#I will no doubt make one for Barbara at some point

[mellowdiplomattrashpsychic]

All the benefits and nice stuff would only happen under 2 circumstances.

1) It's been years since Damian was discovered/taken in by Bruce. He mellowed out after Dick and Bruce taught him that killing wasn't necessary and it wasn't allowed. (But all bets are off with the clown comes into the picture. Both Jason and Damian are ready to spill blood)

2) When Tim returns with Bruce after the whole time shenanigans, Damian is more interested in one upping Tim than killing him, since that doesn't get him any favors.

Because, let's be honest, the League of Assassins, like many old families, have a big sibling rivalry thing. The eldest gets the highest position: being the true heir, while the ones after are potential replacements or extras.

So Damian would probably be gunning for Tim even more than before, really. Especially if Bruce suddenly feels like doting on Tim more just to make up for lost time. It was Janet and Jack's responsibility before, but he was actually the father and was right there, it should've been his responsibility. He should've known. Why is Janet so sneaky-

It's a whole thing. But yeah, Damian would only really be like that if he mellowed out a bit by then.

Funnily enough, Tim might've been able to hide it. He would've told Bruce and Alfred his blood type, they'd have no need to check. I don't know if Tim's dealt with clone issues, but if not, there's no need for that identification. Tim mightve already put in his DNA match in some contingency files and Bruce only briefly glanced at it, but it's not the relavent compared to the other cases he has to look into. Alfred could take care of the medical requirements, which is what DNA falls into... probably.

DNA tests are different from blood tests, so thats my main reasoning.

Alfred definitely knows at some point. He's Alfred. He probably knew from the first meeting.

Maybe Barbara, though I doubt it for 1 reason: she's not actively looking into Tim's DNA files. I could see her being next to know.

But I could also see Cass or Steph being the ones to find out. Those fun DNA tests online? I bet Steph would've taken everyone's sample to see how it goes or just convinced Tim somehow. It's just a game right?

Cass would've had suspicions from the start. Never spoke up and it wasn't like it really mattered by then. He wasn't going to get away from the family alive, and with all the magic and supernatural stuff that goes on, he wouldn't be able to in death either. The Lazarus pits were already used on like- half of the family at that point. What's one more?

dick, who just got black mailed by 12 year old stalker tim: scary, that tim kid has a spot on bat-glare despite not spending anytime with you whatsoever, i mean the resemblance is uncanny

bruce trying to figure out if he ever slept with janet drake: very scary…

[skay-ali]

The Forgotten Daughter

Chapter 3

The Wayne family was going through a bad time, everyone noticed it, one of its members was showing strange behavior, this did not escape the attention of the family of detectives, no matter how discreet and secretive the youngest of the family may have been. to hide what he was doing, in any case, it did not prevent suspicions from being aroused around him.

Some discreetly tried to get information out of Damian about why he disappeared, like Dick and Barbara.

Others attacked them with facts, like Jason and Tim, but Damian only gave them a few clever words to annoy them and ignored what they wanted, the next option they followed was to investigate or spy on the boy.

His father, Bruce, concerned about the recent attitude of his son, who disappeared without a trace, especially at night or on his days off, tried to talk to the boy.

But he only received an angry face from his son, he was even more surprised to notice that the boy's eyes had resentment.

Damián wanted to go see his sister and little niece, he really tried, but there was something that stopped him, it wasn't his annoying family who wanted to interfere in his life, nor his brothers who were trying to spy on him (he was able to lose sight of them with some tricks), but rather a little half-Kryptonian boy, who kept following him around to spend time together.

When he appeared at your door and you opened it, you weren't expecting to see him with another boy behind him, one who certainly matched Damian's aptitude.

It seems that your brother did not realize that the boy was with him, because when you greeted the other boy, he was surprised by his presence.

You invited them in, they were a little more joy for this lonely house, your daughter and you were not enough to make the house a very happy place, they did what they could, but even so you could feel that more life was missing. the lonely house.

You left the children at the dining room table, next to Alice, sitting in a baby chair between the two children.

“Okay I'll bring cookies and milk, please don't cause a mess” you warned the children as you walked towards the kitchen “and take care of Alice” you looked at your brother, he nodded at your request.

“What are you doing here?” Damian questioned Jon.

“I was curious to know where you were going in such a hurry,” the boy tried to defend himself, not wanting to make Damian angrier.

“Well, you shouldn't have done it,” he looked at Jon with annoyance, and then diverted his attention to his little niece, who smiled at him and started playing with the boy's fingers.

Jon just silently observes the situation he got into, who always had a brusque attitude to everyone, even his family, treating the two people in this house with a lot of appreciation and affection. How was that even possible?

“Hey, that woman is you… “Sister,” he pointed to the place where you had disappeared.

Damian sighed, letting this boy know his secret put him in danger, one wrong step by Jon and everyone would know about you, he didn't want his father and brothers to find out about you, one because it would be annoying if they stole your attention, another because you could have lived in the mansion and grown up with him, but it was not possible because of the neglect they gave you.

"Look Jon, I'll tell you the truth, but everything that happens in this house and even what I say you will keep secret." He saw the super child again, he knew he had to silence Jon, it was better to leave him without doubts and that you keep the secret, than hearing him ask about you on his missions and risking the others finding out.

The boy hesitated, because what Damian was doing was a secret, but even so, his curiosity piqued him and he wanted to know. Your kind and gentle attitude towards the two children and even the cookies that you would bring them made the boy's curiosity arouse more. He wanted to know. more about you.

“It's okay, I promise.”

Damián knew that he was going to regret what he told Jon sooner or later, but he already revealed everything, their history together and the relationship they had, the things they did when he visited your house, the games he had with his niece, the delicious food you prepared for him, the movies and board games you played, at some point he started bragging about you to the other child.

Jon wouldn't admit it, but he was jealous, he wanted the same thing that Damian had with his sister, his feeling intensified, when you brought them some cookies that looked delicious, and when you sat next to them and they started talking about different things, see how lively you were and the kind smiles you gave them, even more so when you played a board game with them.

He also became attached to little Alice, she was very adorable, at one point he noticed that the baby smiled at him when she saw him and tried to get the child to pay attention to her, you were holding Alice so she wouldn't get hurt on a play mat while the and Damián were playing with the little baby.

It was a real shame that you weren't his sister, he really wanted that... maybe he would find a way to make you part of the family.

He also became attached to little Alice, she was very adorable, at one point he noticed that the baby smiled at him when she saw him and tried to get the child to pay attention to her, you were holding Alice so she wouldn't get hurt on a play mat while the and Damián were playing with the little baby.

It was a real shame that you weren't his sister, he really wanted that... maybe he would find a way to make you part of the family.

Maybe he can convince his friend of that too without him getting angry, he already noticed the conflicting feelings that Damian felt when he mentioned his other family's relationship with his sister, something strange was happening.

He knew for sure that if his parents knew you they would also adore you like he was doing now.

Little Alice would also be loved, he knew it, not only because of the similar appearance they had to him, which he believes is a coincidence because you also had a certain resemblance to his features, he assumes that the baby is similar to him, because of the mix of her father and yours, also because of how adorable the baby was and her smiles, along with the small actions she made and warmed her heart.

It was funny the twists and turns that life takes.

One day you decided to leave your safe home and get away from your perfect and safe little town, when you got one of your friends as a babysitter, to take care of your baby Alice, while you went out to buy some things.

It wasn't easy separating from your daughter, they were always together, you felt like you were away from her for a long time, longer than a day actually lasts.

You went to visit Gotham City, you needed to do it, it wasn't just shopping, but also work.

It was lucky that Damian wasn't going to visit you that day, nor was Jon, the new boy who started visiting you since you met him. You had no complaints about the two boys' visits, you just wouldn't have an excuse to give them if they saw you right now. .

Speaking of the new child, it seemed strange to you that your baby was also friendly with him, just after seeing him once. Did you think it only happened with your blood family? You verified the theory with Damian, the baby loves him as soon as she saw him, not like other of your acquaintances with whom she never got along quickly.

It was a crazy theory but very valid in your situation, because when you visited some distant relatives on your mother's side, your baby did the same, getting along with them instantly.

Wearing a wig and a giant trench coat that covered your entire figure.

Just a short stop at a place with your other two acquaintances, a quick intervention to a patient who needed the Alice project in his life.

When you finished you quickly left and decided to continue with your day, weighing that the remorse for what you had just done would still be present, but it seems that with all the times you have put it on other patients it helped you get used to it.

If they knew the reality, many would judge you, but it didn't matter anymore, you decided to do this for the good of your daughter.

Everything for your little one... your only ray of sunshine

Jason had to patrol this day, he wouldn't have any complaints about that if he were alone, but he didn't have to take care of the demon spawn.

It would be easy, if the boy didn't see him with a murderous face, every time he said something, lately his attitude changed a lot more, it was already a little difficult to deal with him before, but now, he didn't know if he would be able to hold out before wanting to point his gun at Damian.

Suddenly he lost sight of the boy, great now he would have to look for him so he wouldn't get into a dangerous situation. I look for him in many places, they were lucky that this day there were no attacks from villains, only a couple of rookie criminals.

He visited some places, until he saw the child again.

About to reprimand him, he noticed that the boy was distracted by watching something.

When I looked at that address, I noticed that it was not something but someone, a woman, with black hair, average height, light skin, and wearing a trench coat.

She was someone normal to him, until she wasn't anymore... in a small move from the woman who was so entertained in the street book store.

She saw his features better, that face, it made her nostalgic to see him.

He didn't know the reason, but it had to do with something from his childhood.

The memory of a girl, he knew the cover very well, it was that of his favorite novel, he saw her sitting in an uncrowded place in the library, just her sitting next to the window, which illuminated everything around her with a beautiful light, Give her an angelic appreciation and passify the girl.

Something told him that he should remember, he should do it...

hahaha the protagonist is more inclined to have platonic yanderes than a romantic one, all obsessive little children. His little army will grow, I'm sure of that.

I think someone can like supers without knowing it....

Tag list: @kore-of-the-underworld @vanessa-boo @jsprien213 @delias-stuff @vanilliona @bat1212 @yanrandom @Quiarst @palabra de niño salvaje @el termino @leo227 @sirenethblog @ masa para galletas @blueberry19000

[dinarosie]

Snape’s Legacy Goes Beyond His Flaws: part 1

I wrote this post to highlight moments when, despite his personal wounds, Snape still chooses to save the lives of the Marauders. My goal was to show how, no matter how flawed, Snape acts as a brave hero who prioritizes human life. The comments below genuinely surprised me, and they actually make me want to quote specific passages from the books to showcase Snape’s actions. I'm splitting this post into two parts, as including all the quotes from the books makes it quite long.

It’s honestly hilarious when some people keep telling: 'read the books,' while they seem blissfully unaware of how things actually go down in the story. One can only hope that one day they’ll realize fanfics aren’t the original books. Shocking, I know—but those are just fans playing with their own imagination, not a hidden version of the canon.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, THE PRINCE’S TALE: dark night: He was accompanied by other hooded Death Eaters, and ahead were Lupin and a Harry who was really George. . . . A Death Eater moved ahead of Snape and raised his wand, pointing it directly at Lupin’s back — “Sectumsempra!” shouted Snape. But the spell, intended for the Death Eater’s wand hand, missed and hit George instead — Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, HERMIONE'S SECRET: “I don’t know — Harry, look at Snape!” Together they peered around the bush at the other bank. Snape had regained consciousness. He was conjuring stretchers and lifting the limp forms of Harry, Hermione, and Black onto them. A fourth stretcher, no doubt bearing Ron, was already floating at his side. Then, wand held out in front of him, he moved them away toward the castle.

Let me lay it out clearly: in this scene, Snape’s priority is to save the lives of four people and uphold justice:

Snape is taking the most honorable approach here. He knows that three of his students have directly disobeyed him, put themselves in harm’s way, and even teamed up with Black, a known fugitive, against his warnings. Yet he controls his anger because his first priority is their safety and getting them back to school unharmed.

