#as i grow older i find this even more perplexing tbh

[atopearth]

Pub Encounter Part 2 - Ryunosuke Yuze Route

HAHAHA omg, Ryunosuke seems like such a shy guy, he blushed when Shiori approached him and started talking to him hahaha. Omgg wow, I didn’t expect Hideaki to be 46!! He looks pretty young compared to the others lol! I guess he’s young at heart? Lolll. Shiori is so slow and silly, lmao when Ryunosuke helped her carry her shopping bags (since she nearly fell, lucky he catched her lol) and she was like, they’re my bags..Hahahaha, of course they’re yours, he’s just helping you carry it loll🤣🤣 It’s kinda cute that they just spontaneously enjoyed their day off together after that. Omgggg, Ryunosuke is the CEO for a lingerie chain?? How unexpected! Lmaooo when he ran away in his car when Shiori found out haahaha, why is he so cute lmao. I’m glad he was very upfront about his apology for how he acted, but I also think it was really nice how he made it clear to her his thoughts towards women and how he can’t find it within himself to trust them and view them positively. Although, I guess, like he said, it is kinda ironic when his job is entwined with women. However, he seems genuinely perplexed about women, I wonder what his past will be like? It’s nice to see Shiori understand that regardless of the fact that she’s a woman, they’re strangers after all, so him not trusting her is fine, so now they just need to be friends and learn to understand and trust each other! I think that’s a nice and positive attitude, I like that~

I feel like the creepy presence that threw a rock at Shiori when they walked home together is probably some jealous woman but yeah~ glad that incident kinda pushed forward their sharing of phone numbers haha. I feel like I’m learning so many surprising things about Ryunosuke, like dang, Ryunosuke at the arcade winning stuffed animals? I would love to see that! Lmao at Shiori begging him to get her one from a series she likes, and he gets her the whole thing lol. I gotta say, Ryunosuke liking cakes and sweet alcoholic drinks is so different from his image, now all I can think about is him happily eating cakes hahaha. Omggg, drunk Shiori attacked our innocent Ryunosuke that was just trying to take her back home!! I feel sorry for the her next day that had to live with those memories that she licked his lips or whatever because she liked the sweet scent from the drink he had loll. And she even started kissing him, and he reciprocated! Like danggg. I’m really liking their chemistry though. They’re obviously interested in each other, but they want to know more about each other and be friends first, and I think it’s great! He consults her on opinions of things he thinks about such as why people seek for eternity, and she had a common answer but I still liked how it was worded. People do want to leave a piece of themselves behind, and I think the idea of putting something intangible into something physical was a really neat way of saying it. We may not “exist” after our deaths, but we can still exist in other ways~!

It was leading to it so it was obvious, but dang, Ryunosuke got stalked by his old secretary… That’s tough… Especially when she only exhibited that behaviour after he became CEO, kinda crazy that it ended up involving the police and trial to get her to stay away from him though. That would be pretty traumatising huh? Really gotta admire Shiori for being undeterred and saying she’ll protect Ryunosuke haha, it’s really sweet, but at the same time I’m so scared of their safety. As usual, I love how upfront they are with their thoughts towards their relationship, and I’m glad they both admitted their feelings, but want to resolve this secretary stalker problem first before they progress further, which is understandable. Ryunosuke kissing her forehead was cute~~

Them sharing their homemade lunches on a bench was so adorable! So cute of them complimenting each other’s cooking hahaha. Honestly though, I feel like with how crazy Itodani was, it’s kinda anticlimactic and a bit unbelievable that she would just let go of it all after Ryunosuke confronted her and told her to back off and find someone she can truly love. Really can’t see how that opened her eyes, especially since she had been harassing him for a long time, and had even harassed his previous secretary too! So yeah, unbelievable but whatever lol. I really like how Ryunosuke likes to do things properly, especially when he gave her flowers and asked her to be his girlfriend. These things don’t necessarily need to be said all the time, but I think saying it really makes things more official and laid out properly to the other person, I think it’s really nice to communicate your intentions thoroughly. Unlike Yorihisa in the previous route, she really doesn’t need to guess how Ryunosuke is feeling because they’ve both been very upfront about it and I think that’s what I love about their relationship. 

Considering how polite of a guy Ryunosuke is to everyone, and it was only when Mamoru told him to be more casual with him did he change, really puts into perspective how sweet it is for him to tell Shiori himself that she should talk to him more casually since they’re not strangers anymore. With how much he consults her opinion on his work, she might as well just become his secretary loll. Lmao that he’s been unconsciously checking out her body all the time because he wants her to be the new poster girl of Torenia since the current one has no passion or love towards Torenia’s lingerie etc. LOL when he so boldly said he wanted to see her in her underwear hahahaha, like I know it’s for work but the way he so bluntly said it was funny hahaha. I also liked how when she was a bit embarrassed to wear it after eating, he said that “a love that couldn’t withstand something silly like that would be no love at all”, I honestly thought that was really sweet, especially since he said it like a matter of fact. Honestly, now that I’m on Ryunosuke’s route, I’m starting to really see how bad Yorihisa was, I just realised that for all the crappy things he did, Yorihisa never ever apologised! Whereas, for Ryunosuke, when he knew that his recent busy schedule affected their relationship, he told her that she should be honest with her feelings about it, and when she told him she got scared that they were growing apart, he very conclusively told her that their relationship isn’t that shallow, but he also apologised for making her feel like that with his absence. And I think that’s what is so great about a Ryunosuke tbh. He believes in their relationship and their feelings, but he also makes sure to apologise for making her feel insecure just because he wanted to surprise her with the new brand he was working on.

