Kane, I’m even not sure if this is ok to ask. But I’ve been looking for this one specific Eruri fic and I can’t for the life of me remember the author or title 😭.

All I remember was that it started with Hange being really upset about the death of one of their comrades and Levi talks to them. When he finally leaves them, he goes off to look for Erwin, only to find him sitting by himself somewhere away from people. Levi finds him smoking, which was strange to him because he’s never seen him smoke before. Erwin tells him that he’s smoking because that their fallen comrade would then come scold him from the after life.

Levi then tries to make the mood lighter by saying that when he dies, Erwin would probably pour tea (I think) at his grave to piss him off.

To which Erwin just responds solemnly and walks away from Levi because he doesn’t ever want to think that Levi would die.

SOMETHING LIKE THAT 😭

I read on ao3 it half asleep and now I can’t stop thinking about it.

SOBBING. If you know a fic like that, pls lemme know 😭🫶

sorryyy i LOVE the premise of that but i don’t know :/ a major major veteran of the eruri community might know (and has answered queries like yours before!)

check with @/lostcauses-noregrets. maybe they know?

what do you think of BOC ep1?

Doesn't it feel like the repetition of the many failures of the trio idiots, and the perfection of Sebastian, the butler? More or like the 1st chapter of BB manga or 1st episode of S1?

Dear Anon,

💖 I like BOC episode 1 a lot. It was admittedly not an impressive episode, but unlike 1st episodes of most anime, BOC's didn't need to draw in a new audience and impress everyone enough to stay. With BOC (being aired in the middle of the night), the target audience is one that already knew Kuro to be worth their time. Therefore episode 1 only needed to be an introduction to the axis of the show; the kidnapping case. Since it fulfilled that purpose excellently, it's an excellent episode 1 in my opinion.

Let’s unpack this episode. (*´▽｀*)ノ

"Just a repetition of the trio idiots"?

Ah, I partially agree with you. I do think the first episode is a showcasing of the trio idiots' failures in juxtaposition of Sebastian's perfection. However, I also think the first episode has more legitimacy than just going: "OMG Sebas, kyun💗", because for the Circus Arc this display of the trio's incompetence is functional. This is in stark contrast with most other adaptations of Kuro and in the beginning of the manga, which were little more than glorifications of Sebas.

The trio's incompetence display plays a key role for the series, because this image given to the audience is the same image the Circus Member would have had of the only remaining staff guarding the Phantomhive estate. I believe that this element of surprise is part of the Phantomhive strategy; intruders can't prepare themselves for 3 human war machines if they don't know of them. This is also reflected in what I read to be Sebas' main M.O. as described here, and now in retrospect it makes sense that it had been Sebas who recruited Bard and Meyrin.

This surprise that the Phantomhive servants are actually talented private soldiers is also not just there to "outsmart the audience, jokes on you!!" It showcases how well-organised the Phantomhive household is under Ciel and Sebas, under the same main strategy: "play with everyone's non-suspicion."

Indeed, with the first episode having shown how Sebas alone can handle any mundane housekeeping task, one is invited to question "why hire such fools in the first place for these jobs?" And the answer is clear now: "there was no need, and they were not hired for 'these jobs'." They were hired for the jobs of private soldiers, just put under guise of maid, chef and gardener, respectively. Of course they wouldn't be good at their not-jobs!

Potent introduction to the protagonists

Another reason I think episode 1 of BOC works well is because it introduces its two protagonists very effectively. The surface checklists of Sebas and Ciel are of course ticked, but it also does more than just that: episode 1 exhibits the mutual bickering between master and servant, Ciel's testing personality, and Sebas' passive-aggression.

When master and servant were walking down the corridor for example, Ciel told Sebas he "was not looking forward to it". Sebas however, interpreted it as his master was talking about the meeting with Brandel. That is quite telling for the way Sebas' brain works, because the demon consistently works only with very clear, transparent messages. If someone does not convey clearly what they mean, Sebas will have no choice but to guess.

It then turned out Ciel was actually talking about the dancing lesson, and Sebas then says: "I see. Do you mean to say that you wish to demonstrate your 'staggering waltz' to the Lady Elizabeth?" Defeated, Ciel only replies: "you snide bastard."

This conversation is likewise very characteristic of these two. Here again Sebas is interpreting, because it is unclear to him what exactly his master wants him to do with this information. Was he simply complaining? Or was he hinting for Sebas to cancel class? (Just pay attention to how much people "communicate" only implicitly through hints. For Sebas this "code of communication" must be as consistent as guesswork.) In Ciel's dismayed reply "you snide bastard", we get a hint that Sebas might not have been too wrong in his interpretation either, because it clearly touched a nerve. Had he been wrong, then Ciel would undoubtedly not have given Sebas the satisfaction of letting him know his comment hit something, and instead simply corrected his butler like he did about Brandel. This back-and-forthing is in my opinion an innocent but excellent taster of their toxic dynamic.

Potent introduction to the series nature

Another thing this episode does well is how it represented what this series is in its core; a comical dark fantasy. When Brandel was convinced that his assassination attempt had succeeded, he boldly hid himself under the table laughing, and when he emerged from underneath it was just total peace. I really giggled at the anti-climax and secondhand embarrassment, it was SO GOOD.

Then when Sebas congratulated Brandel for winning La fève, it was just so casually macabre, I loved it!! I really loved the skin-crawling feeling of Sebas having done a mass-murder, and just casually breaking it to Brandel like the most trivial thing. Because it WAS the most trivial thing to Sebas.

Once again we see just how terrifying the Phantomhive household is, what the "Phantomhive Hospitality" means, and what "Phantomhive" means.

When Sebas crowned Brandel I really loved his mirth at the man's terror. And when Ciel revealed his contract eye saying: "do you have any idea why nobody has spoken of how the Watchdog inflicts punishment? It is because dead men tell no tales." it was so bone-chilling, it was amazing. In my opinion it was a very effective way to impart "old information" to viewers, without it feeling like: "exposition, exposition, exposition".

Conclusion

So yes, though the first episode of BOC is not really impressive on first glance, it gives the audience a lot to unpack and understand what this series will be about.

The first episode effectively disclosed the universe's law: The Queen's Watchdog is relentless with "Phantomhive hospitality", made possible through his strategy and the demon butler's powers

It constructively introduced the character dynamic of the two protagonists: an unconventional master-servant relationship with back-and-forthing.

It practically sets up an image about the idiot servants, which is not a lie, but does paint a different picture of the full truth.

And finally, it faithfully shows the audience the atmosphere of the universe: a comical and macabre world where atrocious crimes are trivial to our protagonists from Hell.

In short; as an introductory episode for BOC, it's more than successful in my opinion. The episode was written by Yana herself, so naturally it understands the source material well. Yes, it's indeed not a very flashy or impressive opening, but for those who are interested, I do recommend giving this episode another investigatory watch rather than a passive watch.

I hope it had been an interesting read ^v^

The great escape

oh boy oh boy, it’s here! The sequelette! For those who don’t know, this is a small follow up to my story ‘Inquisitive obsessions’ So if you want the full story, go read that first. This one won’t be overtly Yandere, but I still hope you guys have fun with it.

CW: lotsa pregnancy talk in this one. I’m not that knowledgeable of the topic, so likely gonna have some shoddy parts.

Ever since you had met Illumi, your life had changed forever. You didn't notice it at first, too caught up in being in a relationship to remember seeing him lurking outside your house after a date, or to remember the pair of underwear you'd randomly lost despite seeing them on your bathroom floor right before you went to bed that night. It was only after that brightly colored, card-slinging maniac, who you later found out was named Hisoka, murdered the butlers Illumi had set as your prison guards and then tried to 'introduce himself to you' as if he hadn't just slaughtered other humans like cattle that it finally really set in how deep of trouble you were in. Luckily, you had run to the bathroom as if to throw up and then slipped out of your bathroom window to run for help. Unluckily, Illumi was swift to find you. After that, the 'honeymoon phase' violently ended.

Of course, after kidnapping getting you safely to his family home, Illumi didn't explain anything you asked him about, your life couldn't be that easy, but you had your suspicions that a lot of the weird occurrences you'd been faced with before properly meeting him could be placed at his feet. However, you were in no place to investigate or try to escape. You were taken to the main house, situated in Illumi's bedroom, and almost never alone after that. If Illumi wasn't showering you with gifts, compliments, and cuddles, his mother was eager to befriend you, snatching you up from the halls at the rare times you were permitted to walk the home alone to have tea and tell you all about her plans for you and her son's marriage, or the baby. You hated it, and you were noticeably miserable.

Because of that, Illumi did his best to make you happy, distracting you with talk of baby names, wedding details, your hobbies, anything he could think of to try and make you happy. And it would work for a while, you'd get swept up in his charms and melt into his touch when he cuddled up to you at night, but not too long after, you'd crash again. You'd given up on trying to escape, you'd been driven up to the estate, so you knew how big the mountain was and just how hopelessly trapped you really were, but you would still sob, smack and try to hit the long-haired assassin, and just try to get away from him, even though he never let you leave his sight for fear of 'the baby being harmed.

' As the days passed, you did eventually settle into your predicament, though there was always an intense urge to run if you got the chance. You played along with Kikyo, let Illumi love on you and be excited for the baby, and learned how to not only cope with the fear you now felt towards your 'fiance,' but avoid the brunt of Illumi's manipulative powers, mostly by avoiding looking into his dark, soulless eyes, which would leave you groggy and with static for thoughts. He wasn't a fan of that, but he remained unreadable and cold, never laying a hand on you or showing aggression towards you to avoid stressing you out. He treated you like the world's most fragile porcelain doll because of your pregnancy. That one odd behavior at least got explained though, so that was progress.          "I'm very well trained to fight, so I'm very strong. You...are very much so not." It wasn't much, but considering the most you'd gotten out of him when you'd tried to question him before was some form of topic change, you took it. Either way though, you were thankful that he treated you so delicately, because you didn't want to think of the possible alternatives. On the bright side though, your reluctant acceptance did open up more freedoms to you. Mainly, it was the freedom to talk to a single person outside of the Zoldyck family when Illumi was off on jobs, but once he was home that freedom was taken away again. Thankfully though, that wasn't your only freedom, you also got to go along with a butler to shop in town. Of course, Illumi or Kikyo came with, hovering protectively nearby while you walked the town's shops, getting exercise and socialization under the watchful eye of your fiance or karen-like mother-in-law. Illumi usually spent your time out trailing behind you like a ghost, helping when he felt you couldn't do something alone, but otherwise leaving you to do whatever you needed while always feeling his eyes on you. At the very least, you could somewhat ignore him and maybe even...pretend to be normal while he was being protective, unlike his mother, who would never leave you alone when out, and was all around demanding and very hard to miss. It was a brief reprieve from the insanity, but it was welcome. However, that was just it. A brief escape. Whenever you returned to the car you were reminded that you really had been snatched from your home by your boyfriend and pushed into a marriage you didn't want. Finally though, on a particularly cold late-winter night almost three months after your engagement, as you laid in bed with Illumi, staring at the wall with his arm wrapped securely around your midsection and his forehead resting between your shoulder blades, you decided to try a pretty risky ask. You didn't expect him to agree, but you couldn't deal with him lingering around you anymore. It was worth a shot.          "I-Illumi," you croaked, your voice quiet and almost strangled with anxiety and fear, but you forced yourself onwards after he hummed in acknowledgement, "Tomorrow, could I maybe go out alone? O-or at least only with a butler?" you squeaked, your stomach twisting with nerves as you waited the excruciatingly long moments it took for him to ponder your request and reply with no sign to give away his feelings.          "Why?" He asked, and you were really missing the days where he put feeling into his words. His monotonous, unreadable voice gave you anxiety.         "I..." You took a deep breath to steady your quivering voice, deciding honesty was safest, "I'm still scared of you after you got so aggressive when I told you I was pregnant, and...um, y-your mom is...kinda smothering." Your voice died with each word after 'and', but he still heard you. There was another stretch of silence before he hummed,         "Fine, but if you misbehave in any way on this trip, you won't leave the house for the rest of your pregnancy." He warned, and you didn't need him to emote to know he was deathly serious, so you simply nodded and thanked him before curling up and trying your best to sleep. When morning came, you were sure to be on your best behavior while Illumi arranged a butler to take you into town. You'd only get an hour to do whatever you wanted, but it was maybe your only chance to leave the mountain without the manipulative predator who called himself your fiance breathing down your neck. So, when it finally came time for you to leave, you gave the assassin a kiss on the cheek before you left. With that, you had a long car ride with no looming threat or awkward, prying conversations, just peace, quiet, and a lovely view of trees drifting by outside of the car window along the way. It ended up being so peaceful, that you fell asleep for most of the ride, only waking when the driver hit a bump in the road and jolted you out of your dreams and into a slightly panicked state. Instantly putting you on edge as you expected to be faced with Illumi beside you, watching you blankly, or your mother-in-law trying to feel the small bump beginning to show on your belly for the umpteenth time that day. But, when you opened your (e/c) eyes and gave a frantic scan of the backseat, neither were there. You're safe. They're back at the estate. You told yourself, taking a few deep breaths to slow your thundering heart. You finally had no murderous assassin of any sort nearby. You were 2 hours away from the estate, a total of at least 4 from the main house. You soon realized, you could run. Do you really want to live life in terror? Being used as a broodmare and watching your baby be turned into a small Illumi? The braver, more realistic voice in your head whispered while you watched trees zoom by through the car window, but he's a dangerous man. He found you when you ran the first time, do you think you could get away a second time? And STAY away? the more fearful inner voice piped up, but at the thought of possibly being free that first voice won out. Because of that, you knew in an instant that you were already at a point of no return if you even began this path, but you were also determined to not be trapped in a fearful marriage, watching your child suffer. So, you curled up and covertly unlaced your shoe lace, a small luxury you'd gotten to sooth one of your earlier melt downs about being trapped in such a restrictive relationship, than, you struck. In a flash, you coiled the lace around your hands and looped it over the driver's seat and the butler's throat. You put your foot against the back of the seat and felt hot tears burn your eyes in both terror and instant regret as the car skidded to a halt so the butler could try to fight for his life. However, while the help had been trained to be demons in their own right, you somehow managed to overpower his frantic attempts to free himself with your own frantic, shakey, teary-eyed strength. You were hysterical as you did it, but you  successfully strangled the poor butler after an excruciatingly long time.          "ohgodimsosorry," you wept as you scrambled to the front seat and pushed the body out onto the deserted road, fighting the urge to vomit just yet as you took his place. You then had to scrub your eyes three times before your vision was clear enough for you to drive, but even after calming down a bit, your breaths were still raking through your chest, and you could already feel a headache coming from the intensity of your sobs as you drove into the town and repeatedly plead for forgiveness for the murder. However, when you found a bus stop, you scraped up your composure and did your best to hide just how distraught you were. Luckily, the clerk was an angel, getting you a ticket for free when they saw just how dishevelled and snivelling you were, deducing correctly that you needed help and doing their best to assist. So, you got a cup of water and clutched your ticket like a child protecting their lollipop from a greedy sibling, settled inside and out of view to await the bus and calm down. That was when you got the call. The phone ringing sent an icy hot bolt of primal terror through your body, but you bit that back and went ahead and answered it with shaking hands, (e/c) eyes blurring with tears again when you heard the sickly familiar indifferent voice on the other end of the line,           "(y/n)," Illumi said, not even sounding pissed, just slightly bored, as if he'd expected this. "I understand you are scared about all of the changes and are somewhat sensitive right now, but I cannot let you leave. Please return home before I have to come collect you." Just like that, the rabid courage that gave you that first push of determination was wiped away like a leaf in a tornado. After all, it was so much easier to make an escape when Illumi wasn't looming over you, but now that he was talking to you, knowing damned well what you were up to, you had the powerful urge to burst into tears and drive back to the Zoldyck estate. No! This is the exact reason you were such easy prey for him in the first place! that courageous voice pointed out, essentially slapping some sense into you as you swallowed your sobs and those submissive urges, this is your one chance! if you go back, he's never going to leave you alone for a SECOND. Run! This is your only chance! With that last point, you gulped down breaths, steeling your nerves before speaking at last          "No." You croaked, your voice barely a whisper, but you still sensed the switch in Illumi's mood when he heard,              "(y/n). Come home. Right. Now. You won't like it if I have to come and get you." he said, his voice finally changing from flat and bored, to dripping with a threat as his mask cracked and his anger slipped through so clearly you could almost feel him grabbing you by the throat, but you saw your bus beginning to load, so you had to make a snap judgement as quickly as Illumi's emotional outburst passed and he returned to indifference.             "Listen, I'm trying my best to not be terrifying or anything, but I'd be a horrible hu-" You hung up on him and tossed the phone out of the window once you'd gotten onto the bus and it had begun the journey down the road. Something about that single, simple action felt more like throwing one of your shackles out of the window instead of a phone.

Assassins Mate For Life - Ch.1

Damian Wayne x Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Word count: 2719

https://href.li/?https://archiveofourown.org/works/37452442/chapters/93464845

Summary: 

"Marinette’s skin prickled, burning like the flames around her. The fire was so close now, licking up her legs, burning the skin on her arms, preparing to consume her. And Damian… Damian was too far. She could feel the tremors of ‘Eth Alth’eban below her, cracks forming in the ground she once thought to be unshakeable. The same cracks that opened a canyon below her parents and taken them, now threatened to take not only her, but her beloved. Her Demon.

