#I will never repost anywhere

[just-anarchie]

yea

other people do that thing where u keep a list of all the books movies shows short stories comics graphic novels podcasts radio dramas and articles *inhales deeply* that you've consumed and enjoyed enough to want to be able to one day find again, right? like that is just standard practice...

[thedemonraym]

Do you feel Season 2 is different from Season 1 in any particular ways? (x)

bonus GIF:

you just know what they're thinking about

[myuniverseinabox]

evermore (2020)

[seraph-draws-stuff]

What do you mean too sweet by hozier is a harvey song. Who lied to make that happen. I get the coffee part but drinking whisky and going to bed at 3am?? Who did this

[the-official-account]

Do you love detective stories but hate cops?

Do you love gay detective stories and hate capitalism?

Like disabled main characters who's disability actually comes up?

Like characters of color but not in the mood for stories on racism?

Tempted by the thought of romance at ages of 30+?

Does the idea of stories so queer you'll hesitate before calling any character a "man" or a "woman" make you think "Ah, yes pronoun shenanigans, just like my discord used to make"

And you into an abundance of strong, diverse female and nonbinary characters?

Do you fight for women's wrongs?

I know rep-only recommendations can be annoying, but I'm trying to grab your attention to promote some Indie media. Luckily, though, this post isn't rep-only!

To read my full reccomendation and review of Three of Hearts, click below. ♦️♥️♣️♠️

And if you aren't in the mood for a new thing right now, consider reblogging! Maybe even ping a friend who might be into this! You love supporting queer indie creators!

Note: I am not involved with the making of the show or the game space Kings. I just really like this podcast.

The story

♠️♣️♥️♦️Three of Hearts♦️♥️♣️♠️ centers on two paragovernmental agents in a fantasy, post-war, queernormative 1950s.

Roughly 20 years before the opening, a set of heroes purged magic from the world to turn the tide of the war. But scraps of this thaumaturgic energy still remain. S.U.I.T.S (securing unpredictable injurious thaumaturgic situations) is an agency founded to deal with everything left behind.

When two of the longest standing employees at S.U.I.T.S, Agent Vellum and Agent Felspar, are called onto a new case involving stone crops and a missing person, Felspar isn't surprised (Though Vellum, who's injury had him doing desk work most of his career, is). Things devolve quickly when the Agents realize this case comes from Felspar's home town of Cloven heart, an idyllic magical village that prefers to handle justice on it's own.

Answers yield only more questions, as the Agents realize almost everyone in town has something to hide, and Felspar isn't the only one whose past keeps catching up to him:

How much magic is still around? What's Vellum got sloshing around in there that people think is so juicy? What is Diamond, elven pop star and queer icon, doing in such a small town? Just how big is this case, and how can the Agents balance their legal responsibility, with promises they've made to Cloven Heart?

WHEN. WILL. THEY. JUST. KISS?

(if you're skeptical about central romances, I get it! See notes on aro/aceness and platonic relationships in the rep section for more info)

The combination of magic and newfangled war tech — think telegrams and radios — is somehow just as charming as a rotating cast of characters who will each stake their claim on your heart, but betrayal is imminent and mistrust is rife. The story strikes a wonderful balance between slice of life goodness, and edge-of-your-seat high drama, culminating In a show I highly recommend.

But are they just reskinned cops: my answer has got to be no. While they are technically law enforcement, the main two are entering a commune-like space, where that isn't so welcome. It's a situation they treat with caution and respect. The classic cop-plot of "Should I make myself judge, jury, and executioner because The Bad Guy™ deserves punishment" just isn't a problem. The justice system isn't perfect, in our world or the show's, and the story acknowledges that. But in a social, cultural way, they don't act like cops. They DO act like detectives. But the rules they choose to break and the ones they choose to follow will hopefully satisfy my fellow cop-haters who crave a good mystery

The format

♠️♣️♥️♦️Three of Hearts♦️♥️♣️♠️ is an Indie actual play — this is not DnD, hear me out — podcast in the game Space Kings. All the tension of dice rolls, without drawn out combat or clunkiness, it's a breeze of story-forward listening, even if you've never listened to actually play podcasts before!

If you've tried dnd actual plays, and haven't like the flow of them, I would recommend trying this. A few encounters that may feel random (though they're not) get the story kicked off at a fast pace, but it quickly settles into a story with a tight plot, great pacing, and impactful character development.

The use of a playing card deck to see the outcomes of risky actions means that no matter what happens, success or failure, the tension keeps rising. And the hosts do a wonderful job of explaining mechanics in the show, so it never interrupts the listening experience.

Actual-play connessuires who want to primarily see people playing a game might not be satisfied, as bonuses are given liberally, and I would describe the podcast as more story focused than game focused, But the risks are ALWAYS real, sometimes (often) with thrilling, shocking outcomes.

Also concerned AP listeners should know there's some chaos magic involved! I was surprised when it first came up, and doubtful about how it might affect the story, but it ended up weaving into the rest of the plot really well, and I feel neither like it had no affect, nor like it shook up everything the party was building in an unsatisfying way. Personally I would have preferred to go in knowing it was there, but I also don't think it's major enough to belong in the main synopsis. Now you know, though!

The hosts make a real effort to blend stats and story, and I think the pull it off wonderfully without spending too much time on mechanics. If you want to see that though, session 0 and other details are on the Patreon (where you get the same content no matter how much you pay, at a minimum of a dollar a month).

The pod has all the lighthearted fun and banter of a "friends around the table" show, but never once have I had that "oh my god, I'm not a part of your inside joke, shut up and play!" Feeling.

I think it's a delight for AP and non-AP fans alike.

The episodes: roughly 45- 75 minutes long, with a midtro and some post-end music scenes, so listen through the end music, or check that there isn't extra content by seeing how close the play head is when the end music starts. It's not too long and quite pleasant in my opinion! The midtros always come at a nice moment to step back from the story, and are not too long and not irritating. I enjoyed listening to them! At some point, a midtro starts getting reused, and I was slightly disappointed I wasn't hearing new jokes every episode, but it's a small thing. I skip the repetitive ones with my 30 seconds forward button, and while I haven't timed the Intro, that's worked really well for me. I don't have to fiddle with my play head to make sure I don't skip forward too far. Super convient.

Trigger warnings: the show is pretty lighthearted! Listeners sensitive non-graphic mentions of needles, blood, and/or guns might want to skip on this one, but most episodes don't get heavy. The few that do have pre episodes notes that warn you things get dark, how they get dark, and how to skip the darkest bits. Personally, I listened through them and enjoyed those parts a lot! But if that's not your thing, I agree with the warning that they're very skippable, and I think trigger-sensitive listeners will be pleased. As an indie pod, there are no fan made, super specific lists of triggers. However, my DMs are always open if you have particular concerns, and I'll answer to the best of my ability.

I try to emphasize the balance between lightheartedness and drama, but if you mental health is sensitive to grim & dark media, i think this one is pretty safe. Please always exercise caution! But I'd describe 30♥️s as emotionally restful.

Transcripts: transcripts are in the works, but do not currently exist. Three of Hearts is a non-scripted show, so those are also unavailable

The rep

Don't you hate when someone raves about rep and you go in expecting something good and get like. One dog-boy described as having "chocolate colored skin"? Or when people make a "watch for rep" post and then mention like. Gay and maybe trans people and that's it, even when shows DO have disability and POC rep? Yeah that's not me. Here's the spoiler free rundown, race is at the bottom because I get into more detail with it, not because it isn't important:

Edit: For more on some of these topics from a hosts perspective, see the reblogged addition by @/citrusandsalt

MLM characters: Main characters, one confirmed bi the other unknown

Wlw characters: Reoccurring side characters (present or mentioned in every episode I think) Married. Orientation unspecified.

Enby love: LOTS. It's actually hard to really categorize mlm and wlw stuff because almost every character is nonbinary. Anyways— it's VERY queer

Women: I...I don't know exactly which characters are women 😂. But there are many feminine characters, and they're badass as fuck. Some are compassionate, some are cold, some are chaotic, most are a mix! The two main characters are...masculine...(I say with much hesitation) but you will not feel robbed for your woman-ly content.

