#I also wonder if it's been done before

[hahaheart1]

You know how Evoloution is the Youthful Naturalist's ambition?

I wonder if it'd be possible to rewrite it as if the Naturalist was a player doing a preset ambition. Like how someone plays, say, the "Bag a legend" ambtion etc.

I'll probably work on this the moment I get time because it seems like a fun project tbh.

[vwoop-prince]

YJ S3 Dick, still in the midst of his fever dream, hides underneath the 'souvenir' instead of behind some boxes, and accidentally opens the airlock trying to take care of the Parademons. The others get it to close... but not before Nightwing is thrown into space.

There, he stares at the ship holding his friends and mentors. There, he wishes more than anything that he can, somehow, survive. There, he tries to live, if only so his family don't have to bury him like Jason.

There, Nightwing dies, wanting to save everyone, even with the cold seeping into his bones far too quickly for a regular section of space.

Then, Dick opens his eyes to... Earth? There's a little house, and grass, and trees, but there's a bubble of green over it all. Outside of that green was an entire castle, one that looked like it should have far more support beams than it does for even a hope that it stays standing.

And the sky was swirling shades of that same green. It makes him think of Lazarus.

"Well, that's something you don't see every day." He whips his head behind him, a bit too fast for Earth's atmosphere, but it doesn't hurt him. Past the bubble of green was a blue-skinned adult in purple robes, the insides of a grandfather-clock fitted inside their torso, and a black staff with a stopwatch on its top. Beside them was a man with snow white hair, glowing green eyes, a crown of frozen fire dancing above his head, and the most galaxy-like cloak Dick's ever seen clasped to his shoulders. He's wearing... a hazmat suit? Maybe? The twinkling stars and odd lighting of wherever he is were giving him a bit of a headache.

But in front of those two, within this bubble, was...

"DICK!" Wally shouted with unrestrained glee, a blur overtaking his spot for barely a heartbeat before Dick's stuck in a crushing hug that he reciprocates once his brain stops feeling like its melting.

He doesn't know how long it took for them to calm down, but the man with the crown spoke up after a time, as Wally was still wiping their faces free of tears. "Welcome to the Infinite Realms, Nightwing." Dick barely even registered that he was still wearing his suit, but now it felt suffocating. "I suppose you're the one Clockwork was holding out for; There shouldn't've been enough Ectoplasm around you to form a Ghost, and your physical body's still in space. I can see why you like this one, though, Clockie," he states flippantly, turning to his companion. Almost like he didn't expect Dick to pay too close attention to what he was saying.

"Either way, there's two options for you." The man didn't let Dick swallow his tears and question anything. Dick's not sure if he's grateful or not. "First: Stay in the Realms permanently. You'll see Kid Flash whenever you want and learn to be a Ghost with the denizens of the Realms. Maybe find your parents."

"But..." Dick pulls away from Wally, keeping him at arms length, eyes flitting between them. The two outside the bubble were distinctly... ghost-like, so the mentions of 'Ghosts' make sense. But Wally looked... alive. A bit pale, a bit thin... but alive. Dick can't see any of his own skin to see if it was blue or tinted that way, but the Nightwing symbol on his chest kept flickering between its own blue and this 'Realms' green. "But--What about the others? What about you? Why can't you come home?" The last two, he focuses on Wally, because now he can feel a heartbeat beneath his gloves. Wally's alive. He's alive.

His friend just shrugs. "Something about their portals not fit for the living? I'm meant to wait for someone to figure out a permanent portal, but they won't tell me how long that'll take." Wally glares at the... 'Ghosts'? There was a heat to it, but it also seemed like this was a well-worn argument.

"The permanent portal was always an 'if', Wallace West. And that is entirely dependent on if Richard Grayson takes the second option," the clock Ghost--Clockwork?--speaks up. But instead of the adult Dick was expecting, there was an elderly Ghost in their place. Still with the time motif. Was that... more literal than Dick took it?

"Yes, the second option..." The crowned man glares daggers at Clockwork. The temperature dips below comfortable. Dick tries to blink the spaceship and stars out of his sight, withdrawing his arms from Wally to try and warm himself. Tries to remember he's not in space. "The second option is that you return to your body... changed. You'll be able to protect Earth better, stay with your alive family, save the Lost Ones... for a price."