And then the ground opened up and Damian was gone." __________

Damian and Marinette grew up together in the League of Assassins, they fought together like they were one assassin instead of two. They were supposed to rule the underworld, the two most dangerous people in the world. They were betrothed and they loved each other with more of them than they could spare. But when the League falls, Marinette ends up in Paris believing her betrothed to be dead, and Damian ends up in Gotham, thinking the same.

(VERY DIFFERENT FROM CANON)

___________________________________________________________

Marinette Romanova-Sun, daughter of the esteemed Russian assassin Alexandra Romanova and the sorcerer Juliette Sun, granddaughter of the sorcerer supreme and guardian of the miraculous Sensei Wu Sun, heir to be the Guardian of the Miraculous, named second in line to the Demon’s Head and the throne to the League of Assassins, betrothed to Damian Al-Ghul.

Damian Al-Ghul, son of the infamous Chinese-Arabic assassin Thalia Al-Ghul and the vigilante Bruce Wayne, grandson of the feared Ra’s Al-Ghul, heir to the Demon’s Head and the throne to the League of Assassins, betrothed to Marinette Romanova-Sun. 

Marinette and Damian grew up together, trained together, learned to fight together like they were one assassin instead of two. They were the closest thing to soulmates this world had, and it was said they would never part. Her mother, Juliette, said it was magic that blessed them with such a strong bond, Damian’s mother, Thalia, said it was business that brought them together and caused their betrothal. 

They were set to be married when they were twelve, solidifying the union between the Demon’s Head and the Miraculous. Both assassins, though young, felt only bliss at knowing they would be united forever, one undefeatable force. But then… 

Marinette’s skin prickled, burning like the flames around her. The fire was so close now, licking up her legs, burning the skin on her arms, preparing to consume her. And Damian… Damian was too far. She could feel the tremors of ‘Eth Alth’eban below her, cracks forming in the ground she once thought to be unshakeable. The same cracks that opened a canyon below her parents and taken them, now threatened to take not only her, but her beloved. Her Demon. 

And then the ground opened up and Damian was gone. 

Marinette Dupain-Cheng had gotten lucky, really. So few couples were willing to adopt a child who was already so old, and especially one so traumatised. It was expected that she’d travel from foster home to foster home until she turned 18, when she would be thrown out into the world to fend for herself. But Sabine Cheng and Tom Dupain had taken one look at the child and decided she was theirs, willing to take on not only her, but her trauma as well. 

When she awoke screaming of nightmares they couldn’t begin to imagine, they simply held her, rocked her through her terror and her grief, the names of her lost loved ones dripping off her lips like hot wax, burning her inside out. All she noticed those nights was the difference between the arms that encompassed her, and the arms that didn’t. Tom was far too tall and too muscular to cradle her the way her mama had, and Sabine was far too small and petite to grip onto her the way her mom had. And when they left the room, thinking she’d fallen back asleep, she would reach for the dagger under her pillow but never find the smooth metal handle, wouldn’t be able to trace shaking fingers over Damian’s name etched into the cold blade, wouldn’t find comfort in the safety her best friend and her beloved always gave her. 

Marinette had lost herself to her grief, but she, though young, was still a trained assassin. She could pretend. She could slowly carve a permanent smile into pale skin and pretend she was healing, she could dance around every room she entered so they would assume her copious energy meant the nightmares were slowly going away, she could sing and dance and play games, and she could pretend she was Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the happy-go-lucky daughter of two bakers, with naught a problem in the world. 

But she wasn’t, not truly. She was always conscious of the trained habits she didn’t even try to let go of. She still looked for every possible exit when she walked in a room, was conscious of everything around her that she could use as a weapon, she still saw the shadows move in her peripheral vision, her hand twitching for daggers that were no longer there, she still woke up every night with names burning her lips, but her mothers’ arms wouldn’t surround her, and she wouldn’t be able to find Damian’s dagger under her pillow. She may pretend to be Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but she would always be Marinette Romanova-Sun. It was a part of her she couldn’t dig out with the sharpest dagger even if she wanted to. 

But she could hide it. 

In the league, she had taken up art with more passion than even Damian, spending every moment she wasn’t training drawing, crafting, sewing or just thinking about her next design. It was the first thing she took back up after the league fell, throwing herself into the only connection she had to her home and to her beloved. She would sit out on her balcony whether it was 3 degrees or fifty, and she would sketch for hours, her mind transporting her back to the small greenhouse in ‘Eth Alth’eban where she used to sit for hours, pressed against her betrothed as they drew together. Then and now, it kept her mind quiet as her hands worked. The only difference, instead of drawing leather outfits with enough pockets to hold all of her weapons and enough thick padding to shield her body, she was drawing flowy skirts and pink jeans and t-shirts with flower embroidery.  But she could still imagine the solid and comforting press of Damian’s side against hers and the light clinking sound of metal hitting metal as the daggers on their hips hit together as they moved. 

Marinette never escaped her grief, but she slowly started healing. Finding good friends at her new school and hanging out with them on the weekends. Attending martial arts classes, originally intended just to be a cover story for her own skills, but becoming a way for her to spar without the perfection Nyssa always demanded of her. She would play videogames with Tom, papa, and their shared competitiveness would alight a side of her she thought she had lost with the league. As the years passed, her smile still felt stiff on her face and her eyes still drifted to the exits when she entered a room but it became easier to just be Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the happy-go-lucky daughter of two bakers with naught a problem in the world. 

When she turned 13, she walked down the stairs to see her parents holding a massive five-tier cake and all her new friends gathered in their small living room. They all seemed so happy, but she knew what today meant, so she only plastered on a large fake smile and drifted through the day. It was only once everyone had gone home and her parents left her alone that she wandered back upstairs, almost scared of what she knew she’d find. 

The small wooden box didn’t seem so scary on the outside, but Marinette was still terrified of it. She always knew, as a future guardian, she would be a true holder for one of the kwami’s, though she never knew which. Master Wang Fu, the guardian who took over after the death of her grandfather, held the turtle miraculous of protection. The guardian before him, the Sensei Wu Sun, the sorcerer supreme when he lived and Marinette’s grandfather, held Longg, the dragon kwami of perfection. Before him, the guardian held sass, the snake kwami of intuition. Before them, the guardian held fluff, the rabbit kwami of evolution. And going backwards, it was Pollen of subjection, Liiri of Freedom, Xuppu of derision, Trixx of illusion, Wayzz of protection, Nooroo of transmission, and so many more. She could list all 500 guardians that have held the esteemed position right back to the first guardian and what kwami’s they were blessed with. Her mother taught her all of them, made her memorise every guardian and their legacy, every kwami and their strengths and weaknesses, every legend of the miraculous from Plagg’s dinosaur fiasco to the time Duusu ate ice cream for the first time and almost destroyed a city in her delight. She knew every kwami better than she knew her own name, and she knew whatever kwami she would hold would be the truest reflection of her soul. 

For the first time since the night the league fell, Marinette felt the unfamiliar suffocation of fear in her lungs. Maybe a fear that she wouldn’t be perfect, a fear that she wouldn’t be strong enough to be the guardian, or a fear that she would let not only herself down, but her parents, her grandfather, her trainer Nyssa, the current Guardian Wang Fu, Damian, or all of the Kwami’s. This is the moment she had been waiting for her entire life, and suddenly she couldn’t breathe. Damian was supposed to be here, he promised he would stand by her side as she took this step. But Damian was far too far away, and he would never see her fulfil her role as the guardian from where he was. How was she supposed to do this without him? 

She picked the box up slowly, admiring the beautiful etchings on the top that had decorated her childhood. This was always what she was working towards, what Nyssa had trained her for, what she had worked so damn hard to become. First a holder, a hero, then the guardian. Still, it felt like yesterday that she was sitting with Damian in their greenhouse, the thought of the future already weighing heavy on their young minds. Damian would take over his grandfather’s position as the Demon Head and the leader of the league, Marinette by his side as the guardian of the miraculous. They were supposed to be unstoppable, inseparable, together for eternity, reigning as the most dangerous people alive. An army of the most dangerous assassins bowing at their feet and an arsenal of magic like the world had never seen right at their fingertips. Then, it felt like this moment was an eternity away, a lifetime she wouldn’t have the patience to endure. But now that it was here, she wanted nothing more for it to go away again, because the future she dreamed of was gone, Damian was gone, and what was the point without him?

The lid flipped open at the slightest nudge and a bright red light burst through the room, it’s source glowing like a small sun in front of her. Red. Red was the colour of Tikki, the ladybug kwami of creation, one of the two oldest kwami’s, the originals, the most powerful. No guardian had ever held Tikki or Plagg and yet, right in front of her floated the red and black spotted kwami of creation and luck, bowing like she herself wasn’t one half of the most powerful magical source in the universe. 

“Lady Marinette, it is an honour to finally meet you.” Her voice was high and bubbly, but not unpleasant. 

“And I you… Tikki.” The name came out strangled and hesitant, Marinette not quite believing she was addressing her properly, wondering if she should have tacked a ‘lady’, ‘majesty’, ‘great’, or any other high honorific to her name despite never being taught to. She was taught to address the kwami’s by their name, but did that extend to Tikki? The Tikki, Kwami of creation?

“You seem nervous, Lady Marinette,” Tikki observed, staring at her new older with the big blue doe eyes that had witnessed the birth of the universe. Marinette could only dumbly correct her, monotonously stating that she was just Marinette, certainly not a lady, and certainly nothing at all in the face of a god as old and powerful as Tikki herself.

“You’re wrong Marinette, you are much more than you believe. You are the holder of the Ladybug Miraculous, soon to be the guardian of all the miraculous and the kwami’s they hold, and I have hope that one day you will take your rightful position as the sorcerer supreme, like your grandfather before you. It is nothing short of an honour to be in your service.” The god bowed again, and Marinette wondered if she was dreaming. How could this, Tikki, be the truest reflection of her soul? How could she have deserved this? She couldn’t save Damian, she couldn’t save her parents, and yet the universe and Tikki herself believed she was somehow worthy of this honour? 

Tikki seemed to know her thoughts like she had them written above her head, but she only smiled softly, sadly. Marinette appreciated not having to talk about it. 

They duo quickly became a known presence on Paris rooftops, Marinette dressed in a bright red suit that completely differed from the armour she would have worn while fighting for the league. But, it wasn’t the only different thing. With the league, she fought only when necessary and never small battles, with no mercy and leaving no enemy breathing. Tikki taught her the opposite, that true heroes protect everyone regardless of importance, and that meant everything from saving the mayor to rescuing cats out of trees. She also taught her that it was evil to kill, that it was an act of destruction and not creation, of villainy and not heroism. Tikki told her that what she learned during her time under the league, learned from her parents, from Nyssa, from Thalia, and from Ra’s himself, was wrong. It took awhile for Marinette to come around, but nowhere near as long as she was expecting. She had to suffer the consequences of losing everyone she loved, how could she inflict the pain of grief onto others when she knew it so intimately herself? She took Tikki’s advice, and quickly made a vow to never kill again unless in the direst of emergencies. 

Her next issue, of course, was the partner her miraculous came with. It was never intended for her to be given a partner, she was supposed to work alone while in training. But the universe required balance; if the miraculous of creation was active, so must the miraculous of destruction be. It, and he, was frustrating at the best of times, but an easy price to pay for Tikki. He would often join her on patrol, flirting and making terrible jokes that did nothing but drive her head into a wall and distract her when she most needed to focus. Sometimes, she will admit she’s grateful for the company. But most often all she can think about is slamming his skull into the nearest wall just to make the endless chatter stop, like a violent mute button. He’s also inexperienced, which, while not his fault, is a hindrance in battle that’s almost cost them multiple fights and he’s so far proven to be a slow learner. He’s not stealthy in the slightest despite being the only one of them to have a costume suitable for stealth. He’s not the true holder of the cat miraculous, instead the best option, making his bond with the kwami weak and his magic weaker. The biggest asset he’s ever proven to be was the time he literally annoyed the enemies into surrendering (an asset he lost when the power-hungry Hawkmoth decided to come into the fold in an attempt to secure the two miraculous for himself). 

But the worst part… the worst part was his insistent flirting, trying to convince her they were soulmates, constantly asking her on dates, trying to give her flowers, throwing lousy pick up lines at her in battle. And, when he looked at her so adoringly, all Marinette could think about was how the lime green shade of his eyes was nowhere near as divine as Damian’s phthalo emerald eyes. Or how his silly one-liners could never begin to compare to the charm with which Damian made her swoon. How his “M’Lady'' could never give her butterflies like Damian could when he whispered soft endearments to her, deep musings of “Nuri (My Light), Malaki (Angel), Habibi (My Love), Malakti (My Queen), Zahrat Aldam (Blood Flower), Alkhasu Bi (Mine).” The worst part was when Chat Noir would look at her like she painted the sunsets and hung the stars and all she could think about was how deeply she wished Damian was standing in his place. 

After being reminded of how awful canon film is I wrote my own self indulgent version of Batman Vs. Superman. I want the story to be self contained, so no Doomsday or Darkseid forewarning. Warning: Rambling, me being butthurt while high on sugar, really trying to make this a coherent storyline with genuine development, some Bruce x OC moments shut up you demon!

The beginning is the same as in canon with Lois in Africa???Middle East??? With her partner James Olsen trying to resolve a hostage situation. James gets killed trying to protect a hostage, but before anymore are killed Superman comes in and rescues them. He subdues not kill the terrorists but gets into trouble with the intelligence agency for interrupting their mission. This incident reaches the ears of Helen Hunt's character the no-nonsense Senator. However Superman is more concerned for the deceased James and the unharmed hostages than getting in trouble with the government, he feels guilty being unable to save James in time.

After James Olsen's funeral Clark and Lois are unsure what to do next. They decide the best way to honor his memory is continuing their line of working bringing light to troubling issues as well as a troubling rose of villains. They also find out that the terrorists had weapons given to them by Luthor (to protect interests in that region).

Meanwhile, Lex decides to capitalize on the post destruction of Metropolis by launching a smear campaign. He also starts pursuing charitable events to make himself look good in front of the masses. Because of growing negativity towards Supes, Clark starts feeling a lack of confidence but from reassurance from his mom he redirects his focus hero by doing small stuff around Smallville. Gradually the town starts to see him in a far better light but there's still Metropolis and the larger world. Clark goes there to help rebuild. At his job at DP, he gets the chance to interview visiting millionaire Bruce Wayne in Whatever City (not the actual name but a totally different city from Metropolis and Gotham). At the press meeting Bruce is rather cold & not as Clark expected. He's even working with Lex Luthor as part of a business deal, which makes Clark wary as he knows about Luthor's criminal activity.

Superman goes out in a flight to clear his head. While flying around he sees a kid walking on the railroad tracks hy himself with a pair of headphones....and a train steadily approaching! Supes swoops in and saves the kod from being nuked and chastises him for being so reckless. The teenager apologies and introduces himself as Jimmy Olsen (a nephew of the deceased James). He had been listening to music as a way to cope with his uncle's death. They talk for a while and Superman brings Jimmy back home. Several weeks later Clark ends up mentoring Jimmy as a school project.

Back in Whatever City we're introduced to one of Lex's assistants Nicola. She's a former Holliday Girl who had overheard Lex's plan and vowed to stop him. She managed to get in contact with an old friend: Diana Prince. Nicola brings up Lex's plan and hidden research of metahumans. The Amazon surmises that such a scheme could result in the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of people. Diana decides to bring her agency to stop him & asks Nicola to stay low. Diana gathers her old armor and prays to the Gods for luck.

Lex apparently likes Nicola enough to send her an invite to a charity ball, where she crosses paths with Bruce for the first time. They talk for a while only to be interrupted by Clark.

After a meeting with Luthor to discuss a merger with their companies, and seeing hints of Luthor's true selfishness, Bruce grows suspicious of him and started to dig around. We see through memorabilia that his initial coldness towards Clark and other people wasn't out of spite but of grief: Jason Todd's death some years ago.

Clark continues his good deeds and is slowly regaining his respect. He even makes plan to visit a children's hospital but is forced to cancel when Superman gets called to show up for a Congress hearing. At the meeting Superman admits his guilt but tells about James and how he died a hero. The Senator doesn't know where Superman is going with this but is listening. Then Superman's voice trails of as he hears a beeping noise and shocked he leaves the room in a hurry. He briefly searches the place and finds a bomb strapped in a closet. He carries the bomb out and throws it as high into the sky as possible Back inside the audience and senator are bewildered by his absence then hear a loud booming noise outside. There's shock as a bright light flashes in the sky...

Superman legit rejected their hearing to save them from a bomb. A bomb planted there by Tess on the instructions of Luthor...a plan she was willing to sacrifice her own life for.

This leaves the senator reconsidering her stance: if he really was as bad as people say then he wouldn't have saved them.

