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akimmito · 4 years ago

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Heroes are made by the path they choose

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Chapter 19

Damian is not happy. Everyone has introduced themselves and it only remains for the two intruders to do so as well, he hopes they refuse to be part of this, but from Drake's enthusiasm, clearly his wishes will not be heard and the two vigilantes will be part of the MT in some way or other.

"Well, it seems serious..." Nightwing hesitates for a moment, but does it anyway, it's the first time that he gives his identity in this way, remembering that they don’t just give their identities, but the MT has trusted them and it seems that their Working method differs a lot from Batman's. "I'm Richard Grayson, you can call me Dick."

"Yeah, we're not doing that." Alix responds with an amused smile.

"So you're Tim, right?" Marinette asks Robin, who nods and removes his mask. "This will be easier then."

"Was the suit delay related to the MT?"

"Something like that." She answers vaguely, but it's Alix who breaks the mysterious air of the matter.

"Stealing museums is not something that is directly related to our vigilante jobs."

Dick looks in surprise between the pink haired girl and the bluenette, who just sighs. He's no stranger to robbery when necessary, just that they admit it so casually is disconcerting. Tim on the other hand, he knows that he will not be very comfortable with the information.

"Do you rob museums?" Tim asks a bit dubious, that's not something he would have expected considering his participation in similar cases taking down robberies and other similar crimes, he didn't think they would commit them.

"Oh yes, my next dream is to rob a Russian museum." Felix responds wryly, but takes his next sentence more seriously. "It's not something we do for pleasure. First we will explain what MT is and then you will understand better why we rob a museum… It will give me a headache."

"Security was dire for supposedly keeping such valuable objects." Damian scoffs, leaning back in his chair, not looking at his brothers. "I would have done a better job while I sleep."

Dick just looks at the boy curiously, did they take him with them? Surely he goes to school, right? Although it not was school day when they first met him and he was at the farmhouse, he's probably homeschooled alongside his monstrous dogs, you can still feel his paws on his face. He doesn't really know what to think of such a brilliant woman being a vigilante, although perhaps he's taking too much reference from Bruce and Oliver who are the complete opposite, he's not exactly a good reference himself either even though he's less grim than the original Batman.

Marie Lenoir and, in general, the majority in that room seem to her very healthy emotionally speaking or, at least, not constipated like him and all his brothers.

"We'll explain it in detail later. Chloe, can you start?

"Sure, Lenoir." She smiles as she calls her last name in her common haughty tone, which has become a way of joking between them. "For the public, the MT is the name of the vigilante organization and which is not related in any way to the heroes, which is not true. The MT is originally the group of heroes… turned into vigilantes to be able to investigate the whereabouts of the butterfly without raising suspicions."

"We haven't done very well, he's a slippery shit." Alix complains getting a little hit from Nathaniel.

"There are kids."

"I've heard worse things, Kurtzberg." Damian dismisses his concerns dismissively. Marinette just gives him a worried look, it's seen that he is holding back from saying something more offensive, he seems about to attack everyone and is worrying. He's been acting very defensive for a few days now.

"Stop saying my last name as if it were an insult."

"Then stop being an idiot, Kurtzberg."

Luka sighs, he's normally a very patient and understanding person, but everyone is a little nervous, easily excitable, they haven't been that nervous since God Shit and Not in Hell joined the team, due to the fact that one is a demon and the other a stranger to most except Marinette (and Felix apparently).

"Returning." Kagami is not willing to put up with everyone's way of acting, but she won't scold them either, surely Felix will have words with everyone and Marinette will take care of Damian. "We are the heroes, we all have magical knowledge and the MT is an organization destined to protect the Miraculous, the magical jewels that give us our powers. Our main mission is to recover the butterfly and watch over the other jewels, whether we have them in our possession or not. The museum robbery was the recovery of the Giraffe's Miraculous."

"Wow, what a good summary," Marc comments by how concise it was, his good humor is not overshadowed by the tension in the room.

"Mari-hime is the Great Guardian, the leader of the entire organization and the most important member of the TM. She is the only one who knows all the spells, potions and cares for jewels and Kwami."

“We don't all have an affinity for being full guardians, especially since we're too old to complete some parts of the training. We may not approve of the ways they did it back in the day, but it takes young spirits to mold compatibility with Guardian magic. Melody completed a large part of her training at the age of fourteen and later continued it with all the knowledge of the temple together with the assistance of some Kwami."

"So you're the heroes too? And they do double duty to keep the city safe… They've been fighting since they were fourteen… ”Marc interrupts Tim from his little review

"Marinette has been doing it since she was thirteen."

"You started alone, right?" Dick asks, he wants confirmation that she didn't have a mentor, but still can't imagine what it must have been like for her to be thrown into danger like that.

"Chat was there, but it was just us. It wasn't until sometime after that I met the Guardian, but it wasn't a guide as such… ”She says thoughtfully, remembering her beginnings as Ladybug. She didn't do her part either, she had settled into just fighting with the Akuma and hoping for some miracle that could reveal Hawkmoth's identity, along with many other things she regrets.

"It's still a great feat, I couldn't have." Tim admits, since he decided to become Robin only because he saw the need to be one to help Batman, otherwise it was not a battle worth fighting. "So what are the Miraculous?"

"Magic jewels connected to quasi-divine entities, they embody abstract concepts such as creation, destruction, emotions, etc. They are called Kwami, unfortunately the connection with the jewel makes them slaves of whoever owns it and it cannot be avoided that their powers are used for evil purposes if they fall into the wrong hands. "Marinette explains in the simplest way she can.” I have been investigating, but there is nothing in the Order's records of any way around control over the Kwami."

"And destroy the jewel?" Dick questions, it's something important if she is saying it, so it's better to understand, although the idea of magic jewels sounds to him straight out of an anime.

"They agreed to anchor themselves to the jewels to be able to have contact with the world in a more personal way, it's what allows them to have a corporeal form and relate to the environment instead of just existing isolated ... The only thing that can have contact with the world material are their powers, but they as an entity are not. At first they considered it a small price for the opportunity to live with their creations, but the slavery that it brought with it was a long-term impediment ... In any case, only the power of Plagg can destroy the jewels, but for magical reasons he cannot do the same with his own jewel."

"Silly if you ask us," Chloe complains. They actually read the temple books, the ones God Shit recommended to them and even Alix traveled with Fluff's help to different times to discover secrets that might have been lost, but nothing in relation to magical slavery, although they didn't go as far as to meet the magician who created the Miraculous, they feel that it's not advisable to do that.

"Maybe we should blackmail Luci into seeing if he knows anything…" Nathaniel mutters, earning a snort from Marc.

------

John: I'll arrive in Paris tomorrow, I found some old books that mention the Kwami

John: I think you will like them, they could help us with our research

John: I also bring a gift for your son

John: I don't know if he mentioned it

John: [Photo attached]

Marie: Where will I put that?!

Marie: John!

John: He didn't mention it to you. Well it's a peace offering

Marie: It's very sweet of you, but I also didn't know that you guys have been talking.

John: I knew he wouldn't tell you anything, the little monster.

John: I guess you don't know who came here either, right?

Marie: No! No wonder he acted so strange, he felt guilty. I can not believe it

Marie: I can't be angry either

John: Why should you? He's taking care of you and, for now, it's the only way he knows

John: It will get better, you have that effect on people

Marie: You’re sweet

------

The meeting continues in an uncomfortable environment, if someone hints that they are fully functional adults, anyone in the room would quickly tell them they are wrong. Against their better judgment, neither knows how to proceed. It's usually Marinette who knows what to do, but neither she nor Felix are entirely sure how to proceed from there.

"So… we all agree that we shouldn't say anything to the other Batman?" Nathaniel breaks the ice, looking doubtfully at everyone.

They're a bunch of awkward adults, that's for sure.

"That is obvious, Kurtzberg. The important thing about this ridiculous meeting is to know if they are useful for our interests. So, speak up, what can you bring to this partnership? We are giving them access to one of the greatest secrets in the world, an immediate support team and, above all, a network of reliable contacts around the world. ”Damian folds his arms and looks down at his two older brothers.

Dick looks up to see the boy, who seems very confident in his words and, despite various expressions to the boy's words, cannot say that he's being arrogant about it. Tim is the one answering.

"I offer myself. I've been designing tech updates for Batman, but there are some devices that would fit his surveillance better than ours. "He starts going through his files and Marinette gets up to hand him one of the computers Max uses for data presentation, which are designed to withstand the information traffic that they usually handle in most of their cases. "Oh thanks."

She sits back and watches him set up his own technology with Max's, feeling very excited by the clear differences and surprised when Markov makes an appearance.

"Who you are?"

"Markov, that's Timothy Drake. Let him play on the computer, he wants to show us something. "

"Okay, I thought someone had got hold of some piece of technology. I'll let Dima supervise it."

Dick watches in surprise as the settings return to normal and the screen returns to the files Tim was manipulating in order to present them to others.

"Was that an AI?" Richard questions.

"The question is stupid, obviously it was."

"Damian." Marinette places a hand on her son's head and gives him a firm little look, silently asking him to avoid attacking his apparent paternal family. "That was Markov, the artificial intelligence designed by Max, he's a great ally in research because of his ease of hacking without being detected. He's joined by Dima, the one in charge of guarding the complex and taking care of the Kwami that rest in the box."

"Does he have emotions? That's great. Wait... did you say Max? Max Kanté?"

"The only one" Max walks in just then, grabbing his own laptop and picking an empty seat at random. Tim just stares with his mouth open.

How not meet the genius who designed a robot capable of feeling emotions at thirteen? The guy is quite a celebrity in the scientific world! He founded KanTech at the age of eighteen and is currently a major multi-branch business rival to Wayne Enterprise. In a way, that he's the one designing the MT technology makes perfect sense.

"I don't want to interrupt, but there is an Akuma."

The MT, in a synchronized way, complains in its own way. Damian insults the man behind the mask, Felix complains about it being night, Chloe exclaims about the bad time to do it, Kagami mutters how annoyed it is, Nathaniel is just a long wail with a comforting whisper from Marc.

"Hurry up, let's see what he has prepared for us this time. Team, Kagami, Chloe, Felix and I will go. The others, wait to be called."Those mentioned stand up just in time for the Kwami to appear, which is Pollen hands the comb to its owner, while Wyazz nods to the blonde who is taking off his jacket and gloves to reveal the miracle bracelet.

Marinette also removes the glove where the ring is hidden. The four of them transform in front of the foreign vigilantes, surprising them by seeing the transformation.

In front of him were no longer the vigilantes but the heroes of Paris.

#maribat #dickinette #dick x marinette #mominette

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stereogeekspodcast · 4 years ago

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[Transcript] Season 1, Episode 4. We’ve Been Busy With… Julie and the Phantoms, Star Trek: Discovery, and More

What are we enjoying when we aren't working? Mon's been busy with a few DC Comics, listening to the audiobook of One to Watch, catching up with Holiday Baking shows, and recapping Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 for Show Snob. Ron has been listening to a 12 Monkeys podcast and EK Johnston's Queen's Peril. She's also been watching Julie and the Phantoms as well as recapping The Mandalorian Season 2 for Show Snob.

Listen to the episode on Anchor. Read Mon's recaps of Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 here. Read Ron's recaps of The Mandalorian Season 2 here.

[Continuum by Audionautix plays]

Ron: Hello and welcome to Episode Four of Stereo Geeks. I'm Ron.

Mon: And I’m Mon.

Aside from our day jobs as marketers, and night jobs writing the occasional feature or story about pop culture, what have we been busy with?

So I've been catching up with my usual comic book titles. I follow Batman, Red Hood: Outlaw and Nightwing. I haven't really kept up with any other titles per se. I read comics in small doses; they get frustrating after a while or predictable. And I would say that that's also the case with just these three titles.

