty and use this as a chance for revenge when so many people are guninely upset at the situation reguarding the city's most generous philanthropist. lois is dedicated to publishing the truth, as damning and vile as it is and the evidence is pretty fucking damning but i think a part of her is also betrayed because she's been in tim's shoes, millions of women have. you're working late and your "boss" makes far too many uncomfrotable comments about the two of you being the only ones who are in the office and "who knows what could happen". it hits too close to home and maybe that's why she's letting it blind her a bit, but bruce was clark's friend (she though he'd been her friend too) and clark had been fumbling, trying to come up with a justification, an excuse. saying things that the justice league was saying like mind control or magic or something.

but lois...all lois had seen was another man trying to protect and justify his fellow man. she'd been unsurprised when clark had slinked back, a discomfort in his face and posture when he reported back that bruce was fine and he was going through with it, he was really going through marrying someone barely out of highschol, someone barely kon's age. clark and kon had never really gotten along, ma and pa had refused to speak to him for a week after they saw kon on the news (they'd been so mad)and just knew. they'd demanded clark "bring him home" and that was that.

clark and kon hadn't progressed much and evenetually kon's desperation to be liked had tapered off and he'd befriended a few other teen superheroes and mostly ignored both clark and lois when they came to visit in smallvill much to ma and pa's sadness which is what had prompted clark to try forging a bond between them.

not that kon reciprocated. apparently he'd writtten clark off (and lois by proxy which had strangely hurt her feelings) as a lost cause but kon was tim's approximate physical age and clark had gotten fond enough of kon that it made him uncomfortable. that had really pissed lois off. that clark was only upset at that part he related to. did he think of tim at all in the scenario?

tim who had been a talented photographer according to his highschool teachers that lois had dug up. his art teacher had urged him to go to art school since he'd grown disillusioned with the school system and had little interest in higher education institutions. lois stared at old instagram pictures by tim of gotham's skyline, of poverty stricken areas with boarded up windows but happy children playing in the street with the sun shining down on them. despite their enviornment and less than kind habitation their joy had shone through like they were saying 'hey we're still here! we live here!' unlike the dreary black and white shots of lower income neighborhoods in metropolis that won the yearly award for best work much to jimmy's constant dismay.

the photos had tapered off since then but recently been revamped when tim had posted an engagement photo. his friends that had been following him and apparently fallen out of contact with him replied with scattered '!!!!!! DUDE!!!?????'.

though those were buried by fresher responses since it'd been posted a day before that infamous press conference where bruce had...smiled and said tim wasn't pregnant yet. but tim's friends had been surprised and shocked at his engagement. they hadn't even known he'd been seeing anyone. that plus the messy situation with his parents who he hadn't spoken to since he'd walked out of the house with a suitcase the day after his graduation. jack drake had tried filing a police report for a missing person two days later but the GCPD had rebuffed him stating timothy was unharmed, willingly left, completed his state madated education and was, apparently, emancipated by a judge at 16.

alone. young. isolated. and then came bruce wayne.

so many young people with no idea of what was occuring were on tim's instagram cheering him on and congradulating him and joking like 'bestie you were supposed to get that bread, get that head, then leave 😩' and different variants of 'when will it be my turn 😭'.

lois had to walk away from her laptop while quoting them, because none of them seemed to grasp just how imbalanced the entire relationship was.

----

just the media caught between some smear campaigne agianst bruce, vacilalting between condemning tim as well or expressing sympathy for them!! online hustler culture being much olouder and dying the fire down faster and making tim out to be a gold digger but phrasing it as a good thing and an achievement. i think it's only a year later where the reaction shift from that mish mash of stuff to a more quiet '...oh 😀' when tim has a baby. lois has an extra drink that night and tells clark to tell 'fuck you' to bruce for her and clark doesn't have the heart to tell her that bruce is currently on paternity leave and and dick is acting as batman and might be more quietly pissed than she is.

!!!! it would be such an interesting way to see everyone else's reaction outside of what bruce and tim see and pay attention to. of course they know it's not well recieved but they don't actually see or know how it affects others outside gotham.

#anonymous #asks #answered asks #civilian au

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slightlyaboveaverageiq · 1 year

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The Whisperer: Part 21 (Wally Clark Fic)

“Auntie Maddie, that’s actually got a cute ring to it I could get used to it.” Or she could get used to the taste of dirt once I pushed her out of the swing. Maddie had been the first one I told about my talk with Arif, I thought about telling Rhonda but honestly she had known Wally longer and I didn’t want her to feel like she had to hide anything from him. And I most certainly didn’t want him to know yet.

“Mads, seriously, that is not helpful what so ever.” I sighed and plopped down into the swing beside her drawing a line in the dirt with my foot.

“So Arif didn’t get you any indication on when this would happen or how it would happen or even how many you would have?” I shook my head no and bit my lip.

“He doesn’t know everything all at once, it like he has the general details and then once I gets closer for one of the major things to happen he knows more. Like the night my parents died, he just knew that it would be one of us that lived, he said he didn’t know until he saw this like glow around me that I was the one that was supposed to stay.”

“So is Wally like you then? Well before he died. You said Arif said he knew but didn’t quite know:”

“I don’t think that’s how Arif meant it. I mean it could have been but the man almost never says exactly what he means outright. I think he meant Wally knows there’s something different going on that just two people who love each other like a normal human.” I was cut off by laughter and I turned to see Simon and Nicole running out of the school, not missing the tear that fell down Maddie’s cheek. “Any progress there girly?” She wiped her face and cleared her throat before nodding at the ground.