Dick doesn't know if he should ignore the plural in 'Lost Ones'. He doesn't know if he's reading too much into how, in this Realm, apparently only his parents were able to be found. Where's Jason? He doesn't dare hope, but...

"What's the price?"

The man smiles and a ring of blue forms around his waist. It splits in two and travels up and down his body, replacing the cloak and whatever clothes he was actually wearing with a NASA shirt, worn jeans, and red sneakers actually duct taped together. The blue tint to his otherwise tan skin fades completely. His hair turns black. His eyes turn blue.

He was like a taller, slightly slimmer, way hotter version of Bruce.

The man walks through the bubble, but doesn't disturb the grass beneath his feet. "You become the Ghost King's vassal." Dick flinches away and almost hides behind Wally. "Not my idea! But, well... it is either this, or your permanent death."

"What does becoming a vassal do to him?" Wally asks, gently trying to stop Dick from breaking his ribs with how tightly he was hugging himself. Does he even have ribs?

"He gains my powers. Ice, electricity, invisibility, intangibility, flight... He becomes a Halfa. He becomes what I was, in life. Just... needing to make offerings to me, now and then. Something like that, at least. I give him powers, he gives me a chunk of, I don't know, chocolate once a week. Like a warlock."

Wally keeps talking to the man, keeps getting information that he knows he should pay attention to, but something in his chest screams to accept this deal, and he can't focus on anything else.

Nightwing can protect. He can return to life and go back to Blüdhaven, be the Vigilante they need. He can visit Gotham every now and then, help with cases and stop criminals from harming others. He can see his brother. He can see his friends. He can eat Alfred's cookies, and have little get-togethers with Babs and the Team--hell, he can argue with Bruce.

And all he has to do is... give an offering to this guy? The Ghost King? Every once in a while?

"There's no other price?" The King turns his attention to Dick. His eyes had shifted to a blue-green that almost hypnotize him. The green swirls, the blue forms and melts like snowflakes, and he can't look away.

He takes another step forward and Wally steps to the side. There was familiarity between them. Wally deferred to him. Dick can't quite tell why. Though, with how Wally hasn't once looked at Clockwork, maybe it's because he's... grounded? Are all speedsters in trouble with, what, the Ghost of Time? That... actually makes perfect sense.

"I'll be honest, Nightwing: You've impressed me." The weight behind the King's words lifts the ones that've been on his shoulders since he was nine. "You remind me of myself. Maybe, if I wasn't a Halfa... If I had a mentor... I could've been like you.

"Despite Clockwork's insistence over the years that I get back in touch with the living, I've held off. When he eventually suggested that I help create another Halfa, I locked him in his tower for twenty years. I didn't want anyone to go through what I had. But, now... I see that you won't. You can't. Even if you hide this deal--our shared powers... You'll still have people by your side. Strong people. Smart people. You can already handle yourself. And I'd love to see what you can do--who you can save--with my help."

There was maybe two inches between their faces when the King finishes speaking. Dick roves his eyes across the other's face, trying to find the common and familiar ticks that show lies and deceit and manipulation. All he finds is sincerity and genuine care.

Wally plays with his fingers from the corner of his eye, gaze hopeful as he looks between the two of them. Wally, who was alive and breathing and able to leave if he accepts. Eventually. Somehow.

Dick Grayson sends a quiet apology to his parents and hopes they will forgive him for being a little bit selfish.

"I accept."

He flings his eyes open. Above him, domino mask too wobbly to be properly secured anymore, was Robin crying and begging him to wake up. His hands were sloppily placed over his heart. Batman was trying to drag him away, the firm set of his jaw screaming grief.

Nightwing gasps once he registers his lungs burning.

There's a large cacophony of noise, multiple bright suits and people hounding over him, and the distinct artificial taste of slightly-too-much oxygen that the ship with the Parademons had. That he flew out of and died. He was still too cold.

Someone moves their arm beneath his knees and shoulder and Dick passes out.

(Dick 'Nightwing' Grayson dies in space. Ghost King Danny Phantom likes this too-human Hero. They split their souls in half, take one piece of the others, and all they know is that Phantom is now Nightwing's Patron Deity. Danny uses ice, for electricity killed him. Dick uses electricity, for ice killed him. They are opposites, and yet so incredibly similar. Clockwork was looking forward to when Danny starts putting off his paperwork to hang out with his new 'friend'.)