With Batman, we just had a huge change in his arc. There was the ‘Joker War’, which has brought about a huge change in his circumstances. Batman now no longer has access to his immense wealth. And he has to hide from the Wayne Manor; the Batcave. Let's just say that he's downsizing. So let's see how he goes.

He's living in a world that's post-Joker. But is the Joker gone? It’s a huge question. Have you been reading any Batman titles?

Ron: I've been catching up with the Batman title. And I think the last one that I read was #102. Last I saw, the Joker War was over and Batman was in dire straits financially.

I'm actually enjoying this direction for the character. I haven't really taken to Batman's characterization in the Rebirth comics. I thought he was staid. He was boring. He was very one-dimensional. We discussed a lot of this in our opening episode about Batman's worst enemy. Please check that out when you have time.

I like where this is going. I think it's changing the way we see Batman.

Mon: Well, I hope there's more character development because the action is definitely boring.

And the other title on my pull list is Nightwing. Nightwing is back to being Dick Grayson. Yes, after 20 issues of being Ric Grayson, he now has his memory back and his family back and he’s snatched the Nightwing mantle away from Detective Alphonse Sapienza. He's abandoned the rest of the Nightwings.

Honestly that was wrapped up in one page, which is a bit disappointing. I really like those characters. I'm glad Dick Grayson is back to being himself because as much as the Ric storyline had potential, they never really went anywhere with it. I'm happy that Bea is sticking around because she seems to be a good influence on him. Nice down to earth character. Will she be more than a love interest? Probably not.

But I am really looking forward to reading these stories again. What are your thoughts on Dick being back?

Ron: Definitely, definitely relieved at the return of Dick Grayson. The Ric Grayson idea worked for maybe two issues. And after that it fell off the wagon. I liked the other Nightwings. I liked how Ric worked with them. I'm really disappointed that they've been discarded so quickly. And I'm really hoping that they actually do come back some way and work with Nightwing, because those are really good characters. We got a lot of backstory from them. And they were working to save the city of Blüdhaven. So I don't feel like they should be left behind like this.

Aside from that, I do really like Bea. There were a few too many moments in the last few issues where they tried to pit Bea against Barbara. I mean, really? Really, in 2020?

What I would really like to see now is how does Bea fit into the Bat-family. She knows everything about Dick Grayson. I want to see her interact with the rest of the family.

Mon: And the last comic book title on my list is Red Hood: Outlaw. I'm actually speechless when it comes to Red Hood. Ron here is the one who introduced me to Jason Todd/ Red Hood. I knew about the character; read about the character. I wasn't interested in reading him that much. But then, you know, somebody here is a fan. But the last few issues have been awful. This final volume before the changing of the guard have been honestly atrocious.

I have wanted to hit Jason in the face… tear up my comic book. Because the art is awful. The characterizations are awful. I'm just not going to go into what happened. It's definitely gone off the deep end. I'm really hoping he gets back to being a readable, relatable character. From issue #51 there's a new team taking it over, so here's hoping.

Ron: I have to agree about Red Hood. I love this character. I have no idea why? Because his solo runs, his team books, they're not good. There are moments of characterization that made me want to read more about Jason and his problems. But overall, his story is so repetitive and so bland.

This last arc has been unmemorable. I don't know what they're doing with it. I don't know where they're going with it. And Jason has not changed in any way.

Mon: I feel like with Jason, he's always stuck in place. And I'm hoping that the new creative team can actually flesh him out more.

Ron: Yeah, it's about time.

So, moving on to what I've been busy with. I have been listening to the 12 Monkeys podcast called, Word of the Witnesses. It's a podcast hosted by two ladies; huge fans of the show. And their very many friends who have all been brought in to the wonderful world of 12 Monkeys. Now, we are talking about the TV show created by Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett. We are not talking about the movie.

However, the show was based on the film. The first season follows the storyline of the film fairly closely. But from the second season onwards, it moves away from that. And it grows.

Mon, you and I started watching the show when it first came out in 2015. We were hooked. We love time travel, so this was definitely up our alley. But the second season was amazing. And then there was a huge break because our lives completely changed. So, we couldn't get to seasons three and four till this year. I managed to watch those two seasons just before the pandemic hit. And then once the pandemic did happen, it was a bit difficult to watch a show about a pandemic. But I’ve been trying to get back into the show again, and I just re-watched the whole thing.

And I still wanted more of the show, so I found this podcast. It's been really enjoyable listening to it. I went through all 53 episodes within a month; no regrets.

I really enjoyed how the hosts went into the mythos of the show. They made so many connections between the various time travel concepts in the show. They found all these Easter eggs that I probably would have missed had I not been re-watching it. And they made connections that I really hadn't even seen before.

But what I also enjoyed was all the theorizing about what certain elements in the show meant. They managed to bring on Terry Matalas and a couple of the writers on the show for interviews. And at one point they did mention that the hosts had found connections that even they hadn't thought of.

It was an enjoyable podcast listen to; it was very engaging. I found that, during the pandemic, I really need to hear conversations. So, for me listening to a podcast where it's a whole bunch of people just talking to each other has been really, really calming. And it's a show that I love, and a bunch of people talking about it with as much love for it as I have, so I've really enjoyed listening to it.

Mon: Well, I haven't heard the podcast myself, but we re-watched the final season of 12 Monkeys together and I felt that you were able to make a lot more connections, A) because you re-watched the entire show just prior to me watching the final season. But also because you'd been listening to the Word of the Witnesses, who gave you all the tidbits and Easter Eggs which would then enhance our watching experience.

I really like how nowadays fans can create content about properties that they really, really love. And it really augments the viewers’ experience.

Ron: Yes, the way that they the way that they spoke about the show. And there were times when during the episodes, they would actually get super emotional because they were so invested in the characters and invested in their journeys. And you could see how much thought had gone into making every part of this show meaningful. And then when they brought on the creators who were also talking about it, you could feel that palpable sense of love for this product, which was often very difficult to create because of budgetary issues. You could just feel it, and it makes you love this show even more.

Mon: Yes, 12 Monkeys was definitely a show that went under the radar for a lot of people. So I'm glad that there's a podcast which is getting the word out there.

So as we talk about things we’ve been listening to, one of our favorite things is audiobooks. And I recently got my hands on a slightly weird one, for me anyway. This is an audiobook of One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London. I heard about this book on NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour. It's another podcast. So I finally requested it from our library.

The story is about plus-size fashion blogger, Bea, and she joins this show which is the equivalent of The Bachelorette, it's called Main Squeeze. She's basically the main squeeze and there are all these 20-odd gentlemen are vying for her affections.

Now, because she's a plus-size person, especially a plus-size woman, she faces situations and comments which the regular Main Squeeze participants won't have faced. And I found that very interesting. We are not used to seeing that many plus-size characters, especially plus-size women, leading romantic or genre properties. And while romance novels and romance stories are really not something that I enjoy, I found that some of the themes—the fatphobic themes—that she faces, they were very relevant and echoed reality. It's actually a tough book to sometimes get through. It's not always happy.

I mean, it's a romance novel, so we can assume that there is going to be a happy ending, we don't know. Because it doesn't seem like it for the longest time. And I'm still in two minds about the ending. Some people may like it, some people may have wanted something different for her. But yeah, give it a shot. If you are looking for something with a different kind of character as a protagonist.

Ron: I’m intrigued. What made you want to read this book? Because a romance story is not up your alley, even if it does have a plus-size character as the lead.

Mon: I think I was just looking for something which may echo a reality which doesn't get represented enough in pop culture. And especially when it comes to plus-size characters, they're usually, you know, sidekicks or completely invisible. So, I really want to see how they approached this topic. I wouldn't say they got everything right. But, the best thing about NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour is that when they recommend something in their ‘What’s Making Me Happy This Week’ section, you are taken in by the enthusiasm of the person pitching this particular product. So that's why I thought, ‘okay, let me give this a shot’. I do think that this is a refreshingly new approach. And it touched on the fact that reality TV at the end of the day is still curated reality. And it's something that you and I have talked about.

Ron: Speaking of audiobooks, I have just been listening to Queen’s Peril by EK Johnston. This is a follow up to Johnston's first book about Padmé Naberrie—aka Queen Amidala, later on, Senator Amidala—Queen’s Shadow.

I love this book so much. I enjoyed Queen’s Shadow a lot. Spending time with Padmé is always amazing. As much as we love the prequels, and yes, we do love the prequels—fight us—Padmé didn’t really get a great ending. So, any stories that give us more of Padmé’s political life, we are definitely up for it.

This book follows Padmé in her early days of becoming Queen of Naboo. She's very young. She's got all these new ideas of how she wants to run the world. And we also get to know a lot about her handmaidens. What I love is that there is some queer content which always makes me happy. I did not expect that, especially in a Star Wars book. But it was so good.

Padmé is a girl. She's a teenager. She's also a queen. She is so smart. She is so witty, she is just amazing. And what I also love about this book is that it ties into The Phantom Menace. But it gives us a whole new perspective. Because you know what's happening and you've got that context, so that enriches the entire experience. I just loved every single moment of this book.

Mon: Yeah, I remember haranguing you to get this book because I loved it so, so much. With Queen’s Shadow, I felt like the author EK Johnston was perhaps a little bit more restrained; it was her first foray into the huge Star Wars universe. I can imagine that there were quite a few studio hands involved. But here in Queen’s Peril, my goodness, it's fluid writing. She knows these characters and she really wants to build up the world that they live in. Every character that we meet has their own arc, they’re fleshed out; you understand their motivations. It's just brilliant to read. And reading about how Padmé and Captain Panaka create her band of bodyguards was so much fun. Each one has their own talents, their abilities, they know their weaknesses, but more than anything, the emphasis put on the sacrifice that they make, I really loved reading about that.

Because these side characters, you know, you can’t just forget about them. ‘Ah, she died because she was a decoy for Queen Amidala’. No, it means a lot to Amidala who these people are. I had so much fun being back in this world from this perspective.

And what I also found funny is that they're still a gaggle of teen girls. They're going to get up to stuff; they're going to be naughty. There’s so much personality given to Padmé and the rest. I really hope that EK Johnston is able to write some more. Let's get back in there with Padmé and the girls.

Ron: Absolutely. She so brilliantly captures this connection that Padmé has with her handmaidens. And you know what I really loved about this, which is also one of the reasons why I loved Queen’s Shadow—I love the politics.

I know a lot of people found the politics in the prequels very difficult to understand. It wasn't very difficult. You just need to have a brain.

Mon: I will never understand people's argument against the politics in the prequels. He was literally echoing what was happening in the news.

Ron: Exactly. So I loved Queen’s Shadow because of that. We get so much insight into how the Senate works, why there’s so much infighting and why certain things just don't get done. And we get to see more of that here. We also get a few hints about how Palpatine gets to rise. And you understand how Padmé has to think on her feet. Because there are so many things that are out of her control, but she needs to keep the peace. So yes, this was such an enjoyable read. I cannot wait for the third part of this trilogy.

Mon: And now on to one of my guilty pleasures. I absolutely and utterly love watching baking shows, cake shows. Anything to do with food, and usually desserts. So, on the Food Network channels, every season, they pretty much have a whole host of themed cooking shows. Since it's the winter and there's so many holidays coming up, we have the Holiday Baking Championship and we have Holiday Wars, which are both different kinds of baking shows.

This year, the formats have changed quite a bit from the previous ones, especially for Holiday Wars. I find it a little less compelling. I feel like it's a little all over the place. I don't know why.

Holiday Baking Championship have a giant table where everybody has to sit at an awkward angle to talk to the contestant. I just keep watching them with their sprained necks and worry about that instead of enjoying the food. But I did notice that the cast of participants looks a lot more diverse than usual. So that's been a long time coming and I hope it is a mainstay.

