#and also drawing todd again as I don’t draw him as much as I’d like to

[dragonfruitghosts]

So it’s my birthday (again) and to celebrate the fact I am now a legal adult I decided to finally Sally Face post again

So yeah Sal Fisher birthday (just ignore it’s canonically about like two months late) and he’s having a fun time with Gizmo

And also Sal’s best friends all celebrating Sal’s birthday in the nicest way possible (only slightly based off of my own friends irl, love the besties 💕)

[julymusings]

simplicity

out there they're afraid even of the killer's shadow, and here i reside in his heartbeat like a home

or; the big bad red hood has a soft spot only for you [3.4k]

jason todd x fem!reader; tiny bit of angst but mostly fluff; aggressive unwanted advances, implied roofie attempt, violence & blood, slut-shaming; Jason “my girl can wear whatever she wants I can fight” Todd; in da clerb, we all fam ⎯ based on this !

series masterlist

A humid, crowded, upscale club isn’t the most ideal way to spend your Friday night, and Jason knows this. Frankly, it’s not his either, but as the owner of the humid, crowded, upscale club, he had to make some appearances at his own business.

“It’s a night out,” he had said. “Let’s make the most of it.”

If you’re being honest, it’s also not the worst way to spend your Friday night. Not when Jason dressed up so deliciously, in a fitted t-shirt, jeans, and his leather jacket. Not when he took you to a booth in the corner of the club and had them bring over your favorite drinks and snacks with the order to keep them coming. Not when you got to wear that cute little black dress that’s been hanging in your closet for months with your favorite strappy heels, the ones with ribbons that wrapped around your ankle and tied into a bow in the back. Not when Jason sat you on his lap and settled a large hand on your thigh, where it stayed the whole night.

All in all, you would say you’re making the most of it. 

You’re sipping on your drink, chatting about something or the other with your boyfriend. He’s half listening, half drawing circles on your thigh and pressing kisses to your shoulder when one of the employees finds you. She’s freaking out because one of the performers hasn’t shown up, and there’s no one else to go in her place.

Jason huffs. He lifts you off his lap and sets you down on the seat. “I’m sorry, baby, I just gotta take care of this. I’ll be right back.”

“It’s okay. I’ll be here.” You smile over the rim of your glass.

He looks around for a moment, then gestures to someone across the room. One of the bouncers make their way to you.

“Just keep an eye out,” he tells him. “I don’t trust these entitled country club fuckers.”

He gives a curt nod. Jason leans in close, smirking, and says, “Especially not when you look like that,” and gives you a quick kiss before disappearing into the crowd with the employee.

A couple minutes later, a crash snaps your attention towards the bar. A young, college-aged-looking man is berating a waitress while a mess of shot glasses litter the floor around them. The waitress looks about to cry.

“Jesus Christ,” the bouncer says to himself. Then to you, “Gimme a second.”

You move to the edge of the booth to watch as he goes over and tries to pacify the man, but that only seems to make him angrier. He shoves the bouncer, yelling about “shitty customer service.” 

You don’t get to see what happens next, though, because your field of vision is obscured by an enormous, very shiny, and very douchey silver belt buckle. You look up for its owner, and a greasy-looking, white-haired man looks down at you. 

“Hey there, sweetheart.” A fake gold tooth catches the flashing lights and it glints in your eye. Uninvited, he slides into the booth across from you. He places a drink on the table, sliding it towards you. “You look thirsty. Got this for you.”

“No, thanks. I’ve got one.” You hold your own glass up.

He rolls his eyes. “Pretty thing like you should be takin’ advantage of all the free drinks you could be gettin’.” His smile sends a chill down your spine.

“Again, I’m fine,” you say, a little harsher. “My boyfriend has brought me plenty of drinks already.”

He laughs. It’s a high-pitched, scratchy, wheezing sound. Like a kazoo. “I don’t see this boyfriend of yours anywhere. He should know better than to leave you alone. I’d treat you much better than him.” His eyes travel down your neck and stay there. You stand from the booth and take a big step back. It’s not entirely personal; no matter how much of a threat he may be, Jason is a worse one. And if he’s still in this neighborhood, never mind this building, you fear for this man’s safety much more than your own. But the man follows, bringing the cup with him. “Come on, honey, it’s a compliment. Show a little thanks. I don’t bite.”

You don’t have to be the world’s finest detective to know that is most definitely a lie. Or to know to avoid that cup at all costs.

You could just rebuff him, walk away. But you’re willing to bet he’d just move on to the next woman. One who’s probably a little less sober, and a little less aware of her surroundings. You feign a stumble and knock the drink out of his grip. It tips toward him, drenching him with its contents. He chokes out a shocked gasp.

“Oops,” you deadpan, not at all trying to hide your indifference.

“You bitch,” he snarls. He lunges forward, snatching your wrist. You try to pull it back, but his grip is iron and bruising. “I was doing you a favor. Do you see anyone else here looking at you?”

You’re suddenly grateful you didn’t put up much of a fight after Jason came home from patrolling one night insisting he show you some self-defense moves. Far be it from you to cause a scene, but this guy isn’t giving you much choice. You employ the cardinal rule of women’s self-defense: go for the crotch. You shift your weight to your non-dominant side and launch your dominant knee right into his groin. The sharp metal edge of his belt buckle slices the skin just above your knee, but it shocks him enough to release your wrist and double over. The same leg used in your attack plants itself on the ground, and you use the momentum to pistol your opposite fist forward. It collides with his nose in a bone-cracking cross. Your stacks of studded rings didn’t do him any favors, either. He cries out in pain. His hands fly up to cover his nose, and the cup falls from his grasp and shatters on the floor, garnering the attention of some surrounding patrons. Blood seeps between his fingers.

“You’re gonna fucking pay for that.” His tone drips with poison. He reaches into his coat pocket and brandishes a switchblade (because of course. You’re not surprised, though. It is Gotham). You look around in a panic, hoping to find Jason towering somewhere over the crowd. He’s not there. A few guys who work for him, though, have since taken notice of the commotion and are making their way towards you. You know they won’t make it in time. You weren’t scared a moment ago, but you definitely are now. Jason only briefly covered disarming techniques, and you didn’t have his practice to stay calm in situations like these. He steps closer, shoes crunching over the glass shards, and you step back. You’re backed into a corner, literally. Your back is pressed against the table. His eyes are glassy and void of color.

There is a resounding pop when the man’s knife-wielding hand is yanked to the side. Too fast for your brain to register, he thuds against the table next to you and the knife clatters to the ground. You look over and see Jason, one hand pressing his face into the table and the other twisting the man’s arm behind his back. 

When his men finally reach you, Jason is seething. They look almost as afraid as the man, whose whimpers are muffled by the pressure with which he’s flattened against the table.

“Who the fuck let this happen,” Jason glowers. Uncomfortable glances are shared between the men, all sharing the same sentiment; we fucked up big time.

Jason’s livid gaze flits back and forth among them. His veins flex against his forearms, rippling with effort. It looks like he’s putting all his strength into incapacitating the man, but you know better. He’s putting all his strength into restraint. The look on his face is cold and steely, with hardened, venom-green eyes and a clenched jaw. This isn’t Jason, the sweet boyfriend, or Jason the easy-going yet respected club proprietor. This is Jason the crime lord. Jason the anti-hero. This is the Red Hood. Who makes his own rules and kills anyone who breaks them. It’s a bit off-putting for you to see him like this; he’s never like this with you. He’s always just…Jason. Your Jason.

One of his men speaks up. “We’re sorry, Boss, we were keepin’ an eye like you asked, but there was trouble up at the bar.”

Jason scowls. “Trouble that required all of you?”

At their silence, he rolls his eyes. “Idiots,” he says under his breath. He jerks the man up to stand, the hand that was pressing him to the table now gripping the back of his shirt collar. “Someone take care of this.” He shoves the man in their direction. Hard. One of them catches him. “And for fuck’s sake, check him for anything else.” 

While they’re busy patting him down, Jason turns back to you. You get whiplash from how quick his demeanor changes. Though still tense, the rigidity of his expression is long gone, replaced with tender concern.

“Are you okay?” His wide eyes scan you up and down, searching for any signs of injury. You manage a nod, still a bit stunned by his apparent shape-shifting abilities. “I’m so sorry, honey, this is my fault. It’s my fault for leaving you alone.” He pulls you close for a hug and kisses the top of your head, murmuring further apologies into your hair.

You pull back and cup his face in your hands. “It’s okay, Jay, I’m fine. I promise.” You lean in to kiss him and feel his shoulders relax.

“Jesus, man, sorry! Wouldn’t’a come on so strong if I knew she was your whore. How much did ‘ya pay for her, anyway?” His voice rings from behind. Jason tenses up again. When he pulls back from you, he’s gone. He’s like Jekyll-turned-Hyde when the combatant that lay dormant inside him reassumes his body.

He turns around, but his large frame shields you from seeing the scene unfold. You place a hand on his arm, a silent message of support, and you can feel him vibrating with anger. His hand comes to rest over yours and gives a reassuring squeeze.

“You know what?” You can’t be sure who he’s speaking to, but you can hear the eerie smile in his tone. “I’ll take care of this.” He faces you. “Can you give me a minute? Is that okay?” His voice is calm.

You know he would stay if you asked him to. And you never would, but you know he would go outside and kill that guy if you asked him to. And maybe you’re feeling a tad vindictive after the whole ordeal, so you just say, “Okay.”

He kisses your forehead, squeezing your hand once more. “I’ll come find you,” he says, stepping away, and you nod.

“Ross,” he commands. “Take her to the office. Get her whatever she wants.” Jason then speaks to all of his men. His tone drips with disdain. “Tomorrow we’ll talk about who’s getting fired for this.” You catch some of his men flinch.

He grabs the man by the collar once again and stalks towards the exit, dragging him along.

You’ve met Ross once or twice, though never exchanged more than a few words. He smiles at you. It’s amiable, if not slightly nervous. You know where the office is, but you’re still grateful for the guide. The mesh of moving bodies under dim lights makes all four corners of the room look the same. With the adrenaline wearing off, your hands ache and you become acutely aware of the stinging shock that shoots up your knee when you walk on it but, persevering, you follow him to the back. He holds the door that reads ‘RESTRICTED - DO NOT ENTER’ open for you, and you smile in thanks.

Various employees, servers and performers alike, mill about in the back hallways. You know some of them, having met in passing during other visits to the club, and offer polite greetings as you walk by. When you arrive at Jason’s office, Ross unlocks the door for you and you step inside.

It’s a nice office, noticeably homier than it was when you and Jason met. The first time he brought you back here it was just a desk, a chair, and a filing cabinet. You perched yourself on his desk while he sat in his chair and you teased him for not having a place for guests to sit, saying something about ‘men and their awful interior designing skills.’

“It’s not ‘bad skills,’ it’s cost-effective. ‘M runnin’ a business here, baby. If you need a place to sit that badly, you can sit right here.” He joked, patting his lap. And he said it with such conviction you believed him, but the next time you visited there was a brand new, plushy suede couch pushed against the wall.

You find a seat on said couch and try to get comfortable despite your protesting joints. From here you can spot a framed photo on Jason’s desk; the two of you smiling while bathing a shelter dog at the Wayne Animal Sanctuary. But while you smile at the camera, his gaze is trained on you.

 Ross stands in the doorway, stoic as a bodyguard should be. “Do you need anything?” He asks you.

“No, I’m okay. Thank you, though.”

“‘Course. I’ll be outside. Just yell if you need anything.” He moves to exit, but pauses. “Look,” he says, “We’re all really sorry about what happened. It was our fault. You have every right to hate us.” He chuckles self-deprecatingly. “God knows the boss does.”

You purse your lips, unsure how to respond. Technically Jason did instruct them not to leave you alone. But really, the only person at fault is that horrible man, and he was currently getting what he deserved.

“It’s okay, Ross,” you say, and you mean it. “I don’t blame you. And Jason’s not gonna fire any of you, okay? I won’t let him.”

He exhales. “Okay, you—yeah. Okay. Thanks.” He loiters awkwardly in the doorway for a moment. “Listen, Todd’s always been a great boss. But it’s no joke when it comes to you. Don’t know exactly what happened, but after meeting you, he’s just…different. Not sure if I believe it, but after the first time you were here, one of the bartenders swears they heard him whistling. Anyway, just mean to say…we’re glad he has you.”

His sincerity warms your heart. You thank him, and he assumes his post outside, closing the door. 

At last in decent lighting, you take the time to examine yourself. Your knee, knuckles, and wrist are splotchy with bruises. A small scrape rests just above your knee from you were scratched. There’s a splattering of blood on your knuckles and on the rings you’re wearing. You grimace, the reality of what just happened settling in. Someone pulled a knife on you. If Jason hadn’t been there…the thought leaves you cold.

