#Smart Bart stays smart

[crashcitycentral]

What if Bart created DOX?

Now, hear me out. We all know Bart is really into engineering and creating both technology and codes, that’s simply canon. He built a giant VR simulator when he was on the Teen Titans that he used primarily for training simulation scenarios. Real end of the world shit, with no exemption for gore.

So, what if that gets him a bit nostalgic to his home time, trapped in the fictional world that was all he knew for nearly 15 years (in his perception).

He begins to code. He designs his Virtual friend first and nearly cries making his 3D models because it reminds him how much he missed the lifelike program.

Thus, he practically throws himself into this project, reading every book he could find (including relevant files on the Batcomputer, but shhh). Including the use of Alien technology that he gathers from old invasions or travelling worlds where he gathered “souvenirs”. (Pretty much anything he thought looked cool that might be useful to him).

Bart is able to create one of the most advanced artificial super intelligence, with a wide database of information he’s gathered over his years on people, species, and aliens. He also managed to give DOX emotions, or at least the closest thing he could get to such.

Since he did all this in the past, when he’s born in the future, and DOX becomes more and more fleshed out and life like, that program is what’s used with national security now under the clutches of his Grandpa, President Thawne. When Bart is taken as a baby and put into this VR world, DOX was already programmed to know who he is and how to raise him and what information to give already in his code, cause Bart himself from the past is the one that put it there.

The timestream continues to loop in that branch of the timeline, and Bart is inevitable.

Bart is the Speedster Ouroboros.

[timmydraker]

Everyone in the Bat Clan has been noticing something over the years, specially about Tim.

Every so often he will go to do something with his hands or even his entire body, such as swaying or shaking his hands, but always stops himself.

There’s almost this look of annoyance on his face that just barely hides discomfort, but he brushes it off quickly.

Bruce noticed and, thinking about Robin more than anything, offered some kind of fidgeting device to help him stay on task, only for Tim to snap at him for the first time. It was his usual snark or commenting on Bruce’s well being, but a real moment of lashing out.

He decided then not to bother Tim about his clear want to move around it play with something even if it’s just his hands, mainly because he was doing his job well.

Yet, as he starts to really try and be a good parent to his kids and realises that Tim is one of the places he messed up most by basically using him to cope with grief, he decides to ask the rest of the family what they think.

Dick says it could be ADHD and he needs movements, with Barbara backing it up with a few websites in agreement.

Damian says he should mediate and Cass so what agrees but says it probably won’t help someone like Tim that much.

Duke and Steph make up a somewhat chaotic plan of coercing him into telling them what he needs, out of love and somewhat aggressive care.

It’s Jason who just scoffs and says, “It’s stimming, you idiots. He has like, super messed up standards cause of his parents, right? They probably didn’t allow it but he’s got that like, autastic thing.”

Only Jason Todd could say something so smart followed by completely idiocy.

But he is right, very much so. It might also explain why sometimes he seemingly couldn’t handle touch but when he panicked he need to be squeezed as tightly as possible.

Naturally, with a family of emotionally repressed vigilantes, they decide to subtly let him know it’s okay.

Dick is the worst with it, speaking far too loudly about how Autism is okay and how he wants to learn to support autistic kids, while Bruce thinks nodding along to this helps.

Damian just stares at Tim for five minutes before bailing and running away.

When a month passes and Tim seem more like he’s even more ashamed than anything my, Cass smashes her hand on the table at dinner and drags him out of the room to talk to him.

Tim is forced to sit and listen to his sister, who may or may not be his favourite sibling, talk about how he’s not damaged or wrong for needing to stim and move his body. She calls him out on how he is being a hypocrite, for accepting people like Bart and Barbara and and her for their disabilities whether ADHD or something physical but not himself.

Tim wouldn’t have been moved by this if it was anyone else, but never in all the time he’s known her has he heard Cass say so many words in one go nor can see her cry so much. She’s loud when she cries, making up for her silence, but it’s only something any of them have seen twice and that was Bruce and Steph.

He doesn’t just magically accept that he’s neurodivergent, nor does he ever want a title as to what is different about him, but the difference is still noticeable.

A week later him and Dick are watching an episode of their show and something Tim adores, a comic series, is referenced. Instead of what he usually does, that being sitting there as still as he can, he bats his hands around a for a few seconds before pausing and waiting for Dicks reaction.

When Dick beams at him brighter than a sun he continues, smacking the couch and even Dicks arm in his excitement.

A few days later he makes a high pitched noice just to get to an itch in his throat and doesn’t realise that Jason is there, yet when the other responds with the same noice, given a bit deeper, Tim smile. Bruce walks in on them making strange noises at each other in a sort of echo.

It’s months later when it’s his birthday and his family has come together to buy him a new, stupidly expensive camera only to reveal they also added a red light room in the manner for him to print them that they really see how much safer he feels.

He flaps his hands aggressively and jumps in place, rumbling out words that don’t all much and thanking them over and over.

He squeals happily but only has a moment where he looks shamed before Bruce holds out a flat palm for him to smack excitedly.

Later, when he gets overwhelmed and crashes a little, Duke lies on top of him to give him pressure only for Steph to sit on him.

[smilesrobotlover]

The sun felt warm as it shone against Talon’s skin, making his eyes grow heavy as he and his carriage slowly moved across Hyrule field. He had just sold some Lon Lon milk in Castle town, and left early in the morning so he could get home as soon as possible. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t a morning person, so he was doing everything in his power to stay awake. The last thing he needed was to fall asleep and get robbed by bandits.

The field was quiet and peaceful, the world not yet awakening from the sun barely peeking over the horizon. The gentle clip-clop of his horse’s hooves against the ground was soothing, and Talon began to feel too relaxed, finally giving in to his desires of dozing off.

A distressed whinny caused him to jolt awake. He looked around, expecting to be attacked by bandits or monsters, but all he saw was a small horse running to him, whinnying frantically at Talon.

“Oh my, where’d you come from, little one?” He wondered out loud, stopping his carriage and hopping off. The horse was noticeably young, with a beautiful chestnut coat and cream colored hair. It was a mare from what Talon could see, and looking at her coat, she seemed awfully familiar to him. She stomped up to Talon and gently bit his hand, attempting to drag him.

“Woah woah woah!” Talon pulled back, giving the horse a weird look. “What do ya think you’re doin’ little one?”

The horse whinnied again and started to shuffle to an area, clearly trying to get Talon to follow. Talon didn’t have much choice but to follow; a horse only acted like this when something was wrong.

“Where’s your rider?” He muttered, following the horse reluctantly. He didn’t know what he was being led to specifically, but seeing the size of the filly with a saddle of all things made him worried for a young rider, possibly injured somewhere. Seeing that Talon was finally following her, the filly started to trot towards a cluster of trees, stopping at a patch of bushes where she began to stomp around, impatiently nibbling and nudging the leaves on the bushes. Talon let out a sigh when he reached the spot, looking around to see if anything was out of the ordinary, but there was nothing. Was this filly just lost and was panicking, hoping to get help? Talon had to admit she seemed to be a smart horse, but he didn’t understand why he was led to a patch of bushes.

“Are you lost, little one?” He asked, watching as the young mare nibbled on the bushes. She nudged the leaves away with her snout while snorting, and Talon was able to catch a glimpse of blonde hair. He gasped and got on his knees, moving the bushes out of the way to reveal a young, blonde-haired boy with green clothes that blended in with the plants surrounding him. He looked to be about the same age as his daughter Malon, barely eleven, and his face was pale and covered in sweat. He wheezed as he breathed and he had a pained expression on his face, and Talon lightly touched his head to feel a burning fever. He frowned and began to shake him gently, seeing if he would wake up. The boy groaned and reacted to his touch, his eyes fluttering open. They landed on Talon immediately and several emotions flickered through his face.

“M-Mr– Bart—ten…” He choked out, his eyes tearing up as he stared at Talon. The farmer blinked for a moment, confused about what he was saying, but he let out a sigh and went to gather the boy in his arms. The poor thing was clearly delirious, and he needed medical attention.

“It’s ok, kiddo, I’ll take care of you,” he assured. The boy felt fragile in his strong arms, and he whimpered in pain as his head rested against Talon’s chest. The farmer wasted no time finding a spot for the boy in his carriage, having to move some empty bottles out of the way and laying strands of hay to add a cushion for him. He gently laid him down, finding a quilt tucked away in the corner of the carriage and swaddled him the best he could. It didn’t look comfy, but it was better than nothing. He tucked the empty bottles away to make sure they didn’t fall on him, and he grabbed a spare rope to tie to the back.

“I hope you don’t mind this, I have a feeling that boy is your rider,” Talon explained, tying the rope to the filly. The young mare surprisingly seemed willing to be tied to the carriage, and waited patiently as Talon hopped on his carriage, resuming his journey with more haste. He tried to keep a steady pace so the carriage wouldn’t jostle, and so that the mare wouldn’t be dragged behind, but he knew he needed to move fast if he wanted to get back to the ranch. He fortunately had medicine stocked up at home, knowing that if he, Malon, or Ingo got sick, he wouldn’t have time to go back and forth getting more, so the boy should be fine when they got there. He just hoped it wouldn’t turn into anything serious—Talon was knowledgeable on illnesses and injuries, but he was no doctor.

The sun was beginning to set when Talon arrived at Lon Lon, and he hopped off the carriage in front of his house, untying the mare and collecting the feverish boy in his arms.

