#badass helen wick

[wikitpowers]

I’m so glad you’re also a tall!Ty truther!!! The blackthorns being oddly tall is my favourite headcanon. Like I knowww those boys are around 6’1+.

RIGHT????? it just makes so much sense, huh???? i constantly keep on talking about this bc taller!ty is just so so important to me. like i keep on pestering my sister about it all the time and she probably wants me to stfu but i won’t, i won’t. <3

AND PLEASE JUST THIS ONCE, LET US GET A TALLER LOVE INTEREST FOR A HERONDALE IM BEGGING HERE!!! ALLOW KIT TO BE SHORTER!!!

[treedaddymcpuffpuff]

John Wick falls in love.

And everyone thinks, “oh, this girl must be a total badass. A ruthless woman with a heart of iron and an ability to tame even the most beastly of mankind.”

Except then they meet her, the wispy ray of sunshine holding a bouquet of wildflowers freshly picked from her homegrown garden, smiling and leaning up to steal a kiss from her dark, brooding shadow, and… Did John Wick just blush? Did John Wick just smile and nuzzle into the warm neck of a giggling, delicate woman in a sundress?

Yes. Because after a lifetime of pain and agony, after he’s already accepted this fate of brutality and death and darkness, after the only touch he’s known is hard and unforgiving, Helen appears like a ray of light. And she is soft. So soft. All teasing touches and playful kisses and laughing while burying him in the sand.

Silly little games and tickle fights and ancient, perishing fairytale books wrapped in blue shiny ribbon waiting in his front seat after he tells her he’s always wanted to restore them. Holding him, always holding him—his rough, ugly scared hands that she insists are beautiful. His bruised cheeks. She wraps herself around him in a protective cocoon—his bright little guardian fending off the oppressive, terrifying, massive darkness—shushing him back to sleep, scaring the nightmares away with her sweet reassuring whispers.

Loving him, not in spite of, but for everything he is. Never being afraid of him. Giggling while he growls, batting her eyelashes and sticking out her tongue and only screaming with laughter when he gets her. Rolling her eyes when someone trembles in his presence, when she hears the rumors about his merciless and ruthless nature. Putting him in funny poses for photographs in the park, on their couch, in his car.

Praising him, always praising him. Hailing his good deeds and achievements so intensely that all he can do is stammer and stiffen and look away when it gets overwhelming, when he doesn’t know what to do with all of that abundant love she’s giving him so freely. All of that abundant love he didn’t even know existed.

Helen is so different from everything, so kind and forgiving and loving. He doesn’t deserve her, doesn’t mean to fall in love with her so quickly, doesn’t want to dim her heavenly light with his looming past, and certainly doesn’t expect the opposite…

Because now, he smiles more than frowns, laughs more than wails, kisses more than bites, caresses more than punches.

Because now, John Wick falls in love with the warm, ever-burning hearth that is his Helen, and she sets his world on bright, brilliant, beautiful fire.

[yup-thats-me]

KEANU REEVES

◇ play date ⋆ Tommy Warneki

↳ even if your bullies, Leah and Stacy, try to ruin your prom night with Tommy, they can't cuz Tommy's here

◇ pregnancy hormones

↳ your pregnancy hormones are acting up

◇ midnight love ⋆ John Wick

↳ when John keeps on comparing you to Helen, you burst

◇ take care of you

↳ you're on your period and Keanu is there to help you through it

◇ badass

↳ Tommy x reader from the movie Flying it set after the ending of the movie Y/n, Tommy, his friend Leo, Robin and her friend Carly are at the cafeteria mind their own business but the Leah Stacy and Leah's boyfriend Mark entered in the cafeteria and Leah and Stacy started teasing Tommy and Y/n relationship but Y/n stand against them and this gave the strength to Mark to dump his girlfriend

[hadesoftheladies]

FEMALE MOVIE/TV RECS (PART 9 / ADULT & FAMILY ANIMATION)

got inspired from a recommendation post so decided to make a list of movies and shows with female-centric stories/female protagonists. since i can't post all of the genres in one post, i'll split it into multiple posts and y'all can save or add to the list as you wish. (disclaimer: i have watched most of these, but i only know about the existence of others. not every movie/show on these lists will be my recommendation. my recommendations will be beneath the list with reasons. also some of these are way better than others in terms of storytelling/performance--which is why i'll list my faves separately):

Common Themes/Tropes:

-Woman/girl is OP and gets bullshit from other people for it

-Heroine tries desperately to fix the world

-Leaving home to go on adventures for the sake of a dream or doing the right thing

-Sisters are a lifeline

-Women/girls can literally do or be anything

-Violence is the only answer men will understand

-The world is so big, grand and beautiful and she wants to see more of it

-Girls being the conscience of an entire society

-Things going ham when she reaches Boss Level

-Magic (and violence) are good things, especially paired together

-A man (usually a father or guy friend) is the only conscience she has left

-F*ck marriage there's bigger problems TM

-I must save my father/sister

-Serious mommy issues

-Has an animal companion or IS the animal companion (robots also count as animal companions in terms of function imo)

-Making friends with the monster

OF WHICH ARE FOR ADULT AUDIENCES:

Pantheon

Scavenger's Reign

Blue Eye Samurai

Arcane: League of Legends

Trese

HAVEN'T WATCHED:

Pantheon

Lilo & Stitch

Fiona & Cake

Star Vs. The Forces of Evil

Trese

Princess Mononoke

Green Snake

The Breadwinner

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Violet Evergarden

Barbie in The Diamond Castle

Monsters Vs Aliens

Epic

Finding Dory

Encanto

The Incredibles II

Tinkerbell: Legend of The Neverbeast

Brave

WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND:

Blue Eye Samurai (10/10) (super gritty, but the perfect revenge story, puts John Wick to shame)

Scavenger's Reign (8/10) (split story, but two of the main characters are women, and one is a black lesbian! fantastic animation, though don't watch if you're intensely trypophobic, it can be sci-fi horror)

Mulan (9/10) (one of the most perfect animated Disney classics)

Turning Red (8/10) (this movie remembered the tween era)

Tinkerbell (if you crave matriarchy, sisterhood, magic and female centric society and story, then you need to watch the Tinkerbell movies)

Wolfwalkers (7.5/10) (an anti-colonial, anti patriarchal, pro-pagan fantasy movie with beautiful animation and a very touching, female-centric story)

Arcane: League of Legends (10/10) (gorgeous animation, amazing writing, incredible performances, and don't get me started on the sisters that take centre stage--also, lesbianism and gender nonconformity!)

The Legend of Korra (8/10) (good writing, a badass protagonist, a fantastic cast of characters, beautiful scoring, beautiful animation, amazing action sequences)

PERSONAL NOTES

The Mitchells Vs The Machines is basically a drama between a lesbian girl and her dad who have to figure their relationship out while they're running from robots. It was full of heart and fun and had some good jokes in there. I'd definitely recommend it.

Raya & The Last Dragon is the first Disney movie with a gender non-conforming princess! It also has some of the best action sequences in any Disney animated movie, however it doesn't hold a candle to The Incredibles II, which stars Helen Parr as the main character of the film. It's one of my favourite films of all time because of how they depict Helen and the main villain of the story (a badass genius of a woman). Really pro-female films, even for all their flaws.

Abominable has some of the most gorgeous visuals I've seen outside of a Disney animation. The texturing and coloring is so vivid it makes my mouth water. It's far better than Over The Moon, but both have their own charm. Abominable and Home have very similar plots. Also, the girl in Home is voiced by Rihanna while Beyonce voices the queen of the faeries in Epic.