I knew Ryunosuke was dedicating the new brand to her, but aside from the fact I never thought he would actually call it Shiori, I find it so much more touching that he did it because he remembered that conversation they previously had about leaving something tangible behind as a piece of themselves. I thought that was really cool and thoughtful, it really shows how much Ryunosuke cares about what they talk about. As expected, after her complaints about her job etc, Ryunosuke finally made the move to propose to her and ask her to be his secretary so he could always see her at work and at home, which is so cute hahaha. I have to admit that it was so silly yet cute that Ryunosuke was adamant about living separately after marriage until they could properly move into their newly built home. He’s so formal about it all, but I think that’s a nice serious side of him. Although I prefer how sweet the best ending was, the good ending was really good too! Loved how proactive and bold Shiori was, and she even teased Ryunosuke just to see him blush since she thinks it’s so cute, and it’s also because of his blush that she kinda fell for him haha.

Overall, I really liked Ryunosuke’s route, I feel like it’s going to be my favourite tbh hahaha. Mainly because I feel like they were both very mature in their approach towards the relationship by always being honest, upfront and communicative. Sometimes she needs the push from him to be more honest about her feelings but I think that just speaks more towards his experience with handling people and relationships, so I think even if she can be a little less mature at times, it just kinda shows how she needs his support in that area to grow as a person, whereas he’s older so he knows how to better deal with things? Anyway, doesn’t matter because he’s a gentleman and she’s forward so they match well, and it’s a much more balanced relationship than with Yorihisa haha! I also think it’s rather refreshing that usually when it’s the CEO stereotype, the stories usually kinda flaunt how rich they are with the maids, big houses etc to show how capable they are, but Ryunosuke really seems like a normal person that is very hardworking and capable. He does everything by himself, such as moving houses with Shiori and cooking etc, he knows how to take care of himself and others, and is very considerate, but at the same time it never really retracts from his image, it only boosts it to show that even if he’s very busy, he is perfectly able to take care of himself, so him wanting Shiori in his life is because he really likes spending time with her, and I guess it was refreshing to see Ryunosuke not be that typical CEO type. The only thing I didn’t like was how the stalker thing was resolved, but I really liked how Ryunosuke very slowly but naturally warmed up to Shiori, they had such a realistic relationship, I couldn’t help but swoon the whole time over how cute and natural it was.

[smallblanketfort]

reasons not to

i asked followers and friends to tell me why they’re alive. why they stayed. this is what happened.

the world is beautiful, like, breathtakingly, stunningly, dashingly, spectacularly, exasperatingly beautiful. every wall dirty with paint and ornate with mud and graffiti, all the moldy trees and infuriating insects, all the contorted perfect faces around the world, the decaying and the rising, whatever dichotomy that comes to life and anything that grows according to the plan is beautiful. and it breaks my heart that i will never see all the beauty in the world, but at least i gotta try.

I’m staying alive because I am not ready to be forgotten. This universe has existed for 14 billion years and will continue to exist for at least 14 billion more. In this grand scale, I get an average of 70 years, if I’m lucky. I will not be forgotten. I will do everything it takes to make a difference, to create, to grow and to cherish. I will not be forgotten.

tbh, the main reason i keep myself clean and alive is that i know my family wouldn't be able to take it if i didn't. everyone in my family either has psychological issues or strong tendencies to develop them, and the reason we all keep going, i believe, is because we know we have to be there for each other, otherwise everyone will fall. and i know it's kinda sad and maybe a little unhealthy sometimes but it's how we've worked for the longest time, and hey, we're still here, right?

I’ve stayed alive for my gay ambitions. I wanna kiss a girl! While sober! I’ve had 2 kisses while drunk but I don’t remember one and it sucks. I wanna be confident enough to kiss a girl without anything helping. Also one of those girls was straight and kissing me for attention from her gross boyfriend, I’d like to avoid that situation again lol. But yeah, gayness. Fuckin wild my dude. Gotta shoot my shot and get some lip-lock ya feel?

i reached out for help a while ago to a teacher and if it weren’t for him i might not have made it. he’s said so many things and tells me that i matter, i’m worth it, i deserve to be happy, and he wished he had a daughter like me. it makes me cry knowing that he puts effort into making sure i’m okay, and that’s what keeps me going. i want to make sure his efforts don’t go to waste.

I'm still alive for going out with friends on nights like this. Hearing the birds wake up. Seeing neon lights and stars. That even when I feel so lonely, so alone, I can at least see my friends have fun and lose myself in the music.

