#Or some faff like that

[lady-astras]

Healed Promises - Pt 1

! By Xizara i mean Evil Xisuma, that’s the name I have him !

! These phone numbers are purely randomly typed into the keyboard, please do not try calling them !

Xisuma prided himself on the fact that he kept his promises. He was a man of honor - whatever he told someone he’d do (or implied that he’d do it), he would do it. No one would be let down under his watch, least of all his hermits. 

He didn’t see Wels all that often, but he liked to think of their pride as a bonding connection.

Maybe there was a reason for that. Maybe it was the guilt that consumed his soul every single day since he was eighteen. The guilt that ate away at him, constantly reminding him of a fateful portal he’d opened.

He’d let them down by leaving.

He always kept promises after that though. Ones he could keep, ones that were iffy. He always kept them. A promise was like a little trinket, something small that meant something big to someone else. They’d entrusted him to keep it and so he honored that wish.

Which was why he was initially so hesitant to send a reply letter back. By no means was it a huge commitment. But… did he really want to see him again?

Xizara had never, ever done anything wrong. He had always been the one to wrap Xia in blankets and whisper soothing words to her, all while he himself was the one who invoked arguments with his parents as a last-ditch effort to try to help. Maybe if he’d been more emotionally available for his siblings they wouldn’t resent him so much. Xizara had probably asked to meet him just to tell him off after gathering the courage to see him after fifteen years.

He picked up the letter to read it again, parchment clearly ripped out of an empty notebook, the paper softened from the times he’d crumpled it up and instantly regretted it.

Xisuma -

I write to you after a while to tentatively ask to meet. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, and as everyone knows, twins always stick together.

Void if only they could have stuck together, like False and her twin did. 

I know you’re busy - you always are, precious Admin child.

Was he being made fun of? Was that some form of anger being expressed in the note of always being overlooked?

So if you could please write back that would be great. We can arrange a time or something?

My new comm number is 682-720-8165 if you want to save it. If you’re mad at me just say that.

Inanis’ blessings,

Xizara Void

Dammit this was difficult. Was he annoyed or not? Surely if he was annoyed the letter would be worded differently? But he could be trying to hide it.

He pulled out a piece of paper and a fancy pen from his stationery drawer.

Hey Xizara,

Yeah I’d be down to meet! I’m pretty busy lately but as the admin of the server I’m sure I can delegate or something, haha.

Do you want me to come back home or do you want to visit me here? I can make accommodations for the air and stuff, but it’d be helpful if you still have the helmet or mask I gave you.

I don’t have much of a preference but I get the feeling I’m not really welcomed at home anymore…

You can contact me as well if you like by personal comm at 451-269-0157. If that’s the wrong number just let me know, I get my work and personal numbers mixed up sometimes.

Regards,

Xisuma Void, Ad.M

He sighed, setting down the pen. The promise was inked and he was now obligated to send it.

If this was a trap waiting for him he’d rather be prepared, but if it wasn’t he didn’t want to estrange his siblings even more.

To the interdimensional post office.

[tsams-and-co-memes]

Introducing….

….TSBS Ladies Appreciation Month!

This is an event meant to show appreciation and love to the ladies of TSBS, both to the characters and their respective VAs! Female characters often get more hate and criticism than male characters, which isn’t cool, and I felt that the VAs deserve to know how much we value their work, and that a large majority of the fandom doesn’t take them for granted

The rules for this event are in the picture, but just in case it’s hard for anyone to read, the text says:

All ladies are fair game! This includes trans and gender-fluid characters, as well as lady characters who have male VAs (ex: Puppet and Monty, when they’re in their female forms) and the female VAs themselves

Keep it PG, or PG13 at most! This month is about appreciating these girls, not making spice of them

Pieces can have characters that identify as anything other than female or gender-fluid in them, but the pieces themselves should be focused on the ladies

Mix and match these to your hearts content! There’s no need to do everything in this exact order

Have fun! :)

(Not included in the image) If one of the female VAs has a personal Minecraft series on their own channel, if they have OCs or a sona you know of, or if they stream, you can incorporate things from there as well. If you do this though, just make sure the piece stays mostly focused on TSBS

(Also not included in the image) If you do anything for any of these prompts, use the tag “TSBS ladies appreciation month 2025”, that way we can find everyone’s work :)

I’ll post the prompts under a cut as well, for anyone who needs that!

Favorite episode/video they’re in

Favorite moment of theirs

Favorite arc of theirs

Favorite quote/line of theirs

Favorite friendship they have with another lady

If you could give them a gift, what would it be?

Upgraded body

Upgraded or new outfit

Them with a different color scheme

Based on song lyrics

The VA meets a character they voice

Their favorite food

New job

They meet your self insert/OC

Create a candy/food themed off of them

Body swap w/ another lady

Outfit swap w/ another lady

Them as a fantasy/mythological creature

Vacation

Mall trip

Them as royalty

Costume party

If they were a different model (ex: Earth as a Ballora model, Roxy as a Puppet model, etc)

Spa day

Put them into a meme

Baking day

Girls night out

If they were evil

Comfort item

Family

Freebie

If you have questions regarding any of the prompts or rules, feel free to ask :)

[umbracirrus]

Another drawing of my idiots Elyse and Balgruuf posing in the same way as a statue :3

Reference pic of the statue under the read more-!!

[itshomobirb]

internet gods why do you scorn me so

[dragmirc]

Gan has yet to be possessed/poisoned by the Triforce of Power. As a result, his expression of magic is a lot more subdued. Usually, when he decides to use it or has reason to, vivid magenta rings his irises and the air immediately around him gets heavier with energy. If he's really feeling wrathful, it expresses further with crackling, like static electricity.