Snape believes at this moment that Black has conspired with Voldemort, betrayed the Potters, orphaned their son, killed Pettigrew, and murdered twelve innocent Muggles. It’s no wonder he feels Black deserves the Dementor’s Kiss. Even Harry, when he believed these things about Black, felt that justice should be served and saw no issue in Black paying the price for such crimes. And remember, when Black learns the truth about Pettigrew, he’s furious enough to try to kill him on the spot. Yet, Snape has the composure and discipline to restrain his rage and sees it as his responsibility to bring Black back alive. He leaves the punishment to the legal system and to justice, refusing to take it into his own hands.

And let’s not forget: just an hour before, Sirius was openly willing to drag Snape’s unconscious body to the castle, fully prepared to bash Snape’s head against the ceiling—purely out of lingering childish hatred for Snape’s appearance and background. Sirius had no regard for the injuries he might inflict on Snape.

Barbara: I was very disappointed to see harry use crucio and seem to enjoy it his failure to perform that kind of curse in the past has been a credit to his character why the change, and did harry later regret having enjoyed deliberately causing pain J.K. Rowling: Harry is not, and never has been, a saint. Like Snape, he is flawed and mortal.

His character flaws don’t erase all the good he’s done or the impact he’s had. If you believe that being “flawed” or “grey” prevents someone from being a hero, then you’ve missed one of the core messages of the Harry Potter series. By that standard, no one in the books would be a hero because nearly every character has their own set of flaws. Even J.K. Rowling herself draws parallels between Snape and Harry, calling both of them imperfect. If you find Snape unforgivable, then logically, you’d have to find Harry Potter unforgivable, too.

Snape is a hero because he spends his life atoning for his mistakes. He stays on the right side even when there’s no personal gain, saving lives, healing others, and standing by his principles despite losing his way in darkness. He has the strength to return to the right path and stay loyal to it for years. Thanks to his courage and sacrifices, the wizarding world is freed from a dark wizard’s crimes. Because of him, innocent children like Harry aren’t left orphaned, and young mothers like Lily don’t lose their lives and families. Because of Snape’s loyalty, teenage souls like Draco Malfoy’s don’t get lost in darkness.

[circyexistforcontent]

Re: Paperwork Post

Oof. The paperwork post is so good. Combining the paperwork post with the time dilation post, I imagine would not lead to good things. I imagine in SAGAU, it would lead to a workaholic reader with little to no time with the acolytes. If the reader isn't working on the mountains of paperwork for days on end, then they're sleeping for days on end. Rinse and repeat for eternity, I imagine. I wonder if the reader would ever get sick of the routine, since it would end up being a neverending job at this point. What do you think?

SAGAU CONCEPT: ACOLYTES AND TIME DILATION

❀ synopsis: don't you want devoted followers? Who leaves their families for you? Give their money to you? Give their bodies to you? Give up their lives for you? Consider you God? And will kill for you?

❀ tw: religious themes, cult au, human sacrifice, panic attacks, reader is very tired and overworked.

Yeah, sagau reader is going to be equivalent to a zombie with how they're living. There is no harem anime life, only a workaholic reader whose blood consists of 90% caffeine. Readers' harem wouldn't be helpful (ok maybe a little bit helpful) since they cause more cons than pros. The most troublesome type of yandere is the ones that lead you away from your work (Traveler, Wanderer, Venti, Kazuha) and especially the ones that sacrifice to you in your name (Zhongli, Childe, Dainsleif, Razor).

some people would blame you for killing them in the shadows, and it doesn't help that the same person who accused you disappears the next day. It will cause people to doubt your judgment and it takes several of your followers to ease their opinions (Ganyu, Barbara, Jean, Kaeya, Ayato, etc).

There might be a group of people trying to kill the reader since those who were killed might have close ones, but y'know, their side characters. Their npcs. The acolytes immediately shut it down by threatening them while the defectors were on the brink of death (Diluc, Xiao, Gorou, etc). So to get straight to the point, sagau is basically a normal yandere genshin au on steroids. There is a lot of murder and manipulation on the civilian's end since some yandere's have to cover for the other yandere's who can't control their murder boner. And you have to take care of the two seperate parties or else things might go out of hand

On time dilation...

Let's be honest, Zhongli was the one who most likely saw you sleeping on your desk. When you didn't wake up after 2 days everyone will panic. Some will blame themselves for overworking you and not helping you while some will insist on giving you medicine that might wake you up. The traveler is the clingiest one out of all your acolytes since the two of you have been together since the beginning.

The archons are hysterical the moment you fell into a deep sleep. They're in a constant state of panic and frequently visit to check up on you. Venti likes to play songs when you're sleeping in hopes that you can hear them through your dreams. Zhongli likes to hold your hand and feel your warmth to reassure himself that you're still alive. Ei has this fascination with your holy figure. Every curve, every vein, every single hair on your body is perfect.

It doubles when you fell into a deep sleep. Seeing your body in perfect condition after months of being asleep makes her adore you even more. You really are eternal, you are everything Ei aspires to be. But to be honest, she prefers you to be awake so she can adore you even more.

But yeah, its not a fun time for you once you wake up :(

(sorry this was short, I really want to add more)

[fanfic-obsessed]

The Brother Act

While I do greatly enjoy the ‘Dick was an ass in not believing Tim and taking Robin’ I have had a different thought. 

As always, look not for Canon for it is not here…

Alfred, Dick, Barbara, and Tim have a special bond that the rest of the bats and birds do not really understand. The four of them were the ones who scraped Bruce off the floor and dragged him back to a healthier mindset after Jason’s death(Dick and Babs, lost in their own grief and issues, did come in a little later than Tim and Alfred, so they missed the absolute worst but still had to deal with some of the darkest moments of Batman’s grief). 

After Bruce was lost in the Time steam, considered dead, these four sit together while Damian is at school. Tim tells them what he has found (circumstantial evidence that Bruce is still alive and lost in time). They believe him, there is no doubt that Tim is right, but they do not have proof. And the Justice League is already wary of Tim, primed by Tim’s reaction to Bart and Kon’s death (Look, this is very much a case of Gothamites are built different. Tim’s cloning attempts, where he does not even threaten other people AND makes provisions for any viable clones that do not turn out to be his friends-not that there were any but the were plans in place. Well, that is practically tame for Gotham, most Gothamites would have taken it as a sweet gesture, not madness).

It is clear. If Dick, as Batman, is seen supporting Tim in his ‘grief fueled madness’ then the Justice league will try to interfere in Gotham. And Gotham is built different. The Justice League do not understand Gotham and Cannot be allowed to interfere. Bruce would not want that. 

So Batman cannot be seen supporting Tim. Even if Dick believes him.  

They talk about Jason, who once Got Gotham the best out of any of them…but between his death and rebirth, the Pits, and his time away between Assassin training and the Outlaws he does not remember Gotham the way he thinks he does (shown by how he has forgotten that Batman cannot ever kill, that it is not Bruce that put that rule in place but Gotham herself). Gotham is still inscribed upon Jason’s bones though. He can heal enough to remember, to Get Gotham once again but it will take time. Alfred thinks that if Jason could remain on Gotham soil for three more consecutive months he would remember enough to stay until he healed all the way. Until then, though, they cannot fully trust him. 

They also talk about Damian. How Damian is not connected to Gotham, not yet. Maybe if he had been there longer, he could have truly ‘Got’ Gotham before becoming Robin. But they do not have time for that. Tim points out that Damian would not accept Robin if he thinks Tim is giving it to him, but he would if Damian thought he was beating Tim in some way to get it. They saw that through the murder attempts (Which are not taken as seriously one would think. It’s not that the Bats and Birds believe that Gotham would keep them alive no matter what…but…it does always seem as though everything works out, no matter the odds. And Jason didn’t die until he was not on Gotham soil and eventually came back after being buried in Gotham-No one really knows how Jason was brought back, not for sure). 

So Tim, Dick, Alfred, and Babs construct a very careful play. One devised to slip Damian into the Robin role, where he could grow connected to Gotham. One that gave Tim a reason to slip away, be gone so he could get proof that Bruce was still alive (because they would need the Justice Leagues resources). And all 4 sitting at the table were desperately trying to ignore that Tim had to leave Gotham, without backup, at least in the beginning (hoping that Jason would remember enough to be true backup later). Trying to ignore that the last time a Bat left Gotham without any kind of backup ended with Jason’s death.  And Yes, Tim would always have Oracle in his ear but only on the unofficial channels that do not go anywhere near the JLA systems, but that is not the same as having actual backup. 

And so time rolls on. Tim goes to search for Bruce, draws the attention of Ra’s Al Ghul, and does what was needed.  Damian grows into Robin, and begins to get it, to get Gotham (One day, about 2 months before Tim returns, Damian turns to Dick and goes ‘Drake will succeed, right?’ without any context and Dick knew Damian finally Got Gotham).  Jason did not spend the three consecutive months in Gotham until just before Bruce was brought back. 

When Tim is vindicated by the JLA, he finds Bruce. Every non Bat (and to a small, and shrinking extent, Jason) expects Tim to be petty and pissy with Dick.Even after Dicks catch. Except that does not happen.  Tim is pissy and petty with various members of the Justice League but not Dick (whom they think tried/threatened to throw Tim into Arkham-they have that on video).

[cosmicanemoia]

Ms. Nobody

Melissa schemmenti x reader

SUMMARY

You show up at Abbott Elementary and stick your nose into everybody's business, and no one knows what you really do.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

You were walking down the hallway of Abbott Elementary looking for the principal's office, but you couldn't seem to find it. You were wearing a black and white, three piece pinstripe suit, looking like a stuck-up, but also, like a million bucks, you thought its suffocating.

A woman with a leather jacket paired with tight leather pants walks in your direction, as she gets closer from where you stand, you realise her hair is red, some of it tuck in a cat-eye-framed glasses.

You noticed she's fixated on her phone, so you block her way to make her notice you, she accidentally bumps into you, noticing you too late to stop on her tracks "Sorry, miss. Could you please point me in the direction of the principal's office?" She observed you with a stoic look on her face, you know she's trying to get a read on you "just follow me. I was going there anyway"

The walk to the Ava's office was filled with silence and when you got there, Ava checks you out and raises an eyebrow, she looks at the red haired woman "Damn! Schemmenti, thanks for bringing me a hot stripper. How'd you know I need to release some stress" miss Schemmenti made a dumbfounded face "wha--" she's trying to say something but you interrupted her "That's highly inappropriate" you said that left a silence in the room for a few seconds until you break it "That's highly inappropriate if I wasn't a stripper" both of the women's eyes widened by your revelation.

You started unbuttoning your blazer "but lucky for you I was" their jaw dropped at the sight "woah-- w-what the hell is going on?" Melissa earnestly asked looking around the room, confused by the act happening in the principal's office, you took your blazer off, throw it in a chair, and started unbuttoning your vest "I don't know-- but I'm liking every second of it" Ava replied, her eyes fixated on you. A smirk starts to form in your mouth, both women liking the scene more than they should, you took the vest off and throw it in with the blazer, you started to loosen your tie, you were holding back a laugh for quite some time but you couldn't hold it in anymore, so you burst out laughing, the two women bewildered "I'm just kidding!-- I'm not a stripper" you announce "what!?!" Ava and Melissa both shouted at the same time, their voice both frustrated and annoyed.

"Principal Coleman, I need to talk to you in private regarding classified topics" you took a seat in front of her. Ava gulped and clear her throat which Melissa mirrored "of course. Melissa, what do you need?" The principal asked the teacher "Uh- I forgot... I'll just come back later" Melissa walks out.

You've been there for a couple months now since that day. You've easily made friends with most of the teachers there. Janine always asks you questions but you rarely get to answer them because the topics sometimes change way too fast. Jacob jokes around you, talking nonstop, mostly dropping random facts about something not very well known but you already knew them so it fascinates him. Gregory asks you questions out of nowhere, he's quite and he listen but speaks his mind when he feel the need to do so, and you're just willing to listen. Barbara is always glad when you come to observe her class and is always kind to you. Ava unashamedly flirting with you everytime she can, you sometimes flirt back which makes her fluster and blush. Mr. Johnson telling you stories no one would bother to listen to or believe, but you always listen and you don't care if his stories are believable or not, they're still good stories nonetheless. Melissa scoffs at you when she sees you but it only lasted for a week, and she eventually warms up to you, but you know she still have some doubt and still don't fully trust you, you make her smile and you make her laugh everytime you can.

