#Bary allen

[taxi-cab-to-slowtown]

Opening a Trade

If you know about FTL's trade this is kinda like that. So from now until the 1st of July if you write a BirdflashLinda or a HalBarryEo fic or do a BirdflashLinda or HalBarryEo art I will write/draw something for you. The entires must be 500+ words or at least a flat colour drawing. Please put it on Ao3. If you write it and DM me the link I will make something you request before the end of the year.

Go get creative.

[harley-quinns-girlfriend]

Here's a quick flash drawing I did

I know the eyes are weird, I can't draw them

[the-sound-ofrain]

the speed with which @the-eternal-seeker & @nerdyfuntheorist & @motichoor-ke-ladoo & @yedilkahehaye appreciates my posts is commendable.

[perfettamentechic]

20 novembre … ricordiamo …

20 novembre … ricordiamo … #semprevivineiricordi #nomidaricordare #personaggiimportanti #perfettamentechic

2022: Gunilla Palmstierna-Weiss, costumista, scenografa e scultrice svizzera. Dopo un primo matrimonio con il grafico svedese Mark Christopher Sylwan si risposò con Peter Weiss nel 1964 e la coppia rimase insieme fino alla morte del drammaturgo nel 1980. Acclamata costumista e scenografa teatrale nel 1966 vinse il Tony Award ai migliori costumi per Marat/Sade a Broadway. Tra il 1966 e il 1989 fu…

[dcu-rarepair]

Day 1 Gifts

Eight fantastic Gifts have been released for Day One! Head to the Collection to check them out, and view the Release Schedule to see what’s in store!

We also have a handy Commenting Guide to help our Giftees with showing their Giftors some love. And now, here’s today’s works: 

make her for loving [art] for roseandgold137

Janet Drake/Helena Sandsmark Rated G, No Archive Warnings Two colleagues have brunch on the hillside. Just gals being pals. Probably. Maybe. Unless....?

Into the Depths for hisaribi

Artemis Crock/Kaldur’ahm | Jackson Hyde (Young Justice Universe) Rated T, No Archive Warnings Undercover Missions, Missions Gone Wrong A year after the defeat of the Reach, Kaldur and Artemis reunion on an undercover mission that quickly goes wrong.

Somebody that we used to know for byrdsofthenyte

Dick Grayson/Joseph Wilson/Slade Wilson, Dick Grayson/Joseph Wilson Rated E, Warning for Rape/Non-Con Porn Without Plot, Omegaverse/No Capes Dick and Joey have been together for a couple of years now, and they couldn't be happier despite some people would frown at the fact that they're two Omegas. Dick also finally stopped thinking about the handsome Alpha he dated when he was still in college. He also would never imagine said Alpha was Joey's father - Wilson is a pretty common last name, and Joseph never talks about his family. For good reasons.

The Origin of Meloni (West-Allen) Thawne for FallofFall

Eobard Thawne/Iris West Rated E, Warning for Rape/Non-Con Extremely Dubious Consent, Minor Bary Allen/Iris West There was a certain excitement in knowing that Eo could give her something Barry couldn’t. Iris had her arms around his neck and was desperately pressing against his mouth. Eo’s hands were secured around her hips, squeezing as she ground her body down into his thigh. Iris buried her hands in his blond hair and slid her tongue into his mouth, not wanting to let go, wanting to sink deeper in. He’d told her that he’d fixed the infertility problem. It wasn’t even a lie. They way he’d fixed it, of course, was pretending to be her husband. Barry was infertile, but Eo wasn’t, which meant that Eo-as-Barry was not infertile while Barry-as-Barry was. Hence: infertility problem fixed. It was a clever little not-quite lie.

Eyes wide open for kieran_granola

Kon-El | Conner Kent/Bruce Wayne Rated E, Warning for Underage Omegaverse, Dubious Consent, Power Dynamics “This is my city,” Bruce growls. Some of the flush has gone from Superboy’s face, replaced with a sickly sort of green. The kryptonite is definitely affecting him. “Not Red Robin’s. If you’re in this city, it’s with permission from me.”

In My Life for Kalinjdra

J’onn J’onzz/M’yri’ah J’onzz Rated G, No Archive Warnings Unresolved Romantic Tension, Sharing a Bed For a moment, there was nothing but J'onn.

welcome interruptions for flawsinthevoodoo

Apollo | Andrew Pulaski/Midnighter/Jason Todd Rated E, No Archive Warnings Soulmates, Omegaverse Apparently, using their soulbond to send dirty messages and doodles back and forth all day while stuck on opposite sides of the world had been their third’s last straw.

tried to wash you away, but you just won't leave for Silver_Snow_77

Dinah Lance/Sandra Woosan Rated M, No Archive Warnings Enemies to Lovers, Mission Fic Dinah had planned to spend the entire week drinking cocktails and sunning herself on the beach— an all-too-rare vacation. Everyone in her life was under strict instructions not to contact her unless it was an emergency. A real, world-ending kind of emergency, not the normal kind. She had the sudden, sinking feeling that those plans were about to go down the drain. "Why are you here, Shiva?"

[thoraeth]

Words: 2500

A/N: This chapter turned out long af so it's splitted in two parts. I'll see you next Sunday with the juicy fluff 🖤✨

Summary: Cornered by the lack of money, Captain Romi gets into business with the Cross Guild. As the jester worries about his new exlpoding item, things are about to blow up in his face for a whole different reason.

Chapter 4 (PT1) - Ignition

<CH3 CH4(pt2) | Read on Ao3

One hour. Two hours. Four hours have passed.

Kneeling before the cockpit’s closed doors, Meg and Torres are shooing away an irritated Allen from a small box. When Ava appears behind their back, her voice startles them:

“There you are! What’s going on?”

“Shhh!” Torres hisses, alarmed.

“Give the stethoscope back!”

Allen is throwing himself at the box; a quick quarrel and Meg snatches the instrument away from him, pushing it back against the doors’ metal.

“Shut your holes, everyone, they picked up.” the woman whispers.

They all gather around a tiny screen on the doctor’s stethoscope: it’s showing a dark control room. There, a slim guy with black hair and headphones is connecting a Den Den Mushi to a computer; a woman with glasses and a blue-haired man nervously pacing around him.

As the snail's eyes light up, a croaky voice comes out of it.

“You fucking son of a bitch, where are you?!”

Inside the cockpit, Sir Crocodile’s voice explodes with all his wrath.

Buggy runs to the radio “Hey, handsome! Long time, uh? Did you get the papers?”

“Come back to Karai Bari! Now!”

“I will…Eventually.” the jester sweats nervously, his voice lowering and rising again. “Meanwhile, could you read those papers? Pretty please!”

“You’re in no position…you…and…where… Not now, Hawk, I'm on the phone!”

The snail turns to the side, mimicking the scarred man's anger as he seems to be talking to someone far away.

“He sent what?! Buggy, loan’s the last word your filthy mouth should utter!”

“Oh, Crocky. I know our previous ventures weren't all sunshines and rainbows, but you gotta trust me, my Egghead pals did the math this time!” A malevolent grin darkens his face.

“You heard me right. E-g-g-head.”

The radio snail falls silent, paper rustling coming from the other side.

“A device flying across the Grand Line? Clown, they’re scamming you.”

“No scam, sir.” Romi joins in, her voice stone cold. “I’ve been working on The Drifter for years. I'm Romi Hodges, mechanical engineer and…former Labophase trainee.”

“I see.” The Den Den sneers. “Well, Miss Hodges, would you be so kind as to follow the Yonko on his island? I'd like a word.”

“Nice try!” Buggy pushes Romi away “I'm the one who does the talking here, all you have to do is sign the contract.”

Then, slapping the slug shell vigorously, the pirate hangs up.

When the radio rings again, the computers all around it wake up, papers falling on the ground, spitted out of a beeping printer.

“I can’t fucking believe I’m doing this.” Crocodile growls “Miss Engineer, you sure of your numbers? They seem over-optimistic, to say the least.”

“Enough with the boring stuff, we’re gonna own the Grand Line!” Buggy shouts enthusiastically. “Not even celestial assholes can touch us, it’s all legal!"

“Needless to say, clown, that your interest will be sky high, this time. You're not fooling me twice.”

“Oh, c'mon Crocky, help a friend out.”

“And I expect my share, first day of each month.”

“Ugh, deal. But I'm staying here on the Egghead ship.”