He doesn't actually use magic much, much to the witches' chagrin, since he's more about the subterfuge aspect. So using it is even more noticeable to those who know him well enough. Which frankly isn't a lot.

[leviiackrman]

I’ve updated my individual oc pages and I’m SO PROUD OF THE CODING so check it out!

Pros: the end result is awesome and I’m v happy

Cons: there’s. SO. MANY. PAGES. It took so long😭

[djedsspence]

me when i’m enjoying a lovely song on taylor swift’s the tortured poets department (2024) and suddenly i hear one single out of place awkward line and then it goes back to being nice: 🥰🤨

[the-casbah-way]

Hey. So I saw you mention a while back that you were a harpist at one point. How did you get into that? And, was it hard? Asking because I’ve seriously always wanted to learn the harp

i was just lucky enough that my school had a clarsach teacher basically. it's a much more popular instrument in my country than others so there are a lot of harp teachers over here. i took lessons for around six years and then just continued to teach myself after that. once i got my grade eight in clarsach / pedal i started learning lever / orchestral and the lyre

if you want to get into playing yourself, i'd start by saying that harps are expensive. both to purchase and to maintain. they're extremely fragile and very susceptible to tiny changes in temperature and environment and changing broken strings constantly gets pretty expensive, especially if you use gut strings. that's why i recommend trying to find a teacher who will let you use their harp during lessons, and/or renting out a harp when you're still a beginner. this way you don't waste a significant amount of money on a new hobby that you might not stick with in the long run

if you can't do that and you have to actually buy your own harp, then bear in mind that prices vary a lot depending on the type, brand and model. either way, though, i reiterate: harps are very expensive. you don't need one of those huge golden classical ones to become a decent harpist but even the cheapest ones will set you back a fair bit. the one i own now was the cheapest model my favourite brand sold at the time and it cost nearly three thousand pounds. what i'd recommend doing is first deciding if you'd like to start by learning lever harp or pedal harp, and then finding the cheapest model of your preferred type first. clarsachs for example tend to be a lot less expensive than full sized orchestral harps. they're also just way easier to transport and shit like that

in terms of how hard it is to learn the harp, i wouldn't say it's hard at all. there's nothing about the harp that makes it inherently any more difficult than learning other instruments. personally i actually found it far easier than learning piano but maybe that's just me. as long as you can read both treble and bass clef (if you plan on learning from sheet music) and you take the time to develop and maintain a good technique in terms of hand placement etc. then you should be all good

i'm sorry that was wordy but i wanted to be thorough. i hope it helped and just tell me if you want to know anything else :3 i do know like. a Lot about harps

[phagodyke]

its actually nuts how missing a single vaccination has shaped my entire fucking life. like not only would I not be deaf if I had gotten it on time but I probs wouldn't have adhd either 🫣

[alteredphoenix]

So what I’m understanding is: there really is no point in watching G-Witch now because somehow somebody at BamCo had the bright idea to go on social media and say “Yeah you know what let’s leave it up to interpretation despite the fact the show fucking spells it out clear as day to everybody that these girls are gay and married by proxy of wedding rings and it was intended to have way more interactions to show the Main Pair was actually, romantically getting close to one another, we’re just going to ignore all that and not confirm shit because Why The Fuck Not Let’s Do Some More Executive Meddling While We’re At It”.

Like I don’t even go here but when I saw that pop up on my TL just now I was like??? Excuse me??? Hello???

[aka-tua-braindump]

Klaus is me when I play D&D and now no one invites me to play anymore.

This was my character in my long campaign that's literally klaus+five

Their character development song list was:

1. Right now by one direction

2. Girl on fire by Alicia keys

3. Centuries by fall out boy

everything klaus does is so intricately and vitally intertwined with every single major plot point in the show and yet he is always on some bizarre side quest. simultaneously the most and least plot involved character.

[alienducky]

He looks kinda comfy there

[proxycrit]

Decided to write some oneshots! Less focus on Zelda and Link, and more on FAMILIAR FAMILIAR’s building blocks.

(Mineru and Naborus’s slow dance are interrupted by the horrors of war.)

(Fic under cut)

——— The First Act (Naborus)

Mineru seems to be actively trying to woo Naborus, and to her disgust, it works.

The zonai woman seems to haunt her steps, with a sly smile and cheeky wink. She slips next to Naborus during morning drills with foods meant to entice, and into evening bouts of paperwork with her little machines, fiddling and tinkering and always ready to help. Even her haughty hat she faffs around with is all but seared into the back of Naborus’s eyelids every time she closes them.

“You do understand,” she tried once, and only once, “that I am a gerudo chief and you are the last of the zonai, serving under the hylian empire.” She enunciates these hylian words as clear as she can, careful with this new language she forced herself to learn within four grueling months.

“Of course,” Mineru responded back in a heavily accented Gerudo. “But I still want to try.”

Naborus has always had a soft spot for fools. She doesn’t bring up their allegiances again, but Mineru redoubles her efforts. Naborus doesn’t explicitly accept them, but she doesn’t refute them either. She even finds herself automatically bringing two mugs of heavily steeped tea to her study one night. Mineru was waiting for her, eyes bright and ears perked.

It’s Ganondorf that ultimately cuts through the stalemate.

“You like her,” he accuses.

“I tolerate her,” Naborus grumbles. “She’s at most a desert lizard I water from time to time, so she doesn’t die.”

Ganondorf gives her a truly bombastic side eye. Naborus doesn’t mention his strange dance around Rauru, even though she’s tempted to point out his hypocrisy. Her soft spot for fools is a weakness.

“She’s working for the princess,” he warns. “We need time to ratify the treaty, and she’s a distraction.”