Non-traditional family structures: All of the families in the story, pretty much, are non-traditional. Adoption is super common. (You want some wlw who just KEEP adopting kids? You got em) Found family is a MASSIVE force in the story. Also, It's a post-war story.........which is to say almost everyone's parents are dead.

Edit: an MC had poly parents, which may not be obvious but is true!

Polyamory: to my knowledge so far, there are polyam characters, and it is definitely present in the world! But no poly relationships in the forefront. I am about 2/3 through the current episodes, so there may be a present polyamorous relationship later, but also if I confirmed it that would be a spoiler. This may be that "playing it by ear" thing that happens with ttrpgs. I wouldn't listen for the hope of polyamory alone, but I don't tell you it's not there/won't happen.

Trans characters: almost all of them. Might think "oh there are only a few!" And you are wrong. You are so wrong.

Neopronoun users: yup! To my knowledge, minor characters. A handful who use at least he/she/they or they/them and may also use neos in a manner im forgetting

Plurality: no system characters yet, but the creators are friendly, I asked ;)

Platonic relationships: YES. As an aro person who hates so many romance tropes this one gets my stamp of approval. There's no real jealousy drama, exes who communicate and are supportive, and romance doesn't kill friendships. There's a central sibling relationship and non-familial platonic ones that have conflict, drama, resolutions, and a deeply satisfying significance in the story. If you don't like romance at all, this one might not be for you. If you just don't like stories exclusively about romance, I think you'll enjoy this. Genre wise, I'd definitely describe three of hearts as a mystery primarily with a strong romantic subplot, not a romance itself, and that comes through in player and character's additives and priorities.

Aro/ace characters: none confirmed yet to my knowledge. Romance is very central, sex is joked about on occasion but it isn't at the forefront of the story at all. There are many, single characters who are thriving.

Edit: Actually! There is one character who discusses demiromanticism in cannon that I forgot, and another confirmed out of cannon character who is ace. Both are non-main major characters!

Age diversity: the youngest characters in the show are older to middling teens, and the oldest are in their 400s. Okay but the oldest in human terms are roughly 60-70. The most common age range, and the ones the central characters are in, is 30-40. The second most common is that 60-70, then some ~40-50 folks here and there, with people in their 20s being probably the rarest (no named ones off the top of my head?) And there are a small number of teens. This is not a story about youth and youthful beauty. Generally, the older a character becomes the most bad ass/spooky powerful they are, and older characters are very involved in the plot.

Mental illness and neurodivergency: to my knowledge so far no characters are in cannon confirmed to have a specific mental illness or ND, though I wouldn't be surprised if it was part of a character or the main characters, and just hadn't come up. Listeners with cluster b or "scary" disorders, or with conditions that may cause them to lash out, will find satisfaction with how compassionately the narrative treats werefolk. To say more encounters spoilers. I would also say that depression, while the word isn't used and it is not central to the story, is present as a narrative force, and also treated wisely and with compassion. Still, as is usually for a good story, all of these bitches need therapy.

Disability: LOTS. There's a lot of "different, not broken" themes that disabled listeners are likely to love, but both of the main characters are disabled! One is a cane user, the other experiences migraines. These have a genuine, pressing, mechanical impact on the story. It's COMES UP. It's a real joy. For a magical world, there is no magical healing! Or there is, but it isn't a perfect solution, which in my opinion is just a magical version of real healing, though yours may differ! Also, there is a minor, reoccurring character who's a wheelchair user, and I think he's really fun.

Disfigurement: Excuse me if I am not prepared with the most sensitive way to speak about this, but I'm doing my best! There is a character with no eyes or nose, who is central and lovely. To my knowledge, there are no amputee characters or characters with limb differences (of the wheelchair user I'm not sure if it's specified whether or not he has legs). There is a character of questionable morality who has significant facial and bodily disfigurement. In as few spoilers as possible: this was not injury or genetic related. The disfigurement is treated with a firm compassion, and does not exist as a "this character is evil" signal. It's a long arc, but I imagine people who relate will be satisfied, though I cannot speak for anyone.

Characters of color: many! The main two are Hispanic and Asian. Terms like "dark skinned" are used for characters, but in the fantasy world race doesn't exactly translate, and I wouldn't call it "important" in this story. Read more about race below:

Fantasy racism: sort of! The word "race" is used to mean "humanoid species" and I know some folks don't like that? None of these fantasy races are oppressed, but specific people (Magic versus non-magic people) have conflict about that aspect of their identity, and policing is a related concern. I would place the allegory more in the space of transness and disability/neurodivergency if pressed to choose, but it doesn't feel like it's trying to tell a story about real-world oppression, primarily. I have more complicated thoughts on exactly what I'm trying to communicate here, but they involved some spoilers. DM me for more info!

Hosts/creator identity: out of three hosts, two are white, one is not! They are very queer, and disability is also...a thing! These are real life people, so I'm not going to get into detail, but check out their twitters plugged in the show for more on how they self-identify.

Okay but are they racist: Real talk! As a black person who thinks I keep my ears sharp, I would say no! Not at all! This is one of those situations where I was like "YOU'RE WHITE?" And shocked about it, (if you listened to TSCOSI, same vibe) which is a very good thing in my books. The hosts are open and sensitive, and I have no complaints, however, this is just one perspective! This isn't coincidental, race is an active consideration in how the story is told — just not a central theme.

Edit: One of the hosts, Essay (@/citrusandsalts) discussed more on hosts identities in a reblog! If this concerns you, and you want less of me walking on eggshells about other people's identities, read her addition too!

Edit 2: Jordan, the GM also has commented additions!

Minor but worth mentioning: A minor character has a name with what I believe is the Nahuatl "tl" sound in it, which is not pronounced correctly. It's a really hard sound! I can't really do it! But if that really irritates you this might not be the podcast for you.

People who might be interested in this post, as always let me know if you don't want to be pinged (I rarely ever do this) and it won't happen again: @citrusandsalt @fyeahaudiodrama @boombox-fuckboy

[chalkkskull]

*rolls on the floor*

[arsenicflame]

THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR - AMAL EL-MOHTAR & MAX GLADSTONE

[ultramarine-spirit]

I'm sorry, Mari, I know you don't want to talk about it anymore, but why is it so problematic to repost other photos? I feel like one of the biggest reasons people do it is because they don't know why. I understand that you can't publish images of chapters that have to be paid for like webtoon or merch (although I don't know why either) but wmmap has already ended years ago so I don't understand what the problem would be.

Yeah, it's as you've said, firstly, because most of it is paid content. That's why you'll see that manhwa accounts on Twitter almost always post proof of them having purchased the chapters. Secondly, because this fandom has a huge reposting problem in general (art, fics, translations, edits, etc). For "regular" pictures I have less of an issue, but if it's "exclusive" content, I feel like I'm already edging the line of what is respectful to publish/leak. Yes, there are hundreds of illegal uploads of the manhwa, but that's not something I wanna promote. I wanna encourage people to support the author. Spoon has also spoken about this a bunch of times. But I guess some people might disagree with my stance.

Let me put it like this. When I stay up until 5am to watch a Chinese stream and get news about the donghua, and people immediately repost the pictures without keeping my @, it's tiring. When I spend my own money to attent Spoon's art class (at 3am), take notes, work with Japanese and Chinese fans/friends to provide English fans a translation and summary, and people immediately repost it without asking, it makes me wonder why I even bother. The last thing I want is to sound all "oh, woe is me" though, that's why I haven't spoken about this many times (I believe this is the second time in 4 years I bring it up).

For pictures that have translated content (such as what Lithi does), I think it's way worse, because you are basically "stealing" their labor without any credit. Fan translators already operate in a grey area, legally speaking. There has been a lot of drama in the fandom around this subject, and in general, translators hate to see their work reposted. Most of them have deleted their translations because of this (Ever wonder why you can't find fan TLs of the novel very easily anymore? Lithi has also deleted a bunch of her novel posts and I don't blame her). Sure, reposting a single picture/page might not be big deal, but this has happened a million times.

And then there are instances when people straight up copy posts word for word, pic for pic, which is just kinda annoying/comes across as clout-chasing. Not reposting other people's posts is kind of online etiquette.