“That’s the funniest joke I've heard from you.”

“I mean it. Tell Galdino to make a wax dummy or something, no one will even notice.”

“You out of your fucking mind? Bug-”

The pirate hangs up again, a nervous smile on his face. “Hey, navigator. Back to the Belts, quick.”

At Romi's light touch, the man adjusts his headphones and rapidly types his commands on a keyboard.

“Thanks, JoyJoey. And apologies for the loudness.”

The Captain gently pats the man's shoulder as she reaches for a lever switch.

When the cockpit’s doors slide open, the upset faces of the rest of the crew startles her.

“What have you done!” Meg cries out. “Dealing with the Cross Guild?!”

“Crew, lunchroom meeting in five.” The Captain states.

“They will eat us and spit us out!”

“Enough with the shouting in here. Go, it's an order.”

The whole crew reaches their meeting point, no words uttered but dirty looks speaking volumes.

Sinking back into a chair, Meg breaks the silence first:

“Let me get this straight, Romi: a pirate comes along suggesting we join his pirate alliance and you accept without flinching. So much for years of laying low!”

The woman inhales deeply, rubbing her glasses against her shirt.

“It was a tough call, actually: two weeks ago, we used our last savings. I've been racking my brain these days, trying to find a way to spare you the bad news.”

“Romi, we're in this together.” Allen says softly

“And then food supplies were running out too!” the Captain continues. “Having extra people on board, never touching land…it blew up my forecasts.”

She puts her glasses on again.

“Abandoning the Drifter is not an option, nor is it to let my mates starve. If I'll have to deal with pirates to keep us going, so be it. I take full responsibility.”

Buggy's hand floats around the room, handing Meg a bunch of paper sheets.

“There. Read it yourself.” the pirate says “And have a little trust in your captain's big brains.”

The Challengers take a seat around the table and immerse themselves in the reading. They all discuss the fine lines under Romi's attentive glaze, asking questions and passing the papers around.

Ava is trying her best to conceal a huge smile that’s been stretching her cheeks since leaving the cockpit. She gets up first, lost in thoughts.

“At the end of the day, I’d be mixed up with Cross Guild anyway.”

The woman moves next to Buggy, nudging him playfully with her shoulder.

“Still here? Your men must be soaking their facepaint in tears.”

“Someone insisted I go back to crafting but…no labs in Karai Bari.” the jester winks.

Eventually, papers and numbers are replaced by food and drink on the dinner table, printed sheets crowded in a corner far from the plates.

“By the way.”

Buggy is pointing his fork to the crew, his mouth full: “You think nobody would notice a fucking rocket flying over their heads? Everyone in the Grand Line will want a piece of that cake.”

Romi nods vigorously “Damn right. The Navy will knock on our door no doubt, and y’all know they don't ask nicely.”

“Say no more. To Captain Hodges.”

Meg makes a toast with a bittersweet smile and everyone raises their glasses.

“To Captain Hodges!”

As the tension of that morning gradually melts away, everyone’s thinking about the upcoming projects and how to spend their future money.

Romi's sitting between Buggy and Ava, a glass of ale dangling from her fingers.

“We better make the Drifter fly asap.” She clincks her glass against theirs.

“Ava, how about you move into my room now? You’d have my data archives at hand while Mr. President here gets his private quarters.”

The blonde stares at Romi for a hot minute before stuttering an answer.

“It seems…uhm…convenient.”

Buggy clicks his tongue.

“Bad idea. This one will annoy you in the middle of the night with the most random questions.”

“Come again?” Ava smirks, leaning forward on the table.

“Terrible roommate.” The pirate continues “A ruthless hair brush thief who only leaves chaos and destruction behind her. I'll spare you this horror, Captain.”

He mimics a toast before chugging his ale.

Romi takes a sip and rolls her eyes.

“Whatever guys, nevermind.” she mumbles, her words echoing inside the glass.

That morning, the crew rallies inside lab 01.

Romi paces back and forth in front of her mates, rehearsing aloud every detail of what is about to happen. Her eyes shine in anticipation and excitement, her heart pounding in her chest: it’s test day.

“Everyone in position. Get the data collectors going. Jester, the floor is yours.”

On a large platform, the Drifter lies dormant. Buggy approaches the vehicle, placing a metal box on the ground; he snaps it open and digs his hands into some soft material.

A transparent sphere comes out with a bold ‘x’ painted on its surface; a glowing, dense liquid sloshing inside as the ball moves.

“Let's put this baby to use.” the pirate grins. “This time it's gonna work.”

“Six time’s the charm.” Ava chuckles, while keeping the Drifter’s tank open for him.

As soon as the glowing sphere rolls into the vehicle, Romi saddles up and starts the ignition sequence.

A low grumble comes from the thrusters and the dashboard animates under her fingers.

Goosebumps all over, she observes the front hollow wheel drawing a shiny ring of light. One high-pitched hiss and the Drifter gets off the ground.

"Woohoo!"

Romi cheers loudly while the crew’s excitement grows by the minute.

She fumbles with the commands and steers the vehicle towards the exit, its engines revving full force.

Everything is going exactly as planned when a sudden, scorching heat wave reaches the woman's back, followed by the unmistakable sound of an explosion. Panic spreads as black smoke fills the room.

"Goddamnit!" Allen shouts “Is everyone ok?”

The doctor grabs his medical kit and runs to the rest of the crew, his ears ringing painfully.

He reaches the Captain first: bent over on the floor, she's punching her tights, tears down her furious face. She’s screaming, out of control.

"Breathing is ok. Motility looks fine.” Allen rattles off the essential checks as fast as he can.

“Doc, help!”

He jumps on the platform, following the jester's shrieks.

The pirate has not one scratch on him but Ava, on the other hand, is resisting the Drifter’s weight, her face covered in blood.

Buggy and Torres are trying to lift the wrecked vehicle away from her, but she’s holding on to it, shouting into the smoke:

“Romi it's ok! We'll fix it!”

“Let go, idiot!”

Buggy is shoving Ava away when the Drifter's bulk in his arms suddenly feels heavier.

“Torres, what the fuck you're doing?”

“No, no, no, no…” The man mumbles, his amber eyes fixed on Ava's face.

“Don't you dare drop it!” the woman shouts

“Y-your face!”

“It's nothing, I'm fine!”

“I need to throw up…”

“You were in the Navy, for god's sake!”

“And why do you think they made him a sniper?” Meg snarls, helping them lay down the Drifter slowly.

As the dense fog begins to dissipate, the doctor lets Torres run away, focusing on the others.

“Romi was lucky. Just bruises and a nasty headache.” His tone is reassuring. “This young lady, on the other hand…”

“Ouch!”

The second he touches Ava’s face she cries out on top of her lungs. Her nose is getting swollen and black, cheeks and chin covered in blood.

Allen opens his kit and cleans her face while Buggy moves frantically around him.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” He whines, peeking out from the doctor’s shoulders.

His floating hands hold Ava still as a metal strip gets applied on her bended nose.

“This will do for now.” the doctor smiles. “Wait a little for the painkillers to kick in then go get some rest. I'll check on you in a couple of hours.”

Allen gathers his tools and reaches Meg, who's carrying a miserable Romi on her back.

With the doctor's assistance, the three of them leave what's left of lab 01.

Watching the sad spectacle, Buggy reaches for two desk chairs then turns them upright.

“Come sitting.” He orders in a flat voice.

“I'm good.”

“Doc said you need to rest. Sit.”

Ava throws herself into a chair, puffing. “How about we use the purple paste instead? Like, a tiny crumble.”

“That’s a great idea… if you want to send your nose on the fucking moon.”

Buggy sits in front of her and falls silent for a bit. “I really thought it would have worked this time, you know.”.

“We’re almost there: it’s just a matter of fine-tuning, at this point.”

“It blew up in our faces, Ava! I’m out of my league, I'm afraid.”

“Well, so is Romi with her Drifter and, frankly, so am I when I get my hand on any cable in here. We’re all learning as we go.”

“How romantic. Sadly, Croc’s breathing down my neck kinda ruins the vibe.”

“Oh, forget about that buttface: one day we'll build a gigantic robot and seize his gold! ” Ava giggles “It will destroy him! While spitting fire.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Buggy leans forward, laughing.

“We'll name it RingMaster, Mark One!” the woman continues, chasing the jester's chuckles as the bad mood seems to leave him.

In the middle of that rambling, though, her smile fades away.