Aside from that I've caught one episode of Buddy vs. Christmas. Buddy is the Cake Boss in America. And he used to have this competition with fellow cake competitor Duff. But this year, it seems like he is competing on a weekly basis against different cake makers.

The format seems to be that every week they have a theme related to Christmas and they make competing giant displays. I mean, the displays are huge and works of art; works of architectural brilliance and technological brilliance. I do hope that they eat it, but I doubt it. But I have enjoyed seeing what comes out of it.

And ,I hear that we’re in for a new season of Sugar Rush on Netflix, which is so much fun. We really enjoyed the previous season and it seems like they've been trying to get more celebrity guests so let's see who they have this year.

Ron: Yes, nothing like sitting back on a weekend and just watching a baking show. And then we feel like we’re experts on why somebody’s got soggy cake and why somebody else's cake collapsed. Yeah, that's definitely fun.

Speaking of watching things, I have just marathon-watched Julie and the Phantoms. Okay, I thought I was gonna watch a movie. And I decided on Julie and the Phantoms because I've been hearing so much about it. But it turns out that this is actually a TV show. And in 10 episodes the first season wrapped. I really enjoyed this show. It was so much fun.

Mon: Okay, you have to tell me what this show is about. I’ve not heard of it.

Ron: Julie and the Phantoms is about this young girl Julie, played by Madison Reyes, in her very first role. Wow. And she's lost her mother. It's been a year and she's still struggling. One of the things that brought her and her mother together was their love of music. She used to play the piano and she used to sing and now she can't do that because it just reminds her of her mom. So at a crucial moment when she is losing her spot in her music class, three ghosts turn up.

Mon: What?

Ron: These three ghosts died in 1995. And they used to be a band. It actually opens with them. So I'm looking at the screen, looking at 1995 and thinking, ‘oh, that's five years ago’. No, no, it was 25 years ago! It was 25 years ago… Feel old yet?

So, 25 years later, these three members of this band land up in Julie's mother's studio. And they rekindle her love for music and bring her closer to her mom's memory.

At the same time, the three ghosts need to figure out what their unfinished business is because why else are they here? There's a lot of music, there's a lot of singing, there's a lot of dancing; there are so many sweet moments. There are some really, really heartbreaking moments as well. Because the three boys, they died when they were 17. So they've left family behind. And they need to come to terms with that as well.

Of course, Julie and her loss is palpable in every moment that she plays a song. But for the most part, it's quite light, it's quite jovial. There are some laugh out loud moments that I really enjoyed. It's a really, really sweet TV show.

And I really am hoping that there's going to be a second season, because it ends on a cliff-hanger. There's plenty of room for them to grow.

I also love the fact that there are some queer characters in this show. It's not overstated, it's there, it's quite obvious. But it's really sweet. Because two of the band members, they realize that their fellow band member has fallen for a ghost. And they're just like, ‘oh, you have a crush on this ghost friend, that's why you're late for practice’. That's it, even though they're from 1995. So, I was like, oh, that's a relief. So yeah, it was really sweet.

One of the things that I found quite interesting, which I have been noticing in content for young people, is that, when we were growing up, content that was made for us which featured straight couples, generally the boy would not dance. It was this weird thing that would always bother me. You'd have the girl who was always, you know, happily dancing. But the boys? Oh, no, no, they don't do that. But you don't see that now that much. Especially not in this show. Everybody was dancing quite happily. Gay, straight, whatever. So that was really fun!

I love that Julie is a young girl of color, which is still a rarity in pop culture nowadays. Madison Reyes is a really good singer. She has an amazing voice. She dances very well. I'm looking forward to seeing more of this child.

Mon: Well, you’ve always been a fan of musicals. I'm so happy that they keep making these good ones nowadays.

Ron: It was so much fun. And the second season could possibly expand on the mythos that you've already learned in this season. But it was great. It was light. We need something light right now. And that's exactly what we needed.

Mon: Okay, so now on to our weekly favorites. I've been recapping Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 at Show Snob. This has got to be my favorite season, so far. It is so exciting; so fun. It starts off with Michael Burnham, played by Sonequa Martin-Green, she lands in the future and she's all alone. The rest of the crew haven't arrived. When she's reunited with her crew, how does everyone deal with being in the new future? What does the future look like? What's their new mission? Is there a mission? It's been incredible.

I think the creators feel like they’ve finally been able to shed the constraints of being a prequel to the original Star Trek show. Now they can just do whatever they want, create as many different worlds and characters that they want. It's been fun. It's really been exciting. I love the Easter eggs and throwbacks, there are so many of them! We've watched seven episodes so far, which is kind of partway through, and I think they've found their feet.

One thing I'd say about this season is that it's been a little bit more chaotic. I feel like they have a lot of loose threads which are only now trying to get streamlined. There’s also been a lot of characters introduced, we see them for an episode or a few scenes, then they disappear. So it's a little bit bittersweet. I'm hoping for it to get better and better.

Ron: Yes, the cast of Discovery has increased a great deal in this season. And I do like the additions of Adira, Gray, and Book. They're great. They're fun.

But the crew of Discovery itself, we get to see a bit more of them from time to time, which is also quite nice because we've seen them in the background. Especially the Bridge crew; they're always there, a lot of them are Canadians, so, we’ve got our eye on them. But, now we're actually getting to know a little bit more about their personalities and how they work.

Of course, it's all against the background of them being completely displaced from everything that they know and love. So that does change the dynamic between the characters, and also how they feel about their new existence.

I love Sonequa Martin-Green’s Michael Burnham, I've loved her since the first episode. She is so great. I feel like I meet a friend every week when I see her. I'm so fascinated by her direction. She's somebody who was introduced to us in the very first episode as a logical Vulcan who believed so strongly in the Starfleet way of life. And then it all changed because she may have been brought up as a Vulcan, but she was still human. And the moment she got an opportunity to make a difference and get revenge, basically, for the death of her parents, she took that chance, and it changed the way the Federation worked.

Every season, she’s been a fish out to water, trying to fit in. By the end of the second season, she found her home with Discovery, and once again she's been displaced from them. She's still looking for another way to connect with these people whom she does love, but there's a rift between them. And it's not her fault and it's not their fault. But it's just the circumstances that Michael always finds herself in. She's just a great compelling character. I think, after B'Elanna Torres, Michael Burnham would probably be my second favorite; she's just amazing.

Mon: One of the bolder moves by the creators in this season has been changing up the Federation. We're not going to go too much into that—no spoilers here. But I have to say that it makes for a compelling story.

We are so used to Star Trek properties really coasting on the idea of utopia. But there's more to it. There's more to the world and I think that, in 2020, when we are faced with the realities of what people are really like. I'm not entirely sure a beatific view of the future is practical. But let's hope that Discovery finds some kind of utopia eventually.

Ron: Yes, because Star Trek has always been about hope, and Discovery has often struggled with that kind of hope. The first season was all about war. The second season was a little bit more hopeful. This season, it's there but they’re struggling to find it.

They're in a position now to actually bring in some kind of hope. We're seeing that from time to time in the episodes that we've seen so far. But, it's a very different kind of Star Trek from previous iterations. I would say that it's quite dark from time to time.

Mon: It's dark but it's not melancholic, and there is an underlying theme of hope and positivity and optimism, which I assume, by the end of the season, will come to fruition.

Ron: Absolutely. And another show that we've been watching on the regs is The Mandalorian Season 2.

The first season had its ups and downs. There were some really good episodes; there were some poor episodes. We found the first episode to be a little bit turgid. The second season has been far more accomplished.

From the first episode of the second season onwards the editing has been much tighter, the storylines have been more engaging. Even for the episodes that were a bit slower in terms of plot there was still enough there to keep you interested in what was happening.

I think one of the things that people will definitely love about this season is how it's connected to the rest of the Star Wars universe, not just the films, but also the animated shows, as well as the books, maybe even the video games, we don't know yet. There has been some speculation but nothing has been nothing has yet been confirmed. So stay tuned on that.

We've been enjoying it. Baby Yoda has had some moments. He does seem to be doing things that aren't always very good. I don't know how I feel about him; he's adorable. He's adorable. But some of the things that he does… his actions are a bit questionable at times, even though he is Baby Yoda.

Mando himself hasn't really seen much growth this season. I felt like in the first season, you know, he started off as a bounty hunter. He found Baby Yoda and then it changed how he felt about his job and his mission. He no longer just wanted Beskar for the heck of it. He had a person to protect, and it changed his way of life.

This season, as fun as it is to watch him and Baby Yoda go from planet to planet, and from more ridiculous circumstances to others. Mando himself really hasn't changed much from the start of this season. So, I feel like the last few episodes will have some work wrapping that up.

Mon: I know that Mando has really stagnated in his characterization, but it's been such an adventure. Each episode has been an adventure on a new planet. And it's shown how Mando and the Child have connected more. It’s expanded the universe of the live-action show, and I’ve enjoyed that much more than if we were forced to watch Mando grow in some contrived or inauthentic fashion.

Honestly, this feels like a Star Wars show mainly because you never know what you’ll spot or who you’ll spot from other properties. So I'm probably in the minority here, but I really don't mind that he's like, ‘I'm on a quest; I’m on a quest, I'm on a quest’. Literally his only refrain for the first three episodes—he's moved on from saying that, at least.

Because as a character, he's so cool. Like, even when you watched Jango Fett and Boba Fett. These helmeted creatures, you don't really care about who they are as people. They just looked so cool. And a lot of the characterization, their arcs, their motivations, they come through despite that, it comes through in their actions. I really liked how they've brought in different aspects of the universe.

I kind of wish they wouldn't tell us in advance. Like, stop promoting and sending us news. Let us be surprised from time to time. And that was what used to be the mainstay of any Star Wars property. I don't know why, ever since Disney's taken over, they just tell us everything. No, we need to be surprised as fans. Ah, anyway. But the show, the cinematography is outstanding. It really feels like Star Wars and some of the direction… it's like, nothing has changed in the best way possible.

Ron: Shut out to Bryce Dallas Howard, and Carl Weathers; their episodes were just so good. So good.

Those were Star Wars episodes. It felt like we'd never left this universe from 1977. It was just such an enjoyable experience. You could see that these directors had grown up with these properties, they love these properties so much that their vision was what a fan would make. It was so much fun.

But for me, Mando’s lack of growth wasn't really bothering me that much until ‘Chapter 13’, where I was like, ‘what's he gonna do after this?’. Like, there needs to be more to this character. I think he's working as an audience stand-in a bit too much this season. Whereas in season one, you couldn't help but question some of his motives and everything that he did you were always on tenterhooks about what his next action was.

I like that he’s firmly a good guy now. But he's dangerously close to becoming a boring, good guy.

Mon: Well, I hope that's not the case and that Mando does get some growth. I'd like to see where his relationship with the Child eventually goes. There's only so much you can do with a little green puppet.

Ron: Baby Yoda is so cute that literally everybody is just gonna watch the show because it's the Baby Yoda show. He's really adorable as I said. But there are some moments where I feel like Mando now needs to start parenting. You can't just have Baby Yoda around, you need to do something about it because there have been moments where you're like, ‘Mando, watch your son!’

I guess that's the kind of growth that I do want to see. And I feel like that may happen in the next few episodes because all this while, he was on a very specific quest, and all the episodes that we’ve seen so far… Him having to planet hop was basically because he needed to finish this quest and there was something always waylaying him.

But, it's been great watching these characters from the Expanded Universe turn up, they fit in beautifully. I have to say a special shout out to Timothy Olyphant’s Cobb Vanth. I have no idea why, but this guy was amazing. I have seen Timothy Olyphant in other stuff but, oh my god, he was really good. I really enjoyed watching him.

And all the special guests who've been turning up have been doing a great job.