“She’s a guest,” Naborus responds, temper flaring. “And I don’t see you crunching the paper recently, little brother.”

They glare at each other, bristling like desert cats, before ganondorf’s shoulders slump. He’s been sleeping less and less lately. The dark circles under his eyes have been becoming more and more difficult to hide.

“It’s not safe,” he repeats helplessly. “There’s always a cost, with the hylians. You know this.”

“I know this,” Naborus responds wearily. “But Princess Sonia is different from her mother. Not because of any legends,” she adds, before her brother can protest, “but because she’s reaching out first. The zora and rito are perfectly happy. We have to trust the same amnesty will be given to us.”

“It’s different,” Ganondorf spits, “when their legends don’t constantly paint us as thieves and war mongers.” And Sonia, despite her stature, is part of that legend. That damned sword speaks to it.

The hylians want the great gerudo burial site. They want it for the precious minerals crystallizing deep under the sands, that glow green from the dead. They need it, for the war against the rising tide of undead monsters that threaten them all— gerudo, hylian, all the races of hyrule really. It already took most the zonai.

Naborus knows, deep down, she can not let the gerudo be the next.

But it hurts, to see their culture be trodden underfoot for this. And it hurts more, to hear Ganondorf’s urgent whispers that the Hylians will not stop.

Mineru and Rauru are the last of their kind. Surely there must be other zonai, hidden in pockets deep below or up in the sky, but the zonai (the only zonai) Naborus knows are her two guests. They don’t remember their mother tongue. They were raised by the Goron and Zora and eat hylian food and wear hylian clothes and practice hylian alchemy.

For all intents and purposes, they are hylian. They are what will lay in store for the gerudo, either it be through ganondorf’s terror of a slow cultural death, or naborus’s terror of a steady massacre.

And then Ganondorf finds those ruins, and it all goes to shit.

And then he tries to kill Sonia. Tries to infect Rauru with that malice. Becomes unknowable to her, and calls her traitor, as if he didn’t throw everything away for their shared dream.

Five days later, she arranges for a meeting.

Six days later, Sonia and Rauru show up at her doorstep.

“You can have the burial grounds,” Naborus says, and finds the dull ember of delight in Rauru’s flinch. Good. See him remember his own damned past, and let him know of his crime. Mockingly, she inclines her head to Princess Sonia. “At your behest, your highness.”

Sonia looks back. Implacable. Stone. She’s four heads shorter than Naborus, and yet her presence is crushing. Is this who you love, Naborus wanted to ask Mineru. Is this who you serve?

The rest of the negotiations is a blur. Rito will come help gerudo civilians escape the bombed remains of her city. Her people will find shelter along the coast, if they so wish. All Sonia needs is the Zonaite, and willing hands to take up arms and fight.

Fight who, she does not specify. But judging from her gaze flickering to the empty spot next to Naborus, it’s not difficult to infer.

When Mineru hesitates in front of Naborus’s door later that night, Naborus finally snaps. That dull apathy and shock suddenly becomes a monsoon of rage and betrayal, and she grabs the mug and throws it as hard as she can at the wall, an animal scream rising in her chest.

Mineru flinches back, ears pressed against her head. Naborus sinks, gasping for air, and curls into a wretched ball on the floor. Thin hands carefully encircle against her, and she leans into mineru’s chest, and weeps for her stupid baby brother, for her foolish naive self, for hoping for a beautiful future.

Tomorrow, the gerudo will have the war Ganondorf predicted. Tomorrow, Naborus will bow in front of the Hylian regency.

Mineru mumbles something into her hair, that she is unable to catch. But the zonai’s grip is tight, and she hums a song slow and low.

“What is that?” Naborus croaks, head still pillowed in Mineru’s arms.

There’s a shift of muscle under Naborus as Mineru readjusts herself into a more comfortable position, and then— “my mother taught me this.”

“Ah? I thought gorons are all men?”

Mineru laughs. “In hylian, yes they are called men. But no, I’m talking about my birth mother.”

“Oh,” and because Naborus has little filter, “what’s her name?”

Mineru went silent at that. Naborus feels a rush of self hatred. She shouldn’t have asked. She presumes much from somebody who isn’t even her citizen.

“I don’t remember,” Mineru says. She smiles at Naborus, eyes half squinted. “I just called her Mah. Zonai baby teeth give us terrible lisps, and young children don’t really know their parents as people, per say. Just protectors.”

“I’m sorry,” Naborus says. She wants Mineru to hum that song again, but doesn’t know how to ask.

“It’s okay,” Mineru says. “I don’t remember her. Its hard to miss what you don’t really know.”

“No,” Naborus protests. “It’s not okay at all. You shouldn’t have to-“ she back pedals, looks for anything to say at all, and settles on squeezing Mineru’s waist. “You deserve more than just a song.”

Mineru starts to hum again. Seeing Naborus unwilling to continue, the zonai sighs, cutting into the wound if the situation.

“You did the right thing.”

“Did I?”

“You want to save lives. There is no shame in that.”

“And what of the children who won’t remember their mother’s names?” Naborus asks, hurting. What of her people’s history?

“They’ll be alive to wonder, won’t they?”

Mineru’s voice sounded flat and far away.

And Naborus has nothing to say to that.

(Mineru tells herself this is for the best, and that she and Rauru turned out perfectly fine.

It’s a lie she’s grown comfortable with.)

———— The Second Act (Mineru)

When Ganondorf cuts her throat, she can’t bring herself to be surprised.

Scared? Yeah. But surprised? Not really.

She took his sister from him. She represents hylian royalty. She’s collateral to Rauru. A sort of message, if you will.

You took my sister. I will take yours.

