#AND AS MUCH AS I LOVE THE KENT FAMILY I FELT LIKE THE THING WITH EXPLAINING DEATH TO JON WAS SO POINTLESS

[venuslarkspur]

Teen Hero Shenanigans

Part 1

Jon My Love, There’s A New Batgirl.

Summary: Your Damian’s Twin Sister, after arriving 3 years after your brother so you never excepted to take the Robin mantle, until your brother runs away and you volunteer to take his place. Damian eventually returns and you are discharged from the role, after bottling up your anger you decide to go solo by running away and stealing the Batgirl. But your not alone, your sort of boyfriend joins you. The main problem is the boyfriend in question is your brother’s best friend, Jon Kent.

Pairing: Just Jon Kent x Batsis!Reader on this one. Mentions of platonic Jason and reader.

Notes: it’s not proofread so I’m so sorry if there’s any mistakes 😭 - Please read the prologue if you haven’t already <3

Warnings: Undertones of Misogyny, mentions of Talia being overprotective, Teen Runaways.

Words: 1.4k

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You weren’t sure if you had heard your father right, all you knew right now is that you had to get as far away as possible. You ignored your father calling out to you and ran out that office, you felt your dinner coming up. You clenched your stomach and your mind relapsed. It brought back bad memories from your time with your grandfather, being pinned against Damian and being chosen as the inferior twin. That’s why you weren’t the heir, that’s why you weren’t Robin first. And that’s why your currently sprinting you way through the house, Cass had called out to you and you felt dreadful for ignoring her but you couldn’t take this right now. You were displaced, again.

Yet one thing led to another, and suddenly you were stood in the bat cave, staring at all the costumes behind the glass. There were so many, but only one caught your eye. Barbara’s purple and yellow Batgirl costume. Maybe it was the Lazarus Pit trauma talking but suddenly your picking up the nearest object and smashing the glass, suddenly your putting the costume on and grabbing your phone from your room. Suddenly you’re jumping out your window and hopping the fence; you wished you’d had at least told Jason or even Cass what your game was, but it’s not like there would be much explain; your instinct just acted for you. And it felt good to hop over buildings in costume and punching a few noses on the way, as of right now you were snapping off your boyfriend’s window lock, and your feet hit the ground with a creak. Jon wasn’t there but you looked at the time on your phone which read 18:05, he must of still been having dinner. So you waited for 5 minutes and in true Wayne family fashion sat there on his bed, reading one of his textbooks; until you heard footsteps outside the door but continued on reading.

The door opened and you sat up straight and met eyes with the person you’d hoped to see, “Y/n? Is that you?” Jon eyes widened, many questions floating around his head. You slipped the mask off and got up and met him, “We need to whisper, and shut the door please.” You tried to say as politely as possible, he got the message and gently shut the door. “I heard…so it’s true that Damian’s back.” He inferred as you led him to sit down with you on the bed, you sat down and took his hands in yours. “I was happy but judging by this costume, did Batman fire you?” You nodded at him and looked down in shame, but he quickly brought your chin back up. “He told me I was discharged, but I’m sure that’s just a gentler term for fired.” You sighed, and as mad as you felt you saw this as an opportunity to join his lips to yours for what might be the last time. You slowly moved in and connected your lips to his, he sensed the urgency and moved in as well but didn’t quite understand the rush.

You stayed that way for a while, but slowly moved away as he popped another question. “What’s actually wrong?” He asked and you felt bad because right now he looked like a sad puppy, but you couldn’t drag him down with you. Not to mention you had to be more careful with Damian’s return. “I’m sorry but I think I’m gonna tough it out on my own for a while.” You took your hands away from his and instantly missed the warmth. He looked at you as if you’d just told him his whole family died. “You’ve actually lost it if you think I’m letting you go off on your own.” He took his hands back into yours. “If think you need to do this- I’m not gonna act like I’m not happy about it but if I can’t stop you I’m gonna join you.” You both stay that way for a while, and reality sinks in at last. “I can’t let you, your parents won’t forgive me not to mention Damian will feel so betrayed I’m just not sure..” you whisper as if not wanting anything to change but it’s already too late, everything’s changed.

“Sorry Batgirl you can’t stop me, I couldn’t forgive myself if something happened to you, not to mention the wrath of your brothers, jeez..” He blushes and on a more serious note you accept his proposal. “Okay we can set up base at the outskirts I think, I know a place.” You stand up and reapply your mask, he follows and asks “Are you nervous?” You grin and if you could look at yourself right now you’d probably remind yourself of your twin brother. “Nope, nobody’s taking us down and if they try they won’t try and come back for another round.” You give him one last peck before sliding past the window sill again. “Gather what you need, speak to who you need, I’ll be on the rooftop when you’re ready.” You smile at each other before slipping onto the roof without a sound.

You made a point to ignore the countless notifications on your phone, only messaging Damian with an unhelpful “Im okay.”

————————

You knew just where you both wouldn’t be found, it probably would of been ideal to just ask to make your team but not only would that expose your relationship, it would also make family reunions really awkward. You weren’t really thinking at all, you knew a warehouse you could operate from for the time being. It was where you and Jason trained for a bit, you had fond memories of being taken for ice cream afterwards and a ride on the back of his bike. It was nice to have someone look out for you, so much effort went into training Damian when you were young children, your grandfather tried to believe in you but knew ultimately Damian would be the heir. Which created so many insecurities, well right now you weren’t much better running off with his friend but as you saw it you needed to pave your way as well.

Talia hadn’t even wanted you to leave, you had to run away to escape your overly pampered life; and it took Bruce insisting you stay to get her to return home; but she still promised you’d eventually return to her. As much as you had wanted to lecture her on her overly protective behaviour you also wanted her approval. Sure she would be happy you were rebelling against your father, but would she approve of you doing it this way? Would she approve of Jon? Who was currently flying you both to the warehouse. You wanted to be validated, and that you hated the most.

You didn’t feel like being alone tonight either, you knew there was an abandoned flat above the warehouse, but you and Jason had never gone up there. But you didn’t mind if it was a 1 bed situation, if anything it would help to have someone to hold. Worse case scenario you’re both found sharing a bed and your brothers will lose their shit. As long as you both are fully clothed at the time, nothing too bad should happen.

And it felt like the most natural thing ever, patrolling together, the thugs being confused and wondering when you two became an item. Turning them into the nearby police station, avoiding cctv and returning to your new makeshift home as if it was the most normal thing ever. You had set up your own mini crime alert on Jon’s laptop and found ways to charge your devices. You even managed to spruce up the warehouse and upstairs apartment a bit, thank goodness Jon was raised normally and knew how to cook because you couldn’t cook to save your life.

But naturally your respective families began to put the pieces together, and soon enough Oracle was watching.

Taglist: @waterwyne @venusmorning

(If you want to be added please let me know <3)

(Part 2 is out.)

[lunasfics]

Found Family - Under the Blossoms

summary: You’re new to that concept, it’s one thing you have yet to fully adjust to. The concept of people actively choosing to love you as you are, people who care if you disappear without a trace, people who see your flaws and shortcomings and still choose to see the good in you. 

this is sort of a continuation to found family! read here

pairings: Batfam x f! Reader, Supers x f! Reader

word count: 2k

request: "I neeeeeeed more Wayne-Kent daughter stuff. Your first post was truly amazing. Can I request a fic gets really upset about something and she hasn’t been home in a couple days. Everyone is looking for her but she’s hiding somewhere far away, maybe in Japan surrounded by cherry blossoms and a koi pond in the forest. Clark finds her and brings Bruce with him to see if she’s okay. You can change anything that you want but just the premise of the reader missing. Thank you!!! " requested by @ashdoctor

a/n: hi! i would first and foremost like to thank the sender of this request because I have had the worst writers block and this kind pulled me out of it :).also this not not proofread so sorry in advance for any typos,,,, anyway, this is kinda focused a bit on bruce and y/n's relationship cause they're both like. fucked up and complicated lolol but yeah I hope you like it! ALSO! i based the old japanese couple on a haikyuu character kita shinsuke, cause why not i thought it'd be fun

“Shit.” 

“Well I’ve flown through all of Gotham and Metropolis twice, and did a once-over around the country, not a trace. I’m getting really worried.” 

“She has to be somewhere, how long have we been searching?” 

“Going on day 3.” 

“Fuck.” 

“I’ve checked every landmark I’ve taken her to see during our training, I haven’t seen her once.” 

“We’ll keep looking.” 

The comms have been flooded for the past two days with nervous chatter and consistent but pointless updates in regards to your unknown whereabouts. Clark and Connor have been doing the physical searching while Bruce has hacked into any and every surveillance camera he could in hopes of the system picking up your face somewhere, anywhere.

Your siblings have taken over Gotham patrols, Barbara occasionally taking over the online search while Alfred forces Bruce to get some sleep. 

You’ve been living with him for well over six months now, adjustment has gotten easier for you, and you’d gotten more comfortable in going off on your own to explore. Now, Clark never has a problem with this, encouraging you to explore as much as you could, “The world has so much to offer, soon you’ll understand why we care so much for keeping it safe” he’d say. 

Bruce however felt it was reckless to use your powers so casually, you shouldn’t depend on them the way you do, that it's a liability to your civilian life. It’s not something you should be so careless about, “Your safety and well-being is not someone you should take lightly.” 

Naturally, you are too stubborn to see this was purely out of worry, that he actually cares for you. You’re new to that concept, it’s one thing you have yet to fully adjust to. The concept of people actively choosing to love you as you are, people who care if you disappear without a trace, people who see your flaws and shortcomings and still choose to see the good in you. 

Maybe that’s why you reacted the way you did during your last conversation with Bruce. The seething anger that heated your bones, the dense lump that formed in your throat as you spoke. The unpleasant pit in your stomach as you slammed the cave door behind you, the sweaty palms and the inexplicable reflex within you that told you to keep yourself guarded. To not let these people close enough to stab you in the back, to protect yourself and your skills. Do not allow yourself to be held back.  

So now here you are, on some farmland in a tiny town in Japan. You weren’t sure this town has had access to any recent tech for at least the past ten years. It was a refreshing change, it reminded you of all your favorite things about Smallville. The smell of the crops and the way the cherry blossoms bloomed along the outskirts of the fields in the spring. The pink of the petals was soft and peaceful, the wind blowing softly through them released a pleasant floral smell that made you feel at peace. 

Arriving there was an experience, you just flew and flew until you found yourself in a field at the crack of dawn, opening your eyes to an elderly Japanese couple standing over you, concern etched into their aged faces, confusion was evident in the way they spoke to you, but so was kindness. 

Mr and Mrs Kita were kind people, taking you in without question because they knew you were in need. They told you their story, about their grandson and how he goes to school in the city.

And so they invited you in and were delighted to find that you speak Japanese, although their dialect was different from yours, they welcomed you with open arms. You’ve worked in their fields the past two days, finding peace within yourself, and as nice as it was, you missed your family. 

Back in the house, the couple observes you as they do everyday, you pay no mind as you continue to harvest crops. 

“She’s a bit of an odd one, isn't she?”

“I quite like her, honest worker, though she seems as though she carries a heavy burden.” 

“Yes, I noticed that. She's quite adorable, she almost reminds me of our Shinsuke.”

“I do see it Dear, perhaps they’ll meet when he visits for the summer.” 

“I do hope so.”

“I’ve got something.” Bruce stood in his seat, gloved hands clicking away relentlessly as the batcomputer, pulling up a global map of movements that have broken the sound barrier within the past week.  

Clark stood behind him, eyeing the screen that was littered with red lines, the United States being full to the brim given their recent search. There were more streaks around the world leading to the landmarks, all which Clark could recall making. However there was one that stood out to him, a singular streak that abruptly stops in the middle of Hyogo, Japan. 

“What could she possibly be doing in the middle of Japan” 

“I really don’t know Clark but we need to go now. Wait for me outside, I’ll update the others.” 

All that was going through Bruce’s mind was seeing you again, having a rational, calm conversation where he isn’t so wound up from a failed mission and where you don’t feel so backed into a corner. 

Bruce Wayne isn’t very much a man of expressing feelings, granted, over time he has improved immensely, but he is nowhere near perfect and neither are you. You’re two people, a father and his daughter who are trying their best to be better for each other and for those you love. 

Bruce is a man who at times tends to lack patience, there are not many things he isn’t good at, unfortunately being emotionally vulnerable is one of the things he could use improvement on. 

That’s probably why he let you go that night instead of chasing after you, and it’s probably why he stayed silent while Lois was telling him off when he first told her and Clark that you were missing. 

If he’s learned anything in his time as a father, it’s that he’d do better, and he will continue to be a better father today than he was yesterday. 

Regardless, he knew he needed to get his daughter.

For one hour every day, at one o’ clock, you went and sat under the cherry blossoms, inhaling the comforting floral fumes, feeling the defined rays of sunlight peak through the branches of the tree and onto your soft skin. 

You knew the soft breeze by heart now, the way it felt softly dancing through your hair, the cool sensation of it against your hairline as it kissed away the beads of sweat formed by the day of work in the sun. You had decided last night that today you would go home, as peaceful as it was there you missed your family. You missed your dads and brothers and sisters, you missed the civilians you’d help on patrol. You missed helping people, but more than that you missed your family. You missed baking for them and laughing with them, learning about life and society with them by your side every step of the way. You had decided that today at sundown. you would leave everything in order and organized for the Kitas and bid your farewells, of course you would visit soon, they’re  kind people who took care of you when you needed it. 

You immediately knew something was off when you felt a sudden gust of air, uncharacteristic for the climate in this area. You knew for certain something was off when you heard the familiar swoosh of that cape. 

You turned slowly and sure enough, you saw Bruce, walking towards you in long powerful strides, Clark not far behind him. 

His steps are aggressive, almost sloppy, his strides large and powerful, his walk having more purpose than you’d ever seen it. 

