#God gets a little meta awareness

[hoverboards-and-dragons]

(To the archangels and God) Is there anything you wish you had said to Lucifer before the apple incident ?

[savanir]

DP x DC prompt [6]

Weapon design always came easy to Jack Fenton. He grew up with it, all the way back in Atlantis, when he was just a little guppy.

What he wasn’t aware of at the time was that his parents were from a long and prestigious line of scientists and weapon manufacturers in Atlantean society. But things had been getting dangerous. 

The King at the time cast them out when they refused his demands of greater, stronger, deadlier weapons. The kind of weapons they knew would not only destroy their enemies, but themselves as well.

They fled and went where they thought they would never be found, the surface.

Jack had the easiest time adapting, being as young as he was getting used to breathing air was a lot less of a struggle. 

He adopted one of the most generic male names he could, and adapted the family name of Fenestratus into Fenton. And then it was just living as a human, as humanly as possible, nothing to see here.

By now Jack basically doesn’t know any better. but this piece of heritage is coming back now all these years later, when his son is looking to him for help from the government.

But first he holds his boy close and apologizes, because he sees the fear, and he understands a little too well, and he doesn’t like the picture he’s seeing now that all the puzzle pieces are falling into place.

“I almost became the thing I hate the most. I’m so sorry Danny, I’m sorry I made you feel unsafe in your own home”

The hug is long and warm and tight and Danny isn’t ashamed to admit he might have clung a little bit.

Then Jack holds Danny tightly by his shoulders and gives him a big grin, “Good news though, you’re only half ghost, the other half is not only human but also Atlantean, and there are laws protecting us now” Jack mutters to himself, “I wonder if the whole ghost stuff would actually be put under the meta protection thing… hmm”

Danny blinks for a moment, Jazz gapes, Maddie is suddenly no longer spiraling about how her baby boy got in a terrible accident in their lab and she didn’t know.

“I’m also what?”

“Dad!?”

“oh did I forget to mention that? I thought I did, I know for certain that I had been meaning to”

“Jack sweetie, are you-”

“oh yes, and I remember now, I decided to tell you after our big breakthrough because I didn’t want to distract you, and-” Jack looks sheepish, “I hope you aren’t too mad at me Maddiecakes”

“mad? oh I would never be mad at you about this but we could have- I don’t know, accommodated- Atlanteans are aquatic, well I guess that explains how you could always put away so much water, and when you gave me your umbrella and I thought you were just making an excuse when you told me you didn’t mind and in fact loved getting pelted by the rain-”

Maddie goes on, and Jack thinks to himself that this is exactly the reason why he kept it to himself at the time, Maddie never half asses anything, he’s sure a lot of things are going to change in the house now, it honestly only makes him fall in love with her even more.

Meanwhile Jazz had filled up a bucket of water and then dunked her head in, then came back out not even slightly gasping for breath, just saying “oh my god” over and over.

Danny timed it, “yeah okay, I guess that proves it. now I’m starting to wonder if my weird relationship with air is ghost related at all”

[katherinakaina]

TLDR: Clara is a miserable wreck and we should stop forcing that grin onto her face. Let her ugly cry. Let her have a complete meltdown.

Okay. I can't shut up about Daniil's mischaracterization. But honestly, Clara's fanon version is even worse and almost nobody is talking about it.

One kinda superficial thing that nonetheless bothers me is that in maybe 6 out of 10 fanarts featuring Clara - she smiles. This mischievous trickster grin. Or just a happy childish smile. Even when she's all fucked up and monstrous she still smiles. (god forbid a woman goes five minutes without smiling am I right?) She's generally portrayed as a rather upbeat character. Super arrogant but in a fun way (her arrogance isn't threatening like some other people's). She has some meta awareness that makes her special and therefore kinda above it all, detached from the bleakness of the narrative she's a part of.

Yeah, no. That's not Clara from the game. This is the official art. This is the vibe we should be going for.

The happiest we ever see her is here:

Sad tired little smile. Just absence of misery and fear is the best she gets.

When you interact with her in the game she's pretty much always upset about something. I don't remember a single happy chat with Clara. Maybe there are some, but they must be rare. When she's angry with you - she's angry. Now you can go out of your way and imagine her as sarcastic and snarky. But she really isn't in a position to be like that. Only in the beginning when she has backing from the Saburovs but that doesn't last long. In the end, when it matters, she has way less influence over the situation and it makes more sense to me that she would be tired and frustrated, not snarky.

I also remember her smiling more in her p2 animation. Fanon got into my brain as well. But no, these are the most she ever smiles for just a few seconds. She mostly stares at you, almost blankly.

And everyone who played her route knows that, yes, she can be silly and childish a couple of times. But she's mostly scared and confused and tries to survive in the world she understands not that much better than the rest. She's as much psychologically tortured by her 12 days, if not more (I would argue more), than the other two.

Anyway, she is not smug all knowing invincible blessed by the narrative fun loving jester or whatever. 90% of the time she's either sad or extremely sad. And that ratio is not represented in fan works. It's like she's stripped of her struggle and her complexity. And I don't love that for her.

[halemerry]

hii first of all, i absolutely love your metas on GO s2! your breakdown of the last few minutes of ep6 was really insightful and i love you for your meta about aziraphale and his role as a protector - it is a very astute look into his character and motivations which not a lot of people acknowledge in their theories/speculation after s2.

more to the point of this ask: this is something i've been mulling over and is the only thing that still doesn't make sense to me in ep6. why is crowley so nonchalant, or at least not noticeably worried, about the metatron showing up to the bookshop (a space he is very protective of) and taking aziraphala away for a talk after aziraphale has already been threatened by micheal? throughout the whole season crowley has been extremely protective over aziraphale and is very much aware of the real danger he is in (re: the book of life). this is also right after crowley has returned from heaven and has learned what the metatron was willing to do to gabriel to ensure 'institutional integrity' and that much bigger plans were afoot. i find it hard to wrap my head around his calm demeanor when the metatron enters the scene and takes aziraphale away, even if it's supposedly for a harmless talk. i wonder if you have any thoughts/speculation about this?

(opps this got too long and rambling). i would love to hear your thought but ofc please don't feel pressured to answer :) love your posts about the season and i look forward to reading more from you. have a lovely day!

Hi!! Thank you so much! This ask has had me by the throat basically since you sent it. It sort of touches on some things I already wanted to write about so forgive me if this spirals a bit.

So in a lot of ways I think this is a question that can have a one word answer. But since I do wanna talk about the way the show gives us this answer I actually want to start with Nina. Specifically I want to start with the thing she tells Crowley as Aziraphale’s off with the Metatron.

“You’re the hard bitten one that can’t trust anyone ever again and Mr. Wherever He Is is the soft one that still believes in magic people being basically good and all that."

I’ve talked a little bit about this line before in my meta about the build up to the Confession here because I think it’s important to view from the perspective of how it preps Crowley for the following conversation he’s about to have. But, aside from that, I think it's really important because it's wrong. Nina is describing herself here, not Crowley. She’s projecting her own issues onto him and Aziraphale in the way that she perceives herself relating to them. Crowley himself is actually the one that calls out her trust issues for what they are explicitly. 

Nina doesn’t trust and she sees herself in Crowley far more than Aziraphale both in demeanor and aesthetic so she assumes he doesn’t trust either. But she has it backwards. Because Crowley isn’t hard bitten as much as someone who tries very hard to be perceived as such. And, most importantly in this specific context, Crowley actually trusts quite a bit.

And he nearly always has. Even as far as back as the Starmaker.

Just look at the way that the Starmaker and Aziraphale both talk about interacting with God. Aziraphale is nervous, anxious and pretty much immediately clocks that what the angel that would become Crowley is saying is going to get him into trouble. But the Starmaker? Even upset about the information he’s been given, he remains confident in the fact that it can’t hurt to ask a few questions. He trusts there to be no consequence for expressing an objection. He trusts that his opinion is valued. Even if he ends up wrong here there’s no inclination at all that he thinks his words will be taken inappropriately. And even the Fall itself doesn’t burn this out of him.

We see him trust Aziraphale, the cherub who was supposed to be guarding Eden from things like him, not to smite him on sight. And trusts him enough to not only have a conversation but express his own worries about his own actions. He then approaches Aziraphale like a friend at the Flood and makes no attempt to censor his horror at what is happening there.

Job is the first time we see Crowley act in a way that implies mistrust between them. This is the first time they’ve met since the Flood which I suspect is contributing to his reluctance to be honest with Aziraphale here. They fall into their roles and then very rapidly fall out of them. The fact Azriaphale reaches out to Crowley here is important. As is the moment where Crowley asks Aziraphale if he’s sure. After Aziraphale more or less agrees to be all in something changes. Crowley is surprisingly honest about his view on the world, mostly trusting Aziraphale not to use it against him. He places himself in front of a host of angels, trusting that Aziraphale would not expose him. And then later he’s even more honest, admitting to Aziraphale he’s lonely in an attempt to show solidarity.

The entire Arrangement could not exist without them trusting each other. Crowley’s pushing at Aziraphale’s boundaries is a constant exercise in trusting that Aziraphale will come around eventually - or that he at the very least isn’t about to weaponize the treacherous things Crowley is saying against him. As early as 1601 we see Aziraphale voicing active concern for Crowley's well being. We then see Crowley actively trust Aziraphale with both their safeties in 1941 - whether it’s trusting Azriaphale to save them from the bomb about to drop on them or trusting Aziraphale’s trust in him to not accidentally discorporate him during the bullet catch. They even explicitly talk about their mutual trust in this year during their shades of gray conversation.

