#I love when kids get adopted into unconventional families

[catgrandpa]

Tim Drake has been kidnapped 235 times in his life so far.

The first time was when he was 4. He was held in warehouse for 6 days before the thugs who took him realized that they wouldn’t be able to get ahold of his parents no matter how many times they called. They wouldn’t pick up calls even from the kids own phone. They fed him a nice warm meal, and dropped him back off at his door with several full Tupperware containers, and new contacts in his phone.

At least once every few weeks since that day, Tim would find himself being picked up in an unmarked van and taken to an undisclosed location, and upon arrival, he would be seated at a large table where he would eat his fill of home cooked meals with a large family of thugs and goons.

[di-daynamic]

Not a fan of how Elementary gave all three main women (Joan, Moriarty, Kitty) children, but definitely am a fan of how each woman got them, dealt with it, and was never villainized for it.

Moriarty has a daughter, but that doesn't mean she stops her criminal masterminding. She can't be a proper mother, but she gets her child adopted by a nice, well to do family. No one who watched that episode can deny that she loves her kid, or that her daughter at least knows her mother.

Kitty has a son by accident, with a man she doesn't want to be in a relationship with. And that's okay! She coparents with him. She loves her son. She steps back from her job, and that's also okay, because that happens. People change their lifestyle when they have kids. It wasn't in an 'all women must step back from careers, especially risky ones, when they have children' but in a 'it was time and healthy for me' way. She's clearly still the amazing badass she was in S3.

Joan's progression to motherhood is gradual and deliberate. She wants a child. And after getting him with a lot of effort, she rearranges some of her life for Arthur, but is still on the job. She has friends to care for him. She hires an ex-military nanny. She has a personal assistant. She is a single mother via adoption who has a dangerous lifestyle.

All three of their motherhoods are at least somewhat unconventional, but all of them love their kids and yet still work, which I think is pretty good rep even if I would have liked a couple of childless women in the main cast.

[hyunjinsjeans]

Can you believe it?

Masterlist

Pairing: Felix x Reader

Related: He Knows Universe: Felix ver.

Summary: You and Felix started your family in an unconventional way but it worked out and in the end you even got a little surprise.

Genre: 🧸 Fluff + ❤️‍🩹 Angst and Comfort

Warnings: Mentions of infertility. Mentions of pregnancy. Health issues are discussed. Half-ass proofreading.

Word Count: 3284

AN: Surprise! I played myself with this one (I want what these two have!) Also, full disclosure: I actually wrote this one months before I even got Felix’s He Knows part 1 done… 

You wake up to the sound of your baby girl crying. Your brain does not even register that someone is next to you on the bed, it sparks into "go, go, go!" mode and you jump off the bed to stumble into your slippers and all but run out into the hallway to hear the loud sobs growing louder and louder.

Kiri's cry was desperate, making your heart feel like it was being squeezed in a cruel invisible fist. Your feet carried you in a hurry all the way to her room where you could see her pretty face now all red and wet with tears. You opened your arms at her right away and cooed at the three-year-old.

She put her arms up and let you pick her up as soon as she saw you in the dark. Her sobs started giving way to more silent cries when you held her and handed her the fluffy brown cow print blanket you got her the day you brought her home.

"What is it, baby?" You kissed the top of her head and pulled her up on your hip.

The little girl laid her head on the crook of your neck and you let her settle there while you paced her room from the door to the window.

When people said you were never ready to be a parent, they were right. You knew it already, but adopting Kiri served as confirmation. She was small and sweet, a little girl who knew little more than the system. She was given up as a newborn and although when you and Felix looked for a child to adopt you had anticipated they would probably pair you with an older one, she was what the social worker saw fit. And after almost six months of paperwork and sneaky trips to Australia, you finally got to pick up your daughter at the centre.

You were happy to introduce her to Felix's family and fortunately, Kiri was in a good mood to meet everyone. During the last few days, you have been getting used to life at home in Korea as a family of three. And Kiri has been nothing but happy, her big brown eyes always discovering something to ask about. She clung to you and Felix as if her life depended on it - in a way, you supposed it does, you are her parents now.

This is the first time she wakes you in the middle of the night like this, and you have to wonder what happened? So you ask her.

"Ki, did you have a bad dream?" you rub circles on her back and hear how she calms down.

When you grab a tissue to wipe her face and blow her nose she looked around the room as if she lost something.

"What is it, peach?"

You used her nickname, both you and Felix agreed you would not change her name once you adopted her. She was given a beautiful Maori name that means "fruit", since she loved the soft peaches in Korea you two started calling her "peach".

"Others?" she wonders in response.

You frown for a second and look around, spooked for a moment before a voice of reason resonates inside your head. She meant the other kids in the foster home. When she was in Australia she shared a room with three older girls, it was natural that she was used to wake up in the middle of the night and catch a glimpse of one of the other girls.

"Oh, baby..." you held her tight against your chest. "It's okay, daddy and I are in the other room. You've got us, Ki."

She squeezed her blanket in her tiny hand. You swayed her side to side to cheer her up as your words did not seem to bring her the comfort you expected.

An idea sneaked into your brain and you fake gasped, "I know!" you looked down at her and bopped her pointy little nose. "A glass of warm chocolate milk will fix anything!"

"Milk?" She repeated, interested.

"Mhm!" You inhaled slowly to avoid yawning, "come on, Miss Peach"

You went up to her large crib and showed her the collection of stuffed animals, "are we bringing a friend?" you asked her.

Kiri nodded and pointed at a small rabbit with a pink bow. You reached down and grabbed it for her. Now she pressed the stuffed animal between your chest and her small body.

Once in the kitchen, you went to put her down on one of the tall chairs by the long bar but she protested. A loud panicked scream left her and you immediately held her in your arms. Not too long after, Felix made an appearance around the corner.

His hair was messy from sleeping and he had pulled a white t-shirt on before coming to see what you two were doing.

"Oh, good!" You smiled at him and pointed at the stove, "would you help us warm up some milk?"

Felix's eyes were not yet fully open, but he needed, needing no explanation he came up to you and your daughter and he touched Kiri's head, brushing her soft brown curls back.

"Chocolate?" he asked her in his deep, sleep-filled voice.

Somehow this did not scare Kiri. She looked up and put a side of the blanket under her nose, running it against it with her eyes on the blond.

"Yeah, that'll put us back to sleep in a heartbeat..." Felix looked up at you and showed you a tired side smile.

You watched Felix closely as he put a small pot on the stove and warmed up the milk before adding some powdered chocolate into it and allowing it to come to a simmer. Kiri in your arms stretched her neck to look into the cupboard once you offered to let her pick a sippy cup to drink from. The collection was humble as you had only brought her home to Korea three weeks ago. Still, you showed her the Molang cup and then the Pororo one, she was not super into either so you reached for the Bluey one. This got her attention and she almost dropped her blanket to grab it.

Felix smiled at her when she handed him the plastic cup, he poured a little over half of the cup worth of milk and then split the rest into two mugs for the two of you.

Kiri sat in your lap while you drank the chocolate milk in silence, Felix was sure if he began talking he would end up hyping her up and then you would have to stay up all night to play with her until she fell asleep.

"Hey," Felix whispered a few minutes later when the small girl cuddled into your chest began dozing off.

Your husband grabbed the sippy cup from her hands, catching it in time before it slipped out of her grasp to land on the floor. He put it down beside his mug and leaned over the kitchen bar to check her face. His eyes squinted and he turned to you with a small side smile, whispering again "she's asleep," he looked back at her once more and added, "she's really cute."

You took a sip of your milk and left the mug on the bar before wrapping your arms around her, pulling her closer so she wouldn't twist her neck.

"Yes, she is."

You kissed the top of her head and then watched Felix clean up, washing some of the dirty dishes before coming up to you to help. He grabbed Kiri and held her against his chest to take her to her room. Walking behind him you agreed to bring her into your room so if she woke up again she would not get scared once more. With your baby daughter sound asleep between the two, you and Felix fell asleep quickly.

The next morning you were the last one to wake up, Felix was already making little Kiri laugh. He had grabbed her bunny and made it dance for her, clapping its hands and sending kisses her way. The young child squealed in delight and admired Felix with enthusiasm.

For her good fortune, the two of you were taking a break from work to settle into your new family life. The next couple of days you went everywhere together and even took her to some play dates with the Hwang twins, which she seemed to enjoy more than meeting the younger yet louder Lee Ho-Joon.

You were worried about how she would react when Felix went back to his hectic schedule, and once the time came she was in fact somewhat fussy. She really took a liking to her new Dad and seeing her wander around the house looking for him in the mornings made you feel somewhat guilty. Felix was not much better with it, as soon as he walked through the door he was greeted with the happy yelling of an excited three-year-old, who rather soon began calling him dad. He was fond of the term but you were appalled as she did not call you mom until about the 4 month mark.

Coming into Kiri’s life was a painful ordeal, so her cuddling into you and calling you mommy was the most amazing feeling you’ve experienced.

After you agreed you wanted to have a baby with Felix it did not matter how much you tried or wanted it; your period was still coming and month after month you wondered if you were doing something wrong. A few times you had a late period and those couple of times were the worst. It was heartbreaking when you woke up one morning and saw the red stains of your late period on your underwear. You cried in silence in the bathroom both times it happened, not wanting to let Felix know exactly how useless you were. Because you felt useless. The only thing Felix ever asked of you, and you were unable to give it to him. It was killing you.

And Felix saw right through your strong façade. He knew you were giddy for a couple of days and then you wouldn’t look him in the eye for weeks. He could tell you were growing impatient, then desperate and lastly he saw your light dim. Felix hated what this was doing to you, so he put a stop to it. “It’s hurting you.” He said one day, early morning. You were reading a script in the patio and he drank a smoothie.