After the incident the entire country begins to have a more positive opinion of Superman while the government launches a search for possible terrorists. Bruce hears about what happened and after sneaking around as Batman, finds out about Luthor being the one responsible for the attempted terror attack. Later on he (as civilian) makes an announcement that he is not going to go through with the merger with LexCorp.

Hearing the news that Superman foiled his attempted assassination (and losing out on Wayne Enterprises), Lex gets very pissed off and threatens to fire Tess. She tries to save face by reminding Lex of his contingency plan...making Lex calm down and grin as he begins to remake his plan.

Nicola agrees to a date with Bruce and prepares. Meanwhile Lois and Jimmy are enjoying a night on the town while Clark stays behind to work on a news story. The two friends were about ti make it back to their hotel before being accosted by some men who force them into a car and takes them to Lex Corp.

At the HQ Lois calls him out that his plan could spell doom for the world. Surprisingly Luthor agrees but makes it clear he doesn't care. He orders his men to capture her, but Jimmy manages to escape and goes off to find Clark (who is writing a story to expose Luthor's actions). Jimmy tells him learns from him that Lois is in trouble Superman tells him to stay as he fetches the police. In reality he jas gone to find her as his hero alias. He finds her but just as he's about to rescue her Lex threatens that he also has another certain someone (Martha Kent ) captured if he doesn't comply, seeing that Supes was often seen visiting her. Reluctantly Superman complies and Lois is freed from her bonds, yet Lex takes them as hostages to a room lined with Green Kryptonite. He leaves to his warehouse to check on progress of his prototype. Jimmy wonders where Clark has gone and goes to the police station himself.

On their date Bruce mentions to Nicola that he knows what she's up to. Nicola coldly replies what was he talking about and he mentions Lex's actions and her possible status as an accomplice This starts a spat leading to Nicola spilling that she is working against Lex (making her a foil to the blindly loyal Tess) and that her goal was to stop Lex from unleashing his plan. She already called a friend to help them yet when Bruce presses forward they see a kid (Jimmy) wandering around and concerned asks what's wrong. Jimmy replies that his friend was kidnapped and doesn't know what to do. Bruce leaves to find Clark while Nicola stays with Jimmy.

Nicole & Jimmy arrives back at the hotel and sees Tess Mercer waiting for them. She had been sent by Luthor to eliminate the witness. Nicola tries to talk her coworker out of harming an innocent kid but Tess refuses. They duel but Tess proves to be a surprisingly stronger fighter. Before Tess could come in for the kill a frightened Jimmy knocks her out cold from behind.

At HQ Lois & a weakened Superman attempt an escape. Lois believes its hopeless but Clark reminds her that Lex won't put them down for long. Batman arrives at the HQ and stealthily avoids the guards. He deduces the room Lois and Supes are locked up in and free them. Batman says thay a little birdie told him everything Lois and Clark grinning that it's Jimmy and the two superheroes decide to work together to bring down Lex.

Batman goes to save Martha (the warehouse fight) while Superman goes to confront Lex, dropping Lois off at the hotel where rhe police are waiting (Tess apprehended). Nicola researcher offers to take the reporter home but she declines, not wanting to sit back and watch Lex try to destroy the world. After giving her report to the police she and Nicole meet Steven Trevor (a descendant of Steve Trevor and an agent). Steven says he already sent his men to arrest Lex as they found that he waa behind the bombing. Lois sneaks away to see if she can help Clark.

Clark manages to catch uo to Lex at his lab and tries to reason with him. Lex says that he already unleashed his prototype as a test to see how many lives Superman is able to save. Superman argues that Lex has gone mad trying to play god, which he disagrees: "I'm not playing god I'm only playing favorites is all." Disgusted, Superman leaves and goes off to fight the prototype. As he does an entire line of trucks arrive...led by Nicola's special friend...

Lex realizes he has been found out and tries to destroy the evidence. Lois realize that the monster was made of Kryptonian DNA so she looks around for the spare Kryptonite and manages to grab a considerable long piece. Just as she does the place starts flooding and she runs. However she nearly drown. Fortunately she gets pulled out by a woman wearing armor. Lois doesn't even ask her name as she recognizes the W shaped emblem and blue&red color scheme. Lois gives the heroine the spear and tells her that she says she loves Clark. Wonder Woman nods and heads towards the direction of Superman.

Superman draws the monster out away from the city and is helped by Batman. Wonder Woman arrives with the spear. The final battles commences with Batman providing a distraction to lead the prototype away. Diana and Superman fight the beast but is soon overpowered. Clark takes the makeshift spear and goes off and manages to subdue the creature rather unwilling to kill it. However he gets blown up by a missile sent by the US military and everyone thinks he is dead.

To his he walks out of the smoke, banged up but alive, having narrowly escaped the blast. The monster has died, leaving Clark to wonders sadly if the monster could have been saved as it had no control over its actions. A relieved Lois embraces him as the other two supers look on in bittersweet triumph.

Several days later, the President, on the behest of the Helen Hunt Senator, gives Superman a full pardon. The world also starts to see rising of actual superheroes to take in the increase of villains having been inspired by the actions of the newly dubbed Trinity. The ending shows that long term exposure to Kryptonite left Lex without any hair, cementing his iconic look. He had also beem arrested and tried and ends up locked up at a mental institution on an insanity plea. His other henchmen & Tess are jailed and Luthor's company scrambles to do damage control. Bruce catches up to Clark and apologizes for being cold. They part ways on better terms before musing at the similarities between their alter egos. Diana teases that they make a great team and returns to the capital with her team. Bruce returns to Gotham and stops at the cemetery to place flowers on Jason Todd's grave, showing that he moved to the acceptance stage of grief. Jimmy also ends up getting a job as an intern for Daily Planet with Lois as his mentor this time. And Nicola goes to Gotham to work as a social worker and takes up a case: Cassandra Cain.

The final scene ends with Clark as Superman dressed up in Metropolis visiting a local orphanage/foster home, showing that at his core he truly does care about humanity despite all them haters. 👏👏 👏 happy ending everyone!!!

The movie ends with a montage of

- Cyborg walking around aimlessly in his hometown and finding a discarded newspaper highlighting the heroes' exploits and getting the idea to try becoming a hero himself

- Aquaman in his kingdom catching up with the surface world and becoming curious, and wonders about an alliance

- Barry standing in a hill in his city in costume. He grins and smiles, before pulling over his cowl and racing off

- And Lex, plotting an escape from his cell, suddenly sees a peculiarly tall guard looming over him. He makes a digging comment that the guard shrugs off. To his surprise the guard unlocks the cell and leads Lex out. Lex asks who the guard is; the guard slips off his disguises revealing a sapient Gorilla...Gorilla Grodd!

All This sets up a future plot point that wouldn't be explored until after Justice League where we're introduced to the cinematic LEGION OF DOOM!!! The prototype they fight is not doomsday but foreshadows the creation of Bizarro (who was one of the original members of the LoD).

With the actual Justice League movie we continue with the formation of the team through several subplots converging into one major story arc. The Helen Hunt Senator plays a huge role being their ally and influence on building the Hall of Justice. Plus more Brucola stuff because we need fun stuff in Batman, Tom King.

Hope

Tw : self-harm mentions, attempted suicide, bleeding

I lie. Still. Not telling the truth.

The blood pours, but I deny pain. It trickles down, below my navel, runs the width and length of my right arm. The crimson red pools on the ground, the white hot tarmac, like spilled ketchup.

The plan failed.

Part of me is swamped with guilt, the feeling long gone from the sketches of my very existence. I haven't felt it for eons, the stab of a knife in my gut, twisting until it hits its mark. Bullseye.

The other part swims and drowns in regret. Regret and guilt are closely intertwined, but different. You can regret, but not feel guilt. You can also be guilty, but spared from regret.

I didn't mean to take lives. I didn't want to. But as one of the Darker Beings, they expected you to. Why resist something expected of you? Something so many of your kind are already doing with no qualms?

My guilt stems from my betrayal of my friends. But life isn't fair, we don't get to choose what or who we want to be. We can only accept what we are given and move on.

The expression on his countenance is still etched firmly in the dredges of my mind. Her shock too. So many of them. Not the friends. So the right word should be 'much'. Much shock, much hostility, much aggression. Of course, I didn't expect them to understand. They were born Lighter Beings. It was always Good versus Evil, and the latter would always be defeated no matter what. Who ever watched a movie where Evil triumphed? That would take the fun out of it and probably insert terror and unsatisfaction in its place.

This world has been stigmatised too much to be changed. And too few of us want it. Who would want change, in a world where ninety-nine percent of the odds are against you and you've already gotten used to it? Not to mention hope for it. That would be foolish.

Extremely foolish.

The Chief had wanted blood on our hands tonight, as a test. I know, I do admit, blowing up a building full of innocent children was too cruel. I wasn't given a choice. We all weren't. Maybe the Chief had a choice, maybe he didn't. Maybe he thought he was supposed to always do this. I can hear the clamouring at the back of my mind, screaming and yelling, "Ridiculous!"

Who are you to speak, if you are not one of us?

Whether blood did get on our hands tonight was a totally separate matter. What actually mattered was the defeat, which could be counted as a relief. The ones who had come with me had done their job well. Thrown the bombs well. Aimed, deft, precise accuracy. Almost deadly. Sharp like a sword. A flash of lightning and a peal of thunder.

Their encouragements still rang in my ears. I threw. I had thrown. Launched the black object like a curled up bat into the air, through the glass windows into the facility. It took only thirty seconds to detonate once released.

I heard the babies crying and shots from below. Honestly, I couldn't find it in my heart to blame them. I only watched, unwilling to betray my own kind, as those posted on the mission together with me attacked. I stayed up in the air, hovering, like a dark guardian angel.

He was below, battling fiercely while the others rushed in to get the babies. A slight twinge had tugged at my heartstrings, something so foreign to me I had almost forgotten it. It was a memory, something stronger, a fragment of the past always slipping past my fingertips like sand in an hourglass. Back when we were kids, back before the segregation, back before everything else that divided and conquered.

He had been my first true love, and still is. I had willed my resolve not to crumble there and then. The aches remained and flared, the smoke from their flames rising and intertwining into a monster in front of me. Porous, unreal. A living epitome of me.

My soul had risen into the air, cut itself out of my real physique, and watched silently as I dove down, slicing a spiral out of thin vapour. It took only seconds before my body collided with his, knocking his hands off my allies. The word tasted bitter in my mouth now, apart from the metallic sting of blood and the salty wash of tears and rainwater. I had watched the astonished, stung look on his dirt-streaked face, then fought against the longing in my heart. This was a good chance to win, to cut it all off once and for all. Human emotion was a tricky thing, not to be toyed with.

I haven't toyed with it for a while.

Even so, the years spent in numbness and coldness were for naught. I had felt the sprigs of flowers blooming inside my bosoms, threatening to unfurl their petals and burst in a radiant splash of colours. But before they could, I bit down hard on my tongue, tightened the iron fist, and rammed into him with all my might and force of my wings, sending him crashing into the glass behind.

The hurt and agony was something I would never forget, even as I lie, almost dying, on the pavement.

They had gotten the children out, fortunately. My allies had gotten away before the bombs had exploded in a fury of volcanic ash and red-hot lava. My wings had gotten burned, their black edges charred even further until the feathers singed and littered the ground. They had once been white, soft vanilla cream, until the segregation. And now they remained inky, jet-black.

The grit tasted hard between my molars and I spat it out, along with a mouthful of fresh red blood. Now I could feel it, the raw pain and anguish. A remembrance of human emotion. I clung to it in my last breaths, reluctant to let go of something I once had that made me human, something that defined me as virtuous and morally upright. Had defined me.  

Now, no more.

I might have killed him. Murder. Assassination.

A lump formed in my throat and bobbed quietly. Why wasn't I dead yet? When would the descent to Hell begin? Angels, or Demons, come and take me away. I want to leave without any struggle. I have played my part in this horrific world, branded myself as Evil, now ruined by my own doing.

This was what I deserved.

The world around me blurred, coalesced into water and sharpness. The mist came, and left, and everything was crystal-clear again. Too clear. Each breath was harder now, the intake much more difficult. It was coming, I could feel it. Death arriving on my doorstep, ready to take me away to where I belonged. I would make its job quicker and more efficient.

The knife blade felt cool in my hands. I remember feeling it thousands of times before, the edge cutting into my soft skin, the blade ripping through, drawing just a tinge of blood, not enough to kill me. And then whenever I began to feel human emotions again, I would rip it through again, patch it up, and continue. Until I became a living breathing block of ice, unfeeling. With no feeling came no pain. That was what I had come to realise over time.

But this time, I wouldn't just be drawing a tinge of blood. My eyes took in the world above me – the shattered glass, the wails of babies, the shouts and yells ricocheting all above. Large wings flapping, white against the night sky. I hoped he was fine, I hoped they were all fine. But what could hope do if he wasn't, if they weren't?

My cold fingers shifted up to the handle. It would just take one plunge into the already bloody area. No pain, and I would just go like that. How ironic, that I had always longed for human emotion, but when I am given the chance to take it back, I don't want to. I want the feelings to spare me before I die.

I shut my eyes, expecting to feel fear encasing me in its shell. Instead, I don't. I feel an otherworldly peace shrouding me in its silent holy veil, draping me in its cloak, caressing the tears and blood from my face. Even Peace took pity on me, this ruined, broken thing longing to leave the surfaces of Earth. I positioned the knife, its shiny blade facing downwards, raised it high above my abdomen.

Then with a determinedness, I brought it rushing down. The air swept above bare skin, bringing with it a tint of frost and chilliness. Flashes, memories, pictures raced before the blackness in front of my closed eyes. Brightness soared in my mind, spreading wings and taking flight as I braced myself for the ensuing farewell.

It never came.

I blinked. The eyelids lifted. A blurred image knelt in front of me. Was this Hell yet? The Demon, Satan, coming to kill me himself? The rain fell harder, disorienting. The edges of wings lay below me, fluttering helplessly as I struggled to discern between living and dying.

That was when I could feel them. Warm fingers, holding mine around the handle. The blade was poking my skin, drawing just a tinge of blood. Even without seeing, I knew who it was and I struggled to remove my fingers from his grasp, desperately wanting to sink the blade into me even more. Anything to get away from cold, hard reality. No one would miss me.

The fingers refused to let go, retained their hold around mine and tightened. The drops of water above hardened their fall. I shut my eyes again, and felt the hands shuddering. Both of ours. Not because of the cold. We were both crying, me and him, while around us, the world lay torn, shredded into pieces.

A white flash of something, like a piece of cloud ripped from a clear blue summer sky of the past. Through the drenching cold rain, I thought it was his wings, burning with a light and righteous glory of their own. But no, they were a normal shaking white, encased with streaks of blood amongst the dripping feathers. Warm energy flowed from his hands to mine, and I turned slightly to look at my outspread wings. I forced my unseeing eyes to take in their shining surfaces, white slowly pooling in from the edges.

The tears came, now free-flowing like the rain, down my wet bloodied cheeks. He was hoping in me. It had been hope all along, that fuelled him to stop him from killing myself; hope that allowed me to hesitate in the last few seconds of throwing the bomb, praying for a chance to redeem myself; hope that gave me those last few moments of hesitation before plunging the knife in, wanting someone to come and untangle me from this ruined world as an alternative ending.

It was hope that almost killed us, but also brought us back to life, even stronger than before. It was hope that nurtured love, and love that nurtured hope. The two caught in an endless cycle.

"Hope, now!"

The thunder was loud, deafening, a splitting crackle of electricity above and the rain its tears, pitter-pattering down. Yet I could hear him over the crash, his voice ragged and hoarse and desperate. And hope I did. Our fingers intertwined tighter, palms pressed together, the handle of the knife between us.

An amalgamation of emotions came crashing onto my shores, flooding the gates of my memory.

First was Happiness, like a bite into the sweetest chocolate cake, fresh out of the oven, baked by my mother.

Second came Pride, like clinching a trophy in a competition.

Third was Anger, its red-hot flames washing over me, devouring all my senses in its explosions.

Then came Disappointment, with the disappeared notion of believing something good was about to happen only to have it snatched away from you, right under your nose.

Guilt, with its sting in the gut, sharp and raw, tearing into your conscience like a monster burrowing underground.

Sadness, with its poignancy and something broken deep inside, breaking the dam of tears.

Then Disgust, mud on clean carpets and all over pretty white shirts and dresses.

Regret, replaying the same scene ten different times in your head, each playing out differently, but having apologies as one thing in common.

Hope, its wings spreading to embrace you, cushioning your fall, believing that you can fly.

The hands clenched tighter and sparks flew. The glow around me lightened considerably, a halo around two figures crouching under a lightning-split sky.

Last came Love, a burst of cherry blossoms and rose petals fluttering all around you, the sweet fragrance of honey and clean washed clothes.

His lips came down on mine, gently, almost as if unable to believe that it was happening. Hope could make anything happen. The brushing of a feather, light as breath, the rainwater and blood and tears mingling into one dark bitter taste, overcome by the sweet pleasantness of touch and intimacy. Using up the last of my energy, I returned the kiss, lips pressed against each other, hard and firm and safe, yet soft and dream-like and humane at the same time.

To love and to be loved were things I had yearned for for as long as I could remember.