During Armageddon Crowley shows up trusting that Aziraphale will help him fix this and once Aziraphale agrees never once seems to consider the idea that Aziraphale would hide anything from him (even when Aziraphale is actively doing so).

He also critically knows that Aziraphale tried to reach God and got himself discorporated as a consequence. And likely specifically knows that Aziraphale talked to the Metatron and came away from that conversation realizing that Heaven would not help him. It's worth noting whether Crowley knows this bit or not that in this conversation Aziraphale not only explicitly questions the Metatron's authority but also uses the conversation to extract information from the Metatron.

Aziraphale leaves this conversation with an active lie to the Metatron and attempts to call Crowley to tell him everything he knew. He then continually chooses Crowley over Heaven. They pick their own side and help stop the world from ending.

And then, all season, Aziraphale keeps proving that the trust Crowley has always had in him is well earned. Aziraphale, even more than Crowley himself, brings up ideas of 'us' and 'our side' and 'our car'.

Aziraphale openly talks negatively of Heaven. Not only does he agree with Crowley's disbelief that Heaven managed to stay in charge sending people like Muriel down, but he even goes a step further, implying that they perhaps never had control over earth in that way.

He also, most critically, immediately and without hesitation, tries to turn down the Metatron's offer to even have a conversation. Aziraphale, who has also just brought a group of archangels to order, reaffirms his lack of interest in Heaven right then and there in front of Crowley. Right when the Metatron has reaffirmed the threat of the Book of Life is out of play.

Crowley trusts Aziraphale. He always has. And more than ever lately Aziraphale has given him proof that he doesn't have to worry about where he allegiances lay.

But. It's also worth noting. I don't think Crowley is as chill as he maybe seems like he is. Yes, he's sprawled out and speaking casually here, but to some degree this is a bit of posturing. He's playing it cool and also not encroaching on the control Aziraphale has managed to wrangle on this situation. But he also doesn't just let them wander off either. As soon as they hit the door, Crowley is out of the chair and walking to the front of the shop to watch them leave through the window. He's keeping tabs as they walk away.

He then banishes Muriel and promptly starts to clean. Now I'm always a little wary to mix Book and Show canon, but I do think his cleaning of the bookshop (as well as him carrying around stacks of books while babysitting Jim) are manifestations of Book!Crowley's tendency to want to stress clean. He's keeping himself busy and gets done too quickly then promptly glances at his watch before throwing himself into the chair with a frustrated noise. He's anxious and stressed the entire time Aziraphale is out of his line of sight.

In other words, Crowley's not actually as calm as he's presenting himself to be. He's trying to take that nervous energy out in a way that doesn't conflict with giving Aziraphale agency. Because he trusts his angel. And that in part is why it hits him so hard when it all blows up in his face.

[mylordshesacactus]

God though the fight choreography in Ahsoka really is next fucking level.

Like. Every so often I think fondly about the lightsaber duels in the OT because, bluntly, there weren't lightsaber duels in the OT. There were a handful of scenes in which two characters who didn't like each other much both happened to be holding lightsabers, and on some occasions they tapped the lightsabers together to make very satisfying noises. But we've now come far enough in the star war that we're getting detailed attention to genuine fighting styles, and fighting styles as character essays in themselves.

I just love it.

This show does SO MUCH characterization through physicality in combat; there's a whole meta-dialogue happening just through the portrayal of lightsaber forms and it has SO MUCH heavy lifting to do and does it WELL.

Like, for example, all the little character details that have to be PERFECT in the first two confrontations. I'm just gonna do the tower fight at the moment because the forest battle is its own whole thing and the wolfwren meetcute tower fight illustrates it just fine on its own.

Things that had to be established with little to no exposition in those two fights:

Sabine and Shin are pretty much equals, overall, in combat; BUT

Shin has her VASTLY outmatched as a duellist specifically, because she's been training in solely lightsaber combat more intensely and for longer; BUT

Shin doesn't KNOW that, because she's never fought Sabine before and all she knows is that she's facing an unfamiliar opponent who was Jedi-trained; AND

Sabine DOES know she's outmatched in this fight--she's unarmored, not a small deal for a Mandalorian, and armed only with a lightsaber that while she has trained with it pretty extensively she explicitly hasn't touched in years; BUT

Sabine is ALSO, separately, a highly skilled martial artist and hand-to-hand fighter even with the disadvantage of not being in armor. She's not a pushover or a flailing idiot.

Like it's obvious before Shin even draws that Sabine is not going to win this fight--and Sabine at least is visibly aware of it.

It's clear from their stances alone. Sabine stands and moves like a novice--not untrained, mind, but a novice. She's very cautious, very aware of her footwork, and while that's a good ready position it's extremely hesitant, she's not comfortable in it. She wastes more movement. Shin on the other hand is solid, confident, and grounded.

But not arrogant. Sabine is moving like someone with experience in combat, and Shin doesn't know her or her abilities, so she doesn't rush in at the first sign of weakness. Shin might be more immediately confident with saber combat, but she is also proceeding with extreme caution.

She lets Sabine come to her, ceding the first move in favor of giving herself a chance to read her opponent before committing to anything. And when they do start exchanging blows:

Don't get me wrong--Sabine is NOT a flailing idiot, for all this specific shot makes it look like she's leaving herself open. She's just....not fluid with her lightsaber. She drops her guard when she runs, because running with a plasma sword without burning yourself is actually extremely difficult and she's keeping that thing away from her body while moving at speed.

Her strikes are decent, but her technique is sloppy and she wastes movement--again, not in a way that suggests she doesn't know what she's doing, but in a way that highlights the gap between knowing what a technique is supposed to look like and actually being able to pull it off in a live-combat scenario.

Shin, meanwhile, is fluid, deliberate, efficient, fully in control of every movement--but, frankly, she mostly looks like an impressive threat in this fight because it's an apprentice-level skirmish between two evenly-matched opponents, and Sabine is at a stark disadvantage.

Don't get me wrong, Shin's doing very well--but in a way that highlights her main strength as being extremely solid on her fundamentals. None of these are high-level moves, almost all of them would show up in a youngling kata, and the few that wouldn't are mostly flair like this dramatic-ass battle pose.

We do see some signals that Shin's saber training is at a meaningfully higher level than Sabine's, though--she's had time to develop some of her own technique! I love the way she uses her cape as a combat asset; that's not something Baylan would have taught her, he doesn't have her highly-mobile fighting style (to put it lightly) and it feels just practical enough.

So they feel like viable rivals, Shin feels like a viable threat, and there's still a visceral awareness in the kind of choreography they're given that if Sabine fought Baylan, or Shin tried to 1v1 Ahsoka, they would not last ten goddamn seconds.

[nightmare-foundation]

PJO x DC/Batfamily AU idea

Bruce- Son of Zeus, legacy of Phobos, blessed by Nyx

Dick- Son of Poseidon, legacy of Apollo, blessed by Hermes

Jason- Favored Son of Ares, legacy of Apollo

Tim- Son of Athena

Damian- Legacy of Zeus

Barbara- Blessed by Athena

Duke- Son of Apollo

Stephanie- No idea who her godly parent would be, but it'd definitely be a Roman God

Details:

-Dick, by 2024, is 28 while Percy is 31. TLT took place in 2005, sooo Percy is Dicks older brother!

-Because Gotham actually wards off monsters due to how dangerous it is (you'd think it was the other way around but nope) and the sheer amount of curses, monsters aren't actually all that common in Gotham. It's both safe and unsafe for demigods, given they don't have to worry about monsters, but do have to worry about... literally everything else.

-The entire batfamily wasn't aware of their heritage for the very large majority of their lives. This is because of a mix of reasons- Gotham wards off monsters, they were being taught how to fight anyways, and the family being a bunch of Demigods that live in Gotham of all places mean anything weird is just considered entirely normal. Also, Bruce kept scooping up the kids before Satyrs could get to them. (If this still doesn't make sense, then just deal with it lol I prefer the drama of them all finding out VERY late)

-Hades highkey hates Ra's.

-Lazarus Pits actually come up from the Underworld.

-Duke was the only one who knew of his godly heritage prior to joining the batfamily. He's one of the very few Apollo kids who can manipulate light. He just lies and says he's a meta.

-Diana has had her suspicions for YEARS prior to the Demigod stuff being confirmed.

-The batfamily are actually known as demigods to the Demigod community, and they're all legends, especially Batman and Nightwing. The Wayne family, meanwhile, is known as a Demigod safe place because Bruce keeps scooping up Demigod children. Demigods make bets that Bruce will be the reason another Demigod camp is made lmao.

-When the batfamily find out about their heritage, and Dick finds out Percy is his older brother, he basically bluescreens. Dick has always been the older brother, so to find out he's now someone's younger brother?? It's an experience for him, lmao. Him and Percy are excited to find out about each other. Dick is very determined to be an annoying little bastard.

-Jason highkey hates Ares, and always finds ways to annoy his father. Unfortunately, this has the exact opposite effect- Ares likes that Jason is sticking it to the man. This makes Jason REALLY mad.