Those clear eyes, his childish grin…Ava finds herself weak, once again.

“It must be the adrenaline. The painkillers, probably.” She thinks, as tingles start running under her skin.

Squinting, Buggy takes some time to inspect the dark metal strip on the blond’s nose.

“Does it hurt?” he asks.

She feels her cheek burning as her gaze tumbles down to his chin.

“I feel nothing. Just a bit light headed.”

“Friggin’ Egghead stuff.”

A slight tilt of her head and a kiss lands on Buggy's lips. A long shy kiss, followed by another peck, and then another.

The jester is stunned: Ava's skin smells too good, her lips, her hands on his jaw, too soft, too inviting. Suddenly overwhelmed, he does not move a muscle.

“Lord, no.” His heart is pounding out of control, dark thoughts crowding in his mind.

“Please, make her stop.” Buggy falls into pure panic. “It had to be fake! She swore to part ways!”

The vivid image of Croc and Hawk laughing flashes before his eyes, he could almost hear them: “you should thank us, clown.” And Ava, clinging to his arm with her shiny wedding band. He'll be stuck with her, forever.

As Buggy snaps out of his visions, he pushes the woman away. She stands up, distraught, her big green eyes darting left and right. “I…I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me.” She whispers in a shaky voice. Lowering her head, Ava dashes out of the room.

Buggy’s head pops off, falling into his hands. “Shit!” He shrieks “Shit! What was that?!”

Hoping to calm his inner chaos, he runs hiding in the chemistry lab for the rest of the day.

It’s been dark for a while when he eventually takes courage and heads back to his room.

“You go straight in there as if today never happened.” The man rehearses. “No kaboom, no smooches, nothing. Just good ol’ chatting.”

As he opens the bedroom’s doors, Buggy sighs in relief. Ava seems to be…not there.

He takes off his clothes and paint, hurrying under the shower, planning to be asleep before his roommate comes back.

The jester dives on his pillow and shuts his eyes: ears pricking up, he expects the sound of her steps at any moment.

Buggy waits for hours on end, wakeful, but no one comes in that night. Staring into the dark, he feels his heart sink.

[tuffluuhv]

Watching The Flash TV show for the first time:

(Up to the S1 finale)

Barry is way too chill about not knowing the beef between him and Eobard from in the future. Like bro killed Barys mother in rage to cause trauma to an 11yr old in order to prevent his rival existing and Barry can just,,,skip past that??? Not to mention the fact that he says he's born ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX (136) YEARS IN THE FUTURE??? DOES BARRY AND CO. NOT WONDER WHY TF BARRY WOULD KNOW/BE RIVALS WITH SOMEONE THAT FAR INTO THE FUTURE???? Also from what I can put together they both disappeared in 2024(it's wild that its that year now) to go back in time to the night Nora Allen was killed, but we don't hear anything about what happens after that? Like how does Barry get back? IF he gets back. Also what tf is the Reverse Flash doing in 2024? That's obvious not 136yrs in the future, so did he time travel to that time period and become enemies with Barry then?? Or is this continued from our current timeline? Which wouldn't make sense because he has som hatred for Barry from somewhere. Idk man, this whole time line thing is confusing. It confused me when I watched the Green Arrow and that was because the episodes that had time travel in it were mainly episodes that occurred in other series (bar the finale episode *starts sobbing*) I thought that in watching The Flash I may develop a better understanding of it but nope, it's even worse now.

[ulkaralakbarova]

The adventures of two amiably aimless metal-head friends, Wayne and Garth. From Wayne’s basement, the pair broadcast a talk-show called “Wayne’s World” on local public access television. The show comes to the attention of a sleazy network executive who wants to produce a big-budget version of “Wayne’s World”—and he also wants Wayne’s girlfriend, a rock singer named Cassandra. Wayne and Garth have to battle the executive not only to save their show, but also Cassandra. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Wayne Campbell: Mike Myers Garth Algar: Dana Carvey Benjamin Kane: Rob Lowe Cassandra: Tia Carrere Stacy: Lara Flynn Boyle Dreamwoman: Donna Dixon Security Guard: Chris Farley Noah Vanderhoff: Brian Doyle-Murray Alan: Michael DeLuise Tiny: Meat Loaf Bad Cop / T-1000: Robert Patrick Alice Cooper: Alice Cooper Glen: Ed O’Neill Mrs. Vanderhoff: Colleen Camp Terry: Lee Tergesen Russell Finley: Kurt Fuller Davy: Mike Hagerty Ron Paxton: Charles Noland Elyse: Ione Skye Frankie Sharp: Frank DiLeo Waitress: Robin Ruzan Officer Koharski: Frederick Coffin Old Man Withers: Carmen Filpi Film Crew: Original Music Composer: J. Peter Robinson Screenplay: Mike Myers Executive Producer: Hawk Koch Director of Photography: Theo van de Sande Director: Penelope Spheeris Producer: Lorne Michaels Editor: Malcolm Campbell Stunts: Hannah Kozak Stunts: Alisa Christensen Associate Producer: Dinah Minot Associate Producer: Barnaby Thompson Screenplay: Bonnie Turner Screenplay: Terry Turner Casting: Glenn Daniels Production Design: Gregg Fonseca Second Unit Director: Allan Graf First Assistant Director: John Hockridge Second Assistant Director: Joseph J. Kontra Set Decoration: Jay Hart Camera Operator: Martin Schaer “B” Camera Operator: David Hennings First Assistant Camera: Henry Tirl First Assistant “B” Camera: Peter Mercurio Steadicam Operator: Elizabeth Ziegler Script Supervisor: Adell Aldrich Sound Mixer: Tom Nelson Boom Operator: Jerome R. Vitucci Additional Editor: Earl Ghaffari Assistant Editor: Ralph O. Sepulveda Jr. Assistant Editor: Ann Trulove Assistant Editor: Brion McIntosh Supervising Sound Editor: John Benson Sound Effects Editor: Beth Sterner Sound Effects Editor: Joseph A. Ippolito Sound Effects Editor: Frank Howard Dialogue Editor: Michael Magill Dialogue Editor: Simon Coke Dialogue Editor: Bob Newlan Supervising ADR Editor: Allen Hartz Foley Supervisor: Pamela Bentkowski Assistant Sound Editor: Carolina Beroza Assistant Sound Editor: Thomas W. Small Foley Artist: Ken Dufva Foley Artist: David Lee Fein Foley Mixer: Greg Curda ADR Mixer: Bob Baron ADR Voice Casting: Barbara Harris Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Andy Nelson Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Steve Pederson Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Perry Music Supervisor: Maureen Crowe Supervising Music Editor: Steve Mccroskey Set Designer: Lisette Thomas Set Designer: Gae S. Buckley Special Effects Makeup Artist: Thomas R. Burman Special Effects Makeup Artist: Bari Dreiband-Burman Makeup Artist: Courtney Carell Makeup Artist: Mel Berns Jr. Hairstylist: Kathrine Gordon Hairstylist: Barbara Lorenz Hairstylist: Carol Meikle Costume Supervisor: Pat Tonnema Costumer: Janet Sobel Costumer: Kimberly Guenther Durkin Location Manager: Ned R. Shapiro Assistant Location Manager: Serena Baker Second Second Assistant Director: John G. Scotti Property Master: Kirk Corwin Assistant Property Master: Peter A. Tullo Assistant Property Master: Jim Stubblefield Leadman: Robert Lucas Special Effects Coordinator: Tony Vandenecker Chief Lighting Technician: Jono Kouzouyan Production Office Coordinator: Lynne White Unit Publicist: Tony Angelotti Still Photographer: Suzanne Tenner Craft Service: Vartan Chakarian Transportation Coordinator: James Thornsberry Color Timer: David Bryden Negative Cutter: Theresa Repola Mohammed Title Designer: Dan Curry Second Unit Director of Photography: Robert M. Stevens Stunts: Tony Brubaker Stunt Double: Steve Kelso Movie Reviews: tmdb15435519: I wish I could dress the exact same every day and still be cool.

[shape]

Das absolut Böse schleicht sich gut getarnt als "Gerechtigkeit" in unser Leben.

Bari Weiss über die Feinde der Freiheit und der Aufklärung an unseren Universitäten:

"Die woke Ideologie hat ganz Amerika erobert, von den Unis bis zu den Konzernen. Ihre Kader lehren eine bizarre Opferhierarchie: Muslime sind benachteiligter als Schwule, Schwarze mehr als Frauen. Leistung, Fleiß? Gelten als verdächtig. Und genau hier wird es für ein Land lebensgefährlich.