“Daddy!”

Talon glanced up to see his little girl running towards him, an excited smile on her face. Talon smiled back and shifted the boy in his arms slightly.

“You’re back! Did ya get me anything?”

“Why yes, I did,” Talon said, pulling the boy out of the carriage and showing Malon. “I got you a new friend, but he’s a little sick right now.”

Malon’s eyes went big and she stepped forward, gently patting the boy’s arm. “Fairy boy! It’s Fairy boy! Don’t you remember him daddy?”

Talon looked down at the boy again. He was so distracted on getting him into his carriage, he didn’t recognize him as the young boy that visited Lon Lon Ranch over a year ago. Memories of him and Malon playing music at the ranch flooded in, and Talon only felt more inclined to take care of him. The situation became more personal.

“Epona!” Malon squealed, giggling at the filly who trotted towards her excitedly. Talon stared at the two’s reunion, Epona nuzzling Malon’s chest while she sang her favorite song. He smiled warmly at them and quickly headed inside, not wanting to wait much longer. So this boy and that horse used to be here in Lon Lon? Goddesses, it had been a while since Talon’s seen him, and yet it felt like it was only yesterday. Though the fairy boy was in their lives for such a short time, he left an impact on the ranch, specifically with Malon. He was the first kid her age that she’s met and played with, and Malon talked her father’s ear off about him since he went away with Epona in tow. Talon began to grow curious about where he was all this time, and why he was hidden in bushes with a burning fever.

The farmer walked up the stairs that led to his room and he set the sick boy gently on the soft mattress. He stared at him for a moment, his brow furrowed, trying to remember anything else about the little one, but nothing came up, so he turned around to get medicine, water, and a damp cloth. The folks at Lon Lon didn’t get sick often, so he hoped he remembered enough about taking care of a fever. When he went back upstairs to his room, he heard the boy whimpering, shifting in the soft bed. Talon quickly took off his shoes to make him more comfortable and rested his hand on his head. The fever was concerningly strong.

“Excuse me,” Talon said softly, gently shaking the boy. He groaned and his eyes fluttered open again, staring over Talon’s shoulder. He squinted his eyes and frowned.

“Romani? … How…?”

Talon raised an eyebrow and looked behind him, flinching when his daughter suddenly appeared.

“Goddesses, Malon, don’t sneak up on me like that!” He scolded. Malon gave an apologetic look, her dimples appearing as she smiled slightly.

“Sorry, daddy. I just wanted to see Link! It’s been a while!”

Malon leaned over the fairy boy (or Link, Talon supposed), brushing his hair away from his face. Link looked horrified as he watched Malon, clearly looking uncomfortable.

“Malon, sweetie, let’s give him some space,” Talon spoke up, noting Link’s strange expressions. “I oughta give him some medicine anyhow.”

Malon hopped back and gave her father an excited look. “Can I help?”

“Oh! Well…” Talon glanced at the bowl of water and the cloth. “You can help wipe his face when I’m done givin’ him medicine, ok?”

Malon nodded excitedly, watching as Talon helped Link sit up. The boy was so weak that he could barely move on his own, and Talon eventually pulled him into his lap so he could lean against him. Talon gripped Link’s arm firmly so he could stay in place and began rummaging his hand all over the nightstand to grab the medicine. His daughter noticed his searching and grabbed the medicine for him and Talon gave her a grateful nod, uncorking the bottle and bringing it to Link’s lips.

“You think you can drink this?” He asked, and Link nodded, clumsily grabbing at the bottle and drinking it with Talon’s help. Talon had to pull it back a couple of times to make sure it didn’t spill everywhere, but Link was surprisingly cooperative for an eleven-year-old drinking the disgusting medicine; he remembered he always had to fight Malon whenever she needed it. The bottle was soon gone, and Link leaned back against Talon’s chest, his eyes closed. The farmer cradled him for a moment, figuring that Link needed that type of comfort, and Malon walked over as she watched him with her father, her head tilted with fascination.

“Is he gonna be ok?” Malon asked, and Talon looked up at her, nodding confidently.

“I’m sure he will be,” he said, carefully moving Link so he could get off the bed. He laid him down and pulled the blankets over him, giving his hair a soft ruffle before pulling away.

“I’m gonna put the carriage away, Malon. You keep an eye on him, ok?” Talon said, and his daughter nodded back at him. Talon lingered for a moment, worriedly watching them, but finally left the room. Ingo was outside staring at the carriage annoyed, but he quickly scurried away when Talon showed up. The farmer glanced over at Epona, who was watching him silently. Talon frowned and walked over to her, giving her a gentle pat on the snout.

“That boy doesn’t have a family, does he?” He asked, knowing that Epona wouldn’t answer. It was something Talon noticed when Link first arrived. Though he didn’t remember much, he did remember that Link was by himself whenever he saw him. The only company he had was his fairy. Talon shouldn’t be too surprised—if Link really was a Kokiri, then it’d make sense why he’d have no family. But Kokiris died when they left the woods, didn’t they? Or was Link finally experiencing the death a Kokiri had when they were out of the woods? Talon rubbed his eyes with a soft grumble. He really didn’t know if any of that was true, but it made Talon slightly worried. Despite remembering that Link was from the lost woods, Talon couldn’t help but feel that he was a Hylian. Everything down to his mannerisms made him seem far more mature than the Kokiri ever were. They remained as children, their bodies and mentalities never changing, even for centuries. But Link…. His face held a mature understanding of the world that Talon only saw in adults. Either way, Talon couldn’t risk him dying. If he needed to return to the woods, he would take him there, he just needed to learn more about him.

Talon led Epona and his carriage to the barn, letting her and the horses roam with the others before returning to the house with warm Lon Lon milk. He was expecting Link to be sound asleep, but to his surprise, he was already trying to get out of bed despite Malon’s protests.

“Link, honestly! You can’t be gettin’ up now! You could barely drink the medicine my daddy gave to you!” She shouted, trying to shove him back to bed.

“I… I’ll be fine,” he mumbled, his voice raspy and hoarse. He brushed Malon off and reached for his shoes, but grew out of breath.

“Link! You’re sick! Lay back down!”

“I can’t stay…”

Talon entered the room with haste, setting the bottle of milk down as he walked up to Link. The boy stared up at him, his light blue eyes wide with guilt.

“Do you need to go to the woods?” Talon asked him, and Link frowned.

“What?”

“The woods? The lost woods? Where all them youngins are in?”

“O-oh, Kokiri forest?”

“Yeah, that. I hear Kokiri die when they’re away from the forest for too long. You… you’re a Kokiri, right?”

A devastated look took over Link’s exhausted face, his eyes spacing out as he looked down. “No…”

Talon frowned at his reaction, and he glanced over at Malon who looked concerned.

“No?”

“I-I’m not going to the woods… I’m not a Kokiri… I don’t belong there anymore. I don’t–I don’t belong anywhere,” Link’s voice grew so quiet that Talon almost didn’t catch what he said at the end. It was quiet in the room, and Link slowly went to grab his shoes, but Talon stopped him.

“What’s the rush then?”

“I… can’t stay….”

“Why not?”

“Because I…. I…” Link stammered, trying to push out a good argument, but with his feverish mind and exhausted body, he couldn’t. Talon sighed and gently pushed him back, and Link obliged, laying down on the pillow, his eyes half closed.

“At least get some rest before you decide to travel, ok?”

Link’s eyes went wide for a second, before closing, and he was finally asleep. Talon sighed and gave his head a pat, giving a proud smile to Malon.

“You handled that well, dear.”

Malon brushed some hair out of her eyes and sighed. “Thanks daddy. He sure is a stubborn one, ain’t he?”

Talon shrugged and stared at the young boy. So he wasn’t a Kokiri, that meant he wasn’t dying, thank the goddesses. But everything else about Link confused him. If he seemingly didn’t belong to the Kokiri anymore, then where did he call home? Did he even have a home? Talon sighed and began to head out of the room.

“I trust you’ll keep a good eye on him?”

Malon nodded. “I won’t let him try to get up next time.”

Talon snorted. “Try not to hurt him too much. You got some Gerudo blood in you, while he’s a simple Hylian,” Talon glanced at Link, “I think. Give him that milk when he wakes up.”

Malon nodded again and plopped herself in a chair, staring at the strange boy in bed. Talon smiled at her, leaving the room once again, feeling exhausted himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Link’s fever was persistent. Talon spent a long time with him to see if he was getting better, but he was not. He wasn’t getting worse though, which Talon supposed was better than nothing. Link stayed in bed most of the time, unable to get out due to the fever and to Malon forcing him to rest. Talon always had to make sure she was gentle with him. He knew she had such a gentle and kind soul, but her Gerudo strength, despite having only a little bit of it, was not to be underestimated. Malon stayed by Link’s side the entire time, only leaving when she had chores to do. She would talk the boy’s ear off when she was with him; talking to him about her chores, her favorite animals, and the songs she wrote. She would occasionally sing to him, and he would always listen. Talon couldn’t tell if he wanted to listen, but considering the small smile on his lips whenever his daughter spoke to him, he assumed that he enjoyed the company. Many times, Talon decided to do Malon’s chores for her so she could spend time with her friend, and eventually, Link started to feel better.