There are voices on the other side of the door, then receding footsteps. After a few seconds, a knock.

“Baby? Can I come in?”

“Yes,” you call out. Jason enters, locking the door behind him. There are some smatterings of blood on his hands and face, and he’s holding a first aid kit. Your immediate instinct is that he’s the one who needs first aid.

“Are you okay?” You ask as he kneels on the floor in front of you. “Did he hurt you?”

Jason tilts his head like a confused puppy, eyebrow raised. Just like that, The Red Hood is gone. He’s Jason again. He speaks softly, with a hint of his usual boyish charm. “Should I be insulted by you asking me that?” He picks up your un-injured leg and places the foot on his thigh, beginning to unravel the ribbon wrapped around your ankle. He removes the shoe and places it to the side, then repeats with your other foot. But when he moves it, your knee twitches and you wince. He frowns but doesn’t say anything. He sees the way your eyes travel between all the spots of blood. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, none of it’s mine.”

You sigh in relief. “You didn’t…kill him, did you?”

He chuckles, lightly massaging your foot. “Nah…did you want me to? ‘Cause I can still—”

“No.”

He smirks at you, before leaning down to press a kiss to your bruised knee. It’s so gentle, so loving, it completely contradicts the bloodstains that adorn him. As his hands move up to your calf, your hand moves to his hair, fingers threading through the white streaks and pushing them back so you can get a better view of his eyes. They’re a silky teal, bordering on sea green. They remind you of lake trips in the summer, and ice skating during the holidays.

“How bad is he? Like, on a scale of ‘he can walk it off’ to ‘he needs to go to the hospital.’”

Jason pauses his movements, looking thoughtful for a moment.

“He…he’s walking himself to the hospital.”

There’s not much you can say to that. After all, you gave him to okay to go fuck that guy up.

From the first aid kit, he retrieves a box of Band-Aids. They’re the children’s ones, decorated with cartoons and various characters. A specific one catches your eye, and you pick it out of the carton.

“Robin? Really?”

Jason breathes out a small laugh. “One of my guys’ daughter loves him.” He unwraps the bandage and sticks it over the scratch. You admire the small red plaster. Jason traces a finger over the emblem in the center, a black and yellow ‘R’.

He moves from your leg to your hand, gingerly laying it in his palm. One by one he slides each of your rings off. They’re not particularly special, but you still like them and you try to protest when he tosses them in the trash. He’s quick to assuage you with promises to buy you new ones with, hopefully, less blood.

"Did you see how good I got him?" You suddenly feel shy asking such a question. Like a child seeking validation.

"I did see," Jason says. And there's not a hint of condescension in his tone. "I'm proud of you. You remembered what I taught you."

You beam under his pride.

He uses a sanitizing wipe to remove the droplets of blood from your knuckles, kissing each one along the way. He reaches your wrist last. There’s a purple hand-shaped mark that wraps around it, and he stares at it. You can see his thoughts race at sixty miles an hour, and you know he’s beating himself up about it.

“Hey.” The hand in his hair moves to stroke his cheek. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault. I promise. I love you.”

He leans forward to press his forehead to your wrist. “I’m sorry,” he breathes. “I’m sorry.” He places gentle kisses on the purple skin. “I’m sorry. I love you.” He moves to the scratch above your knee, pressing more kisses, repeating the words like a prayer. Your hand is still enclosed in his hands, and his cool fingers soothe the throbbing swell. You pull his head up, holding his chin in your fingertips. His eyes close as he soaks in your warm touch.

You reach for another wipe and begin wiping the blood from his face. Some of it has dried, so you press the wipe a little harder, and blood rushes to his cheeks to give him an adorable flush. You repeat the process on his hands. Blood erased and wipes discarded, you pull him up to the couch to lie down with you. He stretches out, so large that his feet hang over the armrest. You snuggle up to his side and your head rests on his shoulder. He wraps his arms around you and kisses the top of your head. It’s surreal, how utterly soft he is, and just for you. How no one else gets to see him like this. He goes out at night as a fighter, a crusader, a deadly threat. And then he comes home to sleep in your arms. In your bed.

You place your hand against his chest, right over his heart to feel it thrum beneath your palm. It beats simple and steady, and just for you.

am i the only one who likes the whole jason owning the iceberg lounge storyline (aside from the whole penguin prisoner thing but i only write according to canon that i like and leave out the things i don't! whoops🤷‍♀️);

the feminine urge to write more fics that take place within the universe of this one...

divider is from here

[comethead]

hi hi hello! never made a request before i’m kinda new to tumblr lol

ANYWAYS.

jason x fem!reader and reader broke her ankle and ofc jason is being super sweet and gentle and eventually reader really wants to fuck him but he’s hesitant bc broken ankle but like super sweet gently sex?? (also pretty pet names please i’d actually melt)

- 🦚 (can that be my anon?)

omg hiii, yes! 🦚 anon I hope you're still around cuz haha school got in the way but here is your request! hope you enjoy >u<

Care for You

MDNI // smut // Jason Todd x Reader

(afab reader, creampie, praise, gentle sex, pussy eating, no use of y/n)

Ao3 Link

“Hey, hey, settle down, I’ll grab that for you.”

You huff, sitting back down on the bed as Jason reaches for the magazine you were eyeing. They sat at a pile at the foot of your bed, which you’ve been confined to for as long as Jason was around. That being, always, as he hasn’t left your side since you broke your ankle, with the exception of going on patrol (but not without telling you a hundred times over to give him a call for absolutely anything). 

You give your boyfriend a peck on the cheek once he closes the distance between you two to hand you your magazine. “Thank you Jay, though I will say I’m not that fragile you know,” you pout, flipping open the booklet to the first couple of pages. He snuggles up to you, resting his head on your shoulder as he murmurs, “I know, but I’m gonna take care of you regardless. Can’t have my baby going and breaking her other ankle.” You smack him lightly on the arm for the last comment as he chuckled. You puff out your cheeks in mock anger and turn your head swiftly away from him. Gently, he places a hand on your chin to turn you to look back at him. “C’mon, you can’t stay mad at me for long, can you sweetheart?” You melt under his gaze, and flush as he presses a soft kiss to your lips. You press your lips against his when he draws back, and he gladly returns your passion by deepening the kiss. Before long, the two of you are making out, breaking apart for air before locking lips again. 

You tug at his shirt, beckoning him to take it off. You’re incredibly turned on, the way his lips are wet and red from making out, watching his broad chest rise and fall as he pants. “Hey,” he breathes, “I don’t think we should…your ankle-”. You shush him, and whip out that magazine from earlier. You flip to a page and show him a little diagram with a small paragraph describing it. “Look, it's a sex position that won't strain or jostle my ankle too much,” you say proudly, grinning at the way Jason’s eyes widen. “Jeez, my pretty baby is doing her research, huh?”, he chuckles, pressing a kiss to your forehead. You smile back at him, tossing the magazine aside. “Soooooo..?” you ask, running your hands down his chest and to his stomach, noting the way his breath hitches. “Mmm, I really think you shouldn’t risk it babe,” he groans, catching your hands and holding them in place.

“Oh Jay, I promise I’ll say something if it hurts at all and we’ll stop immediately. Pretty please?”, you whine, gazing hopefully into his eyes. Jason sighs, releasing your hands and moving his to your breasts as he massages them. You whimper, placing your hands on top of his as he whispers, “Alright, you better keep that promise though.” The low notes of his voice sends tingles down to your tummy and you can barely contain your arousal as you moan, his fingers pinching your sensitive nipples. Moving down, he pulls your shorts down slowly, making sure not to move your ankle too much. Kissing your bare thighs, you suppress another moan when you feel his hot breath against your cunt. Jason moves your panties aside as he licks a broad stripe on your folds, feeling your wetness on his tongue. You nearly clamp your legs around his head in pleasure, your head thrown back and mouth open in a silent plea for more. Wrapping his arms around your thighs, he holds you gently yet firmly in place as he continues eating you out. Circling his tongue around your clit, you let out a breathy moan from the stimulation as he works at bringing you to your climax. Adjusting your legs with the slightest of movements and with great care, Jason pulls back from your soaked cunt, your pleasure evident on his chin. “Fuck baby, you look so damn pretty,” he breathes, gazing at you with half-lidded eyes. You flush, covering your face. “Hey, don’t get all shy on me alright?” he gently pushes your hand away from your face as he cups your cheek in one hand. “You’re doing so good, sweetheart,” he says, kissing you softly. You return the gesture, and the taste of yourself has your pussy clenching around nothing. “Oh Jay, please-” 

“Mhm, I got you baby.” He’s pulling his boxers down now, his hard cock bumping against your sensitive clit. Slowly, he begins to push his length in, whispering praises and groaning at the way you squeeze around him. Thrusting gently so as to not jostle your legs too much, you feel another orgasm build up. His steady pace keeps you moaning and crying out his name as you feel his dick fill you up. “Oh fuck,” he pants, leaning down to press little kisses to your neck up to your face. As much as you’re able to, you rock your hips onto his cock, feeling the stretch of your pussy accommodating his girth when he bottoms out. “Shit, sweetheart, I’m- ngh- I’m close,” he moans, thrusting faster. You whimper as you feel your own orgasm approaching, finally cumming when your sweet Jason cums deep into your cunt, filling you up. The two of you stay like that for a while, with him in you and the both of you breathing heavily. He finally pulls out and carefully lays down next to you, tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ear. “Told you I’d take care of you,” he smirks, and you roll your eyes in false annoyance, happy to have had sex with your favorite boy.

[gilverrwrites]

Comic inspiration anon here again :) I think I read a few of your works, got super woahed and tunnelvisioned and didn't think about how big the list would become considering how much you write.

I'm most curious about DC characters, bruce, jason, slade, and such :) just a top 10 dc comics would also be very insightful. Thank you so much.

Bruce Wayne

Ngl, I’m heavily inspired by The Arkham Games and BTAS

Less so, due to its newness, but Batman: Caped Crusader was top notch and definitely has wormed it’s way in there too.  

But comics wise, Batman (the 1987-92) is like my basis for comics cause I got a bunch of them for cheap at a car-boot sale as a kid and that’s where it really began for me.

Batman Eternal 2014-15 and Batman and Robin Eternal 2015-16

Hush 2003

His limited appearances in Catwoman (1993-01) and Justice League America (1989-92). I wouldn’t seek these out just for Batman, but they’re good reads.

When I’m channelling his softer side, Wayne Family Adventures

I don’t love Tamaki’s writing (various Detective Comics from 2020-2022) but Dan Mora pencilled a lot of them, and by god does Mora feed us good art. Mora Batman is the image I tend to have in my head when writing.

Extension Batman/Superman: World’s Finest (2022), Mora art, and Waid writing (which is better but not peak- Still very fun, would recommend to anyone, new or old to comics).  

Vocally I’m always imagining Kevin Conroy.

I have a lot of issues with The New 52, but overall I did like The New 52 Adventures of Batman (AKA Batman 2011-16). You should read both the 1988 Death in the Family and 2012 “The Joker” Death of The Family for Bruce and Jason.

But like, there are thousands and thousands of Batman comics and related media out in the world, these are just the ones I’ve picked up that have left a mark on me. What I’m channelling when I write him could be so far removed from somebody else’s, and we’d both be valid even if our portrayals vary vastly.

Jason, we don’t get the luxury of being so picky with because he doesn’t have nearly as much content, and most of it isn’t great. (That doesn’t mean people can’t have opposing opinions/ideas of him and still both be correct though)

Jason Todd

Personally, I’d skip his pre-crisis, Ginger Dick Grayson story line from 1983. Go straight to Batman 408-411, then 416, 422-429 (1987-1988), for pre-death Jason. (I don’t think this is pivotal reading to enjoy him as a character, but they’re there if you want every piece of Jason content you can consume.

Read Under the Hood 2005-06

Then watch Batman: Under the Red Hood 2010

You can also read Batman: Under the Red Hood 2011 (standalone) if you’d like, but I don’t recall it adding a whole lot more to the story.

I’d re-recommend Batman Eternal and Batman and Robin Eternal too.

Then you’ve got Red Hood and the Outlaws (2012-15), Red Hood and Arsenal (2015-16), Red Hood & The Outlaws (2016-18), and Red Hood: Outlaw (2018-20). All four series are very up and down, they have good and bad too them, but over all they all fall a little flat. That said, they are where I draw most of my inspo from. In particular, Red Hood and Arsenal and Red Hood: Outlaw.