-Jason is kind of a mini Ares in a lot of ways, but his Apollo heritage shines through a lot as well. It shows in his love of literature, guns, and mother henning. Appearance wise though? Yeah he's a mini Ares.

-The irony that Dick is a 'flying' Grayson and associated with birds while being a son of Poseidon is not lost on him. Shockingly, Zeus likes him. Percy is jealous.

-Dick isn't allowed to give any teams advice during CTF. Every time he does, that team wins. You'd think he was a son of Athena going off of how smart he is, but nope.

-Percy is really really protective of Dick. The second he hears anything about Spyral, or how Dick has been mistreated by Bruce, Dick has to actively hold Percy back from killing Bruce.

-Dick has a lot of feelings about the whole Demigod thing, especially about being related to Percy. He's compared to Percy a lot, and it really grates on his nerves, but he loves Percy. It's just irritating being compared to people after trying so hard to be your own independent person.

-Duke actually helps tour the batfamily through CHB when they visit. He's been there plenty of times of course :)

-The Ares cabin lowkey hates Jason for being the favorite. Jason also hates being the favorite. He does not want to be the favorite (something he'd never thought he'd think).

-Tim is easily the smartest in the Athena cabin. Him being a son of Athena explains his genius, though he would've been one regardless.

-Barbara is only allowed into CHB because of her blessing. She's suddenly very aware that she chose the name Oracle. Rachel thinks it's hilarious though, and they get along really well.

-Jason and Tim both already knew a ton about Greek mythology prior to finding out about their heritage.

-Dick and Jason are shocked to find out their related via Apollo. Dicks mother was a daughter of Apollo, and one of Jason's grandparents on his mom's side was a child of Apollo. Dick is ecstatic over this information, Jason has no idea what to think. Dick is also happy to find that he's related to Duke.

-Nyx is lady Gotham. She took a liking to Bruce when he became Batman, and gave him her blessing. She also likes the entire batfamily, and they all have more minor blessings from her. Only Batman's true heir will get her blessing. Dick would have gotten it had Bruce actually died. The one who will eventually get it is Cassandra.

[scottishmushroom]

Bildad the Shuhite - Cobbler, Obstetrician, and Liar.

Bildaddy does more than craft footwear and assist birthing people. He’s also a weaver of untruths. Let’s explore them, shall we?

#1:

Of course as the audience, we know from watching Crowley throughout the last 6,000 years there’s some shame and self loathing when it comes to his identity as a demon. He is a fallen angel, therefore a demon unworthy of forgiveness. So to hear him phrase this as he does, comes off to me a little bitter. On the exterior his delivery may be one of stating a fact (he is technically a demon), but his inner conflict of being cast from Heaven but still wishing good in the world is a painful reminder of his loneliness.

But a step further, we also know as the audience that he is in fact lying to Aziraphale (and Hell) in this scene. Not about having permission to destroy everything Job owns, we know that’s true. But when he turns around and blows up the goats and sarcastically quips, “Seems legit to meeee” he is in fact lying. The goats are fine, and it wasn’t legit at all.

#2:

Crowley sets Job’s house on fire, and Aziraphale, just short of clutching her pearls says, “But… you said you wouldn’t.” This is followed by the very first time we hear Crowley say “I’m a demon. I lied.” We then get a very scrumptiously assertive Aziraphale standing his ground and insisting the children are safe, and Crowley is not going to harm them. Crowley is being challenged here by an angel, again. An angel. They’ve had limited encounters up to this point since his fall, and here he is being forced by the opposition to question where he truly stands. By backing down and saving the children, he’s not just going against Hell’s orders but also appeasing an angel. Crowley really cares what Aziraphale thinks of him. I’ve already written a meta that talks about this that you can find here: https://www.tumblr.com/scottishmushroom/730259715377020928/gif-credit-dancingcrowley-i-think-by-now-we-can

#3:

This one is like a stab to the heart. He says it so gently, so soft. On one hand, there’s that shame again. Regret and sadness at his identity as a demon, the inability to embrace who he is. The other aspect of it is about protecting Aziraphale. During the cellar scene, if you’re not too distracted with the sight of Aziraphale going absolutely rabid on that ox, Crowley denies that it is lonely going along with Hell as far as he can. By then, he is well aware that Aziraphale and him have that in common when it comes to their respective home offices. He doubts Hell’s decisions, and knows Aziraphale doubts Heaven’s/God’s. But he recognizes that Aziraphale is going to have a much more difficult time with coping with this realization. He lied about it not being lonely to protect him. To soften the blow he knew was eventually coming. To gently ease him into this new reality.

His soft delivery of “I’m a demon. I lied” here is a kindness. This is the true beginning of them on this path together of figuring out how to do their jobs even when it conflicts with their personal beliefs/morals. And also the beginning of neither one of them truly being alone. They may not recognize it just yet, but they have each other now. A group of the two of them.

My favorite thing about Crowley as a liar is when he does lie, it’s either a redirection to hide the truth (that he’s actually doing GOOD instead of evil), or to protect Aziraphale. Which makes it all the more heartbreaking that he always pairs his identity as a liar to his identity as a demon. True demons that lie, do so to cause harm. He lies to protect. He’s not a true demon. Just an angel that sauntered vaguely downwards.

[phantoms-planet]

Barred Protection Chapter Seven

First

Misspelled J'onn's name the whole chapter, don't have energy to fix it, sorry

Daelus was unkempt. Hair loose and in his face, bags under his eyes. Batman had seen many people go behind bars but none of them fell apart this quickly. It had only been a little over a week after all.

“Are you here to ask where I got him?” A weak voice called out. “I made sure that there weren’t any records of that.”

“I know.” Batman responded shortly. “Where?”

“When I was first building my company, I went on the look for anything that could be used for healing. I found a group called the G.I.W and got in contact with them.”

Batman pursed his lips. He didn’t know this organization, at least not by acronym.

After a pause Daelus put his head in his shaking hands. “Please, I never meant to hurt anyone.”

“Except for Danny.” Daelus flinched at the words.

“I didn’t know he was really a child. They said he was…I believed them…God why did I believe them?”

 A twinge of sympathy found its way out. Batman ignored it. “Who is the G.I.W?”

“They hunt ghosts.” Daelus answered simply.

This resulted in a confused grunt. Danny wasn’t a ghost; he was a meta child. Ghosts existed, just look at Deadman for an example, and ghost hunters were nothing new, but as far as he was aware none of them ever boasted having ghosts in their possession.

It was usually amateur groups waving recording devices and different cameras everywhere hoping to catch their supposed ‘anomalies’. They were as incompetent as they were spiritual most of the time.

Daelus took in a shaky breath before clarifying. “They’re a government branch dedicated to the capture and eradication of ecto-entities, as they call them. I assure you that what they do is entirely legal.”

Now wasn’t that a concerning statement. How they got permission to do things like capture a young boy while the Meta Protection Acts were in place was, unfortunately, beyond him.

“Where is their facility?”

Daelus shrugged tentatively. “I don’t know, we met at an agreed secondary location to discuss the deal and for them to transfer custody over. In hindsight that was most certainly a red flag.”

Batman hummed his agreement but didn’t say anything, waiting for Daelus to simply tell him things. The man didn’t disappoint.

“They said he was a ghost that’s whole purpose was to protect people. Through experiments they found that his tears…his tears could heal people.”

“So you bought him.”

“I didn’t believe he was a ghost though,” The man didn’t seem to hear him. “Ghosts are silly. But there is proof of gods and god-like beings. Superman, for one. I thought…maybe if I could harness the entity’s need to help others, I could find a way to make his tears into medicine, and it worked!”

“I had spent so many years trying to synthesize cures and all I needed was Subject P’s tears to do what no one else had managed. There weren’t any negative side effects, the tears were easy to incorporate, it was perfect! Everyone was happy!”

Batman pursed his lips as Daelus lit up when speaking about his success. It was as if the man only saw the solution and not the horrific path to get to it.

Seeming to sense his rising frustration, Daelus deflated with a quiet mumbled apology. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Nothing made noise but the clock ticking away the seconds up on the wall.

It was Daelus who broke the quiet. “When I was in middle school, there was a girl who had a terminal illness. I wasn’t close to her, to be honest I found her unworthy of my time. But I noticed when she died.”

Batman rose an eyebrow at the sudden story.

“Everyone was devastated. I couldn’t stand the way the air felt. It was as if we were all suffocated by the grief of her friends and family.” Daelus pulled a hand down his face, a deep frown forming. “I never cared about her, but I did care about the aftermath. I knew then that I wanted to make sure no one else had to feel the grief her loved ones did. That’s why I made my company.”

There was a pregnant pause. “You could use some of my medicines for-“

“No.”

“But- It could help the boy get better!”

“I said no.” Batman pulled himself to his feet and swept his way to the door, nodding to the guards to let them know he was done for now.

“Please! Let me help fix this!” The door slammed shut on the rest of Daelus’s cries.

---

After being brought back to his cell, Daelus started pacing like a caged animal. He knew his cures could help the boy, he knew it would be better than healing without help, he knew Batman had to know this as well.

Surely using P’s tears on himself was a good use for them? Even with how they were acquired if there was anyone who deserved their healing factor, it would be the boy who produced them! After all, he had helped save thousands of people!