[alexturner2005]

i can’t believe i messaged someone on ig months ago asking if they would delete one of my own concert photos that i don’t want online, and they ignored me, and i just saw they MADE IT THEIR PROFILE PICTURE

[substituted-shinigami]

Prompt from @recurring-polynya

Working Title: Takiyaki Is NOT Communication

Characters: Rukia, Orihime, Renji (RenRuki)

Rating: G

Genre: Humor/Romance/Fluff

Prompt: Rukia presents Renji with some food she has made. I tried to keep it very open bc I'm more interested in where you might go with it!

Story Summary: When Rukia recognizes her feelings for Renji, she works with Orihime to figure out how best to tell him. Their plan is tasty, if not a little dangerous. Post TYBW, some spoilers.

Author’s note: I had a lot of fun writing this prompt, but man was it a roller coaster ride! At first, I was writing a completely different fic, a Prestigious Private School AU Part 2, where we meet Renji’s study group and Rukia bakes a cake. Buuuut, that one was getting way too long in the tooth, and was riddled with problems that I’ve just begun to solve. Then I remembered I had a fic I wrote a beginning for, but no middle or ending because I just couldn’t figure it out. And I realized that this would be perfect for it! So sorry if that’s a cop out, I didn’t realize the other fic wasn’t going to work within the timeline until friday, so I needed to find a shorter solution. It still took awhile to make the two ideas work together and actually write the middle and ending if that counts! Also, you get a free Orihime out of the deal, so that’s nice! This is my first time writing for her so let me know what you think! Also, I all admit this one is a little crackish, especially for Rukia.

Takiyaki Is NOT Communication

Inoue Orihime was very much enjoying sleeping in on her day off from the bakery, when she heard a knock at the door. Who could be here this early in the morning on a Sunday? She wondered, as she tried to rub the sleepiness out of her eyes. She had just begun to yawn rather loudly and stretch out her limbs when she heard yet another more vigorous knock.

“Coming!” She yelled, throwing on a sweater over her pajamas. She went over and looked through the peep-hole on her door.

"Rukia!” She exclaimed, throwing the door open wide, “I didn't know you were in town. Come in, come in! What brings you here?" Kuchiki Rukia stood in the doorway looking more serious than Orihime had ever seen her.

"Orihime….” she said with great gravity, “There is something serious I must tell you. Something so serious that I couldn’t tell you over the phone."

Orihime gasped, “Oh Rukia, are you in danger? Do you need me to call Ichigo?” Orihime immediately reached for the phone in her pocket.

"No!” Rukia said quickly, frantically waving her hands in front of her, “No danger. No physical danger anyway… And I’m afraid this is not something he can handle,” she crossed her arms again, “Plus he'd probably just make fun of me, anyway…"

Orihime looked at her friend kindly, "I'm sure that's not true,” then she tapped her chin in thought, “Well, okay, it's probably a little true, depending on what the problem is… But he would still help you out afterwards!"

"I'm afraid it's beyond his skills. You see, Orihime, I...” Rukia paused for dramatic effect, “...have a dark secret…"

"Oh my… Um… Do you want to sit down?" Orihime asked, waving her hand towards the couch.

"Perhaps that would be best," Rukia nodded seriously, entering the apartment. Rukia sat down heavily on the couch. Orihime shut the door, and sat down gently next to her. She patiently waited while Rukia worked up her courage. Finally, Rukia spoke.

"Orihime… I think… I might be in love with Renji."

Orihime continued to sit with anticipation. When Rukia said no more, Orihime realized that she was finished.

"Oh? I mean, oh! Really?! W-what a surprise! I never would have guessed!"

Rukia turned towards her friend and began speaking rapidly, “I know, right? I mean, I know the guy's hot, I do have eyes, and it’s pointless to pretend otherwise,” she stated matter of factly, “And okay, maybe I had a crush on him before, and maybe MAYBE I dreamed about him occasionally even during the separation… But!” she crossed her arms now, “It was a pointless and silly little crush! I told myself as much, so I did my best to forget about him,” Rukia looked down, her brows knitted together, “But ever since we got back together again, the feelings came back little by little. So even when I tried to push them down, tell myself it’s pointless to get wrapped up in a silly crush again, he would do something or say something that was just so him, that I would find myself falling all over again. And finally all those moments kept piling up, so that my feelings kept getting stronger and stronger until… Uuuuugh…" Rukia covered her face with her hands, "This is so stupid…"

"No, no, Rukia! It’s not stupid!” Orihime said, waving her hands quickly. She began to rub her friend on the back soothingly, “I think it's great that you are able to admit your feelings to yourself. I think it is very mature of you."

Rukia looked up at her friend between her fingers, "Really?"

"Yes, really. It can be…hard to face your true feelings, and I think you are very brave to do it. And… I'm glad you told me."

"Oh…Oh Orihime…” Rukia said, putting her hands down again, “Thank you, Orihime, but…"

“Anyway, now that you know, what would you like to do about it?” Orihime quickly asked, pushing the conversation along. Rukia gave her friend an unconvinced look, and Orihime returned it with a pleading one. Rukia sighed. She’d let it go for now.

“That is the question…” she said slowly, “I’m not entirely sure. S-should I tell him?”

"Well,” Orihime began, “that's completely up to you. Do you want to tell him?"

"Normally, no, that's why I didn't tell him before,” Rukia said quietly, “I… I like what we have, and I don't want to mess it up by getting greedy… but… and I know this sounds absolutely crazy…"

"Yes?" Orihime asked patiently.

"I think he might like me too," Rukia finally said.

Orihime was more ready with her exaggerated reaction this time. "Ooooh! You think? Wow! Amazing!"

"Right?!" Rukia exclaimed, she began talking rapidly again, "I know it's a long shot, especially with all those girls over at the Sixth Division fawning over him everytime he so much as walks by in that flower bath robe of his…but…" Rukia got a little quiet, "he's been acting differently lately. He gives me compliments now. Not just when I wear something extra special for a festival, but even when I so much as wear a new hair clip, he notices. In the past, I would sometimes see him staring at me out of the corner of his eye for no reason at all. I would look up at him, and he used to immediately look away…but now he just doesn't?! I look up at him, and now he just stares me straight in the eye, smiles a little, and then slowly turns away. We would always meet up at events, but now he offers to walk me there and back. It's almost like…it feels like he's trying to tell me he likes me, without telling me."

"Oh…" Orihime said slowly and thoughtfully, "why do you think that is?"

"I don't know! Maybe he’s not sure I like him back. Or maybe he still feels like he needs to impress my brother. But maybe…” Rukia sighed, “maybe it's because I've been so busy and in a bit of a slump since Captain Ukitake died, and he doesn't want to push me into a relationship before I'm ready.”

Orihime thought about this. While it was pretty clear to her, and the rest of their friend group that Renji liked Rukia, she did have to admit that it had taken them awhile to figure out that Rukia liked him back, so that was a possibility. Rukia showed her affection in less than ordinary ways, ways that usually involved shouting. However, Renji knew Rukia a lot longer than any of them, so it’s unlikely that her unorthodox way of showing affection would faze him.

Orihime thought some more. It could be the brother thing… Orihime didn’t get it fully herself, but she had heard about it a bit from Rukia. Apparently Soul Society had this whole class system thing that didn’t allow Renji to even talk to Rukia until he was made Vice Captain. Still… from what she saw, Renji got along quite well with his captain/Rukia’s brother, so she doubted that this would be a problem anymore…

The last one was….hard. Rukia had been very busy since her Captain’s death. Her texts had become pretty sparse, so much so that Orihime and Ichigo barely heard from her anymore. The slump thing could easily be connected. Rukia often became a work-a-holic when she was trying to avoid things like thinking about her feelings. But if Rukia was here, presently with her, and asking Orihime’s advice on her feelings about Renji, then that means she isn’t avoiding them anymore. She’s ready to move forward.

“All of those are possible of course,” Orihime began, “But if you’re ready to talk about it, then perhaps that means you are ready to tell him.”

Rukia thought about this, “Yes. Yes, I think so too. Thank you, Orihime.”

“Of course! So how do you want to go about telling him?”