Talon allowed him to walk around the ranch, knowing that being in the same room for days couldn’t feel good for anyone, and Link happily obliged. He always seemed anxious, as if there was something he had to be doing, so being able to at least walk around made him a little more cheery than normal. But as soon as he was able to walk around, he once again tried to leave.

“Where do you think you’re goin’?” Talon asked when he caught Link packing up his things, trying to talk him out of it before he was gone. Link didn’t say anything for a moment, a guilty look on his face.

“I–I need to be elsewhere,” he finally said, finishing packing up his few items scattered across the room.

“Already? I know you’re feelin’ better, and exercise is good for you, but you can’t push yourself.”

Link let out a huff. “I’ll be fine. This fever will go away in due time.”

“Yeah, if you take care of yourself,” Talon argued, and Link shot a glare at him.

“Why do you care?” He suddenly snapped. Talon’s eyes widened at the boy’s sudden hostility. He scratched the back of his head and looked away.

“Is it so wrong for me to care about a sick kid?”

Link’s expression softened and he turned away. “How much do you remember?” He asked softly.

“Huh?”

“How much–how much do you remember of me?”

Talon was taken aback at the strange question. Though he’s only seen Link a couple of times last year, he remembered them pretty well now that he spent more time with the kid.

“I remember you woke me up with a cuccoo and told me my daughter was waitin’ for me. Good thing too ‘cause I didn’t mean to fall asleep at the castle of all places. Poor Malon.” Link stayed still as stone so Talon continued, “I remember you came by our ranch and found my special cuccoo. I teased you about marryin’ my daughter and you got all shy ‘bout it.” Talon chuckled at the memory. Link looked away with an embarrassed look on his face so Talon moved onto the next memory. “I remember you and Malon played all day, and played music as loud as you two could. It sorta annoyed me when I was tryin’ to sleep but I ain’t never seen Malon sing with all her heart like that before. So I let it continue.” Talon sighed and racked everything he remembered about Link, but only one more memory remained. “And then I remember you buyin’ Epona. It broke Malon’s heart to part with that horse but she cared about you and knew you would take great care of her. And that’s about all I remember of you.”

Link continued to face away from Talon, staring blankly at the wall. Talon frowned and walked up to him.

“Why are you askin’ this?”

Link sighed and hugged himself. “You just don’t know me like you used to.”

Talon was taken aback again. “Now what in Farore’s name do you mean by that?”

Link opened his mouth but was interrupted by Malon entering the room. She spotted Link’s packed up possessions and frowned.

“You’re leaving already?” She asked as he quickly finished gathering his things. “Are you sure you feel well enough for it?”

“I’ll be fine,” he said softly, looking up at Talon with another guilty expression. “I’ve already overstayed my welcome.”

Talon tilted his head. “You didn’t overstay nothin’ boy. It was my pleasure to have you here.”

Link smiled slightly, but he quickly turned away, a sad and distant look in his eye. Talon stroked his chin and squinted at him.

“Where do you call home?”

Link glanced at Talon, then at the floor. “I—um…”

“Do you… have a home?”

Link didn’t react, and he shifted uncomfortably. Talon sighed.

“Oh… Link, if you have nowhere else to go, you can always stay here—“

“No! I-I mean,” Link shrunk away, clutching onto his shirt. “You-you guys have been very kind but I–I don’t want to be a bother anymore.”

“You were anything but a bother! We loved havin’ you here!” Talon reassured, but Link didn’t look convinced

“I-I can’t stay here for free… I—I don’t—“ Link whimpered slightly, pressing himself further against the wall. Talon backed up slightly, realizing he was being too forceful with the boy. He took a deep breath and tried again.

“Ok, if you don’t wanna stay for free, then you don’t have to,” he said softly.

Link finally looked at him, a sad look on his face. “I don’t have any rupees though.”

“Who said anythin’ about money! How old are ya? Eleven? I can't expect an eleven-year-old to be able to pay rent!”

Link stared at him confused. “Then how…?”

“Well, I can always have ya work around the farm, do whatever chores you’re capable of doin’, in return you get a place to stay and food to eat.”

Link stared for a moment, the gears in his mind turning as he thought about Talon’s offer.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Sorry to put pressure on you,” Talon quickly added, realizing he was still being forceful. “But if you want, we’d love to have you.”

Link was silent for a long time, swaying slightly as Talon and Malon watched him. He finally let out a sigh and looked up at Talon.

“Can I…. Think about it?”

Talon was relieved slightly and nodded. “Of course you can, just know that wherever you go, you’ll always have a place to stay in Lon Lon Ranch.”

Link gave a more genuine smile at him.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Talon escorted Link to the entrance with Malon in tow, the two Lon’s chatting about mundane things with Link listening silently. When they reached the entrance, Talon turned to his daughter and nodded.

“Malon, could you get his horse for him?”

“Of course, daddy!”

Talon watched as his daughter ran to where the horses were, then he glanced at Link who still had an unsure look on his face.

“Link?”

Link pursed his lips. “I… I wish there was a way I could repay you for this…”

“Oh, it was on the house,” Talon said, waving his hand. “It’s the least I could do for you.”

Link smiled, his hands clumped up on his chest. “You don’t know how much this means to me… I… thank you…”

“Oh, it’s my pleasure. And my offer will always be here for you, or… if you ever wanna visit,” Talon shrugged, “you’re free to visit as well if you don’t wanna stay.”

Link’s face twisted slightly, and he shyly leaned into Talon, which surprised him. He was always so distant from the others, but he was almost hugging the old farmer. Talon wrapped his arms around him and rubbed his back gently, only pulling away when Malon returned with Epona. Link quickly hopped on the horse, discreetly wiped his eye, and he gave the two a nod.

“I guess I’ll… see you around?” He said, and Talon nodded.

“Of course, you be safe out there boy!” Talon said, waving him goodbye.

“Yeah! Come visit! I want to sing with you again!” Malon exclaimed, waving enthusiastically at him. Link grinned at her and nodded at the two. Then he clicked his tongue and ran off on his horse, heading to Din knows where. Talon watched sadly as he disappeared into the field, almost wishing there was more he could do for him. It was strange how much the boy had changed since he first met him. Link was a very playful and hyper boy when they first met him, matching Malon’s hyper energy. But now, he was jaded and serious, almost as if he was an adult trapped in a child’s body. Talon didn’t want to think about what he went through in the past year to get to that point, but he hoped that now Link knew that he didn’t have to face any of it alone, and that he had people to turn to.

He just had to wait for him to reach out.

[hmslusitania]

Ask meme! For TimKon, either 17. “Please stay.” or 34. “When did you know for sure?”

May I offer you: an angst with a happy ending? (who am I kidding; it's you, of course I can)

“When did you know?” Kon asks, staring out well past the horizon. Tim thinks that surely, he must see it, must be able to tell, he’s got fucking super vision of various sorts, but… But he sounds so dejected about it. Like he… like he hadn’t been able to tell. “For sure, I mean, when did you figure it out?”

“Um,” Tim says, and picks up a handful of sand on this very not-at-all real version of Kon’s favourite beach in Hawaii. “Last… night.”

Kon’s face burns bright red and Tim can’t really look at him anymore.

It all feels too real, even though this place isn’t anything of the sort.

And he’s pretty sure that includes Kon.

It had been a smart plan, Tim can tip his hat at the villain du jour for that, at least metaphorically. Trap Tim in a simulated reality, but instead of making it somewhere he knows inside and out, like Gotham, like Happy Harbour, they’d programmed him into a place he only knows in story and rumour. Tim wouldn’t really have any way of determining if there were differences between the real Hawaii the real Kon’s been talking about for as long as Tim’s known him, and this fake, simulation of it. And the programmers had done a pretty perfect job with Kon, too, except for the parts where he can’t tell that this whole place is a simulation, and the part where…

“My Kon, I mean the one who’s not a computer programme, because, like, he’s not mine, mine,” Tim starts. “He’s not… y’know. In love with me.”

Kon is silent for a minute, just staring out at the water and at the small waves lapping steadily higher up the beach while the sun rises. Tim would find this whole conversation a lot less excruciating if computer!Kon was wearing more than boxers with the House of El logo on the crotch, but, well, this simulation was designed to trap and torture him, so he’s not.

“I don’t feel like a computer simulation,” Kon says finally, and buries his toes in the sand like he’s making a point of feeling the sensations. “I remember — I remember meeting you when you were still Robin and I didn’t know who I was beyond Superman’s replacement, and I remember Bart, and Young Justice, and Cassie, and the Teen Titans, and dying and—”

“They probably built you off a brain scan of the real Kon,” Tim says. Tact and gentleness have never been his fortes but, fuck he tries this time.

“Right, and just, like, tweaked my memories so that I can remember being in love with you half that time, and the entire time I was lost in Gemworld, and—”

“Yeah, I guess they must’ve,” Tim says, even though it makes him want to puke. “This place is too… it’s too perfect. You’re too perfect.”

Kon scoffs, and makes a choked off noise that’s all too familiar after last night and Tim flushes with shame that he knows what Kon sounds like now. The thing is, it’s a very, very good simulation, and this isn’t knowledge Tim should have, because out in the real world, Kon doesn’t want to share that information with him.  It’s none of Tim’s business, no matter how desperately he wants it to be.

“Nice to know I’m apparently good enough in bed to convince you it’s all too good to be true,” Kon says, with forced bravado.