You prepared yourself for the lecture, the mental image of his condescending glare as he breaded you for your lack of self preservation, your recklessness, how this could have compromised your identity, how you're stupid, so so stupid. How you don’t think. How you’re not worth it, a lost cause-

Two strong arms wrapped themselves around you before you knew what was happening. The scent of cologne and the faint smell of metal filling your senses, why isn’t he yelling at me? 

“I was so worried. We all were. Please, don’t do that again, we’ll talk it through next time. I’m sorry.” His voice was gentle, not what you were expecting, his voice was kind, so much so that you felt your eyes glaze over, a wet sensation making its way down your cheek. . You were crying. There was that puddle of warmth pooling in your chest, that sense of security and safety. Clark came up behind you and held you tight, the feeling intensified. 

Ah. Now it made sense. His steps weren't aggressive, they were nervous, emotional.

“You really had us scared there, kiddo. Next time, come to Metropolis, or Smallville, or the tower, anywhere with anyone, but talk to us. We’re always going to be here for you because that’s what family is.” 

Tears fell from your eyes, though you didn't understand why, tears were typically for sadness, but you weren’t sad. These were tears of disbelief, of joy, of love. How funny it is that you never, not once thought you could possibly be cared for like this, that you could ever obtain a proper family like the kinds you learned about. You decided then and there that you would be damned if you ever lost them, if you ever left this. 

“I’m sorry I left, I shouldn’t have. I was going to go back today– the people. The people here have been taking care of me, I was going to help them and say goodbye.” 

Clark shook his head, “You don’t need to apologize, it’s okay, Y/n. Why don’t you go say goodbye, and we can have dinner with Ma and Pa. Sound good?” 

You nodded gingerly, feeling like a small child, you never got a childhood, you didn’t get coddled nor did you get spoken to in a loving manner. You were never reassured nor were you truly shown kindness until the night they saved you from that lab. 

The world is a cold and scary place. You’d seen some of humanity's worst, you were created by them, you were intended to be one of them. You’ve found that within the world there’s kindness, there’s love, there’s peace. 

You pulled away from them and made your way through the field and into the house, smiling at Mr and Mrs Kita sitting at the dinner table playing a game of chess, Mrs. Kita stood and smiled at you, as if she already knew. 

“I want to thank you both sincerely for your hospitality, I can’t thank you enough for the kindness you have shown me,” your voice shook but you continued, “I promise to visit again soon, and anything you need, please let me know and I will give it to you.” 

Mr. Kita laughed and shook his head, “You owe us nothing, if anything we owe you, the fields look better than I’ve ever seen them, you’re always welcome here.” 

Mrs. Kita smacked his arm lightly, and smiled and pulled you in for a hug, “That isn’t the only reason, what he means is we will always welcome you here with open arms, Dear, be safe.” 

You hugged them and retreated back to your dads, joining them on their way back to Kansas, where your loving family was already waiting.

Bonus!

“My goodness! Did you see that scary man in the cape outside? How cold he looked.” Mrs. Kita shuddered as she laid next to her husband. 

“Yes, I did, and my, that bulky fellow in the blue? He could do without the leggings.” 

“I think they do him quite a service… from behind at least.”

“My goodness Yumie, have some class Dear.” He shook his head.

She laughed, “Well, you don’t have it like you used to, old man. I’d like something to look at every so often, why don't you go buy yourself some leggings?” 

He scoffed, “Not happening, Woman. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. They best not keep Y/n from visiting or I’ll fly to the states and get her myself.” 

The room erupted into giggles and laughter, it was peaceful in the small farm in Hyogo that night.

Taglist! Went ahead and just reused the one from the first chapter! If you'd like to be removed, send an ask to let me know!

Taglist- @one-green-frog @bonniecat @minnieearsposts @chickentenderx @murkyponds @loserwithnofriends @ilikefanfics4 @fangirlvibez @instantplaiddream @lovelywritersgarden @calicocat45 @strawberrycreamh @sappynappysworld @zyuuuu @allycat4458 @lovelypitasworld @batfamlover @pterodactyl-hater @american-idiot21 @starlets-things @th1s-b1tch-1s-dead @dontgivemeyourname @normal-internet-user @sillyfinn @lostgirlsstuff @llvmakk @princess76179 @vanessa-boo @1lellykins @blitzythefanvergentpitsterthings @samibrewss @pickyblue12 @thetiredtoad0-0 @lacklustertrashbag @biadoll21 @blublock404

[bluecollarmcandtf]

Too Old to Trick-or-Treat

When the doorbell rang, I did not expect to be seeing an 18 year-old standing on the doorstep. Nevertheless, I grabbed my bowl of candy and greeted him with my best Transylvanian accent. The handsome young man flashed me a winning smile and stuck out his chest.

"Trick or treat!" he charmed, "It's Brandon from down the street. By the way, that vampire costume is sick!"

I rolled my eyes, "Brandon, aren't you a bit old for trick-or-treating?"

"What's it to you, dude? Aren't you a bit old to be dressing up?" Brandon laughed, "I'm just killing time 'till my friends pick me up."

A small sigh escaped my throat. Brandon's friends were as careless as he was. Countless mailboxes had been smashed over the last few months, and I had a sneaking suspicion of who was responsible. Brandon may put on a good performance during the day, but he was quite the rebellious vandal at night.

"Wait here, Brandon. I have something special for you..."

"Hope it's a king-sized candy bar!" he called as I slipped back into my house.

With quiet steps, I retreated back to my study, where I kept all my ancient texts and spell books. My family has practiced witchcraft for centuries, and I knew just the thing to help Brandon grow up.

"Here you are, Clark Kent," I said, handing the young man an enticing little pastry.

"Damn, that looks good," he gasped before scarfing the baked good down, "That was the best cookie I've ever had!"

I smiled inwardly and leaned against the doorpost to watch. Brandon looked confused when he suddenly noticed a stinging sensation in his stomach. He groaned in shock as his stomach rumbled louder and louder. He held his belly nervously and looked at me with panic.

"Woah, what was in that thing?"

A loud belch bubbled up his throat and sounded out of his mouth. All his thoughts and worries seemed to leave with the air from his stomach because his face slackened immediately after the burp. He kind of slumped back into a relaxed standing position, and a physical transformation began happening all over his young body.

His gut gurgled and bubbled outward as his spine stretched taller. Mass seemed to spawn all over his frame as his metabolism rapidly aged. The skin on his face seemed to sag and age as wiry hairs burst out of his cheeks.

"Wow, you've aged quite well," I noted, suddenly stunned by manly body wearing a tight costume in front of me.

Brandon seemed to snap out of his stupor, and glanced at his surroundings. Something seemed off to him. He was unaccustomed to his sudden change in height.

"What just happened?" a much deeper tone surprised the young man.

"You needed to grow up, Brandon."

"What?" he began to notice his new body with panic, "Why am I fat and hairy all over?"

"This is just your body in 20 years. I just made it come a lot faster."

"Woah! Dude, change me back," he begged, "This is gross! God, I look just like my dad."

I chuckled at the guy. It's not so often you see a grown man like this in a tight Superman costume, whining like a child. I decided I might have him stick around for a little bit.

"I'm not changing you back," I explained deviously, "But I will change your thoughts..."

"What?" he scoffed.

"... It'll be easier for you to accept your new body if you have a new mind to go with it. It's not like you can go back home or hang out with your friends looking ike this. Can you?"

"You can't change my thoughts-"

"Babe, get back inside!" I suddenly chastized him.

He looks confused for a moment. A whole minute passed where his brain seemed to be loading the new information, and then said, "Ok, babe."

"I love the costume on you, babe," I add, patting his round gut, "Even though you've packed on a few pounds since our wedding."

Brandon blushed beneath his hairy face and felt his chest self-consciously. He looked embarrassed about his heavy frame.

"You know I like a little pudge though," I added, "Hey, while I'm on candy duty, do you mind cleaning out the gutters in the back? The fall leaves clogged them up again, and I know how you love taking care of things around the house."

"Sure thing, babe," he gave me a peck on the cheek and steps down the hallway.

"You really are my superhero!" I called, watching his big ass move in those tight superhero pants.

"And you're my evil villain," he heartily laughed before stepping outside to do what I asked.

It was going to be nice having Brandon around for awhile. I was determined to teach him the pleasures of a mature and stable lifestyle. Sure, he' was taking care of all my yardwork and house chores for the next few weeks, but I really just did this for his own good.

I was ready to train him to be the perfect little husband, and part of that involved enjoying that tight superhero costume he's squeezed into at the moment.

[bigfan-fanfic]

Superman and Flamebird (Male!Reader x Clark Kent x Bucky Barnes)

General HCs for poly Clark Bucky and reader?

Bucky never thought he'd enjoy snow ever again.

But here he is, in the Fortress of Solitude, fully at ease.

"Hey, Kelex? Is the farmboy ready yet? We gotta hurry if we wanna pick up Y/N."

"He is finalizing his present, Bucky."

Bucky nodded. "Of course. He's such a sweetheart, eh?"

"I am not qualified to make that judgement."

"Go ahead and feel free to add "Sweetheart" to the list of designations you can refer to Kal-El as."

"Why do you always have to mess with my fancy Kryptonian robot?"

Bucky bursts into laughter.

In some ways, you have often felt unworthy of two such exceptional partners.

And those two exceptional souls agree that you are the most precious to them.

Bucky is a really great partner to Clark. He is someone who does not underestimate Clark's intelligence, capability, or capacity for compassion, but perhaps more importantly, never overestimates Clark's strength and ability to weather things.

Bucky is protective of the man Clark truly is - not the mild-mannered anxious and nervous reporter nor the confident alien savior, but the kindhearted and dorky and slightly unconfident man he really is.

Clark loves Bucky for his resilience, his good humor, and his protectiveness.

He is supportive of Bucky, and wants to care for him so much. Whatever he wants to be, however he wishes to go, Clark wants to help.

And Clark's support, Bucky's protection - the two of them provide you no less than they do to each other.

They are a communicative duo. Bucky doesn't like to let anyone in, but he is desperate for connection, so he is more than happy to bring you in to discuss things.

Clark's kindness and willingness to be himself allows Bucky to feel safe to talk.

Bucky refuses to let Clark bear burdens alone anymore - if Clark goes out as Superman, Bucky goes out as well, and Clark offers him a piece of his heritage. Dick Grayson took on the name of the old Kryptonian myth of the Nightwing, and he offers Bucky Barnes the mantle of the Flamebird, and Bucky takes it well.

Gadgets build for him allow him to glide across rooftops, to more easily climb and run and keep up with Superman, and he handily is well suited to taking care of the enemies that often give Clark trouble. Those overspecialized to Kryptonians, those of magic and bioengineering and Kryptonite.

With rubber bullets, with specially made weapons, he can dismantle and disarm and neutralize - his skills in assassination turned to the use of protection of something precious.

Together, they keep each other able to return to you.

Bucky and Clark each have their challenges - Clark sometimes suffers from sensory overload, and Bucky has trouble dealing with crowds when not on a mission.

But with each other and you, with support and family found with you all, they can endure and move on. You can all visit the Kents and find family. You can all talk solutions and problems, safely together, not fearing that you will be rejected or have your vulnerability used against you.

"I got the rings. What's so important you delayed so long?" Bucky chuckles, showing Clark the three black bands he had had made. Black as night, durable and smooth, with a small glossy ring in the center that shone with fragments of precious stone. In the right light, the three black bands shine as though an entire nebula of color is contained within them.

Clark holds out a crystal, and shining from it is his own face, as he calmly recites something, as all the other crystals with his biological mother and father do, of history and heritage and lineage.

Clark stands not in Kryptonian robes but in simple flannel and jeans. "Kal-El, Last Son of Krypton, who was also Clark Jerome Kent of Earth, married James Buchanan Barnes and Y/N, his truest loves, and kept them near his heart for all his days. And Krypton lived in within them all, for the truest legacy of Krypton is love."

Bucky smiles softly. "I think he'll love that. Gee, you sure know how to tug a man's heartstrings, farmboy."

Clark kisses him. "Will you come with me to propose to our sweetheart?"

"Nothing would please me more."

[primeofprimes115]

A Birthday to Remember - DCAU Supergirl x Male Reader

Fluff 🥰

Requested: Yes (From Wattpad)

Today was Kara's 21st Birthday, a birthday that was Kara's biggest birthday, at least in Earth terms, to her... Birthdays were celebrated a little differently on Argo, twin sister planet of Krypton.

What better than to spend it fighting and training in a simulated arena, that was overlooked by John Stewart, one of the Green Lanterns who Kara looked up to for advice from time to time, not just her cousin.

But, even though she got over the loss of Argo, her three sisters, mother and father, deeming her the Last Daughter of Argo, Kara In-Ze could never forget she was the last of her kind, wishing her family would be here to celebrate her 21st birthday with her.

But... At least she has new friends, her cousin of Krypton, and her ever-loving boyfriend of three years, who she fell in love with, knowing their first meeting before she revealed her super powers during an altercation with Apokolips' Granny Goodness years ago, the first time she debuted as "Supergirl".

Around that time, he had to reveal his little secret, that of being a technological genius who was a hero in his own right, being the son of a multibillionaire company much like Bruce Wayne's, his mother owns the company itself that has partnered up with Wayne-Enterprises then and there to change the world for the better.

Both were young at the time, now? They're happily together in a relationship, work closely together within the Justice League once it had opened up to allow many other heroes to join in, some would say that Y/N is the luckiest boy in the world to be dating someone like Supergirl. Though at most, Supergirl was lucky to be dating a hero such as S/H/N, his family was close with the Kents after all.