“Yeah, that’s the other problem… I’m not sure I’m ready to say all my feelings for him out loud yet. I think I would just jumble them up.”

“Okay, that’s no problem! You could just write them down!”

“Y-yeah! I could do that!” Rukia agreed. Then she deflated again, “But I don’t just want to hand him a note though, that’s pretty embarrassing too…”

“Maybe you could put it with something else? Like sort of a gift and card combo?”

“Oh yeah! That could work! In fact…” Rukia began, getting a scheming look on her face, “Maybe I could cook him something and then stick the message inside of it! Like a hidden message!”

“Wow!” Orihime exclaimed, “That’s a great idea, Rukia!”

“Yeah!!! Oh, but…his favorite food is takiyaki… Can you stick a message in that?”

“Hmmm, maybe but…takiyaki has a filling for a center,” Orihime reasoned, tapping her chin, “Your message might get lost in that.”

“Oh…yeah…I guess that’s true.”

“Although….” Orihime began, thinking hard.

“Yeah?”

“What you could do is make a bunch of mini takiyaki, fill all but one, put the message in that one, and then stick that one on top. Then when he opens it up, he gets the message!”

“Oh!” Rukia exclaimed, smiling. She hopped up off the couch, “Oh that could work! Thank you, Orihime! I’ll try that!”

Orihime smiled happily along with her friend, “Glad to help, Rukia!” She got off the couch too. “I actually got some supplies to make takiyaki if you want any help.”

“Yes please! This is going to be great!” Rukia said, with newfound determination as they headed towards Orihime’s kitchen, “Renji better look out, because these are going to be the best takiyaki he’s ever seen! He may or may not love me, but he WILL love our takiyaki!” Orihime laughed.

“Yeah!” She agreed.

__________________________________

"I present to you,” Rukia began dramatically to Renji, whom she met up with later that day. They were in the Sixth Division mess hall which was nearly always empty in the mid afternoons, “homemade takiyaki, made by yours truly!"

Renji raised an eyebrow at her. While he had tasted Rukia’s cooking since the separation, and it wasn’t bad, it was also clear she did it extremely rarely.

"With help from the wonderful Orihime!" Rukia finished with a dramatic flourish.

"There it is," Renji said, "Well that does boost my confidence in the quality, if not the flavor."

"H-hey! I could give it to someone else you know!" Rukia said, reaching to remove the plate, but Renji grabbed ahold of it, and held it securely closer to him.

"Uh uh! Nope! You said they’re mine, so they're mine!" Renji picked up the top takiyaki and examined it carefully, “Hmmmm…. Crispy on the outside, and soft in the center, good good…”

“But of course!” Rukia said triumphantly.

Renji gave the takiyaki an experimental sniff, “Nice aroma as well…”

“The nicest, I’d say!”

“Hmmm,” He said thinking, “but…”

“W-what is it?” Rukia asked with a sudden sense of dread.

“You went kind of light on the filling, especially on this one,” Renji said, giving the takiyaki a light squeeze, “Did you forget to fill it, maybe?”

“J-Just try it already!” Rukia said with nervous frustration.

“Okay, okay!” Renji chuckled. He took the mini takiyaki in both hands, and shoved the entire thing into his mouth. He then immediately choked.

__________________________________

“It was very nice of you to leave a note for your friend, Rukia, but this is why it’s important we tell people before we put non-edible items in food,” Captain Isane said.

“How was I supposed to know he was going to stuff the entire thing into his mouth?!” Rukia exclaimed, while rubbing Renji’s back. They were sitting in the Fourth Division Emergency Room since Rukia had used shunpo to get them both there after Renji had started choking.

“Why wouldn’t I? How was I supposed to know you had stuffed a wad of paper in there? What’s it say anyway?” Renji asked, reaching for where it had fallen on the floor after it had been successfully hacked up.

“W-wait! Don’t touch that!” Rukia said, snatching it up.

“What? Why not?!”

“B-because! It’s dirty!

“Then why did you grab it?”

“I…I….” Rukia suddenly looked very uncomfortable. She stared at the note, crumpled and wet, in her hands. She went very quiet. Isane took the hint and decided it was high time she excused herself.

“Well, I have other patients I need to check on, so I’ll be going now. As long as you're feeling better, you’re free to go, Vice Captain Abarai. I’ll send in someone to give you your emergency room dispatch papers.” And with that, she was gone. Renji stared at Rukia. Rukia continued to stare at the wad of wet paper in her hands, looking a little defeated. Renji sighed.

“I guess it was probably pretty important, huh? What you wrote on that note?”

“Yeah…”

“Something that's kind of hard to say out loud?”

“Something like that…”

“Ah…” Renji said, looking up at the ceiling, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked back at her again, “Sorry, I ate your note, Rukia.”

“It’s okay…it…was a stupid idea anyway.”

“Yeah, maybe not your smartest plan," he chuckled, "but it was definitely one of your tastiest! The takiyaki surrounding the note was really good, even without the filling!”

“Really? You liked it?”

“Oh yeah! For sure! Heck, if the rest of the division didn’t eat them while we were gone, I’d love to finish them!” Renji said.

“Oh yeah? Yeah, hopefully they didn’t…” She finished quietly. Rukia continued to stare at the note in her hands. It was utterly ruined. Renji sighed and walked over to her, He cupped his hands around hers.

“Hey…” He began gently, soothingly. Rukia finally looked at him, “It’s okay, y’know? You can try again,” he said, his thumbs gently caressing her hands, “I’ll still be here. I’ll always be here, whenever you're ready. So don’t worry about it, alright? We can try again.”

Rukia stared into Renji’s eyes, and he stared right back. They were soft and warm. Rukia felt her heart drive straight up into her throat, drop off its bags and settle down. Clearly it lived there now, hung up curtains and everything.

“Renji…I-"

"A-alright, Vice Captain Abarai, here are your dismissal forms," Hanataro said as he entered the room. He looked up, "O-oh Rukia! You’re here too! It's nice to see…" his eyes fell upon their joined hands, "Waaah! I'm sorry! I'm interrupting!" Renji sighed and let go of Rukia’s hands.

"Heh… Your timing is impeccable as always, Hanataro," Renji chuckled derisively, "here give me the paperwork to sign."

"Ah, okay, sorry!" Hanataro said. As Renji signed the paperwork, Rukia felt the tension building inside her. She took a couple of deep breaths, trying to steel herself for what she wanted to say. Finally, Renji finished signing his paperwork and handed it back to Hanataro who apologized profusely again. Rukia had enough of her mind left to remember to tell him not to worry about it, and that she will talk to him later. He thanked her and left. Then she and Renji were alone again and the tension jumped through the roof.

Finally Renji said, “Okay, well we better hurry if we want to be able to eat the takiyaki before someone else does.” He gathered up his paperwork and started heading towards the door. But Rukia stood firm.

“R-Renji!” Rukia said as firmly as she could. Renji stopped and turned towards her. She was standing very rigid, but was also slightly shaking with nervous energy.

“Yeah?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“I- What if- We should go eat! Together!”

“Yeah, we’re going to go eat the takiyaki…”

“No, I mean….” Rukia stopped and closed her eyes. She slowly breathed in and out, calming herself. She opened her eyes again and glared at Renji.

“Renji!” she nearly shouted at him.

“Y-yeah?” he asked nervously, taking a step back.

“Will you go out with me to a fancy restaurant in a romantic way?!” She demanded while pointing her finger at him. Her ears burned. Renji blinked.

“I-”

“If not, that is okay!” she continued just as firmly, “Our friendship is very important to me, and I hope we can remain that way!”

“Good, but-”

“If you need time, that is also okay!” Rukia said remaining firm, but she was starting to shake again, “Being friends with someone who you know has romantic feelings for you when you do not feel the same way back can be stressful! So if you need time away, I…I…underst-”

“Rukia!” Renji said, closing the distance between them and stilling her shaking shoulders with his larger hands, “Rukia…” He said again, more gently, one of his hands moving up her neck, his thumb gently caressing her cheek, “Of course I’ll go to the restaurant with you.”

“In…in a romantic way?” Rukia asked, uncertainly.

“Uh yeah, idiot,” he chuckled warmly, “What other way would I mean?”