Dealus didn’t know what to do with the buildup of guilt and rage. He wanted to yell. He wanted to cry. By God he wanted to break something.

Batman wasn’t letting him help fix anything. It wasn’t fair. Shouldn’t he get the chance to right the wrong he had caused? Surely Batman, who sent his rogues to get help, would understand this.

Only it seemed like he hadn’t. There hadn’t been a moment’s thought into denying Daelus’s ideas.

He forced himself to stop pacing and start taking deep breaths. It wouldn’t help anything to simmer in his anger right then and it certainly wouldn’t do anything good for his already troubled mind.

Instead Daelus called over the guard and made a simple request.

---

The NastyBurger.

That is where he was at the moment. Sitting in a booth, eating a burger that didn’t actually have any taste to it. That’s when the green guy showed up asking to sit with him. Danny had obliged.

“Do you remember me at all?” The green man asked. Danny shook his head. “My name is J’ohn. I was there when we rescued you.”

Rescued him? That was odd. He wasn’t in any danger; he was sitting around eating fast food after all.

J’ohn’s face seemed to grow…concerned? He wasn’t really sure how to read that expression. “Danny, do you remember what happened to you?”

“You’re gonna have to be more specific dude.”

“The facility.”

The edges of his surroundings started fuzzing out. If he thought about it, and he didn’t, there felt like something wrapped around his throat and wrists. Then it all went back to normal. “No idea what you’re talking about. The only ‘facility’,” Danny used air quotes, “I’ve been in is my parent’s lab.”

This didn’t seem to make J’ohn feel any better. Whatever, it wasn’t his problem. “Look man, my friends are going to be here soon, I’ll…talk to you later, I guess?” Before J’ohn could stop him, Danny was booking it from the building.

What a weird man for real.

…

This time it was at school. J’ohn walked in on his gym class in the middle of dodgeball. He wasn’t hit once as he made his way over to Danny.

Oddly enough, no one else paid attention to him.

“Danny, we need to speak. Your mind isn’t healing well, we need to know what has happened to you.”

Danny snorted. “Dude, I told you; I don’t know what you’re talking about. Nothing has happened to me besides Dash trying to pelt my face in with a dodgeball.”

“The facility was real Danny. Please try to remember.”

Once again the surroundings fuzzed out but this time Danny wasn’t going to stand for it. Rage boiled in his chest. “I said I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Jhon was about to respond when a ball hit him square in the side of the head.

Danny ran into the locker room.

…

Surely as Phantom he would get a break from J’ohn, right? Surely!

Not.

J’ohn was floating right next to him now as he shot ecto blasts at Boxy. “Danny please, this isn’t healthy. You need to remember so you can begin to heal.”

Danny had had enough. Turning square onto the man he aimed both hands and- fury exploded outwards as J’ohn simply dodged the blast. “I DON’T HAVE TO REMEMBER ANYTHING!” Just like that the world ripped away, leaving them in a blackened void. “I don’t WANT to remember anything!” J’ohn stumbled as winds started whipping around him. “And you can’t MAKE ME REMEMBER!”

---

J’ohn tripped backwards as he was violently expelled from the young boy’s mind. Diana caught him and gently sat him down. He spent a moment just catching his breath.

Of course he understood, such a young child going through something this traumatic would be difficult to reach, but he realized too late that he might have picked the wrong route to get to him.

Batman grunted, asking for what happened.

“I pushed too hard. Danny won’t welcome me into his mind so easily again. He’s adamant that he doesn’t want to remember anything about what happened to him. He’s choosing to fabricate a life as if it never happened at all.”

“That’s…” Diana couldn’t seem to find the words. Even Batman was upset by the news.

Everyone had been so excited when they had found out that Danny’s mind had been clearing up, and worried when he stopped waking up. This was not the breakthrough they had been hoping for.

“Where do we go from here?” Diana’s voice was uncharacteristically fragile.

Batman reached over to lay a hand to her shoulder. “Now we go after the G.I.W.”

---

Frostbite had many regrets. His most current one was related to the collar latched around his throat. He knew he should have listened to Clockwork but standing by while Danny was hurt and captive hadn’t sat well with him.

He had grown so fond of the young boy, so much so that he had begun to see him as something akin to his own. More than anything it hurt deeply to watch as Phantom was abused and neglected. Frostbite refused to stay idle any longer.

Now he was in a cage, unable to help anyone.

He dreaded what was going to happen to him, and even more-so how it would affect Phantom. After all, the G.I.W weren’t known for their mercy.

For what seemed to be the hundredth time Frostbite looked around the cage he was in.

It was only just large enough to house him sitting down, glowing green in an ominous way, and the bars on the one side showed a lab that made his fur stand on end. There were needles, saws, scalpels, clamps, anything medical that could be used to open someone up or keep them properly down covered the walls.

A sterile metal table sat in the center of the starkly lit room. It was large enough for him to fit on, which did nothing to help his nerves.

Frostbite curled in tighter on himself. He hoped against everything that someone might come to rescue him before it was too late.

[melancholiaenthroned]

ok ive slept on it i feel like i can talk about the ep better now... basically whats craziest to me is that if any of it was intentional it could be so good. i dont think wed ever actually get a season where the bad kids r protrayed as in the wrong, but if they were a little more self aware the ways that theyve also been overtaken by rage could be seen. gorgug especially, and especially because it was channeled through porter's mentorship, who the bad kids can conceptualize as manipulating gorgug but not the rat grinders. its interesting because esp w/o their favorite npcs this season the bad kids have rlly closed in on themselves and become a lot more codependent, seeming to constantly suspect anyone new of possibly betraying them. which in a meta way makes sense, cuz its players v brennan, but in universe it comes across as crazy paranoid and cliquey and theyre just so unaware of it that any way it could have come across as interesting comes across as frustrating instead. like a lot of what they do and say to the rat grinders comes across as straight up bullying, and they genuinely seem to derive pleasure from putting them down. which again, in a meta way makes sense, but in universe it makes u wonder WHY were meant to find the rat grinders dislike of the bad kids so horrible when the bad kids hatred is justified. even kipperlily at her worst thoughts -- those are thoughts she shared in therapy. are we meant to begrudge a 17 year old girl speaking to her therapist about her feelings? not even actions, literally just thoughts in her head? that she was again sharing, and probably couldve worked through if not for magical interference, confidentially in therapy? were meant to hate ruben, who doesnt even LIKE kipperlily either, who didnt start becoming the person the bad kids seem to hate until AFTER he died and was magically resurrected changed. why? oh because hes an enemy and this is a battle episode and hes on the field. ruben acting in what is quite literally self defense and being told "you were a waste of time" and having no idea whats going on and responding "what do you mean? youre killing my friends!" i swear to god if that insight check on buddy hadnt been a nat 1 i think we honestly would have gotten a whole different episode

[thewertsearch]

GG: ok, so what is the plan? […] CG: OK WELL THE MOST IMMEDIATE POINT OF BUSINESS IS CG: YOU SEE THAT GLOWING BLUE SCREEN BEHIND YOU? […] CG: YOU NEED TO TURN THAT FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT OFF.

The Fourth Wall again?

So far, it's really only been relevant to the non-canonical Hussie interludes, but maybe it’s dangerous for Watsonian reasons, too. Gamzee certainly seems interested in it...

It did belong to Jack originally. Maybe Derse can still make use of it, so it needs to be disabled before someone like DD gets any clever ideas.

CG: I'M NOT GOING TO SAY MUCH ABOUT IT. CG: BUT SUFFICE TO SAY THERE ARE JUST SOME THINGS YOU DON'T WANT TO SCREW WITH. […] CG: THEY ARE FORCES WHICH IF HANDLED RECKLESSLY WILL NULLIFY THE BASIC ABILITY OF INTELLIGENT BEINGS IN ALL REAL AND HYPOTHETICAL PLANES OF EXISTENCE TO GIVE A SHIT.

Oh, I get it. Karkat’s taking a little break from canon himself, and explaining to the audience that too many meta shenanigans would eventually ruin the story.

I’m absolutely in agreement with this. A fourth-wall break in the wrong place could completely ruin the comic’s dramatic stakes. This is a goofy comic, and we have fun here, but going full Deadpool would tear the plot to shreds.

CG: […] MY ROLE AT THE MOMENT IS TO ACT AS A SORT OF GO BETWEEN FOR YOU AND YOUR FUTURE SELF CG: TO HELP ALONG THE PROCESS OF MAKING THESE PLANS CG: WHILE YOUR FUTURE SELF IS DELIBERATELY VAGUE ABOUT SOME STUFF SO AS NOT TO "JINX" THE CONCEPTION OF THE IDEAS IN THE FIRST PLACE I GUESS?

I like this idea. It allows Future Jade to guide her past self’s actions, but filters her guidance through a layer of indirection. Present Jade will be getting some help, but she'll still be able to come up with her own original ideas.

Jade really doesn’t want her plans to be stable-looped into existence, and I can get behind that sentiment, too.

CG: MEANWHILE TIME IS KIND OF RUNNING OUT HERE, WHERE I AM CG: WE'RE COUNTING DOWN TO SOMETHING CG: SOMETHING LOOMING ON THE TROLLIAN TIMELINE AND NO ONE KNOWS WHAT IT IS CG: AND MY TEAM IS KIND OF FALLING APART CG: I'M COMPLETELY LOSING TRACK OF EVERYONE AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

It's been a while since we've done a Veil roll call, actually. Let's give it a whirl.