I want to be clean because then at least i know i can do it. I've only stayed clean for a few months and then relapsed. If i can make it to a year, then at least i know i can do another and then another and then another and maybe even not deal with it at all anymore. I just want to beat this for good.

my mom’s battled depression her whole life, and last fall i broke down sobbing and started telling her about how mine had been festering in secret for so long. and she started telling me about all the pain she never thought would bridge the mother-daughter divide and how she wanted to breathe in the shadows like smoke to keep them from burning my skin. sometimes at night we crawl into each others beds and carry the weight together when our arms have started giving out. i stay alive for her.

The thing that kept me here most was knowing that my life is not really my own. No one is purely self- contained. To end my own life would be to alter dozens. So, to counter my own feeling of worthlessness, I invested my time in things that I knew had a net positive impact on the world. The more objectively positive meaning that I gave to my life made it harder to argue that I should kill myself. What would my parents do? What would my also suicidal younger brother do? We're probably a package deal in this regard. Same with some students I lead a mental health group with. I had set an example to them, and I can't fail that hard without risking their well being.

Simply, my boyfriend. It started with him physically hiding anything I could use to hurt myself. Over time, with his support, I learned some self worth and improved so much. Now those things don't have to be hidden. Even now that he's gone for a year and a half and our contact is limited to a 20 minutes phone call a day and letters, I find I'm still stable enough to stay alive and clean. He taught me how to be safe even without him and that's worth everything.

I stuck around because for some reason, something was telling me to check things out until I'm 30. When I was a kid, I imagined myself getting older all the time. When I wanted to die, I couldn't see anything past the age I was in, 19. I was both so scared and so sad for my innocence, but apparently, it never left me. Because, even though I couldn't /see/ myself beyond 19, my body made me feel like I could. Did that make sense? I'm 24 now. So far I'm glad I stuck around.

Don't want to sound conceited, but there was a kid at church who just loved me. She was like my tail. Although, I think I learned from her more than she learned from me. We both spent the whole day in church because of various activities I was involved in and because her parents were in the choir for all the services. We were always together when there was nothing for me to do-- she talked a lot. I loved hearing what she had to say. That's why I didn't. I looked forward to her growth every week

I'm alive because of the Oscar's. A few years ago a theater was showing all the nominated movies, and my mom and I went to see Manchester by the Sea. It's a sad movie, about an accident that killed some kids, but it affected my mom a lot more than me. I remember walking back to the car and her talking about how she probably wouldn't be able to go on if one of her kids died. I still can't imagine a future, but so far I'm here and tthinking about that conversation in that parking structure.

i stayed alive because i couldn’t choose which sunrise would be my last.

My family, friends, and God keep me here. If it weren't for them, I might have committed suicide or at least harmed myself because I was so overwhelmed with the world and hated myself for how far I went into sin. I might be in prison because I was heading down a path that could have lead to illegal things. God has always pulled me back in and my family has always been there to talk to. A couple of friends have helped a lot too. I also hate inflicting pain on myself and others, so that has kept me here as well .I am still coming out of certain sins and I am still recovering, but I have hope now in Christ and hope for a better future. I still get overwhelmed and perplexed by this world, but I have support and I know that God is working in my life which will allow me to help others hopefully.

i’m alive because of the little things. seeing your plants flower, the dew in the morning, low hanging clouds in the mountains, the smell of warm dirt after it rains, the tingling feeling of your fingers warming up after going numb.

A fear of hurting my mum, sisters and best friend is the biggest factor in me staying. There have been so many times that I've thought - known - they'd be better off without me, but I know they won't see it like that, and will just be hurt. Personal vanity and the hope I can accomplish the projects I've dreamed of finishing also keeps me going.

On most days, staying clean is the hope that I can be used by the Lord in the lives of people who have been through the same thing—that one day I can look at someone and say, “I made it through… you can too.” On the nights I almost relapse, I think of the girls I’m discipling and the witness I have for Christ and wrestle with the effects of one hasty decision—and five years down the drain. The staying alive thing is a little more complicated sometimes. For the most part, it’s because I’ve personally seen the impact of suicide—both in my family and friendships. However, sometimes that’s not good enough. And, as pathetic as it seems, there are times when my cat is the only reason I’m still here. Phteven has super high anxiety, is afraid of most everyone (myself excluded), and is, generally, pretty high maintenance because of all his fears. No one in their right mind would take care of him if I were gone. So, on the darkest nights of my life, I’ve honestly stayed because I think my cat would end up at a shelter, and he would 100% have a heart attack because of the anxiety (which written out sounds really silly, but there ya go.) In general, however, it’s the knowledge of the impact it would have—regardless of how well I perceived to be loved or cared for.

For me the hope of tomorrow, there is always a new day. Ive always been an optimist and even in my darkest moments, hope keeps me grounded. Romans 8:18, Psalm 51:10 & Hebrews 6:19 have been verses that have helped me through to the point i have an anchor tattoo with Steadfast across it.