[markscherz]

I… do not understand tumblr live. Like, are there actually only about 50 people streaming across the whole platform at any one time? And why are so many of them just… people smoking? Or unoccupied desks? And why is nobody talking about frogs?

[wyrmswears]

jay dump

[magical-girl-coral]

In hindsight there is something funny about Porter and Jace failing to get Lucy on their team cause she was too devoted to her goddess so they decided to specifically request a cleric of Helio under the impression of "well, we already know he already sucks so much that his own chosen left him after their meeting so this time it should be easy to get a cleric on our side" and they were RIGHT.

[honeysuckle-fae]

[ID in alt text]

I simply think she should be allowed to say it

[peachcitt]

text from thirteen by @anna-scribbles

art by me :)

read thirteen read thirteen it’s everything read thirteen read thirteen read thirteen read thirteen<3 happy thirteen day. have you read thirteen yet. read it again if you have. prepare for your life to be changed if you haven’t.

[front-facing-pokemon]

[severus-snaps]

Snapetober 2024 | Cosy

For @redabeline who writes a lot of chubby Snape, for @dreamshopesfantasies who once asked for a cuddly Snape and I think this version is better than the first one I did, and for my boyfriend, who is the cosiest.

[psink]

Aiura Mikoto - Moving on from the gyaru look [2/2]

[part 1]

At a certain arcade Teruhashi Kokomi: Hm~ After all, would a double pose purikura be the best for appearance, I wonder..?

Teruhashi Kokomi: (That's right...If I'm going to do it, it has to be perfect.) Saiki Kusuo: Good grief, I got worried so I followed her, but...

Aiura Mikoto: Oh! As expected of Terukoko! Yeah, yeah, the twins-style double pose is trending in videos~ Aiura Mikoto: A double pose with Terukoko will seriously boost the vibes~ We gotta make it extra, right♪?

Saiki Kusuo: What language are they speaking? Double pose? What's that? Aiura Mikoto: (Wow~ Such an amazing scent...)

Aiura Mikoto: (Though I super respect Terukoko, I thought doing a pair purikura with her would be like a public execution, but...) Aiura Mikoto: (We're actually pretty good!)

Teruhashi Kokomi: (Aiura-san is friendly without being sarcastic.) Teruhashi Kokomi: (After all, I wonder if it's easier to enter Saiki's territory with a close sense of distance like Aiura-san's...)

Saiki Kusuo: Well, I don't really get it, but they seem to be getting alone, so I guess it's fine. Aiura Mikoto: Hmm, and then edit the skin, make the eyes bigger, put in coloured contacts~ And a tipsy-looking blush...

Aiura Mikoto: Got it...! Terukoko is seriously on a different level!! The stable mega-enhanced gyaru is complete! Aiura Mikoto: She's beyond just cute now!

Saiki Kusuo: Hey, hey. With her aura is at its fullest, there's almost nothing showing up in the photo other than the light source. Aiura Mikoto: Alriiight! Now it's the doodling time!

Aiura Mikoto: Terukoko, write the name of the person you like here~ I'll create a love umbrella for you! Teruhashi Kokomi: Huh? A person I...like!?

Teruhashi Kokomi: (No way, no way, no way!) Talking to Aiura-san about Saiki would be...!) Teruhashi Kokomi: (If, by some miracle, my guess turns out to be correct and Saiki's type is girls like Aiura-san, if that fact was revealed...)

Teruhashi Kokomi: (Th-That kind of thing...It'd be unbearably sad... I could no longer exist in this world...!!) Saiki Kusuo: No, that's not the case.

Teruhashi Kokomi: N..No, I don't really care about that....Ahahaha. Aiura Mikoto: Huuh~ Even though I went out of my way to do fortune telling for you...

Saiki Kusuo: Oh, it seems their girl talk is really blooming. Saiki Kusuo: Well, Aiura probably will guide the conversation well from here, so I think it's time to go home.

Aiura Mikoto: Kyaha! This was fun, right~ If you're alright with it, let's come again! Teruhashi Kokomi: Yeah~

Aiura Mikoto: Terukoko is super cute no matter what she does~ Just walking together is super exciting~ Teruhashi Kokomi: (Aiura-san... She looks hard to talk to, but she's a good person.)

Aiura Mikoto: By the way, about the continuation of our love talk... Teruhashi Kokomi: ...Huh!? (Wh-Wh-What's this suddenly...!?)