And with Kara's 21st birthday? Y/N had a very big surprise for her, something he'd been considering for a long time now, he'd been given the nod from Kara's cousin after asking about marriage, knowing he was married to Lois Lane. It shocked the Man of Steel at first, but he knew how much Kara loved him, and how much he loved her, he couldn't be anymore happier than knowing that his cousin was going to be married to someone like Y/N.

"C'mon, you gotta tell me what this surprise is!" Kara expressed dramatically toward her boyfriend, who stood with a smug look on his face, resisting Kara's efforts to make him spill the beans on what he had in store for her birthday. "It's my 21st! C'mon! Cut a girl some slack!" she sped up beside him, her cape rustling behind her as she walked normally with him in the hallway.

"Hahaha, then it won't be a surprise!" he chuckled, he hated to keep the surprise secret for now, knowing she'd say yes in a heartbeat to him upon asking the question, but it was also a good thing he had the box laced with lead, to prevent her from even detecting it with her x-ray vision since she was the snoopier one. "I even laced the surprise with lead".

"Ugh! C'mon! You're such a bummer!" she pouted childly, rolling her eyes playfully afterwards before she felt a pair of lips on her cheek' causing her to smirk and pin him to the wall next.

"Woah! Hey! Hahaha-Mmm!" his was shut up with a kiss to his lips straight after, his hands grasping around her hips where he felt her warm skin.

"I'll tickle it out of you if I have to" she whispered with a warm breath across his lips, knowing his ultimate weakness is being ticklish. However, Y/N felt confident still, smirking back at her.

"Good thing I'm wearing my ticklish-proof augments today" he noted to her, which made the blonde pout with a sigh.

"Seriously?" she asked.

"Can't spoil the surprise babe" he told her before sealing her lips with a loving kiss. "I hate to keep it from you, but trust me... It's gonna be worth the wait until later, it's not the right time yet" he continued, pulling back after a moment to get some air.

His eyes locked with hers and he could see the love coming back from those blue irises, a soft smile brewing across her face while she blinked slowly, both getting lost in each other's eyes.

"Three years we've been together, you've been there since I came to Metropolis one day" Kara went down memory lane with him about that, making him chuckle about that certain memory. "The day I... You... Met. If only I knew then you'd become a beacon in my life" she smiled lovingly at him, giving him all of her heart.

"I remember that day fondly" the corners of his lips arched into a soft smile, still pinned to the wall by his girlfriend. "Being there with Jimmy as well, then Granny Goodness comes out of nowhere. I couldn't even believe that you were a lot alike Superman at the time, it was... Amazing" Kara smiled deeply hearing that, she always thought he'd found it amazing. "I remember at that moment I fell in love, there was always something about you that drew me to you".

"I'd say the same thing about you too" Kara smirked before her smirk fell. "Do you... Think Kal's proud of me? I mean... I'm now wearing his signature colors now but, I've never really heard him say he's proud of me in person" she looked down at herself, seeing the fact she had recently changed her suit from the white tee with a small red cape, gloves and blue office looking skirt with red boots to a mid-length red cape, blue crop-top and red skirt with a gold V-shaped belt, and traditional red boots with the gold V around the top, still donning the S in honor of her cousin. She even dropped the hairband.

"Oh, I'm sure he's proud of you, Sunshine. One-Hundred percent sure he is" he cheered her up just for that moment, before his lips were sealed with one more kiss from Kara In-Ze.

"Thanks" she murmured while pulling back from his lips. "I'm gonna go train some more, need that work-out".

"Again?" he asked with a soft laugh, playing it off like he didn't think she'd go again, it sounded like music to his ears, his plan was working very well. "Gonna try break the record?"

"You're welcome to watch ~" she kissed his cheek before taking a hold of his hand. "Well?".

"Of course, I was gonna say yes anyway"...

______________________________________________________________

From what seemed to be just some training exercise, which Kara was being a little cocky at first about, setting a new record in the exercise she completed, then turning into a complete disaster when all of a sudden, a blue orb surrounded Green Arrow, John Stewart and Supergirl within the simulated zone before zipping them out of existence while Superman tried to prevent it from happening, though he had no way to prevent it in any way.

This had made Y/N extremely worried, having just witnessed his girl, alongside Oliver and John, zipped away and out of existence, whereas unknown. He felt sick knowing she was gone within a heartbeat by an unknown entity, at least toward him and Clark.

Little beknown to them, the culprit that did this was from the 30th Century, a far-away future within the timeline itself, the culprit was nonother than Brainiac-5, an organic who rebelled against his ancestors way of life and joined a future version of the Justice League called "The Legion of Superheroes" which was inspired by certain heroes themselves, most notably, S/H/N and Supergirl themselves, which was a secret kept for now...

Brainiac-5 made a huge risk bringing Supergirl, alongside Green Arrow and John Stewart into the 30th Century, though it wasn't really intentional to bring Supergirl into here, she was merely needed the most for being a powerhouse mostly to help free their teammates from mental domination by the Fatal-Five, the Legion's most known batch of enemies within their time.

However... This mission was more riskier than it already was, it was said in the history books of the era, that Supergirl would not return from this mission. It wasn't said that she was killed or went missing in the records, but most feared she would die in this mission.

Or was the history books lying?

In the end... Supergirl, Kara In-Ze, had proved that history isn't as it seems or says to be, she survived the mission, she took a play out of Y/N's own book on making her own luck, rescuing the Legionnaires from the Fatal-Five's control and saved the day. She thought like her cousin, acted like a leader, acted heroically, even willing to sacrifice herself to save the Legionnaires, if only Kal could see her.

Meanwhile this was all going down, Y/N and Superman had Steel help search around the perimeter to search for any signs of where they could've gone, discussing where they could search while Y/N's worries began to overwhelm him a little, fearing that he might not see Oliver, John and Kara again. Clark being the optimistic man himself, gave the boy some hope to continue the search, just to hold out some more hope to find out what happened.

With that going on... The Legionnaires reunited together again, the Fatal-Five's plans now up in flames all thanks to Supergirl's efforts in the long run. 

Balloon Boy handed out a Legionnaire ring toward the three Leaguers, though Oliver and John handed them back as returning with them would disrupt the time stream, Kara looked at hers with a smile on her face, thinking of even staying since the 30th Century looked a lot like Argo.

From all the buildings, to its atmosphere, it felt like home to her... But then something dawned on her.

She'd be leaving behind important people also, one of those people being her boyfriend, who can't come here to the 30th Century after she asked Brainy on the Legionnaire's ship if he could've just brought Y/N with her here, he only revealed it was impossible before giving out a short explanation as to why, which would completely risk breaking the timestream

She felt so drawn here, it looked so much like Argo! But... She'd be breaking someone's heart back in her timeline, someone who meant the world to her, someone who changed her life drastically the more he was around her.

She couldn't leave the love of her life behind, her heart was drawn to him, she planned things out with him in life, he had been there for her while she done the same for him. 

And so... She made the decision after thinking about it.

"Although I think that I do belong here with the Legion, which means leaving my cousin and everyone else behind, but there's only one person I know that I really can't live without" Kara looked toward the Legion before her eyes sat on Brainiac-5, then... She looked away, a lump in her throat upon thinking about the one person she likes to her heart's content. "Y/N... ever since he entered in my life after I went to Metropolis for the first time, things had changed for me drastically, more than I have to admit. Many people had said great things about him and about his family. And I eventually found out who he is, he's just this amazing, caring and compassionate guy, he was that one guy I fell head over heels for, when I hadn't noticed he fell for me first in a way. Since that first ever meeting, since that very first time we worked together as part of a team. Our relationship was a burgeoned one at best, and I've never been happier" she began to smile in GL and GA's direction. 

"Y/N is the type of person who would do everything in his power to make sure you're okay, safe and happy, while he takes in all the bad things that's effecting you, like an unmoving, pillar. His outgoing and friendly nature is what drew me to him, it's what kept me happy, made me feel... Home in a way. He and I had thought of moving in together a year ago, go to the same college together, be together outside of me wearing my cape and him using his gear and tech, have a normal life since we both have all the time in the world for that. Supergirl and S/H/N, Kara and Y/N" She looked down to the Legion ring on her middle finger, a thought of one day particularly being married to him as her eyes set on her ring finger. A thought ran over her mind what it would be like to stay in the future, with the Legion. It all reminded her of home on Argo, the sister planet of Krypton. "He said he has a huge surprise for me today, since it's my birthday, I spent most of today wearing this new look, wearing the same colors like Kal. I would hate to burst that bubble and leave him behind also, because I can't fathom to live here without him since bringing him here could potentially damage the timestream" she then looked toward Brainiac-5 before walking towards him, her fingers still examining the ring to feel the metal alloy. "And we don't want that, don't we?". "No, unfortunately" the young man replied. "We know him here to be the greatest man that's ever lived, he was one of the reasons the Legion of Superheroes was created, so were you" he finally told her. "That's all I needed to hear" she said with a smile, before sliding off the flight ring, as much as she'd love to keep it. "My head says I belong here... But my heart says the opposite. Perhaps history can be broken, it seems Supergirl does return to the 21st century after all, and rejoins with her loved ones" she then handed Bouncing Boy the ring and returned to stand with John and Oliver.

______________________________________________________________

"Whatever abducted them didn't leave any traceable energy signature" Steel confirmed with his scanner, as Superman then looked toward Y/N who was trying to keep his mind hopeful, but his scouter wasn't giving him any positive feedback either.

"Y/N?".

"Nothing on my scouter either... Damn it all!" he said with a little more frustration. "The surprise was supposed to happen an hour ago and I... I-".

"Don't worry, we'll find them" Superman remained optimistic, keeping his cousin's boyfriend from worrying even more". We could go see Dr Fate, or Zatanna, maybe they could-"

All of a sudden, a loud mechanical like noise erupted loudly throughout the room they were investigating still, the orb had appeared again in a flash of blue energy and within it was John Stewart, Green Arrow and of course...

Supergirl.

As soon as the little bit of smoke cleared, Y/N's eyes laid upon his girlfriend, his eyes widening in pure relief as did hers. "Kara!" His heart raced fast upon seeing her and he rushed up to her, enveloping her in a big hug which she immediately accepted. "You're okay, thank God!"

"Someone sure missed me" she teased before her arms around him tightened.

"John, Oliver, what happened?" Kal asked the two green suited heroes, wondering what really happened to them.

"Well... It's a long story" John told him.

"To put it short. We were transported to the 30th Century by a... Boy, he needed our help freeing his teammates, we helped. You should've seen Kara though, she was amazing. Took a page out of your own book in a way" Oliver told him as Kal looked at her cousin who was currently hugging back Y/N before the two pulled away.

He then smiled at her, before approaching her as the returning 21st birthday girl noticed his approach and smiled.

"Kal" she said with a relieved sigh, hugging him next. The Man of Steel accepted his cousin's hug as he was going to hug her to begin with. "There's a lot to explain".

"I know, I'm just glad you're safe and back here" he smiled before glancing over behind her, seeing Y/N smiling, reaching into a cartridge in his gauntlet, his fingers held a small lead box which had stored a very special ring inside.

Clark smiled and nodded toward Y/N, knowing he should pop the question now, as it should've happened an hour ago.

The question that would make a birthday to remember by...

"I never got to tell you before you zipped away... I'm proud of you, Kara" he told her with a smile growing on both their faces. "But... Not only that. You're a little late but since you're back? I know someone here has a very important question you don't wanna miss" Kal then told her, which she pulled back in confusion.

"What?" she asked. "What do you mean by-" she took a glimpse at Y/N before turning back around as something dawned in her mind as she did, taking note that he was on one knee, holding something. "Wait, Y/N, what're you -?" She turned back around, her cape fluttering behind her as she did before, looking him in the eyes and down to the object he held in his hand as he then flicked up the top of the little box...

Noticing a ring with a small diamond, a diamond that sparkled upon seeing it for the first time. Her jaw dropped, trying to keep composure, feeling as if she was about to burst out in tears realizing what the surprise was really about.

"Y/N... Is this...?" she stuttered, putting her hands over her mouth 

And she wanted him to tell her what it was hours ago, before she was "abducted" by a good Brainiac from the future.

"I... I had a little speech but... I-I-I kinda forgot about it since... You disappeared" Y/N himself felt a lump in his throat, getting a little emotional just thinking about the moment currently as the four men in the room stood by and watched. "I uh... I've been waiting to ask this for a while now, I've been holding onto this ring for, well... Years now, since Mom passed it onto me, knowing she wouldn't need it after Dad passed, it was his last request before he did pass. I wanted to wait until your twenty-first birthday, your cousin and I planned it out..." he told her as tears began running down from Kara's eyes as a few muffled sobs escaped from her. Y/N kept himself strong, fighting back any urge to let a tear fall down from his eyes.

"We've been through so many adventures together since we first met, shared our first kiss in the sky during our first date which was adventurous some would say, from staying overnight with you at the Kents, attending the same school, graduating the same day together, and then all the adventures after that for the last three years. You're like the pillar that keeps everything up in my life, keeps me going and happy. You've saved me more times than I can count than I've saved you and I couldn't possibly be more happier than have you in my life" he croaked a little before chuckling, still keeping his eyes on her as she let more tears fall down. "Kara In-Ze Kent, Supergirl - My Girl of Steel - I have one question..." he paused for a moment as Kara took her hands away from her mouth, his one hand reached out and she held her one hand out for him to hold.

"Y-Y-Yes??" she croaked with more happy tears falling down from her face, using her other hand to wipe the tears away from herself.

"Will you take me as yours forever. Will you marry me, Kara In-Ze Kent?" he asked the question, giving out all his heart out with it as Kara then knelt down to his level with a huge smile and happy tears still falling from her face.

"Yes! Yes!! Yes!!!" she said with an utter outburst of joy, answering his question repeatedly while nodding up and down before the she enveloped him into a deep kiss as the others stood by and watched with a smile.

From this moment on?