While some of these may sound dumb, they’ve kept me going all these years: all the books I’ll be able to read some day. all the movies/tv shows/music I’ll get to watch/listen to. All the laughs with my crazy friends. All the laughs with my crazy family. The possibility of road trips and vacations. The possibility of writing a book of my own. Falling in love. Being best friends with my sister. Loving my niece to pieces. Smelling the air after it’s just rained, and/or after the grass has been cut. Seeing the first snowfall every year. Seeing the corn and beans sprouting every spring. Sitting on a porch when I’m old. Having grandchildren to tell all your crazy stories to. And laughing. So much laughing. 😌

my reason to stay alive is my friends. they needed me to keep going, to keep pushing through every dark night. I know just how devastating it would be if one of my plans actually did work. since my dad passed away, every day was getting harder and harder to get through, until eventually i just didn't want to even live for the new morning. it's only been a few months now since the suicidal thoughts and the urge to self harm has left, but I think what got me through the worst of it was the unrelenting support of my friends. they were there for me through every breakdown, every panic attack and every dark thought. I genuinely don't think I'd be here today without their support- their kindness is what kept me going. I've worked hard for three years now on my mental health, I've been going to counselling and seeking support from other people. I've taken self care with open arms and its made such a difference. reaching out for help was so hard but it was so so worth it. I've reached my 18th birthday, a milestone I never thought i could ever achieve- yet here I am proving every horrible thought my brain spews up wrong. I'm so thankful I never gave up, because each day now - while sometimes still a struggle, shows me how the world has a little light bearing through even when things seem to be going shit. my lovely friends, my art and music is what wakes me up every morning and motivates me to sleep at night. life does get better.

In the past it was always my sister and brother. I always kept going and stayed here just so one day I could find them and we could be together. Be a family. I loved them since the moment I met them. Though my sister was only three and didn't speak English at the time only French. Of course I only knew English. My brother was to be born very soon. I was instantly in love. To know that I had them. They were my world. They held me together. Even though for the next 13 years we would not see each other for unfair reasons. Now 22 years later what keeps me here has changed only slightly. My sister and my father are what keep me here. For a very different reason now though. Four years ago my little brother, the one I was just speaking of, was murdered. Along with his girlfriend and her sister. I keep going because right now I can't let my dad suffer the loss of two children. I can't let the sweetest sister in the world lose two siblings. I can't let them down. I have to stay strong. I have to keep going. It's exhausting most days, and it gets harder as time goes on. So I fight back more to keep going because I love them and I know they love me.

I guess for me -- the reason I stayed is because I almost didn't stay, and it was the total grace of God that I'm here. At the time I thought I would have stayed for my family, or my friends, or my future -- but I totally could not see any of that other than the continuous hurt I thought I was inflicting on them. I had a really bad fall semester at my university that led me to eventually take a much needed and helpful medical leave my spring semester;; but the first time that I really almost did it I was breaking down on the top floor of a parking garage at my university, begging that God would actually see me and wanting prayer but not knowing where to go and not wanting to "burden" anyone I knew. As this was happening, this guy walks to the top of the garage and sees me - comes over to where I was sitting, asks if I'm okay and gives me a hug, and asks if he could pray for me (and my university is not even religious at *all*). He literally slept in a booth across from me and stayed with me all night as I finished my homework, and he walked with me to class the next day. In the midst of everything that I was a bit of hope. Towards the very end of the semester, I had seriously made the decision I was going to do it and went about with all what I thought were my parting arrangements -- the next morning when I was going to leave he sends me a text and shows up at my dorm, telling me he was praying for me and wanted to stay with me that day until I left to go back home to Pittsburgh where I'd be for my medical leave. Both of those times I actually didn't see a reason to stay -- but God did. And it took some time for that to really sink in... that God wants me to stay. That he wouldn't let me go. And that has been a massive reason why I stay now. In addition to that, through this healing season I have relearned the beauty of family and friendship, and how much love there actually is surrounding me -- and now, I look around and I appreciate it that much more because it was almsot never there. Knowing that God never gave up and there *actually was* soooooo much love and life on the other side of this that I was convinced I would never see gives me so much hope to keep holding on and to not listen to the lies that there is no good for me or my future. I don't want to live my life out of guilt or fear of what will happen to me or my friends/family after I'm gone -- but I guess that is a part of it, seeing many friends die from preventable causes and the damage it does puts things into perspective. But I'd say my main reason for staying is knowing that life really is worth it and precious when I can't see it, because I know what it's like to make it out the other side and understand how tightly God holds onto us when we don't want to even hold on anymore.

I stayed alive because I didn't know there was another option. I was young. I stayed alive because I didn't want my sister to have to live as someone with that kind of hole in her life. I stayed alive because there was always some upcoming performance and my company is too small for understudies or alternates. I stayed alive because there was always someone not quite as steady who relied on me to do so. Only now, finally, I can stay alive because I want to.

Reasons I stay alive: the love of the people close to me, and the knowledge that with age we get better. Anxieties lessen and dissipate, confidence grows, skills develop and things generally become clearer.