Tim swallows, because that assessment isn’t untrue, but it’s only part of the story. “Also I think my biometrics must’ve spiked high enough to temporarily overload the system, because a bird clipped through our room while we were, uh…”

“Oh,” Kon says, blushing even harder. “So, um, now that you know this is fake, does that mean you’re going to escape?”

“Yeah,” Tim says. He swallows. “I just have to crash the programme, make it generate something so insanely huge its processing power can’t keep up.”

“Oh, right, just that,” Kon says. He very gamely swallows, and because he’s built on a very convincing facsimile of Tim’s real Kon, he stands up and nods. “So what do you need me to do?”

**

Tim is not surprised when the explosion they trigger in the simulation tips him out of it’s destabilising pixelated mess into a sketchy futuristic lab. Spaceship? Probably spaceship by the black starfield outside the windows.

He is surprised when his own exit from the gel couch matrix situation is echoed by someone else in another matching chair thing behind him.

He grabs for any kind of weapon available and rounds the central structure, ready to strike, only to find himself face to face with—

“Kon?” he demands. “You’re here too?”

Kon defuses the heat vision that had been starting to build behind his eyes, and then just stares at Tim, blushing a violent red like the heat vision had dispersed through his cheeks.

“Of course he is here too,” an annoyed voice that gives major evil scientist vibes says over the PA. “The simulation traps work best when there are two parties within them to reinforce the shared folie à deux!”

“Sh-shared?” Kon asks.

“Both of us were in the same—” Tim starts, and he understands Kon’s blush better now because he can feel his own viciously taking over his face.

“You thought I was a simulation,” Kon says, floating out of his matrix plug in chair to loom over Tim even taller than he usually is.

“You’re in lo—” Tim starts, but their captor’s voice crackles over the PA system again.

“Yes, yes, teenaged angst. You may continue your argument once my assistants have placed you back in your simulation!”

“We’re twenty-one, actually,” Tim corrects. “And you can—”

He means to tell the disembodied voice exactly where he can expect Tim’s bo staff (as soon as he finds it in one of the cargo pods here in this space station situation they’ve got going on) but Kon cuts him off by pulling Tim’s face into his hands and kissing him.

No birds clip through the walls this time, and the sensation of Kon’s TTK sweeping over him, like it’s not enough to just be touching Tim with his hands, like he has to touch all of him at once, is one that Tim hadn’t been able to fully conjure up out of his imagination. It’s different enough that Tim actually forgets for a second that they’re imprisoned on a space station and have been under for god knows how long, and he seriously considers simply climbing Kon like a tree right then and there to get the actual physical details mapped out.

“I can’t believe you thought my love confession was a simulation,” Kon murmurs against Tim’s lips.

Tim hums and kisses him again. Really, actually kisses Kon. Who really, actually wants to kiss him, too. “I meant it when I said you’re too good to be true.”

“Good thing we’re in a really shitty situation we need to figure our way out of if we want to get back to earth so I can show you the real version of that beach,” Kon says. “Because that part feels pretty on par.”

“Yeah,” Tim agrees, and sighs. He can hear the distant thuds of whatever sorts of robocop automata their captor has coming towards them now, and this fight’s gonna kinda suck, he thinks. At least there will be one hell of a reward for making it through to the other side. “Ready to fight for our lives?”

“With you?” Kon asks, and can’t help himself but to pull Tim in for one more kiss. “Always.”

[brucewaynehater101]

Something I have seen in a few fics and is very near to my heart. Tim Drake Has Birds. Not just any birds, but a gaggle of Crows and Ravens and others. That's what everyone says. But what if he had *more*.

Sure it starts with him befriending 4 or 5 ravens/crows but both are smart kinds of birds and very social as well. They seek out others to play with after all. So if Tim was kind to them and fed them and even helped one of them heal after it got a broken wing (the others led Tim to their injured friend while screaming) then they would certainly spread news to other birds that Tim is safe and a friend. Plus, when any of those birds he befriended has kids? They will teach their babies that Tim is Kind and Trustworthy.

Eventually Tim's flock spreads from just being Crows and Ravens to adding pigeons and grackles and Sparrows and even a few blue Jay's and a couple owls! After all, if Tim starts befriending them about the time (or even before) he starts stalking the family by the Time he's Robin he's gunna have So Many Birds. Tim does his best to hide this from the other Bats because he thinks they will try to make him get rid of them like the one time his parents found him petting a Raven in the backyard.

Tim hides his birds from everyone the best he can and has taught some of them helpful tricks in the field that he can only use when alone. Only a handful can do them, but a handful is more than enough. Such commands are Follow That Person, Bring Me That, Poop On That Person, and other such things. Only three of them understand his favorite trick. Take This Match, Strike It, And Drop It On What I Point At. Sometimes he lights goons on fire, sometimes he lights dumpsters on fire. Either way, a perfect distraction for hoards of goons.

Many of them also have tiny harnesses that can't be seen through their feathers that have cameras on them. Sometimes Tim will have a bird follow a Rouge around for a while because really, who would notice of a specific bird is following them?

The three that are best trained and are totally not Tim's favorites, are the three he has in his civilian identity as well. He only debuted his "pets" are he took over as CEO of WE. On his right shoulder rides a *well* above average size Raven named Huggin and on his left is an equally massive Raven named Munnin. Yes, he did name them after Odin's two ravens from mythology. The last one does not come to work with him like Huggin and Munnin, but stays at home and is in fact part of Tim's Home Security. Guinevere the Agressive Swan. She will attack anyone and everyone that isn't Tim and the moment she spots a person who Shouldn't Be There, she is out for *blood*. The only people she tolerates are Brenard, Kon, Cassie, and Bart. Even Damian with his mastery of animals will get attacked by her.

That's such a cute AU! I want to add an that, because Tim is taking care of pigeons, their lifespan increases as well (idk much about other birds so maybe them too). Pigeons were originally domesticated animals. They live 1-2 years in the wild and up to 15 as a pet.

I would also love to see the ravens intimidate the hell out of other people at Tim's work. The birds are just staring intensely at someone Tim doesn't like as they try to get through a meeting. It's an effective tool for the CEO to get what he wants or needs from opponents (ravens are adorable, but huge. I'd be terrified if one just kept staring at me visibly prepared to attack).

[incorrectbatfam]

Ok this is gonna be weird bc it's a less popular ship/rarepair but I haven't found much Tim/Bart angst specifically and I was wondering if you could do some?

Bart can canonically break the fourth wall. He knew when one of his comics was canceled and he's aware that he's part of a bigger story. And it wouldn't be a stretch to say that he knows, at least in a sense, that everyone sort of takes a backseat to the batfam. So he's aware that Tim is the main character of Young Justice's stories.

Bart was supposed to be the funny speedster friend. He never meant to develop feelings. But it's Tim. Smart, dedicated, messy-in-a-cute-way Tim who doesn't realize how magnetic he is.

While Tim's stealing kisses from Steph on patrol, Bart's sitting on top of a Central City skyscraper, wondering what it'd feel like to have Tim there instead. He pictures the wind billowing under Tim's cape and messing up his hair, and flexes his fingers on the concrete ledge while imaging what it'd be like to have Tim's hand in his own.

Both in and out of costume, he sees the tension between Tim and Kon. The teasing, the momentary touches, the heart-to-hearts. Sure, he and Tim have them too, but with Kon, Tim just seems... different.

One time, they're having a sleepover, just the two of them. They lose track of time playing video games, until Tim dozes off on Bart's shoulder. And Bart just freezes. He doesn't know what to do and he doesn't wanna wake Tim up, so he just stays like that. Hours crawl by and it takes everything in him to resist playing with Tim's hair. Eventually, Tim wakes up and Bart goes back to pretending it's all cool.

Then Tim comes out and starts dating Bernard, and Bart pulls back. He's glad for Tim, but he can't help but long for what could have been. While Tim and Bernard are having dinner on the rooftop, Bart is in his room with the curtains drawn, slow dancing by himself to a song Tim introduced him to years back.

Nobody knows. Not Kon or Cassie. Not the Flashes. In a life written for mass consumption, this is the one thing Bart has to himself. And he's accepted that Tim's never gonna see him as more than a friend. Happy endings are for main characters. Bart's just there to root for him.

[birdybumbles]

Watched the 2016 Jumanji and the second movie and immediately wanted to write a young justice version. Like core four get sucked into superhero video game and have to save the world to get home yfm?

Tim would be the little nerd boy who knows way too much about the superhero world and games and other braniac shit and he picks the Red Robin character. Same backstory minus the capes and the Waynes. Neglectful parents, self worth issues, all that fun stuff that makes nerdy movie kid wanna stay in the game at the end of the first movie.

Kon is the Fridge character. Jock, too cool for this shit, not that bad just a little too absorbed in his own shit and invests his worth in how good of an athlete he is instead of anything else. Probably not a clone, but divorced dads and maybe living with Lex? Definitely falls for Tim and fully refuses to deal with that until they almost die together.

Cassie is the pretty girl. Her family and family friends all seem so close to each other but she feels like an outsider as the only one not born in their hometown and having an absent father. She's prob like an Instagram model and uses the pretty girl stereotype to outrun her loneliness and self worth struggle. Might be kinda fun to have her and Kon be estranged exes too.

Bart is the socially awkward but equally chill girl. He's a little out there and tends to just speak without thinking which gets him in trouble. He's not a loner exactly but he's a niche interest that not many in their boarding school are into. He's super smart when he wants to be and really good at going with the flow. Only a little bothered by the way he can't make close friends like the rest of his big family.