Fucking idiot. Naborus will never forgive him now, and neither would Rauru. He has single handedly severed any remaining goodwill, any chance of recollection, with this stunt, and the worst part is he probably did it on purpose.

Ganondorf looks different. His eyes are tired. The infection from his arm has spread to under his jaw. Baby Dragneel’s been practicing magic, she sees. He reaches down and gently plucks the secret stone from Mineru’s neck, and suddenly it’s worse.

She’s never going to be able to tell Naborus her secret. She’s never going to be able to give that stone to her beloved. She-

A scream splits the night air. It can’t be from her, because all her air is being stolen from her throat before it can reach her tongue, which tastes like iron. It can’t be from Ganondorf, who’s mouth is clenched shut, secret stone (alchemist’s stone) shining in his hand.

Ganondorf is blasted back by a wave of light.

The world is greying. Mineru feels the burn of Sonia’s time magic entrap her, freeze her. It hurts. It hurts more then her throat. Everything is tinged yellow and Mineru can’t move, and this must be what death is— caught between a peaceful slumber and agonizing living. She’s suffocating slowly. She’s scared.

Rauru’s face comes in focus. His hands are shaking. She can feel him pressing desperately against her as in the distance, Sonia, still clad in her white dress, chases the shadows away.

Mineru’s eyes slip close.

When she wakes up, she is surprised she’s not dead. She tries to say something, but the searing pain stops her, and her muffled jerk causes the lump at her feet to quiver. Rauru looks up, eyes bloodshot.

“Mimi?” He asks, voice hoarse. Mineru tries to say something, but the pain flares and she settles for a thumbs up. Rauru’s eyes start watering, and he presses his face into her hands.

“Mimi,” he whispers, and mineru pets his ears, like they were children again. She didn’t mean to scare him. She waits for him to collect himself, and takes the chance to look around the room.

It’s a nice room. The architecture is distinctly zoran, with luminous stones embedded into the walls for light and kelp thread curtains for privacy. It smells like fragrant lotus root and medicinal herbs. There’s a small study in the corner, filled with papers and a single potted specimen of a sundelion.

Rauru’s study, she realizes with a rush of fondness. This must be his room, when he was apprenticing under that Zoran healer.

“I…”

Her attention snaps back to her brother. At her attentive look, he quails. It’s not right. Rauru rarely quails, and mostly preens, like a peacock. At her impatient look, he closes his eyes, and Mineru’s stomach sinks.

“Ruta’s afraid there might be complications,” Rauru continues in a rush. “You’ll be on observation for possible lung clots and brain damage and infection.”

Mineru breathes.

“We couldn’t save your throat,” Rauru confesses, looking small. “Ruta cleared up your lungs and I managed to stabilize you, but. We couldn’t, your.”

That’s okay, she wants to say. I’m alive. That’s more than I expected.

But she can’t say that.

With her nonanswer, Rauru bows his head. Mineru grabs on to his hand before he can flee, and squeezes.

After a moment’s hesitation, he squeezes back.

Mineru doesn’t take her new found muteness well. She struggles with hylian sign, and finds a near apoplectic rage in being unable to quickly explain her thoughts.

Writing isn’t the same, she wrote in harsh angry scratches with her chalkboard she’s taken to carrying around.

Naborus, bless her, has fashioned a straw for her with glass when they meet up for tea. Mineru used to haunt Naborus, enraptured by this woman and her no nonsense attitude and her unexplainable kindness. Now Naborus haunts her with bedding and sustenance.

They should be on the battlefield. The malice has overtaken another settlement, Mineru heard. But when she dug, she was sent away.

“More pillows?” Naborus asks, and Mineru holds up two thumbs for an aggressive agreement.

Can you get me construct f12, she writes when Naborus comes back wielding two cream pillows. Twinges, can fix, she slashes quickly at Naborus’s frown.

“You’re working?”

No time, Mineru scribbles. And at Naborus’s hesitant glance, she adds: bored.

“You should be resting.”

Can’t.

She will have nightmares again. Rauru promises the sundelion specimens he’s working on will stop the malice from taking hold, but she still dreams of that red pulsating mass, infecting her, burrowing into her.

She underlines Can’t twice, and hopes Naborus will get it.

Naborus drags a hand down her face, and exhales roughly. “Shit. Okay. I’ll go get your construct, but if you need any help at all you tell me, alright?”

At Mineru’s flat glare, she grimaces. “Sorry. I’ll get you a bell.”

The two sit in companionable silence after that. The construct mineru chose is a small, light weight thing. She is considering adding some sort of projectile weapon when she hears the low rhythmic hum of a song.

Oh, Mineru thinks. This is the song my mother taught me, and I taught you. Oh, Mineru thinks after suddenly overwhelmed with the realization— she will never sing her mother’s song again. She will never be able to join the chorus that was her last, remaining link. She will never-

Mineru wipes her eyes angrily. She can learn how to play a harmonica. Or a flute. The option isn't actually gone, just changed. She should just be glad she’s alive.

Doesn’t stop the tears, though.

When Naborus quietly holds her arms out, Mineru doesn’t fight the pull and slumps into her friend’s arms, and tries not to think of how Ganondorf stole not only her project’s notes, but her history from her too.

He’s Naborus’s brother.

She hates him more, for it.

[clockwayswrites]

5 Times the JL Learned Batman was Married and the 1 Time They Met the Spouse.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. + 1

“What is going on?” Batman asked the group as he swept into the room.

John stayed focused on the circle, not wanting to mess up now. It would be a lot of faff for nothing if he did.

“Constantine believes he has a contact to help us with our current issue,” Superman explained. “He is working on the summoning circle now.”