The teacher's are gathered in the teacher's lounge given that it's lunch time. They were chit chatting and catching up until the topic of their conversation became you.

"There's this mysterious woman who came from nowhere and people doesn't know what she really does here, where she came from, we only know she observes the school and do nothing else" Melissa stated making the other teachers question what are your true motives. They added and added so called facts and evidence of your actions trying to figure you out.

You made your way to the teacher's lounge with your hands in the pockets of your jacket, when you open the door and walk in, the room fell silent. You made your way to the vending machine "how is everybody?" You inquired but your met with silence still and you could feel the tension, you turn your back to check on them and when you do, all their eyes are shooting daggers at you. "What's going on?" You inquire once again, and once again your met with silence.

"You a cop?" Melissa ask you, breaking the silence. You slowly walk closer to her and you sigh "actually, I am." You pulled out a hand cuff out of your jacket, and everyone is stunned, "and Melissa Ann Schemmenti, you are under arrest for obstruction of justice, aiding and abetting, and harboring a criminal in your home" you started to handcuff her, she scoffs "That's ridiculous! I don't know what you're talking about" everyone is in complete shock. A smirk that has formed in your face since you handcuff her begins to become a grin, you tug softly at her shoulder and starts to walk, but halfway through the door you halted and speak again "but mostly for stealing my heart" you burst out laughing and it clicked to everyone what you just did, everyone is holding back their laughter, afraid of the redhead's wrath that you might have unleashed. Your laugh fades when you realise you're the only one laughing, it turned into an awkward chuckle "oookaayyyy. Tough crowd"

Melissa rolled her eyes "ha- ha- satisfied? Now get this off of me" she commanded. You started to search your pockets and nothing "Uh- I might have lost the key" you look at her with puppy eyes, "if this is another one of your jokes, I swear--" her sentence, unfinished, as you tug her and interrupt her "come, I have a copy hidden somewhere" you said as you lead her out the door. When you both are out of sight everyone sighed loudly releasing the breath they didn't know they were holding back.

While walking down the hallway Melissa ask you "so, you just carry around a handcuff with you?" "Who doesn't?" You answered like it's a totally normal thing to carry handcuffs around. She rolled her eyes again, tired of your antics, now clearly irritated, "what kind of idiot carries a handcuff and not have the keys?" You raise your two thumbs and started pointing it to yourself "this idiot, obviously. --Is it idiotic? Or is it part of my grand master plan to get you alone in a private room, with me?" You whispered the last part of your sentence in her ear in a seductive tone.

She's quite for a long time until she ask another question "where'd you put this key anyway? I feel like we've been walking in circles" you smiled and stop in front of her "we actually are" she stopped on her track and looks at you, furious, evident in her eyes.

You started to walk again and this time with the intention of getting the key. You knock at Ava's door and she tells you to come in. You walk in and Ava lifted her gaze from whatever she was doing on her laptop to you "Hey hottie" you shake your head unimpressed with her flirting "where's the key to your handcuffs?" Melissa burst in "This is Ava's handcuffs?!" She lifts and wave her hands "Yes. She gave it to me earlier to hold onto. And you presented an opportunity for it to be used-- so, here we are..." you answered her and she scoff "you won't see another light of day, when I get out of this freaking situation" you smiled at her, daring her to follow through her threat "Nobody carries a handcuff around unless they're actually a cop" you explain "or a stripper" ava added to the end of your sentence.

"Dear god give me patience or I might actually commit murder" Melissa closed her eyes and prayed, as Ava toss the keys to you, and you catch it. You walk over to Melissa to uncuff her as she glares and growls at you. When you finally freed her she massage her wrist and she fake pouncing on you which made Ava flinch, but you stand there unfazed.

Melissa walks out the room first. You drop the cuffs on Ava's table and walk out the office without saying a word.

You had an eventful evening, but today's school is over. You made your way outside the school through the parking lot.

Someone suddenly pulled you, then pushed you against the wall, it was Melissa who is out for blood, your blood. She has you pinned against the wall, you're not complaining, in fact, you actually like it, that position, but really, you just like her.

"Don't think I'll pity you because you're young and pretty. You don't know who you're messing with" she said and you cant help but blush "you think I'm pretty?-- I think you're pretty too, pretty and HOT!" You said emphasising the last word. You were looking eye to eye, faces inches away from each other, you let your eyes wander on her lips, and before both of you knew it, you were kissing her, but you suddenly pulled away when you realise she's not kissing back. She let go of you "first you handcuff me, call me hot, and now kisses me--- what the hell is wrong with you kid?" You look down at your feet ashamed of yourself but you look back gazing in her eyes "I'm not a kid.-- And there's nothing wrong with me.--- I'm just... just-- completely and utterly head over heels for you" you felt something hit the side of your face, you caress it with your hand, she had slapped you, you bit on your lower lip, your chest starting to tighten "don't mess with me like that" she said plainly "I'm no--" "Shut up" she said before you could explain yourself.

You just stood there in the cold as you watch her drive away. 'I really fucked this, shit!' You thought to yourself. You let out a loud sigh thinking how you screwed out really big.

The next day you went to school early, hoping you'd catch her and apologise for being such an asshole, but she didn't get in until before the class starts leaving no time for chit chats, especially with you.

Lunch came and you announce your presence when you walk in the teacher's lounge. You scan the room and you saw everyone is there. "I know you have question. I'm going to answer them truthfully and seriously" you said confidently and you sit on the couch.

Janine raises her hand and you raises your eyebrow at her signaling her to go for it "I actually forgot what to ask- I'm just eager to learn more about you" you nodded and you lean in the couch resting your elbows in your thighs "I know none of you know my name. That's OK. Ms. Nobody sounds good to me, but my name is y/l/n, y/n y/l/n.

"I have a question" Melissa speaks up "What is it you actually do here?" You think for a second "good question. *sighs* I help school that are about to be shut down by the government because the number of students doesn't meet the minimum quota for a public school to be open and for the lack of teachers teaching at the said school or schools that are barely making do"

"We're about to be shut down?" Janine asked to no one, and the teachers starts to converse among themselves, everyone of them shocked by the revelation.

A few minutes later "all teachers please proceed to the library after class we're having an unplanned meeting" Ava said to the intercom.

Someone is about to ask you question but the bell rang and they all dispersed, saddened by the news you told them. You rest your back on the sofa sighing with relief that you don't have to carry that secret anymore.

They went on to their classes pushing the news to the back of of their minds and went teaching like they always do.

The class are over and after the teachers tidy up and finish some things before they head to the library. There are a lot of them when you got there so you didn't bother to sit, you just stood and lean against the bookshelf trusting that if it can hold that many books, it can hold you as well.

Everyone is settled in the library. "I know y/n, has break the news to you. But we are not going to be shut down" Everyone simultaneously lets out a sigh of relief.

Melissa turns her head to look at you "you think everything is a joke, don't you? K--" "No. Of course not." You interrupted her before she finish.

"Everyone listen up. Let me rephrase my beautiful self. We are not going to be shut down because of y/n, and as long as she's here, we'll be okay" Ava collects her things and starts to walk away "Is that all? Are we finished?" Janine ask the principal "Janine, why'd you always gotta be so needy?" She scoffs and continues on her way.

You walk over to where Melissa and Barbara are sitting. "Hi Barbs" you greeted her with a pleasant smile and she replied "thanks for helping the school dear" you smile at her more before you turn your attention to Melissa "Hey, hot stuff. Can I talk to you?" "What'd you wanna talk about?" She ask and Barbara excuse herself so you sat next to her.

You are now alone together in the library. "I just wanted to say sorry for the handcuffs thing, and for stealing a kiss from you" she's just sat there quietly "also, I really mean what I said that night" "what? That I'm hot?" She ask still not looking at you, you look down on your knees and smile to yourself "yeah. That too" You grabbed her hand that is resting on her thighs and rest it on yours instead while you held it "I know you think I'm just messing with you. And I can see why you think that. But, I'm not. I'm being serious and I really mean it.-- please, look at me" you requested and she obliged "I'm in love with you" she just stares at you for a moment and then look away, her hand still held by yours.

You close your eyes and smile but you feel defeated. You let go of her hands and stand up. "I'm sorry" she said right before you walk away so you turn on your back to face her "what?" she's quite for a minute contemplating something "I'm sorry for slapping you" she said and you smiled to her "it's okay. I deserved it.-- and I kinda like it" you said and you wink at her "of course you do" she smiles more wide than usual, she's amused.

She stands up and walks up to you closing the space you made when you walk out, she reach on your fore arms and rub it gently, trying to warm you up. "You're getting cold" she said to you but you know you're hot on the inside caused by the woman's touch "And, no. You didn't deserve it" she said and she starts to let go of you but you pulled her into a hug "it's okay. I know you didn't mean it" you said as you hug her tighter.

You let yourself loosen the embrace but you feel hers tighten, not yet ready to let go, so you tighten your arms around her once more, waiting for her to be ready to let go.

You hugged for more than a couple of minutes until she finally let go, you smiled at each other, saying goodbye with your eyes knowing that you'll meet again soon.

After you've taken a few step away from her she shouted "come over for dinner at my house, let me apologise properly" you look at her with a grin "if you wanted to ask me out for a date, you could've just said so" "and there it is" she gesture with her hands showcasing you and you curtsied at her before you went on your merry way.

You knock and rang on Melissa's door and she opens them right away, inviting you in. Your eyes fixated on her, she looks so comfortable and it warms you, secretly hoping she would be comfortable with you too.

You watch her as you sit on the kitchen counter while she cooks making light conversations.

Her homecooked meal taste so good, you're saying "mmmhh" and nod your head at the same time every time you take a bite. She looks contented and proud of herself.

You were quite for a moment so she ask you "What are you thinking?" You look at her with a wide grin "you don't wanna know" you tease "just tell me" she commanded and you quickly abide "I'm just thinking that my grand master plan actually works. Even better than I'd imagine. Now, I'm eating delicious home cooked meal at your house with a beautiful view right in front of me"

She pulls you in for a kiss, a passionate kiss, which you return with the same desperation she had. You both pulled away at the same time, gasping for air, and catching your breath "I'm just taking back the kiss you stole from me" she said trying to defend her action, you smiled at her "How long have you been wanting to do that?" "Way too long, apparently" she replied and you both burst out laughing.

The night is going great and maybe it will get greater. You don't know where this night might lead you, but you don't care, as long as she's with you, every step of the way.

[gatalentan]

can u actually go over the significance of the sunflowers on the work wives’ table again? I think I missed it the first time and it sounds interesting

You have activated my trap card. Here is my thesis on the Work Wives Sunflowers.

Ok, I want to preface this by saying this is totally just a little bit of fun, and I am not totally deluded as to think this is A Thing. I have no expectations about this ship being canon, or there being Secret Meanings. It's more spotting a pattern and running with it. However, similarly - there is symbolism in this show in terms of costuming and set design, such as Janine's "love" necklace appearing and disappearing during story beats, writing on the teachers' boards being plot-relevant, etc, so it's not me being totally outlandish! For nearly 30 consecutive there hasn't been any decorations on the table, only practical items like salt, pepper, a basket of leaflets/condiments, a napkin holder etc (with the exception of Pilot, where the tables were in a different configuration, the WW are at a different table and all the tables have a little plant). For eg, here is all of S1:

In Fire, the table was damaged during a lapse of Barbara's mental health, where she became very insular with her own internal pain and didn't reach out to Melissa about it. It goes without saying that in the WW lore this table is basically a second home. The only time either of them sits anywhere else is when they fight, when Melissa ends up "sleeping on the couch" (other tables). This table getting damaged was a huge deal to Barbara and an inciting incident in her finally telling Melissa about Gerald's health problems and how it was upsetting her.

The table obviously had to be replaced after the fire damage, and was. In Teacher Conference, there is a new table, and a little bouquet has appeared, which stays through the next episode Mural Arts, squirreled away behind all the dinner paraphernalia.

But in Teacher Appreciation, the sunflowers appeared, huge and bright, two of them, a centrepiece, right there from the cold open.