One movie that shares a similar theme (kindness to animals even if we don't understand them or they scare us) with Abominable is The Sea Beast. The Sea Beast is one of the best animations with a black female girl as a lead I've ever seen. There's also a badass black woman pirate. There are some scenes that could have been written (or colored) better, but I loved it either way. I think it was the first animated film to depict shrinkage for black hair! And it didn't lighten the skin or whiten the features of the black characters!

Many people view Frozen II and Brave as "almost" masterpieces whose writers ultimately failed them, and I can say that I agree to some extent. There are many things technically wrong with the movies. Minor details that set the pacing off or take away from the immersion. However, I still love both of them. I really love daughter vs mother and sister vs sister stories (that includes Tinkerbell: The Secret of The Wings) because there's so much to explore in such relationships. They also both have some killer soundtracks, some amazing visuals and well-executed action sequences. I've truly seen way worse than these two films, and the characters are mostly loveable.

The Breadwinner is an animated film about a girl dressing up like a boy under the rule of the Taliban so she can earn some money to help feed her family. It's scored very high by critics.

I'd also recommend The Owl House (even though there's some appeal to genderism in later seasons). It's the first time I've seen a bisexual animated character and the enemies to lovers arc with Luz and Amity is unmatched in cannon magic school stories. I also really love the depiction of The Owl Lady who is treated like a male character in that she is allowed to be non-maternal, single and old (and wrinkled), arrogant and boastful, all without the show trying to punish her for it. The Boiling Isles are also fascinating as a setting.

If you like The Owl House, there's a chance you'll love She-Ra. There were many things I found annoying about She-Ra, but my experience was mostly positive. I'm not the biggest fan of Catradora, but I do appreciate the drama. I loved the world-building and magic system mainly, so the character quirks didn't get to me as much as they have others. Also, amazing antagonists in this series. It could have been more mature, but it's still entertaining.

I also definitely recommend Home on The Range. It's a whole movie with talking animals, but there's no tomboy like the main female protagonist in a Disney movie. She is one of the most tomboy characters Disney ever made. Also, I love 2D animation and this film reminds me why. Also, the idea of a feminine, micromanaging old heifer, a bull-headed, roughhouse new girl cow, and a young airhead cow that can't sing going on an adventure across the wild west to save their human's (a sweet old lady with some bark and bite) farm? And they have to compete with a hotshot, asshole male horse who is young and fast? It's like the perfect western comedy but with cows!

Anyways, if you can't tell, I love animated stuff and a lot of these are my comfort movies.

[theregretofgod]

My dad and I arguing whether which of Keanu's characters would be best husband material for me Good- Neo. Sure, he's always sucking face with Trinity but he'd be a decent guy. Super antisocial (at first) but he seems sweet. +Dad quote: "He has all these powers and stuff and badass. But out of these three, he'd be the best for you."

Best (in circumstance)- John Wick. He is SO HOT. I'd let him thigh choke me anytime. Yeah, he's always dead inside and pissy, but with a Helen he was a sweetheart. (I do NOT ship HelenxJohn). He would treat me right. But, I don't want to get dragged into the criminal underworld. +Dad quote: "You're forgetting the best part: he's looooooaded. He could pay off your med school and more. Though, he's older than me and it's kinda weird thinking of you dating someone older than your own father."

No- Constantine. He seems like he would ignore me. Also he's a chain smoker and I'm allergic to whatever cigarettes/cigars have in them (but he quits by the end of the movie, so that's a plus). Yeah we both know Latin, but he seems to only know phrases rather than know it as an actual language. +Dad quote: "He isn't for you. He probably reeks of nicotine and that's not good for your health."

[takiki16]

I've seen you talk about Helen Wick a lot and her relationship with John and how he was totally devoted to her. In the second movie, we have a nice parallel with Gianna and her relationship with Cassian. What do you think? Is it the same level of commitment? I don't remember if we have something similar in the third movie, it's been a while since I've watched it. But I love the idea of John running into men devoted to their women and being reminded of Helen because of that. Can't wait for Chapter 4 next week!

MY JAM MY JAM MY JAM MY JAM!!!!!!! POUR CHAPTER 4 STRAIGHT INTO MY EYEBALLS!!!!!

Short answer: YES. I think Cassian was absolutely ride or die for Gianna. There is just NO REASON to do a Dramatic Zoom (TM) in on Cassian’s face when he discovers Gianna’s body if there isn’t some level of deeper affection and fealty there!!! Why would Gianna say “what would I do without you, Cassian?” To use a TLT phrase, ANOTHER ONE OF DEVOTION’S CASUALTIES!

Long Answer: yes, I think Cassian is just as devoted as John, but because John chose Helen Wick and Cassian chose Gianna D’Antonio, Cassian doesn’t get to express his devotion the same way?

One of the things that makes us all so hype about the JW franchise is the world building - not only is there an Insane Badass, but he lives within a LARGER FRAMEWORK of insane badasses that have COOL AESTHETIC INFRASTRUCTURE to support their various acts of badassery. John and Cassian may be actively trying to kill each other, but they still vibe because they share…it feels weird to call it a ~*social class*~, because that implies politics I don’t think Chadley and Co. have thought about, but that’s kind of what it is! They know that they are both Service, rather than Management! They come from virtually identical positions on the chessboard! It’s also why I love the John and Sofia scenes in Chapter 3, because her exposition adds more depth and detail to this framework. John may be unique in his SKILL LEVEL, but his actual POSITION in the grand politics of this world means that he still has to kneel when he asks for certain favors. (Which is ANOTHER of the things I loved about Chapter 3 :)))

TO EXTRAPOLATE FROM THAT TO BEAUTIFUL FEALTY MUSINGS: you all already know that I love a subby murderbot who is devoted, body and soul, to the object(s) of their devotion, and it’s even better when there is a FRAMEWORK of subby murderbots who share this common understanding. They may have plot-related disagreements, but even through vengeance there’s always this vibe of “I understand. If it was MY beloved, I would do the same. Now we shall fight to the death, but with that understated Respect (TM).” The only other canon example I can think of is Wheel of Time, but that’s where I see John and Cassian #subbymurderbot4subbymurderbot. And the thing is that Gianna ALSO sees this, which is how she knew exactly the most hurtful thing to say to John when he came for her - the idea that Helen would hate him, for what he was.

HOWEVER - as I said, Cassian can’t express devotion the same way because there is NO WORLD where Gianna D’Antonio agrees to give up the potential political advantage of a marriage, or even a long-term relationship, to make a commitment to her bodyguard - no matter how good or devoted he may be. And there is no world where Cassian would even attempt (and fail miserably) to put Gianna in that position. Has Cassian ever said anything about any potential feelings he might have? Has he admitted it to her…or even himself? What good would it do him, other than make him a potential liability? What good would it do Gianna, to acknowledge that one of her employees would die for her out of deeper emotional reasons than gold coins? I DO think that both of them are aware, and that Gianna has some level of reciprocation even, but I also think that neither of them have ever said anything because…what good would it do? The High Table is not a place where you can have emotional indulgences without returns.

Which makes me think that, in a weird way, Cassian might be jealous of John. A lot of subby assassin murderbots in similar situations might be? And that MAYBE that’s the reason everyone, even people who hated John or were jazzed to have him back, kept saying “I’m sorry about your wife.” To a whole class of subby murderbots who have stalled out in the stoic pining stage where Cassian lives, John achieved the Impossible Dream. HIS person wasn’t his underworld employer, or some other similar backstabbing Underworld denizen, but someone who would allow John to wear his heart on his sleeve, so to speak. And yeah, civilian relationships usually had extremely short literal life spans, but of course the motherfucking Boogeyman pulls off the Impossible Task and manages to get himself a whole LIFE with her!!! He got to marry his person! Legally, even! They got a house and a yard together! John did something that was nOT supposed to be possible for anyone at his level in their world. It’s like if your coworker suddenly did every single job in your workplace for a week by themselves, then immediately won the lottery and left the country, only to have all their money immediately lost in some kind of bank failure. AND someone trashes their car and kills their dog.