Despite our enjoyment of the show, there have been some controversies around the actors in the show. So, do be aware of that when you're watching it. It does tend to suck out some of the joy in watching this season because it has been really good. These characters are amazing. But pop culture doesn't exist in a vacuum, and we need to recognize that.

Having said that, as fans of the franchise, The Mandalorian Season 2 is doing the work to not only engage with us, but to entice new fans who may just be watching this show or may have just come in through the sequel trilogy to watch and read more of this Expanded Universe.

I've really enjoyed the episodic nature of this season, probably more than the previous season. One of the difficulties that sequels have is that they want to be bigger and better. This season seems to have gone in the other direction, and it works.

Mon: Yeah, despite introducing more characters. They have limited arcs, relevant arcs, and they drive the plot forward, and that's what's important. At the end of the day it's a great fan experience and what more could we ask for?

Ron: Tell us what you've been watching and share any recommendations that you may have.

Ron: You can find us on Twitter @Stereo_Geeks. Or send us an email [email protected]

Ron: We hope you enjoyed this episode. And see you next week!

Mon: The Stereo Geeks logo was created using Canva. The music for our podcast comes courtesy Audionautix.

[Continuum by Audionautix plays]

Transcription by Otter.ai and Mon.

#star trek: discovery #the mandalorian #star wars #padme amidala #julie and the phantoms #holiday baking #food network #batman #nightwing #red hood #12 Monkeys

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scandalsavagefanfic · 6 years ago

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All right. I’m still mad. So here it is. The post I rage-wrote (my new favorite term) last night:

I don’t know what Tom King means by “murders that weren’t” but unless it means that no one actually died at Sanctuary and Wally isn’t actually a killer (accidental or otherwise), I’m pulling the fucking trigger on all the things that I’ve though about doing but haven’t because I love comics and I want more.

I won’t buy HiC #9

I’ll drop Flash

I’ll drop Nightwing

I’ll drop Batman

I’ll drop everything Bendis

I won’t buy anything with King’s name on it for a while (unless it’s an Image book)

In fact, I’ll drop pretty much everything. And I buy a lot of fucking books.

I won’t renew my DC Universe subscription.

I will continue with RH because hilariously, even though it’s quality has dropped after Rebirth too, it is still, somehow, one of your better books right now.

I will continue with JL because I will always support the hell out of Scott Snyder. I’ve never seen a more humble, gracious, caring, considerate, understanding creator in my life.

Honestly, DC, what the actual fuck are you thinking? Making Wally a killer? Don’t you know how to read the room? I know you have a disdain for your fans, that you seem to think that anything they like is dumb and if they don’t like something it’s because they ‘don’t get it’ but Christ, man, come on.

Over a year ago at Wonder Con (it may have been Comic Con, they blur together) I sat in a room while a panel of creators asked the audience who their favorite Flash was. Flash War was starting, Heroes In Crisis was coming up, and we’d been hearing worrisome things in regards to Wally, the face of Rebirth. The room full of fans let you know, clearly and unequivocally, what we thought. When half the panel looked surprised that Wally beat Barry by an extremely wide margin, I tried convince myself that you’d listen and course correct.

But you didn’t. You doubled down.

Batman 50 was an appalling manipulation of fans. Truly disgusting. Not on a story level which is the only reason I kept buying the book after that fiasco. If it had been marketed for what is was, just the next issue in the arc, there would have been no problems. But in bad faith, knowing precisely what you were doing, you tricked us.

And then I sat in a room at Comic Con and listen to some of your top people make fun of fans who were upset, as though they were overreacting. As though you didn’t knowingly and maliciously tell everyone that the book was something it wasn’t in one of the lowest corporate cash-grabs I’ve ever seen in my life.

For the love of god, pull your shit together. I don’t want everything to be owned by fucking Disney but you’re starting to make that look like the best bad option.

Off the top of my head:

Fire whoever decided to cancel Super Sons. It had nothing but positive feedback. If its sales were lower than you’d like MARKET IT!

Put the fucking reigns on Bendis or let him walk and free up that capital for hungry new writers who won’t trash good stuff just because they think their idea is better. Why do we need two 17 year old Superboys? Why do we need two Robins? Yeah, yeah, I know ‘there’s a reason, just wait’ and ‘the story is still going’ 🙄 I know I’ve heard that before... *cough* HiC *cough* Batman *cough*. The fact is, you had the first really good Superman stuff in a long ass time and you sacrificed it in favor of big name with just more boring, action-over-storytelling/character plot lines

Hey speaking of dick. No one likes Ric. Literally, not a soul. The longer you keep this shit up the lower Nightwing sales are gonna drop. Everyone still buying the book is only hanging on because we keep thinking this ridiculousness is going to end.

I don’t know if you need new content editors, new top brass, or what (it’s not my job to know), but you keep making the same story/creative mistakes over and over and over again. It’s asinine that you can’t figure this out.

The New Age of Superheroes was a fun idea but it was never going to work out. I saw that. The clerk at my local cbs saw that. You should have seen that.

You know what would be a good idea? Like instant money, so obvious no one can figure out why you haven’t done it yet, kind of good? A fucking Bat-Family book. Give Tomasi and Gleason the core four batboys and let them do a spiritual successor to their Batman and Robin, Superman, and Super Sons books with the extended family and friends popping in and out of issues/arcs. Use Batman sparingly. You don’t even have to create another book. Detective Comics is the perfect place for this. And hey look, Tomasi is already there! (You probably wouldn’t even have to market this but, you know, it couldn’t hurt.)

OWN the crap out of Batman Damned and what Black Label should be like the adults you ostensibly are. You can’t take a few dick jokes? Really? Come on.

Content geared towards adults is a great idea. We’re the ones with the money. But most adults like a variety. I like Archer and TTG. I like Futurama and Justice League Unlimited. You should have left Young Justice alone.

Speaking of Young Justice. A spin off Batfamily should would free up space on YJ and give you a place to go darker, more adult focus if you wanted.

That proposed Superfam cartoon going around that you passed on? Fucking. Make. It.

You have a lot of problems. And pretending your fans don’t know what they’re talking about is only going to do one thing. Keep losing you fans.

#god I'm so fucking pissed about Wally #grrr #scandal's wild rambles #HiC spoilers #heroes in crisis #spoilers #heroes in crisis spoilers #fix dc #in my not so humble opinion

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megwritesfanfiction · 7 years ago

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Let Go, Chapter 3/?? (Raven/??)

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. This is a work of fiction that I am not making a profit off of.

A/N: Here we go update! Here we go!!

Did you miss the first two chapters? I got you, fam! Chapter One Chapter Two

Flashback

Her nose wrinkled as she tried to hide her amusement. “That isn’t cliche.” Raven spoke as she turned to hide her grin, but the sarcasm was evident in her voice.

“Oh, really?” Beast Boy laughed, following her down the aisle of the bookstore. He tucked the graphic novel he’d selected underneath his arm as he followed her as if she were prey. “Really now? You wanna go there?”

“I’m just saying.” Raven’s voice was light and teasing as she picked up a novel. “It’s cliche. The whole superhero story?” They lived it. She never understood why he wanted to ready about it.

“And that isn’t?” He eyed the romance novel in her hand. He plucked the book from her hand, placing the book against his forehead. “Don’t tell me…” Beast Boy’s brow furrowed in mock concentration, “Boy meets girl. Boy likes girl, and girl likes boy. There’s mutual attraction and chemistry, even if it’s the love hate thing or friends to lovers, but…” He paused dramatically as he pretended to struggle, “enter conflict. Boy and girl are separated by conflict, but then are somehow brought back together in a whirlwind of emotion.”

“You know-“

“Or one of them dies,” he smirked, handing her back the book, “and then there is some bullshit sappy, light hearted feel good ending that eases the main character’s suffering.”

Raven nudged him, turning her back to him as she focused on the selection of books.

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game, mama,” Beast Boy spoke, flashing a brilliantly flirty smile at her as he moved rested his chin to her shoulder.

“That’s fair,” She nodded, looking at another book and ignoring the blush creeping up her neck. “But your comics-“

“Graphic novels.”

“Graphic novels,” she corrected as she continued to shop for a book, “are just as cliche as any romance novel.”

“No, it is no-“

“Name one superhero who doesn’t have a tragic origin story,” Raven smirked. She casually picked up a book, reading the summary on the back as she waited for a response. The empath felt him stiffen behind her. “I’m waiting…”

“Mama…”

She hated that pet name. “I thought we agreed Rae was acceptable,” Raven murmured, more to herself than speaking to him.

“Babe...”

She also hated that pet name.

“A tragic origin is absolutely an essential catalyst in the creation of a hero.”

He never ceased to amaze her. Only Beast Boy had the ability to speak so eloquently about comic books. She loved it. “I get that, but it’s cliche.”

“Nooo…”

“Yea…” Raven teased, imitating his tone.

“It’s not the same thing.”

“Well you can’t have a great love story without conflict,” she argued, picking up another book.

His eyebrows raised. “Disagree.”

“I mean,” she shrugged. “I don’t mean fighting-“

“Yea.”

“I mean, love isn’t easy. In reality, there are ups and downs,” Raven told him. “I feel like great love stories have challenges. Things like separations, fights, death, break ups, whatever… makes the love story more meaningful.”

“I get it,” Beast Boy sighed as he nodded, leaning against the self in front of her, “but…”

Raven stopped. Her arms wrapped around the novel she picked as her eyes rose to meet his gaze. For a moment, his eyes were too green and too vulnerable.

“I’d like to think not all love stories are complicated.” His smile was soft.

She nodded, returning his smile. “I’d like to think not all heroes are broken.”

Flash Forward

“Do you care if I smoke?”

She wrinkled her nose in surprise. “You smoke?” Raven was really in no position to judge him, but she couldn’t help her initial reaction of surprise.

“I know,” Roy smirked, placing a cigarette between his lips. He rolled down his window and hoped to bypass the ‘smoking is bad’ lecture. “It’s bad for me,” he murmured, lighting it. “I am well aware that it’s disgusting, and it’s going to kill me.”

Raven smirked, fingers wiggling a bit as she continued to drive. “I don’t care,” she shrugged. “I’m basically the patron saint of the goth scene in Jump.” She was practically immune to it.

“The patron saint of the Jump City faction of goths,” Roy repeated with a snort. “I love it.”

“What?”

He inhaled deeply as laughter bubbled from his chest. “That is probably the greatest thing I’ve heard all week.”

“Not to brag-”

“Please,” he gestured graciously. “I need to know about your journey to canonization.” He couldn’t stop laughing. “Brag.”

She shrugged keeping the smirk from her lips, adjusting the rear view mirror. “It’s not that exciting.” Her eyes drifted to the clock docked between them. They were only a few hours into their cross country drive, and she welcomed the mindless conversation.

“I beg to differ,” Roy disagreed taking a puff. His head and eyes tipped in her direction as he wiggled his eyebrows. “I have to hear this.”

With a chuckle, she exhaled loudly as she adjusted herself in the driver’s seat. “Okay.”

“Excellent,” he grinned.

“There’s a club in downtown Jump called Nyx and Erebus that, I may or may not have frequented regularly.”

“I honestly can’t decide what’s more amusing,” his grin grew wider than the Cheshire Cat. “The fact that the goth club is named after the Greek deities for night and darkness or that you go clubbing.”

“I don’t go ‘clubbing’.” She rested her wrists against the wheel to ensure she could quote him properly. Raven didn’t even have time to express her delight and shock at his Greek mythology knowledge.

“Regularly attending a venue for the purpose of debauchery-“

“No!” Raven laughed. “No debauchery. Just a bunch of goth kids raving with glow sticks and smoking.” Not mention some drinking and drug use.

Roy sighed, his smile ridiculous. “I gotta say,” he gave her a little shrug as he leaned toward her with a pout. “I’m hurt that you’ve never mentioned this to me or haven’t taken me.”

