#And the Best Part is That Caine Has Absolutely NO IDEA

[how-to-train-your-pomni]

It'd Definitely be a One-by-One Situation and Then a Full On Intervention Once Everyone Agrees That Jax Would NOT Make a Good Dad

One-by-one first, though; starting with Zooble

Zooble: Do you even like each other?

Jax: We like sleeping with each other. Izzat good enough for ya?

Zooble: *Groans and Refrains From Strangling Jax* She's having your kid, a[!%$&]hole. Don't you think you should, oh, I don't know, at least think about being a better person for her sake?

Jax: *Pretends to Consider It* No. We've got a good thing go- *Pauses for a Second* Wait, back up a second. What did you just say?

Zooble: About what? I just spewed out a lot of s[!^$&]. More for Pomni than you, but, whatever.

Jax: The, uh... the thing about the kits.

Zooble: I said "kid", Jax. As in one "normal" kid.

Jax: *Trying Not to Freak Out* Uh-huh, yeah, right. Hey, y'know, I just remembered that you're kind of annoying, so I'm gonna leave now. *Races Off Cartoonishly*

Zooble: *Quietly* Why are they both so weird?

[but-a-humble-goon]

The reason Cassandra Cain fans are so defensive of the idea of her being the best is because it's absolutely core to her character. It's not just a dumb fanboy power scaling thing, it's that this character literally only makes internal sense in that context. Part of the reason she puts the weight of the world on her shoulders, pushes herself past her limits every single night and rejects any and all attempts to help her is because in her mind she's the only one who can. It has to be her because no one else can do the things she can do.

[twisted-dork]

Batfam Reaction to May Beating Up The Joker

Batman (Bruce Wayne):

• He arrives with the Batfamily, fully prepared for a hostage situation, expecting the worst.

• Instead, he sees the Joker, one of Gotham’s most dangerous villains, lying on the ground, battered, possibly paralyzed, and groaning in pain.

• Then, there’s a civilian woman—no tactical gear, no weapons beyond a random baseball bat—standing over him, breathing heavily.

• Processing… Processing… This is not how things are supposed to go.

• He expected a hostage situation, not Joker getting bodied by a civilian.

• He’s immediately trying to analyze who this woman is—GCPD? Secret vigilante? Metahuman? Why is she this competent in a fight?

• Wants to step in but also… she’s winning?

• Will have a serious conversation with her later. This cannot become a regular thing.

Nightwing (Dick Grayson)

• Immediately loves this. He’s biting his lip to keep from laughing.

•He lands on a rooftop, sees the chaos, and just goes: “Well, that’s new. Usually, we do the saving, not… watch it happen.”

• A mixture of horrified and very impressed.

• If May glares at him, he immediately straightens up because that’s The Mom Glare.

• Tries (and fails) to hold back laughter when she kicks Joker where the sun don’t shine.

• Will absolutely try to get her to join the Batfam after this.

Red Hood (Jason Todd):

• Oh, he is in love.

• Watching Joker get beaten into the pavement? Best night of his life.

• Sees Peter’s reaction and immediately recognizes the “oh god, my parent is embarrassing me” sigh.

• When May walks past them carrying Peter on her hip, Jason just says, “Ma’am, I don’t know who you are, but I think I love you.”

• 100% track her down later.

Red Robin (Tim Drake):

• Brain.exe has stopped working.

• He was mid-strategy when she just… took over. Now he’s standing there holding a Batarang, questioning his life choices.

• “Did we… Did we just get outplayed by a woman with a baseball bat??”

• Nonetheless he pulled out his phone to record.

• The conspiracy part of his brain is firing up. Who is this woman? Why is the kid acting so casual about this? Is she ex-military? Secretly an assassin?

• “There’s no way she’s a normal civilian. I refuse to believe it.”

• Peter sighing like this is normal? Even more concerning.

• Now has to run a background check because who is this woman?!

Spoiler (Stephanie Brown):

• Is openly cackling.

• “Oh my god, is this a fever dream? Who is this woman?”

• Definitely post about it: “Gotham Report: Random Woman Just Beat Joker With A Baseball Bat, Kidnapped Child Only Mildly Annoyed, More At 11.”

• “This is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.”

• Wants to be May’s best friend.

• “Hey, do you want to team up sometime? I have a spare mask!”

Robin (Damian Wayne):

• Initially insulted that this civilian got to Joker before him.

• But then he sees the Mom Glare.

• And for the a moment, he had a flashback to when his mother had a look like that.

• He has no idea how to process this.

• Glares at Peter. “Your guardian is very violent.”

• Peter: “Yeah, I know.”

• Will demand to spar with May later, because if she can take down the Joker without training, he needs to test her skills.

Signal (Duke Thomas):

• Just standing there like, “What the hell is happening?”

• Was ready to jump in, but now he’s just watching.

• “Are we sure she’s not a vigilante? No? Just a really angry mom? Cool, cool.”

• Has NO idea what to do with this information.

• Is just staring at Joker on the ground like, Did this really just happen?

• “Man, Gotham’s weird.”

Orphan (Cassandra Cain):

• Watches May’s stance, movements, and general behavior.

• Immediately realizes: Oh, she has no formal training. This was pure, unfiltered Mom Rage.

• Instantly respects her (for how much she clearly cares for her son).

• Nods approvingly and leaves because clearly, May has this handled.

Oracle (Barbara Gordon):

• Watching the chaos unfold via Batcomputer cameras.

• “Okay. Someone please tell me we got a recording of this.”

• Secretly adding May to her list of People In Gotham You Do Not Mess With.

• Saves the footage. Forever.

Aftermath:

• They will track May down to figure out who she is.

• Jason will definitely flirt.

• Batman will try to talk her out of getting involved in vigilante business (spoiler: it won’t work).

• Peter is just so done with all of them.

ALMOST FORGOT ALFRED!!

Alfred Pennyworth

• Watching the footage from the Batcave while sipping tea.

• Casually comments, “Ah, reminds me of my younger days. Good form, excellent use of improvised weaponry.”

• Absolutely adores May before even meeting her.

• When the Batfamily inevitably brings her and Peter to the Manor, he’s already prepared tea and cookies.

• Looks at May and says, “Miss Parker, I do believe you are one of the most terrifying civilian I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing. You are most welcome in this house.”

• Offers her a baseball bat, brass knuckles, and knifed shoes from the Manor’s weapon stash.

• Instantly becomes Peter’s new grandpa.

[bet-on-me-13]

Ellie is Cass

So! Years ago, Ellie began to destabilize again. They finally figured out that the reason she was destabilizing was because her Core was too young to sustain a Fully Grown Ghosts Body. The only way to save her was to Revert her to her True Age, so her Core could healthily grow alongside her Body. She would lose her Memories, but she would survive.

But, there was an incident. A Mercenary had attacked the Fenton's Lab one day while they were Babysitting Ellie, and killed both of Danny's parents. Then, that motherf#cker had kidnapped his Daughter.

And Danny searched for her, he did. He searched for Years on End, sent all the Ghost Allies he had to try and find her, got the word out in the Zone that his Daughter had been kidnapped. But nobody could find her.

It was like the Assasin has dropped off the face of the Earth, but even then he had his contacts searching Deep Space and the Zone as well. He just couldn't find her.

Still, he would not rest until he found his daughter. And the one who took her would have more than just Hell to pay.

...

For David Cain meanwhile, he had struck Gold on his most recent mission. He had been hired by the League if Assasins to go and kill a pair of scientists who had somehow managed to get their hands on Lazarus Water. Apparently they had gotten it a while ago, but had somehow gone under the Radar for years.

But while he was there, he came across something Special. A Lazarus Touched Child. One who seemed to be more Blessed than Any Other Lazarus Touched he had ever heard of. And she was just a Baby.

A Baby who could be raised and Moulded into a Weapon, as any Lazarus Touched should be.

So, he took the Baby and presented it to the League. Ra's ordered that he raise the Child as a Perfect Weapon, to be used as his Bodyguard and Attack Dog. And so he did.

For years, he raised the Child in the most Secluded base he could. There was no need for him to teach it Language beyond following orders, so he filled its head with absolutely nothing but how best to Kill.

Unfortunately, the Weapon managed to escape after its first mission. He tried to track it down for Years, but to no avail. He should expect nothing less from a Lazarus Touched who had been trained from Birth to be the perfect assasin, but he guesses he should have expected this.

Still, he will find the Weapon. And he will teach it why it should have never attempted to escape.

...

Cass had been feeling off for a while.

Well, No, that's not right, it's more accurate to say that she had never felt truly right. For as far back as she can remember, since her earliest days of childhood, she had always had a nagging sensation in the back of her mind, telling her that something was missing.

She didn't know what though. Was it an Object? A Memory? A Person? She had no idea.

For some reason, the feeling had lessened a little when she got adopted by Bruce. She felt a bit more whole, like some part of her had found a part of what it was looking for, but at the same time the rest of her still felt as if it was missing something.

And recently it had gotten even stronger. She couldn't ignore it anymore, she needed to find the thing her heart was yearning for.

She needed to feel Whole again. Again?