Aiura Mikoto: Shall I do love fortune telling for you? Teruhsahi Kokomi: Ummm... Th-Th-Th-That's. well, because~

Aiura Mikoto: You think I wouldn't notice that there's someone you like!? (Well, in Terukoko's case it's totally obvious even without looking.) Teruhashi Kokomi: ......Hmmm~ Th-there's someone I'm just a little bit interested in... ......That's all.

Aiura Mikoto: Woow~~ Her shy face is also LL-size cute~~!! Amazing~! Aiura Mikoto: Alriiight! Leave the fortune telling to Miko-chan♪ I won't do anything bad.

Aiura Mikoto: Hm~...The person Terukoko likes probably~ Aiura Mikoto: He likes people who are true to themselves!! Also... Someone strong who doesn't get swayed by a situation!

Aiura Mikoto: In other words, he probably likes a strong-willed girl that doesn't bend her style, right? Teruhashi Kokomi: Huh...Then...Just the same as always...?

Saiki Kusuo: Is this okay? Not only resolve Teruhashi-san's madness, but also tell her that we've got the worst combability. Aiura Mikoto: Ah, that's right...But the combability is about 2%? It says you're an absolutely terrible match... Hey, are you listening!?

Teruhashi Kokomi: (That means... I can just me myself? Right...?) Aiura Kokomi: Heey...?

Teruhashi Kokomi: (Haha, what am I doing... I'm just fluttering around...I'm so stupid.) ...The next day

Kaidou Shun: Ahhh! Teruhashi-san has returned to her saint mode!! The usual Teruhashi-san, not gyaru, is back!! Teruhashi Kokomi: Well, I was just going with the vibe, or something like that?

Nendou RIki: Oh!? She's still speaking with a bit of an accent, how cute! Saiki Kusuo: It's not an accent, it's gyaru slang.

Teruhashi Kokomi: Fufu, Aiura-san, thank you for yesterday, i gained a bit of courage! (Well, I already knew it, though♪) Aiura Mikoto: Eh...Um? What was it...Ah...That's right!

Teruhashi Kokomi: Yeah, let's hang out after school again♪

Aiura Mikoto: If Terukoko is happy, I'm happy too! Something like that? Aiura Mikoto: (It seems like I became super friends with Terukoko and we might have a chance to hang out, this is the best!

Aiura Mikoto: (Kusuo~! Next time the three of us will go to Sweets Paradise, it's settled~! I'll forgive you this time's favour~) Saiki Kusuo: Good grief, this is incredibly incomprehensible. You can't read a woman's heart even with telepathy... END

[aeolianblues]

I’ve only just watched the first episode of the new Taskmaster today, and the thing is, everyone’s rightfully cracking up at John’s line about the 2 hours spent working out health and safety and insurance with the producers, it’s very funny, but it genuinely took me a little while to remember how funny it is. It’s the John exposure. As a regular listener to the Elis and John radio shows over the years, you just know that this is genuinely how John is. He’ll mention—and probably even get excited to go over the nerdy details of what counts in the car insurance, I can swear he’s done that on Radio X before. He’s the guy that will do an hour long standup special concerning slotted spoons (with a side of anxiety). He’s wildly funny, but to listeners of the Elis and John shows, this is just Friday afternoon.

[ki1ldeer]

The inconveniences of your boyfriend being a… psychic? Budding demigod of fate? Eh

[orcelito]

Several months late, the landlord finally picked up the dehumidifier from my kitchen

Would've been nice had I been told they were coming though 💀 so I could've cleaned up the grocery bags on the floor that I hadn't put away yet 💀💀💀💀💀

[arundolyn]

ohhhh my fucking god nobody needs to like know any of this medical tmi but it is literally 11 pm and if im kept up one minute longer when i just laid down trying to go to sleep by my mother YELLING REPEATEDLY that she needs to pee. im going to actually go insane. she got a catheter in. Yesterday. it is working. she won't listen to anyone when they tell her that this is the case. help me jesus. im sure if a nurse comes to check on her tomorrow they'll probably get the same response. my brain will simply explode

[purpurussy]

.

[lungfuls]

Maybe I'm projecting and being hopeful but I mentioned to M that I don't even get to shit by myself in peace lmao and I feel like something clicked for him. Bc I was like hey, at least you get private bathroom breaks at work (noncombative). And since then he's been a lot more acquiescent when I ask if I can nap and stuff