Vor zwanzig Jahren, als Studentin, begann ich über eine Nischenideologie zu schreiben, die allem zu widersprechen schien, was mir seit meiner Kindheit beigebracht worden war. Es ist gut möglich, dass mir das wahre Wesen dieser Ideologie verschlossen geblieben wäre – oder es mir erspart geblieben wäre, dieses wahre Wesen zu erkennen – wenn ich keine Jüdin wäre. Aber ich bin Jüdin. Also bemerkte ich, wie ich als Jüdin in dieser Ideologie nicht vorkomme; herausgeschrieben wurde. Und dass es nicht nur um mich ging, sondern dass die gesamte Ideologie auf einer Illusion beruhte.

Was ich sah, war eine Weltanschauung, in der die grundlegenden Vorstellungen von Gut und Böse durch eine neue Rubrik ersetzt wurden: die der Machtlosen (gut) und der Mächtigen (böse). Dadurch wurden viele Dinge ersetzt. Farbenblindheit durch Rassenbesessenheit. Ideen durch Identität. Debatte durch Denunziation. Überzeugungsarbeit durch öffentliche Beschämung. Rechtsstaatlichkeit durch die Wut des Mobs.

Die Menschen sollten in dieser neuen Ordnung nicht in Anerkennung ihrer Begabungen, ihrer harten Arbeit, ihrer Leistung oder ihres Beitrags zur Gesellschaft Autorität erhalten, sondern umgekehrt proportional zu den Nachteilen, die ihre Gruppe nach der Definition radikaler Ideologen erlitten hatte. Oder, wie der Autor James Kirchick es so treffend formuliert hat: „Muslime mehr als Schwule, Schwarze mehr als Frauen, und alle mehr als die Juden“.

Damals war ich noch Studentin, aber man brauchte keinen Doktortitel, um zu erkennen, wohin das führt. Bei mir zu Entsetzen, weshalb ich so laut wie möglich Alarm schlug. Woraufhin die meisten jüdischen Autoritäten zu mir sagten, ja, diese Ideologie sei nicht gut, aber ich solle auch nicht so hysterisch sein. Universitäten seien schließlich schon immer Brutstätten des Radikalismus gewesen, sagten sie. Und sie versprachen, dass sich diese Ideologie auflösen wird, wenn die jungen Leute erst in der Erwachsenenwelt ankommen. Das tat sie nicht.

In den vergangenen zwei Jahrzehnten musste ich mit ansehen, wie diese verkehrte Weltanschauung alle wichtigen Institutionen des amerikanischen Lebens erobert hat. Es begann mit den Universitäten, dann ging es weiter zu den Kultureinrichtungen – darunter einige, die ich nur zu gut kannte, wie die „New York Times“ – sowie zu allen großen Museen, philanthropischen Einrichtungen und Medienunternehmen.

Dann ging es weiter zu den medizinischen und juristischen Fakultäten. Die Weltanschauung hat in fast jedem großen Unternehmen Wurzeln geschlagen. Sie ist in unseren High Schools und sogar in unseren Grundschulen angekommen. Die Eroberung ist so umfassend, dass man sie kaum noch wahrnehmen kann – denn sie ist überall. Auch in der jüdischen Gemeinschaft.

Einige der wichtigsten jüdischen Gemeindeorganisationen wandelten sich selbst, um diese Ideologie unterstützen zu können. Oder sie haben sich zumindest verbogen, um signalisieren zu können, dass auch sie gute Verbündete im Kampf für gleiche Rechte sein können – auch wenn diese Rechte nicht mehr gleich und unveräußerlich waren, sondern eher verteilt als geschützt wurden.

Für Juden birgt eine Weltanschauung, die Gleichheit an den Ergebnissen und eben nicht an den Chancen misst, offensichtliche und eklatante Gefahren. Wenn Unterrepräsentation das direkte Ergebnis systemischer Benachteiligung ist, dann deutet Überrepräsentation – und Juden machen gerade einmal rund zwei Prozent der amerikanischen Bevölkerung aus – nicht auf Talent oder harte Arbeit hin, sondern auf ein unverdientes Privileg.

Diese verschwörerische Schlussfolgerung ist gar nicht so weit von dem hasserfüllten Bild einer kleinen Gruppe von Juden entfernt, die sich die Welt unrechtmäßig zur Beute machen und unter sich aufteilen

„Besonders das postkoloniale, ‚woke‘ Milieu macht Stimmung“

Aber nicht nur Juden leiden unter der Vorstellung, dass Verdienst und hervorragende Leistung nur noch Schimpfwörter sind. Es trifft Streber jeder Abstammung, Ethnie und Klasse – aus diesem Grund ist etwa der Erfolg asiatischstämmiger Amerikaner verdächtig: Die Prozentsätze stimmen nicht, die Punktzahlen sind zu hoch – wem haben sie diesen Erfolg gestohlen?

Natürlich spricht diese neue Ideologie all das nicht offen aus. Sie mag es nicht einmal, wenn man sie beim Namen nennt. Manche nennen sie „Wokeness“, „Antirassismus“, „Progressivismus“, „Safetyism“, „Critical Social Justice“ oder „Identitätsmarxismus“. Aber egal, welchen Begriff man verwendet, klar ist, dass sie in einem konzeptionellen Instrument namens „Diversity, Equity and Inclusion“ (DEI) an Macht gewonnen hat – zu Deutsch: Vielfalt, Gleichberechtigung und Inklusiuon.

Theoretisch handelt es sich bei allen drei Begriffen um edle Zwecke. Ja, es sind Anliegen, denen sich auch und insbesondere amerikanische Juden seit Langem verschrieben haben, sowohl individuell als auch kollektiv. Aber in Wirklichkeit sind diese Begriffe zu Metaphern für eine ideologische Bewegung verkommen, die darauf aus ist, jeden Amerikaner nicht als Individuum zu kategorisieren, sondern als Avatar einer Identitätsgruppe, dessen Verhalten entsprechend vorverurteilt wird, und uns damit alle in eine Art Nullsummenspiel zu verwickeln.

Seit einigen Jahren sehen wir, welchen Schaden diese Ideologie angerichtet hat. DEI und die Kader, die das Konzept durchsetzen, untergraben die zentralen Aufgaben der jeweiligen Institutionen. Und nichts hat die Gefahren hinter DEI deutlicher gemacht als das, was in diesen Tagen an unseren Hochschulen geschieht – also an den Orten, an denen unsere zukünftigen Führungskräfte heranwachsen.

Dort werden Professoren gezwungen, sich zu DEI zu bekennen, wenn sie eingestellt, befördert oder fest angestellt werden wollen. Und genau dort hat sich die Abscheulichkeit dieser Weltanschauung in den vergangenen Wochen deutlich gezeigt: Wir sehen Studenten und Professoren, die nicht in Fakten, Wissen und Geschichte eingetaucht sind, sondern in eine entmenschlichende Ideologie, die sie dazu gebracht hat, Terrorismus zu feiern oder zu rechtfertigen.

Juden, die wissen, dass jedes menschliche Leben als Ebenbild Gottes unantastbar ist, dürfen nicht tatenlos zusehen, wie dieses Prinzip, das für die Verheißung Amerikas und seiner hart erkämpften Freiheiten so zentral ist, ausgelöscht wird. Wir müssen diese Entwicklung rückgängig machen.

Die Antwort kann nicht darin liegen, dass die jüdische Gemeinschaft vor der intersektionalen Koalition für ihre Sache plädiert oder um einen höheren Rang auf der neuen Opferhierarchie bettelt. Das ist eine verlorene Strategie – nicht nur für die jüdische Würde, sondern auch für die Werte, die wir als Juden und als Amerikaner vertreten.

Das jüdische Engagement für Gerechtigkeit – und die kraftvolle und historische Ablehnung von Rassismus durch die jüdische Gemeinschaft Amerikas – ist eine Quelle enormen Stolzes. Das sollte niemals ins Wanken geraten. Ebenso wenig sollte unsere Verpflichtung, unseren Freunden beizustehen, ins Wanken geraten, insbesondere dann, wenn sie unsere Unterstützung brauchen, so wie wir jetzt ihre brauchen.