Kara surely knew this was a birthday she'd remember, the biggest birthday present she's ever been gifted.

You...

"Best... Birthday... Ever!" she exclaimed, the two standing up now after the deep kiss.

"Congratulations to you both!" Oliver said from the back. "Had a feeling it'd happen someday, you both deserve it! Seriously".

The two took Oliver's compliment as Kara then looked down toward the ring now on her ring finger, Y/N took notice of her observation.

"You like it?" he asked.

"Like it?" she scoffed. "I LOVE it! It was your mom's, I'm honored to wear it!" she corrected him before smiling hugely. "Wait until I tell Babs about this!".

"I'm glad you love it, mom's probably expecting to hear something back by now" he noted.

"You should, I think she'll be worrying that things didn't go to plan originally" Kal suggested.

"Yeah... I should".

"I'll go with!" Kara hugged Y/N arms with pure joy, having just been asked the question. "We can tell her together" she suggested, Y/N couldn't be more than happy to have his now fiancé come with him.

"Sure, Hun! My mom would be happy to see you again!".

With that... They ventured toward the Watchtower's teleporter after saying their goodbyes for the rest of the day towards the four others within the room, the rest of the journey was Supergirl flying her now fiancé towards their actual destination.

Knowing of what happened earlier?

This was something the both would remember...

This was A Birthday to Remember.

______________________________________________________________

Fin...

Word Count: 3592

Tag List: @jacenradio7 @jadenyukiyusakufujikiyutoduelist @rodimusprime2017 @beestriker015 @ma1egamer @6rookie-writer0110 @multi-fandom-enjoyer

[onceuponaoneshotfanfic]

Summer Sun, Something's Begun

Part of my Birthday Bash!

Request: "You're so cool, it makes me hate you so much." with Roy :)

I'm Bright Baby Blue, Falling Into You

Roy Kent x Reader

2.1k words

Warnings: Language, Chelsea!Roy, lots of fluff and flirting

Author's Note: This takes place during Roy's time in Chelsea, so he's in his mid-20s. The reader is his manger's very off-limits daughter, early 20s. I loved writing this so much, I'm going to add more to it later- so keep an eye out! 👀

Summers were for Chelsea.

For as long as you could remember, as soon as the school year ended, your mind focused on nothing but football. Throughout your childhood, you’d join your father at the facilities, watching the team prepare for the new season. Everything about it felt magical: the green of the pitch, the bright blue skies above, the shouts and excitement from the team. You looked forward to the first day of term, when everyone spoke about their summer holidays, the places they’d visited and the friends they got together with, when you would gush about the players you watched train and the matches you attended.

Now, you packed your bags at the end of each term and came home from uni, still feeling that same flutter of joy as you thought about training. A young adult yourself now, your dad still let you loiter around the team. Pretty much since you were old enough to drive, he treated you more like an assistant, asking you to grab lunches or help answer emails. As far as summer jobs went, this one felt like a great deal to you; hang out with your dad and the squad all day and get paid in match tickets whenever you and your mates wanted.

Of course, your role at the club wasn’t the only thing that changed. As a child, the players doted on you, asking about your dog or kicking around the ball with you before hitting the showers. You were Chelsea’s little princess, running around in jean shorts and too-big t-shirts. But now? Now you were the same age as many of the players, a young woman. Sure, the older players who’d known you for years, the ones who had watched you grow up, still joked around with you and treated you like family. But the younger players, the ones who were closer to your age than your father’s, definitely saw you differently. You caught the lingering stares, the cocky grins shot in your direction when they did something impressive on the pitch, the nudges when you strolled by the weight room when you brought the coaches their lunches.

Not that a single one of them would ever do anything about it. They were young, but they weren’t stupid. You were the manager’s daughter; you were the very definition of off-limits.

Which was totally fine with you, by the way. You didn’t care much for the attention of the young footballers, no matter how fit or wealthy they were. Not when you only had eyes for one midfielder in particular.

Roy Kent. Roy freaking Kent. With those brown eyes and those little smirks and that growling voice, not to mention that gorgeous chest hair you thought about way to often to be healthy, you were positively, absolutely smitten. He was brilliant to watch on the pitch, and he was pretty clever and funny when he cared to be. While his reputation centered around his scowls and brooding air, you often found yourself falling into step with him in the halls, offering teasing remarks back and forth and eliciting light chuckles from the mouth you thought about all year long back at school.

Ever since you started university, your dad had joked about not dating footballers. And normally, you were a good kid and listened to your parents. But the sound of Roy Kent’s laughter and the sight of his bare chest in the changing room always had you wanting to ignore your dad’s advice.

Because ever since he arrived at Chelsea, summers were for Roy Kent.

This summer was no different.

After a full week of Roy catching you staring at him on the pitch and making jokes that you laughed a smidge too hard at, you discovered him on the pitch long after practice had ended for the day and most players had begun to go home. Well, maybe ‘discovered’ was the wrong word. That made it sound like a coincidence, like you hadn’t quietly slipped away from your father’s office and followed the midfielder out of the building. Like you hadn’t perched yourself in the stands, not in an obvious spot, but definitely not hiding either as you watched him absently dribble around the grass while the sun began to set. Like you hadn’t been doing this for three days in a row now.

After maybe five minutes of watching him, he finally turned his head in your direction. “Oi!” he called out. “You just going to sit there and watch?” Even from a distance you could see the smile on his face, the one he usually saved for you.

You shrugged and stood, smoothing down the dress you may or may not have chosen while thinking about what Roy would think of it. It took every ounce of self-control not to skip down the stands, across the grass, and fling yourself into his arms, the way you wished you could after Chelsea victories. Instead, you strolled casually towards him, hands innocently behind your back, until you were gazing up at those pretty brown eyes, the ones that always seemed to sparkle when he looked at you.

“Enjoy the show?” Roy razzed, quirking one of those thick eyebrows at you.

“I always enjoy watching football,” you countered. You bent down to pick up the ball and began rolling it between your hands. “Especially when I get to watch talented people play.”

Behind the teasing look on his face, you could see in his eyes that he was pleased by your indirect compliment. “You think I’m talented then?” he hummed, doing his best to maintain his indifferent manner.

You wrinkled your nose at him and tossed the ball at his chest, which he caught with a soft grunt. “Who said I was talking about you, Kent? I was just stating the fact that I like watching football.”

His face lit up at your banter, eyebrows raised and mouth agape. You never saw him make that face at work except when you joked around with each other; you wondered if he ever made that face away from the pitch, if he ever made that face at anyone else, at any other girls. “Fuck me then,” Roy laughed, holding the ball close to his chest. He dropped it to the ground with a thud and nudged it towards you with his foot. “Come on, then. Let me prove myself.”

“Me, who hasn’t played football since I was eight, versus you, a Premier League star.” You rolled your eyes and bumped the ball back to him. “Yeah, sounds real fair to me, Kent.”

This time, the surprise he wore was genuine. “You haven’t played since you were eight?” He shook his head at you. “Your dad coaches fucking Chelsea. How the fuck did you manage to not play?”

“I prefer spectating and being a fan,” you stated simply. You wrinkled your nose. “Plus, I wasn’t very good,” you admitted. “I think Dad found it all a little embarrassing. He didn’t make much of a fuss when I quit.”

Roy shook his head and took a step back, dragging the ball with him. “Well, your dad’s not here now,” he pointed out, something close to flirtation in his voice. “And I’ll try to go easy on you, princess.”

Your heart fluttered at the teasing nickname. A few of the players called you that, always playful and joking, but when Roy said it, it made you wonder how other pet names would sound coming out of that beautiful mouth of his. “Fine,” you conceded with a huff, as though you weren’t thrilled at the opportunity to be close to Roy. “But go easy on me.”

Playing football in flats and a dress was not the easiest thing in the world, you discovered. Especially not when your opponent was Chelsea’s skilled and beautiful superstar. Still, you had to admit to yourself that it was fun. It was obvious that Roy did his best to go easy on you, but it wasn’t natural for the midfielder to give anything less than one hundred percent, so even his “easy” was a challenge. But he chuckled as you ran around each other, and a couple times he even laid a hand on your waist; you wondered if he knew the effect it had on you because each time he did, you froze and he was able to steal the ball with ease.

Eventually, you managed to break away from him with the ball at your feet and happiness in your lungs. You really thought you had a chance at scoring a goal when that firm hand landed on your hips. As you tried to wriggle free, your feet tangled with his, and the two of you fell to the ground, a jumble of laughter and bodies and a football. You managed to roll onto your back, grinning at Roy as he sat up and gazed down at you.

“You do suck,” he announced with a smirk. “Better study hard at uni, princess, because even with your daddy in charge, you are never getting signed to Chelsea.”

“I think I’ll live,” you huffed back as he laid beside you. You felt keenly aware of his body next to yours, of his breathing, of how close his hand was to your own. You wondered if he could feel your heart pounding through the ground; part of you worried it would cause the earth to quake, it was beating so hard.

Roy’s voice cut through your thoughts. “Glad to be home for the summer?” he hummed, his casual tone a sharp contrast to your nerves.

You cleared your throat. “I am. It’s always nice to be back with my family. And not worry about schoolwork. Plus, I love being here.” You gestured broadly around the pitch.

“Hmm.” Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Roy squinting at the oranging sky. “Any big summer plans?” His voice was heavy with interest, something rare for Roy Kent. He always seemed so aloof.

“Working here,” you said with a huff. “Same as every summer.” After a moment, you realized he was waiting for you to continue talking. “What about you? Training, training, and more training?” you teased.

He sighed, a low growling sound that had the hairs on the back of your neck prickling. “’ve got a fucking photoshoot tomorrow,” he grumbled. “For fucking Nike. Some international ad campaign or some shit, I don’t fucking know.”

You were instantly reminded that Roy Kent was a professional footballer, a celebrity, a legend in the making, who already had a track record for bedding models and actresses. He was on magazine covers and advertisements. And you were… you. He wasn’t like the boys in your uni classes or the fellas in your neighborhood, earnest young men who nervously asked girls out at pubs and prayed for a ‘yes’. He was a star.

In an attempt to ease your sudden angst, you let out a light chuckle. “Nike photoshoot, huh? Wow, Kent. You’re so cool.” You turned your face towards him and stuck your tongue out playfully. “It makes me hate you so much.”

Roy shifted his head so he was looking at you. “Me? Cool?” He rolled his eyes. “I never feel fucking cool. Especially not around you.” He gazed back up at the sky. “Always feel like a clumsy little kid around you.”

Your heart stuttered in your chest. His voice was so sincere, not an ounce of the joking and teasing usually aimed at in your direction. And you swore his cheeks were tinted pink- and you didn’t think it was from all the running around. Although your mind was racing to a million different places at once, the only thing you could manage to murmur was, “Well, I think you’re pretty fucking cool, Kent.”

He faced you again, squinting at the setting sun that was hitting him just right. “Thanks.” After a moment, you felt his finger brush tentatively against your knuckles. “D’you think I could call you sometime? While you’re home for the summer?” He shrugged, clearly trying to appear more casual than he felt. “We could… hang out or something.”

If you thought your heart was racing before, it was nothing compared to now. You searched his eyes, looking for some sign that he was goofing around, just fucking with you, but all you could find was sunshine and anticipation. Swallowing the lump that had formed in your throat, you nodded, turning your palm upwards so Roy could rest his hand on yours, intertwining your fingers.

“Yeah, Kent,” you finally whispered as a smile crept across your face. “You could call me sometime.”

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 41 (Buttercup's New Boyfriend)

Hazel stopped by toward the end of summer to spend time with her oldest sister and nephew. "I have news," she said excitedly. "Nicola proposed and I said yes!"

Heather was thrilled for her baby sister, who really wasn't a baby anymore. "Have you decided when the wedding will be?"

Hazel shrugged. "Later in the fall, once we've both finished school. Nicola wants to be a teacher like her mother and I'm taking some online courses in international relations."

Heather's eyes bulged. "Wow! I think politics is a great career for you, Hazel. You love making friends everywhere you go; I can only imagine how many people you'll want to invite to your wedding."

Hazel shrugged. "Not too many. We see our friends all the time, but we want our wedding to be for family. And if you think about it, our family's getting pretty big already."

"I can't wait to have a new sister-in-law!" Heather beamed. "Will you stay in Henford, or take your skills international?"

"Eventually I'll leave our hometown, but for now Nicola will work at Henford Elementary, and I think Mayor Varner will take me on as an intern so I can get some experience. We're going to live with Nicola's parents and brother in the Bramblewood so River and Cassandra will have space for their new baby."

Heather beamed. "I'm so proud of you, little Dandelion."

"You're as corny as Dad, you know that?"

"You don't like my Single Mom Jokes?" Heather pretended to be hurt.

"You're not single," Hazel reminded her. "It's been a few months since Holly called and said you'd basically met nerdy Clark Kent if he walked around all day looking as hot as Superman!"

"I just mean..."

"I get it, he's not your son's father! But that's obviously a good thing. When can we meet him?"

"Soon," Heather said. "I'm still getting to know him, and so is Ash. I want to be sure."

"Will you ever let yourself be sure?"

Hazel was right to doubt her - Heather doubted herself. But Conrad was back on the coast a few days later, spending time with Heather and her son at Fisherman's Wharf. After watching for sea lions in the bay, they stopped in for a quick bite at the Salty Paw.

No matter how much Heather doubted herself, she knew she loved spending time with him. He was still getting used to handling an infant, and feared more than anything he'd drop the kid on his head, but Ash babbled away in his arms as seagulls circled above, searching for food in the water below.

"My son learned to stand on his own at a booth inside the Salty Paw!" Heather groaned, caught between immense pride and embarrassment. "Does that make me a bad mom?"

"Nothing makes you a bad mom," said Conrad. Heather blushed.

"You're really good with him. Are you hiding any kids on me?"