“Is that safe to do on the Watchtower?” Batman asked, as cautious as ever.

“Yeah, mate,” John answered for himself. “This one is a good one. Haven’t met them myself, but real helpful sort of fellow from everything I’ve heard. Or at least real helpful for the things that they can help with.”

Careful not to smudge any lines, John moved backwards out of the circle and gave it a good look over. The rest of the lot were talking about something, but if Batman hadn’t stopped him yet, John figured he was good and intended to keep working. A little slice to his finger, a few drops of blood, the right words, and it was done.

The white markings of the circle seemed to shudder and warp, like the lines on a desert street. Then they snapped a bright green and the inner lines seemed to fall away into an endless void. The void rippled and suddenly a hand reached out of it. The claws made the worst sound as they gripped into the metal floor.

Another hand joined it.

And then the being pulled themselves out of the summoning circle.

John knew better than to try and comprehend what he was seeing. It was all shadow and green flames and fear anyways.

“Who dares to call upon the Ghost King?” the being asked. The voice echoed through the room, through John’s head, through his soul. It sounded like a thousand screaming voices of the dead speaking all at once.

Toxic green eyes in the black mass swept over the group. It was like they were being seen; their souls, their very beings, every aspect of them flayed open and on display for this other worldly entity. John swallowed reflexively when the eyes paused on him for a moment. He wasn’t scared, but there was still a primal part of his brain that said he should run.

Then the gaze landed on Batman and stayed there. Superman stepped forward, slightly, as if to shield Batman from the being’s view.

The being didn’t seem to care and leaned forward up to the edge of the circle. “B?”

Batman inclined his head slightly, “Phantom.”

“Shit. This Justice League approved, huh? Sorry about the dramatics. Usually I only get summoned by cultists who want Pariah Dark, the old king, to give them power or cleanse the world of life or blah blah blah. Best to show up and put the fear of me into them,” the being said, motioning to themselves and all their horror. The reverb of their voice had settled some, now only like a few voices overlapping.

“Understandable,” Batman agreed, seemingly unaffected by it all.

John could only shrug incredulously at Superman’s questioning gaze. Fuck if he knew. Sure, Bats was unflappable, but everyone knew he avoided the supernatural stuff if he could.

The being pulled the last of itself out of the portal which sealed with a sickening squelch. “You could have just called though. Like, I get summoning is a quick way to travel, but it's a little painful."

“Painful?” Batman asked, turning to stare at John, who swallowed nervously at the cold tone.

“Yeah. This was a pretty clean circle though, props to the maker—”

“Thanks, I think?” John mumbled at he watched the being start to shift. It was like watching a black hole collapse in on itself.

“—so it's not that bad, but still it feels like ripping some duct tape off my skin or something,” the being continued. They were much more human shaped now, though they still smiled with an alarming number of very white teeth.

“We'll keep that in mind in the future. I was unaware of who, exactly, they were summoning.”

The rest of the roiling darkness settled on their shoulders like a half cape— one that seemed to hold the infinity of the night sky inside it. The vortex of flames settled into a crown of fire that floated above a head of stark white hair. They flexed their claws and the limbs settled into normal hands that they tucked into pockets of their three piece black suit with its sharp white accents. Then they stepped over the live of what was supposed to be an unbreakable summoning circle.

Like it was just waking through a door.

Like it was nothing.

John took a reflexive step back. This kind of rule breaking shit was exactly why he liked to avoid the Infinite Realms when he could; they were too chaotic to easily manage.

“All good,” they said with a shrug and a fanged smile. “So, what did you need the Ghost King for?”

-

Bruce watched Phantom scan the meeting room as they entered. Their eyes caught, just for a moment, and a million thoughts ran through Bruce’s head. Did he want to do this? Was it time? He trusted the Justice League. They had issues and conflicts, like any group, but they were heroes through and through.

Revealing this also did not mean revealing either of their civilian identities.

The nod was barely any movement at all, but Bruce knew that Phantom had caught it and understood. After so many years together, they hardly needed words, which Bruce often appreciated. Words had never been easy for Bruce. He worked on it for his family. He had to after…

Bruce forced himself not to think about that. Danny had saved Jason, even if the resulting years without Danny there were some of the hardest for the family. They were together again and better for it. Bruce let out a careful breath and took his normal seat.

“Thank you for your assistance, King Phantom,” Wonder Woman started. Phantom held up a hand.

“I didn’t say I could assist. I’ll listen and help if I can and see fit, but there are a great many things that are not mine to aid in,” Phantom said sternly, though his voice was carefully kind. “My influence is only over those closely tied to death and of the Infinite Realms. The living are outside of my jurisdiction.”

“Of course,” Superman said quickly as he could without rushing the words. “Listening is a great start. If you’ll take a seat.”

Phantom nodded and strode right past the indicated seat. With a casual ease that Bruce had always envied, Phantom sat on the arm of Bruce’s chair.

“Um, King Phantom, your majesty?” Flash started nervously. “Batman doesn’t really like to be touched?”

“Really?” Phantom asked innocently. Bruce couldn’t see it, but knew exactly the smirk Phantom had as he leaned back to lounge against Bruce’s shoulder. (Bruce loved that smile.)

Bruce schooled his expression as he watched Flash and Hal exchange looks and frantic hand signs to each other.

J’onn tilted his head curiously as he took his own seat. Bruce could see J’onn come to an understanding as his eyes flickered down the the black metal brand around Phantom’s ring finger in the shape of a flying bat.

“Ah,” J’onn said softly.

“Ah? Ah what?” Flash asked, his words almost a whine. “What do you know?”

Bruce rested his hand lightly on Phantom’s hip, well aware that the motion was in sight of both Superman and Wonder Woman.