Whatever.

“I mean,you let your team know this part of you, and I get it they’re your team, but,” he paused dramatically as he took another drag. “I am your grilled cheese buddy. We’ve broken bread together. The fact that you’ve never shared this information with me hurts.”

“Actually,” she corrected, eyes glancing to the GPS for a second as she continued her drive. Raven couldn’t help but wonder how their conversation drifted to this randomness, and she wouldn’t admit how much she was enjoying this. “My team never went to Nyx and Erebus with me.”

“Seriously?”

She nodded. “Seriously,” Raven confirmed.

“How?”

Her shoulders shrugged as she turned onto the interstate. “Honestly? I didn’t think they’d be into it.” Her teammates had nothing against clubs. The often frequented bars and clubs during their team nights, and Raven knew they wouldn’t object in joining her at her usual venue.

“Bullshit,” Roy chuckled. “Starfire finds the delight in everything, so the fact that Starfire is happy would make Nightwing happy. Cyborg wouldn’t complain even if he wanted to…”

“That’s fair.”

“And I’m sure Changeling and Terra would all over the dance floor…”

Raven felt her heart sink at the mention of that particular couple. “I know, I just-” The thought of those two evading her personal space made her irrationally angry. For a brief moment, the easiness of their conversation caused her forget some of the things that plagued her. “I just-“ What would be safe answer?

Roy’s eyebrows raised.

“Nyx and Erebus is my place. It was something away from the tower and the team. I was some girl with purple hair would just wanted to dance.” Partly true.

“I dig that,” he nodded, eyes examining her closely. He pushed his questions back and favored optimism. “We’ll find you a place all your own in Steel,” Roy smiled.

“I can’t wait.” Her excited smile was accented with sullen eyes.

Hell was freezing over.

Or had already frozen over.

Green eyes darted around the kitchen as he slowly brought another mouthful of cream of wheat to his lips. Still observing, he reached for another piece of toast as he tried to process the scene.

First, he’d woken up at a reasonable hour.

Early.

Changeling, by some miracle or divine intervention, managed to open his eyes before the chime of his alarm. He’d kissed the sleeping blonde next to him and gotten an early start on his day. After a refreshing shower, he made in record time to the kitchen.

NIghtwing was up, no surprise there. He was at the kitchen table brooding over what Changeling could safely assume he was on his second or third cup of coffee judging by pile of newspaper in front him.

He gave the masked Titan a little nod, before getting a large pot of water on the stove for breakfast. Since he managed to beat Cyborg to the kitchen, he figured he might as well make breakfast for everyone.

He smirked curled on his lips as he pulled the ingredients for breakfast.

Cream of wheat, toast, and fruit sounded perfect to him.

While he waited for the water to boil and the oven to heat, Starfire and Terra entered the kitchen. Starfire greeted him with a seemingly half hearted chirp,and Terra kissed him sweetly before taking her seat. Changeling finished cooking and promptly served breakfast before taking his own seat. With a happy sigh, he tossed some blueberries into his hot cereal and buttered his toast.

“Looks good.” Terra smirked, placing banana slices in her own bowl.

Starfire gave a smile smile as she nodded in agreement. She sprinkled a bit of sugar in her bowl before stirring it absentmindedly. “Indeed,” she added.

The changeling hadn’t even noticed when Cyborg entered the kitchen; but when he saw the gleam of metal from the corner of his eye, Changeling couldn’t help the devious smirk curling on his lips.

“I already made breakfast,” he tried to keep his tone even in the midst of him intentionally antagonizing his friend.

Changeling was surprised at the metal man’s silence when he approached the stove, and he was down right bewildered when joined them at the table with his own bowl. Changeling watched wordlessly as Cyborg ate the cream of wheat without complaint.

He counted on him at least making a couple slices, or a pack, of bacon to go with the meal. But, Cyborg settled for a few slices of cantaloupe and some raspberries to go with his hot cereal and toast.

Unsure of what to think or say, the Changeling kept eating in the silent kitchen. The scratch and squeak of spoons against the ceramic bowls echoed off the walls and unnerved him. His eyes settled on the empty chair across from him as slowly realized they were short a Titan.

“Where’s Raven?”

“That’s gross.”

Roy raised an uninterested eyebrow as he took another bite of the massive sandwich in front of him. “It’s delicious,” he told her, mouth full of melted cheese as he stuffed a few ketchup soaked fries in his mouth.

Raven shook her head, eyeing her own sandwich strangely. How the hell was she supposed to eat this thing?

The sun had just started peeking over the horizon when the bright neon lights of the diner came into view. They’d been on the road for a little over six hours, and Roy insisted this place had the best grilled cheese sandwiches in town.

Raven looked at the long stretch of empty road, darkness, and dust around them. She quickly insisted that this diner must be the only thing in town. Placing the car in park, her violet eyes looked at the diner curiously. The seafoam wood panel walls were weathered and faded below the bright pink neon sign. Raven noticed small signs in the window hanging in front of discolored blinds. There were a few trucks parked in the dirt lot and lights on inside.

They were open, but would they serve grilled cheese at this early hour?

Her question was quickly answered. Before they could settle in booth, Roy flashed the waitress a dazzling smile and ordered two grilled cheese specials with extra cheese.

The grilled cheese special consisted of several selections of cheese melted between two thick slices of bread with a large serving of fries and coleslaw.

“My arteries are clogged looking at this thing,” Raven sighed wondering how her companion was able to unhinge his jaw to bite his sandwich. How many much cheese did they use?

“You’re being dramatic,” Roy smirked as he continued attacking his sandwich. “What the hell are you doing?”

Raven looked down at her sandwich, gesturing with the knife and fork in her hands. “There is no way I can bite into that thing.”

“You haven’t tried,” he dismissed, taking another bite to finish off the first half of his sandwich.

She dropped the cutlery with a sigh. “I’m gonna be covered in cheese.” Raven delicately dipped a fry in ketchup, nibbling on it.

“Rae,” Roy started, messily eating his own french fries covered with ketchup. “We’re on a road trip. Calories don’t count, and junkfood is a must.”

Raven gave a theatrical sigh as she picked up one of the halves of her sandwich. “This is going to be messy.” Her lips twisted into a little frown.

Roy shrugged with an obvious lewd smirk. “Some of the best things in life are messy.”

She took a large bite in the sandwich, struggling to catch and control the strings of cheese that stretched.

She shrugged. “It’s good though,” she decided, chewing as delicately as she could. “Crap,” she commented, rushing to chew. Dropping her sandwich to her plate, she picked up a napkin.

“What?”

“Phone’s ringing,” she informed him, pulling out her phone. “And my hands are covered in grease.”

He shook his head. “No phones during grilled cheese breakfast time,” Roy told her. “If it’s important, they’ll leave a message.”

True.

Ignoring the screen, she placed her on on silent before sliding it back into her pocket. She picked up her sandwich resuming her breakfast. “This is a lot of cheese,” Raven commented, hand covering her full mouth as she struggled to chew. “Probably too much cheese.”

“No such thing,” Roy told her seriously pointing one of his fries at her.

To be Continued...

#teen titans #teen titans fanfiction #raven #beast boy #roy harper #bbrae #royrae #speedy #speedyrae #let go

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coolgirl · 7 years ago

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how do i start reading about the batkids i’m really overwhelmed help

fuck it if I know… probably the smartest way to tackle it is to follow this list, which pretty much covers the vital Batman related arcs. PERSONALLY, I don’t care about reading about all the batkids, I just picked my favorite ones and just.. read everything I could about them (and lucky for me my favorite batkids don’t have thousands and thousands of comics so ! yay!) here’s some reading orders I made (except for the Damian one)

Jason Todd

Stephanie Brown

Cassandra Cain

Damian Wayne

Duke Thomas

Okay so, if u wanna read it in some kind of order, heres a bit of a general chronological-ish list thats probably innacurate bc i haven’t read all of these and the ones i did read was.. a long time ago. anyways, i hope this is useful, and again, imo its not necessary to read everything in order, but this might help to know a bit whats the timeline of some major events i guess? also i’m definitely going to be editing this post as people point out the mistakes rip!

(the batkids i added to this timeline are the ones that have active roles in rebirth atm, Dick, Barbara, Jason, Helena, Tim, Stephanie, Cass, Damian, Duke, and the basics of Azrael, Kate, and Luke because i love them)

Dick’s time as Robin (that i have no clue how it goes but uuuh read Robin Year One / The Long Halloween / Dark Victory / The New Teen Titans up until #53)

Batgirl: Year One

Birth of the Demon and Son of the Demon (here’s the original comic about Damian getting conceived)

Jason time as Robin (post crisis) stop before death in the family

Nightwing: Year One

Batgirl Special #1 - The Last Batgirl Story

unfortunately… you gotta at least know a bit of what the killing joke is about

NOW read death in the family… two blows one after the other, If you’re reading the trade that includes a lonely place of dying DON’T read that yet

now you can read the rest of the new teen titans up to #59

now A Lovely Place of Dying, which is Tim’s introduction.

rest of ntt if u wanna

NOW for oracle!barbara you can either read the suicide squad comics as a whole, which includes little hints of her coming back, or you can skip to issues #48 and #49. Then The Batman Chronicles #5.

Huntress Vol. 1 - Helena Bertinelli’s introduction

NOW! Steph’s introduction happened on Detective Comics #618

Stephanie’s list, if you’re following the whole list stop at Robin #70 (Tim’s solo is really good to know about them)

Azrael vol. 1: Fallen Angel - Azrael’s introduction

Batman: Knightfall - you know the infamous pic of bane snapping batman’s back like a stick? here it is.

Nightwing (1996)

Young Justice (1998) (NOT the one based on the tv show)

Birds of Prey i would say.. up to #7

Batman: No Man’s Land

now it’s Cass Time! Batman #567 was her introduction, and Detective Comics #734 n Legends of the Dark Knight #120 are vital to her story.

Batman & Huntress: A Cry for Blood / Huntress: Year One

Titans (1999)

Batman Gotham Knights (2000-2006) is a good comic for batfam interactions

Rest of Birds of Prey ig

Teen Titans (2003)

Batman: Hush

Batgirl Volume 1 up to #52

War Games (when Stephanie dies rip)

rest of Batgirl

Batman Lost Days / Batman: Under the Red Hood

Robin #172-174 (2008) steph comes back!!

Batman: Batman and Son He (Damian) is here babette

Batgirl volume 2 (2008-2009) and Batman and the Outsiders (2009) are good cass comics up to #14

Robin/Spoiler Special (2008)

Batman R.I.P.

Final Crisis

Batman: Last Rites

battle for the cowl SUCKS the only important thing to know is that Dick is Batman now

Batman & Robin (2011) up to #12

Batwoman: Elegy

Batgirl (2009) up to #14

The Black Mirror is a really good bats dick story.. or so i’ve been told

Red Robin

Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #1-4

Batman and robin from #13 to #14

Batman: Return of Bruce wayne #5-6

Batman and Robin #15-16

Batman:The Return

Batman INC. (2011)

everything else in Batman and Robin, and Batgirl

Gates of Gotham #1-5 (2011)

OK NOW.. N52. So new 52 was the reboot and it basically just took everything i just mentioned and threw it out of a fucking window. Changes: Barbara is Batgirl again, Cass and Stephanie didnt exist in this timeline for like four years, somehow Jason isnt such a dick, i think Damian didn’t get so fucked over, and uuuh i have no clue what happened with Dick and Tim but i think their whole story with their teams (teen titans / titans / young justice) got incredibly fucked over. Almost every single member of the Batfam (that didn’t get booted from this contuinity) got either a solo or a team book, which are. super good to start, reading order be dammed, but the batfam went through a lot of shit (court of owls, the joker, bruce kinda died, jim gordon became batman, bruce didnt remember anything, dick kinda died and got exposed but came back as a spy, damian died, bruce lost his mind, they kinda went to hell, damian came back, dozens of robins ran around, etc etc etc) so im gonna try to order it as best as i can T__T

Batman, Vol. 4 (Secret City) / DC Comics: Zero Year / Batman, Vol. 5 (Dark City)- Okay so, this wasnt the starting storyline for New 52 but its basically the basis of the batfam and co and introduces Duke and Harper so it’s kinda vital.