Aber bei DEI geht es nicht um die Begriffe, die nur zur Tarnung verwendet werden. Beim DEI geht es um die Aneignung von Macht. Und die Bewegung, die all diese Macht an sich reißt, mag weder Amerika noch den Liberalismus.

Sie glaubt nicht, dass Amerika ein gutes Land ist – jedenfalls nicht besser als China oder der Iran. Sie nennt sich selbst fortschrittlich, glaubt aber nicht an den Fortschritt; sie ist ausdrücklich gegen Wachstum. Sie behauptet, „Gerechtigkeit“ zu fördern, aber ihre Antwort auf die Herausforderung, benachteiligten Kindern Mathematik oder Lesen beizubringen, ist die Abschaffung von Mathe- und Lesetests. Sie verteufelt harte Arbeit, Verdienst, Familie und die Würde des Einzelnen.

Eine Ideologie, die diese grundlegenden menschlichen Tugenden pathologisiert, ist eine Ideologie, die versucht, das zu untergraben, was Amerika so außergewöhnlich macht. Es ist an der Zeit, DEI endgültig zu beenden. Wir werden nicht länger zusehen, wie Menschen ermutigt werden, sich abzusondern. Keine erzwungenen Erklärungen mehr, dass Identität Vorrang vor Spitzenleistungen hat. Keine erzwungenen Reden mehr. Schluss mit den kleinen Lügen, nur um höflich zu sein.

Das jüdische Volk hat jedes einzelne Regime und jede Ideologie überlebt, die uns auslöschen wollte. Wir werden überleben, auf die eine oder andere Weise. Aber DEI untergräbt Amerika und das, wofür es steht – einschließlich der Prinzipien, die es zu einem Ort unvergleichlicher Möglichkeiten, Sicherheit und Freiheit für so viele gemacht hat. DEI zu bekämpfen, ist das Mindeste, was wir diesem Land schulden.

[raging-violets]

The Flash: Life on Standby | 9x12: “A New World, Part 3: Changes” | Barry Allen & Averey Moore (OC)

A/N: Kinda/sorta spoilery for the future of the Blindsided series (and spoilers for the show) but I’ve had something like this stuck in my head since I watched 9x12 and I needed to write it down, haha.

-Rhuben

“He said that he has the chance to change everything. That if he chooses the crystal, he could get everything he deserves." Averey screwed up her nose as Barry made another pass around the living room. “I just don’t understand. How could he want to do this? That's not Eddie. It’s not the Eddie we know.” 

Averey’s eyebrows lifted as she watched him. He had spent the whole time they had stood in Eddie’s “home” relaying everything he had just experienced with their friend. And the whole time, apart from her inquiry about where they were, Averey had been quiet. She didn’t say a word, just twisted her features in reaction to the words that came out of his mouth. 

So it really through him for a loop when Averey looked him square in the eye and said, flatly, “Shut up, Barry.” 

Barry stopped pacing, coming to a halt in the middle of the living room. “What?” He couldn’t think of anything else to say. 

“Eddie’s getting the chance to see what kind of life he’d get to have should things have been normal for at least five bloody minutes,” Averey explained, her eyebrows coming towards each other. “How do you not understand that?” 

“It’s the Negative Speed Force, Averey,” Barry reminded her. “It’s not real. None of this, none of what he wants, is real!” 

“And it was the Reverse Flash, Barry. And then it was Zoom. And then it was Savitar.” Barry let out a noise of frustration and spun on his heel to storm into the dining aera. Averey followed him, calling after him to say, “There’s always going to be someone that’ll change things – the timeline - in our lives, B. It may not be real to you, or any of us, but it’s real to him.” 

Barry made a scoffing sound, shaking his head. 

“Ah, my apologies, mate.” Averey’s tone suddenly took on sarcasm. “Guess I just never realized you were the only one who was allowed to take the chance to see how your life was different.” 

Barry whirled around to face her. “That’s not true.” 

“It is true, and you know it,” adopting his direct tone. “You’re selfish, Barry Allen!” 

Barry’s jaw dropped. The start of his next sentence died in his throat. “Unbelievable,” he said quietly. A derisive laugh came forth. “I’m trying to save the whole timeline right now,” Bary said, jabbing himself in the chest. “Our lives! Our future! How is that me being selfish?” 

“As long as it’s your mum, or your wife, then you get the green light to do whatever you want with the timeline,” Averey shot back, swinging her arms in the air to indicate everything around them. “That’s how! But if it’s anyone else, we’re not allowed to make that decision.” Barry scoffed again. Averey’s eyebrows lifted and she let out a high-pitched scoff-laugh of disbelief. “You didn’t go back in time for Cisco to save Dante, and yet you tried desperately to save Iris from Savitar.” 

“Averey...” 

“You created that Flashpoint timeline because you went back to save Miss Nora.” 

“Ok, but--” 

“And that wouldn’t have even happened in the bloody first place if you hadn’t gone back in time to save your mum from Eobard!” Barry’s nostrils flared as he expelled a breath of air in one sharp exhale. “And the funny part about all of that was, that it was pointless. Miss Nora was always going to die, and yet you kept trying.” 

“I didn’t even know about any of that until now,” Barry said weakly.

Averey put her head into her hands. Barry planted his hands on his hips and shifted his weight from foot to foot. “You don’t get it, Barry.” 

“Oh, come on--” 

“I’M NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO EXIST!” Averey lifted her head, eyes ablaze. Barry grimaced at the sudden shout. “I’ve always wondered what our lives would have actually been like if none of this ever happened. If that original timeline, if that real first timeline played out where Nora didn’t die, I wondered how that would be.” She jabbed herself in the chest, her voice cracking. “And I don’t even exist, Barry! Either Henry never has an affair with my mum, and I’m never born, or I’m a different person and our paths just don’t ever cross and we don’t know about each other. But to you, no matter what, I’ve never existed. I wasn’t supposed to.”

Barry wet his lips with his tongue.

“I remember everything from every timeline that’s ever been changed. I remember everything before that tidal wave hit Central City.” She sniffed, using the heel of her palm to wipe at her nose, turning her head away from him. “I remember the first time I told Cisco that I was in love with him, but he doesn’t. It’s different for him. And it’ll always be that way. But you don’t care.”

“Ave…”

Her face became hard again. “Which isn’t a far cry from anything else, because outside of Iris, it’s like nothing exists for you. Except for her.”

Barry gaped at her. “Averey, she’s my wife.”

“And I’m your sister!” Now Barry put his face into his hands. “Not that I want anything to happen to Iris, you know I don’t, but you can always get a new wife. You can’t bloody get a new sibling.” 

Barry opened and closed his mouth.

“And that kind of sucks, because it’s been sweet as getting to know you these past ten years.” Averey wiped at her eyes with her hands. “And that’s what the Thawnes tried to do. They tried to forget that Malcolm even existed, and just put Eddie into that slot. He’s had to live his life based on other people’s standards and expectations. There’s even pressure further down that bloodline as far as Eobard is concerned.” 

“That’s no excuse to act like this though,” Barry said tiredly. 

“Come on, B.” Averey turned away from him and moved to sit down on the couch. Barry stepped closer to her, reaching up to tap his fingertips against the entryway to the room. “It’s easy for you to say that. You’ve never been on that side of being compared to anybody. Because you’re Barry Allen.” A hint of a laugh rumbled in Barry’s throat at her jazz hands at his name.

“Mate, dad compared himself to Joe all of the time because he wasn’t there to raise you.” Barry blinked rapidly in response.

“Dad never told me that,” Barry said quietly, leaning his head against his stretched arms.

“You know Wally had that grudge against you when you two first met, and I reckon a part of him still feels that way.” Averey put a hand to her chest. “I know I still have issues with Iris I’m working out even now, because of how angry I was with her being. Eddie’s going through it, now, too. He’s just now feeling the weight of all of that emotion at one time.”

“And the Negative Speed Force is feeding off of it,” Barry reminded her. “I know he can fight it off. I know he can.” 

“So, do I,” Averey said. “I don’t reckon that Eddie should listen to the Negative Speed Force and take that crystal, but you’re one big ass hypocrite for trying to force him to stop something you’ve already done so many times without a second thought.” 

“Ok, ok...” Barry slowly nodded. He dropped his arms down to his sides and moved to sit down beside her. “I hear you...” 