Ive been thinking about this post quite a lot, Haha. Mostly, it’s because I don’t want to give up. I want to prove to myself and my loved ones that I’m so much stronger than I think I am and I’d like to show the bullies of my past that I’m stronger than they think. Also, my family and friends and boyfriend keep me here. There’s so much see in the future, and I sometimes just... hold on to that. I lost touch with one of my best friends for years and I’m just too glad to have her back in my life since last year and I know (haha this sounds selfish I guess, but she told me haha) that she’s so glad about it as well. There’s so many things I want to achieve and things to see. I mean - about three weeks ago, said best friend and I met our childhood hero and I just kept thinking “man, I’m so glad I stayed”.

it’s on my blog too x and twitter

[ohmy7hearts]

Being the Batgirl to Damian Wayne includes:

A/N: Tbh, I had troubles thinking of starting this one considering how I wanted to leave out as many details about Batgirl’s past in this to make it as vague as possible so more people can relate to her. I hope it’s up to your liking! Want more, just send in a request.

Requested by: Anon

next

It all started when you were walking home alone this one night. It was always a bad idea to walk home alone, at night especially. To make matters worse, you were living in Gotham - the city with the highest crime rates

But, it was not you who was attacked; you were just a witness to someone being attacked and that someone was Batwoman

She was fighting off criminals in the alley you were walking past and it looked like she was handling it well

Starstruck, you hid behind some big rubbish bin to watch the fight unfold. It’s not every day or every night that you could see the Gotham heroes in action

However, while she was fighting the last huge (and rather determined to bring her down) criminal, she failed to notice the waking criminal from behind. He was about to stand and get the gun that was a few feet away from him so you did what you had to

Getting a metal pipe from the ground, you hit the guy on the head, knocking him out instantly

Hearing what happened, she whirled around mid-fight to see what happened and was surprised to see a little girl with a metal pipe. The head of the guy was bleeding slightly and she was beyond impressed

Criminals being criminals, took advantage of her shell-shocked state to get in a hit. You were faster than that - throwing the metal pipe like a frisbee, you smacked him in the head causing him to be dazed

Batwoman was brought back to reality and landed the finishing blow

She looked at you with a smirk painted on her face. She offered to walk you home because it was too dangerous for anyone, especially little kids, to be out and about

“I’m not just any little kid. I can take care of myself!” You puffed out your chest in pride. It was not just talk because growing up in Gotham, basic self-defense was a basic thing to know

She nodded along and asked you about yourself before the conversation spiraled down to about Batman and co.

“I can’t tell you anything about us, little one. But, if you did figure it out, maybe I can introduce him to you.”

She was joking. Really, but you took it seriously. You started investigating the moment you got home with a cup of hot chocolate to keep you awake

You started with theories. People who think was Batman and eliminating those without his build and around the height of six feet. Boy, did you not sleep that night and when it was time to go to school, you were exhausted and ready to crash at any moment

Trudging to school, your friends - oh how kind they were - pointed out the obvious fact of your eye bags and weariness. You merely nodded and grunted in response

They all stopped probing you about it when Damian Wayne walked past in all his glory causing your friends to swoon and whisper about him

And then light bulb! His hairstyle and build match to that of the current Robin. Deciding that his family was now the primary suspect, you observed him throughout the day

Luckily, you had most of your classes with him. Unfortunately, though, your friends thought that you finally jumped on the Damian Wayne bandwagon and made such a big fuss over it that the said devil himself was eyeing your group of friends

Considering how sleepy you were, gym class was a disaster. It was time for some dodgeball and the class was split into two with Damian in your team

You were almost hit by a ball and was about to get an out when the ball was grabbed by Damian and thrown back with deadly accuracy to the person who threw it

He rose an eyebrow at you and clicked his tongue before muttering under his breath which you heard clearly

So after gym, you went up to him in all your fury because lack of sleep did a number of your patience

“Did you just call me an incompetent player? Well, I apologise for not being up to your ridiculously high standards, your Highness.”

He was about to argue back but you were walking away from him. Annoyed, he was about to grab you by your arm but you dodged and glared at him

The acidic tone you used when you ordered him to don’t touch me had him flinching which was very uncommon for Damian

The rest of the school day did not go by very fast; your friends were wary around you, Damian was watching you like a hawk and the anger didn’t dissipate

When the school bell rang, you leaped off the chair and practically ran from school to a certain boxing centre

When the desk woman saw you, she smiled and waved you in. Greetings and smiles came from all the staff there as that was where you learned your basic self-defense and they all knew you well

Intrigued, Damian followed you there. After paying for his fees, he tracked you down and found you in a corner venting out your frustration

“TT, you’re doing it all wrong. Lower your hips more to gain more ground.”

You were startled to find him there, arms crossed and eyes judging your every move. All that confusion turn to annoyance

“Stalking me now, Wayne? How honoured I should feel. Just that, I am not.”

“TT, don’t flatter yourself, (L/N). I was merely finishing what you started.”

You rolled your eyes, “Of course, it runs in the Robin’s blood, doesn’t it? Just can’t break the habit of getting the last word can you.”

He narrowed his eyes at you and you just shrugged, laying down all the evidence of how obvious it was: Robin only appearing after Bruce Wayne had his first ward and his second ward’s death aligning very much to why Robin disappeared for some time before another Robin came around. A Robin with a better costume then another Robin with a change of costume and a Red Robin.