Ok so here you can start reading the first volume of.. any of the titles lol. Red Hood and the Outlaws / Batgirl / Batwing / Nightwing / Batman and Robin / Teen Titans

Batman: The Night Of The Owls

Batwoman (2011-2015)

Batman INC up to #6 - im gonna be honest this run fucking sucks but uh important stuff happens here

Nightwing / Red Hood and the Outlaws / Batgirl / Batman and Robin / Batwing / Teen Titans Vol. 2 (approx the issue #9 of all these runs were included in the Night of the Owls crossover)

Death Of The Family - this one.. bad.. but ig its important

Nightwing / Red Hood and the Outlaws / Batgirl / Batman and Robin / Batwing / Teen Titans Vol. 3

Batman INC #7-8 - okay so. Damian’s death.

Requiem / Batman and Robin: Requiem - the aftermath of Damian’s death. The first one isn’t collected afaik so i liked you to a reading order if you’re interested

Nightwing / Red Hood and the Outlaws / Batgirl / Batwing / Titans Vol. 4 (here’s Luke Fox’s introduction!)

Forever Evil - the one where shit happens to Dick that i think leads to Grayson and all that spy bs

Yeah.. Grayson now (vol 1-2) - Helena gets re-introduced here!

Red Hood and the Outlaws / Batgirl / Batwing / Teen Titans Vol. 5

Batman Eternal - where Steph gets re-introduced

Batman and Robin: Robin Rises

Batman Endgame (Batman #35 -#36, Batman Annual #3, Batman #37- #39) - Duke is back!!

Grayson Vol 3

Superheavy (Batman #41-44 / Detective Comics #41-46) - ok so Bruce is gone and now Jim Gordon is Batman.. just nod and smile

Ok so now, Red Hood and the Outlaws and Batgirl don’t get involved in any big storylines anymore, and Teen Titans started from #1 again.

Teen Titans Vol. 1-2

We are Robin Vol 1

Batman and Robin Eternal - where Cass gets re-introduced

Robin: Son of Batman Vol. 1

Red Hood/Arsenal Vol. 1

Robin War

Grayson Vol 4

Teen Titans Vol. 3-4

Red Hood/Arsenal Vol.2

We Are Robin Vol. 2

Robin Son of Batman Vol. 2

Super Heavy Part 2 (Detective Comics #47-52 / Batman #47-52 )

OKAY SO. Rebirth is a continuation of New 52, but with some changes bc almost every single damn character got.. lets say nerfed, and people didnt like it so they’re slowly bringing back some elements from pre 52. Here basically just read whatever whenever unless you wanna get into like. the metal event. then i would recommend you to start off the bat with that to get it out of the way as some comics have tie ins. Then heres where the kids appear

All-Star Batman (2016-2017): Bruce and Duke

Batgirl (2016): Barbara and sometimes Dick

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey (2016): Barbara, Dick, and Helena

Batman (2016): originally Bruce and Duke but now its the Batman and Catwoman show

(if you’re interested in Duke i would say to read those two first as it explains where his character stands on Rebirth)

Batman and the Signal (2017): pretty self explanatory

Batman/Shadow (2017): Damian appears sometimes but.. i heard Bruce is a dick to him here so fuck it

Batwoman (2017): Kate and Julia

Detective Comics (2016): Cassandra, Azrael, Kate, Tim, and Stephanie

Nightwing (2016): Dick, and sometimes Damian and Helena.

Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016): Just Jason except for the annual that had Dick too

Teen Titans (2016): Damian.. baby boy leads a team

Titans (2016): Dick

Super Sons (2017): Damian team sup with Jon Kent (Superman’s kid)

and finaaally.. some elseworld stories (basically aus) that have cute batkids interactions

Tiny Titans (2008-2015)

Lil’ Gotham (2013-2014)

#this is. a lot.#i added the dates to some bc theres multiple comics numbered like that #and linked the biggest arcs that have like. lots of issues #ANYWAYS THIS IS GONNA BE SO CONFUSING SORRY I DONT KNOW HOW TO LIST ANYMORE.. I lost my touch T___T #faq #??#anonymous

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dc-x-readers · 8 years ago

Text

Leave Me (Jaime Reyes x Reader)

Request: Could you do a blue beetle x reader where the reader is from el Paso and is a close friend with Jaime and is the only one who knows he’s blue beetle but the reader gets kidnapped and blue has to save them? Sorry to bug…

This one kind of took on a mind of it’s own. I was not expecting any of this to happen, but I hope you like it. This is also my first gender neutral piece, so be kind. I found it so difficult to write gender neutral, I hope nothing is too awkward

Trigger Warnings: Fighting, Running Away, Kidnapping, Sadistic tendencies (Mentioned super briefly), Teen angst

“That is it! When I grow up I am moving to Canada.” You huffed falling down onto your best friend Jaime Reyes’ bed. It was another unbearably hot summer day in El Paso and you were wearing shorts and a breathable tank top and it was still too hot. Jaime didn’t look up from the book he was reading. He too lounged across his bed, shirtless and looking comfortable.

“You wouldn’t last a minute in the north Y/N.” Jaime answered not looking at you as you sighed dramatically. “I know, I’ve been there. You haven’t”

Jaime and you had been friends forever, growing up together in the town of El Paso, so he knew you well. He especially knew that you were prone to complaining, not liking it when it was too hot, too dry, too wet, you never were truly happy. Unless you were in Jaime’s small air conditioned room with your best friend at your side.

“You could take me!” You said looking down, Jaime put his book down to examine you, “I mean you get to fly around the world, sometimes off the world, you could take me somewhere. It is getting old, El Paso, I need some adventure.”

You voice was quiet and Jaime could tell this was something you had been thinking about for a long time, and he felt so awful. He wanted nothing more than to make you happy, but here you are upset because he can’t take you to far off places.

In truth he had thought about taking you somewhere fun a handful of times, but each time the Scarab’s voice shot the question down, Jaime Reyes if you carry the one called Y/N around in your hero form she will become a target.

That sentiment got Jaime to stop thinking about taking you anywhere. He loved you so much that you becoming a target scared him more than fighting with his life on the line everyday.

“I can’t Y/N-” Jaime started but was cut off when the Scarab interrupted Jaime Reyes you are required in the Young Justice Headquarters. Immediately.

Jaime got up and let the Blue Beetle armor encase him. You knew about his powers and his responsibilities so you weren’t upset that he had to leave at the drop of a hat. It had become a norm for you, but you sighed in frustration anyway while Jaime kissed you cheek in a gesture of friendship. You didn’t return the sentiment and Jaime didn’t have time to delve into your feelings, instead he slipped out the window, promising the two of you would discuss this later.

He didn’t know that there wouldn’t be a later. You were tired of this boring town of El Paso where you had lived your entire life, it was time for a change.

You walked back to your home and grabbed the fully stocked backpack that lay next to your bedroom door. It had clothes, food, and enough money to live off of for a month, if you budgeted correctly.

You took one last look at your childhood home, it held so many memories, and for a second you began to regret your decision. With hot tears in your eyes you left the note which you had crafted weeks before this night on the dining room table. If Jaime got to travel the planet as a badass super hero, why couldn’t you?

With that you turned around, assuming you would never see this home again.

Jaime was flying home from an exhausting mission with the team. The Blue Beetle had been distracted, to the point that Nightwing was beginning to notice, all Jaime wanted to do was figure out how to tell you why he couldn’t whisk you away. Now that he was flying home he was dreading seeing you.

Jaime slipped into his room, letting the Scarab’s armor retract. He was barely in the bedroom a few seconds when his mother burst through the door. She had tears streaming down her face and she wrapped Jaime in a giant hug.

“Mijo, Thank Goodness you are here!” She cried.

“Que Mama? What’s going on?” Jaime asked, pulling his mother away from him to scan for any injuries. There weren’t any physical ones, but from the tear stains on her cheeks there was some serious emotional damage.

“Your friend, Y/N, they’re gone.” Bianca Reyes said looking down at her son, “If you ever run away from home you will be beaten so hard your eyes will pop out of your head. I can’t believe your friend would do this to their poor parents.”

“Y/N ran away?” Jaime asked, a feeling of dread and regret sank to the bottom of his stomach. All the signs that you were going to leave were there, he heard you talk about getting away. He never thought you would do it. He didn’t think you would leave him. And it was his fault.

Bianca sniffed, finally letting go of her son, “Yeah, there is a nate saying that Y/N will come back eventually, but their poor parents are terrified that it’s not true.”

Slowly Bianca walked out Jaime’s room, leaving the boy to ponder what he could have done, what would hate kept you here with him. He sank to the floor of his room and cried the rest of the night. That night he made a promise he would listen to you when he found you. There wouldn’t be a second you felt unheard.

The cash that you had brought got you all the way to South Carolina, where you knew you needed to get a job before you were living under a bridge hoping to get enough coins tossed your way to afford a meal. You sauntered into the first building with a Hiring sign in the window, prepared to plead that you are the best candidate.

The bell to the shop chimed as you opened the door, and the man behind the counter looked up in bored. It was a tiny antique shop that clearly didn’t see many patrons, but all of the items looked fabulously maintained and far more expensive that you could ever afford. The shopkeeper was an older man with thin glasses pushed up the bridge of his nose. Something about him rubbed you the wrong way, like you had seen him before. But you chalked it up to pre-interview jitters.

“Ah, a prospective customer. What can I do for you?” The man said, a giant smile cracking across his lips.

“Actually I am here for an application.” You said, your voice didn’t quiver in the slightest, something you were quiet proud of considering the feeling in your gut that screamed to run as fast as you could.

“Very good Young Y/N, right this way.” the man smiled, and you began to follow him to the back room your heart beating miles per minute. That is until you noticed something, the man said your name. You hadn’t given it to him yet he knew who you were.

“Oh dear.” The man pouted, noticing your realization, “I’ve said too much.”

He moved so fast you didn’t even have time to scream. A sweet smelling cloth was pushed over your nose and mouth. You tried to not breath in, to keep the smell away, but it wasn’t working. You were getting more and more tired by the second.

And then blackness enveloped you.

Jaime was in the Young Justice Cave when all the lights began to fritz. He had been on the team long enough to know that if the lights were going out it was a very very bad sign. Before a call could be made through the comm links all the television screens popped on at the same time. A old man with a terrifying smile filled the small screen.

“Oh Blue Beetle!” The man sang. “I have something of yours.” The man stepped away from the screen to reveal you, bound to a chair, your wrists and ankles bound and a gag shoved into our mouth. Shit!

“Leave her alone!” Jaime shouted, too angry to remember that this was a tv, and the man on the other side couldn’t hear him.

“If you want your little friend I suggest you hurry. I have always wanted to wear a teenagers skin as a coat.” The man cackled pulling out a knife and dragging it across Y/N’s skin, not enough to draw blood but enough to get both your’s and Jaime’s blood pumping.

Jaime was running, transformed into the Blue Beetle before he knew what he was doing. There was so plan, nothing occupied his mind but saving his Y/N.

He found you quickly, too quickly, he knew it was a trap, but at this point Jaime didn’t care. The Scarab in his mind was gnawing on the bit ready to tear apart the bastard who laid a finger on Y/N. If Jaime had more time he would marvel at how you managed to ensnare both him and his alien machinery.