[thenyoukeepliving]

Stress Relief

Jax x Reader 

sorry for the long intro

Summary: Caine organises a roast session for the circus members, with Jax being the first target. He plays it cool at first, but when the jokes hit a little too close to home, Y/N finds him struggling with the aftermath.

A/N: This idea came to me in a ₊‧⁺˖vision˖⁺‧₊, inspired by that episode in the Office where everyone roasts Micheal and he acts tough in front of them but gets really emotional and cries about it at the end. I feel that’s extremely Jax coded. Originally, I imagined this as just a bunch of random HCs, but then I wanted to write an actual story around it – so I decided to do both.

You’ll see an intermission in the middle where I just made the roasts into bullet points, mostly because I came up with too many for each character and had no idea how to structure them. So I just got lazy with it. Hope you don’t mind lol. Imagine it like a fun montage!

Quick backstory:

1.) This happens on the next day of ‘A Slithering Adventure’, also written by yours truly, so if you haven’t read that one yet, number one, how dare you, and second, you don’t necessarily have to read it, but it’s nice for the context. Not suggesting anything… but, y’know. Glance glance, wink wink.

2.) I mentioned in that post that I’m in the middle of writing a long and tedious TADC AU kind of thing for myself with my OC in mind, who has a mysterious backstory that the circus members don’t know about. This oneshot is also a part of that story. There’s a brief scene touching on that here, but nothing you can’t handle. 

CW: underlying themes of emotional damage / emotional vulnerability - from both Y/N and Jax | Jax gets bullied <3 | Y/N has hair, Kinger has brows and Caine has a grin?? i dunno man

Word count: 3044 | Masterlist

You woke up feeling like sleep had chewed you up and spat you back out. Maybe it was yesterday’s adventure – running from a giant serpent, getting lost in the woods, and, most amusingly, watching Jax try (and fail) to act like he wasn’t absolutely losing his mind.

On the surface, it had been hilarious. Seeing him crumble in fear, fumbling through excuses, pretending he was totally fine? Priceless. But now, lying here, staring at the ceiling, you couldn’t shake the nagging feeling in the back of your mind.

You almost felt bad for him. Almost.

You stretched, your joints making an odd rubbery squeak – just another reminder that your body wasn’t really your body anymore. Sitting up, you replayed yesterday’s events in your mind.

Jax had tried so hard to keep his usual smug composure, but the moment that snake slithered too close, he practically levitated off the ground. His ears had shot straight up, his pupils shrunk to tiny squares, and, oh, the best part, his voice cracked when he snapped at you to “move faster, dammit!”

You snorted to yourself. Yeah, real smooth, Jax.

Still… the way he had reacted – it wasn’t just some overblown freak-out. There was real fear in his eyes. Not the dramatic, over-the-top kind he faked for attention, but something raw, something instinctive. And that’s what stuck with you.

You weren’t used to seeing Jax vulnerable. Hell, you weren’t sure if he was used to it.

With a sigh, you got up. Not my problem, you told yourself. He’ll be fine.

Probably.

You shook off the lingering thoughts and made your way out of your room. The hallway stretched ahead, bathed in that usual, eerie vibes – no windows, no real sense of time passing, just the same endless loop of artificial existence.

As you got lost in your thoughts, you nearly bumped into someone.

“Kinger?”

The old chess piece flinched like you’d just jolted him out of a deep trance. His eyes darted around before settling on you, blinking a few times as if trying to place who you were.

“Oh! Oh, yes, you’re… you’re…” he paused, rubbing his gloved hands together. “Wait, what was I–? Oh dear, I was– hm.”

Kinger always seemed lost in his own world, but today, there was something… different about it. 

“You alright there, buddy?” you asked, tilting your head with a half-smile.

He let out a nervous chuckle, then leaned in slightly. “I had a thought just now,” he muttered, his voice filled with confusion. “But it slipped away. Isn’t that strange? Happens all the time, but this one felt important.”

Your stomach suddenly twisted. You had a hunch of what this was about. He’s remembering. Not clearly, not yet – but it was only a matter of time.

Before you could respond, he straightened up. “Ah, well! Off to breakfast, are we? Yes, yes, me too! Or – was I going somewhere else?”

You forced a grin. “Nah, you’re doing just fine, Kinger.”

His eyes twitched. “Huh?”

You just patted his shoulder, ignoring how he flinched. “C’mon, let’s get going.”

Kinger hesitated but eventually shuffled along beside you. He kept glancing your way, brow furrowed like he was trying to piece together a puzzle with missing pieces. You pretended not to notice.

As you two entered the main room, the others were already gathered, the air thick with anticipation. Your eyes immediately met Jax’s, who was already slouched on the couch, arms folded behind his head as if he owned the place. 

You tried to ignore the faint hint of amusement flickering across your face as you sat down next to him, your thoughts still lingering on the adventure with the serpent. You could still hear Jax’s high-pitched yelp in your head and the way he had tried – and spectacularly failed – to act calm. Not that you’d rub it in… too much.

"You still recovering from yesterday or have the nerves settled down already?”

Jax shot you a quick glance as he leaned back with a cocky grin. "Nerves? What nerves? I’m good as new, Y/N."

“Uh-huh,” you said, not buying it for a second. You crossed your arms, keeping your expression neutral, but you couldn’t help the small, teasing smile that tugged at your lips.

"Hey, I’m just saying, I’m extremely calm under pressure. One of my many talents," Jax continued, grinning wider. "You can admit it – you were impressed."

You snorted at his response. “Right, sure. Whatever you say, bunny boy.”

Before Jax could reply, Caine’s voice boomed across the room, cutting through the casual chatter like a knife. "Alright, alright! Settle down, everyone! Your favorite ringmaster has finally arrived!"

You could practically feel the collective groan ripple through the room.

Caine twirled in mid-air, his voice filling the entire room. "Ah, welcome, my fabulous team! Welcome, my precious superstars, my beloved troupe of dazzling individuals who make this circus the magnificent spectacle it is!" His eyes shined with excitement as he continued, his hands sweeping grandly toward the group. "Now, my lovely cast of unique and talented beings, it’s time for a very special event, one that will unite us all in ways you cannot yet fathom!"

He paused for dramatic effect, letting the silence hang in the air before delivering his next words with grand flair. "Today, we’re embarking on a marvelous journey of togetherness! The bond of a team is forged in the most delightful of fires. And what better way to nurture that bond than... a team-building exercise, of course!"

The room fell into a hushed stillness. You tilted your head in confusion, not entirely sure where this was going.

Caine’s grin widened as he spun in a slow circle. "This will not be some trivial, run-of-the-mill bonding experience, no! No, no, no... This, my dear friends, will be a roast! A chance for each of you to lovingly tear each other apart, but with words, of course! Nothing brings people closer than a little well-meaning verbal destruction, am I right?"

There was a beat of silence.

Then–

"Wait, what?" Jax sat up, grinning. "You’re saying we just get to insult each other? In front of everyone?"

"Precisely!" Caine exclaimed, beaming like he’d just announced the greatest prize. "Let’s see who can come up with the sharpest wit, the cleverest insult, and of course, the most playful jabs. All in good fun, of course!"

You could see Gangle and Pomni getting uncomfortable, probably being a bit concerned about what’s about to go down. Zooble let out a sigh, already regretting coming out of their room today.

Caine clapped his hands dramatically, bringing the attention back to him. "Alright! Let the games begin! I expect nothing short of absolute brilliance from each of you. And remember, we’re a team. A family! Just... with a little extra spice today."

"Alright, let’s get started," Jax cracked his knuckles. "This might be the best day of my life."

The others exchanged uneasy glances, half-expecting Jax to unleash all of his inner demons. Caine spun in the air. "Since Jax is clearly so excited, why don’t we start with him?"

Jax froze.

"Wait–"

But it was too late. The damage had been done.

The room fell silent for a moment. Then Ragatha leaned forward, a smile spreading across her face. "Oh, this should be fun."

___________________________

POMNI

#1: 

Pomni: Visibly sweating. “Uh… Jax… you, um… you’re really mean. Like, aggressively mean. If I had a dollar for every time you insulted me, I’d – well, I don’t know what I’d do, because there’s no money here, but I’d be rich in theoretical dollars.” Pauses, then mutters. “Wait, that sounded dumb. Can I start over?”

Jax: “Nah, keep going, this is hilarious.”

#2: 

“Uh… Jax. You, um… you’re really good at making people feel bad. Which is… impressive? In a terrible way? Anyway, I don’t think you have emotions, and I think if you did, you’d bully them too.”

#3:

“If you disappeared, I wouldn’t even question it…”

GANGLE

#1: 

Gangle: “Jax, every time you walk into a room, I have to mentally prepare myself. You’re like a jump scare, but instead of a scary monster, it’s just… pure emotional damage.”

Jax: “Aww, thanks, ribbons.”

Gangle: “That wasn’t a compliment...”

Jax: Grinning. “Sounded like one.”

#2:

“I-I-I just think it’s really funny how you call everyone else pathetic, but you literally have nothing going for you. You don’t even wear shoes."

#3:

“I tried drawing Jax once, but the paper crumpled itself out of self-respect.”