"I donated sperm to pay my way through college." She froze, but when he cracked a smile she breathed with relief. "I'm kidding. No kids, I promise."

Heather had never had feelings this strong for anyone. Not Everett, and certainly not Malcolm. When they returned to her home on Sable Square for Ash's afternoon nap, Conrad told him a bedtime story to help him sleep.

"Once there was a tree and she loved a little boy. And every day the boy would come and he would gather leaves and make them into crowns and play king of the forest..."

He knew this one from memory, about a tree who gives all of herself to a boy throughout his life to make him happy. Ash suckled sleepily from his own fingers while he listened before dozing off.

Conrad was so perfect. Heather couldn't help but fear it all felt too good to be true. ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

© The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, 1964: Harper & Row.

[layla-lobelia]

Chapter 1 : The Sun

Word Count: Approximately 1,162 words. Summary: The story begins with a nine-year-old Clark Kent watching as new neighbors, the Johnson family, move into the farmhouse next door.

The Kansas sun hung high in the sky, casting long shadows across the golden fields surrounding the Kent farm. Nine-year-old Clark Kent sat on the porch steps, his legs swinging back and forth as he watched the dust trail behind the moving truck rolling down the narrow dirt road. The truck creaked to a stop beside the neighboring farmhouse, a place that had been empty for as long as Clark could remember.

Clark tugged at the edge of his flannel shirt, feeling a mixture of curiosity and nervousness. New neighbors weren’t exactly common in Smallville, and the idea of meeting someone new made his heart race a little. He glanced back at the screen door behind him, where his mom, Martha Kent—or Ma Kent as everyone in town called her—was finishing up in the kitchen.

“You ready to meet the new folks?” Ma asked as she stepped out, carrying a large apple pie wrapped in a checkered cloth. Her smile was bright, but she had a keen way of noticing when Clark was uneasy.

“Yeah, I guess,” Clark replied, his voice a little higher than usual. He wasn’t scared exactly, but he couldn’t help feeling a little jittery.

Ma laughed softly and set the pie down for a moment, kneeling beside him. “They’re just people, Clark. Probably nervous, just like you are. But what’s the best way to meet new folks?”

Clark rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help grinning. “With kindness,” he said, parroting what Ma had told him a hundred times before.

“That’s right.” She ruffled his hair gently. “Now come on. Let’s give ‘em a proper Smallville welcome.”

Clark hopped off the porch, his boots kicking up little puffs of dirt as he and his mother made their way across the field that separated their farm from the neighbors’. He could see two men unloading furniture from the truck, lifting a couch and a couple of boxes toward the house. A woman stood nearby, shading her eyes with one hand as she surveyed the work. As Ma and Clark approached, the woman turned toward them and smiled.

“Hello there!” Ma Kent called out cheerfully, waving with her free hand.

The woman wiped her hands on her apron and walked over to greet them. Her hair was pulled into a neat bun, and her brown skin glowed in the sunlight. She looked warm and welcoming, the kind of person who could put anyone at ease with just a smile.

“Well, hello!” she said, her voice bright and full of energy. “You must be the Kents! I’m Flora Johnson. We’ve heard so many good things about you already.”

“And we’ve been lookin’ forward to meeting you,” Ma Kent replied, offering the pie with both hands. “We brought a little something—hope you all like apple pie.”

Flora’s eyes lit up as she accepted the pie. “Apple pie? Oh, this is just perfect! Thank you so much, Martha.” She handed Ma Kent a large glass jar filled with amber-colored honey. “My husband and I keep bees, so here’s a little something from our hive. You’ll never find better honey.”

Clark stood quietly by Ma’s side, his eyes flicking between the two women. He wasn’t sure when he was supposed to speak, and he felt like he was too big to hide behind Ma’s skirt but too shy to just stand there.

Flora seemed to notice Clark for the first time, her eyes softening as she bent down slightly to his level. “And who’s this handsome young man?”

“This is my son, Clark,” Ma Kent said with a proud smile. “Clark, say hello to Mrs. Johnson.”

Clark’s ears burned red as he mumbled, “Hello, ma’am,” keeping his eyes on the ground.

Flora chuckled softly. “A little shy, huh? Don’t worry, my daughter’s the same way. She’s around your age, but she’s probably hiding out in the barn right now. She’s not too thrilled about moving.”

Ma Kent gave Clark a gentle nudge. “Why don’t you go introduce yourself, Clark? I’m sure she’d love to meet someone her own age.”

Clark hesitated for a moment, but the idea of meeting someone new tugged at him, curiosity outweighing his nerves. “Okay,” he said, giving his mom a quick nod before walking toward the barn, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets.

As he rounded the side of the barn, he spotted a girl standing on the other side of a wooden fence. Her curly black hair, tied back with a red scarf, bounced as she tried to scramble over the fence. Her overalls, covered in tiny embroidered flowers, were dirt-smudged, and her face was scrunched up in concentration as she pulled herself up, one foot barely managing to hook over the top rail.

Clark watched for a moment, biting back a laugh, before stepping closer. “Uh, what’re you doing?”

The girl startled, her grip slipping as she dropped back down to the ground with a soft thud. She spun around, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “I’m tryin’ to leave,” she muttered, wiping her hands on her overalls as she glared at him. “What’s it to you?”

Clark blinked, caught off guard by her bluntness. “Leave? But… you just got here.”

Layla frowned and crossed her arms. “I don’t like it here. What if the people here are mean? I don’t know anyone, and I don’t wanna be here.”

Clark tilted his head, thinking for a second before he stepped a little closer. “I’m not mean. And you know me now.”

The girl huffed but didn’t say anything, her stubbornness starting to crack a little.

“I’ll be your friend,” Clark said simply, his voice full of warmth. “That way, you don’t have to worry about not knowin’ anyone. I’m Clark, by the way.”

Layla’s frown slowly melted into something softer as she stared at him. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she dropped her arms to her sides. “I’m Layla,” she said quietly, kicking at the dirt with her boot. “You really wanna be my friend?”

Clark shrugged like it was the easiest thing in the world. “Why not? We’re neighbors, right? And I don’t got many friends either.”

Layla’s eyes widened a little, as if she couldn’t quite believe he meant it. She glanced back at the fence for a moment, then at Clark. Finally, she gave a small, hesitant smile. “You don’t seem like a bad neighbor.”

Clark smiled back, feeling a sense of relief and happiness spread through him. “And you don’t seem so bad yourself.”

Layla took a step forward, a little more confident now. “So… what do you do around here? Is there anything fun?”

Clark thought for a moment, then grinned. “Well, there’s a creek just down the hill. We can catch frogs and stuff. And sometimes Pa lets me drive the tractor. It’s pretty cool.”

Layla raised an eyebrow. “You can drive a tractor?”

Clark puffed out his chest a little. “Yup! Well, mostly just steer it. But it’s still fun.”

Layla giggled, the sound light and free. “Alright, that sounds kinda fun. Maybe this place won’t be so bad after all.”

Clark beamed, glad that he had managed to cheer her up. “Come on, I’ll show you the creek. It’s not far.”

Layla hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Okay, but you better not trick me.”

“I won’t!” Clark said with a laugh, already turning to lead the way. “Promise.”

As they walked back toward the barn, Layla glanced over at Clark, a small smile playing on her lips. Maybe this new place wouldn’t be so bad after all.

[phantoms-lair]

"Okay, I can see why your astrology loving self likes it here," Tim elbowed Danny.

"It's astronomy and you know it." Danny said, fake offended.

"Yeah, I will admit I'm surprised by how good the internet is here. I wasn't expecting that out of rural Kansas."

"Well, think of who they have to keep in contact with, and how far away." Danny pointed out. "Honestly, pretty sure Bruce is responsible."

"Wouldn't be surprised."

"Hey Danny!" Elle hovered over the two of them. "Let's go flying!"

"We've got a guest you know." Danny gestured at Tim with his thumb. "Be kind of a jerk move to fly off without him."

"Can't he fly?" Elle asked. "His hero name is Robin, right?"

Elle looked like she was ten, but Tim had to remind himself she was less than half a year old and often surrounded by metahumans. "No flight. All my powers are up here." he said, tapping the side of his head.

"You're psychic?" she asked.

Danny laughed and Tim rolled his eyes. "No powers, just smart." he clarified. Then he looked back at the stars. "It would be interesting to see what it would be like to have powers, but like most of the family, I'm a normal human."

"No one who can lie to Batman with a straight face is normal." Danny pointed out.

"If he wants to know what it's like to have powers, why don't you show him?" Elle asked.

"It's rude." Danny said, sticking his tongue.

"Not with consent."

"Not with permission." Danny pleaded. "You are too young for me to want to hear you use the phrase 'consent'."

"Missing something." Tim pointed out.

"Overshadowing. If I take control of you I can channel my powers through your body. But like I said, it's kind of rude."

Tim wasn't sure 'rude' was the word for stealing someone's bodily autonomy. But Elle did have a point of her own. There was a world of difference between doing something with or without consent. "Okay, how would that work?"

"How would what work?" Danny asked.

"The overshadowing thing."

"Oh, it's er," Danny was fiddling with his fingers, suddenly nervous. "It's kinda creepy."

Tim gave him a flat look. They'd covered Danny referring to himself as 'creepy' enough in Gotham that he wasn't amused.

"It's basically possession. I would seize control of your body and channel my powers through it. Normally the person getting possessed is sort of put to sleep and only has vague impressions of the time they were controlled. But a person with strong enough willpower can resist and be aware." Unsaid was that pretty much everyone in Tim's family would be able to hold onto their awareness.

"Could you cede control once you had it though? Possess someone but not control them?"

"I honestly don't know. I've never tried it." Danny admitted.

"Then lets try it," Tim suggested.

Danny looked at him like he was crazy. "Why?"

"Two reason. The first is it will see how well I do if a ghost tries controlling me. The second," he shrugged, "I'm not a metahuman and will probably never be one. And I'm okay with that, but it's been interesting to see what it feels like to be one, you know?"

Danny pursed his lips and Tim wondered if he was crossing a line. Being a metahuman hadn't exactly been a fun experience for Danny, after all.

"Okay." Danny said reluctantly. "But you don't get to blame me if you don't like it."

Or he could just still have issues with the thought of people rejecting him for his powers. "Fair. We've got Elle as our witness that this was my idea. I could talk to the Kents beforehand too-"

"Not necessary!" Danny shuddered.

Tim felt his heart droop. Deep down Danny still didn't trust they'd keep caring for him. He hated what the Fentons had done to Danny's self esteem. "You don't have to if you don't want to." Tim softly reminded him. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable either. But I trust you, you know?"

Danny swallowed heavily. "Okay. If you're sure."

It felt cold, at first, like a chill up his spine. Then Tim felt his mouth move and vocal chords activate independently of of him. "Okay, so this is overshadowing." His own voice said. "So I guess, try to do something and I'll try not to stop it?"

"Do you have to talk out loud?" Tim asked. "It's going to look like I'm talking to myself."

"I guess that works. And yes, no psychic connection for this. Sorry."

"Weird," Elle observed. "I've seen some recordings of overshadowing and usually the person has the eyes glowing the ghosts color when control, but the glow fades when they resist control. But the eye glow didn't go away when Tim spoke."

"He's not resisting me, I'm letting him have control, it's different." Danny insisted.

"Maybe I should start resisting you. Just to see if I can." Tim suggested.

Elle giggled. It really did look funny with him talking to himself.

"Okay," Danny raised Tim's arm and clenched his fist. "You try to open your hand and I'll try to keep it shut."

Tim had to admit just feeling his arm move like that was mildly panic inducing. He'd managed not to be carded by Hatter but imagined this was what it felt like. He struggled to move his hand only to have it firmly stay in place. He struggled more, eventually sending his arm into erratic fits, punching himself in the face. "Owww" he moaned as

Elle doubled over in laughter.

"Healing factor should take care of it in a few minutes. Unless you want to stop now." Danny rubbed their injured nose.

"No, I mean, I think I want muscle control back, we can work on resisting stuff more later. But I want to see what having powers feels like!"

"Which one do you want to-"

"Flying!" Elle interrupted gleefully.

"I think you might have an ulterior motive." Danny said dryly. "You up for flying, Tim?"

"Yes please," Tim answered, trying to hide how excited he was to try.

He's seen others fly, several times, but it wasn't something he's ever thought he could do except on a hang glider or something.

"We're going for invisibility first." Danny warned. "Since we don't want to be seen."

If getting possessed had been a shiver up his spine, becoming invisible was like being dunked in cool water. Not frigid, but a definite chill ran across his skin as it vanished from sight. Then Tim felt gravity lose it's hold on him. Without any form of propulsion he lifted up about a foot in the air.

"We're going to start low and slow." Danny assured him. "So if anything goes wrong you aren't going to fall too far." Gently he leaned forward and glided effortlessly through the air.

"Do you think I could do this myself?" Tim asked.

"No clue, let's try!" Danny seemed to be warming up to the idea of testing with Tim's lack of a bad reaction to being overshadowed.

The floated in place and Tim tried to move their shared body. But while he could mover his limbs with ease, Danny's power couldn't be interacted with. "Doesn't look like it, sorry."

Elle looped back around. "This is low and slow is kiddy stuff." She groaned.

Danny gave her a mild glare. "You are three months old. You have no right to complain of kiddy stuff."

"If anything I can more." Elle countered. "Come on, can we at least do tag or something?" Tim shrugged. "Sure, tag sounds good."

~

"Does she normally smoke you this bad at tag?"

"No." Danny grumped.

Tim sighed. "Sorry. Having to plan out our strategies is letting her hear us. If you took full control-" "Then you wouldn't be in the game, I'd just be using you as a meat suit for no reason." Danny pointed out.

Tim thought for a moment. "Danny, can you put your shield in a bubble around us, so Elle can't hear us planning?"