I’m imagining like…assassin water cooler talk about John. “Oh, did you hear about Wick? Yeah, he dID it, that crazy bastard! He wiped out all those guys in one night, and then he retired, that mad lad! Didn’t think even HE had it in him! I’ll bet he gets bored and comes back real soon. Couldn’t be me, bro, retiring and living a boring suburban life…with the Person of my Affections…not getting treated like a disposable weapon all the time…SO BLAND, right? I give it two months. Fuck that guy, anyway. Oh…oh she died? After only five years? After…after everything? Oh god, who ordered the…oh. Ouch. Hey man, I’m sorry about your wife.”

SO TO RETURN TO YOUR POINT about Cassian reminding John of Helen bc he keeps running into other subby murderbots - YEAH. I DO THINK HE DOES. I know that polite coldness is sort of etiquette in the Continental, no matter how much you might hate someone, but John goes to the trouble of telling Cassian why he did what he did. Heck, he CONFESSES to Cassian what he did in the absolute worst possible context, even though John could easily have lied at the party and said he was there to kill some other famous underworld boss. It would have bought him a few minutes! But no, John tells Cassian everything because HE would want to know, in Cassian’s shoes. John is fresh off a massive murder spree because someone took Helen’s last gift to him - he knows exactly how Cassian feels right now.

I think that John is lowkey both a legend and a cautionary tale to people like Cassian, because hey. Even if all your dreams come true and you get to build that perfect life with your person, you could lose everything just like that (see Marcus: “It’s days like this scattered among the rest.”). Is it better to just keep your mouth shut and serve their interests as best you can right now? Or do you gamble everything on an Impossible Task, with the possibility that you lose everything anyway?

[johnwickb1tsch]

Feminist John anon here -- *unholy screeching* They confessed!! The show was a success! (John is Not Okay!) He took out several goons for her (and she was badass too)! He threatens people in russian!

YOU'VE GOT SOME MOVES MR WICK and I'm not just talking about them martial arts moves >:3

Rewinding a bit: of course he thinks he took advantage of her. I liked that line she responded with "you don't have to be the responsible adult between us" HAHA. It seems that he took that to heart because it looks like they're going to get spicy again 🧐

Okay pet theory here. I think maybe, just maybe, John bought her art. Cause it's Helen's photos, you know? Or maybe he got someone to buy it on his behalf so it wouldn't be so obvious.

Anyway, thanks for writing!! *Swoons and faints dead away* I'll be looking forward to the next instalment of Mr tall dark and handsome XD

::SCREAMING WITH YOU!!:: 😂😂😂 Thank you SOooo much!!! I'm so glad you enjoyed. My heart is full! 🥰🙏🙏🙏 John is such a sweetie BAMF, it's so fun to write him. And you, of course!😉 You're such a baddass!

Oooo I love your theory about the painting! That would be spot on for John. Question: would you be touched, walking into his living room to see your piece [of his wife 😜] larger than life in the living room, would you feel weird about it, or would you be annoyed like he'd given you a handout, rather than letting a stranger buy it just because they liked it? 🤔

Thank you again, your kindness and keen observations utterly made my morning!😘

[rookie-critic]

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023, dir. Chad Stahelski) - review by Rookie-Critic

I love the original John Wick film. The mixture of high-octane action and the mystery of this secret underworld of assassins was just a winning formula, and Keanu Reeves was the perfect man to step into the shoes of the titular role. Also, the story of "man who used to be a badass returns to old ways after being wronged" hadn't been done to death yet. It felt very fresh and new. There was a relatable nature to the way Reeves played Wick; an empathy for the loss of his wife and death of his dog, Daisy (even if it was more about what the dog represented than the dog herself), that the second and third installments in the franchise just couldn't replicate. That's not to say that Chapter 2 and Parabellum are bad, they're still incredibly fun and amazingly choreographed action films, but that's really all they are. The wife and the dog from the original film are but mere excuses to fuel Wick into further turmoil within this world that, while a specter of Wick's old life in the first film, is now on full display here. Again, I'm not saying that as a criticism, I love this world and like getting to see more of it, the point I'm getting at more is just that, as the John Wick films dialed up the non-stop nature of the action, they started to sacrifice the story and what made the original something a little more than just a "zany action movie."

Chapter 4, however, does not have this problem. It somehow manages to find a wonderful balance of the breathtaking and edge-of-your-seat action that made the second and third films fun, and the empathetic, character-driven nature of the first film, and they accomplish this through the inclusion of a single new character: Caine, a Zatoichi-esque blind swordsman played with as much heart as physically possible by veteran martial arts actor Donnie Yen. Caine, who is a friend of Wick's from his days before getting out that has now been tasked with hunting him down, brings an element to Chapter 4 that 2 & 3 didn't have; a way to remind the audience that Wick, as a character, is more than just a mindless killing machine, and that his wife Helen didn't make him a kind person, she just made him want to accentuate that part of his personality that was always there. Sure, we've had characters in the franchise that could be considered Wick's friends from before, such as Winston and Charon, but as good of friends as Winston and Wick are, Winston still exists as an authority figure in this world, even if he is just middle management. The existence of a character like Caine gives us another fully fleshed out character in this world that's just as much a pawn of the system as Wick was (and is), and it brings the whole franchise back down from mindless action land to place where, while there is still plenty of mindless action, we have something to connect with on the screen, and due to the nature of the relationship of these characters as they fit into this story, we as the audience are conflicted: should the hunter win, or should we root for the guy we've been rooting for for three movies now? I'll also add that of the four John Wick films, this new one has the best fight choreography, hands down. It's honestly some of the best fighting/stunt choreography I've ever seen in a modern action film. This is a mammoth of a movie, at just 11 minutes shy of three hours. Most of that runtime is focused on the action, and there was only one fight sequence in the entire film where I felt bored. I don't keep a great sleep schedule, and most times I do fight to stay awake in the theater. That was never a problem during John Wick: Chapter 4. The story, the action, the characters, the world, it all gels and works in a way that only the first film really did for me.

I so badly want to give this a 10/10, you have no idea how badly I want to give this a 10/10. However, that sequence I mentioned where I did feel bored was very long, or at least it felt that way, and I feel they could have used that 15-ish minutes to develop a character, who goes by Nobody in the film, that never really got the development I feel he should have. He travels with his emotional support dog and they work together (something I wish John Wick himself had done in Chapters 2, 3, and 4), which gives him a way to relate to Wick, but that's never really explored outside of a moment towards the end of the film. That development really needed a bit more backing for the aforementioned moment to have the impact I feel like the film makers wanted it to, and he was the one character in the film that felt like a remnant of the way things had been done in 2 & 3. That aside, John Wick's fourth outing was phenomenal and, regardless of its runtime, is a film I believe needs to be witnessed on the biggest screen possible. So, if you can, make the time to go see this in the theater, it's a roller coaster ride you won't regret taking the time for.

Score: 9/10

Currently only in theaters.

[asirensrage]

Right, okay so… I haven’t posted a whole lot about her yet (her introduction post is right here) but:

Her name is Willow Madden.

Her faceclaim is Jennifer Garner (in the movie Peppermint specifically, because she’s such a badass in that movie).

She’s a hitwoman who grew up in the underworld; her father was a doctor at the Chicago Continental and her mother was a feared hitwoman.