You were insistent that you wanted to have a family with him, that it made no sense you couldn’t get pregnant because there was nothing wrong with you. Felix had enough by then. Seeing you grow small and retreat into a quiet sad creature, he could not recognize his wife. He pulled the plug and brought up a new idea to ease your worries. “We could also adopt, you don’t have to go through all this…”

It took a couple of long conversations. You tried your best, gave it your best shot at doing it yourself, you wanted to have that experience with your husband. Bringing life into the world. Having a little boy or girl or whatever they decided to be and have them be half him and half you.

But it just wouldn’t work. And all the trying and trying was hurting you. 

In the end adoption was a great option, it did not matter that you were not blood related, it would be your baby - very planned, wanted and loved. Korea was a bit tricky for those things, especially as both of you had foreign passports, so it seemed easier to try to do it in Australia since Felix was born there, everyone helped with the process. His family and yours, even your managers helped by finding a law firm in Sydney to deal with the legal aspect, and Felix made all the arrangements necessary to travel with you for appointments with the social workers. You were over the moon when you got approved and then a few months later the email came in with information on your match.

It was Kiri’s file.

You did not know what to expect then, but it came as a surprise that she was still almost a baby. Felix was relieved but he liked to believe he would have been fine with an older kid as well.

You were instantly in love. Kiri’s drawings spoke of her sweet nature even if they were little more than doodles. She smiled in every single picture and her light brown curly hair reminded you of the foamy sea that surrounded her native land. Kiri was a Lee the moment you signed the documents and you were ready to give up everything for your daughter the moment her eyes met yours. She was so little and innocent, a pure little thing with no clue of what was going on. She had been all smiles when you introduced her to Felix’s sisters and then she won his parents over in a matter of seconds as she played peekaboo with his mom laughing that high pitched laugh that is so characteristic of smaller children.

You finished shooting for your last movie the year before and you were still not confirmed for the press yunket that would follow this year, you wanted to settle down with your family before leaving Felix and Kiri alone. Your time was spent at home, cleaning and cooking, playing with your daughter, dancing around the living room in your socks, going on walks to the park and occasionally watching a kids show with your daughter sitting on your lap. You laughed plenty in Felix’s absence and Kiri could never complain your attention was elsewhere.

Your career was obviously not a priority when you were growing so comfortable in your new role as a mom.

Kiri is still so dependent of you. Preferring to turn to you for food and asking you to go on walks. She calls you mom or mommy on rare occasions though. Maybe, you reason with yourself, the word mom is more difficult than dad. Maybe, the word mom does not come easy to Kiri, who was only a few hours old when her mother made the difficult decision to give her up for adoption.

But you chose to let her be, and let things fall into place on their own. Felix fell into a comfortable routine as well, would be out the door before Kiri was awake but at night he would play with her as soon as he was through the door again. He loved to read her to sleep and tuck her in. He would kiss the top of her head as she drifted to sleep and then he covered her with the blanket.

“I think she is going to outgrow that crib before her birthday,” you told him one day.

“I know,” his eyes opened wide, “she’s growing so fast!”

“Aww, are you upset that your babygirl has bigger hands than you already?” You teased, hugging him and placing your chin against his chest to have a good look at his unamused expression.

“My babygirl could be the size of Godzilla and I’d be a proud dad, but… I wish she could stay small for longer.”

You smiled at him and let go, turning on your heel to go put on your slippers and get breakfast started. If only you hadn’t felt your stomach float around inside you. In an instant there were goosebumps all over your arms and your mouth went dry.

“Love?” He grabbed your elbow to give you support as you tried to ground yourself. “Are you…?”

“I’mgoingtopuke!” You practically spat and ran into the bathroom.

Felix followed you, concerned, and entered the bathroom just as you emptied what little contents were in your stomach from the night before. He pulled your hair back and rubbed your shoulder as if he could soothe you. Throwing up on an empty stomach was horrendous. You did not look sick when you were done and allowing your husband to clean you up in front of the sink.

You did not say a word to one another until you had finished brushing your teeth and felt closer to normal.

“So…” Felix started, pushing his hair back.

You bit your lip and turned to your fingers, counting. Then counting again. You jumped and turned to him with a glint of something in your eye. He saw you and felt himself shift in expectation.

“Do you want to go to the store or should I do it?”

Felix reasoned with himself and smiled at you.

“I’ll do it, Kiri might freak out if she wakes up and you’re not home,” he grabbed your face and pulled you into him to kiss your forehead.

“Get two, different brands.” You instructed, holding onto his arm.

You let his arm slip from your grasp as you watched him go to pull on a jacket and a cap. 

He walked out the door soon after and when he came back his heart was racing.

He reached you and gave you the plastic bag, speaking while you both rushed into the bathroom. 

“Whatever happens, Y/N, whatever that thing says… love, it’s okay.”

You nodded frantically and at this point you two cared very little about watching each other pee, so he stood there by the bathroom door as you sat at the toilet and opened the two boxes. Felix bit his nails as you skimmed through the instructions before passing them to him. You were in the tricky business of actually peeing on the sticks when a small voice echoed down the hall.

“Eomma?”

Felix jumped and left the paper on the sink, without a word he left to get Kiri out of her crib. Unaware of what happened with her parents, the little girl was thrilled to see daddy was home. She bounced on the crib, small hands gripping the edge of the wooden railing to support herself. Her hands reached for Felix, the strange blond man who had the funniest things to say and the craziest brothers - for all she knew, all of Felix’s members were her uncles.

“G’day Miss Peach!” He pulled her up with a smile on his face.

She allowed for Felix to carry her in his arms as she gave his cheek a loud kiss. Kiri was most definitely a morning person. 

“Mommy?” She wondered soon.

“Hmm, she is busy right now,” he explained, “should we go get something to eat? Are you maybe in the mood for… waffles?”

Kiri’s eyes lit up, she cuddled into her father’s chest and the two found their way into the kitchen where you had left things half prepared for breakfast. He started warming up the waffle iron and was setting up a chair for your daughter to watch from when you ran into the open kitchen with a tear stained face and two plastic sticks in your hand.

“We did it!” You yelled, making Felix turn around with Kiri on his hip.

“Mommy!” She made grabby hands in your direction. “What we do?”

You laughed like an insane person and rushed around the island to take her from Felix’s arms.

“We made a little surprise for you, baby!” You held her into your chest and more tears slipped down your face. “But we’re all going to be patient until it get here…”

Felix took the tests from your hand and stared in bewilderment. It was true. It was happening. His eyes found you again, his entire world was right there. His best girls. You and Kiri. You, Kiri and your baby.

He went to put his arms around the two of you, his world was bigger than ever and his heart felt like it was about to burst with happiness and excitement.

“We have been patient,” Felix kissed your wet cheek, then he smiled at your daughter. “We’ll wait some more…”

The two of you shared a look, aware of how delicate the topic was to tell your young daughter right now. But the thought crossed both of your minds: Kiri was growing up fast indeed, so much so that she was going to be a big sister soon.

——— Likes, Reblogs and Comments are welcome! Thank you for reading!

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

ec reader thanksgivg? can we have more of that please

Alfred didn't bother to take his apron off to answer the door. It was all family friends and family today- people that had seen him in a much worse state of disarray.

And besides. This time, he was answering the door for your mother. Bruce might have neglected her invitation but Alfred would never. Callie deserved to spend a holiday with her daughter- even if it was an unconventional one.

"Alfred," she said, proffering a tray of home made candies, "I didn't want to come empty-handed."

"And now I know where Y/N gets it from," he said amiably, you'd shown up with an offering of your own despite coming to help cook

"Is she still cooking?"

"Of course," he laughed, "I feel like I might just be in the way honestly."

"That she gets from my mom," Callie said shaking her head.

"I'm not complaining," he said. "This might be the most relaxing Thanksgiving I've ever had."

And when she laughed, he could see more of the resemblance. The way her eyes and nose crinkled.

"Alfred who was-"Bruce stopped and coughed, he'd been expecting to see one of the kids. Or their friends. Not a middle-aged lady who looked a lot like Jason's girlfriend.

"Y/N's mother, Callie," Alfred explained. "Callie, this is Mr. Bruce Wayne, Jason's adopted father."

"It's nice to meet you," Callie said, offering him a hand.

"Likewise," Bruce said recovering. "I- I'm sorry we haven't met sooner."

"Kids are gonna do what kids are gonna do," Callie said shrugging, "You gotta let them make their choices. I didn't know anything until a year ago but- I know Y/N had her reasons. I couldn't- well. It's a long story. Not- not one to get into right now."

Bruce nodded, "The kids are down in the kitchen if-"

"I would love to say hello," she said, her eyes lighting up.

"Then let's go bother them," he said grinning. "It was the first Thanksgiving he could remember where the party was IN the kitchen. But you'd put a phone in a metal pan and you were all currently scream singing various 2010's party jams- it was blissfully peaceful in the rest of the house.

[the-batcomputer-project]

Batkids Hobby Headcanons

Dick - Gymnastics is the most obvious one. When he was younger, Bruce initially didn't want him to compete in competitions, or even join a team, because Dick would have an "unfair advantage". However, he eventually gave in and allowed him to join the school's team. Another hobby he has is baking. In most cases, he is forbid from the kitchen, however he is a fantastic baker. He is also very good at making fantastic stews, which Alfred has even claimed to be better than his own.