“It’s not out of the ordinary for people to wonder what their lives would be like if things were different. Yeah?” Averey crossed her arms over her chest, settling back against the cushions. She turned towards the window, squinting towards the bright lights illuminating the street. “Like if we didn’t make this decision, or take that job, or if we just had more time…” Silence feel between them as the end of her sentence trailed off. “You’ve had all the time in the world to figure this out. Eddie has the chance to make that decision for himself right now. He’s still the same Eddie; he’s just faced with a very difficult decision.” 

“And if he chooses wrong?” 

Averey looked at him, a solemn look on her face. “Then we gotta do, what we gotta do. But we can’t make him feel like he’s evil for being human and wanting something he always thought he couldn’t have. Or what he’s told he can’t have.” 

“I just can’t believe Eddie would even consider this.”

“Please. You all thought he was selfish and into himself before this. CCPD called him ‘Detective Pretty Boy,’ remember?” A wry smile came to her face. “Or was that just your jealousy talking? Because he had Iris, and you had a lenghty date with a coma.”

Barry pressed his lips together and twisted his mouth to the side. “I...we...just didn’t know him.” 

“You know him now.” Averey bumped his shoulder with hers. “Don’t hold it against him when he doesn’t choose to act the way you would. That’s not fair to him.”

“When did you get so smart?” Barry asked. “Almost sounded like something Joe would say.”

“Being around all you smart blokes, it was bound to happen,” Averey said, her smile widening slightly. “You’re the paragon of love, Barry. Sooner or later, I’d have to throw one of these sorts of speeches back in your face, right?” Her smile slowly faded. “So, what do we do now?”

“Prepare,” Barry said, just as solemn, “to do what we gotta do.”

-

Tag List: @arrthurpendragon​ @andromedalestrange​ @darknightfrombeyond​ @witchofinterest​ @hogwarts-is-my-wonderland​

[deusvervewrites]

Your latest AFO meta post is giving big Professor Zoom (the 2nd Reverse Flash) vibes. His whole thing in the comics is to make Wally's life as hellish as possible because Zoom thinks his suffering will make Wally a better hero.

Literally all I know about any Professor Zoom is the "It was me, Barry" meme. Hell I don't even remember when Bary Allen came back after dying in Crisis on Infinite Earths. But it might be worth me looking into if he's like you say

[thebuzztrack]

A Review of 'The Flash' (2023)

Toward the beginning, Barry tells a maternity nurse to speak with a mental health professional because the Justice League is not good at such a thing. This made me sad, given the context of the real-life issues with Ezra Miller in recent years and the toxic workplace environment described by Ray Fisher after the Justice League movie was released. On its own, the story of The Flash is a fun twist on an origin story by utilizing the Flashpoint Paradox concept as a premise. We are introduced to Bary’s origin story, the introduction to the DC multiverse, and the appearance of Reverse Flash. For the downsides, I believe the CGI babies in the opening sequence and CGI Speedforce for the rest of the movie are horrendously rendered. It’s like a rough draft animatic instead of a final rendering for a multi-million dollar movie project. I am giving it a mid rating for being a mixed bag of results. A review point is given for bringing back Michael Keaton as Batman. Another review point is given for containing all the cameo appearances, even though some are extremely bad CGI reconstructions. And a final review point is given for the story arc being emotionally engaging but avoiding the usual tropes that would be easy bait to include in this type of story. My last words would be to admit shamefully I like Emo Kara. When will she start an emo band and name it All Kryptonian Rejects?

The Flash (2023) is a superhero film that adapts the popular DC comic book storyline Flashpoint, in which Barry Allen, aka The Flash, uses his super speed to travel back in time and save his mother from being murdered. However, his actions have unforeseen consequences, as he creates a new timeline where General Zod has conquered Earth where no other superheroes exist. To restore his original reality, Barry must team up with an older Bruce Wayne, who has retired from being Batman, and a young Kara Zor-El, the last survivor of Krypton.

The film is directed by Andy Muschietti, best known for his horror films It (Part One and Two) and Mama. The screenplay is written by Christina Hodson, who also penned Birds of Prey (2020) and Bumblebee (2018). The film stars Ezra Miller as Barry Allen, Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne, Sasha Calle as Kara Zor-El, Michael Shannon as General Zod, Ron Livingston as Henry Allen, Maribel Verdú as Nora Allen, Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, Antje Traue as Faora-Ul, and Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth.

The intention of this movie is expected to be a game-changer for the DCEU, as it formally introduces the concept of the multiverse into the DC movies universe, which allows for different versions of the same characters to coexist in multiple realities. The film also marks the return of Michael Keaton as Batman, who previously played the character in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). Keaton’s Batman is said to be a mentor figure for Barry and Kara.

The movie had been in studio production development with Warner Bros for over a decade, with various writers and directors attached and departed over the years. The original plan for a release date was supposed to be in 2018 but got delayed multiple times due to creative differences, production issues, the COVID-19 pandemic, post-production setbacks, and controversies surrounding Ezra Miller. The film finally began filming in April 2021 in London and wrapped up in October 2021. The film’s first trailer was released at DC FanDome in October 2021, generating positive buzz among fans and critics.

[musispoedmacarsiv]

22 Şubat 2024 Spar Girona Galatasaray Çağdaş Faktoring Maçı

*Fontajau Salonu'nda saat 21:00'de başlayacak olan Kadınlar EuroCup Çeyrek Final ilk maçı. Sarayın Sultanları bir ayı geçen aranın ardından son viraja İspanya'da başlıyor. Dikkatli olalım ve ekol ülkeden geldiklerini unutmayalım. İyi sonuçla evimize dönelim inşallah. Yürek dolusu başarılar Cimbom'a.

*FIBA YouTube kanalından naklen yayınlanacak olan maç.

*İlk çeyrek 22-21 ile bizim lehimize bitti. Fena başlamamıştık ama Girona yakaladığı seriyle dengeyi kurdu. Karşılıklı ufak serilerle iki taraf da üstünlükler buluyor. İyi bir heyecan var.

*İlk yarı sonucunda 40-34 gerideyiz. Ev sahibi ekip kontrolü sağladı gibi. Yine de 34-33'te üstünlüğü yakalamıştık ama 7 sayılık seri yaparak çeyreği bitirdiler. Yakın takibi sürdürmeliyiz.

*Üçüncü periyodun bitimiyle durumu 60-49 yaptı İspanyol ekibi. Bu sefer tamamen geriden takip ettik ve sonlara doğru çift hanelere de ulaştılar. Yenileceksek bile en azından çok yakın bitmeli. Son bölümde buna oynayalım.

*77-64 kaybettiğimiz maç. 13 sayılık farkla mağlup olduk. Gerçi maçın 18'e kadar gittiğini düşünürsek bu kadar toparlayabilmek de fena değil. Yine de çift haneleri görmemeliydik. Evimizde atmosferi öyle bir oluşturmalı ve maça baskıyla girmeliyiz ki ancak denge kuralım. O faktörlere rağmen yine kolay olmayacak. Bekleyip görelim bari. Spar Girona'da Sandra Ygueravide 15, Laura Pena 14 sayı ile oynadı. Galatasaray Çağdaş Faktoring'de ise Nalyssa Smith 16 sayı - 12 ribaund ile ikili çifte yapsa da yeterli olamadı. Julie Vanloo 15 sayı üretti. Myisha Hines-Allen da 11 sayı - 10 ribaundla ikili çifte yapan bir diğer isimdi.

[dcu-rarepair]

Day 4 Gifts

Eight more amazing gifts for Day 4! Head to the Collection to check them out, and view the Release Schedule to see what’s in store!

We also have a handy Commenting Guide to help our Giftees with showing their Giftors some love. And now, here’s today’s works: 

Happy Valentine, Batsy for Nightwang

Dick Grayson/Joker, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne Rated E, Warnings for Graphic Depictions of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage Hurt/No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Painful Sex Bruce tries his best to keep Robin away from Joker, Dick is going to learn why.

Lying to Myself for Zero_Ducks

Bary Allen/Wally West Rated E, Chose Not to Use Archive Sex Pollen, Dubious Consent Barry gets hit with sex pollen, Wally takes his chance.

Pal is a dirty word for bikarma

Clark Kent/James ‘Jimmy’ Olsen Rated E, No Archive Warnings Friends to Lovers, Bad First Date It's the talk of the town that Jimmy is considered to be Superman's Pal, everyone is excited about it, everyone but Superman who wants a redaction in print. Jimmy wouldn't be crushed the fact that Superman is not looking for a best friend, if not for the fact that he knows who Superman is when the cape comes off. He fears this is the begging of the end for him and Clark, little does he know there's someone waiting in the wing to expedite that process.

