#Reluctant Family

[bluejaysandblackbats]

silence of your song

Fandom: DC Comics, Flashfam, Flash Rogues

Summary: Malcolm Thawne takes in Thad after weeks of being stalked by him. (Post-Mercury Falling)

Chapters: 2/?

Characters: Malcolm Thawne, Thaddeus Thawne, Bart Allen, Barry Allen

Additional Tags: Found Family, Dysfunctional, Reluctant Family, Redemption, Malcolm Thawne Wants a Family, Thaddeus Thawne and Malcolm Thawne Parallels, Canon Divergent AU, Retired Malcolm Thawne, Protective Malcolm Thawne, POV Malcolm Thawne, Childhood Memories, Malcolm Thawne Becomes Thaddeus Thawne's Dad, Adoption

Chapter Two: I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I'm Gonna Be a Diamond Someday)

After he got all our paperwork in order, I took a chunk of my emergency cash to take him to the mall. It was like pulling teeth. He didn’t want to spend my money, and I had to force him to get clothes and shoes. “Thad, please. You’d make this one hundred times easier if you’d tell me what you like,” I whispered. Thad shrugged. “Please. Aren’t you hungry?”

“That’s why we haven’t eaten yet?” Thad asked. I nodded.

“I’ll feed you whatever you want once you get some school clothes,” I explained.

Thad sighed and walked through the store, pulling items from the racks and counters. At the first store, he found a pair of overalls, two pairs of pants, and a handful of t-shirts on sale. We went to two or three stores before I got him something to eat. We got chicken sandwiches and french fries. I watched Thad swing his feet while sipping soda in the outdoor dining area. Without thinking, I messed up his hair. “Want another soda?” I asked. He blinked hard.

“No, thank you,” Thad whispered. As he fixed his hair, I thought he should change clothes.

“Hey, after we eat, I want you to change into some of your new clothes. Then, we can go and get you signed up at Hoover,” I explained. He nodded. “Are you still hungry?”

“No, thank you… Malcolm—. Dad,” Thad whispered. I could hear his disdain for me in his voice.

*

I wanted him to like me more than anything. We were fundamentally the same, so I saw no point in hating each other. I liked him despite his feelings for me because it felt like he was mine. Thad was what I needed most. He was my family.

We arrived at the high school at noon, and I sat at the table with the principal and counselor while Thad looked through the course catalog. I leaned over to look at the catalog with him and scratched my head. “Er… Uh—. What’s that? What’s HSBP?” I asked.

“Health Science and Biomedical Program. It’s open to students in advanced science placements who want a future in the medical field,” the principal answered. I nodded.

“Hey, Thad… What do you think about that, Sport?” I questioned. I reached for him, and he flinched away. “Sorry, I forgot.”

The counselor squinted at me. “Oh no, it’s nothing serious—.”

“I don’t like to be touched while I’m reading… I love my father very much,” Thad explained without looking up from the catalog. “And mhm… I think that’d be interesting. They didn’t have that program at my old school.”

He filled out the class sign-up sheet while I finished signing his enrollment forms. “Dad? What time do you have to be at work?” Thad asked.

“Eight,” I replied.

“If I took zero period, it’d give you enough time to drop me off before you go to work,” Thad replied, “Or I could take the bus—.”

“I don’t want you at the bus stop that early by yourself. I’ll take you,” I whispered.

“I can walk—.”

“I know you can, but it’s not safe for a kid your age to be outside walking before the sun’s out… And you don’t know anybody here,” I interrupted. Thad nodded. “And yeah, you can sign up for zero if that’s what you want to do.”

Thad finished his course sheet and gave it to me to sign. The counselor asked to speak to me in his office while the principal talked to Thad. “I noticed a few things, and I wanted to speak to you about Thad’s behavior—.”

“Oh, he’s not—. He’s not a troublemaker… And if you’re talking about our moment earlier, Thad’s a weird little guy. All geniuses are a little strange. I think it’s endearing that he’s got something different going on in his head,” I replied.

“Have you ever considered having him screened for—?”

I turned to see if Thad was okay by himself, and I scratched my head. “Okay… Um, sorry. So, do you think that he’s a little different? Like people aren’t gonna understand him?” I questioned. She cocked her head and chewed her lip.

“No… I um—. It isn’t about how other people feel. It’s about how Thad feels about himself and navigates his life,” she replied as she wrote the word on a notecard and the diagnosis steps.