“They questioned Simon about the phone piece, and when he wouldn’t say that he had killed me they basically insinuated that they thought I ran away and weren’t going to treat this like a murder investigation. But Mo there was so much blood, and I’m here so I’m obviously not alive what else could it have been? If I had killed my self my body would still be there.” I reached over and took her hand in mine not entirely sure what I should say. “How am I supposed to cross over if I can’t even find my body?”

“Maddie….I don’t know what happens when we die. I don’t know what counts as unfinished business that keeps us trapped here. My parents had 5 other children besides me and God didn’t see that as unfinished business. But I can’t imagine that whoever is in charge of the afterlife is just going to ignore how hard you’re trying to find answers to cross over and just keep you stuck here or not offer you some kind of hint. Unfortunately it could be a good few decades, or you could just randomly figure out whatever it was you were supposed to figure out like Dawn. But I truly do not believe that you’ll be stuck at this shitty school for the rest of your afterlife.” She smiled and wrapped her arms around my in a hug sniffling the last few tears away and drying her face.

“Mo! You ready to go home?” Wally, Rhonda and Charley were all making their way over after participating in what was called field day but really just looked like an excuse to trash the school. Not that the students would notice.

“Yes Ms. Grant it is getting rather late. Probably best be on your way.” I jumped and Mr. Martin was standing against the pole of the swings giving me a cold glare. I walked over to Wally and nodded for him to walk with me.

“Wait like 30 minutes until after I leave before you do. Martin just creeps me out.” I glanced over my shoulder and he was still watching me. Wally looked between the two of us before smiling down at me.

“He’s harmless Mo, but I’ll wait if that will make you feel better.” I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding and when I saw Mr. Martin look away I pulled Wally down quickly to kiss him before leaving.

#wally clark #rhonda #maddie nears #school spirits #fanfic

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msclaritea · 1 year

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Samuels of The Book of Clarence, "...speaks about his disgust, that in Jesus Christ Superstar, he found the Token Minority trope was badly served by making the only POC cast member was Judas, the Evil character..."

From Wiki:

"Kim Paffenroth felt Judas and Mary had the most depth of all characters, even more than Jesus: "their songs are haunting or jarring, and their depictions are passionate, much more so even than the depiction of Jesus, who seems rather too passive, confused, and weak.

Jesus Christ Superstar is one of Jewison's many productions to have betrayal as a primary theme. Another major theme is religious authorities colluding with the government for greed. The Romans, focusing on keeping their state together for a long time over the truth, crucify Jesus after noticing his challenges to the political, economic and religious establishment, such as Jesus destroying modern paraphernalia sold at "The Temple".

Jesus Christ Superstar is different from other Jesus films in terms of its little accuracy to, as well as modernization of, the original text in terms of costumes, staging and behavior. Jesus Christ Superstar has most of the characters reflect the hippie movement and youth culture of the 1960s and 1970s in terms of their dances and contemporaneous dresses, save the garb-wearing titular character. There is tension created in the film's idiosynchronicity, which imply that what social issues were prevalent in the era of Jesus are still important in the present. The opening depicts the cast riding a bus, with Arabic and Hebrew language on it alluding to the Six-Day War, and excitedly carrying the cross out of it. The market in "The Temple" has ancient good such as birds and sheep sold alongside mirrors, weapons, grenades, guns, female bodies, and drugs.

Although interpreting biblical scripture to comment on contemporaneous political social issues is a common aspect of religious films, Jesus Christ Superstar is one of few to encompass several subjects at once. There is an anti-war and Vietnam war sentiment, with machine-gun-armed soldiers in military pants, combat shoes, and army helmets, thieves trading grenades, machine guns and drugs, and Judas encountering tanks and fighter jets. The Israeli locations was interpreted by Paul V. M. Flesher and Robert Torry as referencing the Mideast conflict. The use of a black actor for Judas adds a civil rights movement component, most displayed in his suicide where he hangs himself with a rope on a tree, reminiscent of the lynchings associated with the era. Clark-Soles analyzed race playing "a crucial, if ambiguous, role in the film", as a white and black actor portray figures that, in the first century, were of the same Jewish race. In "Heaven On Their Minds", Judas asks Jesus, "Don't you care for your race?"

Is this an actual hate for what was considered a refreshing take on the Crucifixion story, an excuse to get revenge on white actors or just made up crap that helps generate buzz for Andrew Lloyd Webber, since the musical is still being produced today? Superstar wasn't just a reflection of the times, it was actually ahead, to be honest. So what if Judas was black? Carl Anderson was still one of the leads..unheard of back then, the film is through HIS perspective, with almost more sympathy shown to his character. Most black portrayals in films during the 70s were pretty bad. This is actually a nuanced piece of art, containing lots of meaning tied to the era. All 3 leads, Jesus, Judas and Mary were nominated for awards. It sounds to me like Samuels doesn't even know how to study a film within the context that it presents. Do we turn our nose up at black people playing villains now, or is it about understanding we are capable of playing both? Kang, anyone?

Of course, this could also be a way of keeping up tensions in the public on the subject of American and British black actors. For all the pro-blackness bluster, Samuels DID cast a light-skinned Zazie Beetz as Mary Fields, a beloved black American historical figure. Now, he's being dismissive of a role that was played by two beloved black American actors. Ben Vereen first played Judas on Broadway, followed by Carl Anderson, who was obviously proud of the role as it also helped launch his career in films and music. There was a lot of flack about Zazie, which caused arguments for months between Black people about Black American actors vs Black British. Whatever his personal feelings, it's highly disrespectful to downgrade Anderson's work to 'Evil black trope'. So, on top of everything else, I guess we can expect more ginned up arguments to increase resentment in the black community.

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