When she was fourteen, the former bodyguard of a drug dealer her mother had killed snuck into the family’s room in the Continental (they lived there) and killed her parents while Willow hid under the bed holding her father’s Swiss Army knife.

The guy found her eventually, after killing her parents, but Willow managed to stab him in the throat with the Swiss Army knife, killing him and leaving him bleeding on the floor while she went and called some other staff for help.

She received training from some of her mother’s old friends in the underground and managed to become an assassin almost just as feared as her mother had been, eventually moving to New York because she felt she could get more work there than in Chicago.

She met John a few times over the course of her work, and while she obviously recognized and respected his incredible skills, she always felt that he was gentle off the battlefield; far too gentle to be in this line of work.

So she was thrilled when she heard the news that he’d managed to retire and marry a normal woman, and her heart ached for him when she heard about Helen’s death.

But she’s confused when, only days after Helen’s funeral, Viggo, who was one of John’s closest associates, comes to her and offers her two million dollars for killing a man who’s so skilled in the art of death that people call him the Boogeyman.

Willow is not willing to kill John, even if she could (and she knows she can’t) so she very politely tells Viggo, “There’s a lot of things I’ll do for two million dollars. Trying to kill John Wick isn’t one of them.”

(In other words, fuck off, in the politest way possible.)

After that, she goes to the Continental and stays there, knowing that if John is doing something to piss Viggo off then he’ll likely go there seeking help. And she’s right; she sees him at the bar one night and asks him why the hell the man he worked with for years now has an open contract out on him.

Once John tells her the whole story, she promptly offers her help in evading the other killers who are after him and killing Iosef Tarasov (because, in her opinion, anyone who kills a man’s puppy and steals his car two days after his wife’s funeral deserves to die).

John’s pretty reluctant to accept her help because he doesn’t want to make her a target when she doesn’t have to be, but Willow pretty much refuses to let him leave this hotel without her help, so he eventually agrees.

I haven’t thought too much about it from there, but just, like, going through the plots of the movies and including Willow sticking by John no matter what and being a general badass.

(I do, of course, imagine that Willow develops feelings for John at some point, but he obviously isn’t nearly as recovered from Helen’s death as he needs to be for them to safely get together so they wouldn’t in the three movies that are out - maybe once the fourth one comes out I’ll have an opportunity, I don’t know.)

Anyways, thanks for listening to my rambling (😅😅). Hope you’re doing well!! 🖤🖤🖤

Yesssss!!! I love this! I love the whole history laid out and how it all builds up. She likely took him completely by surprise with that swiss army knife.

I look forward to hearing more about her and the adventures with John!! Thanks for sharing!

[wolfsrainrules]

Well since we're bouncing ideas lmao.... @yizukikhons

Alfred is so thankful for the extra help in Wayne Manor. He's excellent at his job, phenomenal at it really, but he's still one man trying to balance....so much.

It takes a WHILE for John to be pulled into the Vigilante side of things but it still does happen, eventually. They ABSOLUTELY trade care tips for themselves. John also finds himself being taken care of and THAT is a wild time for him. Tim did it too, but now there's....a whole family that slowly accepts him into their number and care and- John had sworn to himself he'd never care so deeply again, not after Helen and what it did to him to lose her, but he...really couldn't help it. Tim grew on him, and these Waynes are growing on him too, as is the old Agent that once threw him over a balcony and shot him to keep his charge alive while John was trying to kill him.

Damian actually ends up deeply impressed with Tim, rather than ready to fight on sight because he's associated with Wick. Because Wick agreed to work for him, and that...that makes him curious. Bonus? His mother hears the name, and SHE knows Janet, and respects her, so she tells Damian Drake is a name he should know, should make an ally of, and he doesn't forget.

He is beyond pleased when Timothy Drake reaches a hand out to greet him, and takes it firmly, greets him as someone he wants to befriend. It changes...quite a bit on his integration to Wayne Family.

Wick actually helps IMMENSELY with that. Having his opinion is invaluable to Damian. Not only because he's genuinely excited to meet him, but because John can explain things to him in a way someone who grew up outside of their world could not. Ironically, Tim is ALSO very good at helping him bridge that gap as well, having grown up at Janet's knee and making his own choice to walk the route of vigilante instead.

This is the AU where Jason doesn't die, so he gets to pass that mantle down rather than having it be taken. Tim still has his own vigilante persona (I need to pick one for that, I think he picks something to honor his mother in this AU -squints-), and Jason gets to make his OWN persona rather than taking up an old Joker one. (Need to pick one for him too...Hm. Some bird of prey? Maybe something different like Nightwing's instead?? Hm.)

Tim eventually does find himself tucked into Wayne Manor as one of theirs of course, which John follows him. And as mentioned, it takes a while for him to be trusted with BAT-vigilante side of things, as Tim already trusted him.

Alfred ends up calling him down the first time for extra hands during an emergency surgery I think. They are a FORCE, working together to keep everyone fed, taken care of, and safe. The Wayne family lives in fear. I think I may have something go absolutely to hell, and that's how Tim ends up an official Wayne. Janet arranged when she realized how close Tim was to Bruce for him to be the one Tim went to. Jack isn't involved with the family and Drake is JANET'S surname in this AU that Jack would have taken due to the money and business, but did not for Reasons, so Bruce is next in line to take her son in if anything happened.

On the OTHER HAND. Janet still does all that (she absolutely is where Tim got his brain and she believes in contingencies) and lives, but gives Bruce the right to make calls. Perhaps some....altered records? Bruce listed as father? Might go with that, because I do love the idea of Janet living, loving her son, being a badass, who critiques her son's vigilante-ing, as well has his extended family's. Think I might go with this one. I like it, it's fun, and Janet rarely gets to be a good mom.

Stares off into the distance:

So.

Apparently my brain is just going to run along with various crossovers. Today, I bring you the thought of a John Wick fusion au (actually five differnet ones) with Batman/DC. (Again: a reminder that all my DC/Batman knowledge is fandom based)

@north-peach hellllppppp

Couple of thoughts for this.

The First: Janet Drake is one of the underworld's best. She's fantastic at manipulation and killing. She could walk herself out of a situation covered in blood, and convince people who saw it all happen that she never touched the body.

Tim grows up at her knee. He learns for the very best. And Janet teaches him everything she can- because despite the job and the crazy hours, and the travel, she loves her son. She wants to give him every opportunity to make it out alive from anything. Unharmed and not in trouble if possible, but alive most of all.

John Wick is a ghost story to the underworld. Tim has always been curious about people who could cause such a stir as his mother or John Wick might. When he meets him, he decides that man is Friend Shaped despite every sign saying Do Not. Despite every horror story saying it's a bad plan. (Much as he will later look at a story in a city of a cryptid said to be a manifestation of a city, a demon, a physical representation of all those who have died unavenged and decide the same)

More than that- John has ZERO idea how to handle Tim. He's a k i d. John's not gonna kill him for just...showing up all the time. It's not like he interferes or causes problems. In fact, he helps sometimes. Provides info, or a direction, a place to crash-

Tim confuses John.

Tim is also the very first to congratulate him, when he manages to get out of the underworld for Helen and mean it. To not even question the 'impossibility' of the Baba Yaga deciding he was done. John didn't bother to ask how Tim knew he'd left and why before the news actually broke out.

Tim watching John get out, go for it and SUCCEED is what gives him the courage to confess to his mother that he wanted to spend some time outside of the underworld, watching the curious case of Batman and Gotham. And Janet loves her son. So she arranges for it to be so.

They both know who Bruce Wayne is. Janet had figured it out before even Tim. She makes him promise that, if he needs her, he will call her, and lets him hunker in Gotham while he does what he wishes. She makes some trips back to Gotham, of course, but not so many that enemies can figure out there's someone important to her there. Janet is THE Femme Fatale. She has plenty of people who would go after her boy. And she's not having that.