An episode which, as we know, was a massive turning point in their relationship, where they fought, traded some really, really low blows that cut deep, but this time apologised on screen and reconciled - and one in which Barbara is wearing bright yellow when they do.

Immediately my squirrelly little brain started making connections about this, because they're SO bright and LARGE and PROMINENT and there wasn't any prominent decoration on the table before. My initial thought was oh, it's teacher appreciation day, this can be dismissed easily as just a gift from one of the kids. But we saw a lot of gifts being given to them all in this ep, and the flowers aren't among them. It was @cdyssey who made the stitch for me that this is probably Barbara christening/homecoming the table/the physical manifestation of their friendship/relationship after her lapse damaged it in an episode which re-cements their connection after the events of Fire, and in an episode where their bond is tested. Flowers are her thing. It has to be Barbara.

We also haven't seen any other gift that was given become a recurring feature. They are always facing the wide-angle camera, two bright faces for the two of them in the configuration they always sit in, side by side. Barbara Howard, who loves flowers, no doubt has read up on flower language before. Sunflowers are representative of "silent love, loyalty, admiration, arrogance and unspoken love". This was, without a doubt, a deliberate choice, and so, so thematically relevant for not only the unspoken but incredibly strong bonds of their relationship (platonic, romantic or otherwise), but also the arrogance for which Barbara (and Melissa) took their relationship (and the symbolism of their shared table) for granted in the episode where they appeared, and in Fire where she didn't open up to Melissa and share her pain.

The sunflowers are a physical manifestation of what Barbara feels about her relationship with Melissa, and the sanctuary that is their second home: the table. A safety and enduring loyalty that has lasted decades and seen countless other colleagues and friendships and even Melissa's marriage come and go. For each other, they are a reliable, ever-present constant, a beam of sunlight no matter what they are weathering together. The sunflowers stayed on the table for the following episode, disappeared 2x20 when Melissa was sat at the table alone (and was stressed and unmoored the whole episode), and the reappeared in 2x21, when the WW returned to the table again. And not only reappearing, but reappearing in a yellow outfit.

This cements to me that this is Barbara bringing them in each Monday - when she doesn't come into the lounge, the flowers aren't there.

As an addendum, I haven't re-checked the full series proper, but another time sunflowers have appeared in relation to WW is during another turning-point scene in 1x06, the "maybe this is it for me" scene with Barbara, Melissa & Gerald eating lunch that leads to Barbara encouraging Melissa to date again... but which also contains this look, where Barbara's mask nearly, fully slips one of the most significant times in the whole series and is a foundational moment in WW ship lore. Again, there are two sunflowers in this scene.

Yes, this whole thing is me being a delulu girl. Yes, it's me making tenuous connections for a non-canon ship and making a meal out of scraps. Yes, I fully enjoy this little theory and subscribe to it, and welcome anyone else to play around in the mud with me, too. If you wanna take this idea for fic etc, GO GO GO!

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[intriq]

I love being silly in ur asks!!!!

How do you think the Batfam would react to you being unexpectedly good at one of their "niche" (that isn't the right word I'm sorry) skills? Like gun skills(Jay) or flexibility (Dick)- 🌻

(You also don't have to do this pookie Intri I just love asking questions)

cackling, giggling even. im going to do this. ive been stewing over this since you sent it to me.

Tim - photography

He's probably a little surprised, no doubt. He's got a knack for photography, he's pretty good at it. I wouldn't be surprised if he has some sort of side job where people commission him for photos. He finds it to be a pleasant surprise when you give him a photo you took yourself as a little gift. It doesn't really matter if it's a picture of him or not, he'll still probably find a safe place to keep it so he can always look at it. He makes it a regular thing to trade photos with you after too.

Barbara - computers

Barbara doesn't exactly learn that your good at computers in person or directly. She hears it from the others after one night she wasn't available to provide information as Oracle and you instead did your thing just as smoothly, like it wasn't even an issue to navigate the Batcomputer in her place. She'll probably invite you to hangout with her after, trading tricks that'll no doubt sharpen not only her knowledge, but yours too.

Dick - flexibility

Hands down, Dick is shocked. He doesn't even know until one day you just so happen to showcase it while taking some thug down while on patrol with him, and he's obsessed there after. He probably constantly tries to see if there's anything he can do you can't, and he's probably always wrong in the end. Bonus points if there's something you can do that he can't, so he will pester you to teach him. Your definitely his new favorite person to patrol with after.

Jason - gun skills

He doesn't really let it show but he would be surprised. Amazed may be a bit of an overstatement, but it really depends on the type of person you are. If you don't look the type-- in his eyes-- to wield a gun, then yeah he's an amazed kind of surprised. Otherwise he's kind of neutral about it. He'd probably be interested in seeing if you can show him up in some gun tricks, though.

Bruce - strategy

He doesn't even notice it at first. He's far too busy planning something out when you offer your input that is incredibly thought out, and he runs with it. He adds it to his plan and it moves swimmingly, far better than expected. It doesn't click with him that you're a good strategist until after the mission he was planning for was all said and done.

Duke & Steph - puzzles & riddles [steph specifically]

Steph probably doesn't have much of a reaction. She's probably entirely neutral about it, a little uncaring. She'd still talk with you about it, though. Duke, though, is probably the total opposite. All hyped up and energized about it, happy that he's got something to talk with you about. Not to mention it's probably a topic you and him would enjoy discussing. He's just a hyperactive happy kid, I feel.

Cass - stealth

I feel like Cass would be surprised your good at stealth in its own aspect. No matter how she learns it, it'll probably lead to her staring at you and wondering "how the fuck did you do that" over and over.

[coupleoffanfics]

CW: Baby trapping and toxic behavior

I depict y/n as being someone who is relatively open-minded and open about what she wants. Having that said, there would probably be moments where y/n casually points towards what life she wants with Jeremiah. It would be more jokingly, but she "jokes" about having kids and living in a house with a white picket fence so much that it's like…

You aren't really joking, are you?

y/n: What's the point of having sex if you aren't trying to make a baby?

Barbara: *too stunned to say anything*

Jeremiah: *chokes on his drink*

y/n: …

y/n: Yes, do I have a list of baby names.

Now with in mind, I could see Post-Spray Jeremiah trying to baby trapping y/n. Doesn't care about the baby only about what it means for them. He'll take care of her and their baby. Then she can live out that little domestic life she always talked about just as long as she stays with him.

I only say Post-Spray Jeremiah because Per-Spray would never think of such a thing. It's immoral and they were both too young to be have a child.

I could see two different things happening

y/n could get an abortion because she doesn't want anything to do this him and does not want to the father of her child being an unstable monster.

If she does that, then Jeremiah would bring it up when least expected. y/n is pretty mentally fragile, so I could see her balling her eyes out when he starts saying the worst things imaginable. Everyone in the family is sportive of what ever her choice is.

If y/n keeps the baby, it would be more leverage for Jeremiah. If she gets out of line he'll threaten the baby before it's even born.

Even if she "behaves" he wouldn't really care. Doesn't care that he's brought a life into this horrible situation. He'll act like he does just so she have that image of a normal life. That way she can stay put.

He'd prefer if the baby looked like y/n rather him. Wouldn't even bond with the child until they're able to speak full sentences. That child it going to be a Mama's boy/girl without a doubt. Probably every sheltered too that is if the batfamily can’t save her.

Oh, my God. What if they had twins tho. If they're both boys y/n would jokingly say, "That one is Jeremiah and this one is Jerome." Jeremiah doesn't find it funny at all and if they have his natural features (ex:red hair) then he'd scowl.

One being all for Jeremiah and keeping y/n with him. While the other wants a new dad that doesn't neglect them. They'd take any one to be their new dad as long as Mom is treated nicely too. 😊

Hell, they'd might just call Jerome Dad because he'd probably be a slightly better parent and partner. Jerome is completely smug about the idea, but also feels for the kid. Having been neglected himself it just hits too close to home.

Could see that twin wanting to be a vigilante or just wanting to murder Jeremiah. Then the other twin following in Jeremiah's steps and looking up to him. y/n is trying her best to have some sort of normalcy in their lives, but Jeremiah makes that impossible.

They're both every different, but they both are Mama's boys. y/n would be so embarrassed, but flattered being called a milf.

I might write about it more if anyone wants me to. Just cutting it off here before I start my rambling and go over the character limit. I also don't think many would be interested in this idea and/or would be uncomfortable by it.

Stay safe, peace. ✌️

[taranida]

What's in the box?! Or contents of Samantha's shoebox and who wrote what

Many of my theories use evidence from This House of Dreams — how two sets of poems in the shoebox were written by two different authors. I never explained, why I use it as a fact, but I have an excuse! To this day I cannot with confidence say which font is used on the first set. Not like I didn’t try to find out, but I’m at a loss: everything authentic to the time has at least one thing that doesn’t fit. But at this point I also believe that it doesn’t really matter much. There is already enough to talk about as is, and, finally I can touch up on the topic of the Light Switch vs the Clicker.

So, let’s look at the contents of the shoebox and do some comparisons.

First time when Samantha finds it, she makes this photo:

This is where the first set of poems comes from, together with the photos of the Diver, who wrote those poems, and his girlfriend as confirmed by the Bright Presence in the dream:

“The diver from the photos appeared to me. He looked nothing like in the photos, but it was the same man. He was the poet who had written the poems as well. In the dream he floated in the air above me in the bedroom as if we were underwater. He was wearing a strange, heavy diving suit, almost like a spacesuit, and he was shining with a bright light.” “The diver told me that a dark presence had taken over his girlfriend (the woman in the photos).”

What poems he wrote from the two sets is not specified, but it’s not really needed. Let’s take a look at the photos:

Honestly, with such a blatant “the girlfriend — the woman in the photos”, I have questions. Barbara as the Dark Presence in-game is rocking black hair even at her respectable body-age of 65, the woman in the photos seems to be blond or at least light-haired.

Did the Dark Presence make some changes to Barbara’s body to match the gothic vibe more? Did the public perception of The Scratching Hag and Baba Yaga make her black-haired? Sadly, we have no other images of Barbara Jagger to confirm any of that (no, the photo from the second game with Tom the Filmmaker Seine and Baba Jakala is not a source I’m willing to accept), but the detail is quite curious. It is entirely possible that the Dark Presence having the body would be able to make some changes; after all the Bright Presence made Tom’s body so shiny, he’s a floating lamppost. The Poet and The Muse also point that some changes are possible:

In the dead of night she came to him With darkness in her eyes Wearing a mourning gown Sweet words as her disguise

I have doubts that Barbara went to swim in a mourning gown, and the Dark Presence throughout the game is still dressed for funerals, even if her body changed and aged — the clothes adapted to it, fitting perfectly.

Okay, let us move on to the poems. We have few things to establish the author of each set. Firstly, the font. From the first game we know that Alan’s typewriter accompanies him in the Dark Place:

This is the shot from the moment when Alan finds Alice’s “surprise”, that starts the argument.

This is from the very end of the game. We also can see that the font on the page is Courier; same font that is stressed in the guide:

“Wake was hard at work, adding the final edits to his manuscript. He loved the Courier font.”

Twice!

“But then other, less savory ideas began to formulate, encased in the disgusting, black Courier font.”

Second set of poems also has a page that’s pretty in-your-face:

The Courier font; the title page of the AWAN’s Return; revelation about Campbell’s Monomyth, that plays huge role in AWII (In the whole AW franchise to be fair). All of this points to Alan, of course.

Now the first set uses a different font for starters. I will put them side-by-side:

The first one is Tom’s and the second is Alan’s.

The differences do not end here. We also have handwriting on some pages. Since the title-page is the one surely marked by Alan’s hand, let’s take it as an example and put all other notes near:

I’m by all means nowhere near to be a handwriting expert, but those “T”, “N”, “K”, “U, “E” — they kinda look alike. Yes, the writing changes a bit from one page to another, giving a feeling that something was written passionately or even frantically, something — calmly, with care, something dismissively. But some letters just stay the same for the most part. I would bet it’s the same hand. And yes, I see the elephant of E. in the room, I will talk about it.

Now let’s take a look on the notes from the first set of poems:

I know it’s an abomination of a picture, but we can see, that the way of writing is different.