Now, I could feel my body burning, my wings heating up and flaring out with a brilliance never felt before. The white swirling faster and faster behind my eyes was now dotted with numerous black spots, tightening into a circle of white and black.

I hoped for Change, and the change it would in turn bring into the world, like a rippling effect of pebbles on still water.

The circle spun faster, dancing on the edge of my vision, white-washed waves painted with black. Would Good and Evil truly coexist together?

A flash, darkness, then light. Freshness of petrichor in the air, and then once more, the airy feel of new spring raindrops against skin. I opened my eyes, noticing the wings first. Black and white. Both his and mine. Together, two colours on the same pair of wings, a mixture of colours filled in in startlingly intricate tones and patterns.

Hope had brought us together. But more than that, it meant that this destroyed world had a chance of being healed after all.

Do you have any fics with Jason just being a Bro™️? Or any with him rejoining the family after UTRH?

For the sake of this post not being too long, I am going to rec only one fic or series from an author, but all of these authors are great writers so I recommend checking their other works as well. Hope you will enjoy this fics as much as I do!

1. Jason and Damian being bros

1.1 Bet on it by Lysical  

Even Damian could admit that his older siblings occasionally had their uses. __

"I need your assistance," Damian said, voice low and tense.

"No," Jason replied, and hung up.

Short but adorable story of Jason helping out Damian to hide something from their father, just like big brothers out to do.

1.2 Cracked Foundation by Cdelphiki    

The last thing Damian expected to happen when he ran away from home was to spend a day crammed into a small space with Jason Todd.  His father's second son was a black sheep.  An outcast.  An angry, insanity driven criminal who enjoyed screwing with the batfamily in every way he could. At least, that's what Damian thought.  Maybe he was wrong about Todd.

Perfect hurt/comfort with a lot of family feels and Damian and Jason bodning. Bonus points: Jason actually apologizing for shooting him; exploration of Bruce’s relationships with them both too.

1.3   Good Grief by lysiabeth                

“I know who you are, you know. I got my degree at GCU.” The girl says, eyes boring into Jason’s chest as if the red bat were still plastered on it, and Jason’s back stiffens.

“Right.” Jason’s teeth click together as he closes his mouth. He’s eighteen-hundred miles out from Gotham, and of all the Goddamn vet centres he could have broken into it’s probably the only one around that knows anything about his city.

WIP with 8K words so far but worth early reading and bookmarking/subscribing. Case fic, plus Damian and Jason bonding as siblings through Talia? Leviathan also plays a part in this story? Hell yeah.

1.4 Jason and the Three Terrors by Cdelphiki                

One moment, Jason was peacefully sleeping, perfectly content with his life with the League of Assassins.  Okay, so maybe not content content, but he wasn't unhappy, either.  Then Talia woke him up at 2 am, threw three children at him, and told him to get them to America and far away from Ra's al Ghul.

What the fuck.

The last thing he wanted was to see Bruce. But with three brats relying on him and no Talia, there weren't many options for sanctuary. He just didn't expect the kids to grow on him so much in two short weeks.

A superb AU where Jason helps Damian escape League of the Assassin (against his wishes and with two unwanted additions to boot, which is half the pleausure). They aren’t brothers, stictly speaking, at the start of the fic, but become them as the story progresses.

It’s a WIP but it has 50K already and it will be so much more. I am excited with every update and I’m sure you’re gonna be, too.

2. Jason being a brother to Cassandra

2.1 Nests and Cages series by LanternWisp, Lysical starting with Needles or Pins  

Jason Todd's journey back to the Batfamily. Takes place in the Frankenstein's monster of a canon I've stitched together. Each plot is rather self-contained, but the fics do flow into one another

Jay and Cass are bio siblings, and Jason’s slow return to the fold. I love this series, and I think it’s one of the greatest take on Lady Shiva being Jason’s mother too.

2.2 Didymous  by   Hinn_Raven

Didymous: adjective: growing in pairs or twins.

Cassandra and Jason are born twins, raised by their father to be killers. Two heads are better than one.

It’s a great AU with Jay and Cass being biological siblings.

2.3 the patron saint of the lost causes series by evanescent

Pre-Flashpoint AU based on canon what-if Lady Shiva was not only Cassandra's biological mother, but Jason's, too. Mostly focuses on Cass and Jason's relationship, and how that fact changes the dynamics in Batfamily.

It is also a great series with Cass and Jay being biological siblings and I recommend reading every fic of this series.

2.4 Rebirth by Ionaperidot                

"The boy is clearly ill, and while she’s almost certain that he is, impossibly, Jason Todd, almost is not good enough. She can’t drop heartbreak on her beloved’s doorstep, and she can’t run the necessary tests when Damian is vulnerable to her father’s wrath. There’s no way around it. He’ll have to come home with her."

Unexpectedly in charge of a second son, Talia struggles to raise her children without unwanted attention from the Demon's Head.

An AU where Talia is the one who unites Cass and Jason. It also contains Damian, and he’s a little brother to them both.

3. Jason and Duke being bros

3.1 Bats are Dorks by   Reah22                

Duke hadn’t meant to literally trip and fall on to Jason. He really hadn’t. For the record, he blamed Steph. It was probably one of her old pranks that she forgot to take down. That, or she deliberately left it up for someone to trip over in the dark.

Just Duke and Jason, hanging out. Super nice.

3.2 oh, where do i begin? by LazuliQuetzal

“No, no, nothing’s wrong,” Jason says. “We’re a-okay. Just peachy. Good times.”

“Oh,” Duke says, lamely, working himself out of crisis mode. There’s an awkward silence for a moment before he speaks up again. “Why did you call?”

“Right, right," Jason mumbles, which seemed a little out of character to Duke. His sort-of wayward brother was generally intimidating, even when he wasn't trying to be. "Uh, Dick said that you had a guinea pig when you were younger. How do you take care of a guinea pig?” _____

AKA, not-exactly accidental guinea pig acquisition

Absolutely adorable short story about Jason going to his little brother for advice.

3.3 rockstar au series by addiebey starting with disconnect:

jason and duke bond. dick just doesn't get it, but what's new?

Another great no-capes AU. Only two fics from the series, both under 1k, are focused on Duke and Jason, but they are so great. The whole series is, actually, though it’s not finished. I am just grateful even this much exists, but I am definitely bookmarking and subscribing it in case there will be more. Please give this series the attention and praise it deserves.

There are, alas, not many Duke and Jason-centered fics. Though there is another one I wanted to recommend, about Jason training Duke, but I can’t find it for some reason. It was short and funny, and if anyone recognizes this description, I would be glad if you told me.

4. Jason and Dick being bros

4.1 i was naive and hopeful and lost by heroics (figure8)

Clark and Bruce take in a troubled teen.

The The Fosters AU no one asked for.

It’s a part of the series which is one of the best no-capes AU I’ve read, if not the best, and it’s a great family-focused fic with a good parent Bruce. The road for Jason to become Dick’s and the rest of the kids’ brother is slow but greatly written.

4.2 To Reconcile by CasualDanger      

“Babs slapped me at your funeral.”  Jason goes to laugh, but it’s just a cough and his mouth barely even twitches up.  “She hated me in that moment.  I mean, really, really hated me, like I did Talia after I found out Damian had died.  And I wondered,” his voice cracks, eyes glassy now, “did you hate anyone when I was gone?  Because I was gone?”

Short and emotional fic where Dick and Jason open up to each other during pressing circumstances.

4.3  Five Times Dick Grayson Read about Jason Todd in the Newspaper by Engineerd              

If Dick hadn’t been special ordering the Gotham City Gazette, he wouldn’t have found out for - well. Years, at this rate.

Short and very full of emotion story. I love the exploration of Dick’s almost unchanging attitude toward Jason - well, unchanging right before the last time he would read about him (or almost the last time). They’re not really close here, and won’t grow closer, but sometimes siblinghood is like that.

4.4 The View From Jade by lowflyingfruit                

Being transported to the past is not the sort of thing one normally expects. But this having happened, and with no easy way back, Jason's determined to make the most of it. Though the Bat still stalks Gotham's streets, the city's crime is run by the mobs instead of the rogues. There's no Joker yet.

There's no Robin.

Maybe there shouldn't be.

Time Travel Jason&Dick focused AU! One of the best time travel fics where they actually change stuff even if it doesn’t transit to their universe - for exception of their more strong brotherly relationships.

5. Jason and Stephanie being bros

5.1 this time, the loser wins by parkerstorms

They were two sides of the same coin.  They understood each other.  It was nice.  It was a downright relief.  She’d never had a big brother before.

There’s not a lot of Jason and Steph being bros stories I have not mentioned before, but this one is one of them, and a great one too.

6. Jason and Tim being bros

6.1 Bonding Habits of Robins by  GoAwayOlivia                

Giving each other shit is how the bat brothers show they care. Jason and Tim do it particularly well.

It’s a funny and nice fic with exactly what’s said in the summary.

There’s a lot of fics with Jason and Tim being bros but my memorie went blank when I tried to recall. Which is not a statement about their relationships or quality of fics that depict them, it’s just sometimes my memory doesn’t work properly. This is the case with the Jason and Steph, too. As soon as I remember or discover new fics about their relationships, I am going to update this post or maybe create a new one just for the three of them. We’ll see!

7. Batfam Jason-featured sibling relationships

7.1 If the Sky Comes Falling Down (For You)  by  lurkinglurkerwholurks

or, 5 times Jason Todd saved his siblings... and one time they saved him.

It was only by luck that Jason was still there when the bodies came crashing down the street. Bad luck, he would argue. He could hear them long before he could see them, their bodies preceded by the thunderous pounding of boots of asphalt and shouted curses. Three or four figures flashed by his little alleyway, a tight mob followed by a lone, slender figure in a streaming cape.

Summary speaks for itself. It’s a gradual description of Jason slowly coming back to the family after UtRH and starting feeling like their brother.

7.2  this is a long drive (for three robins who don't agree on much) by   drakefeathers

(Bad Robins road trip AU!) Steph’s trip home to Gotham takes a huge detour thanks to Jason and Damian’s conflicts with airport security. She’s stuck driving the two brothers cross-country to reach Tim’s wedding in time.

Damian, Jason & Steph bonding road trip AU that warms your heart. Seriously, if you like any of these characters, you read this.

7.3 on a thin chain of moments and something like faith series  by irnan

Jason really oughta know better than to talk to Bats.

Jason bonding with both Steph and Cass! Love it. It’s fluff and angst, which is hard to pull off together, but it works here. It also, in places, incredibly funny. I love re-reading it from time to time.

7.4   Tremor by  LueurdeLaube              

Nobody can tell Jason Todd that joking about his own death is not a valid coping mechanism.

Not about Jason being a bro per se but about Batfam and Jason so I hope it counts!

7.5. the lost sidekick society by  redtruthed                

The batkids make a group chat.

Chaos ensues.

One of the best groupchat AU for Batfam.

2020 Historical Fiction, & their pretty book covers

The Deep by Alma Katsu

Someone, or something, is haunting the Titanic. This is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the passengers of the ship from the moment they set sail: mysterious disappearances, sudden deaths. Now suspended in an eerie, unsettling twilight zone during the four days of the liner's illustrious maiden voyage, a number of the passengers - including millionaires Madeleine Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim, the maid Annie Hebbley and Mark Fletcher - are convinced that something sinister is going on . . . And then, as the world knows, disaster strikes. Years later and the world is at war. And a survivor of that fateful night, Annie, is working as a nurse on the sixth voyage of the Titanic's sister ship, the Britannic, now refitted as a hospital ship. Plagued by the demons of her doomed first and near fatal journey across the Atlantic, Annie comes across an unconscious soldier she recognises while doing her rounds. It is the young man Mark. And she is convinced that he did not - could not - have survived the sinking of the Titanic . . .  

Riviera Gold by Laurie R. King

Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes turn the Riviera upside-down to crack their most captivating case yet in the New York Times bestselling series that Lee Child called "the most sustained feat of imagination in mystery fiction today."

It's summertime on the Riviera, where the Jazz Age is busily reinventing the holiday delights of warm days on golden sand and cool nights on terraces and dance floors. Just up the coast lies a more traditional pleasure ground: Monte Carlo, where fortunes are won, lost, stolen, and hidden away. So when Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes happen across the Côte d'Azur in this summer of 1925, they find themselves pulled between the young and the old, hot sun and cool jazz, new friendships and old loyalties, childlike pleasures and very grownup sins...

The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards

A world at war. A beautiful young star. A mission no one expected. Paris, 1944 Celebrated singer Genevieve Dumont is both a star and a smokescreen. An unwilling darling of the Nazis, the chanteuse’s position of privilege allows her to go undetected as an ally to the resistance. When her estranged mother, Lillian de Rocheford, is captured by Nazis, Genevieve knows it won’t be long before the Gestapo succeeds in torturing information out of Lillian that will derail the upcoming allied invasion. The resistance movement is tasked with silencing her by any means necessary—including assassination. But Genevieve refuses to let her mother become yet one more victim of the war. Reuniting with her long-lost sister, she must find a way to navigate the perilous cross-currents of Occupied France undetected—and in time to save Lillian’s life.

A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn

Veronica Speedwell and her natural historian colleague Stoker are asked by Lady Wellingtonia Beauclerk to help with a potential scandal so explosive it threatens to rock the monarchy. Prince Albert Victor is a regular visitor to the most exclusive private club in London, known as the Club de l'Etoile, and the proprietess, Madame Aurore, has received an expensive gift that can be traced back to the prince. Lady Wellie would like Veronica and Stoker to retrieve the jewel from the club before scandal can break. Worse yet, London is gripped by hysteria in the autumn of 1888, terrorized by what would become the most notorious and elusive serial killer in history, Jack the Ripper--and Lady Wellie suspects the prince may be responsible. Veronica and Stoker reluctantly agree to go undercover at Madame Aurore's high class brothel, where another body soon turns up. Many secrets are swirling around Veronica and the royal family--and it's up to Veronica and Stoker to find the truth, before it's too late for all of them.

Crossings by Alex Landragin

Crossings is an unforgettable and explosive genre-bending debut--a novel in three parts, designed to be read in two different directions, spanning a hundred and fifty years and seven lifetimes. On the brink of the Nazi occupation of Paris, a German-Jewish bookbinder stumbles across a manuscript called Crossings. It has three narratives, each as unlikely as the next. And the narratives can be read one of two ways: either straight through or according to an alternate chapter sequence. The first story in Crossings is a never-before-seen ghost story by the poet Charles Baudelaire, penned for an illiterate girl. Next is a noir romance about an exiled man, modeled on Walter Benjamin, whose recurring nightmares are cured when he falls in love with a storyteller who draws him into a dangerous intrigue of rare manuscripts, police corruption, and literary societies. Finally, there are the fantastical memoirs of a woman-turned-monarch whose singular life has spanned seven generations. With each new chapter, the stunning connections between these seemingly disparate people grow clearer and more extraordinary. Crossings is an unforgettable adventure full of love, longing and empathy.

Conjure Women by Afia Atakora

A mother and daughter with a shared talent for healing—and for the conjuring of curses—are at the heart of this dazzling first novel Conjure Women is a sweeping story that brings the world of the South before and after the Civil War vividly to life. Spanning eras and generations, it tells of the lives of three unforgettable women: Miss May Belle, a wise healing woman; her precocious and observant daughter Rue, who is reluctant to follow in her mother's footsteps as a midwife; and their master's daughter Varina. The secrets and bonds among these women and their community come to a head at the beginning of a war and at the birth of an accursed child, who sets the townspeople alight with fear and a spreading superstition that threatens their newly won, tenuous freedom. Magnificently written, brilliantly researched, richly imagined, Conjure Women moves back and forth in time to tell the haunting story of Rue, Varina, and May Belle, their passions and friendships, and the lengths they will go to save themselves and those they love

Seven Devils

Part Five of the All’s Not Fair in Love and War Series

Characters: Dean Winchester, Fem! Reader, Sam Winchester, Charlie, John Winchester, Fem! Reader, Rowena, Crowley

Wordcount: 2,317

A/N- You’ve waited long enough. enjoy, luvs!

Summary: Y/N finally reveals herself, her mission, but everything could be put in jeopardy when the unexpected forces her to make a choice.

Warnings- Implied sexual assault, very briefly mentioned. Death by gallows.

                 “Y/N. Y/N MacLeod.” The silence that followed the words was deafening, Crowley staring agape. “You’re bloody jesting.” He denied instantly. You smirked, shaking your head. “No. You came to my home, to Innisfree, and you slaughtered almost the entire royal family. All except one, the youngest princess, who disguised herself as a peasant and spent many years serving the man that destroyed her life. She was beautiful, and caught your eye. You stole her away to your chambers, and then forgot about her. Then I was born. My mother died in childbirth, but I carry her legacy, and her title.” You said darkly. “Impossible!” Crowley snapped. “Oh, but it is the truth, Fergus, and now, I will be the one to burn your kingdom to ash.” You smiled, a hunger for revenge alight in your eyes. “I should kill you here and now, and be done with it,” you mused, stepping closer with an assessing gaze, “but that would be merciful. No, you’ll live, and when I reclaim my throne and wash my hands in the blood of your subjects and soldiers, you will watch, watch as your own daughter dismantles all that you hold dear.” Crowley paled considerably, scowling and struggling in his bonds. “So, for now, I leave you to your cell. I am truly so glad we were able to talk, father.” You spat. You turned on your heel, ignoring Crowley’s enraged threats and the insults he hurled at you.