Tim doesn't actually PLAN to get involved in vigilante life. At all. He's underworld born and bred. He's a survivor, manipulative, and can be a level of cunning and cold and ambitious that always makes his mother so so proud. He's not a do-right kind of person. He's not someone who does things for people outside of "me and mine" without a reason. Or if it goes against his moral code.

Except Jason Todd becomes one of "Me and Mine". He's a friend. A nosy vigilante who sees that his friend is alone and sets off his instincts as dangerous yes, but also as 'not a civilian' in a conventional sense. He's not a street rat, but he's not...normal either. And Tim? Tim, once he decides this Robin is his Robin, well he can't very well leave him undefended doing this ALONE can he? Though he understands by working with Robin, he cant use the tried and true methods of murder, as it could get pinned to Robin or Batman and he can't have that. If he wants to fly with Jason, he needs to fly by his rules. So a new vigilante is born that runs the streets with Robin. A little more vicious but in a cold and precise manner. Exacting. He doesn't let Jason go after his mother without doing the information gathering, and stops his death by Joker.

For a time, Tim finds himself pulled into the Wayne family, and he...thrives with them. He's happy. He learns under them. Expands his skillset, and still sent out to learn from people around the world. He is NOT fool enough to turn that away- his mother would somehow KNOW wherever she was if he turned down that kind of opportunity and he did not want to imagine the disappointment and response. NO THANK YOU.

When the underworld is kicked like a hornets' nest by John Wick coming back into the fold, Tim is...curious. He's kept an eye on John and Helen, if not stayed in direct and constant contact with them. He hadn't expected John to step foot back into the underworld.

And then his mother sends word to him, calls him back to the Continental, warns that the underworld is getting REALLY kicked up as a result. Tim...needs to go. He cannot imagine NOT answering his mother.

He arranges things on the Gotham end. Says temporary goodbyes and gets to the NY branch asap. Beats his mother there.

Makes it just in time to see John Wick pull a gun on Continental Grounds and shoot a newly crowned seat at the Table and is caught up in the chaos.

His family are going to end UP in the chaos themselves, because they will not cannot leave Tim in it alone. The connections Tim has are MUCH a surprise, he's done very well in hiding exactly what he used to do, and WHY he has a contact and hand in everything, and can ALWAYS get his family what they need. The Second: Tim Drake still grows up at Janet's knee. He learns it all. Thrives in it all. He ends up NOT going down the road of hitman or assassin or any number of things he could have done. Instead Tim Drake chooses to be a Information Broker that claims Gotham eventually, and by means of getting taken in by Bruce, the Wayne Manor and grounds around it become neutral grounds much like the Continental, if you want Tim's services to remain open to you. If you pull the underworld onto the ground...well. Just because Tim goes by Bruce's rules, and just because he PREFERS the route of nonviolence does not in any way mean he would not kill to protect it. To prove a point. To make a statement. To allow one to get away with it is to allow danger to his family and he WILL NOT, no matter that they all are perfectly capable of defending themselves. The Underworld is entirely different than their villains. To not kill the offender is to open themselves to weakness and targets. So Tim WILL.

Gotham is not Wayne Manor. The City is fair game to the underworld. Wayne Manor is NOT.

The Third:

Janet raises her boy at her knee still. Tim chooses the route of Doctor instead. He sets up in Gotham, and decides he likes the foolish vigilantes enough to step in when it's needed and save their lives. He becomes known to the Batfam as a Doc that will not ask questions, but is absolutely one of the most capable people they've seen. If Leslie isn't available, or not close enough, they go to Tim, if Tim doesn't find them, because he certainly seems to know when they need it.

The Batfam does sometimes find him having dealt with Some Things underworld involved so they are WORRIED about their idiot, despite the fact that Tim can and will Wreck everyone that causes problems in his area. He has also shown up stripping off blood covered scrub tops or whatever cause hes coming in hot from another healing thing, and they all wonder and worry and just- it's fine. Everything is fine.

They worry anyway.

Despite the fact that Tim has friends seemingly everywhere, from all walks of life, favors all over, and connections to seemingly everything as a result of his work. (He has absolutely been offered favors as payment, hits, assassinations and all sorts of things. He never turns them away. Janet taught him better. Instead he has markers and logs, books and written promises all stacked away. He remembers them all of course, but better to have written proof somewhere, something official. The Continental holds it for him.

The Fourth:

Gotham HAS a Continental Hotel due to all of its.....everything. Janet Drake runs it. Tim knows EVERYONE and everything, and has absolutely run the counter often. Bruce doesn't know what it is. Ra's absolutely does. Tim is the next to take over the branch and EVERYONE knows it.

He ends up occasionally, when people step on his morals, providing information to the Bat.

Jason managed to find his way inside by accident, and may or may not get himself heavily involved in the underworld even BEFORE the Red Hood thing.

The Fifth:

Same concept as 4 except BRUCE WAYNE runs the Continental and the ripples of everything therein.

[overheardatthecontinental]

Snapshots Chapter One

Super excited to announce that the sequel for Talk has just begun! It follows just a few days after Talk ends with John and Helen adjusting to their new life together.

You can find the first chapter on A03 Here!

Or below... once again, thank you to @meetmeinthematinee​ for your endless support and editing this for me as we begin another journey :) <3

 Something is wrong. He knows it in his bones, it courses through his blood.

 John creeps up the stairs, carefully, eyes peeled as he looks around the dark familiar house. He hears nothing, not even the soft sounds of breathing. He reaches the hallway and it seems to fluctuate in length, keeping him from his destination.

 At last, he makes it to his destination, turning into the doorway to find an empty room. An empty bed.

 No. No, no, no. She was supposed to be there.

 He jumps as he hears a phone ring.

 The tone vibrates loudly, almost menacingly.

 With shaky hands, he reaches to answer.

 An unfamiliar voice taunts on the other end      you’ll never see her again    .

 John slams his eyes closed.

 This isn’t right; this isn’t right.

 When he opens his eyes, he’s no longer in the room. Instead, he’s on an empty street. He can idly smell the sea, tasting the salty air on his tongue. It’s nearly bitter. He scans the horizon and while he does not recognize it, he notes that it is oddly familiar but he can’t place it.

 He spots a house and somehow      knows     that is where he is supposed to go.

 He sets a course for it, unsure of why. His legs carry him there anyway. It’s old and rickety and should have been condemned long ago but he walks up the path and the steps to the door. Before he can knock, a gust of wind blows it open.

 It’s empty. Void of any signs of life. There are no people, no furniture. Only a thin layer of dust on a down-trodden floor.

 Again, he is drawn forward, seemingly of his own accord. He finds an open door that leads downstairs into a basement.

 He descends uncertainly. Nerves and anxiety pour through him even if he can’t understand what he is doing or why he is doing it.

 Then he sees her.

 Helen. His Helen, lying on the concrete floor. A pool of blood dried at her head, her eyes open but empty.

 “No,” he says, surging forward. John drops to his knees and scoops up her lifeless body, “No, no, no, no, no, no. Helen, sweetheart, please. Don’t leave me! You can’t leave me!”

 The voice from the phone is suddenly in his ear,      It’s just business, John.  

 …

 He awakens with a gasp, startling back into the real world.

 The weight on his chest shifts, a small dissatisfied moan escapes Helen as she picks up her head.

     She’s alive,     he thinks as he closes his eyes,      she’s safe.     His breathing is still heavy with fear and fright from the nightmare.

 Fuck, every hair stands on end and he suddenly feels ice cold, even underneath the blankets and the heat from her body.