Might actually fuck around and write this one too I never do lighthearted fics

[c0nn0r-c0nn0r13]

“If Tim Drake was meta, his ability would be shadow travel!”

“No, immortality!”

“No, shapeshifting!”

NO. NO. NO. HE WOULD BE SPIDER-MAN. FIGHT ME.

actual explanation:

All ‘weird’ behaviour he does? Spider things. Walk with me. Sleeping in the most random places, spider hibernation. Getting in on high building as a child, sticky. Bad eyesight (thats a personal hc), spiders are nearsighted. Really smart, although arachnids have brains that could literally fit on the head of a pin, the work of scientists suggests that they have capabilities we'd have no problem hailing as signs of intelligence if exhibited by animals with much larger brains. (I copied that off safari but my point stands)

Now, you’ve read that and you’re probably like “but, Connor, thats basically nothing, why are trying pushing spider-man! Tim for meta AU’s.” Well, my answer to that is: i don’t know. But lets compare Peter Parker and Tim Drake for a minute.

Tim:

Heavily shipped with his friends (Conner, Bart, Bernard, Cassie, the rest of the young justice98 line up)

Bi

Wears red

Photography as a hobby

Skateboards

Smart

Nerd

Two (+more) friends that wear red

Peter:

Heavily shipped with his friends/people he works with (Wade, Johnny, Harry, Ned, Harley, Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy, Felicia, Matt, Flash)

Queer coded/Bi

Wears red

Photography as a hobby

Skateboards

Smart

Nerd

Two (+ more) friends that wear red

See, basically the same person. “But Connor, when would Tim get bit by the spider, or are you just gonna say he was born with it.” Yes and no, i have no idea how meta powers work in dc, so we’re going with marvel mutants, stick with me.

Tim was born with a mutant (meta) gene, but it doesn’t awaken till he’s nine and gets bitten by the spider. The spider itself is a failed lab experiment from one of the rogues. He gets bit when he’s following batman and robin. It gets him sick and he doesn’t end up following them for a while because his body is changing. The robin (1 to 2) switch happens, Tim’s still in boarding school so he can’t follow them everyday anyways.

“If Tims robin, when does he become spider-man?”

I hc Tim as gender fluid, so he goes by arachnid. Anyways, he becomes that universe’s resident friendly neighbourhood arachnid when his red robin arch happens (AND HE STAYS AS ARACHNID, NO GOING BACK TO ROBIN SHIT!) Dick still tries (and fails) to get him to go to therapy, all that good stuff. He still meets Pru, Owen, and Z. They (minus Pru) dies. You know how the red robin arch goes. Explosion and losing spleens.

Now, this had derailed so much, but i’m going to derail it even more. Anita Fite is this worlds Deadpool, and Cissie King-Jones is this worlds Daredevil. Why is this? Because i said so, anyways this is how it works.

When being trained by her mother, Cissie gets into an accident, loses her sight, that goops/ooze things makes her “see” the world like Matt does. She proceeds to relearn archery with her disability, she becomes arrowette, then retires like in canon. But later on, she can’t just sit by and let everything happen. She goes to college and gets a law degree, she quits being an actresses. She opens a lawyer place thingy. But its not enough. So she dawns the mantle daredevil.

Anita Fite’s parents get kidnapped as an attempt to draw Empress out of hiding. She comes to get her parents back, but they get killed in the process. She gets nocked out, then when she wakes up she can regenerate and can’t die. She feels like she can’t go back to young justice so she takes up jobs as merc. Taking the name Deadpool.

Why did i decide to add them into why i think tim drake’s meta ability would be spiderman. This was because i was trying to get you guys to think about my team red! Tim, Cisse, & Anita. *insert evil laugh*

I will be drawing art for this later. Good day (do you guys want more of this, because i want more of it, and have to the one make it.)

[necrotic-nephilim]

is this random?? maybe probably but the brain worms said Bart/Dick because maybe Wally didn't reciprocate and a lot of the younger heroes look up to Nightwing so like actually Dark Dick/Any of the younger heroes but for me especially Bart/Dick. Is Dick taking advantage of a crush? Yes. Is he doing it because he wants Wally but a younger more malleable speedster will have to do? ABSOLUTELY. anyway Dark Dick taking advantage of young people yadayada 🩷🩷

RANDOM YES BUT ALSO DELIGHTFUL??

first of all, i firmly believe Bart should be shipped with older men. i can't even articulate *why*, i just think he's a delightful lil guy who should be in more dead dove shit. it's fun to explore that weird balance he has going on of naivety fueled by growing up overnight, versus being very *very* knowledgable bc of the sheer amount of information he holds as well as how quickly he processes the world. he's treated like the silly, almost dumb one a lot. and certainly the comics will put him in that light, especially in how he approaches social situations and his lack of understandings on how social rules work. but he's *smart* in other ways, and it makes him delightfully fun to stick him in a position of being groomed. all it takes is for *someone* to finally compliment him on how quickly he thought through a problem, or how well he handled a fight and he's fucking putty. the manipulation goes straight over his head.

and i just. i adore a darker Dick. sunshine Dick is out. angry but still righteous Dick is also out. i need a Dick Grayson who is tired of having to be the good one. who is tired of serving others with no return. Bruce, the Titans, Bludhaven, all of it. i think a lot of times, people gloss over Dick being a cop (and the copaganda of it) bc it doesn't feel like it fits him and goes against a lot of the themes of the Batfam and how they stand against corruption and all. but i think it's fun to lean into cop!Dick. someone who's authoritative and "fixes the system from inside" and thinks "you can still do good with a badge". bc it adds that greyness to him. there is no *good* way to be a cop in Bludhaven, with the system he works for. so it creates some level of "the ends justify the means" mentality in Dick and what he'll overlook to get something done. back to the point of him and Bart: i think using that mindset for a darker Dick can easily make him willing to groom someone. especially someone like Bart. kill two birds with one stone kind of situation. the personal, selfish reason that he had a thing for Wally that never worked out and now he just for *once* wants something that's his, and who better than a little speedster who looks like Wally and already has a clear crush on Dick. and the more pragmatic reason: Bart has potential, but he lacks direction. no one is guiding him in the right way. you used the word malleable, which is so fun. Dick can mold the partner he wants, *and* the hero he wants out of Bart. there won't be any more complaining from Tim about how Bart screwed up a mission, or listening to Wally or Max Mercury go on about how hard it is to keep Bart on task.

i think Dick would be *so* methodical about it. he has the time, Bart is still young and if Dick starts things *too* early, it's going to cause an absolute scene in the hero world. so he starts with compliments. he's the one squeezing Bart's shoulder and saying "you did a good job out there, kid. that was smart thinking." and then just leaving it like that. the simpler the better, because it leaves Bart wanting *more*. craving scraps of attention and always being on his best behavior when Dick is around. or even when Tim is around, bc maybe that means Tim will tell Dick about the good thing Bart just did. i love a slow burn and i'd love if this took place over *years*. building up more and more, but staying within the realm of casual hero colleagues. it makes sense for Bart and Dick to run into each other a lot, with Tim and Wally, and even more so when Bart becomes a Titan.

i love if this intentionally drives Wally up a *wall* too. Bart would never shut up about Dick. he asks Wally about Dick at least once a week and Dick just shrugs bc *hey*, all kids have a favorite hero, Wally should see the way Tim talks about Ted Kord. he doesn't make a big deal about it.

once Bart is old enough, Dick really leans into it. he finds more reasons to "run into" Bart, starts inviting Bart over to have a place to crash while his wounds heal bc hey, even with the superspeed Bart needs somewhere to sit and let his body do it's thing while he inhales a lot of calories. Dick listens when Bart complains about Wally being too hard on him. Dick gives "sagely advice" and casually walking around without a shirt. (or: in his police uniform the first time he notices the full body blush Bart gets seeing him in it)

i think it's extra fun if Dick orchestrates a pretense like sex pollen for them to get together officially. which is tricky, bc how do you dose a speedster's metabolism. but he'd find a way. bc then, not a single person can blame Dick for it. Bart Allen of all people, in a "fuck or die" situation? just about anyone would end up so annoyed they'd cave to the sex. and it puts Bart as the one who "initiates" and feels the guilt of coming onto Dick. which is so easy for Dick to manipulate and mold into what he wants. he's got Bart in his hands and soothes him after the sex, saying that it wasn't Bart's fault and Dick doesn't blame him. after that, it's easy for it to become a repeat thing. Bart gets too wired or stressed or full of energy, and sex is a very easy distraction to mellow him out. then, before Bart knows it, he's pretty sure they're *dating* bc Dick is giving him flowers and gifts and taking him out to dinner. and Bart is still convinced he somehow caused this, so he's got that fun dash of guilt that Dick can use to get what he wants out of Bart. any time Bart acts out, Dick just has to give him a Look. just full-tilt manipulation and grooming. i think it's also fun if they publically date as civilians, bc once again, Dick being a cop, other Bludhaven cops are the last ppl to question the morality ambiguity of the age gap. they just laugh and clap Dick on the back for finding "such an easy twink". the news would filter into the hero world, but by then Bart's a (barely legal) adult and everyone knows about the sex pollen. there's not much anyone can do, and really, Dick doesn't hold blame bc he was in such an awkward situation. he has his cake and eats it too, especially everytime he sees that sour look on Wally's face, when Wally knows damn well he can't say anything.