You were in the middle to the room, your eyes wide with fear, and Jaime ran to you embracing you in a tight hug. He pulled the gag from your lips as soon as he let you go.

“Jaime he knows who you are!” You shouted panic filling your voice.

“I don’t care as long as you’re safe.” Jaime answered, the Blue Beetle’s voice distorting his own, but the raw emotion still bleed through, and you felt guilty for leaving him.

“Oh but our little Y/N won’t be safe for long.” The man said emerging from the shadow’s.

Jaime’s heart began to race, his adrenaline spiked. This was going to be the most important fight of his life. The battle for Y/N.

Situation suggest extreme danger. Emergency protocols engage.

The scarab’s voice echoed in Jaime’s ear, but Jaime had no idea what was happening. All he knew was his right arm was beginning to tingle and rise to face the man on it’s own accord. The arm slowly changed shape melting like molten lava from the shape of a hand into a giant cannon. Jaime couldn’t even stop the blue glow, nor the giant blue bullet that dissipated the man upon impact.

You sniffled at the thought of your best friend taking a life for you. Already you had caused Jaime so much pain, and he was still there for you when if mattered.

Jaime ran to you, sweeping you up in his arms, the armor melted away from his face leaving it exposed for your eyes only. His puffy red eyes, his messy brown helmet hair, everything was on display, vulnerable and scared.

“Don’t ever leave me again Y/N.” Jaime cried, and you nodded tears leaking down your face.

You would never ever leave Jaime Reyes again.

#jaime reyes #jaime reyes x reader #jaime reyes imagine #blue beetle #blue beetle imagine #blue beetle x reader #young justice #young justice imagine #young justice reader insert #dc comics #dc comic imagine #dc comics imagine #dc comics reader insert #dc comcis

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carbonjen · 8 years ago

Note

you are a fantastic author and I always love it when you open up your prompts! and if you're still taking them: dick is the author of a popular book (under a pen name, of course) and Jason is the book store clerk who unknowingly recommends dick's own book to him

I’ll admit, I feel like I’ve been depriving you guys of the JayDick prompt fills you really deserve so today, I decided to write something on the longer side. This was a really fun prompt and could easily become a 10k plus fic.

Between the Lines

One of the best things about working at a bookstore was that sometimes, if Jason’s boss was feeling really nice that day, he would be able to read the new releases for his favorite series early. Selina, the owner, would close up shop and put Jason in charge of putting out the new books, and as soon as the displays were out, Jason would be curled up in his favorite chair in the break room reading the newest books before anyone else could.

Selina was especially nice and let Jason read the next book in what was Jason, and apparently the rest of the world’s, new favorite series The Nightwing. Jason didn’t know how John Robins put out so many good books in a row. A series usually lost its steam, and if the series didn’t lose its steam, the author did. Somehow, John Robins knew exactly when to end the series and go on new adventures and the world ate it up.

So many people, including Jason, wanted to know more about the man, but he was anonymous, only making the occasional post to his social media accounts. The closest thing he’d done to an interview was an AMA on a popular website, and the book world had practically exploded. John Robins behind a keyboard on social media was just as verbose, but he made puns, and jokes! Jason had read over the interview more times than he’d like to admit.

It was a quiet day in Selina’s shop, there had been a little buzz over the past week when the new Nightwing book had come out. They’d had a small release party and had sold out of all their copies within a few days. The new stock had come in quickly and from what Jason knew, the publishers were working on printing a second edition of the book already.

Jason was sitting behind the counter sipping tea and reading through one of the week’s new releases. The staff in the shop read through the new books that came out and liked posting little reviews of them on the shelves for the clients in the shop. While The Watermelon Killer was an interesting read, it wasn’t Jason’s favorite.

“Is that one any good?” A smooth tenor voice asked.

Jason startled and looked up. In front of him was a handsome stranger. They got attractive people in the shop pretty frequently and Jason had gotten his fair share of phone numbers, but this guy was something else. He had golden tanned skin and bright blue eyes framed by wavy black hair. His features were complimented by a fitted black peacoat and a blue scarf.

“Uh,” Jason looked at the book. “It’s an interesting concept,” Jason said as he saved his page and set the book down. “But the execution proves that killing people with watermelons isn’t really all that practical.”

“I haven’t read it yet,” the stranger said. “Does the killer use frozen watermelons at all or just fresh?”

Jason smiled. “You think he would use frozen if he was dropping them on people with the intent to kill them, but they’re all fresh so far.” Jason said. “If you’re looking for a good murder mystery, John Robins took a break between the Birds and Bats series and the Nightwing series and wrote a pretty good mystery novel. It’s probably one of the more popular ones in the shop.

“Oh really,” the stranger smiled at him and Jason felt like he was missing out on something. “I’ll have to check it out then. What other recommendations do you have?”

Jason hopped off the stool he was sitting on. “I can show you,” he offered, gesturing to the shop. Normally he wouldn’t do this, but Jason was willing to make an exception today. “We read and write recommendations a couple of times a week,” Jason said as he pointed to the piece of paper on the shelf with the hand written note. There were small notes with reviews from the staff all over the shelves. “What genre are you looking for?”

“Hmm,” the stranger put a hand on his chin. “Fiction.”

“What type of fiction?”

“How about your favorites,” the stranger suggested.

Jason led the man on a tour of the shop, pointing out his favorite books along with some of the worse ones he’d read. The guy had read a few of the things Jason pointed to, but he also started collecting a small pile in his arms.

“Okay,” the stranger said. “Last question, I promise. What’s your favorite release this month?”

“The new John Robins book,” Jason said. “Hands down. The guy consistently writes really fresh, new stuff, without it being bad. He knows how to write a story, and he knows how to write books,” Jason said. “Which believe me, they’re two different things.”

“Okay,” the stranger said as he picked up one of the copies that was on display near the register. He put it on top and Jason started scanning the books. “What was your name again?”

“Jason,” he said with a smile. “Jason Todd.”

“Nice to meet you, Jason Todd,” the stranger said. “I’m Dick Grayson.”

They stood in comfortable silence while Jason finished scanning the books that Dick was burying.

“So,” Dick said when he swiped his credit card. “Would you want to go out sometime?”

Jason looked up and he couldn’t help the smile on his face. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

Dick slid his phone across the counter and Jason put his contact information in while the credit card machine processed the purchase. Dick sent Jason a text and he smiled when he heard his phone buzz under the counter.

“I’ll text you!” Dick said as he took his bag and walked out of the store. Jason watched him as he left. Dick had long legs, clad in dark blue denim, and he looked almost as good from behind as he did from the front.

“You were right about the whole cat motif,” Dick said as he sipped at his coffee. It was their second time meeting up to talk about books. The first time, they’d gone to lunch and their discussion had gone on for so long that the manager had politely asked them to leave while they prepared for dinner. Jason and Dick had laughed and gone out for coffee immediately after.

“I know,” Jason said. “Sometimes it’s a bit much with the cat meowing, but I think it was an interesting way to show that someone was about to die. I wish it had been more subtle though.”

“I actually read something once,” Dick said. “Where characters drank water right before they died. It was a more aquatic themed novel though so everything water related was a symbol for something.”

“Wait,” Jason asked. “Was it Flow?”

“Yeah!” Dick smiled. “I probably read that one three times and I found something new every time. I don’t know how the author packed so much imagery into one book without it feeling overloaded.”

Jason liked his dates with Dick, they talked about everything under the sun, but the book discussions they had were always great. Dick was so expressive when he got excited about something he’d read. Sometimes they went in depth about their favorite parts of a book, and other times, they both laughed over the terrible things they’d both read too.

“Okay,” Dick said after a few hours. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Want continue this and get some dinner?”

“Yeah,” Jason said. “That sounds great.”

They decided to go to a local place that bragged they had the best burgers in Gotham. While they walked, Dick’s fingers brushed Jason’s on occasion and Jason took Dick’s hand in his own. Throughout the rest of the night, the casual touches continued, Dick’s fingers brushing his, an ankle brushing under the table, and Dick was looking at him with softer glances than before.

They left the restaurant and started walking down the street. “This was fun,” Jason said.

“Yeah,” Dick agreed. “I almost don’t want it to end.”

“It doesn’t have to,” Jason replied, voice soft. Dick looked up at him.

“Can I try something?” Dick asked.

“Yeah,” Jason replied as they stopped walking. Dick cupped Jason’s face with his hands and closed the distance between them. Jason’s eyes slipped shut as their mouths slotted together, one kiss turning into two, which turned into three and then blurred into something else before they both pulled away.

“My place is just a few blocks from here,” Dick offered.

Dick was just as expressive and passionate in bed as he was about the books he and Jason talked about. His body was tight and beautiful and they whispered sweet compliments to each other as their bodies connected. Jason had fucked people before, but with Dick it felt like something else entirely.

“That was amazing,” Dick said. His body had a sheen of sweat that made him glow in the faint lighting in the room.

“Yeah,” Jason agreed. “The thing you did with your…that was incredible, Dick.”

Dick laughed. “Thanks,” he said with a smile on his face. He pressed a kiss to Jason’s lips and they got lost in their bodies again.

The next morning, Jason woke up and he smiled when he saw the warm body next to him. Dick’s face was slack with sleep, still beautiful even though his hair was sticking up and his mouth was open. Jason pressed a kiss to his forehead and made his way to the bookshelf that lined one of the walls of Dick’s bedroom. He looked over it and he saw a box in the corner that was partially open. Jason knew better than to snoop, he really did.

He looked over his shoulder and nudged the cardboard over a bit to look inside. He was met with several new copies of the new John Robins novel, all in different languages. On top of the pile was a note that said, “world famous!” and Jason looked back over his shoulder.

This didn’t mean. Did it? Jason got back in bed, pulling Dick into his arms and going back to sleep for a few more hours.

Later, while he was making them breakfast and Dick was checking the news on his tablet, Jason couldn’t bear the weight of what he’d seen any longer.

“Hey Dick?” He asked as he turned around.

“Yeah?” Dick asked without looking up from the tablet.

“This is going to sound weird, but why do you have a box full of international copies of the new John Robins novel?”

Dick looked up at him with wide eyes. “I uh..I was…”

“Oh my god,” Jason said. “You’re John Robins, aren’t you?”

Dick smiled awkwardly, shifting in his chair. “Guilty?”

“When were you going to tell me?” Jason asked.

Dick shrugged. “I wanted to make sure we were serious first,” Dick told him. “I can’t tell every person I date I’m John Robins otherwise the whole anonymity thing will be ruined.”

“So are we?” Jason asked.

“Serious?” Dick asked. He pushed his tablet aside. “I’d like us to be if that’s what you want, but I don’t want to put any pressure on you. And because you know about John Robins, you’ll have to sign and NDA and I didn’t want you to think I was being an asshole about it because I trust you, but the publisher is-”

Jason cut Dick off with a kiss, smiling when he heard the little yelp Dick made. They kissed until the smell of burning pancakes caused Jason to jump and run over to the stove, scraping the burnt one into the trash.

“You know I was always wondering why you never talked about the John Robins novels with me,” Jason said as he plated the pancakes.

“Really?” Dick asked.

“Yeah,” Jason said. “I thought you didn’t like them but you were afraid to tell me.”

“It feels a bit weird talking about your own book like that.” Dick said. “Trust me, it’s so…odd.”

Jason put the dishes in the sink and sipped at his tea.

“So,” Jason asked as he put a plate in front of Dick. “Does Brendan Cross make it out of the jungle alive?”

Dick grinned. “I don’t know. I guess, you’ll have to wait and see.”

“Tease,” Jason said as he sat down next to Dick and put syrup on his own pancakes.

“That’s what writers do best you know.”

“Oh yeah,” Jason said with a grin. “I noticed last night.”

Dick blushed and slapped his arm, but the smile on his face said it all.