I’ll also put them side-by-side:

It is another abomination, but easier to compare.

Finally, we can talk about the contents.

The first set of poems has 12 of them. And since Tumblr doesn't allow more than 30 pictures per post, I will drop the images while I can and others I'll leave as text and a link. The most famous are, of course:

The “follow my light”.

From the memorial at the Cauldron Lake Lodge:

And:

Used in OGoA’s Balance Slays the Demon (along with the memorial’s lines and the part of “follow my light”).

And those two from the second game, that are recited by Tom the Filmmaker:

In this temple of shadow and mist There's a window In the floor and A door in the ceiling There is no knowing Am I standing still Or running or kneeling

I wish it would shatter Like glass under my heels Just like a sheet of ice When I close my eyes That’s how the mirror feels Oh mercy Thousands have gone missing Beyond the labyrinth of me When you’re lost You’re lost in your own company

I will also draw attention to a bit of unreliable information, since the site of OGoA was taken down, but I find it curious. So, their albums’ names go like that:

And four of them are lines from Tom’s poems:

Until that time comes around again The shadow falls on this town again It’s barely evening But the shadow falls on me again No one will miss us Our faces inked black They’ll sell our things at the flea market They’ll never call us back So she left with them They’ll wine her and dine her We huddle naked in this alley Nothing’s for sure Fir needles tickle We bathe in rain water All the way to the ocean The memory of the slaughter Until that time comes around again The shadow falls on this town again It’s barely evening But the shadow falls on me again When I’m awake I’m barely alive When I sleep I have two hearts Your heart and mine Your two hearts and mine

The memory of the Slaughter, 1971

I go underground Follow me underground Everyone else has gone there Down to the ground I’ll take you underground They chased a mystery They are a mystery to me And you’ll think that of me When I tell you my tale What we bring with us Sorry secrets and awkward lies Wet matches A yarning for overcast skies Everything else down here Has been stolen so many times Everyone who walks down these steps dies I go underground Follow me underground Everyone else has gone there Down to the ground I’ll take you underground

Follow Me Underground, 1972

Divorce me from all that’s sane Screaming, mute darkness Descend on this frail frame I drown in fathomless black space Light never scratched The depths of this domain I see not; yet nothing could be worse Than the shades My mind calls herein Alone at my own wake The unraveling of reason’s skein

Alone at My Own Wake, 1973; The Unraveling of Reason’s Skein, 1975

Now, for completion’s sake I would drop all the poems that are left, but because I managed to get an error every time I've tried to save draft, it will be a link: here's the post of the blog with all 12 poems of the first set.

Aside from the one that starts with "We pillage and whore" (although it can be connected to the Taken), many of those poems point to Barbara being taken by the Dark Presence already. It’s up to interpretation, of course, but I see it there. I, honestly think that those poems were among others that Alan found in the shoebox in the cabin in the first game:

“Anything outside of writing is a struggle. I feel ill. I managed to make my way downstairs. There’s a shoebox filled with books and papers by Thomas Zane. It’s very hard to focus but I managed to read some of it. He’s a poet and a good one. He writes of muses and creators, summoning fabulous things from a magic lake, using its power to shape the world, of a realm of gods and dreams, and demons, dark things that wait for a chance to slip through, wearing the flesh of men as disguise. Zane writes about himself, his girlfriend being taken over by a Dark Presence, about growing scared of the lake. Zane believes it’s a mirror to the gaping void of darkness above, where some Lovecraftian presence lurks. I crawled back upstairs. I’ll borrow these things for my story. They ring true. They fit.”

Also, can’t help but wonder, why would Barbara be so happy about this poem to even draw a heart?

I mean it reads as “love is no more”. But, again, what do I know about Tom’s unique way of expressing his thoughts through art? Or the Dark Presence’s kinks.

Moving to Alan’s poems. By the way, pay attention on the poor condition of the pages; the first set is not pristine, but at least not this horribly damaged.

This one heavily hints on Alan’s journey. Now I will drop all the other poems as well (and hope I won't hit a wall with the ammount of pictures):

I’ll just leave some of my thoughts about the poems and tie them to events of Alan’s journey a bit. You can treat it all as a wild speculation, really.

Spider time! Oh, sorry, I meant: wild speculations time!

The poem about the princess: Mr. Scratch and the Dark Presence? I’m of the opinion that Alan consumed the Dark Presence after “filling it’s heart with light” and I will eventually talk about it; but it fits. To both Mr. Scratch and Scratch in the second game. The rope-walking feels like Alan’s “I’m drowning”, his always-changing mind-state in the Dark Place and also sends back to the AW1 DLCs. Well, the king poem is obviously the desire to leave the Dark Place and the inability to do it. I have no clue what the dinning poem is about, to be honest, is it somehow connected to deer? Deer-fest? Or the Dark Place populace that might or might not feed on Alan himself? After all, in AWAN he claims he became highly knowledgeable of the inhabitants and the fauna of the Dark Place.

The end of wild speculations.

Now let’s talk about E. And I kept the last poem with no wild speculations just for that. So, we have E. and B. in the notes of the second set of poems as well; I would assume that this is the moment in Alan’s stay in the Dark Place when he goes mad enough to try to impersonate Tom or summon him this way, or even create yet another Barry from DLCs, but this time — Tom (might be with Alan’s face?). B., obviously is as dead as she can be for Alan, he probably has no idea about the private island (or forgot about it), so we have only one mention of her, one that is plausible in Alan’s opinion. E., on the other hand was in the Dark Place with Alan at the time or before.

Allow me to explain. Emil “That Arsehole” Hartman is reported missing in AWE-35 up to 2011:

The “notable individuals still missing after the Bright Falls event” here assumes that Hartman still wasn’t located by FBC after the events of AW1, but they already know about the book published in 2011. Sometime after he was arrested:

And released:

Only after that he makes his leap of faith into the Dark Place. By rough calculations year is 2011-2012, so before being spat out from the lake he might’ve been there with Alan and those notes about E. not understanding:

"E can't see it. He's view is too narrow, limited. It's not a lake, it's an ocean, darkness before the act of creation, before the Big Bang, darkness upon the face of the deep, upon the face of the waters, before light, before the primeval atom, before the word, before THE POEM. I can be a creator, the creator. It has happened before, and it will happen again, many times."

Might be genuine. Hartman jumped into the lake having no idea about its nature, tunnel-visioning only the opportunities, profits. His understanding in the recording before the plunge is narrow and limited, his overconfidence blinds him, he has no clue what he’s dealing with, he was shown glimpses of the power of the Dark Place, but was never able to comprehend it.

And it costed him greatly. Alan, assuming the role of Tom, even wrote him a warm farewell; far warmer than Alan without any splitting personalities or creating imaginary friends would have (the grin after closing the office door on Hartman in the Lodge during the attack of the Dark Presence is golden):

I would bet that E., indeed, didn’t find this funny.

And a bit more clues about the contents of the shoebox. Following the story of Samantha, we know that she found it the first time just to give it to FBC:

“In the dream, I heard the doorbell ring and went to open the door. There was a man there. He said he was a federal agent. He showed me his badge and all, just like the FBI agents do in the movies. Here comes the scary part: there was something wrong with his face; it was leaking inky smoke so that I couldn’t see what he looked like. When I woke up I realized that this image totally came from the ink-covered faces in the photos, of course (see the previous post). The man asked me about the shoebox. He said that it contains top-secret information and that I need to give it to him. I got scared that he’ll put me in jail and went to get the shoebox, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. I searched the whole house but it was nowhere. Then I went to the bathroom to look for it, and saw myself in the mirror: my face was covered with inky smoke as well! And that’s when I woke up. When I think back about the dream, it didn’t say “FBI” on his badge; it said “AWE”. This is the weirdest thing of all: Now I can’t find the shoebox anywhere. I have looked everywhere I can think of. I’m sure that it will turn up somewhere, there is so much junk lying around in the house at the moment, but kind of creepy in any case.”

She writes about it as a dream, but it did happen, here’s the whiteboard from Control:

Then there was yet another dream:

“In the dream I was visiting the previous owner of my house at the nursing home, only in the dream the owner wasn’t a sweet old lady, he was a man, and he wasn’t old, he was a young man with a dark hair – very good looking in fact. I remember that he was wearing a funny jacket with old-fashioned elbow patches. I was there to find out about the shoebox, but he was very agitated and didn’t listen to me. The place was brightly lit, it was sunny outside, but he was still very anxious and wanted me to turn all the lights on. He kept going on about the place being too dark. I remember being certain that all the lights were on already, but that didn’t calm him down. In the end he was screaming for me to turn the lights on. I was also starting to freak out, starting to think that something horrible was coming to take us away, and that’s when I woke up.”

Hard to miss those give-away elbow patches, so Samantha had a dream about Alan a week before she got the shoebox back. Here are the contents:

“When I found the shoebox again, there were more poems inside, and a battered, old device: a switch of some kind. I actually had to go and ask about it in the local hardware store to be sure what it was. It’s an old light switch. When you flick it, there’s a solid, satisfying click. When I flicked it the first time after finding it, all the lights in the house went out.”

What in the Dark Place is this Light Switch? I’m still trying to figure it out. We know that the Clicker washed ashore after 2013; if Alan wanted the Clicker in our world, he could arrange it: it was there, in his possession in 2012; why was this sent in the shoebox? It might be explained in the future or it might not. But I will still refer to it as Zane’s Light Switch and call the Clicker Alan’s. Because as much as Odin says that the Light Switch (meaning the Clicker) was cut of “Tom’s lamp”, he also calls Alan “Tom”, so which “Tom” are we talking about there?

The only theory about the Light Switch I have: it’s an OoP that’s bound by the real Thomas Zane and has no use for Alan or anyone else, since Thomas is partially alive and can maintain the connection with the item. Or the Bright Presence might be its new wielder. In any case, this at least somewhat explains why Samantha, of all the people, was shown the story about the Last Dive. I don’t think she bound the item, but she did use it, causing the power outage for the whole neighbourhood, might be enough to summon the Bright Presence. Otherwise I can’t stop wondering why Samantha, being so important as to learn the story of the Last Dive, never showed up again.

But, who knows, after all, her blogging time ends with:

“I know that something amazing is coming, that something wonderful is going to happen, and at the same time I know that when it does, it will be something totally different from what I’m expecting, something I could never have imagined. And I know it might take a long time before it does happen, but no matter how long it takes, I’ll be here, waiting.”

[isnt-it-pretty]

I found your Cyrus ask/post and really liked anon’s and your thoughts on it

Going onto my own projections lol, I always thought Cyno’s story parallels immigrants to an extent. He’s a desert dweller, but he’s basically been raised in the Akademiya. He’s Othered there because of the prejudices against the desert, but he’s Othered in the desert too due to being the General Mahamatra. He knows the desert, but from what I remember it’s implied (I think since the Sumeru archon quest?) he doesn’t quite know it as much those who actually live there, like Candace

One admirable trait of Cyrus at least is that he has a soft spot for children, and we see that when he’s willing to pretty much drop the case of the threat letter once he finds out it’s a 16-year-old responsible

So I think your take is very consistent of what we already know of Cyrus. Arguably, it’s still not the best outcome, because good intentions doesn’t mean it’s for the best. I honestly think he felt responsible for Cyno, as someone who was involved in implanting the fragment in him and seeing how it resulted in his sickliness. I also think seeing Cyno suffer was possibly half the reason why he ended the experiment and took him with him

But that’s me giving him the benefit of the doubt. Cyrus himself admits at the end of the SQ that he’s “not a good person” and that Cyno has reason to hate him. Like you said, he doesn’t give his reasons, so we’re left to basically guessing his thoughts that ultimately he’s a pretty enigmatic character. It doesn’t help that he’s not the most honest about them. He seems to be pretty emotionally-constipated and very avoidant in fact, and that bites him in the ass when he tells Cyno about Hermanubis but is not willing to get into any depth. Cyno even calls him out a little by the end of the SQ, when he clearly wants to talk to Cyno about something but ends up giving him “non-answers”, so he’s definitely not perfect

Either way, to that anon: you’re valid if u don’t like him. I was a little surprised at how much MHY went into Cyrus’ character, making him flawed enough to be justifiably disliked. It’s not something I expected from a NPC, but it’s a good direction from a story-telling standpoint (in that, I can see how this can be set up for conflict, but that’s my angst fanfic-loving heart lol cuz I doubt MHY will release a third SQ)

I'm glad you liked it! Here is the post referenced.