KINGER

#1:

“Jax reminds me of this guy I used to know in the war. Always running his mouth. We left him in a ditch.”

#2:

“You remind me of a mosquito. Annoying, persistent, and somehow always there when I don’t want you to be.”

#3:

“You know, Jax, I think I used to have a friend like you… Oh, wait, never mind… I wouldn’t do that to myself.”

Y/N

#1:

"Jax, I have to ask – do you actually do anything around here, or do you just exist to be a professional pain in the ass?"

#2:

"You’re like a kid who just learned what sarcasm is and decided to make it his whole personality."

#3:

"I think the real mystery of this place is how you’re somehow both the most annoying and the most avoidant person here."

RAGATHA

#1: 

“Jax, you act like you’re too cool to care about anything, but I’ve seen you spend fifteen minutes trying to get your reflection to wink back at you the ‘right’ way. So. Yeah.”

#2: 

Ragatha: “Jax, I’ve seen you laugh at your own jokes for a solid five minutes while everyone else just stands there in silence. You are your own biggest fan, and honestly? Even you deserve better.”

Jax: “That was almost clever. I’m proud of you.”

Ragatha: “Don’t patronize me. Also, I know for a fact you talk to yourself in the mirror.”

Jax: “Who told you that?”

Ragatha: “You did. Out loud. In the middle of this room.”

#3:

“If we haven’t already got a suggestion box, I’d make one with a ‘things that need to be removed’ label and slip a piece of paper in with your name.”

ZOOBLE

#1:

“Jax, you’re like a vending machine that only gives out insults and expired chips. Just once, I’d like to press a button and get, I don’t know, basic human decency. But no, it’s always ‘ha ha, Zooble looks like modern art that got hit by a bus.’”

#2:

Zooble: “Jax, you act like you’re too cool to care about anything, but let’s be real – you’re the kind of guy who’d fake not knowing what a hug is just so no one tries to give you one.”

Jax: “Oh, please. Like anyone here would want to hug me.”

Zooble: “You’d be surprised. Some people love a good ‘fixing a broken man’ project.”

Jax: No way that’s a thing.

Zooble: “Oh, absolutely. You’re the perfect candidate.”

#3:

Deadpan. “Jax is proof that some things just keep going, even when nobody wants them to.”

CAINE

#1:

“Jax, my boy! I’d roast you, but honestly, I think the universe already did that when it made you HAHAHA!”

#2:

Caine: “Jax, Jax, Jax… My favorite little nuisance! You know, if I had a nickel for every time you caused chaos, I’d – wait! I don’t need nickels! I’m already infinitely powerful HAHAHAHAHA! But if I did need them, I’d be filthy rich!”

Jax: “Wow, Caine. That was… whatever that was.”

Caine: “Well, you can’t roast perfection! Now back to you, champ! You may be an insult machine, but hey! At least you’re consistent! Consistently terrible HAHAHAHAHA!”

#3:

“Jax! My favorite little chaos gremlin! If I could actually feel regret, you’d be the reason why!”

BUBBLE

“Jax. You’re a #&@$! ×@% $#=?+% #$&@Đ÷ €$?¤#@! @ $÷!# that %&ß$#! %@&#ע! *?!&#@!+$ß×&Đ.”

___________________________

Caine’s voice boomed through the room, as energised as ever. “Well, wasn’t that simply spectacular? What a brilliant display of camaraderie! Look at you all, bonded through the magic of playful verbal annihilation! Why, I’d say this was the best team-building exercise yet!”

The room was buzzing with laughter and lingering amusement, the cast still fired up from the roasts. Even Ragatha, who had initially looked sceptical of the idea, was grinning ear to ear. Zooble leaned back with a smirk, Gangle wiped away what might have been tears of either joy or secondhand pain.

Jax was smiling too. The same lazy, smug grin he always wore. It was convincing enough that no one seemed to question it. But you had been watching him closely.

His smile wasn’t quite right.

Not enough teeth.

And his eyes – normally playful, always scanning for the next opportunity to push someone’s buttons – looked... distant. Unfocused.

The way he leaned back on the couch, his fingers tapping against his arm, his slight pull on his gloves, and his ears twitched every so often, like he was catching a sound no one else could hear.

No one else noticed.

But you did.

You knew what it looked like when someone acted like nothing was wrong, just to keep everyone else from seeing the cracks.

Caine, oblivious as ever, twirled in the air. “Alright, my wonderful wacky weirdos! This exercise is officially OVER! I expect nothing but besties for the resties energy from now on! Dismissed!”

The moment those words left Caine’s mouth, Jax stood up. Not too fast, not too slow – just natural enough to avoid suspicion. He stretched his arms over his head with a yawn, flashing his usual easygoing smirk. "Welp, that was fun. You guys almost made me feel something."

No one batted an eye as he wandered off.

You saw his hand clenching into a fist the second he turned away. The way his ears pinned back just slightly. The way his steps, while casual, had a certain... urgency to them.

You hesitated. For a second, you considered letting it go. He’d clearly rather be alone. But there was something about Jax that nagged at you. So, instead, you followed.

Jax moved with purpose, leaving the tent, weaving through the grounds, past the main attractions, past the places where the others usually went outside when needed “fresh air”. It wasn’t obvious at first, but after a few turns, you realised where he was going.

Your stomach twisted.

No way.

Jax slipped past a curtain of glitchy vines, making his way up a small hill behind the water park, where an old, gnarled tree stood. You had been here countless times before – it was your secret spot. The place you went when you needed to clear your head, when the circus became too much.

You hadn’t thought anyone else knew about it.

And yet, there he was.

Jax sat against the tree, his back pressed to the trunk, his arms loosely hugging his knees. His usual smug expression was gone, replaced by something emptier. He stared ahead at nothing, the glow of his eyes dimmer than you’ve ever seen it.

For a long moment, you just stood there.

Jax didn’t acknowledge you, but you could tell he knew you were there. His ear flicked slightly at the sound of your footsteps.

Still, he didn’t move. 

Didn’t say anything. 

Didn’t crack a joke or roll his eyes or tell you to scram.

That alone said a lot.

You approached slowly, stopping just a few feet away.

“…Do you wanna talk about it?”

Jax’s ears twitched. A beat of silence. 

“No.”

It wasn’t sharp or defensive. Just flat. Dismissive.

You exhaled through your nose, tilting your head slightly. “You’re getting dangerously close to a full-on therapy session, y’know.”

Jax let out something that was almost a chuckle – but it was faint. Weak. His lips barely twitched, but he still didn’t look at you.

You shifted your weight, rocking back on your heels, studying him. You didn’t know what to make of this.

Jax wasn’t supposed to be like this. He was supposed to be an annoying little shit. The guy who found amusement in messing with people, who took nothing seriously, who never let anyone in.

You recognised this.

The way he sat, curled in on himself just enough to seem smaller. The way his usual sharp edges had dulled. The way he was pretending to be fine even when he so clearly wasn’t.

It was familiar.

And you didn’t like that.

Because it meant you understood him more than you wanted to.

You sighed, running a hand through your hair before dropping down to sit beside him. You rested your arms on your knees, staring ahead at nothing, mirroring him.

You didn’t say anything else. You figured, if he did want to talk, he would. And if he didn’t? Well.

You could at least sit with him in the silence.

Minutes passed. It wasn’t uncomfortable, exactly. Just… heavy. Neither of you moved. Neither of you spoke. The kind of quiet that wasn’t empty, but full of things that were left unsaid.

You didn’t know how long you sat there, but it gave you time to think about all the similarities you shared with Jax. Hiding everything behind jokes. Pushing people away before they could get too close. Pretending you didn’t need anyone when, deep down, you did. Maybe you were just as bad at being alone as he was.

Then, finally, Jax shifted. Just a little. His legs stretched out in front of him, arms still loosely draped over his knees. It wasn’t much. But it was something. Like he was letting a little crack appear in the wall he’d built around himself.

That small shift told you everything. You weren’t sure if he even noticed, but you could feel the weight of it. The way he was letting himself be… here. Not perfect. Not completely okay. But here. And that was enough.

"…You’re not alone," you murmured, barely above a whisper. It wasn’t meant to fix anything. Just a reminder.

He didn’t respond. But you didn’t need him to.

You both sat there, in the quiet, for as long as it took.

[stargazedwinchester]

ִ ࣪𖤐◞ ꙳ ๋࣭ ⭑ `deceit, sam winchester (alt. ending)

Summary: You leave Dean after he accepts the Mark of Cain as his new way of life, and whilst you're suffering, you find comfort elsewhere. Word Count: 1,270 Pairing: Sam Winchester x reader Thank you for the idea @wendichester ;) my fav writer <3 Part One here Dean's version here

You broke up with Dean a week ago. It’s been hard, but he made the decision quick and painful. The Mark of Cain has completely taken over him. His usual silly, carefree self didn’t exist anymore, he purely exists now exclusively for himself. Anyone he’s ever loved or cared about mean absolutely nothing to him anymore.

So, naturally, you hit him up.