"Sure, but it's going to be obvious."

"That's fine, we're just planning the planning." Tim assured. Danny raised the shield "We're planning to plan? Seems redundant."

"We're planning the things that will let us plan in plain sigh without your sister knowing." Tim corrected. "So our main issue here is we've got two minds that need to collaborate. Even if we split the division of labor of you powers me body, we each need to use both. You can take control of my body if an opportunity needs it, but I can't take control of your powers, so that what we need more communication for."

"Elle hasn't developed much beyond the standard, so we can keep to those. So, intangibility," Tim tapped the ring finger of his left hand twice. "If I make that motion, it means I'm asking you to use intangibility, if you do it it's warning me you're using it and I don't have to flinch away. Blinking twice will work the same for invisibility and..." Tim thought a moment more. "Tongue for flying." "Okay, I get eyes for invisibility and hands for intangibility, why tongue for flying?" Danny asked.

"Because it can't be seen. So tongue on the roof of my mouth acts as the taps or blinking, but can also be used to indicate direction in three dimensions." Tim demonstrated by holding his tongue to the roof of his mouth, then pressing it to the left side of his cheek."

Any more discussion was interrupted by Elle knocking on the shield. Danny dropped it to reveal his younger sister looking annoyed. "Are we playing or what?" Dany smirk and cracked their shared knuckles. "Round two begins now."

~

Alfred stood on the porch with the Kents while Martha rang the bell to call the children in. It had been a lovely visit catching up with them while Tim spent some time with Danny and Elle. It warmed his heart that despite moving to Smallville and possibly adding Kent to his name instead of Wayne, Danny and Tim were still very much brothers.

(One of the contingencies, if the Kents hadn't felt able to take in the boy, was for him to be officially adopted by Tim as a Drake, allowing him to still be a part of the family without feeling an unwanted connection to Master Bruce. But that plan was scrapped when Danny became publicly known during the Seige of Gotham. It was for the best, Danny truly needed more adults he trusted.)

It wasn't unexpected to see the children approach from the air. What was unexpected was there was only two of them and Master Tim seemed to be flying of his own volition. A raised eyebrow was all it took to remind the children that this wasn't an ordinary situation either.

Tim felt his shoulders hunch and his cheek flush as Danny's self-consciousness expressed itself in his body. Danny separated from him and opened his mouth, probably to apologize, but Tim wasn't going to let him. "I wanted to know what it was like to fly." he said, cutting off any apologies for his existence his brother might make.

"Indeed." Alfred said simply. "And how did that work out?"

"Quite well. I can better coordinate flying members of the team now, as well as Danny and I worked out a simple non-verbal code in order to plan around Elle while she could hear everything we said to each other. It was a productive endeavor."

"More importantly, Master Tim." Alfred's eyes crinkled into a smile. "Did you have fun?"

Tim felt himself becoming bashful now, ducking his head. "Yeah." He answered. "I did."

Good. Just as Danny needed the occasional reminder they were cared for, Tim needed the reminder that he was more than his use.

"That's something." Pa rubbed his chin. "Don't suppose you'd be willing too take me up there too. "I'd love to be able to go flying with Clark."

Danny's face turned red, and he half hid behind Tim's shoulder.

"It's okay if you're not comfortable with us for that yet." Ma said kindly. "We know you haven't know us as long as Tim."

"S'Okay." Danny muttered.

"You can take Pa and I'll take Ma. We can all go flying!" Elle cheered.

"When your brother's ready," Ma gently admonished.

"With that we must be off." Alfred apologized. "While I treasure these times, it's not fair to Miss Gordon to have to run herd on our family all evening without backup."

"Give Bruce our best." Ma patted Tim on the head while Pa and Alfred shook hands.

"I will. See you soon Danny."

"Yeah." Danny smiled at his brother. "See you soon."

It would be sooner than either of the two thought

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 6/18/2024

might flood today! might not! who knows! i live in the paved over swamp! mackintosh’s main concern is this bowl of grapes

listening

sligo river blues performed by john fahey. part of the point of doing this weekly is when i sit down to draft these, i am occasionally forced to go "ooh. i forgot to listen to music while pacing around last week. maybe that's why i was a tremendous cunt and wanted to claw out of my own skin."

anyway i care about two people on tiktok and one of them is a couple renovating a stunning house in the pacific northwest from a level 5 hoard (DK Dreamhouse), and one is this guy dylanwesch who is i guess music nerd tok? a lot of ambient stuf which i love to click around on the computer to. listened to part of this album while debugging a GIS problem this week

-

reading

i read six books this week, which is really the clearest possible sign i need to up my antidepressants. read the shepherd king duology by rachel gillig (Fine but i had some issues with the authorial style, felt very YA as opposed to NA, did have a very cool magic system, unfortunately i liked the second couple’s banter and relationship Way More than the main couple’s). finished the last three books in the temeraire series, i have not much to say about them except i adored them wholeheartedly. also before i read those i wrote all the below in a fit of pique

the great state of west florida by kent wascom. instagram kept serving me ads for this book and i am once again a little unnerved by meta's advertising.

publishers' weekly synopis

In Wascom’s wacky and wild fourth adventure for the Woolsack clan (after The New Inheritors), lawless gunslingers and reactionary Christian nationalists face off in a divided Florida. The year is 2026 and 13-year-old orphan Rally Woolsack is rescued from the abusive foster family who brought him to Louisiana by his long-lost uncle Rodney, who regularly responds to challenges of mortal combat on the app DU3L. Rally is thrilled to get away from his tormentors and return to Florida, although it turns out Rodney has pulled him from the frying pan into the fire. Troy Yarbrough, a state legislator whose family runs a creepy evangelical Christian college in its mansion on Florida’s panhandle, has introduced a bill calling for the region to secede from the state. Rally, reckoning with the long-running bad blood between his family and the Yarbroughs, derides Troy’s vision as a “Jesus-riddled white ethnostate with a beachside pastel tinge.” With the bill on the floor of the state legislature, and with everyone packing firearms, the Florida Wars begin. Fans of pulpy dark humor will relish the climactic showdown between Yarbrough’s henchmen and those loyal to an elusive figure called the Governor, as right-wing nutjob Troy is saddled by mad cow disease and Rally is rescued by his crush. This high-octane satire feels all too plausible. Agent: Gail Hochman, Brandt & Hochman Literary. (May)

i had some trouble with this one! on its face it seems like the kind of thing i would eat with a spoon. in practice it's more of a coming-of-age than a just-before-the-apocalypse story and i have a lot of trouble relating to a thirteen-year-old boy. even if he is bisexual. in this interview wascom says he's "re-mythologizing the Western" which i can kind of see? it's very pulp and ultra-violent in a spaghetti western kind of way, and seems written in a way easily adaptable to the screen. not quite vaporwave but a lot of anime influence: the author thanks twelve Japanese directors and manga artists at the end of the book.

there's an odd authorial quirk where the thirteen-year-old boy often points out (internally and externally) that the adults in his life are just talking at him about politics. which is a pretty accurate portrayal of childhood, but lampshading it in this way doesn't really make me excited about wascom's authorial chops? this is your fourth book. this book revolved around a couple brutal fight scenes (and one giant setpiece crowd scene, which has vibes and atmosphere in spades), and that's a perfectly fine reason to write a book, but if that's your strength i would be very happy to have you focus on that instead of sections where both the kid and i the reader are bored.

there's a scene with babysitter/babysittee sexual abuse that unlocks how the abused character makes decisions for the rest of his life, but it was extremely graphic and i wasn't really prepared for that. i don't know that i would have read this book if i had that knowledge aforethought.

overall not quite what i wanted it to be: the author in this interview said he's been working on it for over a decade and had to keep throwing out parts coming true during trump's presidency. i picked this pulpy novel up as an escape from the terrible politics of today, which is not what this books is. i don't know if i buy that he was simply too good at predicting the future, but i do like the choice stated in his interview "I abandoned the predictive stuff and tried to tell a story like it was written on an obelisk in the future, like what Denis Johnson did with Fiskadoro, or Joanna Russ with The Female Man". it does feel very much like the narrator from Mad Max 2 telling his story of meeting Max as a feral kid. again, some interesting ideas in here, does deliver on the Southern Gothic doomed political family aspect, as well as the same flavor of heat-wave climate tragedy as JG Ballard's The Drowned World, but i would have liked to focus more on his cool furiosa-like aunt in a white mustang with an anime mech arm. criminally underused character

-

watching

watched The Hunter (2011, dir. Nettheim) because of the Temeraire books! they used an archaic name for Tasmania that made me go “where the Fuck is that” and then i looked at the media mentions section of the wikipedia page. beautiful film in a very spare way. lots of long loving shots of willem defoe in the wilderness enduring various weather conditions.

i don’t know if it stuck the landing quite as well as i would like, but like defoe you fall in love with the land and the family so slowly it’s very startling when you finally do fully realize it. i think i was supposed to cry at the end but didn’t quite manage it. one of my favorite springsteen songs is part of the diagetic score in a way that made me cry, which i also did not expect.

-

playing

shoutout to the Thing Matching genre of phone game. this one is very much watch-ads-to-win but the levels are pretty long and i like shuffling objects around while listening to podcasts and trying to fall asleep

-

making

fallow week

[venuslarkspur]

Teen Hero Shenanigans

Part 2

We Were Written In The Stars, Boyfriend Of Mine.

Summary: Your Damian’s Twin Sister, after arriving 3 years after your brother, you never excepted to take the Robin mantle, until your brother runs away and you volunteer to take his place. Damian eventually returns and you are discharged from the role, after bottling up your anger you decide to go solo by running away and stealing the Batgirl. But you’re not alone, your sort of boyfriend joins you. The main problem is the boyfriend in question is your brother’s best friend, Jon Kent.

Pairing: Jon Kent x Batsis!Reader on this one. Mentions of platonic batfam and reader.

Notes: Sorry this took so long and it’s shorts I have an exam in 2 days 😢 - ONLY HALF PROOF-READ IM SORRY. Just pure Jon and Reader today

Warnings: Mentions of past child abuse, vomiting, derogatory language, cuts and bruises. Reader has some childhood ptsd.

Words: 1.6k

This morning was significantly quiet, sitting on the windowsill of what was your new home you hadn’t heard a scream in the last 12 hours, no petty purse snatching in sight. There were some clouds in the sky, it was never this nice in Gotham, too much pollution. But the harsh breeze against your skin reminded you of what life was like in the mountains training with your grandfather, it really made you think of how ironic it was that you always got Damian’s sloppy seconds. First being heir of the league of assassins, then being Robin, but now you have something that’s yours; the sleeping boy in the bed. Next to you. Even though he was technically Damian’s first, he doesn’t get to see him this way.

You dabbed your wounds again and let out a disgruntled noise upon hitting a bruise, you grabbed some honey and dabbed it on the dried up cut. You had gotten into a confrontation last night and you weren’t expecting for the low level thug to have some backup. Long story short, he had a ridiculously big group of goons and Jon had to come and help. Let’s hope they all had health insurance for the beating you both gave them. But you couldn’t lie, without your father or siblings there you felt like a rogue, even when you were fighting crime with Jason you never felt this out of place. You felt like you would relapse at any moment and forget your new ways. You never took pleasure in killing, it’s just how your grandfather taught you. Nobody taught you about redemption, you were just explained the world in black and white.

Luckily, you had Jon if you ever nearly slip up. You hadn’t looked at your phone in 3 good days and you had been happy that way, you missed them, even your father to an extent but you also knew proving yourself was important. The highlight of all of this was Jon, sure breaking a few scum noses was nice too. But nothing beats the adrenaline of going on patrol together and the press wondering when you two became an item, you leave as quickly as possible though; you can’t risk your family coming to get you or Jon’s for that matter. It was a bit easier for Jon, his parents trusts him and loves him. Your family loves you too, but if Bruce trusted you then why fire you?

“Ouch.” You murmur after hitting a particularly sensitive bruise, deciding that’s enough and wanting to spend some more time with Jon before your patrol, you slip back next to him; ruffling his hair and trying to shuffle as close as humanely possible, the more you shuffled the more healed you felt by the moment, not just physically but mentally as well. There was so many things to tell him, about your overbearing mother? Or maybe almost being disowned by your grandfather? But you didn’t wanna tell him things he wouldn’t know what to do with. So you embrace him and he gets the message and pulls your waist around him, which made you hope the morning would never end.

————————

“I received a call from Clark this morning.” Bruce said sternly to almost all his children, they all sat on the couch, “Clark? has he found her?” Stephanie spoke up first, her eyes widened with hope as Barbara placed a hand on her shoulder. “Steph..” she said whilst rubbing her back to comfort her. “Well, what did he say?” Barbara asked, Bruce let out a sigh and faced his kids.

“You all remember Jon right?” They all nodded in unison and mutual confusion, “Well, recently Jon has gone off too, they think around the same time as your sister.”

“What are you saying?”

————————

“You okay?” Jon asked as you searched the knocked out drug dealer in front of you. “Absolutely nothing, no leads.” You replied, you’ve been trying to find the boss of a local drug cartel but you’ve had no luck. “Babe, I was asking about you.” He looked down at his shoes before moving over to you. His glowing features making you forget about the filthy, rat infested alley. “Ups and downs, some days I really miss my family.” You look down and don’t realise the thug under you has woken up and has now broken out of his restraints. “I’ll get you for this you slu-“ he lunges at you seething with anger; but you swiftly move out of the way and restrain his hands before Jon hastily pins him to the ground again, using his weight against him. “You brats..” you role your eyes and gesture Jon to walk away with you, and you nearly did until for the first time you lost sense of self.