Cyno very much feels like somebody adopted outside of his culture (same with Kaeya), and he shares a lot with immigrants as well since the desert is basically treated as a seperate nation. He reminds me a lot of people who adopt children from Kenya or China (or other African & Asian countries), or indigenous children adopted outside of their communities, and then their roots are ignored and they're treated as the same as their family, even though they aren't.

I don't think there's any parents, adopted or otherwise, we know of in Genshin who are the idealisitic perfect parents. Kaeya's birth family is its own tangle, Crepus instilled a hero complex so strongly into Diluc that Diluc is now embittered and angry, Jean and Barbara's parents split up abd each took a kid (I mean seriously, what the fuck?), Kaveh's mother had severe depression and left him behind to build a life in Fontaine, Arlecchino is a mess for the Hearth children, Alice isn't the worst but she still left Klee for literally years, Dehya's father was a bandit, Diona's is an alcoholic, Kojou Sara's is a traitor, Wriothesley, Shenhe- you get the point. (Fischl, Bennet, and Yoimiya's parents are admittedly pretty good.)

Genshin has no problem giving us characters with complicated parental relationships. It's nice that we get to see Cyno still associating with Cyrus when so many other characters are estranged.

Cyno definitely deserves some straight answers though, and I think he'd get them eventually. Give it a few days to cool down and then go sit with Cyrus, listen to some tomato rants, and ask hos questions.

I'm too much of a baby to write or read arguments between Cyno and Cyrus 😭

[gamesception]

Sception Reads Cass Cain #37

Batgirl (2000) #17 - August 2001 Writer: Kelley Puckett Pencils: Damion Scott inks: Robert Campanella Colors: Jason Wright

Cass's book as been pretty downbeat for the last few issues. The tone of Cass's book overall is pretty sad and heavy, and normally I'm all about that angst, but the book can't live on angst alone, so have to have some brighter moments for contrast, you've gotta take the pressure off every once in a while if you want to keep building it or you just burn out the scale. So this issue brings us a refreshing change of pace, if only to give Cass and the reader a bit of a breather.

Sorry if this one goes up late. I'm running behind time wise, but I don't want to take a minimal approach to this issue, it's pretty important and has a lot of great moments. Do pease read it for yourself first, though.

The issue starts with this pretty cool sequence showing Cass's perspective as she gets distracted by the woman running away and lets this random goon land a punch on her. I like how the slideshow effect of the three repeated panels really emphasizes how much time Cass had to dodge this punch.

Followed by this great 'like father like daughter moment after she knocks the guy out where Cass and Bruce both have the same surprised and befuddled "Hmm" reaction to what just happened, with the same expression on their face and everything.

The perfectly synchronized training afterwords is also great, as is Bruce's worried expression. I can't keep copying every page over, we'll be here all day, but this issue really is great. One of my favorites. Again, go read it for yourself if you haven't.

Anyway, on the one hand this is such an indictment of Bruce. We the audience know that 'somethings been wrong' with Cass for a while, basically the entire time. She's consumed by guilt to a near suicidal degree and the loneliness and isolation of her lifestyle - even before she was forced out of Bab's clock tower but especially since - has left her without any companionship beyond her own self destructive thoughts, and the mission she's so dedicated to as her only hope of redemption continuously exposes her to the worst of humanity. So yeah, that Bruce didn't already know something was wrong, that he didn't anticipate how his decisions were making things worse, that he only notices that anything's off at all once Cass's mental state is bad enough that it's affecting her performance on the job? Yeah, that's pretty bad, if also so completely him.

On the other hand, you can see the concern all over his face. He should have seen this coming, he should have noticed it sooner, but now that he has he is very genuinely worried on her behalf, and that does count for something, even if he'll need help figuring out what's wrong or what to do about it.

And that help just so happens to call in the form of Barbara Gordon, who can hack in to delete the government's digital records on Cass's face, but needs her to sneak in and destroy the physical records.

At first Cass and Bruce don't feel like this is worth bothering with, as neither sees any value in her potential future civilian persona worth taking this risk to get it back, but Babs points out how they might yet connect the data they have to Batgirl and that convinces Bruce, which in turn convinces Cassandra because she absolutely does not think for herself these days.

I love this Jab Babs gets in at Bruce as Cass leaves, though I do wish it was made a bit more explicit that the *reason* Bruce has been keeping Cass on such a 'short leash' is that he doesn't fully trust her ever since David sent the video of her killing that man way back in issue number 4. On the surface Bruce is still deep in denial over it, but some part of it has to know, has to doubt at least. As is I'm pretty sure that's intentional subtext but because it's not explicit in the text I could just be reading in something that isn't really there.

In infiltration mission is pretty cool, starting with this sequence where Cass steals a key card off of a guard's bead chain, copies it, and puts it back without him noticing, which has Barbara admitting that the 'short leash' is starting to make sense. Just what exactly would Cass be capable of if she were allowed to run free?

....

The mission is successful, the files and physical evidence destroyed, and Cass's out-of-costume persona is free and clear. She can visit Barbara again, can see the sun again. Can. But will she?

Babs clearly doesn't think she will, at least not on her own, and so she goes to Bruce about it

It's a nice scene. I've missed Bab's presence in Cass's book the last few issues. This 'arguing over what's best for Cass' bit is fun, and also important characterization. I love how Bruce's expression as he says "Mole creature?" makes clear that he recognizes Bab's comment as a criticism of him and his lifestyle.

Of course, Bruce has a different idea of what's been bothering Cass. Not the isolation, not how /he's/ been treating her, but the mission. Everything's the mission for Bruce, and Cass is just like Bruce after all. The thing is, as right as Barbara clearly is here, Bruce probably isn't wrong either. Cass, like Bruce, dwells on her 'failures'. But taking down the villain responsible never actually makes Bruce feel any better.

Barbara still presses him to just order Cass to get some sun. The fact that she shouldn't need Bruce to tell her to do that, that this level of devotion and lack of independent motivation is a bad thing in and of it self, is too big of a problem to tackle today.

And to his credit Bruce relents!

I love these panels. You can feel how overwhelming the light is after so long in the darkness. Also good work from the colorist, showing this transition by going from all dark and cool colors that dominate her book to these warm (but washed out and too bright as her eyes struggle to adjust) colors. I mean, it's a fairly obvious trick, like being wowed when a musician changes chords, but it just works so well here.

And it's not just the sun, it's the people. Not just cass literally going from darkness to light but also going from being surrounded by victims and criminals, by the suffering and the cruel, and emerging into a wider world full of all the breadth and diversity of the human experience, loud happy annoyed worried people walking and running and shouting and living their lives that Scott does such a great job conveying with just a single page full of different and interesting faces.

And afterwards she's so happy, having picked up a rose from, somewhere, we don't see that bit. But of course Bruce needs to interrupt this moment of happiness.

So Cass does go to confront gov't man.

but clearly she doesn't actually feel better about what happened afterwords.

Her symbolism happiness rose, only so recently acquired, is already wilting. It's clearly not the sort of thing she can go to Bruce about. So, for once, now that she can, Cass actually reaches out to Barbara for help. About the rose. About what it means that getting justice for repentant sniper man's death didn't make her feel any better about it.

It's a great little scene to end out the comic. Symbolism's a bit on the nose, but it works. it's sincere.

The angst and darkness of the last few issues has been a lot, but it makes this bit of brightness feel all the more impactful. The underlying issues aren't resolved, it's still a problem that Cass has basically slotted Bruce into exactly the same unhealthy role that David used to occupy in her life. It's still a problem that Bruce let her do that. A real confrontation when Bruce can no longer deny the fact that she killed someone is still looming, as is her death match with Lady Shiva. But she's not quite so isolated now, and she's re-established a connection with someone who might actually be able to help her work through some of this stuff.

This might be the issue that best demonstrates the importance of Barbara Gordon in Cass's story, the key role she plays balancing out Bruce's influence. these interpersonal relationships and how they feed off each other - Cass/Bruce/David, Cass/Bruce/Barbara, they're the core of what makes Cass's book and Cass as a character so compelling.

......

Side note: I've waffled in the past over how much crediting to put at the start of each of these posts in terms whether to include inker and/or colorist even though I rarely comment on those issues. I'm wondering if I should also list the editor each time, as they also potentially have a pretty big say over what does or doesn't end up in the books, and keeping track of changing editors might be informative as to other changes in direction, or might show why some of Cass's side appearances work better than others?

For the Record, at least as far as her solo book goes, the editor as of issue 17 is Michael Wright, who took over from Dennis O'Neil starting in issue 14, the one where Bruce moved Cass out of Barbara's clock tower and into her own cave. Dennis O'Neil had been the editor of the book since issue 3 and co-edited issue 2 with Darren Vincenzo, who was the editor for issue 1. I think Michael Wright stays as editor for the rest of Cass's Batgirl run, save maybe for some one off exceptions here or there? So noting editors would be more for the sake of guest appearances.

There's also the issue of who's in charge at DC. As of issue 17 that's still Jenette Khan as President and Editor in Chief, but eventually Dan DiDio takes over, and it'll be worth noting when that happens. The fandom tends to assign him a lot of the blame for 'ruining' Cass's character, but as mentioned a few times already they also tend to date that downturn purely to the end of her ongoing title and heel turn in 'One Year Later.' I claim the decline started setting in much sooner then that, but I don't remember whether it started before or after DiDio's tenure as EIC began.

That's still a long way off from where this blog currently is, though.

Thankfully.

[cdyssey]

Heavenly Moments

Summary: Unable to sleep at the Franklin Institute, Barbara searches for Melissa. [2.22 Spoilers]

CW: Emotional Infidelity; Alcohol Mention

AO3 Link

—

Barbara startles awake around two that morning, having nightmared about candy colored galaxies and the aliens who populate them. Nasty, little green creatures chased her around the moon at some point, jabbering away in some unknown tongue.

Children were screaming.

Ava was trying to get phone reception in the vacuum of space, apparently hellbent on calling an Uber.

(“Nuh-uh, I ain’t gonna get Tusken Raided by those green dudes. Not today!”)

And Melissa was also there, as sturdy as ever, wielding her pink-tipped baseball bat like a pro, and reassuring her, in that warm, husky voice that Barbara knew and loved so well, “Don’t worry, hon. Me and Edith Houghton have got ya.”

And in the blurry edges of that dream, in the fantasy and the strangeness and the utter unreality of it all, her very best friend in the entire world grabbed her hand, their ten fingers interlinking, and it was somehow the scariest moment of them all.

It was the only one that felt plausible.

That touch.

Her hand.

Their mutual and perfect accord.

Barbara knobs her C-PAP machine off rather violently and just as forcefully hoists the restrictive mask over her head, breathing hard as she reorients herself.

In and out. 

She’s at the Franklin Institute for the overnight field trip.

It was just a bad dream—no doubt engendered and provoked by Ava’s crackpot conspiracies that she’s been forced to listen to all evening.

Inhale. 

Exhale. 

She is safe.

She is married.

(These variables have always been one and the same to her.)

In and out, inhale, exhale.

The air is mercifully cold—she’s right beneath a vent—and yet, her insides continue to seethe so hotly. Her stomach. Her cheeks. Her tightened chest. She unconsciously twists the elegant band on her fourth finger and decides that what she really needs to do is go splash her face with some cold water. 

That’ll make her feel better.

(She clenches and unclenches her hand once, a vain attempt at exorcising its unsummoned ghost.)

Quiet and careful, every movement nothing less than deliberate, the kindergarten teacher apprehends her phone from where it had been nestled beneath her pillow, slips from under her blankets, and straightens up into the coolly lit room, using the conveniently placed trunk next to her for support. Her bones ache. Sleeping on the floor is going to probably end up being murder on her back, but standing at least helps. Moving around is even better.