“I mean…we’ve eaten out a lot before so I…just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. That this is romantic and that you are okay with that,” Rukia said firmly. Her face was going a little red too now.

“Of course, I’m okay with it! I’ve…always been okay with it. Are you okay with it?” he asked, looking at her with some concern, “You’ve been through a lot within these past couple of years, are…are you sure you’re ready?”

“Of course, I’m sure! I’m the one who asked you out, idiot!” Rukia said, sounding resolute again, “I wouldn’t ask, unless I was sure!” Rukia put her hands on top of his, “I- I want to go out with you, Abarai Renji, and to do romantic things with you specifically!” She said, nodding firmly.

“Oh! I uh…good! That-that’s good!” Renji had become fully aware that his ears were now burning. He coughed, “So um…did you have anything in mind? For the restaurant, I mean!”

“Well, I’ve been to a couple with Niisama, but they all tend to be pretty stuffy. I don’t know if I could relax in those…”

“Hmmm, good point,” Renji said. He thought quickly, “Oh!!! Kira took me and some of the guys to a bar once that was pretty fancy! Not the captain’s level of fancy, though.”

“Sounds perfect! It’s right in between, “Rukia nodded, “Now more importantly, how was the booze?”

“Oh pretty good. Fancy enough to have some of the more fancy drinks, but not so fancy that you can’t get wasted on others.”

“Oh nice! You should have shown them to me sooner!”

Renji laughed, “Yeah probably, I was just waiting for a special occasion…” He said, looking at her warmly. Rukia nodded. She gave his hands a meaningful squeeze before removing them. She then gave his arm a tug.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” She said, enthusiastically, “That booze ain’t going to drink itself! Plus I want to try out the fancy drinks too!”

“Alright! Alright!” Renji chuckled. They exited the room together and began to walk down the Fourth Division Emergency Room halls. When they made it outside, the night sky was crisp and clear.

“Hey,” Renji began.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for asking me out. To be honest, I’ve liked you for a long time, like a really long time. And I figured out more recently, that you liked me too, but well…” Renji sighed and looked down, “After what happened to Captain Ukitake…well I saw how that affected you. How busy and tired and sad and stressed you were, and I…” he turned to look at her again, “well I wanted to support you anyway I could! But I wasn’t sure that romance was what you needed from me,” he looked down again and began rubbing the back of his neck, “And I didn’t want you to feel bad if you didn’t want or just weren't ready for a romantic relationship. So I tried to do my best to be there for you but also let you know that if that is something you did want,” he took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes, “that I’d always be here for you.”

“Ah…” Rukia breathed, “So that was it. That’s what I thought.”

“Yeah…sorry, I didn’t say that before.”

“Idiot, what are you apologizing for? You were trying to be considerate!” Rukia fussed at him, “Still…know in the future, you can always just talk to me about it. No more of this beating around the bush, alright?”

“Yeah…” Renji smiled, “Thanks, Ru.”

Rukia felt her ears burn a little at the nickname, “Idiot, w-what are you thanking me for! Now come one before there isn’t any booze left!” She said stomping off.

Renji chuckled, as he followed after her, “It’s a bar, Rukia, I doubt they are going to run out.”

“They are if I get there before you and drink it all!” Rukia said, breaking into a sprint.

“What?! Hey, you don’t even know where it is!” Renji said, sprinting after her.

“My shinigami alcohol sense will tell me!”

“That’s not even a real thing, Rukia! Hey, get back here!”

They raced each other all over the Seireitei. Soul King only knows if they ever even made it to that bar. But it matters not, for they were together.

[skitskatdacat63]

Reposting is so grrrrrr. I just saw some artist get informed their art was reposted, so I went to stalk on Twitter to go see. And it hurts me so much, bcs the op's twt of the drawing has ~20 likes/5 retweets, and the repost has ~2.3k likes/300+ retweets. Is that not fucking evil?

That's why I will always be so outraged at reposting, so often it ends up that the repost gets way more attention. And yeah they often "credit," (usually in a follow up tweet not on the main repost ofc 🙄) but that does literally no good imo as people will always just up retweeting/liking the repost instead of making the effort to go to the original. Not that people shouldn't credit, bcs its just even worse that way, but idk, it always seemed to me like a bandage on a gaping wound lol

[wanderingmind867]

I'm good with concepts. Really good with concepts and ideas. But ask me to make something with these concepts, and I simply can't. Partially because I can only overthink and feel my writing isn't good enough, partially because I'm actually atrocious with dialogue and description. Let me ramble on for 15 paragraphs about a bunch of random opinions, facts, etc. And I'll be able to do that. I'm even doing it now. But ask me to actually write vivid descriptions and normal dialogue, and I just can't. It's depressing. Why was I blessed with an overthinking brain if I can't even do anything with the ideas it provides me!? Why!?

[ineed-douma-sobadly]

ok

[dulcewrites]

If you thought you saw something I wrote… no you didn’t

[viro-lil-goat]

I really hope this reaches more people, I'm only reposting this information from Instagram, the least that I can do. (Update: I changed their upbringing as it appears to have been listed wrong) Wiki page

When I just saw this information I couldn't stop crying thinking about it, and now my heart aches. They were the same age as me, I know for a fact like any other teen they dreamt of their future, who they would want to become, what to achieve, create, wondering if they meet those in the future they can call friends, wondeting if it'll get better when they grow up, maybe wished to leave that terrible place or maybe wanted to stay. How could anyone let this happen, why were they discharged from hospital so easily? And the school, we all know why. I hate to think about how, even with all the progress made, these things still happen.

"murdered schoolgirl Brianna Ghey on February 16, 2023. Candlelit vigils are being held across the UK this week for Brianna Ghey, 16, who was stabbed at Linear Park in Culcheth, Cheshire last Saturday. Brianna was a transgender girl and police are now investigating her killing as a hate crime. A boy and girl, both 15, have been charged with her murder"

An article that explains trans hate crime murders as on 2023

I hate everyone who have ever committed such vile hate crimes, I wish them in prison and hell. But i would never go down to their level. But I also blame the government, the school, and even those bigoted online accounts that teach their followers hate. In this case LibsOfTikTok, who targeted the teacher of this school, who supports lgbtq+, so they had to leave their position. It must have been the push for this to happen. I think their tiktok account has been thankfully deleten. But i have no idea about Twitter or any other. Please check and mass report them if it still exists. (Link to Instagram reel that this information is from)

ADDITION, PLEASE MASS REPORT THESE ACCOUNTS

[ellana-ravenwood]

“Batman, you need to-IS THAT A BABY ?!” - Batfam x Fem!reader

Synopsis : Bruce and Batmom bring their newborn daughter to the Watchtower, so she can meet their friends (or vice versa). Includes an overprotective Damian, League members who cannot believe the Batman is smiling, and other shenanigans.  

Oop, I’m back (?). My dudes. It’s been TWO YEARS since I last posted here. Two. Years. I posted like, two life update...don’t know if some of y’all saw it, but long story short : I got married, I have a son now, and everything is going so well in my life that I didn’t really need the validation I got from writing online...Buuuuuuuuuuuuut, I still love writing. And so, after quite a long break, here I am :). Hope you will enjoy this, don’t hesitate to let me know if you do : 

Please, do not repost my stories anywhere else, under any other form. Do not translate and then repost them either. Thank you.

My masterlist : @ella-ravenwood-archives

________________________________________________

“You’re evil, you know that right ?” You say, raising an eyebrow.  

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, my love.” He answers, a small smile on his lips. You turn to him and...Oh that smug look, that smug look you loved so much. He definitely DEFINITELY knew what he was doing. 

And that it was utterly...evil. 

“It’s going to be FUN !” 

Ah, and here’s his little devil. Damian himself. He loved this. Partly because he thought it was funny to mess with everyone, partly because he liked showing that you guys were a family. 

“They won’t believe their eyes !” His little voice kept going, followed by a big roar of laughter that sounded, by all means, more childlike than devilish. 

“That they won’t, they always seem so surprised when Bruce acts like a human.” 

Jason. Still not calling Bruce “dad” (except sometimes, by “accident”, and even him don’t realize he did), he’d only slowly been back at the manor, with all of you. And, for sure, a certain important event which happened about four months ago made it so he came back to live at home.