Jason - He's a literature nerd, with a particular love for the classics; Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte are his favorite authors. However, we all know Jason is a theater kid at heart. He did every school play at Gotham Academy, and though he hasn't acted in anything since his resurrection, he still goes to local theaters with Alfred fairly often. He's also a fantastic cook, and the only person in Wayne Manor (other than Alfred) to never receive any sort of kitchen ban.

Tim - Photography is Tim's favorite hobby. His first camera was one of the most meaningful presents from his parents when he was younger, winning several photography competitions. He hasn't indulged as often since becoming a vigilante. Barbara still keeps him on-call as her blackmail collector though, which he does happily. He's also into skateboarding, finding skate parks to be a nice escape when he needs time alone. Many of his photo shoots occurred at the skate parks, for very emotionally charged urban photography. Other than those, he likes disassembling things to see how they work. This destructive hobby was punished and frowned upon when he was younger, but when Bruce discovered that Tim enjoyed taking things apart, would start leaving things around for him to play with, like old microwaves, or failed bat-projects. Tim also loves comic books, of which he has an impressive collection.

Damian - Art is something Ra's looked down upon, calling it "weak" and "insubstantial in society". However, it was still something Damian enjoyed, so he had to keep his hobby a secret. He was terrified Bruce would kick him out, when he found the sketchbooks hidden in Damian's room, however Bruce just asked if there were any supplies Damian wanted. He's still a bit self conscious of his art, but he is more open, giving paintings to his family as gifts, and even entering in an art show. He still has a fascination with knives from his time with the League of Assassins, and enjoys collecting ones that interest him, particularly vintage knives, and unique knives made out of unconventional materials, or those with intricate designs. Jon was the one to get him into video games, which he denies enjoying, but the hours he's put into Cheese Viking would say otherwise.

Cass - Ballet was one of the first things she fell in love with after being adopted. It was so similar to how she was raised-people talking with their bodies-but without the violence she so loathed. She easily convinced Bruce to sign her up for classes, and for once, it was something she could do, to communicate with people in a way she knew well. Another interest she picked up was astrology. It was something fun that she didn't necessarily believe in, but was a comfortable guidance. Damian hand painted her a custom tarot deck, and she has a small collection of crystals she finds pretty. Zatanna has offered to enchant some of them for her, but Cass declined the offer, saying that giving them actual magic enchantments removes the aspect of belief that she found comforting. She understood that the black tourmaline necklace Bruce bought her wouldn't actually keep her safe, but it gave her comfort, and a sense of safety, especially because it was a gift from her dad. (author's note: I don't actually know that much about astrology, tarot, and crystals, so if anyone wants to add to this and give a more realistic description of how it works, I would love to see it)

Steph - similar to Dick, she is a gymnast, though not quite at Dick's level. She is also into martial arts and has taken a few classes in Taekwondo and Boxing, and whatever other free classes were being offered at the community center. Cartoons and anime are pretty big interests, as well as video games. She often jumps around from hobby to hobby, and has several miscellaneous skills in a little bit of everything. (author's note: a lot of Steph I based off of myself. She's a character I relate a lot to, so a lot of myself is projected into her. Her height and weight being one of them. However, that was also because DC doesn't seem to know what a human woman looks like, because most of the female characters in the Batfamily are 5'4" or 5'5", and around 120 lbs, including Steph. So I just borrowed by height and weight from highschool, when I was at peak physical fitness, at the gym 4 times a week, and doing 2 sports, once meeting 2 times a week and the other meeting 3 times a week. That would place her at 5'8" and 155lbs, which is far more reasonable for an active vigilante. rant over). She also feels like the kind of person who would be into scrapbooking. Most of her pictures are stolen from Tim, and the pages are brightly colored with fun stickers and glitter.

Duke - he gives off the vibe of a soccer player. However, because of his focus on school and crime fighting, he just plays for the rec team. It's a fun activity that he can enjoy when he was time, and also use to explain away his fitness level and injuries. He's also a huge movie buff, enjoying to analyze every aspect of the film, from the characters, to the camera work, to the framing of each scene. He isn't as interested in making his own movies, but gets very into it when he does. Quentin Tarantino is his favorite filmaker, however Damian has stared getting him into foreign films as well.

[butcherlarry]

Weekly Fic Rec 49

This week's fic rec list! I was surprised how much reading I got done, but then I remembered I had Monday off for the holiday :) So enjoy this longer than expected list!

A Sacrifice Love Demands by second_hand_heaven - Superwonderbat, complete. Bruce gets hit with a new fear toxin from Scarecrow. Featuring cuddles with Superman and Wonder Woman to make it better :)

I got better things to do by Amisti - Batman, complete. Batman, Flash, and Green Lantern get captured by a bad guy and thrown in a prison cell. Batman Brucies his way out, much to the shock of Flash and Green Lantern.

Brucie Moments series by That_One_Curly_Haired_Fangirl - Batman, stories are complete, but series is not. Some moments of Batman's Brucie persona showing through.

Flowers From Mr. Wayne by Ktkat9 - Superbat, complete. After an interview gone wrong, Bruce sends Clark some flowers to show his interest :))))))

a sky of honey by TheResurrectionist - Superbat, wip. More of the Superbat omegaverse fic that I always get excited about when it updates :) Featuring, Jason finally figuring out who Superman is, overreacting, and Clark having a Big Sad (but Lex makes it better, surprisingly).

Emergency Contact by Elegitre - Batfam, wip. An update to a fic where Tim joins the Batfam early. Jason has a misunderstanding about his place in the family, but Bruce makes it better.

A place to stay warm by Speechless_since_1998 - Batfam, complete. Barbara is Tim's babysitter. During some cold weather, the heat goes out in the Drake house and Tim is sick. Barbara makes the trek to Wayne manor for help.

how cleanly, how quietly by shipyrds - Batfam, complete. Bruce thinks Tim is lonely and tries to set up some father-son bonding to make it better. Turns out, Bruce is wrong and Tim has a lot of friends.

we shall be free; we shall find peace by mediant - Superbat, wip. I was SCREAMING with this fic's latest update! Clark is captured by the Bats, oh no! What's going to happen next!!!!!!! 👀👀👀

the walks of dreams by januariat - Superbat, complete. A sweet, smutty fic, featuring Adam West Bats and George Reeves Superman 💖💖💖

RIP to the Rumours by BoredomBeckons - Batfam, complete. Instead of dying, Jason retires as Robin and goes to college. No one told this to the rest of the world though.

I found a brother in the trash by Speechless_since_1998 - Batfam, complete. Dick finds a new sibling (Jason) in the trash and brings him home. Jason learns from his older brother, and finds his younger brother (Tim) in the trash and brings him home. Shenanigans ensue.

Flock Building for Dummies by DragonDart - Superbat, wip. A creature AU where Bruce is a harpy and Clark is the vet who takes care of him. Lot's of tasty, tasty world building in this fic too!!

bruce's villain origin story by InkpotSprite - Batfam, complete. Bruce gets turned into a cat, but none of his kids notice. Adorable shenanigans ensue.

Just A Little Bit... by HaleHathNoFury (My_Trex_has_fleas) - Superbat, wip. More of the alien Clark and eldritch Bruce fic! Clark goes off to investigate Cadmus with Lois and Bruce is Worried and Grumpy about it. Featuring my favorite scene with one of Ivy's killer plants >:D

Champagne Problems by SalParadiseLost - Superbat, wip. Himbo omega Brucie Wayne is dating alpha Clark Kent. He also suddenly adopts three children using unconventional means. Shenanigans ensue.

Patchwork Pod by Ktkat9 - Superbat, wip. More of the mer Bruce fic! Bruce is still missing and a new threat arises :((((((

Happy reading!!

[punkeropercyjackson]

Red Hood and The Outlaws rewrite

Co-made by me,@insomniac-jay,@moonage-gaydream,@mayameanderings,@theautisticcentre and @refrigeratedboombursts.It is a BIG ASS FUCKING MONSTER

Starts in 2010 and ends in 2020 with 120 issues

The lineup is,in joining order:Jason Todd(Red Hood and briefly a Star Sapphire),Eddie Bloomberg(Red Devil),Rose Wilson(Ravager),Summer Kent(Ignite and brierly a Black Lantern),Pepper Jackson(Star Sapphire),Thaddeus Thawne(Inertia),Kahali Roy(Bloody Mary),Duke Thomas(Robin),Imani Javiera(Panthress),Kyle Rayner(Green Lantern),Artemis Grace(Artemis of Bana-Mighdall),Venus Sparks(Star Sapphire),Mathew Wayne(Batboy and briefly a Green Lantern),Lilith Morningstar(Hex)and Daisy Hilliard(Paradisia),Jennifer Williams(Batgal) and Azriel Morningstar(Ghoul)

Jason,Eddie and Rose are the 'Original Outlaws Trinity' and them and Summer are the 'Dark Core Four'.Jason is the founder and leader and Summer his right hand man who takes over when he can't

Almost all trans and autistic with Pepper as the token allistic and Mathew the token cis.Jason is afro-dominican,Rose and Artemis are brownskin and brown eyed,Summer is a half white afrolatina(dominican),Thaddeus is half black too,Kahali is indian(sindhi-bengali),Imani is afro-puerto rican and Venus,Lilith,Azriel,Daisy and Jennifer are monoracial black women.Jason,Summer,Imani and Lilith are also fat and Jaysumm is tank4tank

Sometimes a found family can be 17 crazy ass vigilantes who some of weren't even vigilantes at first

The series is very goofy and silly often and in it's fundemental spirit but equally dark and layered in the same sense and is heavy on gags,jokes,violence and social talk.It also takes place over 3 in-universe years