“Okay, I’ll look into that as soon as I get some food in him,” I replied as I stared at the card. “They’re not gonna make him feel bad about himself, are they? He doesn’t need that. He’s got this horrible notion that everybody hates him. I don’t want him to feel that way. I’m working with him on his—. I’m new at this. I just—. I found out about him recently, and I like him. To me, he’s spectacular. Every parent thinks their kid is the most interesting alive, but I know Thad’s not like anyone I’ve ever known. He came around at the right time. I’ve never been happier, but I don’t—. I don’t think he likes me.”

She smiled. “It sounds like you’ve adjusted quickly to Thad,” she whispered.

The principal brought Thad to me, and we bought his P.E. uniform before heading home. I started humming a song. “What’s that?” Thad questioned.

“It’s a John Anderson song… I’ve got his CD at home if you wanna hear it. It’s um—. Nobody liked me as a kid, so I was always down on myself. Then, I listened to this song a year ago and figured I could become the kind of person I’d like to be friends with, and my life would improve because I’d like myself even if no one else did,” I explained.

“A song did all that?” Thad questioned.

“Music can be a powerful thing, Thad. Your counselor thinks you’re a little different from other kids. I agree with her,” I replied. He looked down at his shoes. “Hey, don’t do that. Different is a good thing to be. You shouldn’t ever fit in. If you’re gonna be somebody, you’ve gotta be unique. You can’t go around living in other people’s shadows… Chin up. You should be that lucky to be different.”

Thad looked away from me as he reached for my hand. I took his hand in mine. I could barely conceal my smile. “Is hating the Allens wrong?” Thad questioned.

I stopped in my tracks. “Thad, I’m not gonna pretend I’m better than what I know. I resented them, but it wasn’t their fault my life turned out the way it did. They probably would’ve loved me had I been brave enough to make myself known. Barry’s not guilty of anything but being born luckier than me,” I explained, “But then again… Look at what he’s lost. Maybe I’m lucky because I never had anything to lose.”

Thad stared at me for a long while before squeezing my hand. We walked to the old beat-up car I had and drove home. He didn’t say anything the whole ride home. I popped the CD in. And I swear I caught him tapping his foot.

[sticker-star-sketchbook]

watched the new ultraman movie a couple of days ago

it's very good and so beautiful! go watch it if you have the chance! :)

[soup-of-the-daisies]

time travelling harry being slightly fond of orion black because he looks and sounds so much like sirius, but soon realising he’s actually unbearingly and unbelievably fond of orion himself… orion being baffled, suspicious and quite flattered that someone likes him for him, not just for his last name or status as heir, and promptly deciding he’d die for harry… tom seething with jealousy watching them hang out and being generally attached the hip, knowing he can’t kill orion because 1) harry would NEVER forgive him or talk to him again, and 2) it’d be a shame to alienate the ancient and most noble house of black by getting rid of their heir

[spacedace]

Had a thought about the Reluctant War and made myself a bit sad and I have no idea if it'll make it into the story proper so I'm going to inflict it upon all you guys:

Dick Grayson on the streets of Gotham trying to do everything he can to help as everyone join the ghosts in fighting the GIW, suddenly has a version of the GAV barreling down towards him and for some reason he can't get out of the way in time.

He thinks he's about to join the army of the dead in a whole new way, when the tank fo a vehicle is suddenly sent flying as something massive charged it from the side. He hears a familiar bellowing and then realizes that it's Zitka, a ghost after passing away peacefully a few years before.

She wasn't apart of the army of the ghosts, wasn't brought in to fight. She's just been following her tiny human child around all these years and now that there's enough ecto in the air to do so, she's going to protect him with all her might.

Dick is emotional, so thankful to have his old friend back, but the city is still in a state of chaos. He gets onto Zitka's back and they get to work, running - flying - around helping to grab the injured and whisk them away to safety or take out other GAVs and the like.

It's absurd and freeing and wonderful all at once to be literally flying through the skies of Gotham on the ghost of his elephant best friend, and if Dick wasn't already on the side of King Phantom he is *now* and -

He gets shot off Zitka's back.