Dick chuckled and added : “Who would blame them ? We’re talking about a man who eats his burgers with a knife and fork !” He gestured to his father with his left thumb, his other hand shielding part of his mouth as if he was telling them all a secret, as if he was trying to be discreet, so his dad wouldn’t hear...Always quite the little clown, that eldest son of yours. With his exaggerated mannerism, and that sparkle in his eyes, in his smile. 

“I’m certain some of them thought he was genuinely a cyborg for YEARS” Tim added, quite seriously, his tone the opposite of his older brother (and that was just his way of joking...you think). And honestly ? Yeah, you were pretty sure some of your friends at the JLA thought your husband was a robot, at one point. 

Oh yes. That’s where you were going, to the JLA’s headquarters. To execute Bruce’s plan. Quite the evil plan indeed. 

“Hell, even I thought he was one before I met you guys !” Duke chimed in, and that made Cassandra smile widely, as she shook her head up and down pointing at Duke as if to say : “what he just said”. 

And in a very Bruce manner, your husband kept a straight face, ignoring his children’s teasing. Only you, saw that twinkle in his eyes, that smile that might not reach his mouth, but was definitely dancing in those bright blue eyes. 

Oh yes. Yes, your friends were in for quite the surprise. 

************

Meanwhile, in the Justice League headquarters : 

“Oh, hey ! Look, Batman’s zeta tube is turning on ! We haven’t seen him in a while right ?”  

Indeed they haven’t. Because, well, let’s put it this way : Batman’s wife just had a baby. 

A baby girl (finally, right ? You and Cass weren’t TOO outnumbered anymore). 

And Batman had been VERY busy doting over his baby girl. 

Batman had been busy being Bruce Wayne. 

Just a man, who thought he’d never be happy again, not knowing how to handle all those feelings he had for his wife (for you), for his children. 

That was happiness then, right ? 

So, yes. Batman hasn’t been much at the JLA’s headquarters lately. But your husband thought, it was finally time to go see his friends a little bit. He knew they were all up there, because it was their monthly reunion (once each month, they gathered to talk about the state of the world, the universe, what threat lingered, what lurked beyond...and to get very drunk, and see their friends, the only ones who knew what it meant to be a “hero”). 

And that what’s made him particularly evil. 

He knew, they would all be there. He knew what their reaction was going to be. After all, his memory was amazing, he definitely hadn’t forgot the way they reacted the first time they saw you, the first time they learned he had children (childrEN, plural !). 

And he knew they were a little worried about him. 

He had missed their last three reunions, and only answered : “Everything is ok” to their messages asking if he was alright (they hadn’t dared to go see if he was indeed ok, because last time they did that, they found him bed ridden with all the bones in his body broken, and he got so mad at them for butting in his business he worked twice as hard when he was fine again, and didn’t talk a WORD for months...that was, of course, years ago, before you were in his life, but the experience was still in their minds and so, they decided to respect his privacy, he would come to them when ready). And he never pushed his “red button”, him, or anyone in the family. 

They just assumed he was busy, they hoped it wasn’t anything bad. 

Yes. They were worried. For him. For you. For your kids. For Alfred. For your dogs, your cats, your cow...They. Were. Worried. 

And Bruce knew. 

You told him, when your pregnancy was confirmed, to tell his friends. That they would be happy. But after his own initial happy thought, his surge of hope and love at knowing he was going to be a dad again, he started to make his plan. 

Why tell them, when you could toy with them ? 

“They deserve it.” He told you, and you weren’t sure if they did, but you weren’t about to fight him on that. After all, you too, thought it could be amusing. Amusing to hide your pregnancy, making up excuses as to why they couldn't come see you, and you didn’t come up the headquarter. Amusing, to even hide it quite expertly from any form of news (Bruce was a MASTER of disguise, not only for himself), so it would be a real surprise. 

Amusing, to have your little girl in secret, with only your family. Amusing, but also what you wanted. For this good news to be just between you, your children, and Alfred. Your close family. Because you had too few things that just were yours. 

This had to be yours. Your thing, your secret, your own happiness. Yours, and only yours. And you found it was good, that you guys spend the first few months of your daughter’s life only between yourselves. 

It was nice, to go out “disguised” as a normal couple, and show your daughter Gotham (and how her little eyes already tried to take the entire world within them). 

It was nice, to live in total privacy for a little bit. 

So, yes, you had been a little selfish. And he had, too. You knew it wasn’t just to prank his friends, he kept it all a secret. That it was also to have some quality time with his family. To spend the first few months of his daughter’s life being the only one being utterly smitten with her. 

Though, this last thing wasn't true...You were, too. And your children ? Let’s just say your daughter had not been alone ONCE since she was born. And she seemed to love it. 

Whenever she made the slightest sound, smiled, laughed (or cried), they were there, Bruce was there, absolutely loving that little baby. 

She was almost 4 months old now, and Bruce thought that the gist had to be up. What scale did he use to measure this amount of “readiness” ? You had no idea. You thought he was just now ready to share his happiness with his friends, and not just his close family. 

And so here you were, after months of secrecy carefully crafted and orchestrated by your husband, in the JLA’s headquarters, along with your family, the little new addition to said family in your husband’s arms. 

Evil. Your husband was downright evil. 

He knew that what was about to happen would have a massive impact on his friends. He. KNEW. 

And as the zeta tube brought all your family up there, you knew that as he saw their faces, your husband was a little TOO happy with himself for his little “prank”. 

************

“Batman, are you al- IS THAT A BABY ?” Very typical, very in character : the first to react was Flash himself. 

None of the other noticed, and they seemed inclined to think Barry had lost his mind but then...

Bruce’s face didn’t move an inch, he just held that little “package”, and had his same stoic expression except...Except there was a little hand grabbing at his chin. 

Then another hand appeared out of that bundle Batman carried, with a bat plushie bunched in a tight fist, shaking it and...Cooing. 

Cute little sounds, and the way- EXCUUUuuUuuuUSE ME ?

The way Batman just softly looked at her, the way his cold expression was replaced by a tender one as he lowered his eyes to her ??

WHAT ?! 

They knew. They knew he had THE softest spot for his family. They knew his scary aura greatly dimmed when he was around his wife and children. They knew that when they weren’t there, he was only made of shadows. They were his light, his salvation. 

They knew he didn’t have the same face expression, when they were around.

Well, when they were looking at him...Barry swore that Batman loomed around his family, standing menacingly behind them, his eyes cold and calculating as if he was ready to fight any seconds to save his loved ones, and then whenever they turned to him his feature would instantly soften. He will ALWAYS remember the first time he met little Dickie, 9 years old and so full of joy and life, and how whenever he would look at Batman and talk to him, said Batman got a softer expression somewhat, but then when Dick turned around, Batman looked about to murder them whenever they came too close from him. 

Once, Tim, also 9 at the time, years after the JLA met Dick, told Barry matter of factly : “He doesn’t kill people. He could break your knee caps though” in a very Tim fashion. The kid was serious. And had noticed the aura surrounding his dad, how it changed when he was around (he noticed more than his siblings, because for a while, Bruce had been really cold and distant with him, since he met him not long after Jason’s death..understandable. So he was the only one who had this sort of behavior aimed at him, the shield Bruce put in front of him to keep everyone away so he wouldn’t be hurt, the shield that now was lowered for them and only them). 

It was his eyes. His eyes that were always hard and cold, became different when looking at you or his children. 

Not to say that his family never exasperated him, or that he never had his “mask” around them. After all, Bruce’s stoic expression was his face by default. It’s just that he was often too focused. And that he spend years practicing hiding his emotions, practicing keeping a blank face. Because Barry also remembered seeing Dick perched on his father’s shoulders, letting himself dangle in his back, his head upside down, whistling and kicking his feet, and Bruce having this stoic mask on, concentrated. 

Anyway, they knew all that. It had been years, since Bruce finally trusted them enough to bring his wife here, and his kids. But yet, yet they were still surprised sometimes.

Like today. 

The picture of Batman holding a baby was...a little weird. 