The canon couples are Jason/Summer,Eddie/Lilith,Rose/Pepper,Thad/Azriel,Kahali/Tim Drake,Duke/Luna Vasquéz,Imani/Vicia López,Kyle/Venus,Artemis/Daisy and Mathew/Jennifer.The other adult Outlaws view eachother with very strong platonic love that can be taken as polyamorous love except Summer and Imani who are sisterly and the kid Outlaws are seen as younger siblings by them with Thad also being considered their adoptive son-By Summer especially and he straight up views him as his mom

Jason is goth punk,Eddie is a metalhead,Rose is goth butch,Summer is pastel punk,Pepper is y2k,Thad is a skater,Kahali is whimsigoth,Duke is a fashionista,Imani is black y2k,Kyle is losercore-i mean distinct,Artemis is a jock,Venus is ghetto fabulous,Mathew is weirdcore,Lilith is scenemo,Daisy is a softgirl,Jennifer is a prep and Azriel is kidcore

Summer is the Team Mom and Jason the Team Dad and they're nicknamed 'Supermom and Dadhood' as a teasing joke that they only embrace post getting together(And yet somehow this dosen't stop Jason from saying Summer is a milf with complete honesty and zero hesitation)

Their base is called The Fortress-named by Summer obviously-and it's an old abandoned huge residence that they started living in after exorsicing it due to investigation leading them there and the moving in decision was made because the beings in it agreed to bless it with eternal running water and electricity as a thank you for helping them move onto the afterlife at last.Everyone has their own room with their own tricked out aesthetic but it's common for them to share their beds and Imani refuses to actually sleep alone,not that any of them mind after a while despite her unconventional sleeping habits

Small note:Kyle is in the same age group as Jason but because i feel he's even more interesting if he starts out being a power ring bearer as a teenager and it adds extra tragedy and opportunities to his plots.And they don't actually meet until adulthood-Their mutual connection is Kyle and Summer having been a thing for a short time when they were both teens and Jason being Summer's childhood best friend since they were 11.This notion also applies to Artemis,she gets introduced as a teen hero too instead of that oversexualization bs and keeps her history but just adjusted so she's still Artemis Grace!!

As stated,Jason,Eddie and Rose were the original trio and Jason got them to become Outlaws pretty easily thanks to Eddie having been sidekick besties with him and Summer too and Rose is always up for moral grayness(and is coincedentally another one of Summer's exes-His first ever girlfriend in fact!)and Summer joined post Ember/Red Hood thanks to him and Jason reuniting in Utrh and the series being about them reconnecting as he unintentionally influenced him to become more sardonic and brutal like they were as a kid so the Metropolis media framed them as 'evil all along' and that hurt them so much combined with smear campaign Lex did against them as a kid he worked so hard to disprove for so long that they finally ran away from home and joined The Outlaws like Jason wanted him to so they'd be a team again.He gifted him a black domino mask as 'giving him a piece of himself' to finish off the new costume Summer made.After a decent while of just The Dark Four Core,Pepper came along as the fifth member because of her crush on Summer she'd gained due to their flirtatiouns back in Metropolis that he still both returned and they accidentally rescued Thad from dying in a chaotic and quick incident and took him in since he had literally nowhere to go

Pepperose was just a natural thing that happened-They flirted on first meeting mutually and Rose was shellshocked Pepper actually hit on her back and then kinda became obsessed with in a non-creepy way her LMFAO She acts like a booktok bf💀Peps is very happy about it though and they're 'gal pals' for about 50 issues before sealing the deal and doing the official girlfriends thing.Rose calls her Pinkie Pie and Pepper calls her 'my favorite rose'.Pepper dosen't really change all that much other than improved self-eestem and getting stronger but she also kills Slade for good out of love for Rose and that's when Rose kisses her,no holding anymore and they're married by the 2nd to last issue and Rose's codename dosen't stay Ravager for the whole series as she eventually uses the 'Willow' mantle and her arc is a heavy but good one that's all about her being human despite what others say

Kahali was gruesomely murdered by The Joker as he filmed the whole thing and sent a physical copy to Summer with a note that said 'history repeats are as sweet as you,Dearie Em'.Summer was catatonic but also stuck in his dragon/Kryptofang form and when he snapped back to conciousness,he flew to Gotham before his cremation ceremony to dunk him in the Lazarus Pit,knowing it's exact location thanks to Talia helping out The Outlaws now and then as Jason's adoptive mom.Kahali came back with Pit Powers that were much stronger than Jason's and he rubs it in his face,along with it having turned his hair completely white but he still dyes it red and Summer mother hen's him more than ever for obvious reasons(well those and the additional one is Summer also got killed and ressurected by a Gotham Rogue as a sidekick)and Kahali updated himself to 'Blood Maker'.Tim and him were a very atypical couple on every level but that only made them happier with and better for eachother and Tim entered his villain era as 'Dove' over what happened because he believed Kahali was his soulmate and saviour and even had plans to marry him despite not asking him out yet and ironically enough they reunited on the battlefield without recognizing eachother at first until Tim did first and unmasked himself in shock just like Jason and Summer.Time stood still until they rushed up to kiss in relief and disbelief in Tim's case and they started a secret long distance relathionship after that

Artemis joined for reasons that are a bit complicated to match her origin story but the jist of it is she was living in the normal world and deemed them worthy of her companionhood despite how annoying she found them(especially Jason)and they helped her out with her emotions and better translating her mannerisms and technically turned into a goddess permanently(and willingly)and Kyle had a lot of crazy ass Lanterns shit happen that had him be forced by his mentors to take a breather and he choose a crosscountry roadtrip and he met his teammates by almost running Eddie over because he was trying to eat freshly made ramen and it got in his eyes.He a bit of morals trip with his new friends and old ex boygirlfriend he's still mutually flirty with sometimes to say the least(and ends the run a White Lantern).There's heavy featuring of his parents and past in this because hooooooo boy,he is a character of all time!!

Duke is the 5th Robin because of Summer's involvement and he got a year in pretty good but then him and Bruce nearly broke apart over a fight and he got so scared of being fired as Robin because of being only a 12 year old technical orphan(jokerized parents)he followed Summer's footsteps by ditching Gotham and that was how he meet Jason,who introduced himself as his true identity to him because of Summer's positive talk of him and accepted Duke's ask for shelter and so Duke was now an Outlaw.He wasn't forced to kill but he did become pretty harsh in fights and this caused him angst only for a bit as he was reassured by the older members.Duke says to Jason in issue 110 '.....I was never a real Robin.I've been with you guys way longer than i ever was with Bruce-' and Jason cuts him off with 'Yeah,no shit you were never Batman's Robin.You're The Outlaws' Robin-You're my Robin and you always have been and you always will be' and Duke breaks down so Jason comforts him and that's when Summer walks in with their Dairy Super and Batburger double flight orders and asks what happened but helps before either even get to explain with Duke thanking him for being the reason he got to take the first step to heroism to which he gets platonically bubbly and flattered and tells him he's the perfect Robin and Duke does a toothy happy grin that takes up most of the last panel in that issue

Duke is also a reality warper because of Gnomon so he stopped the N52 from existing in his Robin run🙏🏼Duke is our god,please praise him

Imani gets hired because of her reputation as a leathily effecient spy and she fits right in,crying herself to sleep a few times after they'd been together long enough to call eachother family.She's a gremlin from the start and influences Mathew to be the same and she's close to everybody but Summer and her are interdimensional sisters soulmates a la Percy Jackson and Hazel Levesque and he was the first one to break down her walls and they go out of their way to defend the other nonstop and this helps Summer's eldest daughter syndrome trauma.Catblooded/Vimani starts in a remastered Gotham War which is about them and The Watchers and lest to say they're perfect together and Jason,Kyle,Mathew,Lilith and Jennifer NEVER let them live it down.Lilith's intro is a parody of Batman 357-Instead of stealing his tires,she hacked Jason's computer to leak his old Undertale chats and he begged her to join in humiliating ways only for it to be revealed she only did it for fun and came to join because Summer and him were close friends in their teen years but got seperated due to Hell bussiness.She made sure to take pictures 'to send to Summie of his cringelord ass hubbie'.None of these words are denied by anyone at all

At the same time this was happening,Artemis,Azriel,Thad,Pepper and Duke were on a mission and Artemis was almost fatally wounded but Daisy came in as her angel with healing oitments made with her chlorokinesis and Artemis saw her with a glowing pink halo around her head,too enchanted by her to care about almost dying.Daisy was a duo with Lilith and had the same reasoning as her for being there but they got seperated thanks to a villain attack and they're the team hacker and team medic.They picked Venus up at a party she was DJ'ing and she started as only an ally but joined them officially in a parallel to Teen Titans 2003!Tara Markov after an angst arc and it actually took her and Kyle a hot sec to get officially together due thinking their attraction was purely physical and her and Pepper did a toon girlypop squee sequence after she got the official Outlaw title as Star Sapphire solidarity.Mathew kept getting told by Gotham City-The sentient city itself-he needed to leave for now since Jennifer was missing so he gave in and he was welcomed with open arms,platonic kisses,food and appropriate training

But in a mini arc called 'Batboy's Breakout' the adult Outlaws go on mission without him despite him being the eldest and it makes him feel not good enough after the buildup of not being able to protect the other kids a few times before so when he hears of a breakout at Blackgate at bedtime,he sneaks out,stops it and kills Penguin(his birth parents' murderer)and stops an Arkham breakout too and then goes solo after leaving a note at the Fortress.They're super upset but almost all of them trust him to take care of himself with Summer as the exception thanks to how maternal he is and how he was the only one other than Kahali who was really close to him pre-Rhato.Mathew is a solo hero for roughly half a year and defeats Slade during his run before he comes back to The Outlaws and tackled in the world's biggest group hug and showered in words of love and reminisced sadness and he's misty eyed touched because he missed them too after the resentment wore off.His new hero name is 'Bladebat' for his magic sword he crafted himself while on the run