“Batwoman offered to introduce me to Batman if I figured it out. And seeing how defensive you are, I am guessing I am right.”

“She doesn’t have to bring you to him; I will.”

You were taken aback but after listening to his reasoning that not just anyone can just find out about our secret identity, you relented and followed him home

To say you were ecstatic was an understatement, it was like you cracked the Da Vinci code in just a day and without doing anything illegal like hacking into the City Hall database! Not like you actually can hack into it without leaving a trace

The ride there was silent after Alfred asking who you were and Damian labeling you as just a friend. You scoffed at that because you were not even friends, to begin with, you had better taste in friends

When you arrived at the manor, you were taking everything in. You were awed by how beautiful the ground was and the architecture but Damian continued to pester you about hurrying up and it just turned your mood sour

Damian barged into his father’s office who did not bother looking up as he merely asked what he wanted

“Father, she figured out who we are. She’s a threat if we don’t do anything about it.”

You were very offended, to say the least, because it sounded like he actually wanted to kill you just because you found out their family secret. That was most likely shown on your face because when Bruce looked up and see you, he chuckled

Being a gentleman, unlike his son, Bruce introduced himself and offered that you stayed for dinner which you accepted so you could poke fun at his son further seeing how disturbed he was by how laidback his father was about the whole situation

So you spent the next few hours with Damian doing homework, supposedly. It was a miracle you both did not kill each other. Alfred, however, was doubting with every passing second that you both could even make it to dinner without a scratch considering the crescendo voices coming from Damian’s room

When you and he made it to the dinner table, his family was already there with an exception of Cassandra, as you find out later on

Seeing three older brothers instead of two made you perplexed because didn’t one of them die??

“He was dead. Unfortunately, he was brought back to life.” Damian explained while pointing at the male with the white streak in his hair which prompted a verbal fight between the two

Dick was elated to find out that Damian was making friends and was overwhelming you with questions about his baby brother while Tim, on the other hand, was amused that someone other than him found out who Batman and Robin were

Being comfortable around the bunch of misfits, you confessed about Batwoman’s offer which irked Bruce

So when you were sent home - safe and sound - and it was time for patrol, Batman headed straight to Batwoman

Kate was astonished, not really apologetic, and discussed with Bruce about your potential to which Bruce agreed. She even joked that if Bruce had refused, she would have taken you under her wing herself. Batman was not amused

Unbeknownst to you, you were in for a ride

[astralnexus]

Past & Future - Hope

You can blame @nctsepticeyed for this tbh

She’d given up hope. Lesthael had given the young Syraxian no answers about her real family. She felt alone, despite having so many people supporting her. She had a family, but they weren’t real, to her. They looked after her and cared for her and loved her... But... They were all related to each other. She wasn’t. She had nobody related to her by blood.

And to her, the bond of blood was something she’d been missing all of her life. Granted, she was only twelve, and she had such a long way to go, but at that moment... There was simply no hope.

But in her future, there was hope. Lesthael was her father, it was revealed no less than four years from the younger one’s time. The now one-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Elysia was reflecting on the exact same moment that her younger self was living through.

She needed inspiration. She’d given up hope, she remembered.

There was a figure that spoke to the younger one. Hooded, tall, mysterious.

Thinking back on it, the older Elysia realised that the figure hadn’t ever been seen since, and questioning her father about it, realised that he felt a disruption that day. Something had messed with the flow of time.

No Syraxian in that time could have that amount of power, except Lesthael. And he was being the opposite of helpful in those days. So maybe it was... Somebody from this time? She could easily narrow it down. Female, considerably powerful, caring, kind. Clearly concerned for the young Elysia, and her alone.

Now, there were only two people who fit that description in its entirety:

Nirihel... And Elysia herself.

But why would she visit her past self? Surely it would only bring the painful reminder of the past?

The she realised.

The only person that knew how to inspire Elysia, and give her hope...

Was herself.

She wasted no time in finding the outfit she needed, and prepared to head into the past.

She had a young Syraxian’s chin to lift.

The young Syraxian was leaning against a tree, sobbing quietly. If she could, she’d take it all back. She’d stop being so curious. What good had it ever done her but hurt her? She’d hit so many dead ends in her life, she felt walled in, trapped in a never-ending maze, alone, lost, and confused. Her head was spinning slightly. The sun was setting, the only thing that she could appreciate at that moment in time.

Her whole world seemed to have changed, simply because she couldn’t find any answers. She never seemed to have answers to anything. Was it just her fate? Or was it something worse? She couldn’t tell.

She never could tell.

She’d been sitting there for a few minutes when a small hum sounded to the side of her. Magic, definitely. She might not have been trained, but even she could feel it resonating to the right of her. She had no energy to turn to look, instead closing her eyes.

Her future self tilted her head and smiled softly, a caring look on her face. She sat next to her younger self, and gestured to the sunset before them.

“Is it really so easy to give up hope after only one option has been explored?”

The young one opened her eyes and looked to her right. She couldn’t see this person’s face, except their smile. She looked in the general direction of the sunset, resting her head on her knees.

“I only had one option.”

Now, could she be so sure of that? Could she really?