“Ah,” Wonder Woman said with a little smile. “J’onn knows something we all know, though not in this context. It is good to meet you, Phantom.”

“Good to meet you also, Wonder Woman. I’ve heard a lot about you,” Phantom said as she sat down next to them.

“I wish I could say the same,” she said with a teasing smile directed Bruce’s way.

“Hn.”

Phantom just laughed, the sound echoing like a ringing bell. “It’s okay, I know what B is like. Trust me, that you know anything at all is a big deal. He’s just bad at doing things the normal way.”

Bruce held back a sigh and just pinched Phantom’s side again, making the other squeak and backhand Bruce in the chest.

“Holy shit!” Hal jutted a finger at Phantom. “You’re Batman’s husband!”

“Guilty as charged,” Phantom said.

“Wait, no, you’re what?” Flash asked and zipped closer to the table. “Huh. You are so not what I expected. I mean, I guess ghost plus Spooky works but you’re so… lively! Wait— is that like, offensive to call the dead lively?”

Phantom laughed again and shook his head. “No, but not everyone in the realms will take it as a compliment. I don’t mind and besides, I’m only half-dead.”

“Half-dead?” Superman asked with his brow furrowed worriedly.

Phantom just waved the concern away. “It’s complicated. Mostly it just means that I still get to live out my human life as simply a human. Ghosts move slower, having eternity and all, so there’s not too much for me to do as the king other than attend to summons and make slow changes.”

“So,” Hal started, ignoring Bruce’s glare and sliding into a seat finally. “You’re married to Batman in your civilian form as well?”

“Of course, it would be silly otherwise,” Phantom said and then added, “and no, I won’t tell you who B is. That’s for him to choose.”

“Okay, but like, we can talk to you, right?” Flash asked, eager as ever.

“Well, I’m here, aren’t I? But work first. What do you think I can help you all with?”

Bruce moved his hand to rest on the small of Phantom’s back and watched his husband command the room like the king he was.

--- AN: and here's the last part! The JL finally meet Batman's husband, or at least once side of him!

[problemswithbooks]

So, a few things:

In a monarchy, which Westeros is and has been for THOUSANDS of years the king's words is the law. Not that of his predecessors, but of the present ruling monarch. Viserys named his 8 year old daughter as his heir, he varied from custom yes, but never broke law. HE IS THE LAW.

While, yes a King/Queen is the 'law', that doesn't mean they can do anything they want. They maybe the law but if a monarch fucks up or makes choices that gets them on the bad side of their subjects, particularly their Lords, they will face consequences. Case in point, Aerys II, who fucked up so bad that he caused a huge rebellion and lost the Targaryens the Iron Throne.

Was Ned and Rober going against the 'law'--sure, but it doesn't matter. Aerys rule was so bad that he lost support of the Lords. Some stayed with him due to a mix of fear, and loyalty to his son, but in the end being the 'law' did not matter. Robert won and Aerys was killed by his own King's Guard.

Now, Viserys was not anywhere near as bad, but using the idea that because he's King he can do whatever he pleases without consequence isn't as strong of an argument as you think. Yes he can name his daughter as his Heir if he wants but that doesn't mean that won't cause issues, or that everyone will except it. Viserys was himself made King because the Lords preferred him over Rhaenys being a proxy Queen for her young son (it was never a vote between Viserys and Rhaenys, but Viserys and Laenor). Choosing Rhaenyra has Heir was always going to have some push back even before he had sons, and it does not appear Viserys did much to lessen or ease the path for her.

Viserys also broke custom by marrying Alicent, a daughter of a second son and not a ruling lord. A woman that could not give him anything of importance, not money, not a fleet, not any great allegiance. He married her simply because loved her. Being the second time he broke CUSTOM for a woman he loved. Rhaenyra and Alicent.

Viserys marrying Alicent wasn't against custom, in fact I'd argue it was actually a pretty good political move on his part. Sure, Otto was a second son, and the marriage doesn't necessarily earn him any great alliance, but the Hightowers are a rather powerful family, since they control the second most populace city in Westeros, that also has the Citadel and at the time the main house of Worship for the continents biggest religion.

On top of that Otto and Alicent have been dedicated, loyal servants of the crown since his grandfather's rule. In a way you could see this marriage as political reward for that dedication/loyalty to house Targaryen that they showed at the time.

Alicent also has a benefit that Laena didn't--her age. As much as some people hate on Viserys for remarrying and having more kids, it makes total sense. His grandfather had a many children yet none lived to actually sit the throne. If Rhaenyra died, which is always a possibility, the only back up he had was Daemon who was incredibly unpopular with the Lords and was very impulsive. Marrying someone that can have children ASAP is a smart move, which only backfired because shockingly every child he had lived (up until the Dance).

Even if Viserys allowed his 16 year old daughter to be wed to her 6 year old brother, you think that would prevent war? You people are simply stupid if you think so. Aegon (Otto & Alicent) could easily imprison Rhaenyra and simply put it out as she died, or simply even just end her life. And obviously with their children being young(if they had any, very unlikely) Aegon could crown himself as king rather than prince consort. And do you really think Alicent would let her precious son be king consort to a wanton woman? We see this with Jaehaerys' children Daenerys and Aemon.

This is the main thing I wanted to talk about--this paragraph is complete fan-fiction and is not supported by anything in the text.

Where in the story does it in anyway say that Otto, Alicent or Aegon II would have locked up and secretly killed Rhaenyra if the two had been wed? Yes, Viserys, weirdly, gets annoyed that Otto/Alicent want their 'blood' on the throne, but that doesn't mean he thought they would kill Rhaenyra if he married them. Frankly, they would have no reason to do so anyway, since any children Rhaenyra and Aegon had would also be of their 'blood', so they would get what they wanted regardless.