There’s also Red Hood: Outlaws (2022-23), which gets more slack than it deserves, but again isn’t great. It does offer some good insight into his morality.

And all of the above feed us good drips into his and Bruce’s relationship.

Again, WFA for softy Jason.

I only think of Batman: Arkham Knight when I’m writing for AK!Jason, but vocally I’m always imagining Troy Baker.

I know I said his appearances are limited in comparison to Big B, but there is still a lot more Jason out there, but these are the pieces I think of most when I’m writing him.

Slade Wilson I've answered already here.

I'm gonna be honest though, if you really want a list of my personal top DC comics I'll give it, but they're all very villain centric, and aren't anything great in the grand scheme lol, they just hit my specific interests on the nail.

[jimothy-hopkins]

Too lazy to draw him but this is Dennis Todd’s ref sheet!

Info About Dennis-Todd!

General description:

Dennis-Todd is a tall and lanky individual. The most striking feature he has are his eyes, which are two separate colors. His right eye is blue, while his left eye is brown. Dennis-Todd doesn’t have much muscle, and is on the skinnier side. He wears wire framed glasses and has blonde hair down to his shoulders. He is exceptionally pretty for a guy. Dennis-Todd also has a thick Louisiana accent

Dennis-Todd, despite being at the bottom of the social hierarchy, stands up for himself quite frequently. He has an attitude and is not afraid to throw insults. Dennis-Todd has a sarcastic sense of humor, and can definitely be backhanded with his words. The majority of the time he is very kind. Dennis-Todd treats everyone he meets with respect, even referring to peers as ma’am or sir. He was raised to be a gentleman by his parents, and Dennis-Todd knows a little kindness goes a long way at Bullworth.

Interests and whatnot:

Dennis-Todd rode horses before he left Louisiana. He competed in pole-bending and cowboy mounted shooting. He was exceptionally talented at shooting.

Before he moved Dennis-Todd also hunted. He hunted gators and deer with his father and brother. Dennis has an impressive pair of antlers mounted on his wall that belonged to a large buck. He also had a pair of boots and a belt made from gator skin.

Dennis-Todd has always loved human anatomy. He enjoys learning about how the body works. He is very interested in taking a job in the medical field, more specifically radiology.

From a young age Dennis-Todd loved music. He loved walking the streets of New Orleans and hearing performers play on the street corners. He plays the trumpet and enjoys jazz and the blues. Dennis-Todd is a very talented player, and is apart of the marching band.

Reputation:

The jocks seems to be oddly hot and cold with Dennis-Todd. Some members hate him and others avoid him. This is majorly due to the fact he is in a not-so-secret relationship with one of the players, Denton. (For context, Denton is my partner’s OC)

The greasers think Dennis-Todd is a stuck up little prick. They don’t like his attitude and generally think he’s a bitch.

Dennis-Todd does not mind the preps. They do get on his nerves when they say things that are completely out of touch. He corrects them on it a lot. Dennis-Todd is on very thin ice.

The bullies try their hardest to aggravate and harass Dennis-Todd into giving up. He doesn’t take any of their shit and usually bullies them back though. On one occasion he made Wade Martin cry.

Dennis-Todd is in very good standing with the nerds. He helps them in their academic and dorky endeavors. H appreciates their company. He is close friends with Bucky and Cornelius, as well as Beatrice. Earnest hates Dennis-Todd because he feels like he’s being replaced by him.

Quotes:

“New day same ol’ bullshit.”

“Lower your tone when you talk to me.”

“Not even science would want your body!”

“If I have to get in that rank ass mascot again I’m gon’ rip my hair out!”

“This is why we can’t have nice things y’all.”

“Sorry I have to go help Denton with his math homework.”

“Yeah and that’s why you built like somebody’s meemaw!”

“Does Mr. Galloway even know where he is?”

“Yeah and that’s why you ain’t got no bitch Johnny.”

“Derby that’s a lotta shit comin’ from you considerin’ you look like somebody’s failed art project.”

“Jimmy shut up talkin’ to me like that and tend to your hoe posse.”

“I wish you would!”

“Hey honey how are you?”

“I am NOT gettin’ in that pool Coach Burton you can kiss my ass!”

“Darlin’ is he givin’ you trouble again? I’ll go settle that out for you real quick don’t you worry honey.”

“Her? Oh don’t be too hurt now honey that girl’s taken more turns than a keyhole.”

“Bless your heart.”

“Here, let me help you with this real quick. This subject’s hard I know.”

“Shh, honey don’t cry. If you cry I’ll cry, cause I’d be damned to let someone be upset all alone. C’mere.”

“I’m pretty sure whatever Edna’s cookin’ up in that kitchen will be our LAST supper, let’s go down to the pizza shop.”

[ryuichirou]

Replies

Short ones today!

Anonymous asked:

Is Yandere Todd invited to Wallace and Mobile’s wedding?

I don’t think so, and the regular Todd isn’t invited either… Why would he be? He is just one guy that Wallace hooked up with a couple of times over the course of 3 days, albeit kind of a clingy and dangerous one; I wouldn’t be surprised if Wallace forgets about him by the time he and Mobile get married :(

That doesn’t mean that Todd won’t show up to sit in the corner, stalk them and even cry a little of course. And if this is Yandere Todd, he might even consider ruining Wallace’s special day, but maybe he’ll be smarter and just watch for now. For now..

Anonymous asked:

No question, just wanted to say you draw bulges in a way that lets them live rent free in my head. Art work very good

Anonymous asked:

Silver's bulge my goodness... He's a big, healthy boy ❤️ and Lilia...... Can't even eat with his mouth closed 😔 Silver please get him with the spray bottle!!

This is about yesterday’s comic! Thank you so much for appreciating the bulge, Anons <3 Ironically, this is one of the things that I consider to be tricky to draw, so I am very happy it looks good… I’d say that I didn’t intend it to be noticeable, but then again I redrew it 3 times lol

Silver is a big, healthy boy indeed… And he’s going to get even healthier if he shares a meal with Lilia- *gets sprayed nooo*

Anonymous asked:

WTH is Lilia eating? I thought he was munching on entrails here…also I snack like this, Silver, whachyu tryna say?

It’s just spaghetti~ Ice-cold gross slippery delicious spaghetti!

Silver sounds like someone who had never had spaghetti out of the fried at 3 am in his life before, and it shows. Lilia has to fix that.

Anonymous asked:

never really though t of shipping vil and jake unironically until i saw ur fanart of them- you have a mega big brain and im here for it

Thank you so much, Anon! These two are wonderful together, I am very happy you liked how I draw them <3

Anonymous asked:

https://www.tumblr.com/pugfarts/82974480433/i-made-an-aoba-cake-for-my-wifes-birthday: But Idia.

Yes.

Anonymous asked:

So, it’s the Epel and Rook anon again and I just saw the newest pic on kofi. All I can think of is Rook comforting him but having a creepy, happy look on his face. And maybe later, seeing how vulnerable Epel is, he takes a little detour on the pretense of “comforting” him and….

Another notch in his hunter’s belt.

I’m so sorry, my mind is a dark place.

I am so happy you like this idea so much, Anon! Thank you so so much!

As always, you are completely right. Holding Epel’s shivering body, embracing him so tightly and hearing his intense heartbeat as well as his quiet pathetic whimpers, this is going to make Rook lose track of time for sure. He’ll make sure to comfort the boy in the best way possible~ And leave poor Epel traumatised lol

[adamwatchesmovies]

Pinocchio's Christmas (1980)

Pinocchio’s Christmas takes Carlo Collodi's 1883 novel and gives it a holiday twist. The results work surprisingly well. Though the songs are lousy and the animation brings up certain issues I’d never even thought of before, its short running time, combined with the good-natured story and heartwarming message allow it to squeak by and make it worth watching… if you happen upon it playing on TV.

When poor woodcarver Geppetto (voiced by George S. Irving) sculpted a wooden puppet from a log, he never expected it to come to life. Despite his best efforts, "Pinocchio” (voiced by Todd Porter) gets himself into all sorts of trouble as the Christmas season draws near.

Pinocchio’s story naturally ties itself to Christmas. He's a toy, brought to life through a miracle, he needs to learn to differentiate right from wrong, etc. Here, Geppetto wants to buy a Christmas present for his wooden son and Pinocchio wants to reciprocate. Led astray by The Fox and The Cat (Allen Swift and Pat Bright) Pinocchio goes on the same sort of adventures as he did in the novel: dismissing the Talking Cricket (Bob McFadden) that wants to give him advice, working in a puppet theater owned by Maestro Fire-Eater (Alan King), skipping school to earn money in a way that’s way too easy to be true, etc. Meanwhile, the fairy Lady Azura (Diane Leslie) watches from a distance. If finding your pops a great gift for December 25th isn’t the mark of being a good boy, I don’t know what is. It may even even be enough to earn Pinocchio the right to become a REAL boy! The solution to Pinocchio’s dilemma is a good one, particularly for little kids, who can’t exactly go to the store and buy their parents something nice.

Though the stop-motion animation is fine for a TV movie of the early 80s (really, it’s much more reminiscent of something you would’ve seen in the 60s), I’m not sure how well-suited this visual choice is for a Pinocchio story. See, Pinocchio is a puppet, and so is everyone else. He stands apart from the other characters if you look at his elbows and knees but it’s an odd effect. The initial knee-jerk reaction you have could've been reduced if everyone but the protagonist had received sewn hair instead of painted hair, or some other visual cue that they’re real and he’s not. Geppetto’s design is particularly distracting because he has those lines running down the sides of his mouth like a ventriloquist dummy. In certain scenes, he looks faker than his artificial son does!

Any issues the film might have are specks of dust compared to the dreadful songs. The same words are rhymed over and over, which makes them easy to sing along with and memorable but these earworms are the kind that will dig into your skull and start taking big chunks out of your brain. I’ll take the Ninja Turtles’ rendition of 12 Days of Christmas a dozen times if I never have to hear Pinocchio singing Dancin’ or The Fox and The Cat telling me all about It’s the Truth again.

The ending of Pinocchio’s Christmas seems to imply that it could fit somewhere in The New Adventures of Pinocchio series but I’d bet a whole money tree that the continuity wouldn’t line up, particularly with the “love interest” introduced for the protagonist. Nonetheless, if you enjoyed the series (maybe you caught it when it originally aired during the '60s or on syndication) it’s worth checking out as a companion piece. For the rest, I can also give this film/TV special a mild recommendation. Despite the awful soundtrack, the kindhearted message at its core is nice and the plot is occasionally clever. (On VHS, December 19, 2021)

[marinersubmariner]

AU looks for Rey and Ben

Commentary under the cut

I initially conceived of this as being solely about the hairstyles, but then I couldn’t just make them wear one outfit because different outfits go with different looks, so it increasingly became a very high effort video game character customizer. It’s just too much fun to play dress-up, and what better time to indulge my love of space fashion than with a custom template of my favs!!

I actually do have a longtime dream of making a paper doll set because I love outfits, I love canonverse AUs, and the lack of significant variety in their looks throughout the sequel trilogy has obviously driven me to madness, but. drawing clothing on entire head-to-toe figures is a whole thing. These busts alone took so much time I don’t know if I’d ever finish something more extensive.

Miscellaneous notes and thought processes from staring at this for way too long:

Short-haired Rey/long-haired Ben 4ever

Rey wearing green and Ben wearing blue is my ideal configuration so it’s what I will always default to. They are simply the correct colors, sorry I DO make the rules

Of course this whole thing came about mostly because I wanted to give Ben a Leia hairstyle. OF COURSE. And the outfit is stolen from Bail—I previously made a photomanip of this but didn’t quite complete it (yet?? ehh. why bother at this point). Funnily enough in that manip I had turned Bail’s grey ROTS cloak blue for Ben, and then in the Obi-Wan show they did that same color swap and gave Bail an actual blue cloak. Curse my gift of prophecy

I played with giving Rey Ben’s exact same scar—which also looks rad—but because I overthink everything it seemed more fitting to make it a mirror image instead. Dyad things

The EU did already have a guy with Jason Todd hair, but setting that aside I’m still pretty attached to Kylo Red Hood parallels. And a while ago as I was thinking about the white streak again I realized it would make sense to extend it from where his scar is, symbolic of how death and resurrection would be experiences that stemmed from that initial injury. I’m not a huge fan of his scar being completely healed in canon because I’d rather things have permanent reminders instead of erasing them (which is generally a whole problem with TROS!!!), so I like the idea that it would change rather than disappear. Anyway the cost of resurrection is: looking extra cool 😔

Sci-fi women with shaved heads are very special to me, but specifically in the history of Star Wars I have a deep fondness for Natalie Portman’s buzz cut during the ROTS press. She looked so good, RIP bald Padme

Rey’s black cowl is modeled on Kylo’s TFA cowl, but I also imagined it as the good boy sweater. Either way, she’s wearing his clothes

I know Ben in the standard white shirt is pretty boring, but I needed a low collar to showcase his hair (ostensibly the point of this entire exercise!) and I liked pairing a white outfit for him with a black outfit for Rey, because reversals are the best part of their whole deal. Also: casual space Gandalf the White. Also also: I think I just ended up making him the transformed Beast from Beauty and the Beast. APPROPRIATE. It was kind of tough for me to settle on a look to go with the long hair because it was the Ben hairstyle that I thought worked best with every outfit.