A GIW agent was aiming for the Ghost elephant but somehow *missed* and hit Dick instead. Not enough to injure him too badly, but enough to send him flying off Zitka's back and plummeting to the ground. His grapple is broken, and Zitka is diving for him but she's being shot at and she's not going to make it in time and -

A hand, reaching out to him in midair, familiar with its callouses and strong grip as he reaches out and grasps it, body suddenly swinging in a different direction and muscles acting on memory as he falls into the old, achingly familiar routine of his childhood. His mother, ethereal and bright as she smiles down at him, hanging upside down from a bar suspended from nothing but open sky as they swing and he is let go, flipping on instinct and caught by the steady strong hands of his father.

The Flying Graysons reunited in the skies above Gotham, Dick's ghostly parents determined to ensure their little bird never falls the way they did.

[dragonflavoredcake]

Xisuma, running a game: Name something that a burglar would NOT want to see when they break into a house.

Zedaph, hitting a buzzer: NAKED GRANDMA!

Xisuma: Okay, naked—WHAT?!

Etho, Impulse, and Skizz: *dying of laughter*

Tango: Yeah, no, I don't want to see that.

Xisuma, regretting every decision he's ever made: Okay, "naked grandma" wins.

Zed: *WILD CHEERING*

[srnk1]

the original painting has nothing in common with this show but whatever . this image just appeared in my mind i couldnt control myself

[thelibrarian1895]

Flying Bats

It may take awhile and a lot of bonding and a LOT of work but Dick Grayson absolutely 100% teaches all of his siblings, and sibling adjacent, the various acts he and his parents once performed. It takes them so, so, so much practice and there are definitely broken bones and some torn muscles but each and every one of the Bats eventually manages to master the Grayson signature quadruple somersault and Dick knows he's not the only Flying Grayson in the world anymore. They can't fly as naturally or as well, but he's not alone, his family flies with him.

[dankzombiereviews]

seen these floating around and wanted to post one of my own because this trope fucks, especially with these people in particular

[mockingmolly]

The 30′s episodes in c2: In our mutual acknowledgment that we’ve been going about things in ways that are A Bit Fucked Up, with much deliberation, and on the condition you still Do Not Ask abt my personal history, I’ve decided to trust you to hold me accountable in an attempt to do better moving forward. Maybe you’ll allow me to do the same? Oh and btw we still think you’re SUPER cagey - could you stop making blood pacts maybe? :/

The 30′s episodes in c3: We’ve only known each other for less than a couple months but we’re family and you all know me better than I know myself. We would and have died to keep each other safe, and those left that *haven’t* died would go through literal hell to return those that did to life. A couple of you have outright tried to kill the rest of us but honestly nbd! we all have bad days :)

[not-equippedforthis]

why am i crying over space children. jake going against his father's orders just to teach nog how to read im bawling my eyes out. sisko being so proud of him at the end. oh my god.

[bluejaysandblackbats]

silence of your song

Fandom: DC Comics, Flashfam, Flash Rogues

Summary: Malcolm Thawne takes in Thad after weeks of being stalked by him. (Post-Mercury Falling)

Chapters: 1/?

Characters: Malcolm Thawne, Thaddeus Thawne, Bart Allen, Barry Allen

Additional Tags: Found Family, Dysfunctional, Reluctant Family, Redemption, Malcolm Thawne Wants a Family, Thaddeus Thawne and Malcolm Thawne Parallels, Canon Divergent AU, Retired Malcolm Thawne, Protective Malcolm Thawne, POV Malcolm Thawne, Childhood Memories, Malcolm Thawne Becomes Thaddeus Thawne's Dad, Adoption

Chapter One: Stray Cats

I kept the window cracked when it rained because my heater broke, and it stayed at a muggy eighty-six degrees in my fire trap of an apartment. I muted the TV and let it play, hoping it’d be on when I woke up from another nightmare. The thunder blocked out the sound of my upstairs neighbors loudly whispering while they argued, but I could hear every little noise outside my window. I could listen to every pitter-patter and drip-drop. Every rattle rattle and clang-bang. The noise was comforting. And comfort was in short supply since I was released.