“Maybe... At some point, when you grow up, you’ll get the answers you seek. And maybe, you’ll realise that you don’t need the answers right now. Perhaps they’re needed later. Some answers cause pain if you seek them prematurely. You have other things more worth fighting for right now.”

The older Elysia looked down at her smaller self. She used to think that she was full of hope, until she remembered this event.

“You cannot give up hope.”

It was odd, but she took the younger one’s hand, her own hand, and gently squeezed it.

“Even in the darkest of times, and for the darkest people, there is always hope. But only you can make that hope exist.”

The younger of the two would have no idea what this meant, but the elder did. The darkest of people... Huh. She was referring to Anti, and Lesthael. The two people that Elysia wouldn’t... No, couldn’t ever give up hope on.

“Hope...” A word that seemed so fragile, so wrong, so... False, to the young one. Yet... She felt a little warmer on the inside. Like... This stranger had lifted her spirits just a little. She lifted her head from her knees, and slowly looked to the older one and smiled softly. A small smile, granted, but it was still a smile.

It certainly looked like hope was returning to the young Syraxian.

“What should I do?...”

“You’re not far from home, are you? Get some sleep, talk to those closest to you, listen to them. Do what you think is right. Even the oddest of decisions could be the right ones. And, rather importantly, it’s okay to be scared.”

How was it ever okay to be scared? Fear meant weakness, yes? Apparently not, to this person. Fear would always lead to less strength, which meant weakness. She couldn’t wrap her head around the logic that this woman was implying.

“I..” She wanted to speak up about it, but she felt that there was an air of authority coming from this woman, an authority that she couldn’t deny...

“Do what I think is right.”

“Even if someone else disagrees with you. Always trust your instincts.” The older one stood up, and offered her hand.

“I want to take you to somewhere first. Before you go home.”

She’d remembered this moment from her own past. The figure that was with the young Elysia had taken her to the market in the Nae’rth territory. They bought a pendant. Similar to an emerald in colour, but it was by its own rights another crystal entirely. One could feel magic flowing through it. The more the older Syraxian thought about it, the more it reminded her of Anti.

Her lover.

“Where? Is it close to home?”

She took the older one’s hand and pulled herself up so that she was standing. She frowned. She thought that the older of the two had literally just told her to go home, and now she was offering to take her somewhere? Was this woman okay?

“Yes, it’s the Nae’rth market. We’re going to buy a pendant.”

She smiled, and before the younger Elysia could argue, she pulled her along, the two sprinting alongside one another.

“Why a pendant?”

“Consider it a promise.”

It hadn’t taken them too long before they had gotten to the market, but the sun had already set. The younger Elysia waved at familiar faces.

A wave of times gone by had hit the older Elysia. She could feel old memories, ones that had yet to be forged for the younger one, coming forth. The last time the future Elysia had visited the market was when she was eighteen, so six years after this event, but that was... one-hundred and thirty-two years ago to her.

She shook her head, and approached the vendor selling the pendants.

“The Casdrathian Almore pendant, please.”

“Is it for young Elysia here?”

“It is.”

“Then you can have it for free.”

“I insist on paying.” And before the man could argue, she placed a handful of gold on the table, gently taking the pendant and handing it to the younger Elysia.

“This is your promise?”

“It’s a promise for and from both of us. It’s my promise to you, that everything will be okay, even in the darkest of times. You will know your promise when it comes.”

The young one was perplexed, but took the pendant anyways.

“I am afraid this is where I leave you. But do heed everything I’ve said, please. Because I know it gets better for you, I just do.”

She found it hard to turn away. She never turned away from people that needed help, but she knew her work was done here.

“Why help me?”

“Because... Everyone needs help. Everyone. It’s as I said before, there is hope even for the darkest of people. We all deserve it. Now, I really must leave you... Goodbye, Elysia.”

The same feeling and sound that had happened when she appeared came back, and with that, the older Elysia was gone. Though one could distinctly hear quiet sobs coming from her just as she left.

“D’you know her?” asked the merchant.

“Not at all. Though I wish I did. She seems like a nice woman... I’d better be off. I, uh, thanks for the pendant.” Walking back to her home wasn’t too long a venture, and she found herself to be greeted by her family. Well, her adoptive family. She certainly looked more hopeful.

She told them all about her lack of luck in finding out about her true family, but decided to swear that they were her family, no matter what.

She was inspired to join The Rebellion, and all the events leading off from it...

Were because of her. The mysterious one.

Despite the pain, Elysia didn’t regret any of it.

Neither of them did.

[lightsblinded]

Drabble: Charlie Ngata & Maccas.

I started writing this on May 20′th and I just finished it up really quickly but I stan this mother/daughter duo tbh.

Calvin's mother has sent the customary photo to Tess this morning, like she does every year on this day. This year he's leaning over a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cake, grinning like an idiot. His eyes are blue, like Jason's, but his other features are unmistakably Tess. She thinks he even has the same teeth as her, even though she isn't sure that's possible. With the photo comes the text, similar to the one she gets every year. "8 years ago today, you gave us our son-shine. Happy Thank You Day!"