Jennifer was missing because she'd been given Lian's teleported across time and space multiple times storyline due to an accident that happened while on a quest for Solana Banks to restore her lost home dimension Helioas because she thought she'd found an articifact that would but misenterpreted it's powers.Lucky for her,her journey only lasted 1 year instead of multiple and she found her way back to Mathew's spot-Her safe spot.She wasn't ready to live normally again just yet so she stayed in the Fortress and became an official member as a result under 'Batika'.And to complete our family,Azriel had the easiest and most simplistic one-Lilith asked Jason to let her join them because of how strong she is and not having many friends so he accepted and she's actually the goriest of the Outlaws beating even Thee Red Hood in it and this is part of her demonic nature and carries no secret undertones to it.Like Flowergrace,Thadzriel was love at first newbie sight and they have such a sweet middle school dating dynamic

Luna appears in a significant amount of issues but since she's Aquafam she sticks to her own territory most of the time and her and Duke are purely platonic with love not blooming until Duke becomes The Signal and leads a new team he made called The Lights with Luna joining as 'Moonguide' and they have a slowburn that spans until their adults years as Eris(Duke)and Selene(Luna)

Jaysumm's dynamic is childhood best friends and sidekick partners > Enemies only in the technical sense > Best friends again but Jason flirting with Summer constantly and Summer not buying Jason isn't joking because of their history together > Being insuferably obviously in love and Summer's literally the ONLY one who dosen't know > Fwb who act like a couple already with Jason still only knowing it on his side and angst for him as a result > Sneaking off to take Jon off trick or treating in opposite costumes(fairy and werewolf)and Summer's epiphany finally happens so he confesses when they make it home and Jason confesses back so they make out > Official couple when exactly 11 issues remaining in a 120 part series LMFAO

🎶They don't give a damn about their reputation🎶 < Had to make that joke,mb kings.But yeah they generally don't care about perception from normies and ARE here to unteach propaganda as they fuck around and make people find out the systems are fucked.It's very embarrasing for certain superheroes that the eco-terrorists without the no kill code are better parents to their kids than they are to theirs and their legacy stays even post quasi-disbanment(They keep in contact forever ofc,it's just the plot needed them elsewheres and there's common reunions and video calls)

Culturally fused team,both race and species.Afrolatino and brown latino,kryptonian and amazonian,speedster abonimation and macabita demon,human and meta and so forth.Subculture fused too as they frequently participate in eachother's aesthetics and interests and they're all multilingual.Clashes between them occasionally but never too bad

The genre is like.Superhero comedy but also horror but also fantasy but also sci-fi but also urban fantasy but also surrealism but also romance drama but also psychological thriller????????It's the Homestuck of DC,everything ever happens in Red Hood and The Outlaws 2010-2020.This includes the catgirls and the hyperspecific lore and the weird ass art that's somehow good and the-

The covers always fuck NO exceptions,Summer does meta commentary telling fans to not buy their merch officially and to instead get it secondhand or they'll be dissapointing him but Pepper full on breaks the fourth wall,it has it's own official opening on the official DCAU channel and a few shorts and this includes a pride video like the Bubbline one by Cartoon Network and it stars Jaysumm,Pepper is the most well-known and beloved trans DC character,they're SUPER popular in in Latin America and with latino-americans,it has multiple lego sets and The Outlaws Girls even got their own doll line and they have crossover mini series with Young Justice that's 24 issues and called 'Just Us,No Laws'

[allwaswell16]

One Direction fics with one of the main characters as a nanny for the other main character's child(ren) as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

—Harry/Louis—

♡ Baby Steal My Heart Away by @snowy38

(E, 63k, rich Louis) Louis headed into the hall, seeing the Moses basket right away.

♡ somebody to love by dilfrry

(E, 51k, lawyer Harry) the single father harry and uni student nanny louis fic where if it wasn't for a little red headed spit fire they wouldn't have met

♡ we are honey and the bee by orphan_account

(M, 41k, uni) where harry plays rugby at uni, louis needs to hire a nanny, and life is one big cliche.

♡ All is fair in love and war by weddingbells / @pinkniall

(E, 34k, The Nanny au) The Nanny AU in which Louis is the sassy gay Nanny-by-accident taking care of the kids of movie director Harry Styles. 

♡ Harry Poppins by jacaranda_bloom / @jacaranda-bloom

(E, 32k, Disney inspired) When Louis’ best friends pass away he finds himself with an instant family. 

♡ we can get there (we can do it if we try) by @zouisclimax

(E, 28k, dad Louis)  the one where Louis's a dad in desperate need for a new nanny. Harry's perfect for the job

♡ Everything Has Changed by louisgrindsonharry / @nauticalarry

(E, 27k, secret relationship) When Louis' sister can no longer watch his child, he needs to find a new nanny.

♡ honey, make this easy by sweetums / @darlou

(E, 25k, grief) Harry’s sister recently passed away, leaving him with temporary custody of her daughter.

♡ Barefoot in Blue Jeans by @indiaalphawhiskey

(E, 24k, footie player Louis) Louis Tomlinson is trying desperately hard not to fall for his son’s au pair, but he can’t, for the life of him, remember why.

♡ the love is ours to make (so we should make it) by @lingerielarries

(NR, 19k, punk Louis) the one where louis takes some time off from life to return home, only to be met with a strange boy in pink and a flowercrown as the nanny of his siblings.

♡ all i want for christmas is by pinkgelpen

(E, 17k, Christmas) Harry up against his side, his little four year old snuggled in his lap like it’s her favourite place, Louis could really believe they’re a real little family, off to their chalet to spend Christmas in the snow.

♡ I Will Care For You by @lululawrence

(NR, 15k, a/b/o) “Oh, Harry. Just get yourself a nanny.” Afton threw out the suggestion and Harry sat up. How had he not considered that?

♡ It'll Be by @styleandsin

(E, 13k, adoption) Louis hires Harry to be his Nanny, and it all works out great. Until Louis falls in love with him.

♡ Summer Solstice by teapotpourri / @neverhaveieva

(M, 7k, famous/not famous) After a tragic accident, twenty-two year old indie popstar, Harry Styles, is left to take care of his niece Lydia. 

♡ cherries by resurrectdead

(G, 5k, humor) louis is a chaotic dad with chaotic twins and is in immense need of a nanny

—Rare Pairs—

♡ Better With You by harriet_vane

(T, 38k, Liam/Louis) Single parent and solo artist Liam Payne hires Louis Tomlinson to be a full time nanny to his four year old son Sammy. 

♡ Be Here by winglesswarrior

(M, 20k, Louis/Liam) Liam's in dire need of a nanny for his twins, who are terrors. Niall might have an pretty unconventional option.

[scaryfangirl2001]

No Particular Plans (fanfic, 507 WC)

@flufftober

As the sun dips below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over Amity Park, Vlad Masters strolls through the quiet streets with his three adoptive children. Ellie, the tomboy, skips ahead, her ponytail bouncing with each jump. Dante, resplendent in his favorite black leather jacket, saunters alongside Vlad, admiring his reflection in every window they pass. Ember, with bright teal hair and ripped jeans, trails behind, earbuds firmly in place, listening to music. Bringing up the rear is six-year-old Eryth, dressed in a miniature version of Vlad's suit and tie. Vlad chuckles at Eryth's antics. The little boy loves to play dress-up, and tonight is no exception.

"You look quite dashing, Eryth," Vlad says, adjusting the tiny tie.

"Thanks, Daddy! I wanna be just like you when I grow up!"

Ellie giggles. "Yeah, except without the whole 'trying to take over the world' thing, right?"

Vlad shoots her a mock-glare. "Excuse me, I'm a reformed villain, remember?"

Dante snorts. "Reformed? You're still a bit of a mad scientist, Vati."

Vlad shrugs. "Someone's got to keep things interesting around here."

Ember pulls out one earbud. "Can we get ice cream, please? I'm starving!"

Vlad smiles. "Of course, dear. We can stop by the parlor on our way home."

His children settle, and Vlad watches them with a fond smile, relishing the rare moment of peace.

"You know, I think this is the first time we've relaxed together in weeks," he says, ruffling Ellie's hair as she skips back to his side.

Ellie grins up at him. "Yeah, no ghost or hunting emergencies for once!"

Dante rolls his eyes playfully. "Please, Vati, you're saying that because you lost at video games again."

Vlad chuckles. "I resent that. I am a master of 'Ghost Zone Gauntlet'."

Ember snorts, pulling out an earbud. "Sure you are, Vati. That's why you always lose to level three."

The family banters, teasing each other as they walk. Vlad feels grateful for these moments with his children. They might be unconventional — a half-ghost father raising a half-ghost and three ghost kids — but they are his family, and he loves them dearly. As they turn a corner, Skulker appears beside them, walking in stride with Vlad.

"Hey, guys! What's the plan for tonight?"

Vlad shrugs. "Just enjoying the evening, Skulker. No particular plans."

They nod. "Cool. I'm covering for Danny tonight. He's got a prior engagement with his love triad, if you know what I mean."

Dante raises an eyebrow. "Manson and Foley, huh? They're always getting into trouble with him."

Ember smirks. "Yeah, and Fenton loves it."

Vlad smiles wryly. "Well, I'm glad someone's having fun. Let's hope they don't blow anything up this time."

Eryth looks up at Vlad with wide eyes. "Ooh, can we watch? Pleeease?"

Vlad laughs softly. "Not tonight, kiddo. Maybe next time."