             You were ready, already stealing away to a hidden exit in the building, prepared to make your escape, when a loud commotion made you pause. The king’s guard were all rushing in one direction, and echoing through the halls was the sound of metal clashing on metal, the air suddenly charged with tension. Crowley’s people had come to free him, and they would cut through every living soul for fun. “Sam, you must go, and take Jessica!” An all-too familiar voice shouted, your heart racing. Dean. Of course, he had to be the hero every time. You had a mission, a vital task that your entire kingdom depended on you for. If you turned around, you knew well that you would never be able to leave. But if you left, knowing the odds were so stacked against Dean, you didn’t think you could forgive yourself. The shouts and sound of battle grew louder and louder, and for a moment, everything became clear, and you knew what you had to do.

              “Stop! Touch him and I swear I shall kill you!” You snarled viciously, a sword you’d stolen from the body of a dead soldier in your hand. The man that had been holding a knife to Dean’s throat hesitated as he saw the death promise blazing in your eyes, the unrestrained fury and hatred burning there. “Why should I take such an order from you?” The man spat. “For one, because I will not hesitate to slay you where you stand, and you would be dead before your wretched companions could so much as move,” you started, eyes narrowed, “and for another, because I have command of you and your legions by birthright.” No one moved, Dean’s shocked green eyes snapping to you. “What?” “By your law and custom, you are bound to the ruling of the MacLeod bloodline, and thus, to me. I am Y/N MacLeod, Queen of Innisfree, The Morrigan, The Assassin, and Queen of you, especially since Crowley is otherwise indisposed.” You said. You had played the only card you had left, but the cost weighed heavily, and you met Dean’s eyes finding nothing but betrayal in them. The demon slowly removed the knife, the others exchanging glances, but following the example, especially as your sword remained poised to strike. They knelt, and your expression remained hard, swallowing the guilt down. “Return to your own stronghold, and if a single one of you is found within five kilometres of this land, I shall make an exceptionally gruesome example of you of what happens when I am disobeyed.” You ordered. When no one moved, you stepped closer, sword pressed against the first demon’s chest. “I don’t believe I hesitated.” You growled. They scrambled to leave, not daring to challenge you, knowing well your reputation.

           “Y/N, please tell me you lied.” Dean begged, your eyes closing. “I am so sorry, Dean. I never- I never wanted for this to happen, I-” He shook his head, backing away from you. “This entire time, everything was a lie, all of it part of your plan. I trusted you!” Dean shouted accusingly. “I hope you can understand in time that I did what I had to. I have a kingdom to protect, Dean. This burden was mine, and I had to carry it. Forgive me. I have to go.” You said, voice wobbling with tears building in your eyes. “I understand. But I must protect my kingdom, too, Y/N.” Dean said, your brows furrowing in confusion. “I wish it did not have to be this way.” He sighed heavily. “Dean, I do not understand-” and then you felt it. The presence of someone behind you. John Winchester and his personal guard. You didn’t have the time to run before you were knocked unconscious.

                 You woke in a place that was familiar, immediate terror stealing away the air from your lungs. Stone walls, darkness, and absolute silence. The tomb-like prison you had been incarcerated in before. “No, no, no, no...” You gasped, scrambling to your feet. Through the bars, you saw Dean staring at you. “Dean, please, don’t do this.” You pleaded, thoughts spiraling further into despair. “You betrayed me. You betrayed my people.” “I saved your life!” “And how long would it be before your army came here to lay siege to my palace, Y/N?!” Dean shot back, marching up to the cell. “I would never have hurt you, Dean.” You said, shocked. “How can I believe you? How can I believe a single word you say, when everything, everything you have ever said to me, has been a lie!” He roared, slamming a fist against the wall and immediately regretting it. You flinched at the anger and anguish in his voice. “I told you I was here for my people, Dean! I have been more honest with you than I have been with anyone else in my entire life!” You argued desperately. “I would have helped you, if you had told me. I could have been there for you. Instead you kept it a secret, and I don’t know how many other secrets you have.” Dean swallowed. “The worst part of it is you made me believe you cared for me. Well, if that was your intention, congratulations, Y/N, you made me care for you, too.” He said bitterly, your eyes going wide. “I do care for you. No matter how I cherish you, I cannot let myself stray from my mission. I wanted to, so many times.” You admitted in a whisper. “Please, don’t leave me here. If you truly care for me, don’t leave me here-” “Don’t! Do not attempt to manipulate me, not any longer.” Dean said lowly. “You are to be tried, and sentenced come dawn.” “And if I am sentenced to death?” You asked boldly. “Then I will not be mourning.” He replied. You moved fast, snatching his sword from his side, and held it, but the blade was against your own throat. “Then go ahead, Dean. I would rather die than be trapped here, so if you truly would not mourn, kill me now.” You said, staring into his eyes defiantly, his hand on the hilt of the sword. He shook his head, sheathing the weapon and backing away. “You will be tried for your crimes as is just.” He said. “Crowley is my enemy as well as yours! I can stop him, I can trap he and his men forever! Why will you not help me?” You demanded. “I am to be King one day, Y/N, and my father has told me there are many difficult choices to make. I am commanding my troops and we will take Innisfree under Lebanon’s name, as it is clearly a hostile kingdom and dangerous.” Dean said, not meeting your eyes. You couldn’t breathe. “No, you can’t! My people are innocent, Dean, please! Don’t do this!” You begged, now near sobbing. “I have to. You forced my hand, and with Crowley freed, there is no other way.” He said, turning away with his back to you. “I am not the one who is the traitor, Dean. I was wrong about you. You are exactly like your father.” You choked out, sinking to your knees. He swallowed hard, glad you couldn’t see the agony on his face. He walked out, and you collapsed into your grief.

                  The King and his council, as well as both princes, sat in a line at the raised podium as you were led to the middle of the floor, manacled and clad in irons and chains with multiple armed guards flanking you. The people loudly shouted insults and threats at you, but you remained stoic, the grey light of dawn matching your somber mood. Dean looked everywhere but at you, and as John stood to begin the proceedings of the trial, you kept your gaze steady on him.

               “The jury has come to a unanimous decision. The accused, Y/N MacLeod, is found guilty of treason, murder, espionage, theft, and being part of a dangerous rebellion. The accused is sentenced to...” John paused for dramatic effect, the audience hushed. “Death by the gallows.” John declared. You lifted your chin, as regal as any Queen, the audience cheering. Dean finally met your eyes, looking conflicted. You were led immediately to the gallows, a hooded man already waiting to pull the lever that would seal your fate. 

             “As is tradition, you are permitted last words.” John said. “My death will not be in vain! No matter what you accuse me of, I die knowing I fought with honour against tyrants like you for the freedom of my people!” You said proudly. You met Dean’s eyes, and couldn’t find it in you to hate him. “And no matter the outcome, I would make the same choices all over again.” You said, hoping Dean understood what you meant. The pain in the end was worth the beauty of falling in love for a moment. You turned to John with a satisfied smirk. “I shall see you in Hell.” You promised. He turned red in fury, and you closed your eyes as he turned to the executioner. “Do it-” “Wait!”

            Your eyes snapped open, staring at Dean in confusion. He’d stood from his seat, John and Sam gaping at him while the public watched on. The obedient son, heir to the throne, opposing his father’s orders. And for the thief and assassin condemned to hanging. Dean took several quick and long strides to the gallows, meeting your eyes ashamedly.

             “Wait.” Dean repeated, fists clenched and jaw tight. “She is not the enemy, father, at least not as of now.” “Son, I would advise you to return to your seat-” John gritted his teeth but Dean wasn’t finished pleading his case. “No, father, listen to me. She is the enemy of Crowley, and thus our ally. Her alliance with Crowley’s forces is purely to overthrow the occupants of Innisfree. She is a powerful person to have on our side in this war, father.” Dean said, tone steady but hard and uncompromising. “You can’t mean to say you would side with her.” John said incredulously. “That is precisely what I mean.” Dean didn’t wait for his father’s permission, drawing his sword and cutting through the rope around your neck, making you cough at the sudden intake of air. He met his father’s eyes challengingly as he offered you his hand, John’s gaze flickering between you both in shock. “My son,” John began loudly, “has decided to take full responsibility for the crimes and charges against this murderer. He has sworn that she will be our ally, until the war against Fergus MacLeod ends, or she is met with an untimely death.” John said, cutting a glare your way. “Furthermore, should either of them break the terms, both shall be permanently exiled from these lands on pain of death.” John decreed. Dean’s grip tightened, but he showed no other outward signs of the shock he must’ve felt, while Sam was standing, ready to argue for his brother’s sake. “Is that understood?” John asked. “Perfectly, father. If you would excuse us. The guards are not necessary.” Dean said, bowing mockingly, and leading you away.

           “What are you thinking?!” You demanded as Dean entered his room. “A thank you would suffice, Y/N.” He responded. “For what?! Risking both of our lives?! Do you realize your title is now at risk of being forfeit?” “I won’t have a title if Crowley takes over my kingdom. I was selfish, and I acted on impulse out of hurt, and for that, I truly apologize. I should never have let you be locked away. I am still hurt, and I don’t know if I can trust you,” he frowned, meeting your eyes, “but I cannot pretend what I feel for you has vanished.” “Dean, think about this. I still have a mission I must fulfill.” You said quietly. “I know. None of it matters, not right now. All I need to know is that you and I are on the same side. The rest of it can come later.” He said, eyes warm as he regarded you. “Are we? On the same side?” Dean asked. “Of course we are.” You said, smiling slightly. “Good. Now, we rest, and then we devise a plan.” “You truly think this can work?” “I don’t know. But I would like to hope so.” He said with a smile. You considered him for a long moment, nodding slowly. You believed him.

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Organization: NEW WORLD ORDER

Disclaimer: The subject matter in this bio may be disturbing or touchy in nature. Please do not read if you feel uncomfortable with said subject matter. To those who read, please proceed with caution.

Overview

The New World Order, or also known as Order of Terror but better know to mankind as The Bavarian Illuminati, is allegedly a secret organization controls most government affairs using the Romefeller Family as the main imperial organization base, it also one of the few known organization from Earth affiliated to Grand Multi-Universe Empire, a totalitarian superpower from another dimension.

One of the primary antagonistic factions on both the Magic and Science sides of the world, they have manipulated events from the shadows, since the Bavarian Illuminati is the true organization keeping the Romefeller family active, they are considered to be the true leaders of the Romefeller Foundation.

Its primary objective is to usher in a New World Order in which the elite within the society have complete and utter control of the planet under the control of Diabla, better known as Zayane. They have evaded disclosure of their plans and technologies through their control of the media, but very once in a while, an insider comes out to disclose their testimony of how the society advances its goals. As a conspiracy theory, the term New World Order or NWO refers to the emergence of a totalitarian world government under the thumb of the Romefeller Family. Eventually, their goals changed to extermination of human race. The Bavarian Illuminati was founded by the Magic God Merodach 1900 years ago prior the beginning of Toaru Majutsu no Index.

Despite the fact that Diabla is the current leader, it is unknown who is the true leader; Grand Demon Gaelion, the Dark Emperor of the Grand Empire that is guiding Diabla or Diabla herself.

The Bavarian Illuminati is also an underground organization that controls one-third of the world's economy. It is commanded by Diabla, who regularly send out its elite assassin squad the Numbers on missions. A select amount of prestigious figures such as politicians and businessmen have connections to the organization. Merodach was the true leader of the organization until his death 3 years ago prior the beginning of the story.

It has enormous global influence, surpassing even the power of the United Nations. This power is never used directly however, as Order of Terror prefers to subvert and manipulate other countries and the U.N. and Global Pact Defense to do its bidding.  

The common theme in conspiracy theories about a New World Order is that a secretive power elite with a globalist agenda is conspiring to eventually rule the world through an authoritarian world government—which will replace sovereign nation-states—and an all-encompassing propaganda whose ideology hails the establishment of the New World Order as the culmination of history's progress. Many influential historical and contemporary figures have therefore been purported to be part of a cabal that operates through many front organizations to orchestrate significant political and financial events, ranging from causing systemic crises to pushing through controversial policies, at both national and international levels, as steps in an ongoing plot to achieve world domination.

Before the early 2000s, New World Order conspiracism was limited to two American countercultures, primarily the militantly anti-government right and secondarily that part of fundamentalist Christianity concerned with the end-time emergence of the Antichrist, which is Diabla herself.  Bavarian Illuminati is composed of around 13 different families, each with it´s own goal. These families include Romefeller Family, Nevermind Family, etc. The Bavarian Illuminati are the true organization behind Romefeller Family, what explains why their military is so strong. Most Romefeller technology were created by the Bavarian Illuminati and rivals that of Academy City's due to the origins in which such technology comes from. Echidina Romefeller was once related to the organization but  hates policy making and chooses to stay in the front lines using their technologies to create war, so they can gain money and profit to expand their activities.

History

The secret society was founded in 200 year A.D. by Merodach under Diabla's guidance. An ex-Illuminati programmer named Svali says that they appear to be descendants of the Knights Templar and the Rosicrucians. Merodach gathered many rich families and used her powers to brainwash the main leaders of the families, including the leader of Romefeller Family to join forces. At first, their name was New World, since their goal was to unify the world; the entire world ruled by one government. However, when Merodach died by the hands of Zayane/Diabla after failing an important task, she assumed the post of leader and has been leading ever since.

Methods of Control

According to Juria Romefeller, the Order of Terror control an area through its:

   Banks and financial institutions

Insiders call the Federal Reserve system the Babylonian Money Magic Slave System.

Local government: It don't has direct connection with the government of the world besides Romefeller Family and USA but it has some members hide in the government, using the corruption to let most of poor people to die.

Law: Children are encouraged to go to law school and medical school, so they can keep their activities rolling through society. More workers means more money, more organizations, more industries and more work.

Media: Others are encouraged to go to journalism school, and members help fund local papers. Creating false propaganda, keep people watching TV to keep them away from reality.

Trade: Propaganda of products in TVs, radios and internet. Encourage people to buy more. The use of capitalism in these advertisements is taken to the extreme, because when new products are created, people are encouraged to buy, buying in excess and thus making the organization richer. This money is used to create war weapons and war machines to their future reign.

Slavery: Only the poor forgotten by the law are part of this system. They are slaves of industries and factories that belongs to Romefeller Family and work for 15/7 without salary and are keep in jails to prevent them from escaping. Most of Romefeller Family's bullets are made by their slaves. The slaves only work for the military.

Organization

According to insider Kihara Maiya, the Illuminati is split into three major factions:

   The Nevermind Cartel    The Bolshevik Axis    The Romefeller Rulers

The relations among these factions are in a state of constant flux.

The Nevermind faction typically controls modern U.S. affairs. Much of its wealth comes from the oil industry.

The Bolshevik Axis is controlled by the Romefeller family and is the oldest sector of the Order of Terror

The current Pinder, or leader, of the Bavarian Illuminati is the Romefeller family.

Romefeller meetings are arranged yearly to settle disputes within the organization.

Local Level

They have groups in every major city of the United States and France. They originally entered through Pittsburgh, PA and later built their group in Paris in 1800. The most notable HQ of Bavarian Illuminati is located in the center of Paris, France. The entire district of the Center belongs to Bavarian Illuminati, including all buildings around the main Branch of the Bavarian Illuminati.  

Rituals

Recruitment

In the essence of the initiation ritual and process of becoming an Illuminati, lies a simple thesis: one have to be reborn in order to be accepted. The Myth of Creation is the essence of the process.

It all starts with God, who billions of years ago, had to “commit suicide” in order to be transformed, and reborn. The Illuminati believe that the end result transformation is you becoming a “matter”, no longer a physical subject, but a matter. But how can one die and be reborn again? The Illuminati believe that the person can only understand death if you experience it, and in a close encounter that is. By undergoing “samsara”, new recruits demonstrate their infinite power, eternal fearlessness, complete knowledge of existence and intellectual curiosity. All that is needed in order to be part of the Illuminati.

So, naturally, the initiation process includes a ritual of sacrifice. For the sacrifice, there are different rituals performed, depending of the Illuminati order. Some are extreme, and require a death of another human being, however, the sacrifice of a person must be a pure victim; pure and virgin, so that's why the victim are newborn children around 0 and 5-years old. In some cases, the inductee is required to kill somebody during the initiation process, an action that will prove his true loyalty to the Order and beliefs.

However, the more common ritual includes a sacrifice of an animal. In their belief that a person receives power from a departing spirit (the spirit of another person dying), the Order sacrifice an animal. The inductee is positioned at a bench, lying on his back, and an animal is placed on top of him. The animal is then killed, and let to bleed to death. The blood of the dying animal spills on the inductee, and the Illuminati believe that the blood is what gives power and knowledge.

Diabla's Sex Cult ritual

A cult extremely twisted and somber. The cult of sex is something bizarre that is carried out in the most remote places of society, in the forests. In this ritual, more than 100 men and 100 women participate in a massive orgy around a campfire filled with drugs.