She's just finished up getting a haircut when the message comes, and she sits in the chair staring at the picture. She's never felt like his Mom, even those 20 minutes after giving birth to him when she held him and cried as she quietly told him about his blood family and then the people coming to adopt him. Jessica and Scott. They had treated her like family the moment they met, when she was six months pregnant. She had wanted nothing more than to keep him, be a mom. And every glance at Jason, every angry twitch of his eyelid reminded her why that wasn't possible. Jessica was his mom, and she was a really good one.

There's a tug at her blouse but she doesn't notice at first. She looks up at herself in the mirror. This cut has been the most drastic since she came to New Zealand four years ago. Many years of growing her curly hair out ended by the scissors, its right across her shoulders now, and they've straightened it to last until she washes it in a couple of days. She sees the way the 5 or so years have aged her as she looks at herself. Her early 30s certainly hadn't left her wrinkled like a prune yet, but she can see the effects of time. She wonders how much that will change now, as she heads closer to her 40's. The tug comes again and this time, with it, a whine.

"Mum....meeee. Mummy! Mum!"

Blinking, she looks down at Charlie, two and a half going on 4. Where Cal is mostly Tess with a smidge of Jason, Charlie is a good mix of her and Darius. Wildly curly hair that's just a little closer to Darius' color, his eyes, her lips and nose, her skintone is closer to his and she seems to have a tiny gap between her front teeth so far. Smiling a little, she reaches down to pull the girl up onto her lap.

Stevie was only a few years older when Tess first met them. She's seven now. And she's Tess' greatest joy equal with Charlie. She loves to climb into bed with her and talk, about life, school, her favorite books and tv shows. To run her fingers through her hair and sing softly to her. Stevie doesn't even remember Elle and Tess isn't sure, but she suspects she may not even remember that Tess isn't her mother, at least sometimes. She's fine with that, she wants her to only have good memories of being loved, cared for, wanted.

"What do you think, munchkin? You like mummy's hair?" Charlie regards her a moment, trying to understand how she looks different but also the same. Her chubby little arm reaches out to run fingers down the shorter locks, eyes blinking. She looks like Darius when she thinks. (And when she poops.)

Tess reaches in turn to brush her own fingers across Charlie's hair and the tot beams at her, pressing her palms to her mother's cheeks. "Pretty!" She exclaims, leaning to rub their noses together. Tess grins and leans into her a moment. It's insane to her that she's had a hand in creating these two exquisite creatures. When she had given Cal up she had longed for this connection for so long. Only after meeting Darius and Stevie did she find it in her. Their bond had changed a little with Stevie's shift in interests and such, but it was uniquely them, they evolved together.

She sighs a little and picks her phone back up, angling it to take a picture of them with their faces close together, she sends it to Darius so he can see what she's done and what they've done, smiling as she includes a text. "Thank you for giving me everything I never knew I was missing. Love you, Charlie Bug and Mumface."

Charlie makes a delighted little sound at the picture and sways around happily in her Mum's lap, singing a song she's writing, the only lyrics so far being 'daddy' and the occasional bridge of 'cheeeeeeeeeeee'. Once the message is sent, Tess sticks her phone in her bag and stands with her arm moving Charlie onto her hip. She pays, gets her a lolly after she spots them on the counter (thus spawning a chorus of 'lolly') and heads out to the car.

Once Charlie is buckled in to her seat and she's got the car started, Tess glances at her in the mirror. "What do you think we should have for dinner Charlie Bug?"

She claps her little hands together and rubs. "Maccas!!"

Tess scoffs. "You're starting to sound like your sister. Mum's cooking. What do you want that Mum makes?"

Charlie makes a stink face at her in the mirror. "Mac-cas! Mummy!!! Maaaccaaaaaas!!!"

There's a heavy sigh from the front seat, and Charlie's grin creeps towards satisfaction. Tess turns in the seat to look directly at her. "I will get you and Stevie donut balls, but you have to eat Mum's dinner before you can have them."

Charlie crosses her arms over her chest and pulls her very best (and heavily practiced) Darius Face of Disapproval. "No donut balls! Chicken Cheese!!!" A tiny hand raises to adjust invisible glasses on the bridge of her nose, and Tess has to fight off a smile.

"Oh you, you need to stop being cute acting like your daddy." Tess sighs again, sinking a little in her seat. "Fine. We'll get Maccas tonight. But that means no donut balls and Fanta float this week."

Charlie doesn't care, or more likely, comprehend what that means. She throws her arms out and wiggles delightedly in her seat. "Yaaaay!! Chicken cheese!!!" To think a toddler could be so excited over a McChicken with a slice of Kraft on it. She sighs a little as she looks at her in the mirror, her heart weak with love for this little creature. Pride knowing how happy and healthy she has grown to be.

She starts the car, but doesn’t shift into reverse yet, shifting to lean back and gently tug on her little ankle, smiling when Charlie gives her a perplexed little face. “Mummy loves you, Charlie.”

The girl immediately breaks into a grin, her tiny teeth shining in the sun as she proudly lifts her chin. “I love you, Mummy! Let’s go get some CHICKEN CHEESE!”