Even if he opened up to them over the years, he was still mostly very cold, distant and aloof. You know, Batman. That’s just who he was. So sometimes, to see him so devoted to his wife or kids, it was odd to say the least. 

And right now, as he walked towards them with a baby in his arms, the shock was real. Damn it, will there be a day when the Bat didn’t surprise them with something ? 

How did none of them notice you were pregnant ? Proof again Batman was a master of his craft. And that little girl...

Oh your daughter was such a beaming ray of sunshine, that in his arms it was particularly a jarring image. 

The big scary bat, tall, broad shouldered, muscular in every way, his face void of expressions, holding a tiny baby who kept smiling at everyone around, and playing with her plushy. 

Odd. 

Yet, sweet. 

Were they surprised ? Yes. 

Were they a little mad he hid something (AGAIN) this important from them ? Definitely. 

Were they shocked that his daughter was so darn cute and smiling and laughing that much ? Not really, because you were his mom too. 

Were they happy for him ? For sure. 

Were they going to adore that little girl ? Probably as much as they adored his other kids already, which meant...yes. Yes they were going to. 

Damn that bastard Bruce. Always so sneaky. 

Hal, couldn’t help but think : “First, he’s not a vampire, then, he’s married with children, and now, he has that cute baby. This guy ??!!” 

***********

The initial shocked passed, and only after your children MOCKED all of your friends (you had to give it to Dick, he knew how to imitate them so well..and when Damian joined in ? Oh, oh it was a fit of laughter impossible to fight that attacked them), did they approach your daughter. 

“Her name is Martha.” Bruce said “We named her after my mother.” and it wasn’t his usual flat tone he used as Batman. No, it was a soft voice he usually only reserved for his kids. And the reason he was using it now ? Well. He didn’t want to scare his daughter, as he still held her. 

She beamed at him when she heard her name, and babbled some baby nonsense. She then turned towards all those new faces, and you saw Bruce’s hand hold her a little tighter. 

Your beautiful, sweet soul husband. He clearly was worried she’d be scared, meeting all those new people. Especially since they all wore mask. But Martha-

Martha let go of her bat plushy (which Damian caught before it touched the floor, rolling on the ground in a way you thought was quite comedic. Oh, that boy), and lifted her arms up towards- 

“What a sweet little girl !” Diana said with a voice you NEVER heard her use. You realized it was her “voice reserved for babies and domestic animals”, and it made you smile. It was higher than her usual voice, and full of softness. 

You thought your daughter reached for her because she could feel the warmness in your friend. And after all, amongst all of those gathered here today, she was probably the one that adored babies the most. 

Diana looked at Bruce, who only inclined his head a little to give her the ok to lift her from his arms but-

Another arm stopped her, and took the baby away. 

Damian. 

Damian, the one who took his role as a big brother a little too seriously. 

He held Martha protectively against him, and literally sneered at all your friends. 

************

Damian deemed most of them unworthy to hold his baby sister, and only Clark ended up being allowed to carry her. And that was partly because Clark was the only one who knew about Martha, the only one who saw her already, and he had months to convince your son to trust him with her. 

Being an extremely close friend and all, you just couldn’t hide this from him and... no, really, you literally couldn’t hide this from him as he was the immediately noticed that second heartbeat when he listened in to make sure you and your family were safe. Bruce hated when he did that, but Clark wasn’t about to let them be in danger without moving an inch.

Anyway, Clark was allowed to hold her, but he gave her back to you rather quickly because your son’s stare made him uncomfortable. If eyes could kill, right ? 

Damian took his job as an older brother very seriously. He would protect her at all cost. And you had no doubt that he would be the kind of person to burn the entire world down if it meant saving his family. 

Damian only glared at everyone, letting them approach ONLY after they put on a surgical mask so they wouldn’t give her their “viruses or whatever”. 

You had to admit he was a bit much, and you asked him nicely to calm down a little. He relented on the face masks, but made them all wash their hands (twice). 

You ruffled his hair affectionately, what a sweet little boy. It broke your heart, how so many people judged him too fast. He really was, a nice kid. With a heart of gold. He just didn’t have much luck for the first few years of his life. 

But he chose to be like this. Chose to love, instead of hate. Chose to protect, instead of attacking. 

Although, right now, as Diana came back towards his sister, he definitely seems ready to high kick her (which definitely wouldn’t have hurt the amazon). 

************

It was a hassle, to convince Damian to let go of his sister so they could hold her. As per usual, it’s Dick who managed to convince him, saying Martha was all soft and cute, and everyone deserved to hold her at least once. Adding that if one of them dropped her, he would be allowed to do whatever he wanted to them. 

Some of the mightiest heroes of the planet were gathered hear, but the threat didn’t fall on deaf ears. Damian could be a little intense, and scary sometimes. 

They weren’t fooled by Dick’s agreeable smile either. A smile that didn’t always reach his eyes. They knew if they messed up, he would find every way to rip them to shreds. Dick was often seen as the calmest of your children, but his anger issues from when he was a child were never far. And he could be ruthless.  

Diana held her first, and your daughter babbled to her excitedly. 

Of course, being only 4 months old, she just talked gibberish. And it was so sweet, how Diana answered her : “What ? *babbles from your daughter* Noooooo. *more babbles from your daughter* I can’t believe he said that. And then what ? *babbles babbles babbles*”. 

After that, Dick took her back, and asked if someone else wanted to hold her, under yours and Bruce’s watchful eyes. 

Then again, in the room, many were also already parents and knew how to hold a baby. They weren’t too worried, except-

Except Dick, that little sh-, had found a new game in recent weeks. Whenever he gave his little sister to someone else...he pretended to drop her. 

And it made him laugh and laugh and laugh, to give mini-heart attacks to EVERYONE whenever he gave them his baby sister to them, as they always all panicked and screamed seeing her dropped (Dick always had her secure, he only pretended to drop her of course). 

“Oh no careful !” He’d scream, dropping his arms suddenly (she looooved it) while still gripping her, and they’d scramble to catch her, and he would just laugh. 

“You little-” Hal’s colorful words were...imaginative. And Damian was inclined to agree, since his brother pranked him oh, I don’t know, only about A HUNDRED TIMES since their little sister was born. 

You wouldn’t admit it, but it made you laugh a little too. Even if he got you a few times as well, pretending he was going to drop her. Then again, you trusted your eldest son. Once you and Bruce wouldn’t be around anymore, you knew he would hold this family together. 

************

Martha was a calm baby. She let people hold her, curious enough to not fuss and watch them all intently. It made Barry uncomfortable, how she held his gaze and would just stare at him. 

She would stare, and stare, and stare, and her bright blue eyes were EXACTLY like Bruce’s, it felt like being stared down by a miniature version of Batman. 

He didn’t like it. So he gave her back to whomever was closest, which happened to be Jason

Jason, who was always very delicate with his little sister. He handled her as if he’d break her. It broke your heart, to know he probably literally thought that. 

He refused to hold her at first, sure he would hurt her. But she kept reaching for him, crying when he wouldn’t take her, and she was so adorable and-

He caved, of course. After a little while. And he was oh, the fixture of a patient older brother. You knew he would ALWAYS be part of her life, and step in whenever she needed to. 

Right now, she was grabbing his hair, which were getting quite long, and pulling hard on them as babies do and- He didn’t say anything. He just let her do it. 

You really hoped she wasn’t going to take advantage of this when she’d get older, even if you already had visions of her having her brothers and father wrapped around her little finger, having her sister too, and...apparently, the entirety of the JLA. 

************

“How can such an a-hole make such a cute baby ?” Hal said, looking at the little girl he held. She was sort of dozing off, which for sure was adorable. 

Bruce only glared at him, which amused Hal greatly. He just gave him the shock of his life, he could laugh at his expense a little, right ? 

“I believe, to make a baby, you need to-”

“Um, no, Jon, please, I know how to ! It’s just-Oh, forget it.” 

Flustered, Hal Jordan was flustered. Jon J’onzz didn’t seem to get why, but then again, human sarcasms and irony were still very foreign to him. He always answered pragmatically to people. 

Talking about pragmatism. Hal handed back your daughter to Tim, who slipped her in his favorite new contraption : the baby carrier 3.0 (of his own design). Made so he could do all sort of work while having her strapped to him. Keeping an eye on her at all time. 