There’s nothing else to do. You’re sitting in a dingy motel room by yourself whilst Sam resides next door. You miss him. His smile, his lips, his big, green eyes. Every night you pray that it’s all a dream, and he’ll come back to you, eventually. A week is practically the longest you’ve gone without seeing him, touching him.

‘Hey. I miss you.’ You type it out, your thumb wafts above your screen, the blue text bar flashing under it. His contact is still saved with a red heart on fire emoji next to his name. You can’t bring yourself round to change it. You hit send.

He reads the text almost straight away, but it takes a couple of minutes for you to realise what you’ve done. A speech bubble pops up a few times, but he doesn’t reply. You hear a knock at your door.

You get up, padding over to the door and peeking through the peephole. It’s Sam. You unlock the door.

“Hey.” You greet, moving over to the side so he can enter. He’s carrying two brown paper bags, holding one out to you. “Here,” He passes you the bag. “I brought you some food. You’re not eating.”

“I am.”

“Y/N.” He scoffs, the corners of his mouth flick up a little, his glossy eyes meet yours. “Take the damn food.”

“Jesus, Sam. Fine.” You scorn at him, tearing open the paper bag, peeling back the tinfoil around the burger. He passes you a bottle of soda, still somewhat cold. You take a bite of the burger, your appetite nonexistent. You haven’t eaten properly ever since you slammed the door in Dean’s face, knowing that the trajectory of your life will change for what feels like forever. Sam sets his bag down on your bed, a large duffle containing guns, salt and multiple bottles of water. Still and holy.

Sam knows you’re suffering in silence. The realisation hit you whilst in the car on the way to this motel with Sam. Staying in the bunker was a no-go, because Dean at the time was dangerous and the pair of you couldn’t risk it. You couldn’t risk whatever threats he would bring to you. He’s trying his best to take good care of you, ensure you’re nourished and looked after. Happy would be a strong word in this case. Sam knows he can’t fix everything, but he has a heart of gold and wears it on his sleeve. So, he feels the need to protect you.

You’re both sitting in silence, you’re picking at the cheese on your burger, a thousand thoughts running through your mind at a million miles an hour. You wrap the burger back up in its foil and place it on the kitchenette counter for later. Sam watches you cautiously from the edge of the bed, his forearms resting against his lap. The voile obscures most of the scenery as you stare out the window, leaving you unsure whether you’re trying to see through it or be blindsided by it. Tears fall down your face as you can’t hold them in any more, and Sam rushes over to you. “Hey, you okay?” He asks, placing a hand on the top of your back. You shake your head.

Sam pulls you into a hug, your head resting against his chest. He lays his chin atop your head, his huge arms blanketing you, encasing you so you don’t break into a million tiny pieces. He traces his thumb over the small of your back, in light circles. His other hand caressing your hair. He kisses the top of your head, and you can’t help but sob more. Sam is an affectionate guy, but he really does know how to make you feel safe. Secure. Nothing like you’ve felt recently.

You stand there for a short while, his calm breathing helping you focus on rebalancing your mind. When you pull away, you look up at him, tears brimming your eyes and he wipes them away using his thumb. Your bottom lip wobbles, letting out a strangled laugh at his sympathetic ways.

He gives you a look. You’re not sure how to pinpoint exactly, but it stops you in your tracks. Suddenly, you’re not thinking of Dean anymore. You’re thinking of him. He moves his hands to the nape of your neck and kisses your forehead.

You remove your hands from behind his back and place them on either side of his cheeks. You’re cupping his face and your heart is racing; it feels so wrong. Sam has been there for you throughout the worst of times; your relationship and bond has only grown stronger throughout the years.

You don’t know what you’re doing. Is this right? What about Dean? What about-

You kiss him.

Your lips crash with his, you can sense the hesitation in his body language, but then he eases into it, caressing the back of your head. It’s so wrong. It’s so, so wrong.

All of your worries melt away with each movement and Sam’s hunger grows. Grows more insistent. Desperate. Your heart flitters as he tugs at your bottom lip, a low, airy moan escaping his throat. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” he whispers, pulling away from you gently. “I know…” you reply as he moves over to sit on the edge of the bed, and you follow suit. You place each knee at either side of his thighs, planting yourself atop his lap. You reconnect your lips with his, your fingers combing through his hair, gripping slightly as he places his hands on your hips. Sam’s fingertips grasp onto your soft skin, pulling you toward him. Your hips ever so slightly grind against him.

You push him down toward the bed, his back hitting the mattress. You’re still flushed against him, moving your lips off his and trailing from his jawline down to his neck. Sam’s breathing halters, becoming sharper and shallower. You hover over him for a slight second, your breath hot against his neck. Sam shuts his eyes, containing himself. Countless thoughts run through his mind, and all he wants to do is have you right here, all to himself. Selfish, really.

Sam doesn’t even give his brother a second thought, because as soon as he knew he had you, there’s no way he’s allowing you to go back, whether Dean cares or not.

You trace your tongue tenderly along his neck, making your way up to his ear. “I never took you as a girlfriend stealer,” you start, “it’s a side I’ve never seen before.” You hush into his ear, your breath enabling the goosebumps on his arms to shoot up. “I like it.” Your tone stifling.

Something ignited within Sam, and he completely changes the dynamic and grabs you by the waist with his forearm, twisting you around so you’re underneath him.

“I should be taking care of you,” he admits, a cheeky smirk plastered on his face. “Let me take care of you.” He huffs, taking his jacket off. He kisses you passionately one last time before removing his flannel shirt. You reach up and remove your shirt, and he leans down, planting kisses all the way down your body. Lower, and lower…

[the-s1lly-corner]

hello I hope ur request are open! If not be free to ignore this!! Okay so TADC x y/n? (The amazing digital circus also it can be muti characters or one!! The choice is yours!! ^ ^)

OKAY OKAY SO WHAT IF..🥁🥁🥁 y/n was like Jessica rabbit from "who framed roger rabbit" 👀 and was very like motherly to everyone but when she was called doll,/toots,/ect, by jax or anyone SHE WOULD PUNCH THEM HARDDDD (kinda like the lola bunny fanfic??) Also she is like one inch taller then jax (she a tall women👀❤️)

(HAVE FUN WITH THIS IDEA!! DONT RUSH YOURSELF TO DO IT TAKE UR TIME ON IT!! AND DRINKS LOTS OF WATER AND EAT FOOD!! HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY/NIGHT!!🫶🫶)

Digital Circus x a jessica rabbit-type reader!

since im a little melty brain from blasting through a bunch of requests today im going to do part of the cast! mostly characters i think would be interesting with this kind of reader as well as some characters i just wanna write more of (cough cough kinger cough cough)(i was originally going to do gangle as well but uhuh!!) ...this reminds me ive never watched who framed roger rabbit... or rather i have, but its been so long that ive truly forgotten nearly every aspect of the movie relying on the character wiki talking about her personality to guide me through this

CAINE:

caines and jax's parts are both likely going to be on the shorter side thanks to both of their cores holding similar themes in regards to half of the idea

anyways he's going to call you pet names, especially if he's interested in you.. good luck trying to land anything on him, though, he's going to easily zoom through the air

okay nod to the lola bunny request aside, i think caine would be just head (jaw?) over heels for you, i mean, he would be anyways, but something about your caring and quick witted personality

probably makes literal heart eyes at you and audibly goes "awooga"

absolutely loves watching you do your thing during the in house adventures, on the few times he actually spectates them; though you may or may not be the reason he watches

seems like the kind of person to call you "hot stuff" or "babe"

doesn't really care about the height difference since he rarely ever stands on the ground anyways, plus he doesn't care how small he is

JAX:

to get a good idea of how jax would interact with you, i recommend this similar post! hope this links correctly, im still new to linking stuff in my posts!!

a lot of elements from the post above bleed into this, but lets add some more to it to make it a little more unique to the jessica rabbit idea!

takes it upon himself to try to get some sort of reaction out of you, outside of the name stuff... which proves to be a little harder than he thought.. actually, oddly enough, you seem to enjoy his antics?

well thats certainly new to him...

aaaaaand oh! hey would you look at that you've officially caught his attention, congratulations!

does not take too kindly to being the new second tallest, though... sure you're barely taller than him but its the principle! how can he lord his height over everyone else now!

KINGER:

so here's where i may be biased since i love kinger and i wish more people wrote for him, so his part may be a little longer, we'll see! i write these lil notes as i work on the post

right away i dont think he would call you any of the petnames listed above, or anything similar. i think, should you guys get on a nickname basis he would call you sweeter ones, "my love," "my darling", "my sweetheart", and similar stuff!

does not have lightning reflexes like jax and caine but if the names genuinely do bother you he would likely stop, you'll just have to remind him

imma be so real this man needs someone to stand back and just be there for him because he is going through it, so to have someone in his corner who has his best interests at heart will really do a lot for him

no comment on the height difference since kinger is pretty tall himself (and hes taller than jax! the only reason jax isnt upset about that is because kinger is always hunched), but i dont think he gives a darn about height

i am once again thinking about the in house adventure prompt with kinger that i had earlier, where he gets stuck somewhere and you have to go rescue him... this + that prompt, JUMPS UP N DOWN

[thegremlininyourcloset]

a fine selection of random Stephanie Brown AUs for your consideration (but they get wilder and wilder as they go on)

I will describe the plot of exactly none of them (lying)

@fictfrenzy @themoonwitch-mustspeak

Red Hood Steph.

if you go by the metric of the five “official” Robins, in a Reverse Robins situation, Steph would swap with Jason.