The family shares a laugh, and Skulker grins. "Don't worry, Vlad. I've got things under control. Enjoy your evening."

With that, they take off, flying into the night sky as the Masters family continues their leisurely stroll.

[gaemms-chamois]

random unorganized darknights trio + paprika musings bc sometimes i'm hit with like a pang of Brief Worry that i'm completely misinterpreted blabla that usually doesn't last too long bc i then go back to my state of I'm Just Vibing but ig at some point i just gotta let it out publicly once and be done with it lol

this is messily written Please Understand this isn't meant to be a grand thought piece

fuuuck ok well this is like very specifically abt the w, ines & paprika part now

like don't get me wrong on this. i joke abt wines moms and stuff but i dont genuinely mean it in the way of wahh wow littol family for reals kinda deal?

less on wines 'adopting' paprika, moreso paprika imprinting on them like a duckling after she was saved by them. paprika adopted them lmao. i cannot possibly interpret either w or ines as Maternal in such a way.

it's moreso that i think it's nice that this little sarkaz merc became part of the story, a girl who all her life since she was infected at a young age, was presented with becoming a mercenary being basically the only option for her.

and then, as annoying as w can be, being shown that she does have different options.

i just think it's sweet that paprika, judging by her voicelines, clearly looks up to w and ines. which is just amplified by the fact that w and ines are notoriously not the most popular people on rhodes lol. and she calls w annoying but still keeps knitting stuff and wanting to gift food to her. like if she often seeks out w and ines to tell them how well she did on something, when they are on the ship, etc. that'd at least indicate that those two humor her.

ALSO IT'S UNOFFICIAL BUT SHOUTOUT TO THAT LITTLE CHUZENJI ART WITH PAPRIKA AND W, INES & TOTTER WEARING KNITTED HATS SO CUTE

OKAY WOO DARKNIGHTS MERCENARY TRIO AND STUFF

cool yeah obviously i fucking love them. i'm not very good at words though and i tend to keep my more elaborate thoughts to just discussions between friends who know how i tick djsfhdfs

just the other day i was smiling to myself during a walk bc holy shit all three are actually playable now and that's not just wishful thinking anymore. anyway chapter 13 also happened and more stuff with the trio happened and Cool Lots of things Happening and my brain is full

they're so found family to me, like in an utterly unconventional way. i mean c'mon with how they act sometimes like- ykno. but like have y'all seen the new furniture set and descriptions that came with hoederer's release it made me go insanse.

but i think especially in ines' case it just kinda highlights that best. considering ines' arts can figure people out (putting that in rather vague terms), it truly means something when someone with her capabilities and temperament has people she chooses to stick by and actually trust. even if she pretends she doesn't by verbally denying it.

like waugh Okay they have a lot to unpack and shit but with them being reunited (take that, W file that said W needs companionship but her friends aren't around anymore) and having a COMPARATIVELY more ""relaxed"" life than before (that one Hoederer file where he just has rather regular days on rhodes), it's just nice to imagine they can finally have something better and figure stuff out. as complicated as the three of them are.

with that said i think it's a given that i despise a nuclear family treatment of the three (aka mom ines, dad hoederer, daughter w).

for one with me being highly doubtful w was a kid/teen at the start of darknights (young? sure, but not that young), which just seems like such a...widespread belief that i really do not get? arknights always put a LOT of emphasis on when a character's story was about them being a kid, 0 of that with w. like something about her expression and big cloak just gave people some different impression, even though she literally keeps looking the same aside from a change of clothes. only instance of w being called a kid during that time i can think of is that one boiler worker in her files but that seems way more like any typical old guy calling anyone on the younger side a kid. hell, even hoederer was called young in darknights, like in a sarkaz's lifespan i can believe that.

and also...hoederer had somewhat of a mentor-like role for w, but if anyone tries to tell me ines ever acted maternal towards w i will chew through your walls. read through darknights memoir and actually pay attention to ines, both w AND ines were pettyass women and they made that so very clear. cannot fathom how anyone can see ines as having been motherly towards w

seriously just feels like a case of Well there is man and there is woman....and this other character so clearly these are mom, dad and kid.

that's not even me being biased towards w/ines, just how i objectively see it. hell, i even ENJOY ines/hoederer, but my enjoyment of it is limited bc for some reason ppl like to make it weird by shoving w in as some daughter. i promise it's completely possible to like ines/hoederer without trying to fit in w as a kid figure

anyways yeah like cool i like these characters I Guess. Look at them

[spaceokase]

Zephrine's Various Children

So now that the campaign is over (And before the dragon age brainrot overtakes me tomorrow), I can actually show off Zephrine's no-longer-hypothetical children! Zephrine adopts her first right after the campaign and then has her first bio kid about 10 years post-campaign, and goes from there. She doesn't exactly settle down in that she's still very very very politically active as that's her life's passion, but she does enjoy a nice, if unconventional family life while she's continuing to be a girlboss.

The art is a bit old for most of these but you'll get the idea, have a rough summary of each below:

Arrian Shaxarn- lawful neutral -they/them. fire genasi- blue draconic bloodline sorcerer/assassin rogue. (belongs to @greyfen)

The first of Zephrine's children, a former assassin who was reincarnated by Zephrine after they met their gruesome end at the hands of a vampire. They're in their mid 20s(late teens equivalent for fire genasi) when they meet Zephrine, which initially made her a bit bemused and apprehensive when her newlywed husband Viseryn suggested they adopt them after the defeat of the Midnight Sun. Initially it was proposed as a means to grant them citizenship in Tiamyra faster, but ultimately the two consider Arrian as one of their own and are very supportive and close. As far as Arrian themself; they're very thoughtful, polite and kind, though they do have a slight vain streak befitting someone with dragon blood. They end up being quite politically active and have similar views to Zephrine, which means they get along quite well, and they're very supportive of each other. Overall they're quite grateful to both Zephrine and Viseryn for the opportunity at a literal new life that doesn't involve being a tool of an assassin guild.

Marciel Celeste DuPrei- she/they/he-  gold dragonborn -chaotic good- swashbuckler rogue/circle of the shepherd druid

Marciel is Zephrine's first biological child and only child with Florian. She was unplanned, which combined with Zephrine's political career meant that socially she may as well be a bastard (Zephrine is married to Florian but unofficially, her official marriage is to Viseryn, though she loves them both. The polycule isn't entirely secret but not publicly broadcast either. It's complicated), and therefore she was mostly raised by other people, predominantly Therila and Florian. She has a bit of a complex about this and thus her relationship with her mother can be a bit contentious and Marciel generally avoids her when she can. As for them, they're rebellious, hedonistic and arrogant but good-hearted and fall into the life of an adventurer quite easily as they very much enjoy fighting monsters, helping the downtrodden, and being the center of attention.

Circe Shaxarn- she/her- aasimar(abishai)- lawful neutral- Cleric of Tiamat, arcana domain 

Circe is the first bio child that Zephrine has with Viseryn, and due to her lineage + being an aasimar, she has a lot of expectations placed upon her shoulders. While her parents are very supportive and understanding, she unfortunately is somewhat of a public figure and some people get pretty weird ideas about her and her future. Some even go so far as to believe she's some sort of Chosen One, which Circe, as someone who wants to succeed on her own merits, hates. She's an intellectual and very passionate about magic and faith, but lacks the charisma of her mother or her siblings and hates being the center of attention. Despite being a bit grumpy as a person, she still shares Zephrine's more idealistic version of Tiamat, and is quite idealistic in general, even if she's bad at showing it. She wants to invoke change, but she wants to avoid harsher methods of doing so where she can. She argues a lot with Kallista and Marciel but gets on well with Arrian.

Kallista Shaxarn- she/her, red dragonborn, true neutral, green draconic bloodline sorcerer (belongs to @greyfen)

The second bio child between Zephrine and Viseryn and the youngest overall, Kallista is charismatic, mischievous, and ambitious. Feeling somewhat in the shadow of her other siblings, she's definitely the Loudest of them and like Circe wants to stand on her own merits as opposed to her lineage. She's also the most politically minded of Zephrine's children and has a lot of potential on that front, something that makes her parents both very proud and somewhat wary. She’s also probably the most ruthless of the children when it comes to her goals, but she matches that ruthlessness with an equally gregarious personality and a strong loyalty to those who’ve earned her trust. She looks up to Arrian but idolizes Marciel and tends to clash a lot with Circe, who she often accuses of being boring and no fun.

[redheadlesbianfreak]

I’m really glad that people in the TMNT fanbase have finally started calling out the insistence that 2012 Splinter is irredeemably abusive. As well as how the criticism comes across as racist. The way the character is depicted in the show versus the way he is often depicted in fan content is like night and day. I’m open to different fan interpretations, but I’ve seen an insane amount of fans confidently state that he’s canonically abusive. And this is one of the worst misinterpretations of canon I’ve ever seen in fanon.

2012 Splinter was raised in Japan, and seems to take on a more East Asian style of parenting. He’s stricter with his sons, but usually when they put themselves or their brothers in danger. However, I would say that he’s far more gentle and understanding than anything else. And I would like to clarify that reasonably disciplining your kids and teaching them right from wrong is not abusive. That’s what it means to be a parent. Never correcting misbehavior is another form of abuse, one that borders on neglect.

Another thing to consider is that he’s in a very unique situation. Splinter and the turtles are mutants. They will never be accepted by society and will always be seen as monsters; he knows this. He teaches his sons how to fight so they can defend themselves in a world that will try to hunt them down and kill them. He has nightmares about his sons dying. The show explores the terror he faces as a parent, which is something he’s already experienced with the loss of his daughter and wife.