The whole, 'Alicent wouldn't let her son be married to a wanton woman' line doesn't make any sense either since that accusation came after Viserys turned down the idea of wedding Aegon and Rhaenyra together. If Viserys had agreed to the marriage the Hightowers might not have bothered to try and smear Rhaenyra this way since, again they were getting what they wanted, their grandchildren on the Iron Throne.

Am I saying the Hightowers would never have done this? No. But it is disingenuous to act as if it is fact that they would--as if it is said in the book this was totally their plan. I could easily say they would have simply let Rhaenyra rule and everything would have been peaceful and perfect, but that would be equally unfounded and simply something I made up.

Also, if the Hightowers had enacted this plan it does in fact not lead to war, so your first sentence is wrong. Would it have been cruel and still ended with Rhaenyra dying, yes, but it would have in fact meant the Dance didn't happen. The only thing I could see is Daemon trying to over throw Aegon, but without the support Rhaenyra brought to the table, it's unlikely he would have gotten very far. The Velaryons might have helped him, but both Rhaenys and Corlys seem hesitant to go to war unless absolutely necessary. Unless Daemon had damning proof the Hightowers killed Rhaenyra, I doubt they'd join him in such a one sided fight (since they'd lack Rhaenyra and her sons' dragons as well as access to Dragonstone to acquire more).

Right, Rhaenyra insisting for Aemond to be questioned sharply is mad but Alicent asking for a five year old's eye to be cut out is perfectly sane behaviour, yes? Be serious right now. Do you really think Viserys out of all people would let his son be tortured? Rhaenyra knew of that, she wanted Aemond to admit that his mother, Alicent has been spreading rumours abt easy as that. It wasn't just for the insults either, Luke's nose was broken, Jace was hit in the head. And Joff was thrown into dragon droppings.

Again, this is baseless. Fire and Blood is written like a history book. We do not get inside the characters heads. You have no way of knowing if Rhaenyra's threat to have Aemond tortured was just for show or not. It's also rather confusing because the rest of what you say makes it sound as if she did want him tortured to get info on Alicent spreading rumors and as revenge for Luke's broken nose, Jace getting hit in the head and Joff for being shoved in poop. So was it a bluff or wasn't it?

Also if what Rhaenyra said was a bluff, why is what Alicent said not also a bluff? Viserys would be just as unlikely to order his grandson's eye taken out. Could Alicent not have said what she did to try and defect Rhaenyra's demand for Aemond to be tortured?

As for the whole Aemond Vs. Rhaenyra's kids debacle, frankly it never made much sense to me. It doesn't make any sense that these very young children who are heirs to the throne on both sides were not being watched, and were just wandering around. Anon asked why Luke has a dagger, but the biggest question is really why any of these very young children, particularly the three year old were without supervision. They should all have nurse maids and guards. Also, why did Joff go get his brothers and not his mother, a gaurd or any adult? Why didn't his brothers?

They didn't because Martin wanted Aemond to lose an eye and cause a bigger rift between the Blacks and Greens. It's a poorly set up scene, that only happens for plot reasons. Frankly it makes everyone involved look like fools.

I don't know how fighting for something that is yours, and have been for over TWENTY YEARS is seen as entitlement rather advocating and defending her own right? There is someone who is portrayed as entitled, however. Alicent Hightower. Who thought simply because she popped out the King's son, means he should become a king. And this son who thought simply because he was a man with a cock, he was more fit to rule than a daughter without a cock.

They're literally all entitled--they're royalty. Rhaenyra is only Heir because her father said so. No one voted for her nor didn't she conquer the continent like Aegon did. Sure, the throne was hers, but again it's not as if she earned it while Aegon II didn't. Neither of them did anything that made them worthy to be Rulers. In both cases it comes down to who their father was.

Alicent probably did feel entitled to have her child on the throne, but again, it's no worse or better then Rhaenyra's entitlement. Culturally, it makes sense she felt that was what she was owed--getting your blood on the throne is why people want to marry a monarch. If Viserys had married Laena and she'd have had a son she would have felt the same, as would the Valeyrons. That is the socially accepted reward for having children (in this case sons) for a Ruler in western based cultures. That's not any weirder or more entitled then Rhaenyra considering the throne hers simply because her father named her heir and she's first born.

As for Aegon II thinking he deserved it because he had a cock, there's conflicting stories on that. It's just as likely that the story where he didn't want the throne and only took it after he was told he, his siblings and his children would be killed is true. Sure, after he got the throne he wasn't willing to give it up (few people will give up power like that once they have it) but that doesn't mean he felt he deserved it because he had a cock.

To be honest it's not necessary 100% for sure that all the Hightowers believed he deserved it because Aegon was a boy either. Did they use Aegon's gender to say he was the rightful Heir due to tradition? Yes, but that is also their only political leverage they can use to promote him over Rhaenyra. I mean, look at any modern political campaign--many candidates say things they clearly don't believe based on past actions, but have instead adopted it because it gives them more support to beat their opponent. Not saying this is how the Greens felt, just that given how the book is written there is no way to 100% be certain they felt Aegon II deserved the throne because he's man, or if they were just doing everything they could to advance their political power and that was their best avenue of attack. To be honest, if they were so power hungry, you could argue they might have usurped Rhaenyra even if all of Alicent's children had been girls.

Personally, I've always perceived Rhaenyra as an entitled brat. That was sort of how she was portrayed in the book. Daemon was pretty nasty as well, as he groomed Rhaenyra. He was teaching her "how best to touch a man to bring him pleasure," if Mushroom is to be believed.