Coincidentally, Steph is also the Robin who could fit a Red Hood-type arc the best. She cares deeply about her part of Gotham (the suburbs in canon but in my heart Steph is a Narrows girl (going by hinn-raven’s headcanons)) She also has many Extremely Justified reasons to have a grudge against the Bats and Bruce specifically (maybe even moreso than Jason cough cough who said that)

Also, it would absolutely highlight my favorite tragic mentor-student-but-more-complicated-and-vaguely-familial-but-not-really bond of Steph & Bruce

AND my favorite sibling duo of Damian & Steph. (Reverse Robins Damian would imprint on her so hard I fear. That’s his baby sister now fuck off) (also they would totally echo the classic (though not classic in this universe) Batman & Robin dynamic—)

Also. ALSO

The Stephcass in this AU would go SO HARD.

like

strangers-to-friends-to-best friends-to-enemies-to-its complicated-to-lovers hard.

Something something the woman who abhors killing hating and loving and hating and LOVING a killer

something something knowing your best friend in the whole world would despise what you’ve become. And you go down that path anyway. You wish you didn’t think about her so often.

Something something catching a glimpse of the girl who once loved, who you still love, in the woman facing you on the battlefield.

yarghhhhhhhhh

2. First Robin Steph (and First Batgirl! Cass…)

Just imagine. Steph as the first Robin

and I don’t mean at the age when she was canonically Robin

I mean baby 9 year old Steph.

Wait.

would that mean Spoiler would become the equivalent of the Robin mantle? Or would she get another one to then pass down?? Oughhhhh

But basically tiny Steph being feral and fighting crime and Bruce awkwardly coparenting her with Crystal Brown who’s in rehab.

hopefully Crystal doesn’t die

But yeah.

Also, first Batgirl! Cass.

I don’t think she’d take on an Oracle role (Because Cassandra would-rather-be-perfect-for-a-year-than-mediocre-for-a-lifetime Cain would uh.Yeah that wouldn’t end well)

So she’d end up inventing a new role for herself once she grew out of Batgirl (if she decides to call it Batgirl idk)

as for what that’d be…who knows

(would this end with Nightwing & Flamebird Stephcass? Maybe. Who knows. not me)

3. Batman Steph

Okay but consider. The poetic justice and tragedy inherent in the Bat nobody believed in ending up as Batman.

She’s become the symbol of the Batfamily—someone nobody will ever doubt or belittle anymore—but at what cost

Because Batman is a tragedy.

And the fact that it’s Steph who takes the cowl? Not Cass, not Dick, not even Damian.

But Steph.

the sacrifice, the poetry, the legacy of it all.

Arghhhhhhhhhh

the concept of Damian, or Maps as her Robin?

ohhhhhhggggggggggh

4.Green Lantern! Steph

Look she has the fucking willpower for it. Also, Steph deserves a pack of irresponsible uncles/older brothers and other assorted family members.

Also, she deserves to be the Bat that gets on the galactic scale because I’m biased and I love her and also POETIC JUSTICE!!!!!

Like.

Oh, you don’t think she can protect Gotham?

Well, FUCK YOU, now the fucking PLANET is under her jurisdiction take THAT

also? I wanna see what she could do with Green Lantern constructs. She’d use them SO WELL!!!

(And maybe Star Sapphire Cass ahaha)

5. Monster/Creature Steph

she deserves it. Make her a dragon, or a werewolf, or a mermaid/siren, or literally Any Creature Ever because she deserves to be feral

6. Meta Steph with a Luck Power

I love the idea of Steph being able to survive BULLSHIT situations.

It would also be cool if she didn’t even know about this power

At least until Duke (who I’m pretty sure can enhance others powers)

was like.

Duke:Congratulations, you’re a Metahuman

Steph: wat

anyways I’m rapidly losing coherence.

[ekconstantine]

“What do you want Agent Keen? What do you really want?” - Thoroughfare by Ethel Cain

The first time I heard this song, the thing I immediately thought of was when they went on the run. (I really need to find a new medium that doesn’t have to do with season 3)

The ironic thing is that the scene that inspired this entire edit was a scene from before they went on the run. “What do you want Agent Keen?” Because I felt it really tied with the line But in these motel rooms I started to see you differently

Because that scene… holy crap I invite yall to go rewatch it because there’s no reason it should be should be as sexually charged as it is.

But returning to the edit, let’s talk about that first scene where she’s holding Tom Connolly at gunpoint to I met you there in Texas somewhere on the thoroughfare

Thoroughfare is defined as “a road or path forming a route between two places.” In that moment, when she chooses to kill, not an accidental fire like when she was a child, no, a fully conscious choice to end the life of another human being, is when she chooses to converge her path into that of Red’s.

THE BEST PART is seeing her resolve harden. Elizabeth’s hand starts off trembling, but as Connolly continues to speak there’s no hesitation in her. There’s a really good quote from a fan fiction I read a while back and I searched for an hour but couldn’t find the link. (If anyone can find it pls lmk) But it narrates what her inner monologue sounds like better than I ever could.

But Connolly had forgotten that he was just a man, who had threatened the very last thing she had left to lose, and that she was a woman with a gun.

When she frantically calls Red, telling him what she’s done, it’s not out of guilt, but fear that everything that they’ve both worked for will be lost. Because the murder allegations aren’t completely false anymore, and she knows no one will accept her now, except for Red.

And her choosing to become a fugitive with him, hence seeing the West, because (as I mentioned in a past post) he’s all Liz has left. Her moral compass has been completely skewed, and we see how far she’s come since the federal agent we met in the first season.

Then of course, we have the infamous motel dream sequence. Which by the way, who was going to tell me we never even see them share a motel room when they’re on the run 😭

But let’s go back to:

“What do you really want?”

Her subconscious knows she’s battling with these newfound feelings that she has no idea where to put. Her love for Red literally kills her love for Tom it cannot get more straight up than that.

And of course the perfect scene, my absolute favorite reunion between them, when, after being exonerated and freed from all charges, there’s only one person waiting for her.

[astrowaffle]

Wow you guys really seemed to like the steampunk AU, that post got way more attention than I was expecting, so here's some more information and stuff:

-The world is still like a videogame that they got trapped in but now it’s a steampunk adventure-y type game with circus elements 

-The adventures are probably a bit different

-They’re probably more like, fantasy adventure video game style things with like puzzles and fighting? Idk I'm not a big gamer I've never actually played any steampunk video games. What are those like?

-Instead of circus tent, there is a big wagon thingy that I'll draw eventually

-there's still not much of a story and I'm not sure If there'll ever be

-I'd also kinda want to make some mini comics for this au but I suck at coming up with ideas :/

Pomni:  

-She likes to craft things

-friends with Gangle and Ragatha

-still very anxious but less anxious then normal Pomni?

-has a very logical mind and is good at puzzling things together but also doesn’t do well under pressure and typically panics in stressful moments where these skills might be useful

-She can play the flute because flutes are good, they are the best instrument. (I am totally not biased just because I play the flute in marching band)

-My headcanon for regular Pomni is that she’s less anxious than she initially is in the pilot after getting used to things, like, beyond the anxiety, her actual personality is very cheery and friendly, also very logical, because idk it just fits her somehow? So yea, that headcanon also applies to this au 

-but of course she is still an absolute nervous wreck because yes

-How else is she supposed to react in this situation

-also look at those fingerless gloves I want those

-the gears in her eyes turn when she is thinking

Gangle:

-Also likes crafting things

-friends with Pomni, Zooble, and Kinger

-she often borrows  sewing needles from Ragatha to sew her comedy mask back together when it’s torn, and also constantly tries to craft new ones

-She really likes her boots

-I don’t blame her those are some nice boots

-Ok wait a minute what if that little wing bow thingy on her head is actually a pen/quill that she can use to write stuff?