Karkat is coordinating with Jade on what may or may not become the Scratch plan, and trying to keep tabs on his deteriorating team.

Vriska and Terezi are fighting a proxy war using John and Dave respectively.

Aradia has exploded, and the status of her ghost is currently unknown.

Kanaya is trying in vain to dissuade Rose from the trajectory that Scratch and the Gods have set her on.

Gamzee has recently developed a hatecrush on Dave. He also has some huge hidden importance to the comic, and he’s going to be attacked close to the end of the countdown.

Eridan is planning to confront Jack with his 'awesome' new Science Wand.

Tavros is on his way to confront Vriska and there's like a 98% chance she's going to paralyze him again.

Feferi is consorting with monsters in her dreams. She's also destined to be killed, but her assailant is currently unknown.

The only trolls who (as far as we're aware) aren't up to something are Equius, Nepeta and Sollux.

[flashfuture]

The flashes have:

• weird found family that is a mix of a found family and blood family and most of them actually truly get along and care about each other even if some of them are little sassy.

• have powers where the upper echelon of their brood, with the most power are verging on multiverse and time gods and the ones just starting out still range on the side of most destructive meta humans on earth, if they are still human at all.

• their most interesting villains are crime syndicate with a amazing dental and medical plan who usually have something approaching morals.

I think they make other heroes only a little jelly beans cause they have all these boons and they are still interesting as characters to watch.

like it's actually so crazy if you think about it. in 1938 the DC universe time began. but the way time works in DC it's easier to think of time as the addition of every second. it's static not accumulative. 1 second 1 second 1 second 1 second and on to eternity. A life is made up of seconds coming together 1 2 3 4 5 6. But this didn't happen not for 18 years. Until 1956 when Barry Allen was struck by lightning in both canon and out of universe. Things started moving Forward

(The Flash: Rebirth)

And he made the speed force. He keeps the present in the present and the rest of time away by generating the kinetic force that makes the lightning that gives the Flashes their speed.

Barry canonically moves Time forward by existing but he can also force it. He did so twice once fighting reverse flash/zoom and once fighting the turtle. When fighting Turtle, Barry connected himself to every living being except Turtle and pulled them all into the future by a few seconds to thwart his Turtley plans.

And Wally well I have a theory that Wally stores the memories the moments added together that make a life. In 1986 Barry reset the universe and everyone's minds got Fucked. Before Final Crisis when they bring back Wally from the speedforce it causes Bruce and Hal to remember Barry and incorrectly assume he's the one coming back. In 2011 when Flashpoint happened Barry did it Without Wally. Wally who was in the speedforce and got stuck again and once again everyone's backstories reset and their memories were fucked. In 2016 when Wally breaks out he returns memories to people. With Infinite Frontier this is the first universe reset where Wally's speed force is actively contributing to what happens and not only do people retain their current memories they start getting All their old memories back.

Reverse Flash represented paradoxes in time. But in the most recent run Barry phases through him giving him some speed force. And Eobard gets reset to how he should have been. Becoming connected to Barry fixes his Present. That kinetic wall between the present and time.

Bart I have no idea what they're doing with him they should be remembering that he's the best Fighter of the flashes. That he's vicious and blitzes enemies like Godspeed. Also how Bart is the most scatter brained and seemingly can not slow down unlike his grandpa and cousin. Yet he also is the only one of the entire family to be able to retain what he's learned forever. And has I think the greatest feats of cosmic awareness basically teaching himself about the meta of the DC universes reboots. Bart I think should represent the inevitability of the future coming. No matter how many changes you think you can make a future will always be there. Something to be said for him being a character created during Zero Hour year too I'm sure of it.

[dairy-farmer]

Ooooh~ Had a THOUGHT(TM)~☆! Accidental Meta Powers Groping Au! :D

Consider all the Weird Shit(tm) Batman gets exposed to during the course of your standard Superheroic Adventure. Goo and Rays and Beams, curses and countercurses. Gods. Alien nonsense. It's A LOT for the body to handle!

He goes away to help the JLA on some Alien Distress call. Gets VERY fucked up. Big ouch. Might not make it. But he saved the building full of kids he was trying to evacuate and stopped the alien's planet from being blown up.

So? They make an exception for him. Since he's their HERO.

They use their Super Advanced Alien Healing Pod on him. Don't worry buddy! We scanned the OTHER human with you and know what a healthy human looks like! We can fix you!

Problem? That other human? A dumbass. So worried about Batman... they forgot that THEY were Meta and HE was NOT.

And Batman is a little too unconscious and full of holes that shouldn't be there to remind anybody. #OhNo.

Bruce wakes up on the flight back. Feels a decade younger. Which he SHOULD because the Meta Dumbass is in his TWENTIES. You dense, dense mother-fucker! Bruce has VISABLY lost a DECADE. He wants to hit him.

A chair flies from next to him, directly at the guys head.

What.

He's telekinetic. WHY does he have telekinesis? Meta Dumbass starts sweating. It's... a long flight.

Worse? Green Lantern stayed behind to help organize relief efforts. It'll be AT LEAST a year before he's back and can get Bruce back to normal. He knows, because he strong arms a deep space video call.

They kinda used their LAST function pod on him. Great honor and all that. Are horrified they fucked up. But can't fix anything until the planet is less... flattened.

Bruce breathes. Remembers his meditation training. This is Fine(tm). He understands. Take your time, not your fault. He's just gonna have to get this under control until it can be fixed.

Problem is? It responds to his thoughts. Usually before he's aware he's having them. Thirsty? Here's a drink. Vaguely tired? Chairs. Note to self? Why not ACTUAL notes? Pen and paper!

He gets home EXHAUSTED. Explains what happened to Alfred. Not so much Tim, but Tim overhears, since he's eating dinner in the room. Weird things happen and things moving? Don't be alarmed. Just Bruce. Got it.

Tim feels someone ruffle his hair. Hug him.

Bruce is across the room and already turning away. Ah. Better not mention it. He's already jumpy around affection. Barely getting better. If he thought even THINKING about stuff like that was bad? Because it would "betray him"? Yeeeeah, hard pass, Tim decides. Besides. Hugs are nice, even if Bruce doesn't know he's giving them.

But of course~ Bruce is obsessive. His thoughts fixate and spiral. Tim gets used too, very quickly, the panicked pat-downs by hands that arent there, looking for injury. The lingering holds on the back of his uniform, ready to drag him back from danger or jumps Bruce doesn't think he can make. The hair ruffles. The almost needy, full body hugs.

Touches no one can see. That Bruce doesn't realize just WANTING, makes happen.

Tim has a great Party Mask. Has long been able to ignore choking suits and pinching shoes, the exhaustion, all the bruises from chasing his idols, and keep his face serene. This is no different.

Then the classic Go Wrong. Our beloved Ivy.

No place for Robins. So Bruce goes alone. Saves the day. But is hit, as usual. An unfortunate reality of her escapes. Has already hit himself with the counter-agent... but... he suspects this might be a new strain. It wasn't as effective as it should be.

He stumbles out of the car and into the emergency wash. Tim is there to help him get upstairs, as he all but falls out. It's a mistake.

There are hands and tounges, licking and groping and sucking EVERYWHERE, the second Bruce locks eyes on him. Digging into and worshipping places NO ONE has ever touched before, so hard his legs lock up and he freezes. He can barely move. Doesn't know what expression he's making but knows he's choking on the noises he's trying hard NOT to make.

They collapse half way to the stairs. Bruce pulling him into a vice tight hug, panting against a shoulder, as he trembles and refuses to give into what he so badly wants to DO to him. Not realizing he already IS. That fingers and tounges are working his holes open. Plunging in and in and IN. Finding things and grinding.

Tim can only shake and try to suck in air. Try not to let the noises out. Because he's afraid if he gives in, he won't be able to STOP. Everything's gotten so wet. He can't move. It's too much, all at once. Feels good but is scary. But Bruce is here. And he's trying NOT too. Not his fault. And, and-!

Alfred saves them. Is able to haul Bruce up and off to his room. Give Tim an anti-agent.

Because he got "exposed" too. Helping Bruce.

He doesn't argue, even if the shot makes him feel sick for a while. But, the thing IS? Bruce has become... AWARE of him, now. Because now the hands massage and stroke. He feels them palm his chest or butt, just to tease or squeeze a bit.

And after patrol? When they go to BED? Tim has to read Bruce's mood. Decide if he wants to stay at the Manor or his house. Because? When Bruce his stressed? He... relieves it. Perfectly normal, of course. But his THOUGHTS? Tim knows they're of him.

Because he feels them.

And he... he doesn't know if he's READY. It was so, so MUCH.

But of course, Bruce is better at hiding things then even HE is. And eventually he slips up. Is staying over. When one moment he is getting comfy, the next? Hands are pining him to the bed. His own pajamas used to muffle him, pushed up and out of the way. So mouths that aren't there can tease and abuse his nipples. Lick his skin like they want to devour him.

Go lower and lower. Pajama pants gone and hands holding him wide. For the world and no one at all to see. Bruce's clashing thoughts and desires meaning Tim gets both. Fingers teasing him AND mouth eating him out. Squeeling and panting, thrashing but unable to escape. His orgasms secondary to the fantasy happening a few rooms over.