“You fucking cunt! Look at me!” The thugs screams and you pull Jon along, nothing he can say to you can do anything, you’ve heard it all, well until he reopened some old wounds; emotional wounds. “You are nothing bitch!” You stop dead in your tracks, Jon looking at you with extreme concern and wondering what changed. Immediate memories flood in, Damian leaving, your grandfather working you to the bone after his disowned, former heir left. Harsh days that ended in you holding your stomach and trying to keep your breakfast from coming up, which didn’t always work and wasn’t always pleasant. Vomiting blood was the worst of it after you were hit a bit too hard and were left clenching onto your stomach for dear life.

“On your feet.” A grating voice that resembled your grandfather spoke, were you having a panic attack? All you knew is you were reliving you worst memories. Please I don’t want to remember! I won’t. “Do you want to be meaningless? Pick up your sword and face me, I won’t allow you to fail.” You wondered if your mother even cared, she would carefully ogle your hands at night, commenting on how your once porcelain, delicate, hands were now ruined. But she did nothing about it, you wanted to be the heir; but not like this. You risked being disowned too if you even asked about your father or brothers, so you didn’t. You just didn’t,

“Babe? Are you okay?” A familiar voice said, you were now acutely aware you were out of the alley and lifted into your boyfriend’s arms. “You were in a daze..I couldn’t wake you up I’m sorry.” He looked down whilst placing you guys atop a nearby building, “it’s okay, I’ve never had anything like that happen to me before.” Jon offered you and sympathetic look before taking one of your hands in his, “I wanted to show you something to make you feel better.” You tilted your head, wondering what he had planned.

“Come.” He said and slowly lifted his feet of the group flying upwards, you were also gently lifted off the ground; surprisingly, no strain, only his gorgeous features. “Only a little longer now.” He said as he went further up in the sky only a bit stray of the clouds, he quickly shifted you upwards into the bridal carry. “Sorry if this isn’t a comfortable position, I wanted you to be facing me; since you’re my equal and everything..” he spoke in a shy tone, without hiding the faint blush on his face. Your heart was melting, he might as well take it for himself. But you wouldn’t say that to him, could ruin the mood. “I’m plenty fine here.”

“Good we are here.” He took his fingers and lifted your chin upwards; you were met with a vast sea of glowing stars, because of the pollution in Gotham; you never saw this many. You had never felt so loved in your life, so validated, so cared for. You started shedding tears and hugging into his chest, “Shit-oh sorry I didn’t realise this would-I’m so sorry-“ Jon said scrambling to rub your back and pepper your forehead with kisses to repay you. “No, Jon, happy tears I promise.” You say softly and his calms and he places his chin on the top of your head, “This is why you’re the only person I’ve ever let into my heart in this sort of way..” You utter and Jon has to hold back some tears of his own, “Thank you.” You move in closer and grab his face to kiss him, and it seems like it lasts forever before you both pulled away gasping for breath.

“I think I-“ you scramble to get your words together, feeling everything so intensely, until your finally get it together. “I love you so much Jonathan Kent.”

“I love you.” You finish, staring directly into his eyes, “I love you too.” He said, matching your gaze. “I love you so much more.”

Tag list: @waterwyne @venusmorning @planetlotus @sugarrush-blush @skepvids @dreaming-of-the-reality @otterluver05 @godoreo22 @earth-to-name @krys0210 @jisnothere

It wouldn’t let me tag a few people so please check your settings if you asked to be a tagged and weren’t! (Sorry for the inconvenience)

Thank you for all the lovely support <3 it’s definitely helped me finish this part off and it’s very appreciated. 💕

Next Part: Robin Vs Batgirl (yes it’s getting dramatic in this one.) NEXT PART IS OUT.

[thevindicativevordan]

Thoughts on “Superman and Lois” now that the show is over?

Not too surprised it's taken a while for someone to ask me about S&L S4. Between the upcoming Gunn reboot and MAWS, this show seems to have been squeezed out of the spotlight.

First a brief note on the series as a whole. Superman & Lois was a solid adaption of the characterizations and approach of the Triangle Era. Most of the diehard fans of the show that I've seen on social media are likewise big fans of the Triangle Era. For them this was their show, the Superman of Byrne/Jurgens/Loeb finally adapted in a way they enjoyed. As someone who does not rate that era as highly, this was never going to be my dream Superman show. I went in with the mindset that this was still a CW show with teenage leads. It was going to be annoying and outright cringe in certain areas, but as long as we got at least one good Superman or Lois segment per episode (and John Henry Irons too once he joined), I would keep watching. Credit to the creators, I thought they consistently delivered on that. Now as for the final season

Hoechlin and Tulloch were fantastic throughout the entire series, even when the material they had to work with was sloppy at times. Hoechlin's final speech where he narrates the rest of Clark's life tug on the old heart strings a bit, I can't lie. Tulloch really got put through hell this season, but I loved when she was always standing up to Lex and giving him a verbal lashing whenever she could. Right now I have them both at #2 in my personal rankings list for their respective characters.

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Wole Parks is my favorite Steel actor of all time. Yeah I know that the bar was in hell but damnit he still did a great job. Road to getting there was a mess but I did like seeing the JHI/Lana relationship adapted outside of comics. Since they got married here maybe we actually will see that marriage happen in the comics. Encouraging to think it might have some staying power after all. If I have one major complaint it's that they apparently built the perfect Steel suit and never let him actually wear it! WTF this is why "earning" the comic accurate look is such bs. Give the man his proper power armor with s-shield and cape! Ugh what could have been, he should've had that suit in S3 at the latest...

Michael Cudlitz might have displaced Rosenbaum as my favorite Lex, I'm not sure. I've been getting more and more disenchanted with "sympathetic villains" and having Lex here be an utterly reprehensible monster driven by spite and petty hate resonated with me. Hoult will probably end up taking the number 1 spot either way, but at least I'll have three good Lexs in my top three rankings.

Jon finally got powers, apparently they were going to drag that out until the final season no matter what? For that reason alone I'm almost glad they had to wrap things up in four seasons. I was getting majorly fatigued by the sibling drama and was glad they finally put that crap to bed. I had wondered if they would recreate S1 with Jon vs. Jordan as a full circle moment for Kal vs. Tal. But I guess that would have been too dark for this show, and as much of a selfish dick as Jordan could be, I couldn't see him turning murderous towards his twin at this point anyway. When Sam died to save Clark I figured that would be the only Kent Family death of the season.

Yeah I did like the final sequence where we got to see the Kents expand into a massive family, no way were they deliberately adapting it but my headcanon is something like PKJ's Future Stare House of El did exist in the far future.

Glad that the show went out on a high note in a way that satisfied the fanbase it had built. Could easily have ended up like The Flash, limping across the finish line with everyone glad to see it go. While I have no doubt there were some who felt the same way towards S&L, this at least got a proper ending to it's plot threads. Unlike Smallville or L&C I don't think S&L will have much impact on the Superman Mythos. It came after the Golden Age of Superhero TV had already ended, overshadowed by the endless swerves in direction of the film side, and MAWS is the Superman series that I foresee being the entry point for the younger generations. After Snyder left the character facedown in the dirt, this show picked Superman up, dusted him off, and hopefully put him in position for Gunn and MAWS to let him soar to new heights. For a CW show that is a far greater accomplishment than I expected.

[imagines--galore]

Clark Kent comforting and taking in neglected! Villain's daughter?

Pairing: (Platonic) Superman aka Clark Kent x 12-year-old girl Rating || Genres || Warnings: T. Family. Hurt/Comfort. A little dark at times because of mention of child abuse, but nothing too detailed I hope. A/N: I think I broke my heart writing this.........

He had seen a dark figure steal it's way through the shadows.

"Did you see that?" He said, straining his eyes towards the shadow where the figure had disappeared. The rest of his Team, who had been trying to figure out how to get through the impenetrable force field that had them trapped, turned their attention to him.

Before any of them could reply the figure stepped out of the shadows, surprising all of them with it's presence.

"Its..........a child." Wonder Woman stated in a surprised tone as all of them gathered nearest to the force field wall where she stood on the opposite side.

She was dressed in a ripped shirt, hair and face smeared with what looked like dirt. Her feet were bare and her face was gaunt. Her eyes were wide and held that innocence that only a child possessed, yet those eyes seemed almost haunted. As if she had seen things no child her age should see.

Considering her father was a villain hell-bent on taking down the Justice League and take over the world, it was no surprise.

"What is she doing here?" Flash wandered out loud. Her eyes shifted from one grown-up to the other, as if assessing the adults behind the force field.

"If she's her father's daughter, she won't be letting use leave." Batman stated, turning his attention to trying to plan an escape. "Although, given her condition, we can perhaps hope otherwise."

Superman slowly crouched down so he could be at eye-level with the girl. She gazed back at him with wide green eyes. She seemed rather small, obviously a result of undernourishment, yet there was a certain air about her that prompted Superman to lean forward. He knew she could hear him through the force field.

"Hello, I'm Superman." He said as a way of greeting, trying to win her over if he could. "Via." She stared back at him for a good few moments longer before slowly bringing her arms forward to reveal one of the most tattered and pathetic looking stuffed toy he had ever seen. Obviously it was well-loved by her, and was the only possession she had.

Superman smiled softly. "Thats a nice toy, whats his name?" He asked, hoping to speak with her further and maybe try to find out who you were.

Via only stared back at him, though the smile the tall man gave her did ease her nerves and she gave a small smile in return. Her head tilted in curiosity for a few brief seconds as to why the nice man with the red cape was being held behind the scary force field. Via's gaze shifted to where Batman was trying to decrypt the force field.

Maybe she should help them?

If she did, maybe the nice man would play with her!

The absolutely innocent reason was what prompted Via to bound towards the control panel and with no hesitation, press a button. She had to stand on her tip toes to reach it, but in the end she smiled when the force field receded from around the nice man and his friends.

Instantly she was at his side, grasping his large hands between her own much smaller ones and tugging at it. "Play?" Via spoke in a small voice as she gazed up hopefully at him.

Clark looked down at her in surprise, at the trustful look in her eyes as she urged him to play with her.

He crouched down next to her once more while the rest of his Team began to search any information on the foe that had trapped them.

Via raised her toy once more. "Play?" She asked again to which he gave a small nod. "I promise to play with you later. But right now we need to get out of here." He wasn't about to leave her here. Via gave a nod, a smile on her lips as he scooped you up. Clark could lift any weight without feeling any of it, yet it pinched his heart that when he held the little girl, he barely felt anything.

He could've been holding air if she hadn't wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders.

                                             ————————–

It turned out to be a good thing, when Clark took Via with him when he did. She knew the very thing that could be used to defeat her father and once the man was taken care of and the Justice League was working on helping with any casualties, Clark turned his attention back to her.

Via had been passed around amongst the Justice League, with one member taking care of her at a time. Once her father had realized where she was, he had begun to hunt her. She had trembled so much in his arms, that Clark almost felt like he would loose his grip on her.

Currently she were asleep on the floor of the Watch Tower. Curled up she appeared even smaller, prompting Clark to remove the cape from around his shoulders and set it atop her, to keep her from getting cold.

"What're we gonna do with her?" Flash asked, obviously concerned about the girl. Her father was in a high security prison and should be turned over to the state so they would take care of her.

Yet the decision didn't sit right with any of them.

"Maybe one of us should take her?" Cyborg suggested, looking around at the rest of the Team. Wonder Woman pursed her lips, frowning slightly before speaking. "A sound decision, but I believe that it should be Superman who takes her in."

The Kryptonian stared at the Amazonian dumb-founded. "Me?!" He exclaimed, loud enough to make the little girl stir and clutch her toy tighter. Feeling a twinge of guilt Clark made sure to speak in a lower tone.

"Why me? Batman is always taking in orphaned children, shouldn't it be him?" No one made a move to comment on that, not even Batman who was going over every past discretion Via's father had committed in the past.

"I took your name because I believe young Via has bonded with you Superman. To send her with an unknown person or any one of us would be like a break of trust." She glanced at the girl. "And think of this as a temporary situation. Once we are able to locate a better home for Via, we will move her there."

Well when Wonder Woman said it like that, he wasn't about to go against her. A brief glance in Via's direction had whatever reservations that were left in his heart fade away. Pulling out his phone from a hidden compartment in his belt, he sighed.

"Guess I had better make arrangements."

                                             ————————–

When Via learned she would be staying with the nice man, Clark, she reminded herself, she'd been ecstatic. She liked him. And though everyone else in the colorful clothes had been nice to her as well, she liked him better.

Currently she was being carried by Clark, as the both of them descended near a field. He set her down gently, watching as her eyes widened at the sight of everything around her.

The trees, the dirt, the sky, the birds, everything was new to her.

Clark learned that her father hadn't exactly been the educating type. And had seen fit to simply have her locked away from the rest of the world. This was her first time being out.

"What is that?" She asked, pointing at the house that stood old yet proud a few paces from where they had landed. Clark gave a small smile at her curious nature. "Its a house and that is where you will be living." No sooner had he said the words when the door opened and a figure walked out.

"Clark!" Martha Kent called in greeting as she held her arms out for her son. Clark easily scooped her up in an embrace, earning a laugh from Martha at her son's enthusiasm. "Glad to see you safe and sound my boy." She said, giving his cheek a motherly kiss before raising an eyebrow at him.

"Have you been eating well dear? You look peaky." Clark rolled his eyes at his mother's doting. "You can save your fuss for our guest Ma." He moved out of the way to reveal Via, who stood hidden from view behind his cape.

Martha took in the sight of the unkempt girl. She was slight, wearing a dirty shabby cloth. Her hair was in tangles and looked like it had never seen a good wash. With wide brown eyes and a thin face, Martha's kind heart broke.

The little thing looked so alone.

"Ma, I want you to meet my friend Via." He walked to stand beside the girl. "Via, this is my mother, Martha." His mother gave a gentle smile, as she crouched in front of the girl to meet her gaze at her level.