-ooooooh yes I like that

Caine: 

-✨monocle✨

-He can control the time of day with the clock that’s on his hat

-It’s a lot harder for him to heal injuries in this world, he can’t just instantly fix anything anymore it requires a bit more effort

-I’m doing this because I like when injury and pain and suffering

Bubble: um- idk it’s just bubble but now they’re a robot I guess

Kinger:

-ok but what if he had a collection of mechanical insects? Omg designing mechanical insects would be so fun-

-The clock that he wears is broken but he doesn’t notice. And Time is irrelevant anyways

-damn those gloves are fancy

-they probably feel really silky

-and his robe is also very silky because mmm good texture

Zooble:

-They are a robot now

-also a mechanic/inventor because nobody else is and somebody had to learn how to make new robot parts

-their right arm can go s t r e t c h

-bonds with Gangle over their hatred of Jax

-they’re also kinda protective over her

-I lowkey ship them (this ship is so underrated)

-No but seriously why do see zero art of this ship

- Zoob’s in denial about their feelings and still pretends not to care because they’ve had such a “I don’t give a shit about anything” attitude that suddenly developing feelings for someone has caught them off guard cause they suddenly are giving a shit about something and they don’t know how to handle it, But if Jax does anything to Gangle they will rush in to protect her in a heartbeat and just try to play it off as it just being because they don’t like Jax BUT WE ALL KNOW THE TRUTH ZOOBLE JUST CONFESS ALREADY-

-ok that got way too rambly let's just move on now

Jax:

-MY FAVORITE

-he likes shiny things

-He will collect those shiny things

-He also very fast because look at those LANKY RABBIT LEGS

-I mean technically that’s already cannon, did you see how fast he ran away after seeing abstracted kaufmo? He just z o o m e d outta there

-those keys on the chain are only a small portion of his collection

-his room is definitely full of weird steampunk knick knacks because yes

-He uses them to prank people

-the centipedes he has to scare/annoy Ragatha are mechanical

-I’m so excited to design mechanical centipedes I love bugs so much guys you have no idea I finally have an excuse to draw insects and maybe people will actually care because it’s fandom related now

-He does not like getting wet. At all. (this is also just a general headcanon for him but especially in this au)

-floofy

Ragatha:

-the seams of her fabric are prone to tearing so she always carries a needle and thread to sew herself back together. she's good at sewing

-My main headcannon for normal Ragatha is that her button eye is a parallel to an eye injury she had in real life before joining the circus, but in this AU she probably acquired the injury in this universe.

-she’s good at using tools and weapons but not in like, a mechanic sorta way like Zooble but in a defense sorta way

-like, she’s very kind and caring but also sorta tough and even though her body is good at falling apart, she knows how to use strategy to fight and um wait what would they even be fighting-

-idk I haven’t thought about that yet

-Gloinks?????

-do those exist in this au???

-wait it’s my au why am I asking this

-overall she is very, “tries to help everyone else and seems very tough on the outside but is prone to falling apart both physically and mentally but just gets good at quickly patching it up and ignoring it until it become too much for her to bear”

-pls help her she needs therapy

-they all need therapy

-I’m pretty sure we’ve all established that at this point

-but I’m just making sure you know that it’s still a consistent factor in this au

[purble-sunclown]

THOUGHT IT'D BE BEST TO POST THESE CONCEPT DESIGNS AND DOODLES IN HERE CUZ THIS AU HAS BEEN ON MY MIND LATELY. There's a LOT of explanation here so buckle up.

The Amazing Digital Carnival AU by @sm-baby!!!(their work is absolutely phenomenal..)

I'm starting this off by saying a couple of things (and number 1 is something copy-pasted from a discord server BUT THE IDEA STILL STAYS)

1. Probably a try-hard move, but I really wanna try and get creative with Shapely's story and think, "But what if she WASN'T AI OoOOooo" SO I had the funny thought that Shapely would just be like Caine and Able; another human that happened to find herself entering the game. And her name would HAVE to be renamed to Shapely because she unfortunately didn't know how to code the game to remember anything about her (Unlike Caine, who according to the official comic, copypasted his Facebook URL on Bubble and you know how it went from there.) However, she still knows that she entered the game for a reason. Not to worry, though. She finds out! ....Eventually.

BUT! How could this make ANY sense? How did Shapely have access to this abandoned software?.....I honestly don't know. Part of me is thinking that Shapely would be related to Caine in this AU (niece who aimed to look for her two uncles Caine and Able and the only clue that showed that they're still alive is the abandoned game developer company building that Caine was supposedly last known to be in I DONT KNOW.) But for now, we're just gonna say that she is, and she was formally known as Matilda Sawyer Eden. Good? Good!

2. Carnival!Shapes has a different personality here. She COULD be acting similarly to Canon!Pomni, but that dash of optimism (I'm thinking Unikitty) sets her back from being as anxious as that silly little jester. I COULD also say she got that spunk from her uncle! Uncle Caine, that is. Funny to think this, but her favorite uncle out of the two was Caine. If only she had that computer knowledge from both uncles, however; otherwise, she wouldn't have the kind of EXISTENTIAL DREAD she's having. (Side note: she's also a bad flirt. Zero charisma. Bad. L rizz)

3. I LOVE AI X HUMAN. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE IT PLZ YES IM CRAVING IT FEED ME. I want a slow burn to happen between her and Jax cuz why tf not her and I are down bad for him. BUT. It'll be slow burn. Very. Very. Slow burn. It's his sentience that kinda scares her but at the same time it's "Wowza! What a guy! I like yur funny words, rabbit man!" Yknow? ANOTHER THING: Shapely would personally find Jax's level the worst. The doodle in here DOES say she meets Jax first, but I remembered about the functionality of the game where Pomni is the first level, so uhuuhhhhhhh I'm still thinking about it-

But anyway yeah!! that's pretty much all I've got to ramble about. I would cook up a finalized design, but that would take a while, so I wanted to share at LEAST some ideas I have. I swear I'll try to use Tumblr more cuz people here don't know Shapely as much as Twitter does......

[originemesis]

hc dump ~ // ( abel ) - dearly departed

• abel currently resides in heaven, though under secret identity (mostly just disguised with angel soldier armor) due to the fact he was supposed to remain in limbo, but was extracted by michael early. adam does not know he's there - he thinks he's still in limbo or missing. • he is one of michael's 778 legionnaire soldiers - a faction that is seen as above the exorcists (who are the mall cops of heaven basically) vs the legionnaires who are the actual army led by michael, and yes they have guns. lots of guns. • his natural hair is brown like adam's and you can see some of it at the nape/bottom part of his undercut hairstyle. when he was saved by michael, he would wake up later with the top part of his hair turned golden like michael's (with the brown undercut still) indicating michael's claim over his services as a 778 legion member. • he has a poor sense of reading the room (a fact that carries over after death when he had no idea his brother wanted to kill him). • he spent the entire time up til then in limbo- which for him was just floating aimlessly in the middle of an ocean with nothing around. • in heaven he has hobbies such as surfing, and he's a certified life guard. • his soul instrument is the ukelele, but he can also play drums and tuba. • no playlist but i imagine this would be on it for vibe reasons. band vibes would be queen 100%.

additional:

• like adam was tasked with naming all the animals, abel becomes saddled with the task of tasting all the animals to see which ones are the tastiest and then finding the best of the tastiest to offer to the creator (like a macabre Pokedex) after he ends up offering a very tasty lamb on pure coincidence and then God decides he's the best for the job. • vice versa - cain always gave what was needed, but not necessarily what was wanted. this ties abel's theme in with beelzebub in the sense he is happy to provide wants over needs (and this is part of the reason that fuels cain's anger and jealousy - in other words, abel is 'that girl' aesthetic and cain can't replicate it or doesn't see the point of it.) • abel has definitely referred to the best lambs he's raised as cotton candy. • he's very adamant about tasting new things and very good at finding the best ingredients, however when it comes to putting them together, he takes after his mother in the cooking field (sucks) though his philosophy that putting all the yummiest things together has to result in something yummy. • cain wanted to kill him before, but the straw that broke the camel's back was abel cooking one of cain's unorthodox pets- • his and his eve's cooking is only bad to non stoners. stoners love the munchies they concoct. • during his stay in limbo (floating aimlessly in the ocean) he ends up happening on michael who was searching for but unable to find him due to limbo's terms and conditions for souls being untraceable. he finds him because michael becomes a beacon of light and like a light house, attracts abel in who's curious about the new light. • while surfing in heaven during lilith's stay / her secret dealings with adam, she ends up taking the form of a shark and biting abel's leg off. because of her demonic influence/ venom, the wound can not heal and the limb does not regenerate as expected - growing back in the form of a lamb's leg. • that boy is neurodivergent as fuckkkk. (our autistic king.) • absolutely makes this face when he's trying to recall if he's tasted a certain animal before or not and the subsequent pay attention, honey slap.

*headcanons subject to change based on canon info, but for the most part assume these for now ^ with new info I have yet to type up but will tag in the ready and abel ; // tag.

[891movies]

392 to go

Delicatessen (1991, dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro): I don't really have much to say about this movie. It was fun and charming but pretty forgettable, a quintessential 3/5 movie to me.

Get Carter (1971, dir. Mike Hodges): There's a certain base level of misogyny you have to get used to if you watch a lot of old movies but sometimes it becomes so overt, so violent that it completely ruins the viewing experience. Like yeah, Michael Caine is incredible and the cinematography and score are great. But every single female character in this movie exists to be sexualized, victimized and brutalized, sometimes all three, and it happens with such frequency that it becomes impossible to ignore or to enjoy the rest of the movie.

Marnie (1964, dir. Alfred Hitchcock): Speaking of violent misogyny haha. It's different here, though, because it's kind of the point - even if I don't think it was completely intended to be by Hitchcock. Tippi Hedren brings such an incredible energy to this role. The image of her standing in frozen in Sean Connery's arms, completely disassociating from her body as the inevitability of what's about to happen sets in, will haunt me forever, I think.