Having a tounge fuck him even as fingers do. His chest being teased. Being able to HEAR the wet shlick noises and see his skin react. Feeling his hole being held open for something BIGGER. His ass being teased. Bruce unable to decide but turned on none the less.

Filled up, his first time on a cock that isn't even THERE. And, oh. Tim feels good and terrible and so FULL. Then it's moving and it's just good and full. Pounding all the good parts. Punching little noises out of him. And he wish it wasn't the powers. That Bruce was HERE doing it. But it's GOOD. And he ends up gushing wet and boneless.

LOVES Bruce's Stress Relief nights. Would go over and HELP if he could.

But Bruce is still affection shy. And Tim is still working on that. But hey.

Now Tim has a goal.

(And is DEVASTATED when they fix Bruce's "Gene Spliced Problem" even if he won't say why.)

-🐼🐼🐼

bruce using his surprise psychic powers to molest tim 🤭

[loveinhawkins]

Thinking again about theater kid Dustin so naturally I had to come to you 💙 Specifically I’m thinking about Dustin auditioning for a community theater production of Jesus Christ Superstar with an eccentric director who convinces Eddie to audition for Judas. He knows his reputation and thinks his notoriety will add an extra meta layer to the role (and get some butts in the seats he’s gotta keep the lights on somehow). Eddie is reluctant to put himself in the spotlight but ultimately does cause Dustin is excited about it. Also he’s really good? He plays it completely sincerely which no one is expecting, really leans into the interpretation that Judas was in love with Jesus and amps up the tragedy. (Afterwards Steve also asks him if that kiss with Jesus is in the script or…?)

i love this so much, thank you for sharing with me! ❤️ theatre kid Dustin is just so incredibly precious & i just love the thought of him having so much fun with it in his future. like i see him as such a little social butterfly, i think everyone in the theatre group would adore him (i’m always so upset when his peers make fun of him at the snow ball, no, that’s my boy!!!)

and oh my god Jesus Christ superstar yes!!! yeah i can see Eddie being so hesitant about it, like the thought of how certain factions of hawkins might still view him makes him nauseous.

but the director—who maybe knows through close-knit community theatre circles that a very young Eddie once played Action in West Side Story (i love your story so much ❤️)—has one last parting shot which convinces him.

“So you never want to have fun ever again?”

… Huh, Eddie thinks.

he still asks for Dustin’s approval, all too concerned with the thought that this is Dustin’s thing and maybe he’s overstepping or something, or—

“Holy shit, that’s some seriously impressive over-thinking,” Dustin says. “You’re my friend, asshole.”

And maybe he says it with a tone, but he means I wanna hang out more with you not less!

so Eddie takes the role and of course he’s brilliant—okay everyone’s got opinions on the auto tune used in Tim Minchin’s rendition but dear god the depths in his eyes, the acting. also maybe the director does a present day take like that version did & Eddie’s jokingly like “I could wear the hellfire tshirt” & the director’s eyes light up & Eddie quickly goes, “No. That was a joke, it wouldn’t even make sense.”—and maybe there’s something empowering in playing this figure when people once said his name and the Devil’s in the same breath.

Maybe, maybe.

and oh we all know who Eddie is thinking about when he’s singing:

I don't know how to love him I don't know why he moves me He's a man, he's just a man He's not a king, he's just the same As anyone I know He scares me so

and

Does he love, does he love me too? Does he care for me?

And oh on a lighthearted note, Steve asking if the kiss is in the script has me in hysterics, especially if this is pre-them getting together.

just the thought of Steve staring grumpily any time there’s a scene with Jesus & Judas—the guy who plays Jesus is maybe like a couple years older than Eddie, not originally from Hawkins perhaps so he’s kinda not fully aware of Eddie’s history & sure, he’s nice, but he’s just not on Eddie’s radar at all.

So when Steve asks if the kiss was in the script (not that he cares! At all! He doesn’t care! Look at how much he doesn’t care!), Eddie stares at him for a long moment and says, “Steve. Did you think I improvved the Bible?”

Dustin, who is also here—currently doing English homework up on a barstool in Steve’s kitchen while Eddie & Steve lounge on the couch—sighs very loudly and says, “How the fuck am I supposed to know what role dialogue plays in Much Ado About Nothing?”

Eddie waves a hand distractedly at him. “Just make it up.”

“I can’t just because my way through Shakespeare,” Dustin says, adds in a huffy undertone, “this isn’t one of your campaigns.”

Eddie mimes being stabbed in the heart. “Oh, betrayal!”

“So it was in the script?” Steve says.

“Oh for—yes, Steve, it was,” Eddie says. “It’s called acting. Also, it was on the cheek.”

“So?”

“So—ugh, just—” Eddie tugs on Steve’s wrist impulsively, while another part of his brain is screaming in vain for him to stop. “Come here.”

“What’re you doing?”

“I’m just showing you how fucking little it—”

I’m never finishing this essay, Dustin thinks. My home life is distracting and chaotic.

And Eddie kisses Steve very very chastely on the cheek, just to show it was nothing, that’s all, but Steve can feel Eddie’s breath on his skin, the warmth of his lips, and Eddie doesn’t really think it through until he does it and then oh shit, his heart is pounding—

“Oh, yup cool,” Steve says. “That’s—yeah, wow, that’s it? Huh. I need some air.”

“From your own house?” Dustin says, to the front door already slamming shut.

And Eddie’s eyes are wide and shiny, like, did I fuck up, and it takes all of Dustin’s self control to not roll his eyes and slam his face into his book.

Then he softens a bit, remembers looking out into the audience and seeing Steve silently crying while Eddie sang You have murdered me.

“You’re so dumb,” Dustin tells Eddie as gently as he can. “You’re lucky I love you.”

“Uh.” Eddie blinks. “Did I—should I…?”

Dustin sighs wearily, slings his backpack over his shoulder. And he has a parting shot of his own:

“I’m not waiting through another production for you two to get your shit together.”

[feligayzed]

Hey I saw your doodles about the surface au and I'm hooked but I'm kind of curious about something what is his family doing do they know?

Heya!! Okay I'm not gonna front I haven't put too much thinking into the rest of Seb's fam and their whereabouts, but you've given me a wonderful opportunity to do so! ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿ the initial finding out about Everything™ in the first place could literally be it's own post though so I'll just be focusing on dynamics past the "he's alive and he's a fish and there's a talking computer strapped to him" shock 😭

Right off the bat I can tell you that Painter and Sebastian's sister are straight up besties, like- she was a little freaked at first (understandably) but the two of them inevitably grew to understand each other, especially with how involved the both of them were in Seb's recovery days~

The skepticism was palpable for a while; she is his older sister after all, and there was a lot of confusion about what exactly she was looking at. She was kind of the Boss Bitch what with their mother aging and everything, so a lot of the stress ultimately fell on her (even if Sebastian's stubborn self insisted not to worry about him/"he could take care of himself"). Painter and their neverending patience definitely came in clutch though, as they're very much aware of how they're perceived at first glance, but they were dead set on being proactive- really when it came down to it she saw that he meant a lot to them and she couldn't help but respect it (they ended up being a huge help when Sebastian finally had the 'okay' to go home, not like it would let him out of their sights anyway)

Nowadays they're regarded as family, by pretty much everybody. Sebastian's brother found them pretty cool from the get-go, but really he was more focused on Seb throughout the whole thing (when they were younger he 100% looked up to him quite a bit, present day they couldn't be closer :,3 he also did massive things for Seb's self-esteem early on). His mother will probably never be able to fully conceptualize Painter's existence, but they love to help her cook and craft so she doesn't really care for the meta shit 😭🫶

Now...heh....the stuff I'm indulgent about *rubs my hands together greedily* Does the fam know about Sebastian and Painter and their faggy situationship turned serious...... probably not! At least not to its full extent 🤔 They try to keep it relatively low-key, but they're a very family-oriented bunch so it's getting increasingly harder LOL. I'm imagining a totally not serious scenario in which Seb steps forward with Painter in tow like "guys I have to confess that the rumors are true I do in fact kiss this thing" and everyone is just. Unimpressed. Sebastian was never one for relationships back then so when someone Has Him it's incredibly obvious I fear 😭

Really if they did find out they probably wouldn't care at this point, Painter had already been indoctrinated into the Solace name for god knows how long now so the obvious questions were bypassed FSKDKSG

Thanks for asking!! This was fun food for thought HEHE

[crivalsduo]

what is the most cringefail fantasy hh!techno has about their first date/hand holding/kiss that he will never admit to having about 'rabbit' (and when will he admit to hh!dream?) (and if you like, how do those things all go with hh!dream, when they finally get the chance?)

*disclaimer: in asks/meta posts, i use he/him/his for ''rabbit'' despite the fact that in canon, all the characters are under the impression that ''rabbit'' is a woman. but since we know, i'll just use proper pronouns.

man, hh!techno is so hyper aware of ''rabbit'''s very recent past that he tries not to even think about that sort of thing.

he does, though. ''rabbit'' cuddled up to him and now techno is really struggling not think about how soft his hair is or giving him a little kiss on his furry nose. it's so lame, okay, he knows, chat. but ''rabbit'' is funny despite it all and techno can't help it. ''rabbit'' twitches his nose all the time and all techno wants to do is kiss it.

hh!dream is the one who kisses techno first and pretty soon afterwards, techno does kiss him on his nose. and dream is like ??? and techno just grins and says he's always wanted to do that and after the initial blush and 'oh my GOD', dream asks what he means and techno has to admit that he's been crushing for longer than dream even realized.