Splinter is devastated and relieved to find that Miwa is alive. He loves her as his daughter, but that doesn’t mean he no longer sees the turtles as his sons. He views them as being his children just as much as his biological child. He clarifies this to Leonardo. The reason I love TMNT so much as a franchise is because it’s one of the few pieces of media that explores familial love within an adopted family. And TMNT 2012 constantly reiterates that family can look unconventional and does not need to be bound by blood.

Splinter is a realistic depiction of a parental figure. Most parents in media are either abusive or perfect with no in-between. Splinter is the type of parent who tries his best but still makes mistakes. In real life, there is no such thing as a perfect parent. Even the kindest parents are going to make mistakes from time to time. But my favorite thing about Splinter is that he almost always owns up to his mistakes. Rather than doubling down or pretending he did nothing wrong, he admits his wrongdoing and apologizes. And that’s way better than a lot of parents.

I don’t want to get too personal, but I grew up with several abusive adults in my life. I know firsthand what it’s like to experience very violent abuse at the hands of an adult. It fucked me up and I’m still recovering from it. Pretty much none of those adults ever admitted wrongdoing or grew as a person. In their eyes, they were always in the right and I deserved what I was getting. I would’ve loved to have a patient and kind adult in my life like 2012 Splinter.

Abuse looks different for everyone, and I don’t want to imply my experiences are universal. But as someone who did grow up in that environment, it’s upsetting to see people blow Splinter’s actions out of proportion in order to validate their dislike of a him. To me, it feels like fans are using the abuse as a tool to make their opinions look morally correct. As a writer, I understand making alternate universes to amp up the angst potential. But insisting that fanon is canon is where I draw the line, especially when it comes to willfully misinterpreting a character.

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group K Round 3: #K5 vs #K6

#K5: Adopted magical girl learns to love, live, and also fight

#K6: Slice of life in the middle of nowhere

Details and poll under the cut!

#K5: Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha ViVid

Summary:

Vivio Takamachi, a Sankt Kaiser royalty of ancient Belka, was previously subjected to mistreatment. Fortunately, she now lives a peaceful life with family and friends while practicing martial arts with her coach, Nove Nakajima. However, Vivio soon becomes the target of the mysterious fighter Heidi E. S. Ingvalt, who demands Nove to reveal the location of the ancient Belkan royals. Refusing to disclose this information, Nove finds herself in a losing battle, but Heidi soon falls unconscious. In addition, Nove discovers Heidi’s true identity to be a middle school student named Einhald Stratos.

When she regains consciousness, Einhald clarifies that she has no animosity toward ancient Belkan royals. Having inherited the passion to defend and harboring regretful memories of her ancestor, the ancient Belkan ruler Claus Ingvalt, she simply wants to prove that her fighting ability is strong enough to protect others. Intrigued by the girl's situation, Nove arranges for Einhald to meet with Vivio. Although they get off to an unconventional start, Vivio enthusiastically trains with Einhald, assisting her in finding peace of mind while developing a vivid friendship along the way.

Propaganda:

It’s such an interesting setting, like it’s so fucking weird and I love it despite the queerbaiting. But basically these two magical girls retire ro run a dojo and adopt another magical girl who was abused. It focuses on the abused kid (previous series focused on the two magical girls) and that kid learning to be a kid and fight not for survival but like fun, and making friends and having a family they trust. All while in a sci-fi magical world with some fascinating and enjoyable world building. It has flaws, but for me the setting and characters make up for the sometimes misogynistic additions.

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Gender Identity/Sexuality Discrimination

#K6: Non Non Biyori

Summary:

Hotaru Ichijou's lifestyle completely changes when she leaves Tokyo and moves with her family to the isolated Asahigaoka village. Her new school has only five students including herself, all sharing a single classroom regardless of grade level. There are no convenience stores in the area, and it can take up to two hours for a bus to arrive.

Nevertheless, Hotaru finds herself captivated by the countryside's charm thanks to her four unique schoolmates with whom she quickly forms a genuine bond. The most colorful of them is Renge Miyauchi, a first-grader who is often perceptive despite her age. However, no less intriguing are the three Koshigaya siblings: the quiet oldest brother Suguru, the petite older sister Komari, and the prankish youngest sister Natsumi.

Having someone from the city join their cheerful little group enlivens the ordinary days in Asahigaoka. Not only does Hotaru bring firsthand knowledge from the alluring outside world, but her fresh outlook on life welcomes a blossom of change to their usual routine.

Propaganda:

Non Non Biyori is a show that, at first glance, seems to be little more than a standard Iyashikei affair with above average background art and below average character writing. What the show lacks in surface-level complexity, however, it makes up for with its delivery of capital T Themes.

The first season serves as a foundation, where it creates a strong sense of place through gorgeously rendered background art. We’re frequently given long, wide-angle shots of the background as characters walk through going about their business. The characters, though simply written, are given strong interactions with each other in order to grant a better understanding of the sense of community within the town. This serves to establish the town itself as the single most important element of the show, allowing the themes to blossom come season two, where we can better see the underlying melancholy behind the show’s lighthearted tone.

Non Non Biyori is ultimately a show about good times that can never last. The town they live in and the lifestyle it represents is dying, and the kids will grow up someday and will probably leave in search of better opportunities, with the possibility that they will never return to their hometown. Even in the short term, the age gap between the characters means that high school and eventually college will separate them, and though they’ll likely remain friends things will have irreversibly changed. Though the threat of change looms over the narrative, importantly, it’s not something that’s ever lingered on for too long, and when it is, it’s delivered with a “less is more” mentality, where we’re given only enough information to infer how the characters are feeling ourselves without it needing to be explicitly stated. This approach delivers Non Non Biyori’s central message: that even though change is inevitable and all good things come to an end, the single best thing a person can do is enjoy the good while it lasts.

Trigger Warnings: None.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

[saralayne]

This Love ~ Part 7 🩵💜

Dadford

As the wedding was right around the corner. Lucy and Tim have an important conversation with Tamara. After, Tamara finds herself in a dangerous situation and Tim steps up to the plate in a big way.

The wedding details had all been taken care of. Everything had fallen into place. Lucy had found the perfect wedding dress. She was due to go in for her final fitting in a couple of weeks. Life was less stressful now that the details were all in place. It was happening in a mere 6 weeks. Tim and Lucy could not be more excited.

One thing had been on Tim’s mind as the wedding approached. Tim had been living with Lucy and Tamara for a year now. They had become a little family with Tamara and Kojo. Tamara was an adult now. She was a full time college student studying to become a lawyer. Lucy’s puppy as Tim had always called her and she had become his puppy as well. He thought of Tamara as his and Lucy’s kid. The young girl had wormed her way into his heart and he would do anything for her. They would have family dinners together. It felt right. They were a real family. It wasn’t conventional as Tamara was a full fledged adult now. It didn’t take away from the fact on how much Lucy and Tim loved her. Even when they would have children or their own in the future. Tamara was always going to be their first kid. Tim had heard that adoption was possible for even adults. All he wanted was for Tamara to be their family, officially.

As Lucy stepped into Tim’s office to have lunch. There were occasional times they were able to spent a little more time together at the station. They kept it professional, of course. It was just a time to chat and have a bite to eat together.

“Hi Sergeant Bradford”

“Hi Officer Chen”

“I brought us some lunch from the food truck” chuckled a Lucy

“Luce. I want to talk to you about something that has been on my mind for a while now. We were so consumed with the wedding. I wanted to wait for a good moment. Now that the wedding is all planned and set”

“Tim. Babe. What is going on?”

“So, this might sound crazy but hear me out. I did some research. I found adult adoptions are real and actually happen quite frequently”

“Tim. Oh my gosh. Are you saying what I think you are saying?”

“I am. Luce she is our kid. It may of been unconventional how she became our kid. But she is ours. I want it to be official. I want her to always feel that she is our family. Even in the future when we bring children into this world. I never want Tamara to feel like she is not ours as well. I don’t know how she will feel about this. I just really want this for our family”

“Tim, you are such an amazing man. You’re right. She is our kid. There is nothing I would love more than to have Tamara as ours in every sense. I know she is going to feel honoured. Let’s talk to her as soon as possible and then we can start the process”

A few days later. They sat down to dinner with Tamara. They had made Tamara’s favourite meal. Spaghetti.

“OK. You two are freaking me out. Make my favourite meal. You look nervous. Is something going on? You are kinda scaring me”

“There is something we want to talk to you about” muttered Tim “Tamara, you have always been Lucy’s family since the beginning. I know I joked about it. Since even before Lucy and I got together you wormed you way into my heart as well. Since living here, Lucy and I are about to get married. We. I, want us to be a family officially”

“Ok. Of course I consider you and Lucy family. Oh and Kojo as well”

“Yes and that’s great. We would like to make it official. I would love Lucy and I to formally adopt you. I realize you are an adult. But we want you to officially be our kid. Our daughter”

Tamara had tears streaming down her face.

“I-I can’t believe this. I don’t even know what to say”

“You could start with yes” whispered Lucy

“YES. OF COURSE. So you would be mom and dad?”

“Yes. We would be. If you’re comfortable calling us that” added Tim

“This is something I have wanted my whole life. To feel loved and wanted. Lucy, you gave me a home and stability when I had nothing. Dadford, you have always been there for me even when I annoyed you. You were always a dad figure to me. Nothing would make me happier than to have you both. As my mom and dad”

“Good. It’s settled then. Lucy and I will start the process and paperwork as soon as possible. Now, let’s finish eating. You and Lucy can pick some ridiculous reality show for us to watch”

About a week later. Tim had hired a lawyer. The paperwork was easy. Tamara was an adult, so it wasn’t complicated. Papers were signed. Tamara was officially their daughter. She even surprised Tim and decided to change her last name to Bradford. Tim was floored when Tamara presented the paper showing her new name. Lucy was going to become a Bradford in a month. They were now a real family.