I am inclined to believe Mushroom.

I think most of Rhaenyra's behaviors at Daemon's fault, but I do think that Rhaenyra is mad as she wanted to torture her little brother for calling her bastard children 'bastards'. That isn't sane behavior, and nothing really excuses it. Aemond really was defending himself.

Alicent should have asked for Rhaenyra's boys to be swatted on the hands wooden spoon a good few times, not an eye. (Lucerys should not have had a dagger. Why would a child need a dagger?)

I don't think anyone thought Rhaenyra was still heir after Aegon was born. Viserys literally broke the laws of the entire realm for her.

War was inevitable, and there was nothing Rhaenyra could have done aside from marrying her infant brother.

I don't know if you've been asked something like this before. I also have no idea if the background to my question makes sense, but do you think there was any way Rhaenyra could have become Queen without breaking laws, murdering kin, and or bloodshed?

Who started breaking laws? —The Greens

Who started murdering kin?—The Greens

Who started bloodshed?— The Greens

In a monarchy, which Westeros is and has been for THOUSANDS of years the king's words is the law. Not that of his predecessors, but of the present ruling monarch.

Viserys named his 8 year old daughter as his heir, he varied from custom yes, but never broke law. HE IS THE LAW.

Viserys also broke custom by marrying Alicent, a daughter of a second son and not a ruling lord. A woman that could not give him anything of importance, not money, not a fleet, not any great allegiance. He married her simply because loved her. Being the second time he broke CUSTOM for a woman he loved. Rhaenyra and Alicent.

Even if Viserys allowed his 16 year old daughter to be wed to her 6 year old brother, you think that would prevent war? You people are simply stupid if you think so. Aegon (Otto & Alicent) could easily imprison Rhaenyra and simply put it out as she died, or simply even just end her life. And obviously with their children being young(if they had any, very unlikely) Aegon could crown himself as king rather than prince consort. And do you really think Alicent would let her precious son be king consort to a wanton woman? We see this with Jaehaerys' children Daenerys and Aemon.

I don't think anyone thought Rhaenyra was still heir after Aegon was born. Viserys literally broke the laws of the entire realm for her.

The Blacks? Literally many at court more than even the Greens supported Rhaenyra as heir. Even afterwards, during the war Rhaenyra had much more supporters than Aegon, even after her death.

Rhaenyra is mad as she wanted to torture her little brother for calling her bastard children 'bastards'. That isn't sane behavior, and nothing really excuses it. Aemond really was defending himself. Alicent should have asked for Rhaenyra's boys to be swatted on the hands wooden spoon a good few times, not an eye.

Right, Rhaenyra insisting for Aemond to be questioned sharply is mad but Alicent asking for a five year old's eye to be cut out is perfectly sane behaviour, yes? Be serious right now. Do you really think Viserys out of all people would let his son be tortured? Rhaenyra knew of that, she wanted Aemond to admit that his mother, Alicent has been spreading rumours abt easy as that.

It wasn't just for the insults either, Luke's nose was broken, Jace was hit in the head. And Joff was thrown into dragon droppings.

Afraid that the boy would raise the alarm, Prince Aemond shouted at him to be quiet, then shoved him backward into a pile of dragon droppings.

Aemond fought back, breaking Luke’s nose with a punch, then wrenching the sword from Joff’s hands and cracking it across the back of Jace’s head, driving him to his knees. As the younger boys scrambled back away from him, bloody and bruised, the prince began to mock them, laughing and calling them “the Strongs.”

Jace at least was old enough to grasp the insult. He flew at Aemond once again, but the older boy began pummeling him savagely…until Luke, coming to the rescue of his brother, drew his dagger and slashed Aemond across the face, taking out his right eye.

Aemond was TEN. Jace was SIX, Luke FIVE, Joff only THREE.

A 10 year old Pummeling (= boxing, repeatedly puching) and 6 year old is a perfectly good thing to do.

Lucerys should not have had a dagger. Why would a child need a dagger?

Because this child, is a prince? Almost everyone had daggers at that time, Kings, Queens, Princes, Princesses, Ladies, Lords, Commonborn, every one had daggers. They carried it for personal protection, even Lucerys.

Не was teaching her "how best to touch a man to bring him pleasure," if Mushroom is to be believed. I am inclined to believe Mushroom.

Even then, if Rhaenyra is such an 'entitled brat' why would she want to please the son of a steward of a Lord. And that too, not even a major Lord. Why would she want to please a no-one that became a someone because of HER.

Personally, I've always perceived Rhaenyra as an entitled brat. That was sort of how she was portrayed in the book.

She was portrayed as spoiled, yes. How could she not be? She came after many miscarriages and stillbirth, many other losses in the family. To her parents she was their first daughter, both of them motherless on their own. To Baelon, she was his first granddaughter after the loss of this wife, son, aemon and the rest of his siblings. To Jaehaerys and Alysanne, she was probably the first great-grandchild they met, she came after they lost most of their children (+Jocelyn who was as good as daughter, Rhaenys and probably never met her children till the feast and tourney of 98). She was a light in a time where her family was sinking from the inside.

I don't know how fighting for something that is yours, and have been for over TWENTY YEARS is seen as entitlement rather advocating and defending her own right?

There is someone who is portrayed as entitled, however. Alicent Hightower. Who thought simply because she popped out the King's son, means he should become a king. And this son who thought simply because he was a man with a cock, he was more fit to rule than a daughter without a cock.

Why should I explain the basic of things to strangers as if they're 5 and lack comprehension? Lol😭

[navree]

“being required to sit relatively still and pay attention in class is anti adhd propaganda and anti child” how have any of you people survived a single hour in the real adult world, honestly.