Cultists believe that sexual rituals increase Diabla's strength, and in fact, that increases, for Diabla has strengthened herself from people's sins, including lust and greed. Most people in those rituals are members of the Order of Terror, while another part has been brainwashed or paid to be there. In this ritual, there is an extreme need for blood, so it is necessary for all women to be virgins.

After sex, the couple should dance insanely around a fire pit located in the center of the orgy, where they should shout "Heil Diabla!" Several times, this increases Diabla's political strength and intelligence. All this must be done while the person is naked. However, these rituals must be performed in all the countries of the world at the same time, only then will Diabla feel a difference in her power. After the dancing, the people need to bathe in animal blood and prey for Diabla more than 50 times, and so the ritual is complete. All people need to drugged to complete the ritual.

Sacrifice

Although Diabla feeds on the dead souls and destruction that the Order of Terror is doing on the surface of the Earth, Diabla can not become so powerful without the basics of sacrifices. To increase Diabla's spiritual energy, many cultists and members of her political party kidnap virgin men and women to use them as sacrifices. All victims must be virgins by nature.

The victim is taken to a temple of Diabla in the forest or a underground base where he or she will be sacrificed. First, all cultists must be wearing black robes and should be in a triangle position in front of the temple. The victim is tied by 5 helpers in the ritual on a piece of wood. After that, all the cultists in the place must use 20 needles to pierce the body of the victim. After all cultists have finished, the victim is bathed in human blood and then cremated alive. According to the religious of Diabla's church, this ritual is so powerful that it strengthens Diabla in double. Only one victim of this ritual makes Diabla stronger than 100,000 people being killed at the same time.

@tetsuwan-atom​ @xbloodsoakedx​ @x-ame-x-damnee-x​ @cantusecho​ @crystalmelodies​ @averageisms​ @strykingback​

Demon Boyfriend (Dirrath) - pt 5

previous part

word count: 2,423

You vaguely remember being jostled around, someone shouting ‘be careful.’ You also remember someone spooning food in your mouth, you chewing and miraculously not choking as you faded in and out of consciousness.

When you finally woke again, you were laying in a tent you didn’t recognize, feeling very much as though you’d been dumped off a cliff. It was clearly dark out, a single lamp on a small table next to you that did little to cast light beyond the corner of the tent it occupied.

After trying and failing to convince your body to stand, you resigned yourself to twitching your fingers as you tried to regain feeling in your limbs.

Pushing the limits of magical ability was a risky feat. Performing advanced healing spells on nearly a dozen severely wounded adults after an already strenuous battle was an admittedly stupid endeavor that left you completely drained of any and all energy, magical and physical.

But you’d woken too early. Really, it was a miracle you were even conscious this early in your recuperation.

“You’re one stubborn bitch,” a thoroughly annoyed voice said from the darkness in the far side of the tent just as you were about to close your eyes again and try to go back to sleep.

Had you heard a voice coming from the shadows after just waking up at any other time, you would have jumped clear out of your skin and probably activate some fight or flight response. More likely than not fight.

In your current state, however, the best your body could muster was an agonizingly slow head swivel towards the voice.

Dirrath leaned forward, the lamp casting an orange glow across his features. The shadows and your own exhaustion cast the illusion of his demonic form you’d seen in the Queen’s study those weeks ago, your heart thundering in your ears in terror.

“Are you real or is this a nightmare?” Your voice remained almost unintelligibly raspy even after clearing your throat.

“Did you destroy the last remnant of your mind when you pulled your foolish stunt today?” Dirrath’s mouth twisted into a scowl and you were too weak to even appreciate that you finally elicited the same response in the demon that he had so many times before with you.

“Don’t get your undergarments in a twist,” you huffed, your words became slurred, “I’m not 13 for nothing. Us Princesses’re easily replaced. There’s twelve others. My position’ll be filled again before the end of the season.”

“I don’t care about your sense of martyrdom or death wish or what have you,” Dirrath grunted, his glamor flickering in what you were now certain was not a trick of the eye, his eyes burning red hot and flashes of rows of sharp teeth baring themselves, “I know you don’t care, but I have a deal to fulfill and right now that happens to be getting you to the castle alive. And so help me I will keep you from killing yourself if I have to- Are you even still listening to me?!”

Had you still been listening, you would have answered no. Of course, you were not listening to Dirrath’s lecture so instead you kept your eyes closed and continued willing yourself to fall back into oblivion Though no matter how much you tried, Dirrath’s annoying voice seemed to keep you from slipping into full unconsciousness, as though he was anchoring you in the conscious. Was he anchoring you there?

Before you could ask, a hand suddenly touched your forehead and your body flinched very slowly, your eyes reopening to see Dirrath standing above you. The hand pressed down, growing hotter until the warmth seemed to seep into your entire body, filling you until you felt as though it was searing you. But just as it became unbearable, the hand left your skin and you almost immediately felt the heat drain from you as though it was never there.

“What the fuck!” You howled, shooting up and reaching for Dirrath’s collar.

Dirrath stepped back out of your grasp, a smug expression on the demon’s face as it began to dawn on you that you were currently standing.

“What did you do to me?” You demanded, checking yourself for any sign of injury or magical tampering.

Just as Dirrath opened his mouth to answer, Olek hurtled into the tent, not even bothering to lift the flap and tackling the demon to the ground.

“Are you okay, princess?” Olek asked, his knee pinning Dirrath down while holding Dirrath’s arm twisted behind his back.

You wanted to laugh so badly it hurt, but that soon died in your throat once you noticed Dirrath’s form flickering even more than it had earlier and his expression was clearly murderous.

“You can let him go, Olek,” you intervened quickly, waiting with bated breath as the two men scrambled to their feet unceremoniously until it was clear they wouldn’t start an all out brawl in the tent.

“Olek, how long until sunrise?” You asked, walking towards the tent entrance and stepping out into the cool night air.

The camp was dead, only the patrolling guards up and walking around. You made your way to where the horses were kept for the night. The saddles and bags were often kept nearby in a tent, and you quickly found your bag and grabbed the box with your tent.

You still weren’t sure what Dirrath did to you, but you actually felt rejuvenated. Magically healing wounds always left the person feeling sore, as the physical effect of the magic still expended their energy. And you had been taught that this side effect was inevitable. And any magic healing you in the state you were in very well should have killed you. But you weren’t even so much as tired, sleep the furthest thing from your mind.

“It was actually just sundown a few hours ago, princess,” Olek told you once he caught up with you, arms raised as though expecting you to keel over at any moment.

You didn’t know where Dirrath disappeared off to, though you wouldn’t be surprised if he went to cool off.

“Good. We’ll leave at first light,” You ordered, walking out to find a space to set up.

“But princess, you expended a lot of energy today,” Olek protested, “We’re close to our destination, we can wait until you’ve fully recovered.”

“That’s exactly why I want to leave early,” you replied, stopping at an empty place and carefully opening the box, “The sooner we get to this dumb castle the sooner we can leave this gods forsaken kingdom.”

When Olek still looked unconvinced, you added, keeping an eye on your tent unfurling before your eyes, “I’ll be fine, Olek. It’s a straight shot to the kingdom from here.”

With that, you dismissed the captain and entered your tent, making a beeline to the bath.

The next morning, you were completely fine riding. In fact, you had hardly slept at all the night before, just laying in your bed until you finally decided to just get ready to set out. By the time the rest of the guards were up and beginning to take down their tents, you were packed and ready to go, even having time to take another bath once you ran out of things to do.

Your new burst of energy also meant that you could enjoy the changing scenery. The fields and occasional small villages became more densely populated towns. With these towns came more people, which meant word of the convoy spread like wildfire.

By the time you reached the second town, rows of people lined the street trying to get a glimpse of the foreign convoy escorting an unknown noble traveling through the kingdom. It was a distressing sight for Olek, who immediately tightened the convoy’s formation and remained on edge until the town was out of sight. Of course, the same problem remained in the next town.

You weren’t nearly as worried riding through. It was clear the people had no idea who you were and therefore couldn’t possibly pick you out from the rest of the group.

As evening approached, the rest of the guards had become mostly used to the gawking as the convoy passed yet another crowd of people all craning their necks to see the center of the group. You were more focused on the prospect of finally having a proper meal by this time tomorrow.

“I saw him!” The giggling tone made you turn to look at the two girls that were squealing ahead on the road.

Following their pointing, you realized they were actually referring to Dirrath. Snickering to yourself, you definitely saw why the people had come to the conclusion that the mysterious noble was Dirrath.

He’d stopped wearing his helmet since riding through the towns, and Dirrath definitely had the soft look of nobility thanks to the glamor; the unmarred skin, the long, silky hair—though you supposed that wasn’t actually a part of the illusion.

But the irony of the fact that the people were gushing over a demon of all things was downright hilarious. Fortunately, they were too busy ogling Dirrath to even notice you laughing to yourself.

As though he had a sixth sense for you making fun of him, Dirrath twisted around in his saddle to look back at you, one eyebrow raised in a silent question.

You shook your head, forcing a neutral expression until Dirrath scowled and turned back around. As soon as you were certain he wasn’t going to catch you, you went right back to laughing at his expense.

Once you finally composed yourself, you began to look around at your surroundings, mostly out of boredom. Even though the buildings grew further apart, you were just glad to finally take in something other than the wilderness and countryside that had taken up the majority of the journey.

But one building in particular caught your eye, a plan already formulating in your mind, a plan already formulating in your mind as the convoy passed through the outskirts of town.

“Absolutely not,” Olek said almost as soon as the words were out of your mouth.

“It isn’t up for debate,” you told Olek cheerfully, standing in plain clothes as similar to the ones the townspeople wore you could find in your tent’s wardrobe, “Besides, the humans think Dirrath is me, so any assassination attempts will be on him.”

“As tempting as that sounds, it’s far too dangerous to go into town without weapons,” Olek said, sounding as though he was explaining to a child why they couldn’t have a toy they wanted.

“This isn’t Altruria,” you pointed out, “they were more curious than anything. And I’m sure the tavern won’t turn down the extra business if we show a sign of good faith. A bunch of foreign armed soldiers walking around town at night would call more attention than anything else.”

Olek eventually acquiesced, if only because you were downright determined—and it didn’t hurt the majority of the guard sided with you.

And you were right. The tavern you had seen was more than happy to take your gold—borrowed from the gift wagon—and serve your group all the ale you could want.

Olek and some of the older guards stayed back, most of them wary of the outsiders. You’d been given a strict curfew of two hours, and you’d be damned if you didn’t take full advantage.

Once word spread that the foreigners were back in a more social context, people flooded into the tavern all vying for the attention of your guards.

You clearly turned a blind eye, signaling with an ok sign to the guards that Olek would never hear of their exploits during the next couple of hours.

However, rather than join in on the festivities, you instead opted to remain in the corner learning to play cards with some of the regulars and get drunk.

“You’re terrible at this,” Dirrath said from across from you as you showed your frankly terrible hand.

You hadn’t even noticed when the demon joined in, more interested in your cup than committing the rules to memory.

You stuck your tongue out at Dirrath, “let’s see you do better.”

He turned his cards over with a smile, completely blowing the rest of the players’ hands out of the water. Various curses sounded around the table as the rest threw in their cards and left.

“Ugh, I thought I left Olek back at camp,” you groaned as Dirrath shoved his winnings in his satchel, “do you have to be a buzzkill all the time?”

“You should be thanking me,” Dirrath snorted, “I just earned back the gold you took from Roquechade.”

“I really don’t want to talk about him,” you sighed, sinking deeper into your chair until you were nearly eye level with the table, “And weren’t you surrounded by people earlier?”

“I’m a demon. I just made them believe Garreth was me,” Dirrath replied, pointing to the bar and indeed the guard was surrounded by people.

“Well, Garreth does make a more convincing noble than you,” you joke, not even Dirrath’s usual haughty attitude enough to kill your buzz.

“Why is that?” Dirrath frowned, looking annoyed.

“Besides the fact that you’re a demon?” You snort, looking around in hopes of making eye contact with one of the servers, “You’re hardly the princely type.”

“And what if I was?” Dirrath said after a long pause.

“What? A prince?” You scoffed, “I’ll believe I’m a direct descendant of the First High Queen before I believe that.”

“You know nothing beyond your mortal realm, princess,” Dirrath glowered.

“Ok then, why are you trapped in this mortal realm making deals to escort princesses from one castle to another?” You shot back, satisfied when you saw Dirrath avert his eyes.

“When demons are summoned, they are obligated to forge a contract with the one who summoned them,” Dirrath said, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms, clearly moping.

You almost began to feel sorry for him. At the very least, you felt bad that you never considered the possibility that Dirrath had about as much desire to be here as you. Maybe you did owe him a bit of an apology for being forced to help you.

“Hey, can demons get drunk?” You ask instead.

“With your kind’s weak alcohol?” Dirrath gave you a look of pure disgust.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” you grinned, waving down a passing barmaid.

The Worst of 2019

I had to follow-up my “Best of 2019″ list with its opposite universe counterpart but before I give the movies that made me suffer another lashing, let’s make a couple of things clear. I’m not a paid professional and even if I was, all I would be is a film critic. Making movies is hard. Nobody in the industry aims to do a bad job - there are much easier ways to make a living. Even though I might’ve hated these films with a passion that still smolders now, I’ve got mad respect for anyone who decides to put themselves out there and put together a movie. At the end of the day, your work is going to live on. You made something millions will see. Me? I’ll ultimately fade away. Take this into consideration as we single out the movies that tried and failed, sometimes spectacularly.

10. Cats

Cats is the kind of movie that doesn’t come around often. It’s actually kind of fascinating to watch, or it would be if it weren’t so boring. Rebel Wilson (who was destined to have a movie on this list when she starred in The Hustle) plays a cat who unzips her skin to reveal an outfit… above her skin again? She leads a choreographed troupe of singing mice and cockroaches that fill you with terror and confusion. It’s as if they’ve been scaled so the actors could scoop them up and swallow them whole - as cats would do - but because human proportions are so different from cat’s the objects and other animals they interact with change size from scene to scene. Meanwhile, Idris Elba is prowling around with his coat all open, his non-existent junk exposed to all who want to see. Our main character is so bland and unmemorable she makes no impact on you whatsoever. There’s magic in a plot that’s composed almost entirely of introductions - which might make it accurate to the broadway show but not entertaining as a movie -, dodgy special effects in every frame, lame jokes coming from the left and the right… and yet, I don’t hate this film like I do the others on this list. In fact, a part of me even admires Cats.

The thing is, had this movie worked, it would’ve been hailed as genius. It didn’t so it’s being ridiculed but I have to give it points for its ambition and willingness to take chances. That means a lot in a year in which every single one of the top ten grossing films were sequels, remakes or expansions of already-existing properties.The gamble didn’t pay off, but Cats had the guts to walk up to the plate.

9. Dumbo

I was tempted to lump The Lion King and Aladdin along with this tale of a baby elephant that learns to fly while a family of circus performers learn that the big circus tycoon played by Michael Keaton is a meanie. Few of the Disney “live-action” remakes do anything to validate their existence. They’re just feeding you what you can already watch at home for free because you probably already own the originals on home video or you have Disney+. I’m going to single out Dumbo as the worst because it actually tried something different and failed spectacularly. This means we can expect all future Disney remakes to take as few chances as possible.

8. Jay and Silent Bob Reboot

There are other movies I could’ve put in this spot (see the Runner-Ups section below for examples) but I had to consider the experience as well as the movie itself. Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is an unfunny comedy that walks into the room as if it’s going to marry your mother and be your new father. It makes fun of the very thing it’s doing. This might make it appealing to members of the “View Askewniverse” cult but not to me. Whether you’ve been brainwashed by Kevin Smith or not, it’s impossible to sit through the painful bonus material which follows the film, particularly the interviews conducted by Jason Mewes. The actor displays no charisma whatsoever while asking questions you don’t care about to people who obviously don’t want to be on camera. I get what Smith was doing; he was trying to give his fans more than just the movie but anyone in their right mind should’ve seen the bonus footage and burned it.

4. Dark Phoenix

What a disappointing way to end the X-Men franchise. Dull until the very end and then interesting for just enough time to make you realize you didn’t just dream it all, the movie was a bad idea from the start. We haven’t known the young version of the X-Men long enough for this story to mean anything and the choices made to make this story more faithful to the comics makes you wonder if you stepped into the wrong movie. Even before seeing Dark Phoenix, I thought people were being too harsh on The Last Stand. They did a lot of things wrong in 2006 but they had the good sense to leave out the aliens. It’s not great but it’s been somewhat redeemed since because its plot advanced the series and meant something in the end. Even if Disney had considered keeping this franchise alive while it was acquiring Fox, this is such a mess they now have no choice but to reboot the whole thing.

4. Jexi

Jexi feels like it just escaped from a time capsule. Even when it would’ve been new, it wouldn’t have been funny. This had no business appearing in theatres and watching the trailer again reminded me of why I hated it as much as I did. If you suspect you have mutant powers that just need to be unlocked by a traumatic or life-altering event, barricade your doors and start playing this movie. You’ll want to escape so desperately, you might suddenly develop the ability to bend space and time.