Jules and Jim (1962, dir. François Truffaut): For the first thirty minutes I was sure this movie would be an all time favorite for me but the rest of the film doesn't really live up to the first part set in 1910s Paris. But it's still great, make no mistake!

McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971, dir. Robert Altman): As always Altman is cynical as all hell but damn if he isn't good at it.

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979, dir. Werner Herzog): Figured I'd better knock this one out before seeing Eggers' version and I'm so happy I did. The vibes? Impeccable. This movie is slow, unsettling, and absolutely gorgeous to look at.

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986, dir. Woody Allen): I believe this is the last Allen movie I had left on the list and I am very relieved to have him out of the way. That said, I think I could have really loved this movie if I didn't know what I know about Woody Allen.

The Natural (1984, dir. Barry Levinson): God I was bored. On the upside, this movie gave us one of the best episodes of The Simpsons.

Up next: With this post, I have officially watched 500 movies from the list since starting this project. I did a top 25 list after my first 250 and I have been really looking forward to doing a second one, so look out for that! (I'm also gonna do a worst list but probably not until the project is finished.)

I also had the idea of watching one movie a year since the year I was born up to 2020 (the most recent year covered by the list), to sort of track the cinematic landscape as it has changed in my lifetime. I checked and I have at least one movie left in each year, so it's doable! Next movie will be from 1992, and it will probably be A Tale of Winter.

[aingeal98]

hiii. while you're thinking about Al Ghouls do you have any comic book recommendations for them? I want to know more about Ra's and Talia without the post 9/11 narrative. Or more about the LoA in general.Tha k you!

Absolutely! I know there's a few reading guides out there for Talia that can probably give a better overview with a more filtered and streamlined guide. Such as this one here, which features Talia at her best:

Other than Son of the Demon, when I refer to LexCorp era Talia and her old character, these are usually what I'm referring to. This is who she was right before she got tortured into being evil. For a deeper dive into Talia's history, this reading list is really well put together:

If you're looking for something even longer, with the full history and context of Batman and the al Ghuls, here's pretty much everything I've read for the al Ghuls starting from the beginning. I'm not an expert by any means so I may have missed some relevant story or mixed up the order of a few different single issues, but there's enough here to offer a coherent timeline. If you can't afford to buy the comics, all of these should be available to read for free by typing them into a search engine and adding "read online" at the end.

Also please note that you don't have to read all of these. Some of these particularly in the 70s/80s contain repetitive story beats. Ra's has a scheme to make Batman his son in law, Talia helps him out. Batman opposes it, Talia helps Batman but doesn't fully abandon her father. That's the pattern writers fell into after the initial establishing of Ra's and Talia as characters. Some stories are better than others, and some break the mold entirely or put a fresh spin on it.

This is going to be LONG and I apologize in advance. I like to ramble about things. Tis a key part of this blog.

The 70s, aka the beginning of it all

Note: In all of these the al Ghuls feature in the main storyline, not the side stories such as Robin or Batgirl unless noted otherwise.

-Detective Comics 411: Into the Den of Death Dealers

Bruce and Talia's first meeting. Written by Denny O'Neil, Talia and Ra's creator. Batman fights a bull. It's very charming in the way only this era of Batman can be.

-Batman 232: Daughter of the Demon

Ra's and Bruce's first encounter, featuring Dick getting kidnapped, Bruce fighting a leopard, and Ra's attempting a ridiculously elaborate overprotective dad scheme.

-Batman 235: Swamp Sinister

-Batman 240: Vengeance for a Dead Man

The one where Batman and Ra's dynamic takes a turn for the worse, where Batman realizes that Ra's has a very different set of morals to him and can be ruthlessly evil.

-Batman 242-244

Introduction of the Lazarus Pits. Some racially insensitive moments that are on par for the 70s.

-Batman 257: Hail Emperor Penguin

-Detective Comics 444-445 and 447-448

Ra's framed Bruce for murder long before David Cain stole his idea. I think Cain did it better but this is still fun.

-Black Lightning 2: Merlyn Means Murder

A non Batman related Talia appearance.

-Batman: Where Were You on the Night Batman Was Killed?

4 part story where Batman's rogues thinks he's dead and come together to figure out who did it. Not massively important for the al Ghuls but Ra's being the judge in this trial is so funny to me.

-DC Special Series 15: I Now Pronounce You Batman and Wife!

The one where Ra's gets fed up of Batman refusing his son in law offerings so he just knocks him out and drags Batman to the wedding ceremony. Not my favourite by a long shot but the "marriage" is important for Damian's conception, since in Son of the Demon Batman hilariously enough doesn't want to sleep with Talia out of wedlock until she reminds him that they're technically married if you stretch the law by a whole lot. After that he's all for it.

-Detective Comics 485: The Vengeance Vow + Detective Comics 490: Requiem for a Martyr

Not a huge fan of this issue considering it fridges Kathy Kane and uses a brainwashed Bronze Tiger to do so. It's included a lot in reprints of the al Ghul storylines and does give us a look at the inner workings of the League of Assassins, but I could do without it. Also DC having two master martial art old men called Sensei who look very similar with one being good and the mentor of characters like Richard Dragon and Shiva, while the other is Ra's al Ghuls father and evil, is very confusing. You could tell how much they REALLY loved Kung-Fu based characters in this era of comics.

-The Brave and the Bold 159: The Crystal Armageddon

The 80s, aka seeds of Character Development and Plot!

-Batman 330-335

The start of Dick and Talia's dislike of each other. Also featuring the most terribly racist Fox family plotline I've read. It makes me glad Jace Fox gets to be Batman in the future even if I didn't like that comic either. He deserves to be Robin and Nightwing too as compensation for this storyline.

-Batman Annual Volume 1 Issue 8: The Messiah of the Crimson Sun

I enjoy this story because rather than have Talia working with Ra's and switching sides halfway, she's firmly opposed to her father from the start here. We start to see the beginning of character development compared to the regular pattern of the old comics.

-Detective Comics 526: All My Enemies Against Me!

We get Pre Crisis aka Earth One Jason Todd's origin while also getting Talia and Catwoman helping Bruce, Babs and Dick fight all the other rogues. I really, really love this issue and I can't fully explain why. It just ticks all the boxes for me.

-Batman 400: Resurrection Night!

Another comic I really enjoy, with Talia teaming up with Robin!Jason to help Batman and Catwoman foil Ra's latest scheme.

-Batman: Son of the Demon

Damian's origin. A must read. The tragedy of what could have been and how loved he was by both parents kills me every time.

The 90s aka we're getting darker and edgier now. Also featuring character regression and Bane for some reason.

-Batman: Bride of the Demon

Classic shenanigans but featuring Tim as Robin this time.

-Batman: Birth of the Demon

Ra's al Ghul origin story time! Trigger warning for sexual assault. Definitely not the tone a 70s era Ra's comic would have but not bad in my opinion.

-The Batman Adventures 13 + 17

Set in the Batman The Animated Series universe, it shows this universe's version of Talia and Ra's and is a pretty faithful adaption! Shocking I know.

-Azrael Issues 5-9 + 29-30

Azrael meets the al Ghuls and Ra's considers making Azrael his heir instead. Basically a classic Ra's Talia and Batman story with Azrael there instead of Batman. Not my favourite, it feels like it belongs in the 70s instead of being 90s al Ghuls.

-Batman: Brotherhood of the Bat + League of Batmen

A future elseworld story starting Tallant Wayne, son of Talia and Bruce. Clearly inspired by the baby in Son of the Demon, who would grow up to be Damian in main continuity.

-Batman: Legacy Volume 1 + 2

A sequel to Batman: Contagion, where a deadly virus spread through Gotham and even infected Tim. This time Ra's is in charge of the spread of the second round of the virus, Talia is back under his thumb and seems miserable about it. And also Ra's is considering making Bane his heir and Talia's husband, which probably contributes a fair bit to her misery. Character regression for Talia compared to how much she went against Ra's in the 80s, but one I personally find realistic. Main drawback is that a lot is written by Chuck Dixon and Talia is weirdly sexual at times. An understandable deal breaker for many, but it's the biggest 90s al Ghul story so I felt it important to mention.

-The Batman and Robin Adventures #10

Set in the comic version of the Batman The Animated Series universe, so if you're a fan of that cartoon you'll probably enjoy this.

-Batman Chronicles Volume 1 #8

Talia centred story that sums up her internal conflict between her father and Batman. Gets to the heart of why Ra's, despite his love for her, is not a good parent at all. Would recommend.

-Batman & Spider-Man: New Age Dawning

Crossover goodness for any Spiderman fans out there.

-Batman No Man's Land #0

The Talia cameo here is good imo. It shows layers to her and Bruce's dynamic that we haven't fully seen before. Plus we get to see Helena becoming the Bat of No man's land.

-Batman: The Chalice

One shot that doesn't fit in NML continuity despite being published at the time. I'm adding it anyway because I enjoy how it portrays Ra's and Talia. A nice break from their most toxic era so far (relationship wise).