And so she tiptoes through the neon twilight—through the electric blues and the pulsing purples—and between the curled up forms of her precious children, glancing at their faces to ensure that they’re actually sleeping, sometimes bending down to adjust their blankets. When she’s satisfied that her students are alright—notifying a night security guard to keep an eye on them while she’s away—she finally passes into the big room where the other classes have bunkered down for the night. 

It’s darker in here and certainly much louder, humming with snores and heavy breathing, all of it a vibrating symphony that echoes off the tall ceiling. Barbara smiles fondly as she picks out familiar faces in the crowd, even as she’s eager to light upon just one in particular. But in the meantime, there’s Ava in a glittering sleep mask, her mouth wrenched open mid-snore; Jacob with one bony leg out of the covers; sweet Janine folded in on herself like a child; and Gregory with his hands beneath his head, long elbows extended.

But scan the place though she does, combing it over intently, there’s no telltale mass of auburn hair.

There is no Melissa Schemmenti.

In fact, there’s a gaping absence where she absolutely should be. 

Barbara stops short, her breath hitching.

Last she had seen, the second grade teacher had been in the middle of all her students, homely in an Eagles hoodie, striking even without her bold mascara, but her sleeping bag is empty now. And yet, Edith Houghton is still there, a watchful guard dog at the head of the younger woman's pillow. 

That fact alone vaguely alarms her. She knows just from years and years of having been Melissa’s stalwart companion that she doesn’t go anywhere without her baseball bat at night anymore—paranoid of possible intruders, hypervigilant even when it is more than permissible to be vulnerable.

She once admitted to Barbara at a PECSA conference—maybe four, nearly five years ago now—that it was a habit that had only started in earnest after Joseph had left. They were in their shared hotel room, winding down for the evening, tequila-tipsy and loose-lipped, exchanging secrets like they were pieces of candy.

Wonderful to chew upon.

“I guess I felt safe when he had his arms around me,” she had shrugged, not quite looking at Barbara as she squirmed a little beneath her sheets. Edith Houghton was the woman of a baseball bat who divided them, propped against the nightstand between their beds, and Barbara had felt her presence keenly. 

So she had asked about her—it—and the ensuing answer landed in her stomach like a blow.

It devastated her, simply ruined her, to know that her closest friend was so lonely and scared at night.

“Havin’ someone there… even if it was just that old bastard—that made a difference to me, y’know?”

“I know,” she croaked softly and suddenly yearned to not be where she was at—merely seven feet and some change away from Melissa Schemmenti, so alone in her own queen-sized bed. She wanted to wrap herself around her friend’s curving form. She wanted to provide that essential kindness for her, wanted to make her feel safe.

It was almost a maternal impulse, and yet, it really wasn’t.

(That was the lie she told to rationalize herself, to justify her keenest and innermost desires.)

“It’s dumb, isn’t it?” Melissa laughed hoarsely, the sound throttled.

So broken.

“Not at all,” Barbara had returned—perhaps a little more fiercely than the moment required. “You want to be protected, sweetheart. That’s only the most natural feeling in the world.”

And so, she stares at the abandoned baseball bat uncomfortably, knowing what it means, well-aware of the totemic abstraction it has become.

It’s insurance for a woman who doesn’t feel like she has any at all.

“Barbara.” 

She looks up hastily at the sound of her whispered name, proffered across the rustling dark. Gregory is sitting up in his sleeping bag, and there’s a tension in his wiry frame that lets her know that he hasn’t been asleep this entire time.

“She went that way,” he says, pointing in the direction of an archway that leads to the institute’s space exhibit. 

Barbara supposes she should be concerned that the young man immediately intuited what—or rather whom—she is after... in fact, she should probably be terrified that her dearest secret has possibly been sussed out—her irrational heart understood—but in the midst of such a long night, all of her bones so desperate and weary, she can only find it in herself to be grateful. 

Besides, if there's anyone at Abbott Elementary who gets wanting someone they probably shouldn't, it has to be Mr. Eddie.

She nods once and smiles at him sadly.

“Thank you,” she mouths silently, and he gives her a thumbs up before resuming his former position, statue still. 

As she heels across the room, skirting around the mass of sleeping bodies, she wonders if he has a lot on his mind too. Maybe she’ll ask him tomorrow. Meddle a little. Intervene. It’s how that she shows that she cares.

She proceeds through the arch and down a narrow corridor, only marginally aware that she shouldn’t be wandering through a museum at night, grown adult that she is, though frankly a little too absorbed by her mission to properly care. A younger, more sanctimonious version of her would have cared, of course—the her that she was before she had known Melissa to be exact.

She had been a more righteous woman then—absolutely, beyond a shadow of a reasonable doubt—but she had also been a profoundly sadder one too.

The hall eventually opens up into a stunning spectacle, one that Barbara had eagerly taken her children through just hours earlier. The space exhibit has well-earned its name, a cavernous room with hundred thousands of stars projected all over its concave walls. These artificial lights twinkle and slowly swan through a sea of black, cycling in an endless rotation. A spray of asteroids occasionally spirals in the digital aether. Neon lights suspended on iron rigs above bathe the entire chamber in alternating blues, purples, and magentas, everything lush with magical color.

Strewn throughout the room are nine gigantic models of the eight main planets in the solar system, as well as one of the sun, each encircled by steel railing, each carefully revolving on its mechanical axis. She hadn’t attempted to explain the effects of gravitational pull to her five-year olds, knowing it was far from the time; it was more than enough to watch their round faces light up as they grappled with the fact—possibly for the first time in their entire lives—that the universe is so much bigger than their home and school.

It is infinite.

And therefore extraordinary.

In the midst of all this beauty, this vast wonder and this precise, scientific joy, Barbara finally spots what she had been looking for—that telltale spray of red hair—in the very center of the room, illuminated, quite fittingly, by the sun. Melissa is leaning against the railing surrounding that colossal star, her ankles crossed, one hand rubbing the skin just above her right hip.

“Couldn’t sleep?” She rumbles somewhat loudly in a vain attempt to not startle her.

But Melissa still jumps anyway, swearing violently.

“Jesus, Barb,” she shakes her head as she turns around. “How d’you manage to always sneak up on me like that?”

“I’m just stealthy, I suppose,” she teases, closing the untenable gap between them, sidling up to the other teacher's side, where she should be, where she utterly belongs. “A veritable ninja as my children would claim.”

“Hardy har, asshole,” Melissa rolls her eyes, visibly fond. 

And they both laugh then like the little girls that they most certainly aren’t. It’s delicious and lovely and just a little bit illicit, as though time has opened up and made an impossible pocket of childlike tenderness for just the two of them.

Barbara revels in the moment. 

She dares to brush her shoulder against Melissa’s and imagine that it’s home.

“Nah,” her friend eventually circles back to answering her original question. She’s stopped laughing—they both have—but the crow’s feet edging Melissa’s eyes still pitter-patter in playful motion. “My hip couldn’t take much more of that floor, so I flirted with a security guard. Asked if she’d turn on this display for me for a little while.”

“Girlfriend!” Barbara lightly smacks Melissa’s arm in faux-offense. Or what she tells herself is just faux-offense anyway, firmly ignoring the fact that something in her sulks at the idea of Melissa ever flirting with a woman who isn’t herself. “Aren’t you still seeing Gary?”

This makes her frown too—this self-inflicted reminder of her friend’s total unavailability.

And besides, it’s Gary, and he’s nice enough, certainly, but in her humble and completely unbiased opinion, he doesn’t inspire much confidence as a potential life partner for Melissa.

Nice enough is fine for a little while, a good palate cleanser after a bad meal, but it’s not any foundation to build a stable future upon.

“What?” Melissa snorts, entirely unbothered, tossing a hand through her vivid hair. “No harm, no foul, as long as I’m not crossin’ any lines I can’t come back from, right? And besides, can you deny me this view?”

She gestures happily to the nearby model of sun, golden and spectacular, spinning so perfectly on its motorized stand, but Barbara never takes her eyes away from Melissa: her shimmering hair, her light-flecked eyes, the delicate shaping of all her curves.

A view indeed.

“No, I suppose I can’t,” she murmurs, and she can hear it in her own voice—how reverent that she sounds without ever meaning to. She coughs into her hand and briefly looks away, feeling the same heat in her gut that she did upon waking up and trying to untangle herself from the phantom of Melissa’s hand.

Of course that gesture had been plausible.

Somehow, in real life, they’re always maneuvering themselves into moments where they’re just mere inches and moral compromises away.

“You couldn’t sleep either, huh?” Melissa asks sympathetically, nudging her arm, bringing her back. She peers upwards at Barbara through long, dark lashes. “Back troubles?”

“That,” she acknowledges with a grim smile, “and nightmares about aliens pursuing me all about the moon—likely inspired by our principal’s cockamamie shenanigans, I'm sure."

They both chuckle at this, exasperated and simultaneously fond. Barbara’s beating heart violently surfaces to her throat when Melissa unexpectedly places a hand on her lower back and begins kneading slow circles into it.

She’s apparently an expert at this.

She dips her knuckles hard in to the sensitive tissue, and the ensuing ache is absolutely glorious. 

Oh, Almighty God in Heaven, it feels so good.

“You were there,” she chokes out in a constricted voice, biting her lower lip in a desperate attempt not to make some kind of noise that could be construed as inappropriate. “You had your baseball bat.”

“Was I goin’ all Rambo on those little suckers?” Comes a facetious reply that doesn’t exactly match the serious expression on the younger teacher's face, nor the way that her tongue gently flirts across the pink line of her closed lips.

Barbara swallows thickly.

“No, but you were absolutely, positively threatening to,” she responds before finally forcing herself to shrug Melissa’s intimate touch away, smiling painfully, ignoring the injury that briefly flashes in the other’s eyes.

“Sorry, sweetheart, that hurts a little too much.”

Yes, that has always been true between them.

And it's had nothing to do with a damn massage.

“No need to apologize,” Melissa returns, already recovered, or at the very least, doing a wonderful job of pretending to be so anyway, a grin languishing at the corner of her mouth. “I’m not in the business of giving you hell.”

And this has also been historically true.

Even in her dreams, Melissa has never sought to hurt her.

“Hey!” She interjects with sudden eagerness, and this is penitence, maybe. Atonement. It usually tends to be with her. “What do you say you and I go raid the vending machine in the atrium? I’ll split a Kit-Kat with you.”

“At”—Melissa squints at her Apple Watch rather skeptically—“2:30 in the morning?”

“Why not?” Barbara challenges, feeling a little reckless at the younger woman’s visible resistance. It’s a role reversal between them. Usually, it's Barbara pulling them away from hot pretzel stands and cinnamon roll displays. “It’s not like you and I will be sleeping much anyway.”

“Ha,” the second grade teacher snickers, scratching the skin below her ear. “I guess that’s true.”

“Come on then, silly,” Barbara cajoles, lightly bumping her hip against Melissa’s. “A little nighttime adventure for Mrs. Howard and Ms. Schemmenti. It’ll be fun.”

She smiles innocently, with childlike glee, and she somehow knows, from the momentous way that Melissa exhales, that she’s hooked, magnetized, caught, and completely undone. Fie the planets and all their collective moons. Whatever celestial pull exists between them is far more potent, all of their atoms longing for each other, impatient to so totally collide.

“Oh, what the hell?” She finally huffs, grinning, radiant in the starlight. “Let’s flippin’ go, Barb.”

And she fulfills the prophecy then.

That ridiculous nightmare.

Her most tantalizing dream.

Melissa grabs Barbara’s hand, their ten fingers interlinking, and drags her forward through the solar system, past Mercury and Venus, Earth and rusty Mars.

And Barbara, suspended in this heavenly moment as she is, laughing, floating above it all, frankly doesn’t remember it's her matrimonial duty to let this happiness go.

[zirawrites]

Y'know that one Ranbo scene where he *firmly grasps* this one dudes windpipe and rips it out? How would the Nuka-World faction heads react to Sole ripping the F*** out of Colter's throat in an incredibly brutal fashion?

I wrote this entire reaction not reading NUKA WOLRD FACTION HEADS. I’ve admittedly not played Nuka World since it came out, so I wouldn’t be able to write them anyways. So enjoy Sole’s companions reacting. Oopsy.