Rey’s green wrap/robe is the most improvised clothing here, just aiming for something nice and green without getting overly fancy. I sort of vaguely pulled from the Chandrilan formalwear we saw on Andor, but I mean, the kimono wrap is a pretty standard Star Wars wardrobe staple regardless. The white mock neck undershirt is definitely inspired by Mon. So you can maybe say she’s dressed in Chandrilan clothes because it’s Ben’s homeworld, and he helped her with the braid because yes I subscribe to Ben hair braiding fanons, I’m so sorry, I’m in too deep!!!!!!!

Puffy jacket! Even more colorful!! To be honest I have throw pillows with these colors and I love them, but I was also thinking to give Ben a yellow accent as a nod to Rey’s lightsaber color. This is where it gets to a point that I could spend days switching out color combos, a dangerous game

This was way more time-consuming than I expected it to be, but that seems to be true of all art projects for me as I get older. Now I gotta try to sustain some productivity and move on to the next one of my billion WIPs. Being obsessed with a dead ship and character for which there is vanishingly little hope of ever getting new canon material is so much work

[msfcatlover]

Members of the Batfam in TMA

An incomplete list, because I only dabble occasionally in DC fandom, and so I don’t know the girls or Duke well at all (I will say I think Babs would be an Avatar of the Eye & Duke would be victimized by the Stranger, just for the record.) I’m also not accusing any of them of actively hurting anyone the way that all Avatars must; I’m listing which Entities I think each of them would have the hardest time escaping and which one they would be most tempted to give in to.

If anyone wants to chime in, I’d love to hear other opinions! Like I said, my comics knowledge is limited, so I’m sure I’ve royally fucked at least 3 of these up. Just... please be nice to me, okay? 

Dick Grayson:

Victimized by the Buried. Not in the literal sense, Dick’s not claustrophobic (that I know of,) but his fear of letting people down, of having to step into Bruce’s shoes, the toughest calls he’s had to make that haunt him in whether he could’ve done better… that’s all pressure.

Avatar of the Vast. Unsurprisingly, Dick’s an adrenaline junkie who’s been “flying” as long as he could walk. That sort of freedom is hard to resist, and while I don’t think he’d choose it, it would be so easy to just lose track of people (including himself) out in the open sky.

(Reminder that Mike Crew didn’t sacrifice anyone else to join the Vast; he threw himself into the sky, and only sort of ever came down. His apparent lack of distinct memory after Becoming but very clear memory of everything before reinforces this, even though Mike himself admits he was pretty messed up even before that.)

Jason Todd: 

Victimized by the Lonely. His fear that the people he loves don’t actually care about him at all, that he’ll be left behind & forgotten, that maybe he deserves it, that he was never good enough—

(Buried is a close second, in the most literal sense. I don’t know if Jason is officially claustrophobic, but I like the “clawed his way out of his own grave” resurrection and it’s hard to see how he wouldn’t be after that.)

Avatar of the Desolation. A controlled burn, sure, but he’ll raze it all to the ground to hurt the people who draw his ire. There is a very loud part of Jason that wants the people who hurt others to know the pain they’ve caused; he can justify it, but if their suffering wasn’t the point, he’d just wait for them to come out of hiding & snipe them in the head. The only thing holding him back is his refusal to let innocents be caught in the crossfire.

Tim Drake:

Victimized by the Slaughter. This is twofold, based half on the death of his parents & half on his role as a detective. Random, unmotivated violence is something you can’t predict, can’t protect people from, and he’s already witnessed the results. Also, is this not what Tim set out to save Bruce from by becoming Robin: the descent into excessive violence, whether or not it results in death? 

Avatar of the Eye. Yes, again. I get the feeling this one’s gonna come up a lot; we are working with a bunch of detectives, it’s hardly surprising. Solving puzzles, rooting out secrets, holding all the cards just to know what’s going on… Tim’s most comfortable in the solving phase of any given case, even if he is more capable of kicking ass than most Eye followers are. 

(Tim & Jon have a lot in common, and Tim’s Becoming would probably be much the same: chasing the wrong rabbit all the way down to Wonderland, not realizing the price his new powers came with until it was too late.)

Damian Wayne:

Victimized by the Vast. Again, not literal; obviously heights are not a problem for Damian. But I think he’s scared of his existential insignificance. That no matter how hard he works, no matter what he does, none of it will ever matter. That even the things he aspires to don’t matter. The multiverse is too big, and it does not care. 

(This choice was really hard, for the record, as it’s basically neck-and-neck with the Lonely. I went with the Vast because even Damian is in denial about his need for acceptance, making it slightly easier for him to theoretically bluster through it in the short term. The Vast tends to compliment the Lonely anyway; any chink in your self-worth gives the Vast a chance to make it all seem pointless, and the greater awareness of your smallness & distance from others just makes the Lonely stronger.)

Avatar of the Corruption. This isn’t just because of Damian’s love of any & all animals, though that certainly plays a factor. No, I think Damian would be drawn to the Corruption for how it lets you weaponize that love, to bind people, make them a part of you, so that they’ll never leave you behind. Hold someone close, make them yours. The Lonely might not have won the top Fear on my ranking, but it is up there, and it’s not like he had the healthiest role models for love growing up. (Even if Talia’s an awesome mom, that makes one in the entire League of Assassins.)

Alfred Pennyworth:

Victimized by the Flesh. Not for him personally, I just feel like being forced to face the fact there’s nothing special about his family, forced to see them reduced to meat, would be so much worse for him than the violence or death that lead to it would be. There’s not really any shock to the End, and the Slaughter is the act itself, and I think Alfred’s depressingly come to terms with the hollow echo of the Lonely. The Flesh is the aftermath, what’s left behind, visceral & messy & close, and dealing with that, the remains of people he loves… I think that would be hardest for him.

Avatar of the End. This took a lot of thought, because Alfred just seems so well-adjusted. He’s not impulsive, he’s capable of accepting & coming to terms with his own feelings without taking them out on others, even when shocked he’s very good at going with the flow, he doesn’t need to pull the strings, or know everything, and his rage tends to be very tightly controlled. He also hates to see suffering extended, hates when innocents are at risk, and quite frankly I couldn’t think of any circumstances under which he would accept or indulge any of the Entities. Fortunately, the End doesn’t offer a choice, and its dispassionate inevitability strikes me as the closest to Alfred’s own methods whenever he’s driven to action.

Bruce Wayne:

Arguably the hardest on this list (and probably the most controversial), as Bruce’s greatest fears & vices have changed so much over the years as Batman changed writers. Arguments could be made for most of the Entities to fall under both. This is based on my own interpretation of him, so please let me explain…

Victimized by the Dark. No, this isn’t just because of his backstory — honestly, I completely forgot about the cave until I was halfway through justifying this to myself. No, I think Bruce’s greatest fear is the unknown, the things hidden from sight, things he’s overlooked or can’t account for. It’s what drives his constant need for information, contingencies, and control. Speaking of which…

Avatar of the Web. Bruce doesn’t just need to know everything, he needs plans, he needs access to all the chess pieces on the board. Even if you don’t like all-knowing Batman (and personally, I’m not a fan,) you can’t deny that given the chance to hold all the strings, Bruce would desperately want to grasp it with both hands. He’s already capable of great feats of manipulation, this is just the inevitable conclusion of where that runs into his contingency plans.

(For the record, I was seriously considering the Lonely, Slaughter, & Desolation for the Victimized section, and both the Eye & Hunt were runners-up for the Avatar spot.)

BONUS!

Clark Kent:

Victimized by the Spiral. I don’t think this needs much explanation. The Spiral’s whole thing is making you question your sanity by warping time, space, memory, and sensory perceptions, making even interpreting reality around you near impossible. Clark’s fears of being controlled, manipulated, or being unable to trust his own perceptions/judgements comes up time & time again in basically every iteration of his character (when he stops being worried about that, it’s usually because he’s gone off the deep end.)

(The Lonely is in a very close second place. However, that is dependent partially on character interpretation, and Clark’s Spiral fears are pretty inter-universal.)

Avatar of the Vast. No, I’m not saying Clark would throw people into the sky; this time, we’re working with Avatars on a mostly metaphorical level. Superman already makes people afraid for what he represents, of the vastness of possibilities, of their own insignificance in comparison. And Clark’s fear of how much damage he can do would, I think, make embracing his own relative smallness a massive relief for him. Ironically, Clark’s almost an avatar of the Vast already — it’s his constant efforts to not scare people, to be as inoffensive & gentle as possible that keep him behind that line. The moment Clark snaps, starts inflicting fear intentionally? That’s the fear he’ll be instilling.

(Obviously this overlaps with the Slaughter, Desolation, and Extinction. Special shout out to the Stranger, though, for the fear of something alien hiding among us!)

[eveningspirit]

Haaai September!!

All my shows are coming back, yay!

(technically, not all, but... nvrmnd) I want to rate them from those I most want to see again, to those I will see, but will I care... 

First goes: The Cleaning Lady

Oh, boy, that first season knocked my socks off. It was clever, it was different, there was so much unexpected in it, in terms of storyline itself, but also on a meta level, in the thought behind the show.

It didn’t give me any hyperfixation, so there’s no nervous energy waiting for it. Just pure joy. 

Characters I love? Well, Arman Morales and Thony De La Rosa of course. But I love Thony’s friend Fiona so much as well, and her teenage son Chris, who I hope will have a bigger role this season, because the actor who plays him seems to be absolutely brilliant young rising star. Remember this name: Sean Lew. :)

Overall, it’s a 10/10

The rest goes under, because it got long-ish. ;p

The Rookie -- awaiting with excitement. :) I adore Lucy Chen. Tim Bradford has mild hyperfixation potential, but even without it, he’s a character I want to watch every week. And, after five years of slow burn, I’m ready to ship them. That’s my pace, lol. Also, I love all the friendships between various characters here. 9/10

The Resident -- I still like Matt Czuchry, and I hope to see some angst. It’s not a very angsty show, but it has its moments... Not sure what to expect. Not shipping anything romantically or friend-shippy, but if I were to choose, I’d rather he got closer with Billy, than with Cade. Oh. And I appreciate how they write Bell’s struggle with MS. Overall -- 9/10

NCIS Hawaii -- this is the show that has the biggest potential to disappoint me this season. It’s the show’s second season, so it’s almost a given. I have some thoughts which might be hyperfixation-inducing, but I’m not able to draw them out of very vague on-screen hints anymore. So. Not likely to happen (me ten years ago would have written ten fics already, though...). Between 2/10 and 8/10, ha...

Seal Team -- I will drop it. I’m only planning to watch the first couple of episodes. It’s not that I’m upset that Clay is leaving (dying?), but I cared about him the most, and the show as a whole won’t really keep my interest. 5/10 for those first couple of epis. ETA: apparently the first episode is already up, huh? 

Manifest -- I don’t even know why I started to watch it this summer, and I think this season is the show’s last? But I’ll see it through, lol. Out of the blue. 5/10

SWAT -- I’ll watch it probably out of habit, rather than anything else. I may drop it some time this season. 2/10

FBI -- out of habit. No emotional attachment. 0/10

I’m also watching Outlander and I freakin’ LOVE IT, but I’m on season 4, and I don’t even know when the new season starts. 10/10

And the new shows I will be giving chances...

The Ark -- who knows when? Do they even have a premiere date set? This looks like my kind of show, sci-fi, interesting characters. Can be exciting. May also flop...

Quantum Leap -- I watched the OG and I liked it back in the day, so I kind of have to give it a 4-episodes trial run.

East New York -- the premise got me curious, but if they don’t have any good-looking troubled male character, I’ll probably only give it a 4-episodes trial run. Unless it turns out really good.

So Help Me Todd -- this one I’m really curious about, mostly because of Marcia Gay Harden who I loved on Code Black. And the premise sounds like my cup of tea. We’ll see where it goes.