Fire & Ice & Rain for saiditallbefore

Beatriz da Costa/Tora Olafsdotter Rated G, No Archive Warnings Art

[ART] DC Rarepair Exchange: TedBru for leninille

Ted Kord/Bruce Wayne Rated M, No Archive Warnings Caught, Art

no attachments (is it casual now?) for reinikrei

Koriand’r/Donna Troy Rated T, No Archive Warnings Implied Friends with Benefits, New Year’s Kiss “You know…” Donna begins. “They have a lot of traditions here, to celebrate the start of a new year.” “Oh?” There’s a small knowing smile on her lips, but she feigns ignorance, playing along. She tilts her head, slowly mixing her drink with her cocktail stirrer. “I hadn’t known.” (in which new year's eve is upon them, and nothing ever changes)

The Bird and the Tempest for YouHaveLessProof

Garth/Dick Grayson Rated G, No Archive Warnings Art

In Your Light for vivictory-draws (isterofimia)

Jessica Cruz/Komand’r Rated E, Chose Not to Use Warnings Soulmates, Enemies to Lovers Destiny intertwines with the vast expanse of space to bring two kindred spirits together for an unlikely meeting. Despite the odds, Earth's newest Green Lantern, Jessica Cruz, and the prodigal princess of Tamaran find themselves bound by an unbreakable cosmic connection.

[thoraeth]

Words: 2830

Summary: Everything seems ready to take the Challengers' new technology to the next level. However, the only way to move forward is coming to terms with the past.

Chapter5(P.1) - Clockwork

<CH4(PT2) CH5(PT2)> | Read on Ao3

The sun rays of a new morning cast their dim light over the boots and uniforms scattered on the floor.

“Daisy daisy give me your answer do

I'm half crazy all for the love of you…”

Buggy lays on Ava's chest, breath slowing down into tiny clouds on his lips. He indulges in the familiar humming, in the comfy feeling of her fingers running through his hair. 

“You really like that one, uh?” he yawns.

“Yes. It's quite sweet.” 

Struggling, the pirate rolls next to her. 

“Damn, these beds are too tiny. We're joining modules tonight.”

“Are we?” Ava laughs. “Couple of weeks ago you didn't want to share a boat. Is this… a change of plans?”

“Maybe. Sort of. I gotta admit it: you've dragged me into something interesting and now I wanna see what else is there.” 

With a gentle rustling of sheets, the jester brushes his toes along her legs. 

“Wouldn't be the first time your follies click with me, after all...” he adds.

Ava sits up, smiling softly. “In Fugu we’ve got hundreds of stories about pirates: deranged creatures who roam the world, only caring for ale and adventure. Lives so full… Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine I could click with one of them.”

The blue-haired man reaches out to cup her cheek, when Ava’s nose wrinkles up and one big sneeze catches her off guard.

“Ew!”

“It’s getting colder, isn't it?”

A sudden knocking makes Ava and Buggy turn their heads towards the doors.

“Oi! You guys awake? Open up!”

Leaning against the corridor’s wall, Romi is shouting in a slurred voice. She massages her nose under the round lens, a box in her arms.

It seems like an eternity, but eventually a messy blue mane appears behind the sliding doors.

“About damn time.” The Captain says, squinting her eyes. 

She stares at the men blankly, wondering whether or not he's wearing a bedsheet. Must be another hallucination from the horrible hangover that's ravaging her, just like the sneezing blanket next to the window.

“I had the fire alarm restored!” She continues. “I’m telling you, jester: move a single bolt on my ship and I’ll fly your ass to Karai Bari!”

A heavy box lands in the man’s arms as Romi digs her fingers into her temples.

“Here’s some winter gear. It's already snowing and we're not even close to Karakuri.”

“Never heard of that.” Buggy shrugs. “Well, thanks and see y-”

The blanket sneezes again. This time it's loud and clear.

Romi looks around the room, perplexed, when she meets Buggy's guilty look and everything gets plain as day, even for her intoxicated brain cells.

“Ok…I guess I’ll leave you guys to, uhm, whatever this is.” she says, adjusting her glasses slowly.

The Captain turns around and walks out of the room with a cunning smile on her face. 

“This is one hell of a 164!” She chuckles, stumbling under the deck's light arches.

As the hours pass, a thick fog rises over the Grand Line. The Challenger comes out of the Belts, sailing across the dark waters under a storm of chunky snowflakes. On its weather deck, the crew is wrapping up in white camo suits.

“We take the icebreakers’ path to Karakuri, then dock at the farest end of the harbor.” 

Romi turns the Drifter on and gives her orders.

“Meg,Torres, Allen, you're hiking team. Go straight to the lab's ruins. If the machine is still there, we take it apart and bring it aboard piece by piece.”

As the engines hiss louder, the Captain raises her voice. “Buggy, Ava, you're on supply duty: we need fuel and components for the assembly-lines.”

“Two-sided?” the blonde asks, shivering.

“Yes, as in the blueprint I gave you. Now, go and be discreet.”

The anchor drops in the water with a low grumble and everyone zips their collars up, ready to disembark.

“First time in weeks we set foot on land and it had to be winter wasteland.”

Buggy frowns at the map in his hands, stumbling in the snow repeatedly.

“I had never seen this much before!” Ava giggles, kicking up the snowdrifts on their way.

“You what? I can't hear shit with these things on.” 

Tugging on her sleeve, Buggy pulls her close, reaching for the soft collar that's covering Ava's face. 

The woman jumps back, though, hands clenching on her suit. 

“No! Someone will see them!”

“You ain't exactly in a bikini, doll, it's kinda hard to see any…Oh, you mean the teeth.”

“They may think I'm a fishman. What if these people… were hostile?”

“Hostile! Why, ‘cause you're grocery shopping?” Dramatically, Buggy leans over the woman. “Are you afraid they'd go tell Meara you’re, god forbid, having fun?!”

Ava chuckles, playing with the puller of her zip.

“Take it easy! No one knows you outside your stinky island. It's a good thing.” The jester gently presses his forehead against hers. “And speaking of which: since there is someone on this team with a worldwide known face… you better be prepared to do the talking here.”

“Are you serious?!”

As the two of them keep arguing and plunging their feet in the snow, the town square appears before them. 

The fog is gradually lifting, revealing little shops and chatty people all around.

“Apologies. Coming through.” 

A stiff voice startles the two foreigners and their eyes widen at the sight of a tall iron doll. 

It is approaching at a painfully slow pace, rocking in jerky movements. 

“It’s an automaton! Just as Romi said!” Ava whispers, excited.

The town of Karakuri is indeed swarming with dolls, robots and mechanical animals who seem to be busy helping the locals with their chores.

After some wandering around the square and its unusual residents, the two stop in front of a rundown shop. The place looks almost abandoned; no one in sight behind the broken windows.

Ava steps in first and a soft chime comes from the ceiling. 

“Umh…good morning.” 

“Good morning, customers. Your faces are not registered as you may not be from Karakuri Island. Please, identify yourself.”

Jumping out of the shadows, a squared robot reaches Ava’s feet. It wobbles on its tracks, circling the woman and beeping persistently. 

“W-w're shipbuilders from Water 7. We stopped for r-replacements and supplies.”

They’ve rehearsed that story for hours, and yet Ava’s sweating. “What if Karakuri robots can read minds?” She thinks as a tiny blue beam starts running up and down her body.

“Water 7, shipbuilder. Female. Five foot two. Blonde hair. Green eyes. Sharp teeth.” 

The robot hasn't finished scanning Ava, when she steps out of its light. “What do you care about my teeth.” she states in a cold voice.

“Distinguishing marks are part of my protocol, customer. Please keep still.”

“I have a damned piece of metal in the middle of my face, what more do you need?”

“Stop it.” Buggy growls, underneath his hood. He briskly nudges his companion and shoves a scribbled piece of paper on the robot’s front camera. 

“We cast off in an hour, can you pack these quickly or shall we go elsewhere?” he insists.

The robot bleeps something about completing its protocols but a human voice shuts it up, echoing from behind a wall of boxes.

“Ugh, get to work, you stupid can! Ya gonna lose me another sale.”

Downhearted, the automaton unleashes its mechanical arms to gather the ingredients on the list. 