The early 2000s aka The Brief and Glorious Talia Independence Era

-JLA: Tower of Babel

The tipping point. Ra's goes too far in messing with Batman, and Talia leaves him. It should have been her permanent break from Ra's and his cult, but if you ignore everything from Death and the Maidens onwards and live in denial like me, it still is!

(This comic also had the unfortunate consequence of giving the most insufferable "Batman solos fiction" fans more fodder. But tis a small price to pay for Talia finally freeing herself from Ra's suffocating grip on her life.)

-Batman Chronicles 22

You get good short stories for Shiva, Steph AND Talia in this issue, exploring more of their character without any of the usual entourage around to hog the spotlight

-Detective Comics 750

Talia is so delightfully done with both Ra's and Bruce. She's sick and tired of their shit and doesn't want to be dragged into it any more. If Tower of Babel was her gaining independence from Ra's, this is her gaining it from Bruce.

-Action Comics 772-773

The start of Talia's LexCorp era.

-JLA Secret Files and Origins 3

Flashback story giving more insight into Talia's POV during Tower of Babel.

-President Luthor Secret Files and Origins #1

-Batman Legends of the Dark Knight 142-145

Like the Birds of Prey storyline of this time, these issues make no attempt to stay in continuity with the rest of this era. It's more a generic 90s story than one that fits where the characters are timeline wise at the date it was published. Only reason I'm adding it to the list is because you get Talia shooting the Joker and leaving him for dead. Batman has to dip him in the Lazarus Pit to stop him from bleeding out.

-Superman Volume 2 Issue 170 (cameo)

-Batman: Our World's at War Issue 1

-Superboy Volume 4 #89

-Suicide Squad 2001 #2 (side role)

-Superman: The Man of Steel 120

Talia is trying to take down LexCorp from the inside meanwhile Superman is like "I stopped the evil stuff you were doing!" and she's like "Congrats you destroyed the evidence of LexCorp doing evil stuff in the process." He still doesn't realise she's on his side, which to be fair is part of her whole antihero deal at the minute.

-Adventures of Superman 600

-Superman: The Man of Steel 122-125

Plot starts in 122. Talia appears in 123 onwards.

-Superman Volume 2 Issue 190 + 194 + 198

Batman: Hush Issue 4. (brief appearance) and Issue 9.

Decent Talia characterisation to me, not so decent Lady Shiva appearance. Torn between amusement and disappointment that Talia manages to beat her by hitting her with a chair. (Yes, really.)

-Superman/Batman #6

Batman informs Lex that Talia has bankrupted him and sold the LexCorp building to Bruce Wayne. Sucks to suck, Lex.

After this, there was so much potential. You had a solid basis for Talia as an independent anti-hero, using her connections to team up with villains only to double cross them when the time is right and take them down from the inside. A master at espionage in the making. Instead Death and the Maidens happens. You might as well skip to Robin: Son of Batman and fill in the blanks however your imagination deems fit. It's probably better than what DC came up with.

[spookyboywhump]

For Mr. bastard Wittaker (to be clear this is Cains father) and Nicky boy

🕐 Was there ever a time your OC would have given everything to turn back the clock 5 minutes? What happened?

🎭 What is the one thing your OC regrets most? Would they undo it, considering how their life turned out?

🎒 If your OC had to pick three things of all their belongings to keep, which would they chose?

🥞 Does your OC take proper care of themselves, like getting enough sleep and eating properly?

📚 Your OC has to improvise a 10 minute lecture about a topic of their choosing. What do they chose?

🥪 On a scale from ‘burns water’ to ‘5 course menu’ how well can your OC cook?

🌈 Does your OC speak more than one language? If so, how many and which?

Sorry I got excited the questions where good😅

I apologize I’m going to do my absolute best to answer these but I don’t think I’ll be able to answer all of them for both of them-

🕐 Was there ever a time your OC would have given everything to turn back the clock 5 minutes? What happened?

There absolutely is for Nicholas but I’m afraid that technically it. Has not happened yet. But just know a time will come when he absolutely will feel this way :)

🎭 What is the one thing your OC regrets most? Would they undo it, considering how their life turned out?

Mr. Whitaker does regret what happened with Caroline. He’s not sure he would undo it as, unfortunately, in the end it wasn’t much more than an inconvenience to him, but he does regret it. He wishes it hadn’t “had” to end that way.

🎒 If your OC had to pick three things of all their belongings to keep, which would they chose?

Do. Do their pets count as belongings. Particularly in Nicholas’ case-

I do think that there would’ve been something of Caroline’s that Mr. Whitaker would’ve wanted to keep. Other than that the other two would’ve just been things that would keep from making his job harder if he didn’t have them.

As far as Nicholas is concerned most of his belongings can be replaced. Family heirlooms and important things like that remain at the family home, he is not worried about a lot of his material objects. I think he would keep Doll’s collar though. That’s one of the few items he has sentimental value to, as sentimental as Nicholas gets anyway.

🥞 Does your OC take proper care of themselves, like getting enough sleep and eating properly?

They both generally take decent care of themselves! Aside from the smoking habits that’s. Probably not good for them. Nicholas also does not have a great sleep schedule he probably isn’t getting as much sleep as he should. That may be part of why he’s such an asshole-

📚 Your OC has to improvise a 10 minute lecture about a topic of their choosing. What do they chose?

I think Nicholas could easily spend more than ten minutes effortlessly lecturing somebody Probably Cain about all the reasons Zander would make a great guard dog if he just wasn’t allowed to keep acting the way he is now.

🥪 On a scale from ‘burns water’ to ‘5 course menu’ how well can your OC cook?

Neither of them can cook. Neither of them ever had to learn how to cook, there was always somebody else to do that for them. I think Nicholas is genuinely somewhat intimidated by the idea of having to use an oven himself.

🌈 Does your OC speak more than one language? If so, how many and which?

Because where I live Spanish is like the most common language spoken after English I always imagined that Mr. Whitaker and other characters who work in these very official business settings where they would be communicating with lots of different people for important matters would have a decent enough grasp on Spanish. Nicholas not so much he should probably get better at that actually.

[irradiated-imp]

New Digital Circus characters just dropped!

Jolli

A weird critter with stretchy arms. Ironically, Jolli is typically rather grumpy. She's curt, rude, and generally standoffish at best, and physically violent at worst. Jolli doesn't typically hold back her attitude with the others in the circus, save a few exceptions with Ragatha and Pomni. Jax and Grem get the worst of her attitude.

On the rare occasion she's in a good mood however, it's practically night and day. When she's feeling good, Jolli can be incredibly friendly and enjoys making jokes.

Jolli's something of a thrill seeker as well. So long as the adventures don't interrupt a nap or something, Jolli is typically very eager to participate in Caine's adventures. Especially if she gets to fight things.

After reconnecting with Roxie, Jolli's personality has made a near 180, with her living up to her name much more frequently. Though Jax and Grem still get rather frequent beatings for their antics.

Jolli's arms don't seem to have a limit to how far they can stretch, at least not one she's found. On top of that, despite her small size, Jolli is surprisingly strong.

Jolli's inspired by several things, namely old Slamasaurs plush dinosaurs wrestlers and Sonic Unleashed.

Roxie

The most recent member of the Cricus. Roxie arrived only a few weeks after Pomni. The two share the same nervous disposition. However, Roxie adapts to Circus life more quickly than Pomni, in no small part thanks to Jolli.

Roxie is generally rather friendly and patient, though she does have her limits. She tries to be helpful on adventures, whilst trying to stay out of direct danger herself.

Though she never moves passed wanting to leave the Circus, Roxie tries to remind herself of the positives that come with being there to help keep herself from going nuts.

Though her avatar comes with one, Roxie has absolutely no idea how to play the guitar. However, that doesn't stop her from using it as a weapon on adventures.

Roxie's based off Betty Spaghetty and a general 80's vibe.

In the outside world, Jolli and Roxie were in a relationship. Jolli was the first to enter the Circus, having been stuck there for a year or so before Roxie's arrival.

Due to the memory issues caused by the circus, and entirely new bodies, it took the two a bit to realize who the other was, but once they did they became inseparable.

Beta Jolli

Beta design for Jolli. Jolli and Roxie are both au versions of my main two characters, Jackie and Kat who are originally sci-fi characters. With Jolli wanted to work the sci-fi thing in, as well as make a fitting character for TADC so thought up the beta design. Inspired by the Poo-chi toys form the early 2000's and the og Playstation and Gamecube.

She was, on top of a robot cat, a fully functioning game console. Caine would've made several games that she could run, most being rom hacks of already existing games. The games were made as rewards for completing adventures, or as the goal of an adventure.

When I decided to bring Roxie in, I knew I wanted to keep her and Jolli in a relationship, but was having trouble seeing the tiny robot cat with the mostly normal human, so re-did Jolli.

I think I might re-work the concept into a fourth character cause I do really like the design still.

The games Caine made are Jax Adventure(Reskin of Sonic but with Jax), Chess Wars(TF2-esque chess based Class shooter for Kinger and Queenie), Pomni 64(Reskin of Mario 64 but with Pomni), and Maze Bubble(Reskin of packman but with Bubble).

Regardless of what I do with Beta Jolli, the games still existi n my own little au.