[marauderundercover]

This Side of Normal Ch. 9

AO3

Prev

Marinette blinks at the house in front of her in shock. She didn’t know what she had expected when Dick had mentioned a trapeze at his house. She definitely hadn’t expected the house to look like...this.

“Your house is freaking huge.” Marinette says.

“Not my house. It’s the guy who adopted us. Me and Dickie bird.” Jason says, slinging an arm over Adrien’s shoulders to reach over and ruffle her hair. 

“Are you sure that it’s okay we’re here?” She asks, frowning. 

“Sure! Besides, B’s probably still at work.” Dick says, grinning as the door opens. 

“Master Dick, Master Jason. I see you’ve brought guests.” An older man says, quirking an eyebrow. Marinette smiles awkwardly. 

“Hi. I’m Marinette, and this is Adrien.” She says, extending her hand. The man nods, shaking her hand. 

“Pleasure to meet you, Miss. I am the family’s butler and caretaker, Alfred Pennyworth.” He says. Marinette smiles. 

“Nice to meet you as well, Monsieur Pennyworth.” She says. 

“I’m gonna go try and show Mari here some trapeze moves.” Dick explains with a wide grin. 

“Very well. Should I plan for two more at dinner?” Mr. Pennyworth asks. 

“Oh, no, I don’t-” Marinette starts to argue, but Dick cuts her off. 

“Yes please!” He says before hurrying down the hallway. “Come on slowpokes!” He adds with a grin. Marinette looks at Jason pleadingly. 

“You’re the one who said you were gonna adopt Dick as your brother. This is all on you, Pixie Pop.” He says with a smirk, continuing to walk after Dick. Marinette groans, but follows, glaring at Adrien who snorts at her pain. 

“You’re a little bitch.” She mumbles under her breath, glaring at him. He rolls his eyes. 

“You know you love me.” He says. Marinette speeds up her walk, careful to keep Dick in sights at all times. This place was huge. She bumps into Adrien, nudging him with her shoulder as they walk down the hall. 

“Okay, okay, are you guys ready for this?” Dick asks, stopping in front of closed double doors. Marinette nods and Dick grins before pushing open the doors. Her jaw drops as she looks into the gym. It had everything you could possibly want or need. Including a bunch of gymnastics equipment, aerial silks and a trapeze. It was amazing. 

“Wow.” She says, eyes wide as she looks around. This was even cooler than she’d imagined. 

“Man, this would’ve been helpful a year ago.” Adrien mumbles, and Marinette snorts, knowing he’s thinking back to their rooftop training sessions with Jason. And all the times they got scraped up from the rough roofs. She glances over at Jason, noticing the thoughtful look on his face. Probably thinking the same thing, she thinks before turning back to Dick. 

“So, how do we start?” She asks, bouncing back and forth between the balls of her feet. This was going to be so freaking cool!

---

This is so worth a trip to Gotham! Marientte thinks to herself as she flies through the air. Dick was surprised at how quickly she caught on for her first time (she pointedly ignored the snorts from Adrien and Jason who both knew this was not her first time flying through the air). Once they get back to the platform, Dick’s phone starts to ring and he smiles apologetically. 

“I’ve really gotta take this.” He says, darting down the ladder and rushing out of the gym to answer his phone. Marinette shrugs and follows him down the latter, punching Jason’s arm as she walks by him to grab a drink of water. 

“Ow, what the hell was that for?” He asks, rubbing his arm and glaring at the girl. 

“I saw you two idiots laughing at me.” She replies, shrugging. 

“Why do you still punch so hard?” Jason asks, and she can tell he’s starting to be concerned for her. She recognizes the look on his face. 

“Pent up aggression from fighting an emotional terrorist for a good chunk of my adolescence.” She deapans. He raises an eyebrow and she huffs. “Okay, I took up boxing.” 

“So have you both kept up with training?” He asks, visibly concerned. Marinette shares a look with Adrien, trying to decide if she should be honest or not. But...it’s Jason. So she has to be. 

“Yeah….” She draws out the word before sighing, pushing her bangs back from her face. “In our defense, it’s hard to go back to being a civilian after being a hero for several years. It’s just- especially with Guardian shit, right? Like, that’s a lifetime commitment. If I give it up, I give up my memories. I can’t do that, Jay. I’d forget you and Adrien and I can’t do that. So I don’t-” She pauses and lets herself take a breath. “I don’t have a choice.” Jason’s face drops into a scowl, but she knows it’s not directed at her. As much as she admired Master Fu, he was not the best mentor. And he left her without a choice when it came to hero work. Something she knew that Jason couldn’t forgive him for. Even if she tried to.

“Come on, we’re gonna spar.” Jason instructs, not giving her a chance to object. She sighs, but follows him over to the mats, immediately getting into position. 

“I fight better than I did a year ago.” She warns, and Jason grins. 

“That’s what I’m counting on Pixie Pop.” He says, immediately lunging towards her. Marinette jumps back, staying light on her feet as she gets used to sparring with Jason again. He wasn’t slow by any means, but he was much bigger than her, which meant he couldn’t jump around as lightly as she did. She’d have to use his weight against him. She leaps to the side and then brings a swift kick up, using her foot to kick his thigh, hard. He stumbles slightly, grinning widely before throwing a swing. Deciding to use his momentum, she grabs onto his arm and lets the swing of his arm lift her up so that she can wrap her arms around his neck in a chokehold as she clings to his back. 

“Oh come on Jay, don’t tell me you’ve already lost!” Adrien teases from the side. Marinette feels Jason tense and can tell he’s about to throw himself down, which would definitely end the fight for her. Instead of letting him get that far, she moves her hands to grip onto his shoulders and vault herself over him, rolling out of the leap and jumping back up, grinning from ear to ear. 

“You’ve learned some new tricks.” Jason praises, squaring his stance once again. 

“Enough to beat you, old man.” She teases, snorting at the faux hurt on Jason’s face. 

“You wound me, Pix.” He says, clutching his heart and shutting his eyes as if in pain. Marinette decides to use his momentary theatrics to her advantage and delivers a swift kick to the back of his left leg, throwing all of her weight into the kick. Jason yelps in surprise, and falls to the ground. 

“Jump rope!” She calls out to Adrien, knowing she saw one earlier. And also knowing that there was no way she could keep Jason pinned without assistance. She holds her hand up, catching the rope that Adrien tosses to her, using it to quickly tie his ankles and wrists together. She steps back and admires her handy work, snorting at the shocked look on Jason’s face. Slow claps coming from the doorway make her snap to attention, turning and glancing at the intruder. Her eyes widen at the boy, who appeared to be around their age. With dark spiky hair and brilliant green eyes- No. Bad Mari, stop falling for green eyes. Ugh. She blinks, shoving the thoughts from her mind. 

“Er- hi.” She says awkwardly, glancing over at Adrien who simply shrugs. 

“Who is it?” Jason asks, since he’s currently not facing the door. Marinette glances down at him and smirks. 

“Oh, you mean you can’t see, Jay? Why ever would that be?” She teases. He huffs. 

“I don’t know, some crazy Pixie chick tied me up with a freaking jump rope like an angry kindergartner.” He gripes back. She crosses her arms. 

“You do realize that ‘angry kindergartner’ is the only one who can untie you, right?” She asks, choosing to ignore the stranger in the doorway for now. 

“Not true. Someone else came in, and Adrien can also untie a couple knots.” Jason argues. Marinette glances at Adrien who shakes his head, despite the fact that Jason can’t see. 

“Yeah, sorry Jay. I’m not going against Mari. She’s kinda scary.” Adrien says, making Jason whine. 

“Who the fuck is at the door then?” He asks, obviously starting to lose his patience. 

“Tt. As if I would help you, Todd.” The boy says and Marinette feels herself melt slightly at his voice. It was so- NO. BAD MARI. STOP. NO. 

“His name’s Jason.” Adrien pipes up, and Marinette turns to him, frowning. Because, yes, his name is Jason. So then what-

“His last name is Todd.” The boy says, and Adrien’s face turns red. He rubs the back of his neck- his go to ‘I’m feeling awkward right now’ pose. 

“Oops.” He says with a lopsided smile. Marinette rolls her eyes playfully at him before turning back and looking right in the boy’s eyes. 

“Hi, I’m Marinette Dupain Cheng. That dork over there is Adrien.” She introduces with a short wave. 

“Pleasure. I’m Damian Wayne.” The boy, Damian, introduces. Marinette smiles at him, feeling herself start to get lost in his eyes again. It wouldn’t hurt to look for just a minute, besides, he wasn’t looking away either. And his eyes were such a pretty color-

“Could someone please fucking untie me.” Jason groans. Marinette blushes furiously, dropping down and swiftly untying Jason. 

“Sorry Jay.” She apologizes, wincing at the annoyed look on his face as he stands up. He simply grunts and ruffles her hair, making her protest. 

“S’okay Pix. Besides, now you can take me down without using Adrien as a distraction. Big improvement.” He compliments and her annoyed face quickly morphs into a wide smile. 

“Alfred sent me to let you know dinner is ready.” Damian says, an annoyed expression on his face. Marinette immediately blushes again and glances at Jason who simply raises an eyebrow. She groans and falls back in line with Adrien who had a knowing smirk on his face. 

“Shut up.” She mutters, elbowing the boy. He snorts, shaking his head at her. Jason starts to walk out, trading insults with Damian as the group makes their way to the dining room. 

“Whatever you say, Bug.” He says, throwing an arm over her shoulder. She narrows her eyes at him. 

“Say anything, and I’ll beat you with your own arm.” She whispers. He holds up his hands in surrender and she sighs in relief. Hopefully they’d make it through this dinner without Adrien embarrassing the hell out of her. Following Jason and Damian into what had to be the dining room, she’s surprised to see a guy a couple years older than them, and a much taller man who had to be Jason’s dad. 

“Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met.” He says, extending a hand. “I’m Bruce Wayne.” He says with a wide (but false, Marinette notes, watching how it doesn’t reach his eyes) smile. Marinette’s eyes widen and she glances at Jason who just rolls his eyes. 

“Mari, Adrien, this is my….father.” He says the word as if it’s bitter. Marinette makes a note to ask about that later. They’d already sent one asshole father to prison, she had no problems sending another. 

“Nice to meet you.” Marinette says, shaking his hand, her smile not reaching her eyes either. She wouldn’t give him a real smile, not until she’d talked to Jason about it. He had helped them so much, it only made sense to help him too. Dinner should be interesting.

Next

Tag list (open) @toodaloo-kangaroo @laurcad123 @kittenmywaythrulife @lost-in-the-world-of-maribat @queenz-z @daminette-56 

[duskkodesh]

Top ten worst artist’s versions of Morbius

Okay, one disclaimer first, obviously this is my opinion and my opinion only. I’m sorry if an artist you like makes it on the list but they deserved it *Coughs*. Also this is just the comics. Not including other media here, so don’t worry that stupid Spider-Man run game app version won’t be in this list to give you nightmares. Also because this is comics this will ONLY be 616 appearances that I find horrendous. So without further ado...

10: This is Peter Parker Spider-Man 78,  art credited as by John Romita Jr. Yes, I’m already going to get hate. He’s a good artist but Jesus Christ on a cracker look at this.

THIS is the version of Morb I hated because he looks like a WWE wrestler. He’s huge! He’s a bloody boulder! His clothes are always too shiny and they are ripped all over. Look, I just hate it. The man can draw great superheroes just never draw Morbius like this again. This is a oil tanker in human form with fangs. 

9: Jackson Guice. AKA the artist for Doctor Strange #10.

Look, I LIKE ugly. I really do but Morb isn’t supposed to look like a general plague victim. This guy looks more like a zombie than zombie Morbius does. Desiccated inbreed dog version Morbius, I hate it. He needs to be put down. 

8: Paul Gulacy, Adventures into Fear #20. I said in my AIF review that Paul was not my fave artist. What I really mean is the art... it’s terrible. 

That speech bubble is my reaction entirely. Look, I can deal with the face but again, too buff and this man cannot foreshorten limbs to save his life. Morb looks mangled and wrong on like every page of this comic. My least liked classic Morbius.

7: Look, I hate to do this but... Jackson Guice is on here twice because he amended his style from Doctor Strange# 10 to Doctor Strange #14 but uhhhh...

I like this LESS. Goth dandelion looking MFer. This Morb listens to the Cure and cries. Entomological damn eyes. I hate it. I promise this is the only artist on this list twice and it is ONLY because his style changed so much in four issues. 

6: AKA Marvel Comics Presents 144 AKA M.C. Wyman *Dodges a brick* I’m sorry okay!? But this is freaking terrible! LOOK AT HIM!