Ava, however, goes roaming around the shop in search of that raspy voice.

Peeping out of a stack of bags, she spots a wrinkly woman standing by a mechanical firefly: the granny is curved on a compact mirror, drawing shapes on her eyelids in the dim light.

“Ya foreigners never seem to get it, uh? Just ‘cause they’re speakin’, doesn't mean they’re thinkin’.” She grumbles as Ava gets closer. “Ya walk in with a harpoon through your head? Robo-clerk beeps bops and settles ya bill.  That's all.”

“Mh, I see.”  

Leaning over the old woman, the blonde’s attention gets caught by some black powder in her hand. “Do you… sell this, by any chance?”

The granny nods and points at a wooden box on the ground, filled with small round tins. 

“Oh, these are perfect!”

Ava runs back to the counter, hands full of tins whose label reads ‘herbal pigment’. 

She puts her loot down and pays for their shopping by shoving a bunch of Berry banknotes into the Robo-clerk. 

“Deliver to pier 32, as fast as possible. Have a nice day, madam!” She shouts happily, then drags her companion out of the shop.

The two steps in the freezing air outside, but once they're far from the crowd, Buggy plants himself in the middle of the street.

“You almost got us in trouble.” 

“And yet, all's well.”

“Well my ass. Stop giggling like an idiot, what the fuck is that?”

With her hair blowing in the wind, Ava is holding a tiny box in front of the man's face. He snatches it and unscrews the flat lid, struggling in his thick gloves.

“I saw the shop owner doing her makeup with it, just like you do.” 

Both lean closer, observing the black powder in the container: it’s slightly shimmery in the daylight, a deep black with blue and purple reflections.

“Herbs should be safer than charcoal, right?” Ava adds softly.

Buggy grabs the shortie by the waist and sweeps her off her feet for a moment.

“That's fucking great!” He laughs. “Actual makeup, God, I can't believe it! Didn't they have coloured ones?”

“Shoot, I didn't ask!”

“Nevermind. Best gift ever!”

He shoves the box in his pocket and rests his arm on Ava’s shoulders as the two go back to exploring the small town. 

They idly walk amongst little houses and market stalls, commenting on the automata around them. 

After a while, Ava looks up at the pirate:

“We'd better return to the ship, we've been wandering for a while now.”

“I'm not done yet.”

“Did we skip something from the list?”

“Yes, your gift.” he mutters happily.

“You don't-”

“It has to be fucking grand, like a platinum tiara or something! That is, if there's anything valuable in this place...”

“A tiara? Who am I, Princess Shirahoshi?” Ava laughs.

“C’mon, it's flashy! You'd rather get a necklace? Earrings? A ring, maybe.” 

Suddenly, Buggy's attention is drawn to the main street. “I could make an honest woman of you.” he continues, absent minded.

“As if we hadn't literally met at the altar. It takes an honest man to make an honest woman, you know?”

The jester brings the woman's hands to his lips, a sinister light in his eyes. 

“We must be hopeless, then.”

Before Ava could say another word, he's gone.

The pirate hides behind a stream of people who seem to be headed towards a tall building, the town hall. As the crowd gets nearer, Buggy notices that a number of guards and marines are patrolling the area attentively.

All citizens are asked to get in line in front of a sturdy automaton and, in turn, they place Berrys and shiny objects inside a small vault built into its torso. 

Stealthy, the jester moves away from the crowd and sneaks around until he reaches the building's backyard. 

The windows there are dusty and chipped, and yet he manages to spot a wooden chest, filled to the brim with gold and jewels; only a young marine to guard it. “Ka-ching!” Buggy grins, ominously. 

His pinky travels from his palm to a creak in the window and, one after the others, the pirate's fingers all creep inside the room. They open the window slightly and let his arms, legs and torso in too. 

As the cadet paces back and forth at the door, the jester’s pieces smuggle behind the chest, unseen. Or so he thinks.

“Intruder alert. Launching safety recount: two billion, three hundred thousands…” 

As the chest snaps close, a loud cry descends from the ceiling: a mechanical snail, like Buggy’s never seen before, is glowing red and shouting numbers full blast. 

“W-who's there?!”

The young marine searches the room trembling, gun at the ready, when a hooded figure jumps out of nowhere and knocks her off. 

Buggy doesn't even have time to think, before the room’s doors slam open and a multitude of guns’ barrels and white uniforms comes pouring in.

“Hands up! You’re under arrest in the name of celestial dragons.”

The pirate steps back from the unconscious marine and turns around, slowly raising his hands: he's surrounded and a massive man is pointing a rifle at him. 

“Take that hood off his face.” The officer shouts. “And you, keep those filthy hands where I can see them.”

A short soldier approaches and Buggy notices it is made of scuffed metal. His cold claws pull his hood away and the fuzzy blue hair bounces out. That and his big, round nose.

“You better pray Private Tin Head here is better than that.” the jester growls, hinting at the cadet on the floor.

“I know that nose.” the officer squints his eyes as a nervous buzz rises through the soldiers.

“What is an Emperor doing in this area?”

“This is a disaster. They can’t live to tell they saw me here, it’ll all go to fucking hell…” Buggy breaks into a cold sweat. “That’s what you get for playing prince charming, idiot!” 

Tension is bolting through his body as he's ready to burst in a million pieces.

However, just as he's about to snap apart, the sound of a familiar voice in the distance weirds him out: a short woman dashes through the soldiers, sobbing loudly.

“Don’t shoot! It’s just my husband!”

“Step back, miss. How did you even get here?”

An agitated Ava emerges from the crowd along with two mechanical cadets.

“My husband went missing and your…men helped me find him!” She whines, big tears streaming down her eyes. “He needs his pills, please!”

“Cadets, debrief.”

“Foreigners, shipbuilders from Water 7, sir.” one explains in a flat, neutral tone. “Here for replacements and supplies. Male went missing. Six feet two, blue hair, blue eyes, big round nose. On pharmacological therapy.”

“Hey!” Buggy shrieks outraged as the blonde runs past the big officer and clings to him.

“He’s convinced he’s the Clown Yonko. He was never the same after the incident…Please, sir, let us go back to our ship.”

All soldiers put their arms down, looking at one another confused, but the officer is still aiming straight in front of him. 

“Nice acting, miss, but I still don't buy it. You're under arrest too.” 

“Let your soldiers scan him, then.” Ava replies, cold. “Wasn't the Yonko a former warlord? You must have datas, somewhere.”

The officer grunts his orders to the automata in the room and flickering light beams fall on the blue haired man. After a long moment, the verdict arrives:

“No match found. Height, eye color incorrect.”

Ava squeezes Buggy a little tighter.

“Can we go now, sir? I'm taking him straight to our doctor.”

“Friggin’ foreigners, just wasting our time.

You two, get them out of town. Now!”

In a blink of an eye, Buggy and Ava are kicked out of the building and escorted by the two mechanical cadets. The pirate has put his hood back on and keeps staring at Ava, the same face he'd made for a cat with five paws.

As soon as they reach the foggy woods and the automata march back to the village, both snap at once:

“What. Was. That.” 

“You tried to steal from Celestial Dragons?!”

“Only a few coins! It was supposed to be your gift, anyway, so…your loss.” Buggy shrugs.

“I want nothing but a little gratitude for saving your ass.”

“Shouting from the rooftop that I'm a lunatic loser? Oh, and those fake, fake tears. What happened to miss ‘I'm scared to talk to people’?”

“She didn't want to go to jail!” Ava cries out. “On that note, I hope they won't find out about the robots.”

“Why, what did you do to them?”

“Well, I mean, if they're speakin’ doesn't mean they're thinkin’, right? I saw their power buttons and… took the opportunity to scramble the local archives a bit.”

“Don’t worry, we'll be gone soon.” Buggy smirks, “You’re right though, your smart ass deserves something.”

A gold necklace appears before Ava's eyes, dangling from the jester's fingers. 

She takes the jewel in her hands and runs her finger along the round pendant.

“It’s a locket!” she exclaims, gently snapping it open. “Wait, why is there a portrait of a man?”

“What do I know? Must be that cadet’s sweetheart. I took the necklace from her neck.”

“A stolen gift, uh? Thank you.” Amused, Ava sighs loudly.

She keeps fidgeting with the jewel at her neck as they walk away in the freezing wind.

“If they both fit...” she thinks. “I could finally take them with me.”