 He feels her hand cup his bearded cheek and her voice, still ladened with sleep, asks, “What’s wrong?”

 Her voice relieves him all the more, but he cannot get the image of her broken body out of his head. He hadn’t been there and Helen had been taken from him.

 But he shakes his head as he opens his eyes. “Nothing. Go back to sleep.”

 And he should have known that was going to be the wrong thing to say because he feels the bed move as she pushes up to get a better look at him. Even as drowsy as she clearly was, Helen had a way of staring into his soul.

 “Nightmare?” she guesses.

 John nods.

 She hums, sitting up and stretching before she pushes the covers off. “Come on.”

 “It’s the middle of the night,” he says, glancing at the clock. 3:26.

 “Yep.” She steps into her slippers and leaves the bedroom without another word.

 He glances to the clock again and shakes his head. John climbs out from under the covers to follow her. She leads him downstairs to the kitchen.

 “Sit down.” She tells him, leaving no room for argument. She grabs a saucepan and sets it on a burner.

 John takes a seat at the island, “You have to work in the morning.” He reminds her as he watches Helen take the milk from the fridge.

 “I’ll be fine.” She says, sounding unconcerned as she turns on the heat, “How often do you have nightmares?”

 “Almost never.” At least, none that he remembers. And not for a damn long time.

 She rummages in one of the cupboards and pulls down a tub of cocoa.

 John lifts a brow, “Cocoa?”

 “As a licensed therapist, I can tell you that chocolate holds more answers than Freud.”

 He laughs softly, watching as Helen scoops the powder into the saucepan.

 “You want to tell me about it?” she asks, finding a wooden spoon to stir it.

 He considers the question. He knows if he says he doesn’t want to talk about it, she’ll respect it. But he’s also spent a lifetime keeping things to himself because he didn’t have anyone who cared or who would listen.

 “I was back at your house the night…” he trails off.

 She knows the night. When Helen had been drugged and kidnapped, taken from her bed by the head of the Italian Syndicate, Mateo DeLuca. She was taken and held hostage for two days while John searched for her.

 Helen nods in understanding. She scrapes the milk off the side of the spoon and sets it to the side as she walks over to the island. Reaching across, she takes his hands.

 “Go on.”

 John shivers but nods, “The hallway outside your room kept growing. And I knew something was wrong but I didn’t know what. So I kept trying to reach your room. And when I finally did, you were gone and…” he pauses to give himself a moment to breathe, “I heard DeLuca saying I would never see you again.”

 Helen squeezes his hands in comfort.

 “And then, I was back at the house. The one where he held you. I went into the basement and I found you…”

 Dead.

 But he cannot say it aloud. Closing his eyes, he forces himself to continue.

 “You weren’t breathing,” his voice nearly breaks. He can still see the image of her lying there. It’s been branded in his head, “And you were bleeding. There was this pool of blood and you wouldn’t wake up.”

 She squeezes his hand in support.

 “I kept begging you to come back to me and then I heard DeLuca again. He said,      “it’s just business    .””

 It was a miracle that they had survived DeLuca’s demands. That they even stood there, now.

 If he had so chosen, DeLuca could have killed Helen a thousand times, a thousand ways in the days that he held her hostage. He planned to have her killed even after John had rescued her.

 Helen stands up, taking her hands back as she walks around the counter to where John sits. He turns as she approaches, regarding her carefully. She places a hand on his head and he finds himself leaning into it in comfort.

 “I’m right here.” She reminds him. “I’m safe.”

 John swallows as he nods.

 She was safe.

 But she almost hadn’t been.

 “It’s just…” John trails off, not even sure what he was trying to say.

 “It was scary. It was the first time in a long time that you hadn’t felt in control of a particular situation.” Helen synthesizes.

 He nods, gratefully. Words have never been his forte but she’s always been able to get into his head. To see exactly what he wants to say even when he can’t figure out how.

 “I couldn’t find you.” He mutters, reaching out to touch her. To ground himself to her very presence.

 “But you did.” She reminds him gently.

 After two days.

 And anything could have happened in those two days. He had been so afraid that he wouldn’t find her in time. Or that he’d find her hurt and broken, a shell of her former self…. And it would have been his fault for putting her in danger, for not protecting her…

 “For lack of a better word,” Helen tells him, “it was traumatic.”

 John shakes his head, “I don’t know why I’m struggling so much.”

 “I think several factors are coming into play. The first of which is that I’m going back to work tomorrow. I think you’re probably nervous, even if only subconsciously, that something might happen once I leave your sight.”

 “It’s not subconscious.” He admits, “I’m fucking terrified. I even considered just sitting outside your office all day tomorrow, but I know… I know that won’t actually help.”

 “It won’t.” She agrees. “And I know it’s confusing, but this is a perfectly normal response to going through something like this.”

 Again, he shakes his head. It isn’t right. “You were the one kidnapped. Why am I the one falling apart?”

 Helen leans in and kisses his nose, “Because it isn’t that simple.”

 She steps out of his arms and walks back to the stove. She stirs the pot and John watches the steam as it rises.

 “I don’t understand.”

 “Trauma is relative.” Helen says as opens the cupboard and finds two of her mugs which she had unpacked only days before. “You’ve lived through ordeal after ordeal for the better part of your life. You became numb to a lot of things that the average person might view as traumatic—violence, death.  Chaos and destruction.

 “You’re a veteran,” she points out. “You’ve been in combat situations that others may have found debilitating. Think back… were there people in your unit who were uncomfortable with killing or direct violence? At least in the beginning?”

 Definitely. He idly remembers a pimpled-face boy, still struggling to grow facial hair who had cried himself to sleep the first night overseas. He thinks of another who hadn’t made it through basic training before he was begging to go home.

 “They grew up in comfort—with all their needs met. Food, shelter. Some of them came from loving families, I’m sure. But you grew up fighting for survival. What was bare minimum for them was near luxury for you.

 “Our brains,” she continues, “continue to develop until we’re about twenty-five but the things we learn in the first years of our lives are what really stick with us. They’re formative. What might be traumatic for the average person became your baseline.”

 Helen moves the pot from the burner. Carefully, she pours the hot liquid into the mugs.

 “When I first met you, you were still in survival mode. In some ways, you thrive in it. But, after a while, you formed an attachment to me.” She opens the fridge and pulls out of a bottle of whipped cream—something John had never once had in his home before she moved in, insisting that it was a household staple.

 “Ah, so it’s your fault.”

 She throws him a wink, adding a mountain of the cream to each beverage. Helen picks them up and walks around, taking a seat on the stool next to his, handing him the drink.

 “I do get what you’re saying.” John says once she settles onto the stool and sips at cocoa. “Losing…” he can’t even finish the sentence. His chest feels too heavy, his throat too tight.

 “Losing me, for however short a time, was scary.”

 Scary was an understatement. Terrifying, horrifying… they all fell short of the myriad of emotions that rushed him when he found her house disturbed and Helen missing from her bed.

 “It was traumatic for you. And trauma takes a hold of us. Especially when it’s unprocessed. It shows up in other ways.”

 “Like what?” He wants to be prepared for what may come.

 “Well, the nightmares for one. But it can manifest in all sorts of ways. Flashbacks. Aggression. Sometimes people emotionally shut down, but since that’s you at your baseline, I’m not too concerned.”

 He shoots her a look.

 “Drink your cocoa.” She tells him.

 He resists the urge to roll his eyes and does as his woman demands. It’s hot but still soothing. And he doesn’t want to admit it, but the whipped cream is perfect.

 He sets the mug down and Helen giggles.

 John arches a brow and she reaches out, “Got whipped cream on your nose, killer.”