6. Rambo: Last Blood

This 5th entry in the Rambo series didn’t even have the guts to commit to being a proper conclusion. The titular character appears to succumb to his wounds as the picture closes… only to get up and go find medical attention during the end credits. Senselessly gory and violent, its depiction of Mexico leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

5. Shaft

No one was asking for this movie, not even fans of the original Richard Roundtree films or the 2000 Sam Jackson reboot. It tired story attempts to introduce a new version of the classic blaxploitation character to a new audience. In the process, it makes you hate the two “heroes” we follow through a generic plot filled with offensive humor. The only good thing about Shaft is that it prompted me to check out the originals.

3. My People, My Country

The Farewell made me think a lot about how we should view other cultures, particularly China. In it, Awkwafina’s Billi is caught in a moral dilemma when she learns her beloved grandmother is dying and that her family is keeping the secret from sweet Nai Nai. You go in thinking the American-raised woman is going to do the right thing by tearing the charade apart but it’s not long before you realize this scenario isn't that simple. When it comes to My People, My Country, I am going to judge. What’s the moral of this movie again? Give up your life, your dreams, your family for the sake of a country that sees you as nothing more than an expandable pion? If that weren’t bad enough, the movie’s so dull it’ll be an epic struggle to stay awake. Whose idea was it to have an entire segment of this anthology dedicated to the engineers who ensured the mechanism that would raise China’s flag in 1949? It’s as exciting as it sounds.

2. ¡Ay, mi madre!

The worst part of this list is that I know how few people reading will be able to relate. ¡Ay, mi madre! wasn't released theatrically in North America, but movies release “Straight to Netflix” have become such a big deal I’ll make an exception to my usual rule of disqualifying direct-to movies from this list. In terms of filmmaking, this is the worst movie I’ve seen in a long, long time. It’s more technically inept than anything else on this list by far. The comedy is so unfunny it’ll make you question your life, the actors are not convincing even before they open their mouths to speak and the ending might as well be a big middle finger towards the people watching. It ha no ending, almost as if they cobbled together the few salvageable strands of footage someone scooped out of the trash into something vaguely related to “coherent”. Remember the name so you know never to click “play” if you happen upon it like I did.

The Runner-Ups

Simmba

I was deeply offended by this Bollywood film but technically, it’s a 2018 movie so I decided to only include it here. It���s loathsome but admittedly, my hatred for it has somewhat subsided since I saw it. Don’t ask me why. This movie sucks.

Playmobil The Movie

This is what we thought we were going to get when they announced “The Lego Movie”. Terrible songs, a lazy plot that makes terrible use of the property it’s advertising, unfunny jokes, and a lack of imagination guarantee this film is destined to make everyone involved regret the day it was released.

Hellboy

Yet another failed superhero movie that enthusiastically sets itself up for a sequel when it’s so obvious to everyone watching that there isn’t going to be one. The one thing it’s got going for it is a pretty cool scene towards the end where demons escape into our world and begin tearing civilians to pieces. To get to that, you must sit through endless scenes that bash you over the head with a mallet marked “Rated R”. Gallons of blood and intestines spilling onto the floor, doesn’t mean the movie is meant for adults. This was written by a teenager disguised as a grown-up.

Gemini man

They waited all these years for the de-aging technology to get where it is now… for this story? Someone should’ve pointed out to director Ang Lee when he was getting ready to film that training doesn’t alter your DNA. Why waste millions cloning Will Smith when you could just raise a normal kid and train them to be an assassin? Ultimately, the movie isn’t really all that bad. It’s watchable but it’s such a big disappointment it needs to be taught a lesson.

Replicas

I’m giving this one a break because no one saw it. I also think it’ll play better at home, where you’ll be free to make fun of it or verbally abuse the loopy plot aloud while your friends listen. If there’s a movie this year that was “So bad it’s good”, it’s this one.

After

At least “Twilight” had its original take on vampires and some danger mixed into its romantic triangle to keep things theoretically interesting. This film started off as - I kid you not - a “One Direction” fan-fic. The drama it serves up will have you howling like a werewolf flying through laughing gas. On the upside, a sequel is coming. In fact, the teaser is scheduled for today!

1. Unplanned

This was the most uncomfortable movie experience of 2019. Most of the Christian propaganda films don’t seem to put much effort into their production - they’re preaching to the choir so why should they? - but 2019 had Breakthrough, which was quite good. It showed these movies don’t have to appeal solely to the churches who will buy tickets en-masse. This movie is ridiculous, gory like a horror film, misleading, and phony. It did have what is undoubtedly the most outrageous and unintentionally funny dialogue of the year, however. “Fast food outlets look to break even on the hamburgers they sell. That’s all they do is break even ... Do you know where they make all their money? The french fries and soda. Low cost, high margin items. Abortion is our fries-and-soda.” Are we sure this was based on a true story? If so, I don’t know why the director decided to edit out the scenes in which Cheryl (Robia Scott) takes the buckets of aborted fetuses home to cook them. I think it would’ve really driven home how evil her character is. I felt dirty sitting in the theater next to people who ate this up.

an idiot’s guide to ra’s al ghul. 

ok so at this point im really gna say fuck dc canon, and go completely off piste and write my own.

dc really don't know how to write this man a backstory and he literally has one of the least developed and simultaneously confusing origins of any batman rogue. so here, lemme fix that.

ra's al ghul is a moniker, a title that is passed down. anyone who leads the league of assassins/shadows, becomes ra's al ghul (roughly translated to the demon's head). this explains how a White Man, henri ducard was able to become ra's al ghul in batman begins. at the passing of the head of the league, the next in line, by order of physical and mental prowess, becomes the next ra's. bruce himself is, at one point, supposed to pick up the mantle - the current ra's considers him his only worthy successor (a la arkham city & some of the comics from the 80s/90s), the man who will replace him and exceed him. however bruce, due to his unwavering morals and refusal to kill in order to bring "justice" ends up spurning the league, and is disowned by ra's in a very effective way - he tries to kill bruce. ra's still holds some sort of belief that bruce will return to him, despite all of this. he uses talia and then damian as a pawn in this game, to draw bruce back to the league and have him become the next demon's head.

so who is "ra's", or at least the goateed, green pant suited, scimitar wielding ninja who is most commonly seen as THE "ra's"? well, dc couldn't really make up their minds, so i'll do my best to patch it together from the 8 different versions, and compile something that agrees with most of it.

ra's was born approximately 600 years ago, to a man known as the Sensei (an asian martial artist) and an unknown mother of arabic descent, somewhere in the middle east. little is known about his early years, other than he was obsessed with the sciences, and became a physician with a wife named Sora. he made many discoveries ahead of time - understanding microscopic pathogens, how to cure diseases such as cholera and typhoid, although his greatest discovery was the Lazarus Pits - a natural phenomenon containing a mysterious green liquid with immense restorative properties. ( this is not to be confused with the fountain of youth at shangri-la, which his father, the Sensei, used). ra's uses the pit on the son of a local sultan who is dying, but when the boy returns, he is not all there. the empathy is gone, and he gets pretty funky about killing people, including ra's wife, sora. it is important to note, at this point, ra's is not called ra's, but dc have never given him a name so idek what to call him. so we don't know his real name, age, or what his chilhood was like. lets keep it that way, we stan an air of mystery.

the death of his wife and the overpowering grief leads to a fixation with revenge - ra's trains furiously to master martial arts and eventually kills the sultan, his son and razes their city to the ground. at this point he becomes "the demon's head" and founds the league, with the aim of eradicating evil from the world, mostly through assassination and genocide. which, you know. isn't great. this is also the period in which ra's begins to use the lazarus pit on himself, in order to prolong his life. he seeks more pits throughout the world, travelling extensively, and finds three more: one in switzerland, one in what will later become gotham, and one on infinity island, making a grand total of four. dc can go fuck themselves there is literally only four, you can't just keep making more when it's convenient. ra's intends to only use the pits until a worthy successor can be found for the league, but two problems occur; one) he starts going a bit nuts from over using the pits, and it does become like an addiction and two) he never finds someone he considers worthy.

so, skip through a bunch of wars he fought in, the league becoming globally established, and the industrial revolution. ra's doesn't like that. bad machines, destroying the earth, coating the skies with pollution and leading to greater inequality. so ra's decides it's time to purge humanity, and leave only the people he deems worthy behind, in a fresh clean world (in a real james bond villain move.). he builds wonder city, beneath gotham and around the gotham lazarus pit, but the city is never used because ra's does something mad stupid and falls in love. so much for eco terrorism, he's now off having babies with a woman named melisande. or one particular baby - talia. due to ra's having been using the pits for centuries before boning this poor woman, talia comes out with slowed aging abilities. ra's eventually murders melisande when she gets antsy about him training their kid to be a master assassin. he does a very similar thing with a russian lady to produce talia's half sister, nyssa. so by now the 20th century is in full swing, ra's has a cute lil murder family and the league has become a smaller part of a huge underground organisation called The Demon, at which ra's sits at the head. he still hasn't found a successor though, and he's getting Old. the lazarus pits are no longer bringing him back 100% - he loses more and more of his sanity with each ressurection. and then. wow. bruce wayne appears. and ra's sees a huge amount of himself in this kid, the loss, the anger. boom, we got ourself a successor.

we all know how that wound up.

so ra's is now Personally Mad at batman, and we get the Contagion storyline. back to his old, eco-terrorism ways, ra's unleashes the clench, a really nasty virus that's definitely worse than your average cold. batman eventually finds and disperses a cure, but gotham is Mad Fucked. damian wayne is born, trained by his mama and gramps, and then abandoned at 10 on bruce's doorstep. there's a brief interlude where bane also goes to train under ra's in the hopes of being the worthy successor and marrying talia instead, but then everyone realises he's one sandwich short of a picnic and ra's kicks him out in his ass once batman beats him in another fight. there's also some funky moments where ra's

• tries to resurrect thomas and martha wayne. it goes about as well as you'd expect.

• pisses off both of his daughters who start to work against him. talia half teams up with supes. wild.

• lets his guard down and most of the lazarus pits are destroyed, leaving only the one beneath gotham.

• tries to body swap with his grandson (i literally hate dc)

• watches batman accidentally kill his old dad the Sensei, by dragging him into a lazarus pit which destroys the nasty man's corrupted soul and heals bruce tf up which is how dc get away with him looking permenantly 30

• has another, estranged child, who becomes the White Ghost

• helps tim find bruce after he "died" but then becomes a lil bitch over it and tries to do a ninja take over of gotham and destroy anything about wayne. he fist fights tim, and dick, and then lo and behold it was all a test or some shit, which is the dc version of "he woke up and it was all a dream".

• makes superhumans in whale wombs which honestly, when i read the issues, i wanted to Die. literally straight up end me.

there's a bunch more stuff but im not a masochist enough to keep going. the point is, he's an old naughty man, kind of bruce's father in law, definitely insane, and dc will probably drag this mans back at some point. but i like to go with the arkham knight ending, where bruce chooses to cut a half-resurrected ra's off from the last of the lazarus pit, and drops his dying body off at the gcpd to an indeterminate fate, while nyssa becomes the new demon's head. its a good ending. makes sense. works well with everything. gives him a solid out. but honestly they won't leave him alone and he'll be back soon i'm sure, being pesky and owning really freaking cool swords.

so yeah, that's a rough and ready guide to ra's al ghul, because dc really can't manage this themselves and i'm made to pick up the slack.

Plot Cravings!

Hello there! I go by Rainy, Rain, or Blue! I’m an +18 college gal with a part time job and some free time on her hands! I’m looking for a partner to build worlds with, weave characters, and create a story!

Here’s a little about me!

I write in 3rd person, past tense, paragraph format. Generally I write anywhere from 1-8 paragraphs but that’s depending on my partner! If you can only write 1-3 and that’s what your comfortable with? I’ll totally match you! I’m not very picky at all, all I ask is for okay grammar.

I live in Central time but I’m a bit of a night owl and I’m on A LOT honestly. I’m flexible with a bunch of time zones!

I like rapid responses but honestly I understand that everyone has a life. My main preference is someone who doesn’t mind a bit of OOC chatter but if that’s not your cup of tea I completely understand. Though I love to create pinboards, playlists, etc.

Smut! Yes I’m smut friendly and I do like some of it in my rp but for this reason I prefer my partners to be at least +18!! I don’t have many limits besides scat, vore, feet, pedophilia, beastility, etc.

I like my pairings to be M// or F// I’m honestly just burnt out on M/F but I can be convinced sometimes

I rp on email only! You can contact me at [email protected]

Okay now that’s all over! Onto the plots! Most of these are quite loose in all honestly so we can tweak and mess with them if need be!

In a sleepy little village, tucked away in the Blackwoods a beast roams. It was a legend at first, a tale to spin and frighten small children from wondering too deep into the forest. A half man, half wolf creature that stalked the night and took off with babes and livestock but now it seems that legend has come true. Sheep and cattle are found slaughtered, woodsmen who go in to claim the beasts head don’t come back out. It seems the village is ruined until one night, a girl/boy is taken. The senseless killings stop. The townsfolk fear but they never try to look for them, they simply praise God that the beast has been sated. In reality, a young werewolf with little self control had accidentally found themselves terrorizing the countryside. Guilty, they originally went into town to reveal themselves as the beast and repent but instead find themselves oddly captured by the girl/boy and steal them away on instinct. OPTIONAL: Paired with Omegaverse! I will play the Alpha if you prefer!

Far up north, a Duke with a terrible secret hides in his frostbitten palace. He’s infamous for slaying the werewolf that once terrorized his land but he now hides the fact he was bitten by the beast that very night he killed it. In order to kee it subdued, he poisons himself with wolfsbane to keep his little secret. He owes a favor to a family of royalty in the south and when they send their troublesome son up to be whipped into shape, the Duke finds himself oddly attracted to the other and so does the wolf. With each day, his secret risks being revealed. What happens when his feelings come to surface and so does the beast inside?

A kingdom of magic users fall on hard times. In order to save themselves, they strike a deal with the Devil. Literally. Marrying their only daughter/son to one of the princes/princesses of Hell in order to save themselves. Unfortunately though, this deal doesn’t settle with one of the heirs of Hell. Optional: Paired with Omegaverse! I will play the Alpha if you prefer!

A young King/Queen has come into power and struggles to uphold their nation after the shocking death of their parents. Unfortunately, there are those in their court who wish to take out the young monoarch and one member of royalty has just the plan to do so. They present the monarch with a consort, a gift to help ease the stresses of royal life. Unknown to the King/Queen is that the lover also doubles as their soon to be assassin. But as the two grow close and feelings begin to bloom, can the assassin finish the job? Warning: This plot could be very NSFW!!

When prowling along the edges of a village in disguise, an Incubus/Succubus accidentally finds themselves caught in a storm and is offered shelter by a man/woman at the edge of town. Thinking them to be a perfect target, they soon come to find that the man/woman somehow seems to be simply too pure to even understand the demons advances. The demon confused, decides to make it their personal mission to corrupt the human. No matter the cost. Warning: This plot is bound to be pretty NSFW!