I LOATHE it. The over shading, the warped features. This is demon Morb most of this issue so he gets a slight pass. That’s the only reason this art isn’t higher up this list of dread.

5: Morbius #16 Isaac Cordova. This pains me but this deserves this slot.

I hate it. This is demon Morb here and yes, at the end of the issue it gets just a little better but holy hell do I hate looking at this. There’s no detail in this art, too much shading, crappy backgrounds. It’s only saving grace is there exists worse art.

4: Now we’re getting into the REALLY bad art and it breaks my heart to put Morbius #25 in here because it also houses a short story at the back that is one of my favorite story/art combos ever, but THIS, This Craig Gilmore art...

THIS Craig Gilmore art... I am seething. This is objectively bad. The art loses all fine detail. The backgrounds suck, the way he draws women is a joke. Fabric with no folds, crappy shading. I could go on for houuurs. I hate it. I think it’s a big contributing factor to the comic getting axed so fast after this change though they did shuffle around the artists the last few issues which sadly brings me to...

3: Morbius #31, art by Fabio Laguna. 

Look, other artists wound up here for making Morb incomprehensibly ugly. THIS artist is here for making him Clark Kent. He’s super buff, all the women in this issue are drawn super-sexy and all T+A. Proportion is lost on this guy he just makes shit up. This is so bad I have to post a second sample. This one is from the next issue.

I’d show you how he draws women but ya’ll can just look up any porn magazine and there you go. 

2: TODD MCFARLANE YOU HAD THIS COMING TO YOU.

I despise his art. I hate how his capes take on sentience. His webbing looks like barbed wire, every damn guy he draws looks contagious! Jawbones don’t work like that!!! Gritty grimdark pig nosed Morbius. Tiny eyed untrustable armhair covered sewer urchin. Old mop haired snub-nosed pitbull. UGGGGH.

For years Mcfarlane was the absolute top of my most hated list because of Spider-Man #13-14. Because of this art. There’s only one worse artist on here.

1! Spectacular Spider-Man vol 2 #14 Paolo Rivera. No. No no no. I don’t know how such a good artists did this to our boi.

The writing is even completely OOC for this. For the longest time I assured myself this had to be someone POSING as Morbius. This cannot be him. Didn’t act like him, didn’t speak like him, and CERTAINLY did NOT look like him. Hairless grubby tights-clad nosferatu twink. THAT is slenderman. It’s like the artist was just told “LOL draw a vampire but poorly.”

Also not forgiving Spidey for that really offensive wise-crack there. So it goes that I would not trust one of the best artists, Paolo Rivera, with drawing Morbius EVER again!!! AGH I’m enraged now. I need to go look at good art and calm down. Hope you guys enjoyed the list!

[bellarkeandclintashaandsuch]

Not Me Episode 8 Thougths:

- Not exactly how Black would act, but okay, White.

- Don’t sit on my bed with your dirty pants!

- Yok and Sean: should I take my pants off?

- I guess one wedding under the rainbow flag is not enough to make White forget Sean almost killed him.

- Gram, Yok, and White: lemme sprawl on the bed in front of my crush

- You use your brain and smile more 😂 wasn’t Black always the brains of the operation? Now White’s just using his brain for less, I don’t know, volatile options.

- You use your brain and smile more 😂 wasn’t Black always the brains of the operation? Now White’s just using his brain for less, I don’t know, volatile options.

- White is so smiley though :)

- If it’s too much to handle, I’m here to listen 😭

- Sean’s telling the story of how his father was killed, and White’s like, mmhmm you look really hot when your sad. Imma kiss your lips. No, I’m definitely listening also, though.

- Aw, his classmates were mean to him :( No! His mom got sick and died, too? Aww, Sean 😭

- Not a cheek/neck touch! He’s stroking his cheek. I can’t handle this.

- He’s playing with Sean’s earring 🙈

- Sean’s so surprised “Black” trusts him 🥺 (so am I. Do you have any non-love related reasons, White?)

- Crazy trust fall! 😂🤣😂🤣

- Hahaha why did he head butt him like that?

- You’re so dumb, White. You thought hitting him with your head wouldn’t hurt you?

- Oh, so he’s not fake sleeping? What the heck, White? Did you take a sleeping pill or something?

- Just touching him so softly. He’s probably thinking, I’d be murdered on sight if I tried this with Black before.

- Why is it good that he’s inebriated?

- I like that everyone’s skin looks like skin in this show. That’s a weird sentence. But like, you can see the imperfections. Everyone doesn’t look like a flawless drawing. I mean, they’re obviously all gorgeous, but I like seeing Yok’s little scar on his cheek and the pores on their faces.

- Okay, take your clothes off. I’m not joking. 😄

- Sure your intention is only drawing, Yok. I believe you.

- It’s so funny that Dan just goes along with this. He kidnapped Yok and brought him to his illegal apartment, and now he’s like, okay let me just take off all my clothes and let you draw me.

- Yok is so cute

- Is he gonna go into a fugue state again?

- Yok coming for Dan’s life. Is your dream as beautiful now as it was when you were a kid?

- You made him cry, Yok! 😭 what’s happening! 😭☹️

- Wow, he’s a fast drawer.

- You might as well just kiss him to make him feel better.

- Oh, no! Another cheek stroking 🥰

- You’re getting his face all dirty.

- That was so soft and sweet

- Why is Sean looking through his stuff to begin with?

- Glasses?! No! Black would never!

- 😂 what a way to wake up

- He bit Sean!

- 😂😂😂 he hit Todd right on the head!

- But yay! Todd’s return! Why is he bringing groceries? Why does he just let himself in?

- He’s thirsty because he doesn’t remember how to get water for himself because Gram is always doing it.

- Don’t tell him things, White!

- Haha this is all I need to fill my stomach. Thank you soy milk. ;)

- Why was that whole thing weirdly flirty?

- Gram! He looks like he hasn’t been sleeping. But still beautiful, obviously. Oh, he’s serious about something.

- Oh, suddenly White can jump up ramps, huh? 🤔

- Ugh, no. Not a Eugene talk. I’m not ready. Is Gram going to be sad when “Black” doesn’t even care?

- Sean and Gram: punch me, so I feel better about hurting you

- Gram! He’s in love with Black, and still trying to get Black back with Eugene 😭 He’s so selfless :(

- They broke up before that though, hun. That was the whole reason the kiss came about.

- Now Gram is crying 😭 Ugh, this is a rough episode.

- Sean, sitting there with murder in his eyes. Gram, with a broken heart. White, with… I don’t know, but his eyes kinda look dead.

- Gram’s still taking notes 😂 He’s like, this might be my mortal enemy, but this is still a school lecture.

- Nuch jumping in with a question five seconds in.

- This is what the bathroom of this university looks like?

- Sean, don’t make him suspicious of you when you and the gang keep attacking him! That’s dangerous!

- Did you think he’d admit to it?

- Gumpa!

- Oh, leads to expose Tawi’s drug dealings. Everyone in this gang is going through romance drama, and Gumpa’s over here like, if anyone wants to focus on the actual purpose of this gang, I have new information we can use, thank you very much.

- Namo!

- Gonna observe Tawi from an abandoned warehouse.

- You’re just gonna walk back?

- Black looks like a ninja turtle riding up with that thing on his back

- Hello there 😉

- Did he ask how “Black” got out? He’s not curious?

- He definitely moved the bench there to make it easier for White to get in.

- I wonder if that was a camera man’s shadow. Looked like someone wearing a hat. Maybe not

- Well, I’m sure Gram and Yok are better at spying than White.

- You are having way too much fun on this super serious stakeout, Sean.

- He constantly wants to touch “Black” now. (Just like Gram 😭)

- Sean! This is not the time or place for a trust fall!

- They would have both fallen off that ledge.

- 😂 White! He’s like bitch, you ain’t special. I’d save anyone.

- Reverse cheek/neck hold :0

- He said “Black” is keeping him alive 😭😭😭

- A forehead kiss 🥰

- A kiss kiss! 🥰🥰

- A follow up hug! 🥰🥰🥰

- The relief in that hug 😭

- I feel like you could see White hesitate because he knows Sean thinks he’s Black (but does he? Why did he tie him up? What does he know!?!??!)

- Preview: Mmm, so he knows he has a sibling! Ugh, when just Black come back!?! next episode? I need him!

- So who’s seeing the SeanWhite kiss? Black? Gram?

[maxdark158]

Wooo! Writing shoes are back on and i’m actually really happy that i’m finally able to write again. This chapter is a bit shorter than normal but the next two are heavy hitters so it’s alright

Angel in Gotham: Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3 ~ Part 4 ~ Part 5 ~ Part 6 ~ Ao3

Demon in Gotham: Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3 ~ Part 4 ~ Ao3

Fanart for AiG: Riddler ~ Joker thank you @thegreysman

Please tag me in any fanart you draw for this guys ^^

oooOOOooo

Damian typically liked patrol.

Jumping from rooftop to rooftop under the cover of the night was always exhilarating. Parkour just wasn’t the same without a belt of weapons and a costume, it was always a good way to burn of excess energy and get his mind focused.

Sure, it was his job to protect Gotham so he couldn’t be joking around, but he had to admit he liked the physical activity. He took his job seriously but taking it seriously didn’t mean it had to be unenjoyable.

Patrols were a time when he didn’t feel constrained, didn’t have to play a part or meet expectations. Nothing could ruin the cool gotham city nights on the rooftops.

Well, almost nothing.

After all, Damian’s father had the insane habit of adopting shitty ass kids for his crime fighting ring. Which meant Damian had this awful sickness called siblings. And the only thing that could ruin his nice patrols were the chortling of the other costumed idiots.

The worst nights were when all his brothers went.

Every. Single. Brother.

And what made it worse on top of that?

When they had something they felt they could tease him about. And when they were all teasing him about the same thing at the same time.

He was going to snap and stab one of them. His father might be anti murder but he didn’t have to know…

Damian shook his head. Bad thoughts.

“Thinking of your Angel?” Drake seemed to have a death wish and Damian was all about granting fucking wishes right now.

“Why do you all insist on being here?” he grumbled to himself. Because really they didn’t have to be. No bat signal, probably a few minor purse snatching crimes that one or two could handle easily. Why were they all in costume? Take the night off, stop fucking bothering him.

Annoying Fuck #1 snorted next to him when he said that, clearly not planning to be reasonable. “What, don’t like us teasing you about your Angel, demon spawn?” Todd snorted.

Damian ignored him. “Batman, shouldn’t he not be allowed to patrol with us?” His father could at least tell Todd to go home. Then when his back was turned he wouldn’t witness what happened to Dra-

“C’mon, I haven’t killed anyone and I want to hang out with my little bro! It’s not every day that Robin gets his first crush!”

Annoying Fuck #2, Drake, nearly slipped and fell from laughter.

Damian’s face warmed under his mask. “I do not have a crush you-“

“Focus on the job,” As always, father was on his side. “You can make fun of Robin later when we aren’t patrolling,” the traitorous bastard added.

Damian didn’t want to be the fucking blood son anymore.

He glared at Batman, scoffing to himself. “Then if you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my own route.”

“I’ll go with you little bird!”

Fucking fuck fuck.

Because of fucking course Grayson suggested that. And of fucking course Damian momentarily forgot that Grayson was back and patrolling too, leaving him unprepared for the suggestion. Grayson’s uncharacteristic quietness was the worst thing at times.

Fucking hell why’d they all have to be here tonight?

Proving himself to truly be a traitor, his father nodded to Grayson’s suggestion. So Damian, previously wanting to get away with his brothers and dream of murdering them alone, now had a tagalong stopping such a fun activity.

At this rate he’d have frown lines at 23.

Damian went off, not waiting for Grayson. He knew he’d easily keep pace though, so the halfhearted dream of being fully alone wouldn’t happen.

“Robin, wait here a second.” Oh fuck no. That’s Grayson’s I want to talk voice. Too bad for him because Damian did not want to talk. At all. Especially about anything Grayson might want to talk about. Because Grayson wanted to talk about French Angels and Riddlers and Spars and-

“Robin, are you listening?”

“No, Nightwing, I’m not.” Damian stared at him and raised a brow. “What is there to talk about?”

Grayson huffed, annoyed. Good. Fucker deserves it after what he and the others put him through these last few days. “I was asking if you actually had a crush or not. They’re teasing you but I’ve been,” at WE all day, Damian knew, “busy all day. I can’t tell if they’re making something out of nothing and I’d rather hear it from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.”

There was a time when Damian would have said he wasn’t a horse. When he was younger, he didn’t know idioms and expressions that well. He considered saying it now, to try and change the subject, but he also knew Grayson didn’t let things go easily. Which wasn’t very good.