[faerievampling]

Chapter 19: Karma

Pairing: Astarion x Female Tav (Reader)

Word Count: 3.7k

Warnings: 18+. Mention of trauma and symptoms of PTSD, anxiety. Mention of past SA.

Link to Ao3 | Killing Time Masterlist

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You wave your arms through a silvery expanse; the density of the air can be felt through your fingertips as you cut through the air, desperately trying to grasp onto something. Your gut churns as you flail; and even in this boundless state, your undead body feels heavy and fatigued. But suddenly, you feel the warmth of another take your hand, stopping you nearly dead in your tracks. You grip back, desperate to settle. You are boundless, falling free all but from Lae’zel, who becomes your anchor; with the way she holds your hand, you almost feel safe again.

The fight inside your mind continues: nearly every thought is of Astarion and Angel. Where are they? My beloved? My patron? You try to focus on what occurred just before you were thrown through the portal: but even your mind is fatigued. Your mind becomes open in the Astral, with little barrier to prevent attack; Lae’zel’s garbled voice nears your ears, but her language feels foreign to you. You fight to keep your eyes open, to be present in this strange meta-physical expanse. The only thing you can do is follow Lae’zel – you can hardly think of the implications and risks of trusting a mortal, but your fatigued mind cannot focus on this any longer.

Sssp. Sssp. Wisps of air seem to circle your body, and even more strangely, your mind. There is a tickle at your core that quickly drops to something sinister. You try to call out to Lae’zel, but your telepathy fails you. You have only a moment to consider what is going on before your mind’s eye sets a scene for you: you exist within a box. You can see the walls, the floors, the ceiling; eerily, they have no color. The void inside your gut expands, knowing that you are somewhere you aren’t supposed to be: somewhere between space and time. Somewhere dark and deep within the Astral, yet confined. Your fingers begin to tingle as you feel your chest tighten; oscillating your head, you feel your hair violently whip around your body, nearly distracting you. Because why, why are you naked? Why do you feel your silken locks on your back?

You wrap your arms around your chest before peering out into the void, beyond the confines of your prison. As you blink, the room begins to flesh out: and you recognize it before you can even react. The tacky, red walls; the gothic architecture, tasteless and sinister. And before your eyes, the red Dragonborn appears. Geldon Moth is as terrible as you remember: his height is great, his red scales glimmer brilliantly in the candlelight, and his tail flickers as his eyes settle on you. His eyes are so deep, that you get lost in his horror. Your body is frozen as he approaches, and you can only watch as his tongue escapes his jaws as he tastes the air for your despair.

“Little one,” Moth begins to speak, but his voice is different than you remember, his words coming out with a timbre you don't recognize. “You need not run any longer. Why fight the part of yourself that wants to be consumed, woman? You need to be wholly taken: body and mind. It is only in your fragile nature to want to hurl your body into the mouth of a great beast. Or, do you believe that your new God will provide?”

His words are strange to you, and it sends you into a spiral of the past: your submission. Your tolerance. You shake your head, backing away from him as a painful heat rises between your legs: the evidence and memory of his violation ingrained into your very core. This is all so painful - and you become aware of whatever mental attack is occurring. You try to reach for your body, to fight your way out of this, but you can’t seem to escape the horror. Moth advances to you, closing the gap between you and the edge of your prison. You swing your arm before he can reach you, causing him to flinch for only a moment before his arm juts out at your neck. Bending your knees, you nearly dodge the blow; the top of your head grazes his scales as you duck.

It feels so real – even though a part of you knows it isn’t. The sensation of his scales makes your body shiver, and you feel your fingers twitch as you find a grip on your consciousness. Mustering all your ancient, undead, magical strength, you flutter your eyes open to find a large winged figure looming over you, his pale features apparent even in your weakness. His scent is unfamiliar, his mind unreadable - and the palm of his hand burns your flesh as he grips your jaw, speaking an undetectable language over you as you fall back into your mental prison. The last thing you sense is Lae’zel’s scent, which transcends your consciousness.

You remain naked and in the boudoir of Geldon Moth’s estate: yet the Dragonborn is gone, and you are alone for a time. You pretend to be alive, focusing on your breath and imagining Astarion’s heartbeat, and how it would feel thumping in your chest. You think this may bring you back again – out of this mental stupor. But the only thing you can focus on is your heart: it’s been so long since you felt it’s beat. You place your palm over your chest as you hear the creaking of the door: Lae’zel walks in, dressed in odd garb you’re nearly sure you’ve never seen her in before. She wears a black brassiere with green trousers, paired with sandals and a belt. Her hair is shorter, braided in a way you aren’t familiar with. Her face is pinched, the anger and upset apparent. You anticipate her words before she opens her mouth.

“So, this is it? You choose the blood-sucker over me?” Lae’zel asks, the venom in her voice apparent and targeted. The colors of the room begin to turn brown, and dusty, and you hardly recognize where you are. You feel the sensation of clothing on your skin: leathers, but there is a distinct scent of sweat to them. Lae’zel leans against the doorframe, arms crossed as she peers at you. Her eyes narrow as she speaks her next words: “He is using you. Surely you understand this?”

You find yourself shaking your head, despite knowing this is partially true, as Astarion had already admitted this to you at this point in your adventure. The memories of the past flood your conscious mind, and you remember this moment: the moment you and Lae’zel ended your romantic relationship. 

“I’m sorry. It’s just how I feel.” You feel your mouth move as your voice comes out an echo. The wood creaks beneath your feet. ”If only I could be with you both…”

Was this really how it ended?

The pain in Lae’zel’s eyes is apparent as her features soften to something sadder, regrettable; “But you choose him. Why?”

You blink. “I cannot help how I feel. That doesn’t mean I don’t care for you, Lae’zel…”

Lae’zel straights herself, quickly blinking back tears. Her eyes dart around the room before settling once more on you. There is a disappointment on her face, one that doesn’t settle well with you. Your stomach churns. Your skin burns. It burns so harshly you begin to smell your flesh; you fight to flutter your eyes open while your visions continue. 

Lae’zel turns, exiting the room as the scene changes. You hardly notice what you’re wearing, anymore: the only thing you recognize is the vast change of setting. You’re in a dark, damp, cavernous dungeon.

“Sebastian?” Astarion’s voice rings out behind you, dread notably filling his throat; you can hear it in his voice as you whip around. “He kept you all this time?”

“Astarion!” You yell, running up to your lover as excitement fills your chest. Once you reach him, you notice how strange he looks – how off he smells. Astarion turns to you, as handsome as ever: and yet, you feel like you hardly recognize him. But you are stuck in this twisted memory, one you cannot recall yourself. 

Astarion’s eyes shift between you and the prisoners – vampire spawn, lowly and objectified, much like your husband. You know that the Astarion you see before you is also a spawn – and you are in his Master’s dungeon. In this memory, you were still human and didn’t feel the primal fear and terror a vampire Master has on lower spawn. But your current self can’t help but feel a strange sense of belonging and it makes you remember what Moth had said about you being of Cazador’s brood. Your core fills with corrupt dread and lust. 

The conversation with the starving vampire seems to happened for centuries. You promise to help him, despite the despair you feel inside. Astarion is quick to pull you aside. His face is twisted in pain – you know how stressed he is. You reach out to him, nearly recoiling at the stark feeling of his cold flesh. But this vision of Astarion doesn’t (can’t, he can’t because this isn’t him, you tell yourself…) recognize your cold skin. 

He is of two minds about the ritual. You find this curious, both in this memory and in your present conscious mind. You cannot focus on this for long, as Astarion’s hands reach out to yours. You feel a spark between you even now – and you fight back tears of remembrance and longing. You miss your husband so badly. Why would he ever send you through that fucking portal? 

“You do realize how good you had it, don't you?” Astarion suddenly asks, causing you to draw your brows together. His face is still so pale, yet his precious curls continue to shine. “I provided everything for you! I gave you my heart, my soul – I created you as my bride. To love and cherish for eternity. And you, darling, are the one who ruined our happiness,” Astarion sneers at you, baring his fangs at you aggressively as his face twists even deeper into anger. His pain moves through you. “You ruined it all. You threw away all the precious gifts I gave you. You had so few rules, and yet you broke every. Single. One.”

Astarion brings you towards him, forcing your body slack to his.; his face is entirely threatening, his aura black. He frightens you. You can hardly believe his words. “You’re a very bad spawn. Do you even want to be my favorite?”

A wave of pain and jealousy tear into you, just as when you had seen Sebastian and Astarion’s other lovers. You know it isn't right, this retroactive jealousy, and yet you cannot control feeling these emotions. . “I-of course! Master, please…”

Astarion clicks his tongue at you, mockingly lingering his gaze over your form. You lose strength in your knees, causing Astarion to hold your weight. The way he peers down at you is sinister; grabbing your jaw harshly, he forces your eyes to meet his. 

Is this a memory? Or a dream? A vision?