For the week of 28 October 2019

Quick Bits:

Afterlift #1 is a digital original from Chip Zdarsky, Jason Loo, Paris Alleyne, and Aditya Bidikar. Very interesting concept here playing with a character who drives for a Lyft analogue in Cabit, leading to becoming a rather unique courier.

| Published by Jams & Jellies

Batman Annual #4 actually gives us many adventures and stories as we go through almost two months’ of diary entries of Batman’s exploits from Alfred, as told by Tom King, Jorge Fornés, Mike Norton, Dave Stewart, and Clayton Cowles. It’s a nice way to pack a lot of story into this annual in a fairly unique way, while also showcasing just how busy Batman really is. 

| Published by DC Comics

Black Panther #17 sets up for the next confrontation with N’Jadaka and his forces, also giving us a rather...awkward but interesting conversation between Storm and Nakia. Gorgeous art from Daniel Acuña.

| Published by Marvel

Bloodshot #2 continues the balls to the wall action as Bloodshot and the Black Bar conflict escalates, from Tim Seeley, Brett Booth, Adelso Corona, Andrew Dalhouse, and Dave Sharpe. It’s a bit of a throwback to a more action-oriented style, but it definitely works for Bloodshot. A nice change of pace to give a variety of storytelling.

| Published by Valiant

Conan the Barbarian #10 spins us the twins’ yarn as they plotted their revenge on Conan, from Jason Aaron, Mahmud Asrar, Matthew Wilson, and Travis Lanham. The art from Asrar and Wilson is gorgeous. The backstory building up to last parts of this story and the fate of Conan is gripping.

| Published by Marvel

Contagion #5 brings an end to this series from Ed Brisson, Adam Gorham, Veronica Gandini, and Cory Petit. Gorgeous and creepy art here from Gorham and Gandini. 

| Published by Marvel

DCeased #6 is surprisingly hopefully, even as everything dies and everybody hurts. It appears to be setting up a sequel, though likely to be incredibly bleak. Tom Taylor, Trevor Hairsine, Neil Edwards, Stefano Gaudiano, Rain Beredo, and Saida Temofonte conclude this series in epic fashion as we say goodbye to Earth.

| Published by DC Comics

Death’s Head #4 is another ending to a series this week, from Tini Howard, Kei Zama, Felipe Sobreiro, and Travis Lanham. Some very nice character work here for Death’s Head and Vee.

| Published by Marvel

Doctor Strange Annual #1 gives us a pair of tales. The lead from Tini Howard, Andy MacDonald, Tríona Farrell, and Cory Petit is a fun Halloween story dealing with the spirits haunting the Sanctum Sanctorum. Any art from MacDonald is a treat. The back up is a bit more deadly serious with Pornsak Pichetshote, Lalit Kumar Sharma, Sean Parsons, José Villarrubia, and Petit revealing a failsafe should Strange go rogue.

| Published by Marvel

Ether: The Disappearance of Violet Bell #2 continues to be incredibly inventive as Boone tries to track down the assassin. David Rubín’s art is absolutely amazing. And Boone’s continued inability to really think about anyone other than himself is telling.

| Published by Dark Horse

Excalibur #1 is another tick in the win column for “Dawn of X”. The X-Men dabbling in magic isn’t common, but Tini Howard, Marcus To, Erick Arciniega, and Cory Petit do so with amazing flair, fittingly taking us in through Otherworld, Captain Britain, and Betsy Braddock. Apocalypse’s new incarnation as  “ •|A| •” and his newfound interest in magic is fascinating.

| Published by Marvel

Five Years #5 spotlights Zoe’s rather elaborate imagination for coming up with ways to murder people. Granted, the Russian agent may well deserve it, but still... Terry Moore continues to deliver some unexpected twists as the end of the world inches closer.

| Published by Abstract Studio

Giant Days: As Time Goes By #1 is a one-shot finale special from John Allison, Max Sarin, Whitney Cogar, and Jim Campbell. It picks up roughly a year from the end of the series, dealing with why Esther has been missing from their reunions. It’s full of all of the humour that we’ve been used to and hammers home the power of friendship. Also, it gets very, very weird. 

| Published by Boom Entertainment / BOOM! Box

Harleen #2 works hard to portray Harley’s seduction by the Joker. Stjepan Šejić and Gabriela Downie portray it as an insidious, manipulative thing. It might appear romantic on the surface, but there’s definitely a darkness there. There are ideas of bringing back a monster from the edge of insanity, but the story makes you realize that some may well be beyond hope.

| Published by DC Comics - Black Label

Hellboy and the BPRD: Long Night at Goloski Station might well be the best of these new format tales yet, and both of the previous ones were incredibly strong. Here Mike Mignola, Matt Smith, Dave Stewart, and Clem Robins deliver a single issue story building on Hellboy’s confrontation with Baba Yaga, Sir Edward Grey, and demons. 

| Published by Dark Horse

Invisible Kingdom #6 begins the second arc, “Edge of Everything”, as the crew first try to find food and fuel and then run afoul of a salvage ship. G. Willow Wilson, Christian Ward, and Sal Cipriano keep things interesting as we start to see the crew’s life after Lux.

| Published by Dark Horse / Berger Books

Invisible Woman #4 is disturbing, basically everything goes to hell and everyone that Sue was trusting to see this operation through has let her down. Or worse. Mark Waid, Mattia De Iulis, and Joe Caramagna set up a rather horrifying situation in this penultimate chapter. Again, De Iulis’ artwork is stunning. 

| Published by Marvel

Joker: Killer Smile #1 is essentially a psychological horror from Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, Jordie Bellaire, and Steve Wands. It comes from the point of view of a psychiatrist, Dr. Ben Arnell, who is trying to get to the heart of Joker’s mental state. It’s not going so well and it appears like the good doctor is losing time, doing strange things, and possibly worse. Very intriguing beginning to this story.

| Published by DC Comics - Black Label

Knights Temporal #4 has some stunning artwork from Fran Galán, particularly during the gangster sequences where colour comes into play as another important storytelling element. There are some very nice twists this issue, making you wonder about a lot of what we thought we knew.

| Published by AfterShock

The Last God #1 is dark fantasy done right by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Riccardo Federici, Sunny Gho, Dean White, Tom Napolitano, Steve Wands, and Jared Blando. It gives us lying kings, heroes who weren’t rightly heroes, and a Lovecraftian terror returned to show the truth. It plays deep on resentment and distrust, and of a complete failure of institutions to uphold a decent society. All with absolutely stunning artwork from Federici, Gho, and White. This is a beautiful, haunting work.

| Published by DC Comics - Black Label

Last Stop on the Red Line #4 is very, very weird. We get a peek behind the masks of the monsters and it’s even stranger. There’s a very interesting mix of symbolism and the supernatural where we’re really not sure where one begins and the other ends. This was a very unique series from Paul Maybury, Sam Lotfi, and Adam Pruett.

| Published by Dark Horse

Mall #3 goes even harder into inter-faction warfare as it seems like all of the groups are at one another’s throats. Great world-building here from Michael Moreci, Gary Dauberman, Zak Hartong, Addison Duke, and Jim Campbell, with some interesting plot developments.

| Published by Vault

Manor Black #4 concludes the series as we see what essentially amounts to order vs. chaos as the old blood takes on wild magic. This doesn’t feel so much as a conclusion as an end to a chapter of a wider arc, leaving much unresolved. Hopefully we see more. The artwork from Tyler Crook is phenomenal.

| Published by Dark Horse

Marvel Zombies: Resurrection #1 is really damn good. Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Leonard Kirk, Guru-eFX, and Travis Lanham kick off this series with a new angle on the Marvel Zombies, playing up more on the horror angle, with a truly terrifying spread of the disease through a new vector. Gorgeous artwork from Kirk and Guru-eFX.

| Published by Marvel

Monster Planet #1 is the kind of thing that you used to see regularly published by Image and Top Cow, the military action comic that throws in horror elements, from Joe Brusha, Marcelo Mueller, Maxflan Araujo, and Taylor Esposito. It’s not bad, setting up a world where humanity has been turned into dinosaur-like beasts and the remnants of society need to turn to classical monsters for help.

| Published by Zenescope

The Necromancer’s Map #3 takes a bit of a different approach, giving us a fair amount of action as Tristan’s Will catch up with Bethany and co. as well as some great character building in between the action. Great stuff from Andrea Fort, Michael Christopher Horn, Sam Beck, Ellie Wright, and AndWorld Design.

| Published by Vault

The Plot #2 is wonderful horror storytelling from Tim Daniel, Michael Moreci, Joshua Hixson, Jordan Boyd, and Jim Campbell. Very creepy build of supernatural events once Chase Blaine and his family arrive back at his ancestral home. Hixson and Boyd’s presentation of the black, gooey masses are also disturbing.

| Published by Vault

Queen of Bad Dreams #5 concludes this excellent series from Danny Lore, Jordi Pérez, Dearbhla Kelly, and AndWorld Design. Rather interesting confrontation with and revelations about Eleanor Chase here.

| Published by Vault

Red Goblin: Red Death #1 is a one-shot featuring three stories set during Norman Osborn’s tenure as the Red Goblin at the end of Dan Slott’s run on Amazing Spider-Man. It’s kind of weird that it doesn’t instead tie-in with current events in Absolute Carnage, but it’s not bad for what it is. The art of the first two stories from Pete Woods is great.

| Published by Marvel

Relics of Youth #2 is even better than the first issue, delving deeper into the mysterious tattoos that the kids have been branded with and their connection to the island that they’ve landed on within the Bermuda Triangle. Matt Nicholas, Chad Rebmann, Skylar Partridge, Vladimir Popov, and AndWorld Design are telling a very compelling adventure here.

| Published by Vault

Roku #1 begins another mini-series focusing on one of the luminary villains in the Valiant Universe, this one from Cullen Bunn, Ramón F. Bachs, Stéphane Paitreau, and Dave Sharpe. It’s full of action and intrigue as Roku is hired by an unknown client to retrieve...someone. Things get more interesting as a new face stands in her way and we find out the unusual nature of the target.

| Published by Valiant

The Sandman Universe Presents: Hellblazer #1 is a homecoming of sorts for John Constantine, back to his old haunts alongside some of the other Vertigo corner of the DC Universe. Si Spurrier, Marcio Takara, Cris Peter, and Aditya Bidikar spin a yarn that reconstitutes John after a massive magic war led by an evil Tim Hunter. How exactly the pieces fit are anyone’s guess, but it’s a brilliant darker take resetting him here. 

| Published by DC Comics - Black Label / The Sandman Universe

Savage Avengers Annual #1, though largely a self-contained story, is still integral to Conan’s adventure through the Marvel universe and the overall narrative as he, Hellstorm, and Black Widow stumble across a human trafficking ring that bears the marks of Kulan Gath. Gerry Duggan, Ron Garney, Matt Milla, and Travis Lanham deliver a compelling story.

| Published by Marvel

SFSX #2 does further world and character building, showing us just how much has changed since the Party took over, and how utterly betrayed many of the people from the Dirty Mind felt of Avory abandoning them. Very interesting stuff from Tina Horn, Michael Dowling, Chris O’Halloran, and Steve Wands.

| Published by Image

Silver Surfer: Black #5 concludes what has been a very trippy series from Donny Cates, Tradd Moore, Dave Stewart, and Clayton Cowles. There are some very interesting revelations of the past here, and it really makes you wonder about the Surfer’s new incarnation.

| Published by Marvel

Star Pig #4 concludes the series, kind of, from Delilah S. Dawson, Francesco Gaston, Sebastian Cheng, and Shawn Lee. There’s some rather disturbing tentacles in this one.

| Published by IDW

Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle #5 brings an end to this round of the series. I think it’s a perfect approach for some all ages “ghost stories” within the Star Wars universe. Wonderful resolution for the framing story from Cavan Scott, Francesco Francavilla, and AndWorld Design.

| Published by IDW

Tales from the Dark Multiverse: The Death of Superman #1 is the second of these one-shots spotlighting DC events gone horribly wrong, this time giving us a much angrier Lois Lane’s grief at the loss of Superman to Doomsday. Jeff Loveness, Brad Walker, Drew Hennessy, Norm Rapmund, John Kalisz, and Clayton Cowles present her as vengeance against a world that didn’t deserve Superman’s grace, raising some of the questions that you’d often see in The Authority. Only, you know, kind of evil. It’s not bad, but definitely dark.

| Published by DC Comics

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #99 is the extra-sized penultimate chapter of “City at War” as all of the pieces begin falling into place for the grand finale. The story here from Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz, Dave Wachter, Ronda Pattison, and Shawn Lee feels truly epic and that something huge may just happen next issue. As it is, there’s still a ton of action here, some interesting developments with the Rat King, more disappointment when it comes to Raph, and something new with the mutagenic bomb.

| Published by IDW

Test #5 is very strange. Christopher Sebela, Jen Hickman, Harry Saxon, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou end this story as Aleph and Laurel find one another and a new way is planted, but there’s still seeds of something going awry.

| Published by Vault

Venom #19 largely plays out the end bits for the Maker and Dylan’s portions of Absolute Carnage, with some very interesting revelations. It seems like even bigger seeds are being lain for future stories here. Great art from Iban Coello and Rain Beredo.

| Published by Marvel

Witchblade #16 gives us the fight between Alex and Haley, after a few distractions and discursions. The stakes are pretty high here and there are a few rather tense moments as it plays out. Beautiful art from Roberta Ingranata and Bryan Valenza.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

Wonder Woman Annual #3 is largely a flashback tale, set five years ago as Wonder Woman and ARGUS attempt to extract an agent sent to infiltrate Gorilla City to see the legitimacy of Grodd’s rule. What Steve Orlando, V. Ken Marion, Sandu Florea, Hi-Fi, and Pat Brosseau do with is establish a new backstory and interpretation for a very old Wonder Woman foe in a fairly interesting way that even ties in to Event Leviathan. It may strain a bit of credibility for the villainous turn, but that will largely depend on the follow-up.

| Published by DC Comics

Other Highlights: Archie 1955 #2, A Basketful of Heads #1, Batman and the Outsiders Annual #1, Chrononauts: Futureshock #1-4, Dead Man Logan #12, Fantastic Four: Grand Design #1, Fight Club 3 #10, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #13, Ironheart #11, James Bond 007 #12, Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance #2, Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Alliance #4, Jughead’s Time Police #5, Kick-Ass #18, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #44, Rick & Morty #55, The Ride: Burning Desire #5, Runaways #26, Star Trek: Year Five #7, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Annual #3, Star Wars Adventures #27, Superior Spider-Man #2, Tremor Dose, Warlord of Mars Attacks #5

Recommended Collections: Amazing Spider-Man: Red Goblin, Amber Blake - Volume 1, Black Science - Volume 9: No Authority But Yourself, Deadpool - Volume 3: Weasel Goes to Hell, Dept H. Omnibus - Volume 3: Decompressed & Lifeboat, Dick Tracy Forever, Hit-Girl - Volume 5, Jimmy’s Bastards - Volume 1: Year One, Lucifer Omnibus - Volume 1, Marvel Action: Spider-Man - Book 2: Spider-Chase, Punk Mambo, Spider-Gwen: Gwen Stacy, Star Trek: The Q Conflict, Symbiote Spider-Man, Thor - Volume 3: Wars End, Tony Stark: Iron Man - Volume 3: War of the Realms, Vamps: The Complete Collection, War of the Realms: Uncanny X-Men, The Wild Storm - Volume 4

d. emerson eddy feels like stale, day old pepperoni pizza.

Klance - John Wick au part 1

Lance and Keith were both incredibly renowned assassins in the criminal underbelly.

They’re legends - whispered about in the dark corners of bars and in dirty back alleys by awestruck mercs and terror-stricken targets.

Lance is affiliated with the organisation called The Coalition, lead by the woman known only as the Queen.

Keith is apart of the Blades of Marmora, a faceless organisation wreathed in shadow.

Keith specialised in hand to hand combat and close hand assassinations while Lance mainly took out his targets using his sharpshooting abilities.

That’s not to say that those are the only skills those two are any good at, but it’s their strongest points.

Lance is very proficient in close combat, while Keith has a pretty good aim with a gun, but Lance prefers to be able to keep out of the way + fire from a distance because he’s playing to his strengths, just like his Keith does when he uses his hands or blades on a target.

They met during their downtime between missions, at some cliché spot like a coffee shop or a library or something and immediately hit it off.

However, neither of them are aware that the cute guy who’s number he just got is actually “that one really annoying assassin that always manages to get to my targets before I do and constantly makes my missions so much more difficult than they need to be.”

Lance had just liked Keith’s eyes and Keith had thought that Lance’s smile was cute.

So they began dating, eventually falling in love and moving in together.

They’re still pretending that they’re civilians at this point, and all their travelling for missions and stuff is either presented as “work meetings” or “family business” and the like. I feel like they would both know something wasn’t completely truthful about that, but hey - as long as they both loved each other and were honest with the important things, then it didn’t really bother them. They both knew the weight of keeping secrets, so they were quite lenient about it, because it would be pretty fucking ironic for them to demand to know every secret the other had when they were hiding such a massive part of themselves.

So yeah anyway back to the plot - they both come to the same conclusion that they want to leave the job so they can spend more time with each other and finally have a normal life with the man they love.

Each of their organisations reluctantly agrees to this, and they’re free.

And they enjoy their life together, they really do. Keith gets a job as a mechanic and Lance begins working at a local aquarium, and everything is normal, and mundane and so perfect.

Until Lance collapses one day after making breakfast.

At the hospital, Keith barely hears the doctors as they say “family history of respiratory failure” and “paralysis of the diaphragm”. He can only watch as the whole world suffocates around him.

Keith goes home alone that night, and every night after.

Lance never goes home again.

Instead, he wakes up in a room filled with medical equipment, and yet, it’s no hospital. By his side sits the Queen.

Tetrodotoxin - she tells him, her white hair curling - You’re the only one I can trust with this mission. I know you had a life outside, I know you had left. But you know I wouldn’t do this if I had any other choice.

Keith wakes up alone, an empty muscle beating under his collarbone.

Lance wakes up, dead to the world once more.

Lance completes his mission with the most ruthless anyone has ever seen him display. A room full of Galra generals is stained red in his wake, a pen drive containing new information about The Emperor’s plans clenched tight in his bloody fist.

What will you do? - His Queen asks when he returns - He thinks you’re dead.

I’ll make something up - he spits his response before climbing in a car and making his way back Home.

Keith wasn’t prepared for the swarm of Galra mobsters that invaded his home - but they sure as hell weren’t prepared for him.

A demon - no holds barred and nothing left to lose- he fights like a wildfire against the rain, any injury taken is doubled in his retaliation, filling his house (their house) with boiling steam.

Eventually, the force of the thunderstorm is too much, and he flares, flickers, fades under the onslaught.

Lotor, the man with the smirk and the slicked back hair, takes his bike and leaves, leaving his underlings to deal with what he thinks is the broken husk of a man lying bleeding on the living room floor.

With that Lotor paints a target on his back. Because he took Keith’s bike.

But Keith couldn’t give two shits about his bike. It was a motorcycle, he could get another. What he did give two shits about was the storage unit under the seat, the one with the false bottom and hidden compartment. The one that held a small velvet box - and a ring that he’d been too late to give.

Keith left his house that night with the blood of seven more people on his hands, and an inferno screaming ablaze behind him.