[oh-theatre]

I wamna hear about timbart

Why thank u I have so much about them I love them bart is my blorbo

Tim always notices when Bart is getting quiet or overstimulated in conversation or other such situations. He offers comfort or grounding, whether it’s a distraction, fidget or removing him from the conversation

Tim is Barts lightning rod, when part gets really in his head and is speeding around or talking too fast or blurring and he’s not really there Tim can ground him (he offers physical touch, if Bart needs/wants it)

Counter: sometimes bart needs to run or pace around and just exhaust himself but tim never leaves, he will sit and watch and wait he’s there for bart

Tim calls Bart goose and lightning bug and Bart calls him Timmy

Bart has a lot of nicknames for Tim actually, most of them funny (Timtam, Timbit, Timothy Chalamet)

Bart is just about the only person who can get tim away from his work, and he’s got a sense for it.

Every time they get spotted in public they make up a different role for Bart in Tim’s life.

personal assistant, chauffeur (does not have a car, should not drive), his chef, bag carrier, etc.

Bart mindlessly fidgets with Tim’s hands and fingers, Tim let’s him

Tim frequently falls asleep on Bart and he does not move, he also makes a point to make sure no one else disturbs Tim

Tim stocks his utility belt with new snacks for Bart every week

Tim will flirt incessantly with Bart on missions and he just short circuits

They!! Wear !! Each others!! clothes!! “Isn’t that Tim’s hoodie?” “Not anymore”

Bart will go all around the world to bring Tim food and when asked about it he lies and says it was just a restaurant in central, Tim knows he’s lying

Bart thinks alot more then he says things out loud, Tim notices this and coaxes his thoughts out

Tim loves Barts hair, he will consistently put his hands in Barts hair sometimes without knowing and Bart just lets him, sometimes he’ll find tiny braids that must have come from tim

Tim gets really quiet after a mission gone badly, he’ll isolate himself or pour himself into work. Bart will sit in silence with him, he can sit still for this, for tim. He waits as long as he needs until Tim reaches out he always doea

They are so smart and often on the same wavelength and on missions rarely do they need to talk they just know what the other is thinking.

Bart is one of the few people who can boss tim around or challenge him without fallout

They listen to eachother ramble and rant fully invested and offering questions. They are autistic and adhd <3

I think it takes a really long time before they kiss. It’s a lot of “we don’t like each other we’re just really close besties, pals even” but then they almost lose each other on a mission or one gets badly hurt and oh no they are so much more then best friends, this is their person, the mere thought of losing the other person makes them completely break

Bart is the type of person to come up with a wild solution to something and Tim lets him try it

They like to be in each other’s presence even if they aren’t talking, sometimes they can’t talk but they want to be in eachothers space. Tim will be reading or studying while Bart lays on him playing a video game

Bart has a warped sense of life and death, and he doesn’t see death as a bad thing but more of an escape (he has trauma from his past (time in the future)) but the thought of losing Tim will send him into a spiral

whenever Tim gets sick or injured (like needs bed rest) bart will stay with him at the manor or in his room at the tower the entire time

bart speaks so many languages and loves to call tim petnames in other languages, tim melts everytime.

they love to cook for eachother and together, alfred has banned them both from the kitchen however

bart loves forehead kisses tim wil cradle his face and its so gentle, tim can feel when bart speeds by him and gives him a kiss it tickles but hes gotten used to the feeling and loves it

Tim hates when Bart gets stuck in the speedforce but hes always the one to bring him back (lightning rod!!!!!!!)

Bart, on multiple occasions, has stood up to Bruce after him and tim have a confrontation.

With that, hes always there to combat everything Bruce has said and uplift tim and reassure him in very plain blunt words that he is enough, and he is a person worth the world

i have so much please keep talking to me about bart allen, timbart, bart allen **bart allen**

[frenchfriedgiraffe]

dghda characters in the hunger games

ignoring the actual messaging of the hunger games in favour of my silly shower thoughts

adding a cut because this is petty long

District 1

Rainey: look i get that technically rainey is a man but i ran out of female characters so this is the best i could do. during the build up to the hunger games, is very popular and the capitol loves him. until it comes to the actual games and it turns out he's a pretty big mess. tries to team up with rimmer but gets annoyed at him after like 5 minutes and splits off from him.

Rimmer: makes himself out to be this super strong and powerful guy so everyone avoids him. dies from food poisoning 2 days in.

District 2

Friedkin: huge career tribute and has been spending his whole life training for the hunger games. doesn't understand the rules or concept at all but somehow ends up surviving way past the point anyone expected. he's a big fan favourite in the capitol, mysteriously loses his jacket halfway through and spends the rest of the games shirtless

Farah: being from district 2 where they build weapons, shes got a lot of experience and training. grew up working alongside previous tribute and victor patrick spring, so is very skilled and good at her job.

District 3

Ken: district 3 is the electronics district so it just made perfect sense this is where'd he'd come from. very good with computers and figures out how to disable the cameras attached to him very early on. figures out how to escape the arena but at this point bart has convinced him he can actually win, so stays for the rest of the game.

Lydia: also very good at technology. ignore how it makes no sense that she and farah aren't from the same district. spends most of the time building her own weapons and creates some sort of insane contraption that's so powerful the gamemakers have to try and destroy it because it makes her basically invincible.

District 4

The Rowdy 3: somehow martin, vogel, cross and gripps all count as one guy and no one questions it. get to the cornucopia first and aquire most of the weapons. end up meeting amanda and decide to spend all their current resources on building an "epic fort"

Suzie: charms everyone at the opening ceremony and gets lots of points and sponsors, and ends up getting convinced that this can be her "big break". in her interview she revealed she was glad to be chosen in the reaping because it meant she got to get away from her family

District 5

Priest: scariest tribute. finds one weapon and it's the weapon he uses for the rest of the entire time. barely sleeps and eats. people are convinced he's some sort of super vampire. terrifying

Kitten shark: look there aren't enough female characters and also district 5 is the one that handles electricity so i couldn't resist putting the shitten in here. somehow gets the highest tribute training score but no one know how. is a very obvious threat during the games but is too adorable to try and beat. finds an open body of water a third of the way through and is never seen again (not because it died, but because it simply transcended to a higher plane)

District 6

Silas: volunteered as tribute as an act of rebellion against his family. is sorely regretting that decision. spends the time during the training section sparring with panto. the pair quickly become fan favourites and the capitol starts a will-they-wont-they betting ring on them.

Tina: befriended hobbs pretty early on and decides to form a team with him. took the "comedic" angle during the interviews and was so likeable that there were protests to get her out of the games so she could become a full time comedian at the capitol

District 7

Panto: basically maxed out in everything. highly skilled, charismatic, smart, basically everyone loves him. falls in love with silas the second he meets him. fans love the two so much there are riots to have them either released or protected. all the gifts from sponsors he gets are romance themed. he and silas wander off for a romantic picnic by a river and basically forget about the games entirely

Litzibitz: after panto disappears with silas she spends a lot of time looking for him. is convinced he's dead after hearing a canon go off before realising it's just rimmer and so pretty much gives up searching for him. appoints herself as chief mage hunter and spends the rest of the time looking for him.

District 8

Bart: pretty much invincible. has like no sponsors or fans but always manages to have the most food and water out of everyone. the gamemakers keep trying to set traps for her to make things more entertaining but she walks right through them unharmed. trees set fire and soil explodes and she's like "yeah whatever"

The mage: spends the entire training time practicing his evil laugh. teams up with suzie but once he realises her only goal is "being badass" he gives up on her. becomes convinced that not only can he win the hunger games, but he can also take over the entire of panem. dies from a falling tree branch

District 9

Agent Wheedle and Agent Nathan: okay ignore that they're both men again i just have to put them together or the world will explode. form a rivalry with district 10 and spend the entire time tailing them in the games. nathan ruins their chances of being popular after spending his entire interview ranting about his marriage problems

District 10

Estevez and Zimmerfield: again im putting them in the same district. are rivals with district 9 and hate them, simultaneously thinking they're both super cool and also super lame. do more and more elaborate tricks and things to try and one up nathan and wheedle

District 11

Dirk: after getting stabbed repeatedly, falling off a cliff, nearly drowning in not one but three rivers, nearly burning alive in a fire and getting eaten alive by bionic weaponised rabbits (all in the span of like 1 day), he follows todd and climbs up the tree he's in to try and talk to him. convinces him that they can get out of the games and find a way for everyone to win without dying.

Mona: pulls a peeta mellark and camouflages herself as a rock using paint or dirt or whatever in the middle of the arena. everyone forgets she's a part of the games. she also forgets she's a part of the games. to be fully disguised as a rock and avoid detection, she must think like a rock. she IS a rock now.

District 12

Todd: volunteers as tribute to save amanda, forgetting that boys and girls are in separate categories, so he's basically sacrificed himself for nothing. tries to stay with amanda for most of the games but ends up splitting after a certain... truth is revealed. spends the other half of the games up a tree moping in misery until dirk finds him

Amanda: is annoyed at todd for being an idiot but secretly glad they're together. after splitting up, she joins the rowdy 3 and they all get distracted trying to build their epic fort that everyone forgets about them

100% accuracy definitely no issues with this at all

also if like me anyone feels immense anguish at imagining these guys having to kill each other, don't worry, all your favourites band together and they all escape and live happily ever after

[withclawandvine]

GOT LOVESTRUCK, WENT STRAIGHT TO MY HEAD — the wrong place at the right time

summary: Elain was supposed to be in paradise with her fiancè, not alone at an airport bar, held hostage by a storm. Lucien was only supposed to be in Las Vegas for a few days on business, before flying back home on the Vanserra jet. They weren’t supposed to meet, but fate is funny like that.

ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/59610724/chapters/152036788

author’s note: happy @elucienweekofficial !!! i had SO MUCH FUN writing this one. it’s all a modern au, obviously, but the other prompts are woven in! i had every intention of posting a chapter per day(ish) this week, but i went to the george r.r. martin school of writing, so…. that didn’t happen lmao but here’s the first of the planned five parts to get the ball rolling !!

The moment the wheels of the 757 traveling south from San Francisco to Las Vegas touched down, the sky split open, unleashing a seasonal monsoon with wind speeds and torrential rainfall surpassing any other that year.

Most people would consider it a stroke of good luck — a small miracle, even — that plane hadn’t been struck from the sky by a bolt of lightning.

Elain Archeron knew better.

She knew this storm was just one more incident in the chain of mishaps shackled to this vacation.

First, there was Graysen unceremoniously breaking their engagement two months ago, leaving Elain with a voluminous white gown taking up all the room in her closet, a box of unaddressed invitations collecting dust, and a nonrefundable booking for an all-inclusive luxe resort in St. Barts — the Christmas gift Gray had insisted she take for herself and a friend, all with that heavy dose of that new money condescension he was so versed in.

If she’d been smart, Elain would have given the tickets to the retired couple next door, but instead, she’d called Feyre.

Her little sister had suffered her own heartbreak earlier in the year, and although she pretended to be over it, Elain knew she was still reeling. Tamlin would have never let Feyre leave the country without him. Or, more accurately, Tamlin wouldn’t have let Feyre leave the backyard without him.

So it felt exceptionally cruel when Ferye called, voice weak and miserable, to tell Elain she had food poisoning and wouldn’t be able to make the trip. Hell, she’d lamented. I’ll be lucky if I make it out of the bathroom anytime soon.

With her plane departing in a few hours, Elain knew her only choice was to either call the whole thing off, or go it alone.

She enjoyed solitude; she liked gardening alone, and was a lunchtime regular at the little cafe down the street. But in the weeks since moving out of Graysen’s townhouse, she’d been spending most of her time confined to her new apartment, and if it went on for much longer, she’d evolve into a Gothic heroine.

She knew she needed a change of scenery, lest she start clawing at the wallpaper.

A man taking a sharp corner without looking up from his phone narrowly avoided a head-on collision with Elain; instead, he clipped her suitcase, wrenching it from her hand. It clung to the stranger’s carryon for a few paces, then dropped to the floor.

Before it could get swept up by the chaotic and restless crowd, Elain snatched the handle of her suitcase and righted it. The bag wobbled, then settled crookedly to the right. Within seconds of realizing he small, black wheel on the ground near it did in fact belong to her luggage, someone’s foot sent it skittering over the tile.

Elain watched it pinball out of sight, unable to contain her sharp, deranged laugh.

Just like that, the trip had gone from unfortunate to downright cursed — that little wheel was no mere inconvenience. It was an omen, just as powerful as any broken mirror or bolt of lightning. Clearly, the universe was trying to tell her that a hurricane was foredoomed to materialize on the first day of her stay, and wash her away by the third. Or that the long-inactive volcano would spontaneously erupt. Perhaps the plane would evanesce into the Bermuda Triangle.

She should have stayed home. She wanted to go home. Spend the next ten days of her hard-won PTO rewatching Bridgerton. Make a batch of her famous death-by-chocolate brownies and an espresso martini. Get petty satisfaction out of knowing how much of Graysen’s money was being wasted.

But as it was, Elain wasn’t on her way to an island or her Bay Area apartment; there was only one place she could go right now.

She all but stomped, her suitcase limping awkwardly behind her, in the direction of the nearest bar.

Elain collapsed onto a barstool and ordered something sweet, tropical, and strong. The bartender looked annoyed by her lack of specificity, but had the good grace not to say anything about it as he shook up then presented her with a mango mojito with an extra shot of rum.

Elain closed her eyes and took a sip, imagining she was basking in the sun as the tide lapped at her brightly-pedicured toes.

Her conjured serenity dissipated when she felt someone settle into the stool beside her.

A man in a perfectly tailored suit flagged the bartender. It was the kind of suit that spoke of money and importance — the kind of suit that ordered top-shelf whiskey, neat.

So Elain couldn’t help but look to him in surprise when he said, “I��ll have whatever she’s having.”

Sensing her attention, he turned his head to flash her an easy smile, shrugging as if to say What about it?

He was captivating; his sharp suit so at odds with his long hair, tied back in a way that was almost thoughtless. Artfully messy, with a few loose strands framing a face made up of pointed features that screamed mischief. A scar, now faint with age, was carved into the left side of his face from brow to jaw, pulling slightly at the corner of his mouth. That mouth — the only soft part of his face.

Elain watched him take a hearty drink of his cocktail.

“That’s fucking delightful.” He said this to Elain as if she’d been the one to make it for him, not just put the idea in his head by sipping on her own. To the bartender, he said, “We’ll need two more of these, please.”

She blinked at him. “We?”

“What?” His smile was a little lopsided and a lot teasing. “Do you have somewhere else to be?”

When Elain gave the waiting bartender a thumbs-up, the man’s smile grew.

God, he needed to keep that thing in check.

He extended a hand. “I’m Lucien.”

She took it, letting his fingers engulf hers. “Elain.”

He repeated her name to himself softly and fondly, like they do in the movies.

“Well, Elain, where are you supposed to be right now? Assuming a bar in the Las Vegas airport wasn’t your final destination.”

Maybe it was that second mojito, but telling Lucien the story about Graysen dumping her within weeks of their big, romantic getaway, and months of their wedding was surprisingly easy.

“So yeah,” she shrugged, stirring the melting ice and crushed mint around the glass with her straw. “Here we are.”

“Here we are,” Lucien agreed, pushing a water she didn’t even notice him ordering at her.

“What about you? Were you in town for business or pleasure?”

“First it was business.” He flashed her a secretive smile, “Now it’s a pleasure.”

“Well, it must have been one nightmare of a business trip if this is your —”

Elain’s phone buzzed on the counter.

ATTN: Flight MAF608 LAS to MIA has been POSTPONED until 6:00 AM PST. For more information, reply HELP

Elain set her phone back down, then, without uttering a word, slid the water away, giving herself enough room to let her forehead fall to the countertop with a dull, defeated thud.

“Everything alright?”

She turned her head enough to look at Lucien with one eye. “I am going to die in this airport.”

He picked her phone up. “You’re going to die in the next…” he squinted at the screen, “ten hours?”

“If I’m lucky,” she grumbled, “it’ll be in the next two.”

Lucien’s laugh was rich and bright. Elain wanted to be annoyed at him for laughing at her misery, but the sound was so perfectly joyous, she could only manage a half-hearted pout.

“You’re laughing,” she said. “I’m going to spend the night on this barstool and you’re laughing.”

A prospect that still somehow seemed more dignified than calling Graysen to ask for money to cover a night in a hotel. The only reason she could go on this trip in the first place was because of his fancy tech job and guilty conscience.

“The business I was in town for,” Lucien said, making a show of snuffing out his laughter and becoming serious. “It was with a hotel on the Strip that my family does business with. I can make arrangements for you to stay there.”

Elain smiled, even as she shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but —”

“Please,” he insisted, sweeping up her tab with his own, and placing a black Amex on top. “It would be no trouble at all.”

[puppybong]

max mercury at the start of an impulse issue: always stay smart bart. sometimes life sends a guy to kick you in the bits when you least expect it

bart: okay whatever i'm gonna go hang out with my friends and nothing will happen

impulse's new villain doctor dick kick: hey

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Five Fics Friday: February 2/24

It's Finally the First Friday in February, and that means it's Five Fics Friday! I hope you enjoy the fics I've chosen for y'all this week! And please give the boosted fic some love! <3 Enjoy!

SIGNAL BOOSTING

Talk down your DNA by avalanching effect (T, 5,384 w., 1 Ch. || Supernatural Elements AU || Witches, Cannibalism, POV John, Spooky, Death, Suicide Attempt) – When him and Harry are 11, their parents take them to an abandoned sawmill for their birthday, and leave them to their own devices. After they learn how to turn it on, Harry pushes him in. Part 1 of Not dead, not alive, but a secret third thing

RECENT MFLs

The Murder of Sir Emory J. Amat by ChrisCalledMeSweetie (T, 14,364+ w., 5/27 Ch. || WiP || Murder of Roger Ackroyd Fusion / 1925 AU || Surprise Ending, Case Fic, POV First Person John) – A Sherlock Holmes mystery, as recounted by Dr. John H. Watson. Can you follow the clues to deduce whodunnit?

Hand In Hand by LipstickDaddy(G, 2,847+ w., 3/? Ch. || WiP || Nail Salon AU || Fluff, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending) – John Watson is home from Afghanistan, and he hasn’t felt entirely himself, entirely human, for weeks. He bumps into Stamford, and John makes an offhand comment about his friend’s “soft academic’s hands.” Stamford slips him the address of a nail shop near Bart’s, and John wonders if something as simple as a manicure might actually help him. Turns out, it’s the best impulse decision he’d ever make.