“What shall I do with you, my sweet little spawn?” Astarion asks, bringing his head down closer to yours. You think he may kiss you, and you find yourself staring at his perfect lips, hoping that he will give you a taste. Astarion harshly presses his mouth to yours, his kisses violent as his fangs cut into your lips. You don’t pull away, because you just want him to be happy with you. You want to tell him to just keep holding you. 

You need to wake up. You must. You’re desperately reaching back for control.

But when he looks back at you, it isn’t Astarion at all. It is a man: a tall elf with black hair and cruel eyes. He bends over to kiss you as his fingers dig far deeper into your skin, drawing blood. His free hand slithers down your back, tearing at your leather armor with ease. This shouldn’t be able to happen – you are far stronger than Cazador ever was. And yet…

You feel the bareness of your back, a sensation that begins to have you tingling with terror. “You are but a new canvas, girl. The boy explained to you not to scream, correct?”

“What?” You ask as Cazador flits around you, further tearing your clothes. You’re unable to move. And when you feel the sensation of silver being dug into your back, you can’t help but scream: it’s excruciating, yet strangely familiar. Every cell of your body is on fire. Cazador only becomes more angry as your cries crescendo. 

Your screams pour from your lips as your eyes go wide. You wildly sit up. You and Lae’zel are alone; the burns on your face have gone, with no evidence to suggest otherwise. Your lids are heavy as you search the area: you are no longer in the Astral, But lying in a field. The landscape looks almost familiar, yet there is a strangeness to it that you can’t quite put your finger on. The trees are too tall, the grass too green, and the sky too…yellow?

“’The fuck are we?” You murmur to yourself as your eyes wash over Lae’zel’s still-sleeping form. You wonder if she had a similar experience while in the sea. Without another thought, you involuntarily reach out to Astarion, unsurprisingly without an answer. You focus on your own body, trying not to think about the delicious, savory blood that is flowing through an unconscious Lae’zel at this very moment. Closing your eyes once more, you lie on your side, bringing your knees to your chest. You only want to feel less hollow. 

The moon is so bright you can see it through your lids, as if this realm’s planet is too close to the rock in the sky. Opening your eyes, you are transported back to a happier time: you blink, a smile creeping on your face as you nervously walk through the clearing. Your body shivers as you see him turn around; he’s been waiting for you. When his eyes land on you, a smile creeps in his eyes. His beauty is supernatural. You’d never been so close to a man before you met him, you think as the two of you bridge the gap between you. You find each other effortlessly in the dark: your heart beats wildly as Astarion’s chest presses up against your own. His hand finds its way to your cheek, where he tucks your lips further into his own. His hands grasp your hip, his nails gently digging into your skin. 

“I love kissing you.” The words slip from your mouth when you pull away to find your breath. Embarrassment fills you, but you push it away. You can’t take back what you’ve said, and what you said is the honest truth. So, by your principle, you stubbornly decide you won’t take it back: but your mouth still twitches, desperate for Astarion to receive your words well. 

Astarion looks surprised, but he doesn’t pull away from your embrace. His touch remains even. “I–” He seems to think about this for just a moment. “I feel…the same.” 

You can’t help the smile that comes across your face. Astarion doesn’t smile back; instead, his gaze becomes most intense. You nearly break eye contact, but you don’t want to look away. You don’t want to miss anything. Your entire world can be seen in those eyes, now, then, and forever.

***

Lae’zel is quick to call for reinforcements using a strange relic, one you hadn’t seen before: the object is rectangular, shiny, and has githyanki script along its spines. She casts a spell over it, her eyes never leaving you as she speaks. Once finished, she begins to make a fire.

“They should arrive soon. But with everything going on, I’m uncertain as to when. I’ll prepare us for the night.” As Lae’zel prepares the meager campsite, her eyes hover delicately over you as she works but in a fearful way more so than endearing. You know she is afraid you will eat her. In her eyes, you appear to be nothing short of a ravenous monster. Your hair is stringy, lazing about your shoulders in a feral way. Your eyes are wide, tired, and heavy; and your ruby eyes, dark as ever, remind Lae’zel of stale blood. 

“You look hungry,” Lae’zel murmurs across the newborn fire, which she tends with care. She has just finished describing to you the realm you're in, but you hardly have the energy to care. You can’t help but reel on what you saw just hours ago.

“I am.” You feel so weary. “But ‘m not gonna eat you.”

”You’re certain?”

“I am.”

Lae’zel quietly snorts as a grim smile spreads across her face for just a moment. “I’ll be watching regardless. You look ill, Tav. I suppose Angel warned us.” Her words confirm to you that Lae’zel didn’t experience the same mental toll that you had. You’re certain it’s connected to your psychic abilities. “Still, you really do look ill.”

You dart your eyes away, doing your best not to look at her firm, warm neck. “He sent me through.” 

“He did,” Lae’zel speaks confirmation. 

“My husband.” You speak in disbelief, nearly outside of yourself. Although your body's here, your soul is disconnected from you and your bloodline. You can’t fend off that emptiness inside you right now; with a swallow, you make the quick decision to try to accept it. When Astarion is absent, there are no quick remedies for you.

“Why?” You ask, your voice exasperated. Tears build at the corner of your eyes, and with your next blink, they roll down your cold cheeks. One. Two. Three; and that's all you're allowed.

“Your patron.” Lae’zel’s response is what you already know. “Astarion did what he thought was best to protect you. You know this, Tav.”

“But what about him? How could he…”

“Tav,” Lae’zel says, stopping you from continuing. She thinks you are a broken record. You violently blink at her before letting out a strangled sigh. “Where are we? What happened after we went through the portal?”

“Were you not listening? We were caught in…” Lae’zel trails off for a moment, trying to find her words. “We must have been caught in…something. An astral storm of a kind. I wasn’t able to navigate and had to get us out. So, here we are,” she explains as she gestures around, imploring you to swivel your head. 

You ask Lae’zel if she remembers anything dreamlike happening. You describe the figure you saw: that Aasimar, the visions he showed you. Your hands involuntarily shake as you speak. His sheer power isn’t lost on you, despite all your heroics and unique strength.

“I don’t recall. My memory is of us navigating the planes, and then we were here. He was hurting you, Tav…” Lae’zel shakes her head, pushing away lovely thoughts of you. “How do you even remember?”

“He was grabbing my face, twisting my memories – and it burned. I kept waking up.”

“You’re sure it wasn’t some sort of vision? The Astral –”

“I’m sure,” You say as you think about how you are most certainly sure…is it possible for the aasimar to have been some strange vision? 

Lae’zel slowly nods. “He was trying to find something in that massive skull of yours.” You can’t help but chuckle at Lae’zel’s words. The hint of her smile disappears after a moment, and the two of you look at each other for some time. 

“This place is strange.” You say as you fiddle with your shoes; Lae’zel doesn’t have a response for you other than a glance. You idle: a vampire needn’t move, sleep, blink, or eat. And as an old vampire, you don’t need much to sustain yourself. Hells, you could probably go many years without feeding. Alas, floating through precious and sensitive memories has been enough for you on this day, and you don’t particularly want to focus on anything. You become a statue, despite Lae’zel’s discomfort. 

It isn’t long before a red dragon bursts through the veil of this realm, causing you and Lae’zel to jump to your feet.

****

Astarion’s chest rumbles as you approach. He can nearly feel it despite the sensation of your nearness ultimately being your sweet scent. But Astarion allows himself to feel this stirring in his chest: the last several days have been a numbing blur, and he made efforts to keep you distant in his mind. 

Too much pain and suffering. Hadn’t I gotten away from all of that? Astarion glances over at the enchanted aasimar. When he looks at Angel for too long, he concludes that he should kill the bastard. But something tells him that would harm his wife. Now isn’t the time. She’s here now…

Despite his wishes to keep you away from Angel, Astarion won’t hide himself away from you. Angel is secure in the fortress, for now. 

A feeling rises in Astarion’s chest – what is it, again? Sadness, anger, grief? Feelings he’s avoided for hundreds of years until recently; feelings Astarion is still unsure how to handle. 

Guilt.

Leaving the prison chambers, Astarion walks along a spiral staircase to the upper part of the castle as he curses the githyanki and their architecture. The castle, despite existing in a fairly secluded and beautiful pocket of the Astral plane, was rather ugly to Astarion. Functionally, the castle is a war fortress equipped to handle dragons: and the castle’s appearance could hide none of this. It was nearly ruinous. 

But this doesn’t matter to Astarion, not really. Not with your imminent arrival. After Vlaakith’s warriors invaded Faerun, the remaining githyanki at the castle followed their escape protocol, taking both Astarion and Angel with them. They ended up in a pocket of the Astral – somewhere just as terrible as that old crèche. 

Astarion hurries to the courtyard, robes fluttering behind him as your scent encapsulates him. His eyes are wide as a red dragon bursts through the last firmament of protection: yet you are nowhere to be found. A pit quickly forms in Astarion’s grumbling stomach. His fingers mindlessly twist at his rings as his heels slap the pavement. Angel.

“I can’t believe you fell for that, ha,” Angel speaks directly, with little emotion in his voice. “You’re losing it, Star…”

Astarion’s lips press together. Angel has existed in shackles since they arrived several days ago – at least, it felt like several days to Astarion, who did nothing but sit next to Angel’s cell. 

Angel’s face is twisted. “I hate you.” 

Astarion can’t help but laugh. “Oh, darling. I hate me too.”