I was tense, but not without reason. I’d been free for four months and in my apartment for two when I noticed a little boy trailing me. At first, I thought it was Barry’s grandson, but he had to be in his early twenties. This kid was maybe thirteen or fourteen… And blond. I had to give it to the kid. Most people wouldn’t have noticed him. He could’ve followed and taken notes for months before anyone recognized him. But I wasn’t anybody. Still, I figured he was one of them. I wanted to leave that part of my life behind and start over, but the pressure was immense with a pint-sized parole officer snooping around. That night, I didn’t see him. It was freezing outside, but inside, it was unbearable. I didn’t sleep with blankets anymore. Instead, I lay on the couch in summer clothes, having nightmares about my childhood. I woke with a jolt, clutching my chest. I leaned forward, clasping my hands around my neck, trying not to dwell on the pain. The nauseating anguish of an undeserved beating haunted me and pulled me apart, leaving me to pick up pieces of myself every night. That night, I laughed. I laughed because I was exhausted, sore, and sweaty. I would’ve spiraled, focusing only on the pain, had it not been for a strange sliver of light in the mostly dark living room. I looked toward the fire escape, feeling a strange sense of comfort. It felt like a sign that everything would be alright.

I heard a high-pitched shriek and a clanging sound like metal on metal. I stood up before realizing what I was doing and found myself standing on my fire escape in the rain, pulling the little boy up by his jacket. I pulled him up, and his legs gave. He crumpled, and I threw him over my shoulder. Thunder crackled, shaking the building, and he groaned. I couldn’t leave him outside on the metal fire escape to get electrocuted, so I took him inside. I carried him to my room and changed him into a dry sweatshirt. He stirred before raising a hand to me, and I caught his little wrist in my fist.

“Don’t call the police,” he panicked. I raised an eyebrow before laughing at him. The laugh built from a chuckle to a hollering roar once I saw the wide-eyed, slack-jawed look on his face. His face was so round and immature. He couldn’t have been Barry’s grandson. He was so small up close. His fear shifted to confusion, and my shirt slipped off his shoulder.

He shivered, and I let go of him to grab a towel. I heard him shift once I turned my back. “Sit down. I’m not gonna call the cops,” I reassured him, “Do you like tea?”

“Like sweet tea?” he asked weakly. I chuckled and shook my head.

“Stay put. You’re not in any trouble. I’ll take you home once you’re warmed up,” I replied, “And put those sweats on. I’ll be back in a minute.”

I left him alone in my room and put the tea kettle on the stove. He stumbled into the kitchen behind me, holding the hem of his shirt and the waistband of his sweatpants in his fist. “Pull the waistband as far as it goes and put it around your neck,” I explained. He did as I said, watching me with uncertain eyes. I pulled a chair over and invited him to sit near the kitchen island. The color hadn’t returned to his cheeks, and his head drooped forward. Almost dying took a lot out of the kid. I opened a bag of chips and passed it to him. “Where are your folks?”

“Don’t have any,” he answered.

Despite the fatigue, his eyes kept steady contact with mine. He wasn’t lying. “Where do you live?” I asked. He didn’t answer. I had hundreds of questions for the kid, but they weren’t my priority. “How old are you supposed to be?”

“I’m supposed to be fourteen,” he answered.

The kettle whistled, and I turned my back. “It’s late for a kid your age to be out peeping in windows,” I teased, “I should’ve known you didn’t have anybody to go home to… Or they’re not paying enough attention. I get the feeling you have folks, but you don’t wanna go home to them. I recognize your face. You look a lot like Barry’s-.” I turned to give him his tea and smiled at him. He lay fast asleep over the counter, breathing hard, almost snoring. I set the cup on the other side of the counter and carried him to bed.

My questions could wait until the morning. I draped blankets over the kid, and he rolled onto his stomach. “Sleep tight, little guy,” I whispered. I returned to the kitchen, drank his tea, and slept on my couch. The pitter-patter and drip-drops, the crackles and booms, and the noise of my neighbors and the fire escape faded away. I slept through the night feeling something I’d never felt before. Comfort.

*

I caught the boy trying to sneak out in the morning and grabbed the back of his sweatshirt before picking him up and holding him at arm’s length like a baby. He struggled and scratched, lashing out like a feral cat, but he didn’t scream. He didn’t make much noise. Not at all. “Hey… Hey, I’m gonna put you down, but you’ve gotta calm down and let me help you. I need to know why you’ve been following me. I’m not gonna hurt you,” I reassured him. He stopped fighting, and I set him down, straightening his sweatshirt.

He wrung his little scarred fists. “I wanted to meet the person who-. You’re the reason I’m here… And I want to know why,” his little voice broke. I nodded, but I didn’t understand. “You thought I was Bart.”

“You’re smaller than him… He looked like that the last time I saw him, but he should be older now,” I whispered, “Who are you?”