Cait: “Fuckn’ brutal, Sole!” Cait took a step backwards, forcing herself not to look away from Colter’s body. “I mean, it serves the raidin’ bastard right. But ya didn’t need to make a spectacle of yourself.”

Codsworth: Codsworth shivered, his mechanical body rattling against the screws that held him together. He had seen Sole fight ferals with their bare hands. Snack on human corpses. Threaten settlers into submission. But this was new. And oddly personal. “He won’t be spouting off any nonsense now,” Codsworth noted. “Shame. I quite liked his accent.”

Curie: Curie let out an uncharacteristically girly shriek. “Sole! Disgusting!” She shielded her eyes from the carnage. “That violence was completely unnecessary.”

Danse: Danse thought Colter was raider scum. He was a slaver and a bully and a menace to the Commonwealth. But did Sole have to act so savage? It would send a message to the factions, alright. Yet it wasn’t the one he wanted traced back to the Brotherhood. “I think we’ve done enough damage here, soldier.” Danse flinched before mustering the courage to place a hand on Sole’s shoulder. “Lets leave this godforsaken theme park before someone recognizes the Brotherhood symbols on our power armor.”

Deacon: Deacon couldn’t say he hadn’t been as merciless on raiders when his old gang killed Barbara. But this violence was unlike his partner. He worried something had snapped in Sole’s psyche, and the pieces might not fit together like they used to when he swept them up. “Well that’s one way to win a fight.” Deacon shoved his hands in his pockets. He didn’t even have a joke for this. “Remind me not to have a lover’s quarrel with you, boss.”

Hancock: The ghoul whistled lowly. First Sole shot Finn and now they ripped out Colter’s throat. He was impressed by their brutality. Finally, someone who got things done in the Commonwealth. “Can’t say I’d have done the same, but I like your style.” Then he handed them a can of jet. They desperately needed to learn how to relax.

MacCready: “Oh shit!” MacCready pawed desperately at his face. “I think some of it got in my eye!” He was one for long-ranged, clean kills. Sole completely freaked him out.

Preston: “What the hell was that?!” Preston’s neck and cheeks flushed red. “We want to clean up the Commonwealth, but we’re not savages.” He pointed to Colter’s mutilated body. “That isn’t the future, Sole. Or at least, it’s not one I want to be part of.”

Piper: Piper nearly jumped out of her coat. Sole’s hands were covered in Colter’s blood, and it took everything in her not to fall to her knees. “Did you just... grab his throat out?” She gagged. “Oh gosh, I think I’m gonna be sick.”

Nick: “Great. Just great.” Nick wiped at the wet blood on his coat. “Because the Commonwealth is full of dry-cleaners.” He was actually furious at Sole’s savagery, but he doubted even his harshest scolding could get through to them.

X6-88: “Fuck.” X6 took a respectful step backwards to avoid Colter’s blood from pooling at his feet. And there was a lot of blood. “I didn’t see that coming. I bet neither did he.”

[dearlybelovedemilyko]

The last chapter is very intriguing because until now, i thought anthony was trying to save the children -and put the adults in chaos- but then he killed a child. What is he TRYING to achieve?

(Also agreeing he was creepy and gross. I had my suspicions when he did this to barbara bc hes likely already an adult so...yikes)

*note i don't know japanese so i only saw the raw's images, i may be missing context

Before last chapter, I had three different Anthony theories on rotation, based on his canon behavior and what each of those scenarios would mean for the story thematically, though I personally never assumed he shared Kate's goal of saving all the children and defeating the adults. Luckily for me, one of them turned out to be true! I was actually quite fond of my "Anthony's evil in a similar way to the adult shadows" theory, and since I spent way more time than I probably should have thinking about it, I think I have an idea of what he's trying to achieve.

My points being:

I posted about this before with examples, but Anthony's behavior is oddly similar to that of adult shadows. This indicates that despite their vastly different places in the hierarchy of the manor, they have similar moral values, or lack of them

As you said yourself, he just killed a child. Even if his plan somehow includes freeing the human children, it's clearly far from Kate's goal of saving everyone. He was quick to kill off Maggie as soon as she outlived her usefulness to him

Anthony has the habit of putting himself in a position superior to other people. Kate has allies and friends, Anthony has pupils. Even Anthony's initial behavior of telling Maryrose not to undo anyone else's brainwashing is telling: as one of the only unbrainwashed living dolls, he had a clear advantage over every human in the manor except Rosemary. He could easily undo somebody's brainwashing in secret and manipulate them like he did to Maggie, something that would be much harder to do if everyone regained their senses. Maggie clearly saw Anthony as the perfect savior, and even stated that he could be the manor's master in the future. Lewis goes as far as refer to "Christopher" the same way shadows are thaught to refer to the Lord Grandfather

Based on this, my bet is that even if part of Anthony's plan involves saving some of the children, that's far from his main goal. His main goal in my opinion seems to be gaining power, just like every adult character we've met so far, the difference being that as a human, he can't simply climb up the social ladder the conventional way and needs to hide in the walls (or the sewers, idk for sure where he lives. At this point i want it to be the sewers).

That makes for an interesting villain, doesn't it? As an unbrainwashed human in a system that treats humans like objects, you'd assume he'd be all for destroying the oppressive system, you'd assume he'd be an ally, you'd assume he'd want to save everyone. If it turns out he's completely okay with what the manor stands for as long as he personally raises to power, throwing all or most of the human kids under the bus, now that's scary and honestly quite realistic.

About the creep factor... yeah. After reading the scene with Barbara, I got a weird vibe too but I still gave him the benefit of the doubt. I thought sure, he's doing that to get Kate to trust him, but who's to say he also didn't think that was the only way to save Barbara's life? Surely those aren't mutually exclusive, right? Maybe he cares about her since she was Christopher's friend. Also from the flashbacks we get that they can't be that far apart in age, Barbara's just short and stuck in the children's building, so most of the creepy vibe I got was from the fact that he was impersonating a dead person, which again I was giving him the benefit of the doubt for... only for Maggie to go as far as to call Anthony her prince out loud before he leaned down and caressed her face looking like a sicko in chapter 164. The more i think about it the worse it gets to be honest. Gross.

[delucadarlingwriting]

I'm really struggling to write the last few weeks, so I've instead been going through some old wips and such. I found the first fic I wrote with Kira and Barbie together in it, but the thing that really interested me was this Lucas/Adam scene I forgot I'd slipped in toward the end.

In this AU, Barbie and Lucas both work for the Agency (Lucas as Unit Alpha's handler, Barbie as a researcher) while Kira is Wayhaven's detective. Adam and Lucas have a past, and they haven't quite gotten through it all.

(I really hope I haven't posted this before)

***

“She’s okay,” Lucas says, his smile bright despite the bags under his eyes and the way he hunches over. The chair he’s sitting in is clearly one of the ones kept in meeting rooms around the facility. Adam wonders if he dragged it over himself, or if someone brought it to him. 

“That’s good to hear,” Adam says. It doesn’t remove the guilt weighing on him, but it does lessen it somewhat. 

Lucas bobs his head. “They say she’ll wake up soon. It’ll be a long recovery. Well…” Lucas gestures vaguely to his leg. “Not that long. A few weeks at most and then she should be up and at ‘em.”

“How is your leg?” Adam asks without really meaning to. Lucas chuckles.

“It’s far from my biggest concern right now,” he says. He straightens up, then leans back against the seat back, folding his hands behind his head. His heartbeat is a steady drum, not the frantic thrashing it had been earlier. “But mostly it’s fine. PT did wonders. I don’t have to use the cane anymore, but I can certainly walk a lot longer with it than without.”

There had been a moment where it was uncertain if Lucas would be able to walk. Amputation had been on the table, but the medics had managed to save the leg through some sort of minor miracle.

Lucas peers at him, a smile tugging at his lips. To Adam it seems exhausting to always be smiling, grinning, laughing, but Lucas does it all like he can’t help himself.

“I’ve missed you, bud,” Lucas says. Adam shakes his head.

“We’ve seen each other recently,” he replies. Lucas snorts.

“Literally in passing while you were getting into a car and I was getting out does not count,” Lucas says. Adam remembers that moment well, and how hard it had been to make himself turn the key in the ignition when his eyes had been stuck on Lucas in the rear view mirror. Shifting, Lucas lifts an eyebrow. “You could also text me back here and there.”

“What am I supposed to say?” Adam asks in a huff. “You send pictures of inane things with no commentary.”

“Hey, that box turtle was neat as fuck,” Lucas argues, but he lets out a laugh. “But I guess you have a point.”

“So you’ll stop?” Adam asks, unsure what answer he’s hoping for. Eyes sparkling, Lucas grins.

“Not a chance, big guy. You’ll just have to suffer gracefully about it.”

Rolling his eyes, Adam puts his hands on his hips and starts to say something, when the door to Barbara’s hospital room slams opens, revealing Mason. He looks at them blankly, while Adam and Lucas stare back in shock.

“You two are loud as fuck,” Mason says. Lucas sputters.

“When did you get in there?” he demands, then more loudly, “Why are you in there?”

Mason smirks. “You don’t wanna know.”

Adam glares at him. “Leave.”

“Sure. She’s passed out anyway,” Mason says with a shrug. He spares a glance back at Barbara, hospital blanket tucked around her sleeping form, then closes the door and strolls away. Lucas manages to pull himself together by then and starts struggling to his feet.

“I’m gonna beat his—” Lucas grits his teeth, snatching his cane up from where he leaned it against the wall. Adam steps closer, hands out to placate him.

“I doubt he did anything to her,” Adam says, no small amount of annoyance in his tone. “He wants to get a rise out of you.”

“He managed it!” Lucas replies brightly. He’s holding his cane more like one would hold a war club than a mobility device. “She’s hurt, in what world does he think any of what he’s implying is appropriate.”

Adam can’t help the laugh that escapes his lips. Lucas whips his head toward him with a scowl.

“I’m sorry,” Adam says. “Do you hear yourself?”

Lucas blinks, and his hackles go down. A small smile tugs at his lips. “Alright, yeah. But it’s different when it’s your baby sister.”

Adam nods. “Then trust that I believe Mason wouldn’t let any harm come to her.”

That seems to shock Lucas enough that he has to sit back down. “You think he gives enough of a shit?”

“I do.” Adam rubs at his chin. Mason’s fixation on Barbara has been long lasting, but it’s clearly more than his usual ‘flings’. The way he’d reacted to Murphy abducting her had been…very different. It’s a side of Mason Adam has not yet seen. Of course, Nat has rose colored glasses on regarding the whole affair, which doesn't surprise Adam a bit, but it also sets him on edge, almost as much as Nat’s own fixation on Kira. 

They’re vampires. Kira and Barbara are human. It’s too risky to involve themselves too deeply, and the last thing he wants is anyone getting hurt over it. 

“Well,” Lucas says, relaxing fully now. “Alright.”

The quiet lingers for a long moment before Adam can muster the strength to say, “I should go.”

“Why, am I not riveting enough company for you?” Lucas asks, humor dancing in his warm brown eyes. Adam takes breath to steady himself, but all it does it bring Lucas’ scent further in, distracting him all the more. 

“You should go as well,” Adam replies, dizzy. “Maybe find a shower.”

“Rude!” Lucas exclaims, then cartoonishly lifts his arm to sniff himself. He puts on an exaggerated expression of disgust. Adam rolls his eyes. “Though you might be right. I’ve been traveling since yesterday, and the employees at the airport tend to look down on sink showers.”

“I can imagine,” Adam says dryly. He sighs, unable to shake the worry that lingers over him. “Barbara will be fine. You should look after yourself better.”

“I look after myself just fine,” Lucas says, waving him off. Considering the number of times Adam has heard through the Agency grapevine that Unit Alpha’s handler has landed himself in the infirmary yet again, somehow, Lucas’ words do nothing to convince Adam. He has the alarming urge to grab Lucas and drag him somewhere else, to take care of Lucas himself so he can be certain of Lucas’ health and comfort. 

Heat rushes to his face, something he’s aware shows far too easily on his pale skin, so he turns on his heel and marches away. 

“Try deodorant,” Adam calls.

“Go fuck yourself!” Lucas calls out with a cheerful laugh.