Because Damian wasn’t sure how to answer.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to answer it, even to himself. His weedkiller wouldn’t arrive for a few more fucking days, he wasn’t prepared for this.

Though maybe that in of itself showed the answer to Grayson’s question…

Fucking fuck fuck.

He shook himself from those thoughts. Grayson was waiting on an answer and he didn’t have time to get lost in thought about his Ang- Marinette. Marinette.

Damian settled for glaring at Grayson. “My private life is not any business of yours.”

Grayson snorted. “Suure little bird. She’s one of the French students, right?”

“Don’t say that right now,” he snapped. Not while they were in costume, not while they could be listened to. “Focus on the job, Nightwing.”

Grayson put his hands up in surrender. “Race you to Wayne Enterprises?”

Damian didn’t wait for an answer, jumping to the next roof and making his way as fast as he could. He was determined to beat his adopted brother’s sorry ass, not that he cared about winning. It wasn’t that he was competitive, he simply didn’t want to continue this discussion. That was all. That’s fucking it.

Grayson laughed behind him, and the race began.

-----

They were taking a break near the Batcave. No activity yet, but they stayed suited up incase that changed. The night was still young, after all.

Batman instructed them to meet there through the comms. Damian and Grayson, further from the cave, made it there last. Grayson luckily hadn’t brought up and other conversation during patrol, and Damian hoped that would hold ou-

The other two idiots were waiting like the fucking lunatics they are.

Fucking fuck fuck.

“Did the demon spawn tell you about his precious Angel?” Todd clearly decided that he would die in seven days by saying that, big dumb fucking grin on his face and hair messy from removing his dumbass helmet.

“What was her name again? Mary?” Drake knew her name and was just being a little bitch. Damian decided not to give him the fucking bait, going over to a place to sit-

“Marie something, French and I think with brown eyes?”

“They’re blue,” Damian bit out. Fuck, their stupidity had infected him, he spoke before thinking. Was there a cure? He doubted it as they were all still stupid and have been for years. Fucking fuck the last thing he needs is to be on their level of idiocy.

“Right, right,” Jason’s wolfish smug grin was showing exactly how much of a fucking bitch he planned to be. Damian wanted to kick his face in.

“Little bird was pretty tight lipped on patrol,” Grayson said lightly as if he didn’t just stab him in the back.

“It’d be rude to kiss and tell,” Damian was going to strangle Drake with his own two hands.

“I haven’t kissed her!” He snapped again. His face was very warm, did he get sunburned somehow?? “We’re friends you imbeciles!”

“Friends that hold hands,” Drake pointed out.

“And tour Gotham together, alone.” Todd shortened his life span even more.

“And invite each other over to their house, where they never invited anyone before, to eat lunch.”

“Look how red his face is!”

“Little bird probably even planned to buy her ice cream! That’s why they were there when the Riddler showed up!”

“I’ll bed demon spawn-“

Damian stormed out of the room. Blood was roaring in his ears and he needed to- he just. He fucking needed fucking out of here. Away from those fuckers. Or he’d actually follow through with his thinly veiled threats and he’d rather not get blood on his costume.

He hated siblings with a passion. If his father ever considered adopting again Damian would fill all of his shoes with centipedes and rip the third seam out of every pair of pants he owned.

I don’t have a crush on her. I don’t. She’s wonderful and amazing, an angel, but I don’t like Ang- Marinette like that. She’s a friend I made and that is all.

Damian grabbed some throwing knives for target practice. Not on his brothers this time. He wanted to clear his head without those fucks nearby.

He threw one. The aim was a bit off, and he frowned. His aim was impeccable, why was he off right now? Why is having a crush on Marinette a bad thing?

No. He shook his head. He didn’t want to think those fucking thoughts right now. He threw another, harder. It went deep into the target, still off by more than he was happy with. He growled lowly.

Ange- Marinette is pure and good and wonderful. I was raised by assassins and I can’t completely shake their ideals.

Another knife. Damian’s grip on them tightened. Why was he missing?

I’m a vigilante and Damian Wayne. I have blood on my hands and money to my name and she wants to make her fashion empire herself.

Damian got more knives. His frustration was growing with each thought. They kept coming back as he tried to dismiss them, kept distracting him from the target.

She’s a talented designer. She’s incredibly smart, knows how to fight. Beautiful, dark hair and freckles and blue eyes.

Another knife sailed through the air.

I’m not anything of note without my last name or costume. She’s amazing without needing either.

Damian walked over and began taking the knives off the targets. Maybe they were fucking with his aim. He should get rid of them. Focus on removing them. Stop thinking about her.

But no matter how many fucking times he tried to redirect his thoughts, they came back.

She doesn’t have to tolerate me.

She’s wonderful and innocent.

She doesn’t deserve to be dragged down.

I don’t want to hurt her.

Damian’s hands were on his face, pushing at his eyes and trying to stop the thoughts. His Ange- Marinette was wonderful he knew that, but he didn’t think the other things. Not constantly anyway, he helped people as Robin. He was his father’s blood son. He wasn’t unhappy with himself.

But that doesn’t mean I’m good enough for Marinette.

He grabbed a knife from the table he set them on and threw it blindly, as if throwing the thought itself out and away.

It hit the center perfectly.

Damian took a deep breath. Everything was fucking overwhelming right now, and he didn’t want to think about it anymore.

But it seemed he’d have to.

Fucking fuck fuck.

Okay, okay. He… He might have a crush on Marinette.

Admitting it, oddly, seemed to lift a weight off his shoulders. Damian took another deep breath.

He has a crush on Marinette. But he values her a friend very much. He isn’t going to do anything about his crush, because she deserves someone as amazing and angelic as her, and Damian isn’t that.

But that’s okay. Because he already loves being her friend. And his weedkiller isn’t too far away.

Damian calmed down. He threw some more knives. They were all on target.

She’ll always be my friend and Angel, if I have any say in it. I’ll make sure whoever she choses is worthy of her.

Damian had just thrown his third when his father spoke through their comms. “Poison Ivy sighting at Gotham Hotel.”

The six words turned Damian’s recently found peaceful mood onto its head. Ice water poured into his and filled his limbs with dread. His chest was tight, as if someone was grabbing at his lungs and they were closing. The weeds of worry were strangling him.

That’s my Angel’s hotel.

He had dropped her off there with Alfred just earlier that day. She was staying there with her class. They were supposed to be safe and protected, she was supposed to be safe and protected.

Damian’s knives hit the ground but his feet hit it faster as he ran through the cave to the exit. Ivy best not lay a finger on her or she would lose her entire arm.

His Angel wouldn’t get hurt, not if he could help it.

[scorpionyx9621]

While the art is left to be desired (i'm hope i use this ohrase right, my english is awful). I suprised that i found future state!Jason to be more enjoyable than Urban Legend one. Like he's way more capable there and [spoiler alert] also Bruce depend on him and still call him son? So you can have a bad ass Jason and good son jason at the same time.

So I need to apologize because this turned into a rant about Jason's characterization as whole and MAN is it long-winded and I'm sorry.

I have to agree. I really like the characterization Future State/Dark Detective is going for with Jason.

Jason is still the typical Jason we've grown to expect. Cold, cynical, snarky, willing to cross the dark red line and kill if need be, but he's still shown to have emotions. When he's betraying the family it's vocalized by Jason that he's upset about the situation. He doesn't want to, but he must for the mission Bruce put him under.

Truth be told, I'm not fully caught up on Future State/Dark Detective. I've kind of been reading spoilers and just getting the general gist in the periphery from people like you on Tumblr. I've been more focused on Urban Legends, which, while I will say I still don't hate the story, hell we still have two issues left of Cheer, and I by no means think Chip Zdarsky is a bad writer by any means. His characterization of Jason irks me.

*God I was so on the fence about Eddy Barrow's take on Jason until Issue #3. That right there? THAT. That's a handsome ass man Maurry*

ANYWAYS: I'm irked by Zdarsky's take on Jason just because of how hot headed and brash Jason is. Now don't get me wrong, every main writer for Jason has taken a bit of a different spin and while the big characters who have written Jason (Judd Winnick, Scott Lobdell, Tony Daniel) and while Zdarsky seems to be what I'm hoping to be a bit of a medication of Jason & Bruce's relationship. He's doing it at the expendature of Jason's characterization of being a damn near criminal mastermind.

If we focus on Winnick and Daniel's interpretation of Jason (Winnick wrote the original Under the Hood & Lost Days. Daniels wrote Battle for the Cowl) as well as all Pre-New 52 versions of Jason. Jason is a monster. Like genuinely a horrible human being. He still fights for right moral side (he kills mostly child abusers/drug traffickers and the likes) but this Jason is genuinely unhinged and while smart, he's absolutely monster. Hell, in Battle for the Cowl after hearing Bruce's final words, he has a villainous breakdown. Dresses as batman, and starts killing people. Judd Winnick himself said he sees Jason as a 'Psychopath' and there are a lot of very vocal people who say Winnick's original interpretation of Jason as a violent, misanthropic villain is the superior version and that Jason should return to this.

*I love to point out that I made a post on my alt account questioning Jason's age in this issue. Turns out he's Like SEVENTEEN. I get why they draw him older and more mature because of his darker/more villainous tendencies. But there's something kind of True Crime Podcast host fascination I have with this greasy, crusty, 17 year old who just casually kills 30 mobsters in horrific gun violence and calls it a day.*

Then we have the New 52. And in comes Red Hood & The Outlaws + the eventual Red Hood: Outlaw series. Piloted by the one Scott Lobdell. Now I know a lot of people dislike Lobdell for his takes on certain characters, his all-over-the-place writing style. (Let's not forget his allegations of SA and the fact that he openly admits that he wrote Jason as a self-insert for a 'bad guy seeking redemption') this was my first comic experience with Jason and to be honest, I can't bring myself to hate it. Sure there's some parts that literally show how much of a dumpster fire Lobdell's writing can become, but for the most part I genuinely liked the characterization of Jason that Lobdell gives. Jason may be a bit more reactionary and just kind of making shit up as he goes along, but he's far from dumb. The intro to the series has Jason sneaking into a terrorist run nuclear sub and killing everyone inside.

Again: Lobdell's writing is all of the place. But I do like that his take on Jason is a bit more subdued. I know in the New 52 they wanted to make Jason an Anti-Hero. Someone who very much still driven by emotion and revenge. But he's definetly more relaxed and even has a lot of fun. Intelligence wise he has is moments, but it does emphasize that while he may be the best read Robin, he does have a tendency to leap before he looks. Also all the art for RHATO with the exception of a few series were TOP TIER. I understand why they hired artists like Kenneth Rocafort and Dexter Soy to rehabilitate his image. I mean, come on.

Now if we're talking about Jason's intelligence, I'd be absolutely remiss if I didn't discuss Red Hood: Outlaw and the Price of Gotham Arc. Specifically this exchange between Bruce & Jason. To me, this is the single best part of Lobdell's run and shows Jason's true intelligence.

To give a rundown: After Bruce banished Jason from Gotham after seemingly killing the Penguin. Bruce proceeded to find Jason and literally beat him to within an inch of his life. It took MONTHS for Jason to recover. A lot happens but mostly Jason finds out (from Bruce no less) that Penguin is still alive. Jason hatches a devious plan. He takes over the iceberg lounge, kidnaps and holds Penguin hostage. Publically outs himself as Jason Todd, the dead ward of Bruce Wayne, as alive and well, and the new owner of the Iceberg Lounge.

When Bruce finds out he's clearly pissed and goes to confront Jason because he's banished him from Gotham. But because Jason outed himself as alive and one of Bruce's sons. Batman can do NOTHING. Jason has Bruce by the balls. If Bruce does anything to Jason while he's out and alive as Jason, all Jason has to do is tell the truth. And the whole Batman jig is up in an instant. And Bruce? After these panels? He runs off with his tail between his leg because he can't touch Jason. And all Jason did was capture penguin, and come out as alive. THIS is the Jason that I love. This is the Jason that strikes fear into people's hearts.

I think a lot of the general complaints we see about Jason as a whole is just how inconsistent he is with his writing. Which I agree. It's hard to characterize Jason well when there's been a character like Lobdell who was at the Helm of Jason's character for 10 years and then forced to leave. And I don't really know if DC has any really solid plans for his character and development. There's a lot of hype surrounding the end of Cheer and them saying it'll 'change Red Hood & Batman's relationship forever' as well as with Jason being featured in the new Suicide Squad coming this August, and Jason getting a feature in an issue of Robin. It'll be interesting to see where they take the character. Personally I do want a resumption of Jason. But like Harley Quinn where they're taking their sweet time redeeming her. Jason has done A LOT of awful things and of they wanna make him a hero, I want a few years to pass in terms of monthly issues before we see Jason become a hero again.