 She wipes it and John catches her wrist in his hand. Slowly, deliberately, he brings her hand to his mouth, sucking the finger into his mouth. All the while, never taking his eyes off of her.

 Helen rewards him with the smile she saves just for him.

     How close he had come to losing her for good.  

 And yet, if he hadn’t lost her at all, they wouldn’t be here.

 They’d still be sitting across the room from one another, avoiding the heaviness of what they both felt with talk of simpler things.

 And he doesn’t know what to make of that, either.

 “Do you ever…” He hesitates, “Do you ever think about how we might not be together if…?”

 “If DeLuca hadn’t taken me?” She’s oh-so-good at picking up on the things he can’t bring himself to say out loud. But she had proven, time and time again, to be much braver than he was.

 John nods.

 So does Helen, “That thought has crossed my mind.”

 “How do you cope with it?”

 She shrugs, “It is what it is. Radical acceptance. I can still hate DeLuca for what he did to us even if I’m grateful that it got us to this point. Life is complex. So are our feelings. And that’s okay.” She takes another long sip. “Love is beyond good and evil.”

 “Nietzshe.” He recognizes, “I suppose it makes sense. Otherwise, you’d never look at me twice.”

 “I’m going to get a nerf gun and start shooting you every time you make a self-deprecating comment like that.”

 “What’s a nerf gun?”

 “It’s a toy gun that shoots foam.”

 John makes a face of disbelief, “What’s that supposed to do? Because I’ve been shot with actual bullets and I can guarantee you it never changed my behavior.”

 Her lips twitch, “Hmm. You’re right. Negative reinforcement may not be the way to go with you. We could do the reverse—every time you say something good about yourself, I’ll give you a kiss.”

 He arches a brow, “I can just say things I don’t believe.”

 “Fine. This isn’t a quick fix. I expect it to take some time but, eventually, you may start to believe those little affirmations.”

 “So if I say I’m great…”

 “Then I,” she scooches her chair closer, “would have to reward you.” She cranes her neck, and he meets her part way, accepting the softest of kisses against his lips.

 “I could get on board with this.” He says as she pulls away.

 “I’m sure.”

 He sips at his cocoa. It’s still so new, all of it.

 Two weeks ago, he had been sleeping alone every night. It was a good change. The      best     change, but he still wasn’t entirely used to sharing his life. Or his thoughts and feelings.

 And it’s new for her, too.

 Even if life with Helen feels as natural as breathing, it’s new. And there’s a learning curve.

 He had some practice with telling her what was on his mind, but he had spent so long hiding his feelings for her, he occasionally has to remind himself that it’s okay.

 “I love you.”

 “I love you, too.” She rests her head against his shoulder.

 He loves her so much. He’s never had anything like this before. Something so beautiful and complex and utterly breakable.

 Helen is utterly breakable.

 In turn, so is he.

 He never realized just how easy it would be for him to fall apart until he lost her.

 And now, it’s all he can think about.

 Who would he be if she wasn’t there?

 And, a darker thought that clouds his mind,      what     would he be if she wasn’t there?

 He fears something far darker than the Baba Yaga would emerge if he lost her. He shivers and amends      if he survived losing her    .

 He wasn’t sure he would want to live without her, in any context. If DeLuca had killed her rather than held her hostage, John can’t imagine wanting to live.

 He wouldn’t shoot himself or take pills or anything to that active extent… but he thinks he might go mad. Like a rabid dog until someone was kind and merciful enough to put him out of his misery.

 And like she can sense that he is going down a darker rabbit hole, Helen slips off her stool and stands next to him. Her arms wrap around him, squeezing his middle tightly.

 He feels his own arm lift to wrap around her as she buries her face in the crook of his neck.

 “I’m here.” Helen reminds him. “I’m here and I’m safe and I’m yours.”

 He exhales a breath and tightens his grip, hugging her while simultaneously pulling her up onto his lap. He buries his face in her hair, inhaling her soft scent. Like peaches and cream.

 “I’m sorry.” He should be so much stronger than this.

 “For what?” Helen pulls back enough to look at him.

     For this.  

     For falling apart.  

     For not being strong enough.  

     For not being the good man you deserve.  

     For waking you up in the middle of the night.  

 For everything.

 “I’m having a harder time with all this than I thought I would.” He shakes his head, “I got you up at three in the morning because I had a fucking nightmare.”

 “Baby, you don’t need to apologize for being human.” Her hand strokes his beard, “I get it. We had a crazy couple of weeks.”

 He glances down, “Yeah, but you’re not falling apart the way I am.”

 “You’re not falling apart. You’re adjusting. And you’re also forgetting, I mentally prepared myself for this. And I knew you would be coming.” Helen shrugs a shoulder, “And quite frankly, it could have been      worse    .”

 His stomach rolls at what she alludes to.

 The entire two days she had been gone, he wondered what could be happening to her. He imagined every vile and terrifying possibility, prepared to burn down all of New York to find her.

 “But it wasn’t.” She says forcefully, breaking through his thoughts to capture his attention. “And now, we’re here. And we’re both safe.”

 They were.

 He still has enemies, but he is out. And, frankly, no one will care about him if he isn’t in the game.

 So why couldn’t he wrap his brain around that fact?

 “It’ll take time.”

 “How much time?” He asks, wondering if his desperation is audible.

 “I don’t know. Everyone processes things differently. But it could be a little while before you’re able to make peace with it all.”

 “And until then, what?” He’s so used to her having the answers. A part of him knows it's unfair, but the other part just wants Helen to tell him that it will be okay, “I live with PTSD?”

 “Technically, you don’t have PTSD. Symptoms have to persist for at least one month for that diagnosis. Until then, it’s just acute stress.” She gives a small smile, “But I know that’s not the point. You will have to live with it… for now.”

 He had been afraid of that. He didn’t want to live with it. Especially now that he finally had Helen, now that she was finally      his    , he didn’t want to waste time processing shitty memories.

 “But,” she leans her head against his, “You don’t have to go through it alone.”

 John closes his eyes, resting his head. Breathing in her soothing scent once more.

 Because she is right. For the first time in his entire life, he could truly say that he isn’t alone. He has someone in his corner who loves him. And he no longer cares that he doesn’t deserve her. He’s never letting her go.

 Not for the world.

 She’s his for as long as she will have him. And while John would never describe himself as a proud man, he is certain that he’s never begged for anything in his life. It almost surprises him when the words fall from his mouth desperately, “Don’t leave me.”

 “Never.” She promises, “You’re stuck with me, Jardani.”

 John holds her tighter.

 Everything will be okay.

[lxdyblackthorn]

so i tried making the girls version of this post

it was so much harder so feel free to disagree with me but here it is:

Looks like a cinnamon roll but could kill you: Tessa, Sophie, Clary

Badasses: Cordelia, Isabelle, Emma

Goth queens: Lucie, Dru

Mom friend: Charlotte, Livvy, Helen

No time for heteros: Anna, Lily, Aline

Men are useless: Cecily, Eugenia, Ariadne, Maia

Bonus:

Ghost: Jessamine

[hannahhook7744]

De Vil family aesthetics part 3;

part 3 to the de vil family aesthetics. Part 1 is here and part 2 is here.. This part will include the pets and 4 de vil cousins. Next will include the spouses of the de vil cousins.

🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩

Prince James "Jamie" Charming De Vil (Prince Kit Charming's twin brother. Husband of Cruella De Vil, uncle of Diego, Hunter, and Ivy De Vil, and father of Carlos De Vil. He's a disgraced Prince with a wicked side who got mixed up in Cruella's schemes when they met. She also got mixed up in some of his schemes. He truly loved his wife and son, and even her niece and nephews and pets, and never moved on from them) aesthetic.