“I’m a clone… Of Bart... I was supposed to finish what you started. I was supposed to kill the Allens, and I failed,” he answered, “And you quit! Why didn’t you do it yourself? Why is all the pressure on me? I shouldn’t even-!” I shushed him. “I shouldn’t even be here. I’m alone because of you. I exist because of you. It’s all your fault that I have no one.” He whispered the last part.

I sat on the arm of the couch and listened to the kid while he explained what he was and where he came from. “Hey… Okay… That’s a lot. You’re fourteen... Right? Let-. Let me help you. I want to help, okay?” I asked. I felt awful “Why would you wanna help me?” he snapped.

My hands shook as I heard the question. The kid might’ve looked like Barry’s grandson, but he sounded like me when I was his age. “You’re a little weirdo. I was a little weirdo, too. An oddball. I was an oddball as a kid,” I tripped over my words. “You can stay here until you let me take you home.”

“I don’t need-.”

“You need a legal guardian. You need a family, and I don’t have one-.”

“You don’t understand. I hate you,” the kid interrupted.

“Hate me all you want, but you’re fourteen with no family. I want you to stay put. You can’t be homeless. I can’t let you be homeless… Okay? I need you to falsify some documents saying you’re my kid and that your mom is missing or something-.”

“Why?” he questioned.

“Because I’ll be able to explain why you’re here when my neighbors see you… And I don’t have money to take care of you, but I can take care of you-. I need to be able-. I want to help you. My job takes care of me, but I’ve gotta take care of you because I owe you,” I stammered. His eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to argue, but nothing came out. “No argument?”

“I don’t feel well,” he replied. I smiled and rustled a hand through his thick blond curls. He swatted my hand away.

“Sorry… Hey, what’s your name?” I asked.

“I’m named Thaddeus Thawne after the president-.”

“President?” I asked.

“Yeah, but he’s-. Well, I-. It’s hard to explain,” Thaddeus replied. It was a big name for such a small kid.

“What do you like to be called? People tried to call me Mack when I was a kid, and I didn’t let it stick because I preferred Malcolm. After all, the people that called me Mack were never friendly enough to me to be that familiar with me,” I explained.

“Thad is fine,” he answered.

I felt sick in the pit of my stomach looking at him. I couldn’t blame him for hating me. He was under immense pressure to finish what I started. I still couldn’t help but see myself in him. His loneliness. His anger. His longing. I figured I could fix things by being the person I needed when I was his age. So it began. Two Thawnes. Blood Allens.

[guest-1-2-3]

so. never consumed any mcu content whatsoever. however i have recently stumbled upon peter parker/harley keener fanfics, went down a rabbit hole, and am now obsessed with their dynamic and i realized i have just fallen into the trap of another blond + southerner + sarcastic + calls-his-boyfriend-darlin’ + infinitely supportive + big fucking nerd x incredibly traumatized + sarcastic + italian + orphan + definitely-started-saving-the-world-too-young + big fucking nerd ship. i am nothing if not predictable

[zibiscusloon]

-ØɄⱤ ₱Ɽł₦₵Ɇ₴₴ ł₴ ł₦ ₳₦Ø₮ⱧɆⱤ ₵₳₴₮ⱠɆ..

[bubblegum-and-ciggarettes]

Mark is caked up in MK1 wow

[j-eryewrites]

A Sinner’s Redemption

A “what if” fanfic series based on The Last of Us 

Main Master List

(HBO Television series and video game)

Playlist: A Sinner’s Redemption

AO3 Link

Disclosure: I do not own the plot or the characters from The Last of Us. This is a “what if” fic based on the HBO television series and the game The Last of Us. 

*Updates sporadically 

꧁_____________꧂

Chapter One: When You’re Lost in the Darkness

Chapter Two: Infected

Chapter Three: Long, Long Time

Chapter Four: Please Hold to My Hand

Chapter Five: Endure and Survive

Chapter Six: Kin 

Chapter Seven: Left Behind When We Are in Need

Chapter Eight: Look for the Light

꧁_____________꧂

Taglist: @bartokthealbinobat @angelmenace @mimi-luvzyu@d4rno @lizlil @winterschildren17 @sunsumonner @lovelyygirl8 @homeslices​ @guacala​ @emsownuniverse​ @thetiredtoad0-0 @galacticstxrdust​ @jackierose902109​

꧁_____________꧂

[neatfrog]

my assumption is that Blitzø was probably actually a pretty sensitive child but his dad verbally/possibly physically beat it out of him until he just learnt not to express certain feelings