"Its very nice to meet you Via. Would you like to come inside? I did a little shopping and I found a pretty dress you can wear?" Via blinked.

"Whats a dress?"

The two adults were a little taken aback by her sudden question, but neither of them made a comment about it.

Instead Martha held out a hand. "Why don't you come with me and I'll show you?"

                                             ————————–

It only took a few days for Via to start feeling comfortable around Martha. The woman bathed the girl, washed her hair and dressed her up before feeding her with her own hands. Via didn't know how to even feed herself properly, and it boiled Clark's blood to know that her father had neglected her to such as extent.

But that was in the past now. It was over.

That man would never neglect Via again, and he would certainly never lay eyes on her either. Not if Clark had anything to say about it.

With each passing day, Via grew stronger, healthier and more open as well as curious about the world around her. The Kent Farm provided many distractions, so it was a good thing Clark had Krypto come along and act as a guide dog to the little girl.

Via had shown no hesitation when approaching Krpyto, telling Clark how her father had kept multiple dogs and she had befriended all of them. Krypto seemed to take his job of guarding Via very seriously. He was be near her every single moment of the day. They both even slept in the same bed. Martha had been slightly against that last part, but she had given in when she realized just hos safe Krypto made Via feel.

Martha had fallen in love with Via, and Via adored Martha. She had even taken to calling her Ma like Clark did. It had melted Martha's heart and had her shedding a couple tears. She had taken it on herself to teach Via everything she could, from taking care of herself, to learning how to read and write. The two of the would spend every second Via was inside the house together.

And as for Clark?

He had to admit he was warming up to Via more and more. Of course, he still had to go to work or go on missions and it all kept him pretty busy.

Whenever he returned to the Kent Residence, Via would come racing out of the house and jump into his arms, and Clark would return her enthusiastic embrace. It was ridiculous that something as simple as a hug from a little girl he hadn't even thought existed until some time ago, would wash away his worries and troubles. Via had a sweet and kind nature, something that surprised Clark given the environment she had grown up in.

She was tell him about everything she had learned, and Clark would listen patiently. And if he helped out on the farm, Via would be right by his side learning from him.

Her presence became such a fixture in his life, that he forgot all about this being temporary.

So when Bruce called him with the news that there was a family willing to take Via, he froze. His blue gaze wandered over to where Via and Krypto were playing, with his mother nearby, setting up a picnic.

"Clark?" Bruce spoke through the phone, prompting the man to return his attention to his friend.

"Yes, still here." There was a pause.

"Do you need some time to think it over?"

Clark floundered, his mind unable to form words as he tried to come up with a response.

Just then Via let out a shriek of laughter when Krypto pummeled her with slobbery kisses. Ma Kent called to both of them to behave and not act in such a roguish manner. Her words fell on deaf ears.

"No." Clark stated firmly, a smile on his lips as he did. "I don't think I do."

He could practically hear that smug smile on Bruce's lips as he replied. "I'll set working on the papers for you to legally adopt her then." Clark gave a small huff of laughter.

"You do that."

"Via Kent?"

As if she heard her name, Via's head popped up from where she now laid on the grassy ground with Krypto at her side and gave him an enthusiastic wave, smiling from ear to ear.

"Via Martha Kent."

With that he disconnected the call and joined his little family.

[valkyrie-sdv]

another bundle done... but MORE IMPORTANTLY... finally got sam's three-heart event.

thinking a lot about sam's emotional intelligence and how he's had to navigate this complex situation with his dad and the threat of his being killed. having to be a stand-in for his father while being only just an adult himself. (i'd imagine late teens or early 20s? given jodi's comment on how sam's "basically a man" now) i feel like i see sam get a lot of flack for being irresponsible, and he definitely is in other areas of life, but emotionally... he's been dealing with a lot since he was pretty young. and helping his family keep things together while his dad is away... in some ways i wonder if his acting the way he does is a direct reaction to what he's had to deal with? being forced to grow up too young, but not wanting to relinquish that childishness and lack of responsibility...

plus also the way that he shirks authority? his comment about not caring about the governor during the luau, getting in trouble with mayor lewis... it's a dynamic that's really interesting especially when thinking about how his dad is a soldier, too. we don't know what kent's like before, but we at least know now that kent seems to be all about Structure and is struggling without it, and believes too much freedom to be a problem. (from his sunday heart level 4 line.)

(as an aside, i really wonder what kent thinks of sam when he gets back, and how sam seems so much his opposite.)

i love how again the choice you get to make here is picking up on that division we see with sam? where with his brother it's ultimately about helping vincent hang on to his childhood for a little longer, or telling him the truth, like sam's aware of...

sunday choosing the "worse" option. sam's reaction is still interesting, though. it reminds me of how he also has this one line when he's married where he says: "I hope Vincent's not too lonely now that I'm gone… I kinda felt responsible for the little guy. But, life's all about change… right? Kids need to learn that, eventually… Or else adulthood will destroy them." digging through dialogue line code, you can see when some dialogue is a direct response to dialogue options you've picked before. this isn't one of them. so that this is something he thinks by default is interesting... sam feels like a happy-go-lucky guy in a lot of ways, but then when it comes to stuff like this, he feels really... almost pessimistic? it really feels like the result of having to deal with everything with his dad from a young age.

hey sam!! dude!!! the tonal whiplash here!!!!!! 😭 PLEASE

[flower1622]

Even though i like to read stories where the girl is the guy's entire world (including the ones from Percabeth...just sometimes. Not much into PJO fanfics despite writing many fanfics from this fandom), i think it's kind unfair to the other characters that helped to build the heroes as they are now.

Like, for some fans and even authors:

. Lois is more important to Clark than his own mother.

. Annabeth is more important to Percy than his own mother or best friend.

. Hinata is more important to Naruto than anything else

. Padme is more important to Anakin than anything in the entire galaxy.

"If something happens to them, the heroes would turn evil"

In fanfics yes, but in real stories...complicated to say.

The reasons the heroes turned evil weren't 100% because of them.

. Clark not only lost his wife, but also his child and his city. He felt very guilty for killing the woman he loves. There are many versions of Superman, but in his situation...well, i guess his emotions are different from humans. Clark sees Lois as his favourite human because of her flaws. I used to ship them a lot, but then i saw how Lois reminded me another charater. So, i stopped consuming their stories together. But, one thing is a fact, it doesn't matter if Lois dies, the real Superman would never turn evil. He may have his dark side, but Superman is still Clark Kent. He values his morals a lot. If Lois became a villain and he had to stop her, he would. The best example of Superman losing Lois is Kingdom Come.

. Anakin was a slave, he was taken to become a jedi very young, away from his mother. He had to repress many feelings due to jedi codes. He was always a little insecure. So, when his mother died it caused a big trauma on him and he didn't want the same thing to happen to his wife. Padme only became his anchor because he felt excluded and lonely due to his insecures that were never worked during the story. If Padme tried to convince him to talk to Obi Wan or something like that, maybe the story would have a different ending for the couple. Padme was smart and couldn't see that her husband was suffering and needed emotional help? I guess even ashoka could be a better help for Anakin than any other character. They kinda created a bond between them. I don't consume star war stuffs that much either.

. Naruto lost his control when Pain stabbed Hinata because he was already feeling many bad emotions after everything that happened. To Naruto, what really matters is the village, even when its people were horrible to him. He always had other priorities outside Hinata. Naruto is that person that cares about everyone equally. From i could see, no one is more important than the other for him...maybe only Sasuke. Serious. That man wants to spend more time with his best friend than any other person, even his own family. So, yeah. If Hinata died or even became a villain, Naruto would move on or would defeat her. If Naruto is able to fight Sasuke to protect the village, Hinata is not out of the question either.

. This one is based on comments that i saw on internet.

I may not be a big fan of this couple anymore, but i still read some stories with dark percy. But, in canon, i know that the real Percy wouldn't turn evil because of a girl. The real one would value his family and friends more than anything. He literally would be a second version of Naruto. Everything Percy did or does for Annabeth, he would do for anyone else. He was willing to risk his life for others. He would get pretty mad if something happened to his family and friends. Percy will always have Grover to remind him of who he is...of the person Sally would be proud of. Sally is able to risk everything for him, even stay with a horrible man for years only to protect her son. She's been with Percy during his entire life. Then, he meets a girl and BANG! She becomes the most important thing to him? I don't get it. "But, Sally is a human and Grover a satyr." I know, i understand. More reason for them to be important to Percy because together, they complete each other. They bring different perspectives. Even though Percy needs someone from the demigod life like Nico, Clarisse, Jason, Frank, Hazel, Leo, Connor, Thalia and many others (including Annabeth, but not only her) because they would help him with the side he has more difficulties to understand, he also needs to be reminded of his human side (Sally, Elle, Paul, Rachel) and that there aren't only demigods and humans (Dionysus, Hera, Grover, Apollo...). He needs all the diversity he can get to have a better understanding of his life...and mature with all the knowledge learned during his journey as a hero, as a human, as a friend, as a boyfriend and as a brother.

Even Goku has other people outside his family to keep him grounded. So, it's not only about romantic relationships. It's about the bonds the characters have with others that can determinate his future maybe.

Example: If Percy didn't have Sally or Grover, he could have turned out like Luke.

If Naruto didn't have his few friends, Iruka and that guy from the restaurant (i forgot many things), he would have turned out like Obito.

If Goku didn't hit his head or didn't have his friends with him, he could have been evil.

If Clark was created by evil people or didn't have his family, maybe he would have turned out a little different.

If Anakin didn't have his mother, maybe he would have turned to the dark side faster or maybe he would have commited ☠... who knows?🤔

[sylvies-chen]

okay I’ve refrained from posting my thoughts on the ted lasso finale until now in the interest of making sure they’re expressed properly so that people understand how correct my opinions actually are. but I’m here and I’m queer and LET’S DO IT FOLKS:

TED LASSO FINALE THOUGHTS

THE GOOD:

Nate!! Nate was a timid, sweet note in this episode. It was such a gentle little reintegration of his character back into the team and seeing him get a secure happy ending after all that time of insecurity was the part of the episode that provided the MOST payoff. Seeing Nick Mohammed’s post about Nate and his family life and understanding how much he put into that character was so beautiful to see too. I adore actors who very publicly (and in a nerdy way) love their craft!

His conversation with Ted also made me cry like I have never cried before.

COLIN KISSED HIS FELLA AFTER A WIN!! Ugh such a beautiful payoff and full circle moment for him, I was truly squealing with joy <3

The team’s rendition of So Long, Farewell had me GIGGLINGGG oh my god, I’m a die hard Sound of Music fan so I loved it! I would have maybe liked a little more emotion from Ted, I felt like his reaction was kind of… meh? meek? but other than that the song itself was FANTASTIC.

Obviously I love that they won the game, duh

They also had a lot of really amazing and thoughtful callbacks in this episode, like Keeley’s parallel to her entrance in the pilot was great, Ted’s bbq sauce mantra, Nate leaping into Ted’s arms, the ussie guy, the winning play being the play from season 1. All of those little moments showed a strong attention to detail I truly loved.

I love that Rupert made HIMSELF unlikeable in the end. Rebecca didn’t need to ruin his life; she stopped caring and soon saw he was doing a perfectly fine job of doing it himself. Karma truly is Rebecca Welton’s boyfriend!! Or is it?

Jake the motherfucking client seducer over here turning out to be a total dud like yesss!! I don’t want Ted and Michele back together by any means but fuck that guy lol, glad to see she and Henry were getting sick of him

BELIEVE. 😭

Which leads me to…

THE BAD:

I know you all know I ship Tedbecca, but this is truly not coming from a shipper standpoint when I say that that first scene of them was absolute BAIT. It was pretty disappointing because I know Ted Lasso’s been prone to red herrings and fakeouts every now and then but I didn’t take it as a show that would truly bait their fans with something like that??

I don’t care if I’m biased, I don’t care if the writers were trying to be avant-garde with their ending for rebecca, I’ll say what I’m about to say a million times: writing off 1 of your 2 most main characters into a happy ending with a man whose name the audience doesn’t even know is literally never a good writing decision. I think this should be obvious.

I have no hate to Boat Guy, Rebecca’s whole thing with him was basically the plot of Before Sunrise + Before Sunset (all hail Richard Lanklater) if someone watched those movies and then tried condensing them into fifteen accumulated minutes of television

Keeley, Roy, Jamie… they did you three so fucking dirty my babes. Keeley you especially. I’m beyond disappointed, bordering on genuinely hurt, by how much they screwed up Keeley and all of her adjacent storylines this season.

I loved RoyKeeley so much in seasons 1 and 2, they had such a sweetness and a magic to them. There were so many elements like that to season 1 and 2 that I feel the writers gave up on in the name of growth or… honestly, at this point, I don’t know why they did this. Roy was a little insecure in seasons 1 and 2, but I never felt like he was needy. It felt so cruel to have shown us RoyKeeley in all of these moments of such stability, such healthiness, and such genuine love for so long and then rip it away for some version of Roy Kent that felt hollow, twisted, and who just Did Not Get It. It makes me so sad.

It makes me sad for Jamie too. Him falling for Keeley again was like the last thing I needed to see from his character. There’s so much else they could have done with him, and instead they took that beautiful moment of him being accountable and respectful with Keeley and the tape, and they turned it into something ugly: they had him weaponize it as a bargaining chip against Roy.

I don’t understand why they thought having our favs engaged in this very sexist outdated convo with such possessive language in the name of comedy was a good idea. I get it was poking fun at them but it was the kind of fun that shouldn’t have to be poked at by now. They’re not these men, I don’t recognize this version of them. It’s such a regression.

speaking of weird and uncomfortable shit being played off for laughs… beard and jane got married! ted wasn’t even there! she shredded his passport to keep him in captivity! how creepy! (see the joke is that they’re crazy and do toxic things to each other. you’re supposed to laugh.)