Maybe We Could Change His Mind by thalialunacy (E, 23,049 w., 5 Ch. || Post-S4, Romance, Banter, Schmoop, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, First Kiss/Time, Matchmaker Irene, Late-Life Coming Out, Queer Issues, Queer Friendship, Conversion Therapy Discussion, Texting, Anal / Oral Sex, Parental Sherlock) – John now knows that Irene and Sherlock have been corresponding through burner phones and WhatsApp for years. What he doesn't know is that the 'Oo you're shiny and smart!' hormones wore off long ago, and now they're simply gay besties chatting about life, fashion, and, of course, John. But John doesn't know that, so when Irene appears in their life again just as they get called into a very personal case, he feels the sand start to shift beneath his feet and has no idea why. Luckily, Sherlock will always do what it takes to ensure John gets to solid ground, no matter the cost.

RECENTLY BOOKMARKED LOKIUS FIC

we can stay here (& laugh away the fear) by unintentionallyangsty (T, 11,100 w., 1 Ch. || LOKI SERIES || Lokius, Canon Divergence, TVA Shenanigans, Attention Seeking Behaviour, Praise Kink, Touch Starvation, Pet Names, Angsty Fluff, Romantic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Shyness, Awkward Flirting, Crying, Misunderstandings, Cuddling/Snuggling, Blushing, Depression Mention) – Loki is bad with people and relationships, and tends to assume the worst of every intention and interaction because it's easier in the long-run. Mobius is good with Loki. (Or, two times Loki is spooked off by Mobius' unexpected gentleness and familiarity, and one (1) time the opposite is true).

[roboticnebula]

Trick or treat!

You get a… trick?

This is a snippet from a fic concept I’m exploring but still hesitant to actually write! It started out as a silly ‘Barry and Jay are in a passive-aggressive argument and Alan and Hal do not understand how is it the speedsters are fighting instead of them’. And then it got... sad.

Background AlanJay and Halbarry.

Jay is aware he and Barry are arguing over two barely distinguishable shades of beige paint for the guest room, but their fight isn’t really about the paint color anyways. Alan and Hal made themselves scarce a few hours ago, the moment Jay commented he didn’t want his guest room to be the same shade as Barry’s sweater vests, and Barry immediately retorted it was a good thing Jay wouldn’t actually be the one sleeping in the room then.

This was after a long debate over paint swatches, where both Alan and Hal’s inputs that the room should have a nice non-beige color, had gone entirely unheard. The lanterns had realized they were standing in the blast zone and been unwilling to risk becoming collateral damage. Jay is glad to see that after all these long years with them, the GLs are finally starting to be smart about the whole fearless thing.  

It’s a good thing they left when they did too, because paint started flying quickly after. The walls of the guest room are absolutely atrocious right now, randomly sploshed with paint and primer, a whole gallon wasted and spilled all over the floor, but Barry and Jay have retreated to the kitchen to wash up and calm down. Jay is leaning against the counter, waiting for the water to boil for his tea. He’s got paint in his hair, but hasn’t bothered to try and get it off, only rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands. Barry is very quiet as he scrubs his arms and forehead free of the paint, his annoyance is palpable in the air, and Jay doesn’t know why he’s so irritated when he insisted on helping out with repainting the room.

Barry won’t leave him alone these days, it’s annoying.

“Did you go get that extra gallon from the garage, yet?” Jay asks him, gruffly.

Something flashes in Barry’s eyes: sad, scared, quickly buried, and Jay realises it’s not the first time he’s asked.

“Yes,” says Barry.

For the first time all day, his tone is light and neutral, instead of passive aggressive, and the patience behind it annoys Jay even more, a flush of rage crawling up his throat. The phone is deadly quiet on the countertop between them, and Jay vacillates between grateful and irritated that Barry is handling him with kid gloves.

They both know what diagnostic is coming: it’s why Jay hasn’t actually kicked Barry out of his house yet, even if he’s still mad at him for confronting him about this and convincing him to go get tested. Jay didn’t want to be alone when he got the call. Jay didn’t want to get the call at all, doesn’t want to have to break the news to Alan and have Barry, Wally, Bart and the others worry. He wants to stay in denial, wants more time. At 90, Jay hasn’t been bitter about slowing down until this very moment: when it gives his own damned mind the chance to fall apart at the seams.

Barry is saying something about the quality of the wall primer when he’s interrupted by the shrill ringtone of the phone. They both fall quiet and stare at it, their fight entirely forgotten. Barry practically falls in the seat in front of Jay, but doesn’t press: they’re both stretching the seconds of this moment, remain on the cusp of change before it becomes irreversible.    

Jay’s first instinct is to run the phone to the Atlantic Ocean and chuck it, but he focuses on Barry and catches his own reflection in the oven door behind him. They both look ridiculous, the first two Flashes, covered in paint, and childishly arguing. He laughs, slightly hysterical, but also absolutely delighted. He looks at Barry and thinks: this man is my legacy, I would not choose any other and it gives him the courage he needs. He stays standing up, picks up the phone and places it down on speaker between them.

“Mr. Garrick, this is Dr. Brady. I have your test results in front of me and I’m sorry but I have some bad news.”

---

The idea would be to explore speedster physiology as they age/effects of the speed force long term/what that healing factor can handle, but also how chosen family can rally around you when you’re dealing with something like Alzheimer.

Apart from some stray notes and drafts, this snippet is all I have to show for it for now.

Thank you for the ask, I hope you enjoyed! Happy Halloween!

[homiesondaweb]

Shout out to @frogs4frogs for finding these picrews for spidersonas for shawties that can't draw! I didn't want to hop on her post with her Sona and rambles for jt, So! I made my own to ramble on lol.

This is Etta Hampton (Ezy) aka The Recluse the one and only Spiderwoman of New Tulsa on earth 9539

Etta is 17 and lives with her Uncle Barney who owns the Urban Stables that most people in North use for boarding. Etta's lived with her Uncle Barney since she was seven after the death of her parents in a mysterious OzCorp Refinery explosion. She has an army of aunties and cousins that live on the East Coast in Old York or DC.

Etta is incredibly smart, soft spoken and caring. She loves ATV or horse trail riding, welding, pottery, and botany. To the point she plans on triple majoring civil engineering, mechanical engineering and sculpture after she graduates from the Parker's Gifted Academy. Her uncle is her biggest supporter for her education and hobby pursuits and gave her her own garage/studio to work in.

Etta is best friends with the fire chief's son Bart Brown (9539's Hobie), the Bugle Radio's owner's daughter Merry Jameson ( 9539's MJ) and Harry O. (9539's green goblin who just causes more chaos over harm, absolutely hate his father) who the world fattest crush on her and she is 100% oblivious to it.

When Etta was 14 she stormed off after an argument with various of her visiting aunties about her "manish" pursuits she took her four-wheeler and went off trail to a forbidden zone that was the contamination and closed of remains of the OzCorp Refinery. While exploring the remains, Etta was bitten by a radioactive Brown Recluse when security guards had cornered her and she was forced to hide in one of the old R&D offices.

She has the usual power set for a spider person: Spidey sense, the ability to stick to walls, super strength and super agility. Along with long sharp nails that are extremely durable and sharpened canines that have a paralytic and necrotic venom. Etta has two specialty abilities: one is to produce different kinds of acid from her hands and apply it to her organic webs to create different kinds of traps or help her to escape. The other is an ability to control her temperature to the point she can send heat waves of energy off her body or stun/shock others with a fridged touch.

As the Recluse her biggest foes are Cyclone Sandman, Cotton Mouth, and King Scorpion. She has a half allyship with the for hire thief/ spy Prowler (Miles M. Davis) and Green Goblin (she usually just catches and releases with his antics) the fire chief and sheriff work well with her. In school as her regular persona her academic rival is Miles.

Etta tricked out an ATV to fit her theme and made it hover/wall fly so she can still get to places that don't have the highrises that need her help. She controls it remotely sometimes to help rescue people or lead the emergency services to a location/criminals she's taken care of. This causes her Uncle Barney to think she is a close friend of Recluse and works on her tech. He likes Recluse but is highly worried for 'both' their safeties.

The only "Canon Events" she has gone through is the death of her parents and giving up being Spiderwoman for a while after she failed to save a little boy's parents during a train derailment caused by Sandman.

Miguel sent Jess and Ben to recruit her for the Spider Society after she dealt with a Vulture variant and he worried over the fact that her Gwen Stacy event hadn't occurred yet (death of Harry in her case, his spine snaps as he is GG when she tired to stop him from plummeting after a mid-air battle) they haven't explained this to her yet. Etta tries to stay in her world but really likes collaborating on inventions with other spider-peoples and usually sticks to the R&D or repair department over missions.

Is works besties with Margo but highly distrusts Lyla. She partial mentors under Jess and let's Gwen stay in her dimension sometimes when Hobie's world is overwhelming.

Loves blooming onions and other savory snacks, it's not unusual to see her as Recluse snacking on jerky or street corn. Tamale ladies love her. Often wears overalls or jeans jackets over her spider suit. Has hella Spotify followers because her playlists are absolutely fire (even Miles admits this)

And that's kinda it! I have hella backstory about my girl, please ask about her😁💛