Tamara had been spending nights at the library. She had final exams coming up. Tim didn’t like her being there at night. As a cop for many years now, he has seen things. The thought of her walking to her car late at night alone drove him crazy. Lucy would try and calm him. “Babe, she’s always got her cell on and pepper spray that you stocked her with” truth is Lucy also didn’t like Tamara walking alone at night but she knew Tamara was an adult and they to let her be just that.

Lucy was out with the girls. Planning Lucy’s bachelorette party and final details with the wedding. Tim was having a nice, relaxing evening at home. Just him and Kojo watching a Rams game. Tim’s phone started vibrating “Hello”

“Is this Tim Bradford?”

“Yes it is”

“This is Dr. Scott calling from Shaw Memorial”

At first, Tim thought something had happened to Lucy. His heart plummeted.

“We have a Tamara Bradford here. She came by ambulance. She is your daughter?”

“Yes she is. I-I she ok?”

“According to Tamara she was attacked walking to her car. She has a concussion and an arm fracture. Some bruises and lacerations over her face. She fought hard. She must of been taught well” Tim couldn’t help but venture a smirk. “The police are here to take a statement but she wanted you to be called as you and her mom are police?”

“Yes, we are”

Tim was grabbing his keys and running out the door.

“Tamara is very traumatized and is not wanting to give a statement”

“I am on my way. You can tell the officers I will handle this. I am going to call her mom right now, my fiancée. We will handle this. Please tell Tamara I will be right there”

Tim tried calling Lucy. They were out at a spa resort for the night and had told Tim she would not have great cell service. Tim left a voicemail.

“Hi baby. Listen T was taken to the hospital after being attacked walking to her car. She’s ok. I talked to the doctor. I am on my way to the hospital now. Please call me back as soon as you get this. I got her, babe. Talk to you soon. I love you”

Even though Tim had been assured Tamara was OK. He wouldn’t feel good until he saw for himself. Running through the doors at Shaw Memorial to the front desk. “Hi. I’m Sergeant Tim Bradford. My daughter Tamara Bradford was brought in. I would like to see her now” as the nurse looked down at the computer. She brought Tim back to where Tamara was. As he walked into her room. There had been so many times he had been in this very area of Shaw. It had never felt like this. His daughter. Now she was his daughter and there is no feeling like this helpless feeling. Thinking about what could have happened. Tim reminded himself he couldn’t think that way right now. He had to be strong for Tamara.

Tamara was sleeping. Bandages all over her face and a cast on her left arm. Tim took a seat in the vacant chair

“T I’m here. Your gonna be ok, kiddo”

A hoarse voice whispered “dad”. Everytime Tim heard that, his heart completely melted.

“Hey, hun. How are you feeling?”

“I’m OK. I can’t believe this happened. I have never been so terrified. I am so sorry”

“Hey. Stop it right now. You have nothing to apologize for. The only thing that matters is your OK”

“I’m so glad you’re here. I know I need to make a statement. I am just scared and wanted you or mom with me. Both my parents are cops, there is no way I was going to tell strange cops anything”

“Don’t worry. T. I will take care of that. Get some rest now. I called Luce but she is at the spa with Angela and Nyla and they don’t have good cell service. I am sure she will call as soon as she hears my voicemails”

“I know”

“Ok. My girly. I am going to go out in the hall for a few minutes. You get some rest. I will be right here when you wake up”

Tim was pouring a cup of coffee. His phone dinging. As he saw Lucy’s picture flash across his screen.

“Hi. Baby. How are you?”

“Tim. I just got your voicemail” Lucy’s voice was trembling. “Tam. I-Is she ok?”

“Luce. Babe. She’s ok. I promise. She is resting. She wanted to wait for one of us to be here before she gave a statement to the police. She is shook for sure but she’s ok. We will get her through this”

“Tim, you were worried about her walking alone at night from the library and look what happened. I am so sorry I didn’t take your concerns seriously”

“Baby. It’s ok. We couldn’t have foreseen something actually happening. The only thing that matters is that our girl is ok. No one is to blame for this except the scumbag who messed with the wrong family. He will regret the day he ever laid a hand on our daughter”

“God, I love you. I’m on my way home”

“Luce. It’s your spa weekend with the girls”

“Tim. I don’t care. Our daughter is what’s more important, not some girl time. Angela and Nyla as mothers of course understand my need to come home. I will see you soon”

“See you soon. Drive safe. Get home to us”

Tim entered Tamara’s room just as she was waking up.

“Hey kiddo. How are you feeling?”

“I feel better”

“I just takes to Luce. She is on her way home. Just in time to take you home. I just talked to the doctor and he feels comfortable discharging you. Heal and rest at home. That is going to be the best medicine”

“Whatever you say, dad”

Tim took Tamara home. Lucy arrived home not long after. Kojo was all over Tamara, not letting her out of his sight. The family of four laid out on the couch watching movies. Tim was determined to find this attacker who dared to lay one finger on his kid. He would most definitely get justice. However, for now the most important thing for him was to be with his family.

[banapricot]

Actually Steve Harrington is aromantic and his desire for a relationship is just the framing of his actual desires in the way that's expected of him. He really wants to be in a Relationship but he never seems to have romantic feelings for anyone even when he says otherwise.

He's another comphet victim sorry it's true :/

S1: Considering they're barley official he is hurt to a very extreme degree by Nancy cheating on him, and I think it's because of his parents (his dad's infidelity is one of the few things we know about them) and the general betrayal rather than the act itself. He clearly likes Nancy but there's no reason it can't be platonic affection twisted by amatonormativity.

S2: Gets over Nancy very quickly ( the genuine sounding 'it's okay, Nance' literally the day he found out they were done) if not the Way she dumped him. Anyone would be hurt by that whole 'you're bullshit' scene but it hits differently if you read it as Steve trying so so hard to be in love, being extremely cheesy and romantic and doing everything a Good Boyfriend does, only to have her see right through him with 'Like we're in love'.

S3: He's hitting on girls but kind of treats it like a half-hearted joke?And when Dustin says he and Robin should date he just kinda goes yeah ok and asks her out but isn't the slightest bit disappointed when she rejects him. Yeah part of it is being a great friend but I feel like there was No romantic attraction between them, not just on Robin's end.

S4: Goes on a million dates but they never lead to anything more than sex. "You don't know what you want." His flirting with Nancy because she was the only person he's managed to have a real, serious relationship with, and maybe he can love her again, be in love with her for real this time.

He wants a family and stability and someone he knows cares about him as much he cares about them and a future and the only one he can imagine involves a wife. And yes this same argument can be made for him being gay but I am tired of the shipping and it would really be the perfect ending to his arc I think.

He should get to be happy with himself and with his life, even though it doesn't match society's standards. Most people wouldn't get it, believing he's missing something, but he isn't. He has a platonic soulmate and a spiritual little brother and an unconventional group of friends, most of whom are people he never would have associated with back when he was too concerned with everyone's expectations, and one day he'll adopt a bunch of kids and be a single dad, and he's happy.

[novelmonger]

Book Review: Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott

Recommended by @sailforvalinor as part of the 2023 Book Rec Exchange

Premise: Rose Campbell is a thirteen-year-old girl who has recently been orphaned after caring for her ailing father. Now she is being raised by a couple of great-aunts, but soon her care will be taken over by her uncle, a single man who has been working abroad. Because of a rift in the family, she has never met him nor the many aunts, uncles, and cousins she now finds herself in the midst of. Many adventures ensue as she spends her first year in this new, sometimes intimidating but ultimately wholesome, situation.

Thoughts: What a delightful read! I really wish this had been the book thrust upon me over and over again when I was a kid, instead of Little Women; I think I would have appreciated it much more at that age. Alas, instead I ended up with an unfairly poor impression of Louisa May Alcott, simply because little me was bored by the romance at the end of the March sisters' story ^^'

But in Eight Cousins, I immediately fell in love with every single character I encountered. Especially the cousins. I had much sympathy for Rose's apprehension when she learns that she's going to be spending a lot of time with her seven cousins who are all boys; I probably would have thought the same thing at that age. But all of them are so sweet and kind, not looking down on Rose because she's "just a girl," not excluding her in their games, but going out of their way to include her and respect her even when she's not inclined to go frolicking around like they do. I think my favorite cousin was Archie, because he's so sensible and respectful, a natural leader; it was easy to see why the others follow his example and look up to him so much. A close second was Jamie, who is six and utterly adorable, from the time they meet and he immediately asks for candy, to the part in the last chapter where he promises to wash his hands before he touches her if she'll just go and live with him X3

It wasn't just the cousins that I fell in love with, though. I instantly liked Phebe, the servant girl Rose befriends early on and decides to "adopt." It reminded me a lot of Sara and Becky in A Little Princess. And of course I loved Uncle Alec, Rose's guardian, right off. He's so interesting, with all of the things he's brought back from his travels and his unconventional approach to raising her and improving her health, but it's so clear to see that he's just brimming over with love for his little niece. An eccentric uncle who will brook no nonsense but give his charge everything she needs and more with a heart of true generosity? What's not to love?

The book is a simple read, almost episodic even, but I really enjoyed it. It's full of wholesome joy and delightful people living life together. There's no real antagonist and not much conflict beyond the ordinary ups and downs of life, but that doesn't diminish the story in any way. It brought me many laughs, lots of smiles, and even a few sweet tears. It gets my stamp of approval, and I look forward to reading the sequel to find out what happens next to all of these wonderful characters.