Tim adopted the use of a baby carrier, so he could still work while taking care of her (he stole the idea from his dad, who definitely hung around with his daughter EVERYWHERE with that thing...which was the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen, this tall broad man and this tiny baby attached to his chest). 

It was so cute to see her little feet dangling while he was working. Damian nearly lost it when he found Tim WELDING two pieces of metal together with the baby carrier on his front. Tim merely said : “I made her baby sized goggles and a fireproof pyjama, she’s fine, and she likes it” and indeed, your daughter didn’t have a scratch, and cried when Damian hauled her away from the sparks. Ooooh the smug look on Tim’s face as his brother gave her back reluctantly. Damian’s was utterly vexed. 

Vexation he forgot just a few minutes later, when Martha decided she had enough of sparkles and made little sounds of protest (not quite cries), and reached her little arms to him. 

As of now, Tim had her in this baby carrier again, and was strolling around the JLA headquarters, showing his new little sister to everyone. 

************

Cassandra didn’t say a word, as per usual. She never liked big crowds, only spoke to those she trusted the most. Her brothers, her parents. 

She only gestured to others. Remained quiet. But she monitored every little movements. 

Hawkgirl approached her sister ? Noted. Carefully studying every move. Martian Manhunter asked if he could hold her ? Noted. 

Superman made little babbling sound at her, while her dad held her ? Noted, with amusement. It was funny, to see one of Earth’s mightiest hero grimacing to a baby to make it laugh, while said baby was held by another mighty hero who was utterly stoned face. Cass’ smiled at her dad, who smiled back for a fraction of seconds before Clark shifted his head up to look at him too, and Bruce went back to his : “ -_-” face, by reflex really. 

Cassandra never spoke much, but she loved a lot. And her way of loving her little sister ? It was to always keep a watchful eye on her, so she could react to whatever she needed. And give her space when she needed to. 

She had many brothers, she often joked that if she lost one, she could just replace him (a joke you didn’t like much, because you knew it was just a self-defense from her, to shield her heartbreak at the mere idea of loosing a sibling), but only had one sister...

Yes. Your youngest child definitely held a special place in everyone’s heart. 

And you could see her slowly creep in every members’ of the Justice League’s heart too. 

Gods, you couldn’t even imagine what would happen to the person who would one day try to hurt her. You could bet, though, he wouldn’t get out of it unscathed (to say the least). 

************

Martha was particularly fond of Duke’s inuit kiss. He had the capacity to instantly calm her, and he could easily feel her inner emotions. 

As she was passed around everyone, and she started to be tired and cranky, he simply retrieved her and brought her to Bruce, because he knew that was her preferred spot to fall asleep. 

He kissed her on the forehead, and sure enough, she was asleep before he could pull away. Your husband put a warm hand on Duke’s head, a warm smile on his face. That boy could always tell what others felt. It was a gift, really, and sometimes a curse as others’ feelings could leak into him. Which is to say that sometimes, when others were sad, he would be too...

But for now, he felt content. At peace. Because his dad was, too. 

And indeed, Bruce, holding his sleeping daughter against his heart, his hand supporting her head gently, was utterly at peace. 

He loved the idea that his arms were his daughter’s favorite place to sleep, and never refused to hold her to help her sleep. You sure were a little jealous, but he told you : “They all always come to you when they need comfort, one kid out of six, you surely can give me, right ?” and though you knew he was joking, it broke your heart a little. 

So, you let go of your jealousy, and let him have this indeed. Martha was definitely a daddy’s girl. And that was good. You could see the impact on your husband, how having a baby in the house soothed him. 

He loved his kids so damn much. He often said they were his lights. And the fact Martha found comfort with him ? 

It reminded him of his own parents. How he would go to his mom, a Martha too, to find the same comfort. To fall asleep in the same way. 

You let go of that small jealousy, as you saw her falling soundly asleep, cuddled up against her dad. And it was funny, how Bruce would take his usual Batman persona, stone faced, standing straight and- 

Having one of two fingers held tightly by both of his daughter’s little hands. She grabbed them as he took her, one hand holding her (she was so tiny...and he was a big dude), the other, she used as a sort of comfort plushy. She held them with all her might, as she slept. 

And Bruce was speaking battle plans, and you had to fight the laughter in you as all your friends couldn’t help but stare at the scene, not knowing how to feel. 

Hal snickered at one point, and he made a gesture for him to zip it, and it was quite an odd scene, as he held his daughter and did that childish gesture. 

Seriously. That guy !! 

************

Batman smiling was...different. 

They all got caught staring at him, when he had his daughter in his arms. Staring because his broad smile was-

Well. Broad. 

It wasn’t his signature smirk. It wasn’t a soft smile. It wasn’t a half-smile. It wasn’t a smile that you could only see in his eyes. 

It was a full on big ass smile (as Barry would say). 

And sure, they already saw him smile like that (although he schooled his face back to “stone mode” when he noticed them looking), never that much. 

As if the birth of his daughter gave Batman another new light, and it was just impossible to yield to his old demon, to brood, when holding that ray of sunshine. 

It made them all feel...soft. And warm. 

It was nice, to know the bat wasn’t just a machine. They forgot it sometimes, that he was, in the end, “just” a man. They forgot why he became Batman. The pain and guilt he held inside. But moments like this, they were reminded of it. 

That the Batman didn’t exist because of hatred, but because of love. 

Because he loved his parents, his city, and now- 

His family. 

It was nice, to get reminded that there was a man below the mask. And though he could be an “a-hole” sometimes, there, holding his baby, he was just that. 

A loving man, who wanted to protect others. 

************

You made a note of every moments you would cherish forever of you introducing your daughters to them all : 

1. The shock on their faces as they beheld the sight of THE BATMAN holding a baby against him, and being so delicate. 

2. Your daughter being the star of the show, all of them smitten with her !

3. Your friends wanting to hold her, and how they beamed at her (and she beamed back, except with Barry, whom she only stared at for some reasons). 

4. Dick’s “game” of pretending he dropped her, and their panicked reaction. 

5. The success of Tim’s baby carrier, and how now, there was always one up in the tower. 

6. Diana and how it definitely seemed like she would move mountain for that child. 

7. How Clark’s eyes filled with tears again, as he looked at Martha. Because it made his friends so happy. You and Bruce. And especially Bruce. And Clark was an emotional man, who suffered too, and was just so happy “The Batman” was happy. 

8. How Jason seemed at peace with his little sister, and how whenever he held her, he seemed less weary than usual around everyone. Like Cass, he didn’t like much being amongst too many people. But now, it felt like he had an “emotional support baby”. Ah. 

9. Their reactions, past the shock, welcoming that new life in the world. 

10. How Bruce monitored his daughter being held by his friends, holding your hand. Even after all those years, when he acted close to you in his Batman costume, it made you...feel things. He always kept a facade as Batman. A facade that would crumble with his kids, and especially with you. PDA weren’t rare. And even after years at his side, it always made your heart beat wildly when he showed affection towards you in public, because it meant- 

Oh it meant so much. 

And you had so many more moments forever ingrained in your heart from that day spend up at the JLA’s headquarters. 

Too many to count. Some sweet, some hilarious- 

All positive feelings. 

And as you and your family stepped back in the zeta tubes, your friends saying “byyyyye” to Martha especially, with their baby voice (making Bruce roll his eyes), and as she waved at them- 

Waved for the FIRST TIME ever oh. 

Oh it felt like you would die of happiness. 

And still, Bruce’s hands held yours tightly. 

He knew. 

He knew, you were the source of this happiness he thought he could never find again. 

He knew. 

He never loved like that before. 

Yes. It felt like you could just die of happiness.

__________________________________________________

And here we are. I hope you enjoyed this. Don’t hesitate to comment and/or reblog, it’s always greatly appreciated :). 

Also, initially, the child was going to be Thomas (their son in my “main” storyline, if you already read a few works from me), but last minute, I was like : “wait no, I want to give Bruce a daughter, and the boys a sister. Also, poor Cass eh ?” and here we are. I really hope you liked this; I’m nervous for some reasons. Anyway. See you soon with another one ?