*edit: spelling*

[poetrusicperry]

A Meddling Friend

charlie dalton one shot

word count: 2,380

warnings: none

notes: soooo i wrote a matchmaker!charlie one shot because i felt like it heh (also there is no way charlie isn’t the best matchmaker around tbh)... here it is (: 

A Meddling Friend

When Charlie “Nuwanda” Dalton set out to do something, hardly anything could stand in his way. A meddler by plain terms, Charlie butted his way into any situation, whether he saw a benefit in it for himself or for others. Oftentimes, Charlie’s triumphs would stem from wanting to succeed. In what? The possibilities were endless. He had once convinced his entire chemistry class to fudge their hardest experiment of the year (“Look, the teacher can’t possibly fail all of us; a failure on all of us means gigantic failure on him,” he’d said pointedly), he’d tricked his younger sister into begging their parents for a dog, despite her allergies (when asked about why he didn’t just ask his parents for a dog, he claimed they were much more inclined to appease his sister), and he’d smooth-talked his way into a date to the Ridgeway Junior Prom at a diner in town on a dare (“Now I have a hot date and five bucks from all of you”). His successes were plentiful, and there was no end in sight.

So when Charlie had endured months of secret glances between his best friend, Neil, and Neil’s roommate, Todd (not to mention the awkward, weighted silences and painfully obvious unsaid words), Charlie decided to do what he did best: meddle.

The leaves were in their adolescence on the trees; varying shades of orange and red made campus seem ablaze. Charlie would find himself, on multiple occasions, staring out the window when he was supposed to be paying attention in class. Today was no different– the leaves were beckoning, and Charlie’s eyes sat fixed upon them until he heard his name being called from the front of the room,

“Mr. Dalton?” being at the back of the room, everyone turned in their desks to look at Charlie.

“Yes, sir?” he replied, unfazed. Dr. Hager had begun to go into detail about the question he had just asked Charlie, but Charlie’s gaze was, again, caught. This time, by Todd, who was the only person not looking at Charlie; Todd was looking at Neil. Charlie hadn’t heard a word his teacher had said, more focused on the fact that Todd was gawking at Neil and Neil didn’t even seem to notice. Rolling his eyes at Charlie, Richard Cameron (Charlie’s roommate), raised his hand to answer the question Dr. Hager asked.

“That’s a demerit, Mr. Dalton,” Dr. Hager deadpanned before calling on Cameron. After everyone had turned back around to face the front of the room, Charlie sat forward in his seat, watching Todd, who was still looking at Neil. Upon dropping his pencil, Neil bent to pick it up, locking eyes with Todd on his way back to sitting normally. A smirk played on Charlie’s face when Todd’s face flushed as he turned back toward the front. And Charlie couldn’t help but notice that Neil’s cheeks had also turned slightly cherry-colored as his eyes darted back to his notes. Charlie sat smugly back into his chair and began to hatch a scheme in his head. If he could just get them to admit their feelings for each other, the world would be a better place.

A few weeks prior to the day, Charlie had caught Neil drawing a heart around Todd’s name in the margins of a trig textbook. A few days before that, Todd had read an original poem out loud in their English class that was so clearly about Neil it was painful (“Richest coffee eyes / That paint the stage wonderful”).

Charlie didn’t dare bring up the subject with any of his other friends, but once alone with Neil after Chemistry, he began to work his magic.

“What’s bugging you?” he asked Neil, nudging him slightly as they walked down the hallway.

“What?” Neil returned, confused.

“You dropped your pencil during chem. I’ve never seen you do that. So that either means you were distracted by something, or you were falling asleep, which means you haven’t been sleeping well because you’re stressed out. Which is it?” Charlie prodded, looking at his friend as they continued down the hall, “Come onnnnn, Perry,” he goaded, elbowing Neil, who sighed in exasperation.

“It’s nothing, Charlie,” Neil groaned, adjusting his books in his arms and casting a nervous look at Charlie.

“Lie to anyone else, Neil. Anyone else but me. It’s just embarrassing at this point,” Charlie smirked, “And offensive.”

“It’s just… the play. It’s hard to memorize without help,” Neil sighed before turning to Charlie, “You could help? Do you want to help me, Charlie?” Neil said excitedly. Bingo, Charlie thought.

“I’d really love to, Neil, but I’ve got some Latin stuff with Meeks for the next few days,” Neil sighed, “I do, however, know someone who can help you,” Charlie finished, pleased with himself.

“Who is it?” Neil cocked an eyebrow.

“I don’t know if you know him, but I’ll just tell him to meet you somewhere tomorrow? What time?”

“How do I know this guy isn’t crazy?”

“Again, I’m hurt. You don’t trust me to put you into good hands?” Or Todd’s hands, Charlie thought, laughing to himself.

“Of course I trust you, Charlie, it’s just… I don’t know, I’m stressed out, and my father is all over me, I just need some help. If you know someone who can help, I’m more than willing to accept. I don’t mean anything bad by my reactions, I promise.”

“I know you, don’t, Neil,” Charlie clapped Neil on the back, “At the dock, tomorrow at 4. He’ll be there,” he looked at Neil, “Everything’s going to be okay. I promise,” Charlie smiled as they made their way onto the landing of the boys’ floor.

After parting ways with his friend, Charlie bursted the door to his own room open, startling Cameron, who was sitting at his desk studying.

“Jesus, Dalton, you scared me half to death,” Cameron clutched his chest.

“Sorry, darlin’,” Charlie smirked, jumping into bed (with his shoes still on). He turned onto his back and put his hands behind his head, crossing his outstretched legs.

“Can you look at this trig, see if it makes sense?” Cameron asked, holding his textbook up to Charlie.

“At any other time, any other day, and in any other circumstance, I totally would, but I have some things to plan. Sorry, Cameron,” Charlie shrugged, closing his eyes.

“Come on, Charlie. I rarely ask you for help, and the one time I do, you won’t do it?” Cameron groaned. He opened one eye at the redhead across the room.

“Trust me when I tell you, the thing I’m planning is a lot more important than trig,” Charlie shot Cameron a knowing look, then closed his eye again, beginning to visualize and scheme as his roommate huffed a sigh and turned back around to his desk.

The following day brought giddiness for Charlie; he’d gotten Neil committed to going down to the docks, now he just needed to get Todd alone. The only thing Charlie was still figuring out was how. Todd was the biggest introvert Charlie knew.

Charlie’s proclivity for picking up on the ins and outs of his best friend had led to having more insight into Todd as well. Todd Anderson was new to Welton this past fall. And he was Neil’s roommate, so by association Todd had slowly, but surely (and slightly excruciatingly) joined Neil and Charlie’s friend group. He mostly listened and watched, but always sat near (although not too near) Neil when they were hanging out.

Since they were kids, Neil had always been personable; every new thing he learned about a person, would be spun in a positive way, even if the trait was inherently “bad.” He and Charlie would spend hours talking about people, but not in the “let’s gossip” kind of way– they both found a lot of intrigue in the general population. Even as children they were constantly surveying their peers in a way normal children wouldn’t. When Neil had met Todd, it was no different; he would go on about his sandy-haired roommate for ten minutes straight without taking a breath. Why Todd had transferred schools, where his family is from, what kinds of activities he liked. Charlie found the answers to these questions interesting, but perhaps nothing was more intriguing to him than the fact that Todd had willingly shared all this information with Neil. From what Charlie had experienced, Todd was not a talker, and would rather sit in a painful silence for hours on end than open up to the friend group or start a conversation… but he was doing so with Neil. Granted, Neil asked a lot of questions, but Todd seemed comfortable enough around him to share. That was the first thing Charlie noticed between the two of them, and the catalyst that had sparked Charlie’s master plan of getting them together.

After breakfast, which entailed a small conversation about Playboy models, gross scrambled eggs, and of course, a silent Todd, Charlie hung back to catch the boy before he slipped away to the dorms before class.

“Hey, Anderson!” Charlie called, jogging after him. Todd looked as if he’d seen a ghost.

“H-hey Charlie, what’s up?”

“Listen, I was wondering if you could do me a favor?”

“Um, s-sure?”

“I’m meant to help out one of my friends with his poem later, but I have Latin tutoring with Meeks, and I figured since you’re so good at it, you could meet with my friend to help him out?”

“I… I don’t know, Charlie,” Todd knitted his eyebrows at the idea of meeting and talking to who he thought was a perfect stranger.

“It’d really mean a lot, Todd,” Charlie pulled his most innocent face and looked at the boy in front of him. Todd was quiet still, “Listen, if you really don’t want to, it’s no sweat. I just figured I’d ask you since you’re so good at writing,” Charlie smiled small, not wanting to push Todd that far.

“I… um, no I-I”ll do it. Where?”

“Ah, Todd you’re a lifesaver! It’s 4p.m. at the dock. You’re sure you want to?”

“Yeah, just… tell your friend I’ll be there,”

“I will, thank you!” Charlie called, backing away from Todd and turning away to head to class. I won’t be telling anyone a thing, Charlie grinned to himself, feeling pleased.

When the clock read 3:56, Neil began to get nervous. No one had shown up. Was Charlie pulling his leg? I’ll give them five more minutes, Neil thought, sitting criss cross on the dock and twiddling his shoelace between his fingers. His “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” script sat on his lap, frayed edges and all.

4:04, Neil sighed, looking at his watch. Just as he was calling it curtains for Charlie’s friend, Todd, flush-faced and sweaty, was making his way over to him. He was looking down at his shoes, careful not to stumble,

“H-hi, sorry I’m late, I got stuck in the dining hall behind–” he looked up to see a confused Neil. Neil’s disorientation spread to Todd’s features, “Neil?” he whipped his head around both ways to make sure someone else wasn’t coming.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” Neil stood up from the dock, dusting off his pants and clutching his script apprehensively.

“I… um, I’m supposed to meet… Charlie’s friend… he needs help with–” Todd trailed off, looking at Neil quizzically– “Wait, w-what are you doing here?”

“I’m… supposed to meet Charlie’s friend… he’s supposed to help me rehearse lines…?” Neil’s voice upticked at the end of the sentence, confusion prevalent between the two of them.

“Wait, you’re supposed to meet Charlie’s friend, a-and I’m supposed to m-meet Charlie’s friend, too?” Todd shook his head, unbelieving. Neil’s face changed on a dime, a green light going off over his head.

He smiled slightly and huffed a laugh, “I think we’ve been made, Todd,”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I think we’re meeting… exactly who we’re supposed to be meeting,” Neil blushed, looking at Todd, whose cheeks were rosy from rushing over to the dock (and probably at the situation, too).

“We’re… you’re the friend that needs help with poetry?”

“Todd, I think Charlie meant to get us here alone…” Neil looked to Todd, fidgeting even more with his script.

“W-well why would h-he do that…?” Todd chewed his bottom lip. Neil shut his eyes, almost as if the next thing out of his mouth would cause endless pain. He breathed an unsure sigh,

“Because,” he swallowed thickly, looking at Todd, “Charlie knows I have the biggest crush on you, and this was his way of making me make a move,” Neil’s cheeks were a deep crimson.

“You have a-a crush o-on me?” Todd gestured to himself, bewildered. Neil grimaced and nodded, squeezing the script tighter than before, averting his eyes, “Oh…” Todd’s eyes widened slightly as he looked around them once again, “I… are you sure?” Neil sighed again and sat back down on the dock.

“Yep,” he looked at his hands, the script clutched tightly between them, “I’m sure,” he sounded tired all of sudden. Todd stayed frozen for a few seconds before he trudged over to Neil’s slumped body and sat down carefully beside him.

“I guess Charlie’s g-good at this thing, then,” he laughed incredibly lightly.

“What do you mean, why?” Neil cast a glance up at Todd before looking away again.

“I don’t know… b-because I like you, too,” Todd mumbled.

“What?” Neil looked at him again, not daring to turn away this time.

“I like you… t-too,” Todd’s volume stayed the same. Neil raised his eyebrows, his eyes searching Todd’s.

“Really? This isn’t some prank that Charlie is pulling? You’re being serious?” Neil interrogated, his hands still wrapped around his script. Todd just nodded, earning a huge grin from Neil. Silence fell over the pair and their newly learned information, but when Todd spoke, his conviction surprised even himself.

“So can I help you read lines?” Neil’s smile was vibrant.

“I think I’d love nothing more.”

Charlie watched from his dorm window, smiling as the two boys sat down to read lines. He climbed down off of the windowsill and dusted his hands off, another victory in the books.