A few months later, John Robins released a romance novel that shot to the top of the best seller list.

#jaydick #my writing #my fic #prompt fills #between the lines #Dick is an author verse #Anon #anonymous

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holyheadcanonsbatman · 8 years ago

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hi, I wanna start reading comic books do you know a good place to start? Specifically with Batman and the family.

I would highly recommend reading the New 52 series because they’re more recent (and easier to find) and also the Rebirth series is a continuation of New 52. Some of the New 52 series I would recommend are the Nightwing comics, Peter Tomasi’s Batman and Robin, Batgirl, Batman, I’ve heard Grayson was pretty good although I haven’t gotten around to reading it myself. And the classics are always a sure fire bet on getting caught up in the lore, so comics like Batman: The Long Halloween is a good one, Death in the Family and Under the Red Hood (especially if you’re trying to understand what happened with Jason Todd). Another interesting New 52 series to check out would be Death of the Family which was I think 23(?) issues across several titles that dealt with the family and the joker (you can get this all in one book though instead of as individual issues). Those are all I can think of that I personally have read/have had friends read and tell me about, but if anyone else wants to add some, feel free

#sorry if this isn't what you were looking for #I'm not really all that great at recommendations #but I hope that helped #batfamily #dc comics #nightwing #batman #batman and robin #batgirl #Grayson

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tessatechaitea · 8 years ago

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Nightwing #10

I don't think I've ever read any Blüdhaven stories but I'm already angry that I have to learn the ALT code for the u with an umlaut.

After learning about Blüdhaven from Preboot Superman, Dick Grayson decides it's the place for him! He's heard that what happens in Blüdhaven stays in Blüdhaven (probably because what happens is usually murder and what stays is the corpse thrown into a concrete foundation being laid) and that totally sounds like the Dick Grayson way. Because lately, the Dick Grayson way has been more like the James Bond way. He wants to get back to familiar territory and the best way to do that is to move to someplace completely foreign to him. Dick decides to get a job volunteering with a program that helps teens stay out of trouble. He nails the interview and, later, probably the boss.

Are there sexual harassment policies in place for trying to fuck volunteers to an organization? It's okay to bang them if you're not paying them, right?!

Dick Grayson is going to get so much püssy in Blüdhaven. Another person Dick will be working with at Don't Let Teenagers Become Violent And Steal My Things Headquarters is a guy named James Nice. That's suspicious! You don't get a name like Nice without being a cold-hearted dildo puncher. I should know because my last name is...um...it's just Tess, actually. Never mind. Forget I said anything. Although, seriously, with all the links to my old websites and my Twitter account and the name Grunion Guy and my Xbox Live Handle and who knows what other things (like probably mentioning my name directly in an early review when I was drunk or something), it wouldn't take much effort for a stalker to figure out who I am. So why haven't I been stalked yet? So disappointing. After Dick leaves, James and Shawn are all, "We should wear our supervillain costumes to the meeting tonight to show that we're in control of our supervillain tendencies! It'll help the teenage supervillains we're helping to understand that they can also avoid being violent and stealing other people's things. Maybe we can even convince them that they're superheroes instead of superzeroes! That's such a great slogan that it's probably already been copyrighted and now our organization is going to be sued and we'll all go back to our lives of crime. I guess that's not all bad seeing as how we live in Blühaven, Crime Capital of places with umlauts in their name." Dick goes home to learn that normal life is too boring to live for a ward of Bruce Wayne's who was raised in a traveling circus to be a Talon and slept with a dwarf throughout his teen years. So he'll probably be out fighting crime before you can type the ALT code for a u with an umlaut over it. Meanwhile, the Blüdhaven mayor is having a meeting with his staff to ensure that Blüdhaven doesn't become too family friendly in it's new campaign to lure families to the strip.

Nice bit of writing, Tim Seeley, to cover the fact that you don't know what "on fleek" means! Or that you just didn't care enough to look it up because it's fucking stupid. Slang doesn't prove that you're cool and in the know. Slang only means you're an unimaginative chump who wants to fit in so badly that you'll say stupid shit like "fleek" to describe whatever the hell is fleeky.

Being an older person, the only reason to use young people slang is to annoy the fuck out of them. But just because it's the only reason, it doesn't mean it's not a good reason. Making teenagers cringe is a healthy adult pastime, especially when they think they're the cool ones for recognizing a cringe-worthy moment. Oh, we know everything we do that makes you cringe, young people. It's the only reason we do any of it. Searching my site, I used "on fleek" once when I mentioned how I have never said it. Besides, it was almost certainly uncool to say by the time I even learned about it! That's another part of the fun of using youthful slang. By the time adults know about it, it's been abandoned by the youth. We all know it but the youth think we still somehow think the slang is still en vogue. Super cringe points! Marvel comics might have a case for suing DC Comics since Mayor Madrigal is basically Perry White. I mean J. Jonah Jameson! That last paragraph (which was only a sentence) is for people who think I'm stupid and unsubtle. It's both proof that I am to people who think that and proof that I am not because there's a whole underbelly of criticism against fangenders and their Marvel vs DC war in that sentence. Paragraph! Thankfully, some crime gets committed near Dick's new place, so he dons his costume and exits the window of his apartment in his Nightwing kit. So I guess he doesn't give a shit about his secret identity, does he? People are going to notice shit like that! And some of those people are going to be curious enough to figure out which window that apartment belongs to. And some of those people are going to earn big money selling the information to mob bosses. The crime was committed by a talking ape who Dick quickly takes down for the Blüdhaven police. The ape is Gorilla Grimm from Gorilla City. I don't mean to sound racist in so many fucking ways I can't even fathom it but how does Dick recognize one Gorilla from Gorilla City over another? I would have sworn this was Grodd except that Grodd would never wear a wife-beater and a trucker's cap. Oh, maybe that's how he recognized him! To be fair to myself and my totally racist question which I didn't mean to be racist in suggesting that apes are equivalent to black people and the possible truth but probable stereotype that white people can't identify one black person from another because I really did just mean that I wouldn't be able to tell one gorilla from another, I probably wouldn't recognize Dick Grayson from one comic book artist to another without a bevy of clues that have nothing to do with his looks. I'm sure if Gorilla Grodd and Gorilla Grimm were real gorillas, I'd totally be able to tell the difference. Unless I'm Gorilla Face Blind. I might be! I haven't met enough gorillas to know for sure. Poor Gorilla Grimm. Your parents don't give you that name if they think you're going to amount to anything. His hopes and aspirations were probably stillborn thanks to the name. Thanks a lot, Ma and Pa Gorilla! Fucking dicks. Nightwing just got done thinking how nice it was to get back to Black and White crimefighting instead of trying to navigate a gray world where somebody, somewhere, is constantly finding a reason to criticize you when Gorilla Grimm begins talking.

Profile much, Nightwing? Am I off the hook for comparing a gorilla to a black person now that Tim Seeley has done it? Not that I did it at all! But I wrote something that suggested that if you were of a mind to read it that way, due to the gray world we live in and the penchant for finding offense wherever a person can to feel more righteous than the next person. Because I totally didn't mean the comparison! Just because I noticed that something I wrote could be read that way and then brought it out in the open to say that it wasn't meant that way doesn't mean I meant it that way! Also, I'm sure Tim Seeley didn't mean it that way either. I'm just trying to deflect the mob to somebody else!

I once made the accidental racism comment before in a Twat Lobo commentary that I noticed afterward and called myself out on. But not that it was accidentally racist, what I said. Just that it could have been seen that way! I reprint it here for good times:

Now I want to write a comic book called General Calamity and Wanton Violence. It would be set in the old west and be full of gore and good-intentioned racist microaggressions. You know the kind! Like when some white gunslinger has his ass saved by a Chinese fella and the gunslinger says, "You ain't so bad, fer a chinerman." And the Chinese Gunslinger smiles graciously while planning on whether he's going to piss or shit in the white gunslinger's stew later. You know! A fun comic book! Oh shit! I just had an Asian-American Doll moment! I didn't mean for the comic book to sound like it was a white guy named General Calamity and a Chinese guy named "Wonton" Violence! Man, my cynicism almost failed me but I caught it just in time! Although, fuck me, it's a good idea! "So, you're name is Wonton Violence, hunh?" "No, it is 'Wanton' Violence,' you ignorant cocksucker!" Of course, Wanton Violence delivers his line over a smoking pistol and the corpse of the ignorant cocksucker.

I still believe that would make a good television series. Probably an independent series or somewhere like Netflix where the studio doesn't try to exert their control on every little bit of the production until they've turned it into something the broadest audience can like. And by "broadest" of course I mean "stupidest." The Blüdhaven SWAT team take Gorilla Grimm off of Nightwing's hands because Gorilla Grimm is a suspect in a nearby murder. See, the murder victim was torn apart and had all their bones broken. Totally something a damn filthy ape would do, right?! But since Gorilla Grimm told Nightwing to his face he was innocent, Nightwing begins to suspect that maybe Blüdhaven might be a little gray after all! Like maybe they're cleaning up the city a little too enthusiastically to ensure tourists flock to their casinos. Like maybe Blüdhaven isn't so different from Gotham at all. The SWAT Team doesn't arrest Nightwing in the way law enforcement likes to arrest superheroes but he does give Nightwing a firm slap on the wrist and a warning. I suppose if I arrived at one of the stores whose floor I clean and found a jerk in a costume doing the work for free, I might be a little bit annoyed too. Gorilla Grimm tells Nightwing to talk to Shawn Tsang about how he didn't do it. Nightwing will probably do that but it's not like he can interfere with an arrest being made, even if he thinks the arrest is wrong. That's up to the courts to decide (even though they'll get it wrong too because our justice system is terrible and biased toward law enforcement because they need to keep them happy so that they'll work with them on real cases and not just the cases where the cops are all, "Put this bad person away because we said so or we're not helping you ever again, District Attorney"). If Nightwing were to interfere, he'd be no better than that criminal Tim Drake. The Blüdhaven Tourism Board learns that Nightwing is working in Blüdhaven. Time to pay him to be the face of tourism! "Come to Blüdhaven for the hookers, blow, and casinos! Stay to catch a glimpse of Nightwing's ass!" Nightwing heads back to talk to Shawn Tsang about Gorilla Grimm when he discovers that she's actually the supervillain known as Defacer. I don't know what her super power is. Spray painting? Anyway, it's just what Dick didn't want. He just got done trusting a villain who turned out to be an actual villain. Now he's falling right back into the same theme! Why can't people just be good and bad?! What is with all of this shit about good people doing bad things for good reasons or bad people doing good things but in terrible ways?! Knock it off and just be good or bad, stupid people of the world! The Ranking! No change. It's only a rating of No Change because Nightwing is ranked at #3 and I'm not yet ready to say it's better than The Flintstones. Maybe in some ways it is, depending on what you want out of a comic book. That's the problem having mainstream superhero titles on a ranking list that also includes modern versions of old Hanna-Barbera cartoons. But I really fucking enjoy everything about The Flintstones. Maybe if I were gay and I wanted to fuck Dick Grayson, this would be better than The Flintstones. But I'm not gay and I want to fuck Betty Rubble, so there you have it. Although, you should be reading this comic book! That's just a fact. I mean, it's an opinion but it's my opinion so it might as well be a fact. Oh, I should also mention Marcus To's art is fantastic. I don't want him getting all butt-hurt again because of my intense hyperbolic criticisms that are simply meant to be funny in that way it's funny when an old person is shit on by society and they have no recourse but to scream and rant and bleed out of the eyes. So, you know, good work, Marcus! Now maybe your sycophantic followers won't harass me for criticizing your stupid Justice League International cover! I still stand by my assessment of the cover even if the inside art was so good you could wank to it!

#Nightwing #DC Comics #Tim Seeley #Marcus To #Chris Sotomayor

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