Here are the De Vil pets in order: Wink (Cruella's pet dog), Muffin (Gordon and Ivy's pet dog), Scorch (Cruella's pet ferret), Felicia (Cruella's pet cat), Beezlebub (Carlos's pet cat), Cuddles (Jim, Elisa, and Hunter's pet cat), Buddy (Cruella's other pet dog), Dude (Carlos's pet dog), Fluffy (Cruella's other pet dog), Spotty and Scotty (Cruella's other two pet dogs), Felicity (Gordon and Ivy's other pet dog), Vendella de vil (Cruella's last pet dog), Goose (Charlie's pet lobster; deceased), Mischief (Jim Jr, Elisa, and Hunter's pet cat), Scamp (Jim Jr, Elisa, and Hunter's pet dog), Cerberus and Cujo (Malevola's dogs; deceased), Pinky (P.h's lab mouse/rat), Dearie (Jim Jr, Elisa, and Hunter's pet dove), Snakespear (Malachai's pet snake; deceased), Stormy and Sunny (Dintia's pet doves; deceased), Pecky (Jim Jr, Elisa, and Hunter's pet chicken), and Helen (Gordon and Ivy's pet chicken). You can call this the de vil pet aesthetic.

Hunter De Vil (son of Helga Sinclair and Charles De Vil. Cousin of Ivy, Carlos, and Diego De Vil. He is an influencer and an inventor who works at the local tech repair shop. He's also a part time mechanic. He's dating Elisa Fae and Jim Jr; they have two cats, a dog, a dove, and a chicken. He and Ivy were passed from unstable de vil to unstable de vil until they got mixed up in Cruella's schemes and ended up dying in a car crash while trying to free the dalmatians she had once again kidnapped. But then they got resurrected and sent to the isle where they grew up alongside the Baduns-- one of which is his half brother-- and their cousins. He's resentful towards their royal family because of this. But once he met his girlfriend and boyfriend, he got his happy beginning. But that's a story for another time) aesthetic.

Ivana/Ivy "Evilana" De Vil (She is the daughter of Carmen Sandiego and Cotton De Vil, and the cousin of Hunter, Diego, and Carlos De Vil. She is a fashion designer, an inventor, and a salon owner who makes her own cosmetics. She also works out constantly and loves chocolate. She also died and was resurrected with her cousin, Hunter. She also loves healthy food, her pets, and her boyfriend, Gordon Dwarfson. She's also like her mama-- elusive, playful, badass, etc.) aesthetic.

Diego De Vil (He is the son of Cecil De Vil, the nephew of Cruella De Vil, and the cousin of Ivy, Hunter, and Carlos De Vil. He is a member of the Bad Apples, Harriet's crew, and the Anti-heroes' club. His mom is unknown. He was born on the isle and became a pirate, an anti-hero, a tattoo artist, and the lead guitarist and singer of his band. He and Derek Dwarfson are an item. He has no pets of his own) aesthetic.

Carlos De Vil (He is the son of Cruella De Vil and Prince James Charming, as well as the cousin of Hunter, Ivy, and Diego De Vil. He is a tourney and swords and shields member. He is dating Jane Fae-Dwarfson. He is also an inventor and a tech guy) aesthetic.

[amchara]

I mean... I think this pretty much covers it? Ty and Dru have learned from Julian about laying down everything to protect their family and they have the Fae side covered with Mark's experience and they've experienced loss with Livvy's and their parents' death and that's totally going to influence what they do going forward.

I need someone smarter than me to talk more about how the Blackthorns childhood could affect how they act in twp because I've seen people talk about how Ty is gonna go feral if anything happens to Kit and I'm like duh he was raised by Julian. Julian would kill, steal, manipulate, and destroy for Emma and Ty is SMARTER THAN HIM! The possibilities are endless. Also Dru is gonna be such a badass because she knows what putting everything on the line for what you care about looks like because she was raised by Julian.

[definitelyblond]

Viv’s Top Spy/Assassin Movies

1. V for Vendetta - 2005

I just watched this one recently and noticed a lot of parallels between this British Thatcher metaphor and modern Trump’s America, especially during COVID. This is the epitome of anti-government sentiment and makes you question the established governance.

2. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 - 2003

Badass Women with grudges, do I need to say more.

3. Léon: The Professional - 1994

I’m really not for the over sexualization of Natalie Portman in this movie but I do love the dark aesthetic of it.

4. John Wick - 2014

I mean he’s just a badass. If someone killed my dog I’d do the exact same thing not gonna lie.

5. Looper - 2012

The concept of this movie was really cool, powers, time travel, doppelgängers. This is one of my moms favourite movies and she always forgets the ending so we need to keep rewatching it.

6. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. - 2015

Really everybody in this movie is just hot, I also love the 60s/70s production elements.

7. R.E.D. - 2010

All the OG’s of badassness. Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, etc.

8. Wanted - 2008

Awesome soundtrack and almost fantastical assassin powers. Plus, the anxiety attacks are super relatable 😂

9. Kingsmen: The Secret Service - 2014

I think that this movie was brilliantly done, it paved the way for a whole bunch of modern assassin/spy movies. Combining class and brutality with an underdog at its center.

10. The Bourne Identity - 2002

I mean it’s a classic early 2000s movie, gotta love it.

[anonymousgeekhere]

What’s your opinion on the iliad cast? Gods and mortals

Mortals/Demigods:

Hector: I think my thoughts on him are obvious lol. My true love (after Apollo) he’s just so good! Hehe not gonna go in detail it will be long

Paris: Originally wasnt a very big fan of him but after learning more about him (and his effeminate aspect), I have mixed feelings. Like I like him but some stuff he does is like

Aeneas: We didn’t see him for much, I was intrigued by his fate thing, then I read the Aeneid and now I’m sick of him

Sarpedon: I’m more interested in the impact than him cuz like. Zeus contemplating saving him which would go against Fate? Very interesting…

Achilles: So I like him as a character not a person. I think his story and arc is very intriguing but like. he killed and mutilated a child. In the kid’s dad’s temple. like. Much as I find his arc about shifting between divine and beast and ultimately realizing he’s human and cannot reject society interesting af I just cannot like him

Patroclus: Wish there was more about him! He seemed very interesting and strong, not the uwu kawaii boy I thought he was

Odysseus: Yoooo I fucking love this guy he’s so funny and clever let’s fucking gooo

Diomedes: On his own I dont care for him much, tho I feel bad about how Athena manipulated him he’s pretty great when he teams up with Odysseus, book 10 was wicked awesome

Aias: Stronk man goes brrrr

Menelaus: Really cool guy, wanna see more content about him cuz he seems so conflicted and betrayed aww

Agamemnon: Someone shoot him. Please

Helen: FUCKING QUEEN I already loved her and then I found out more about her and aaaaah she’s so good

Andromache: Aaaahhh I love her she deserved so much better

Cassandra: Would’ve loved to see more of her, her story is interesting

Penelope (I know she‘s from the odyssey but shhhh): YO SHES A QUEEN TOO she really outsmarted Odysseus she and him are OTP how she so big brain

Hecuba: She won me over when she begged Hector not to go fight Achilles

Priam: Interesting guy, wanna know more about him and why he seems to only care for Hector (trauma response after losing so many kids?)

Gods:

Apollo: I won’t dump here cuz you all know about that already. I really enjoyed seeing a darker, more divine aspect of Apollo. Really changed my perspective on him (which is an essay in of itself) and appreciate him a lot more and see him as more nuanced and complex

Artemis: We didn’t see much of her! But I can’t believe she got bitch slapped by Hera

Leto: So badass omfg

Hermes: Really pleasantly surprised by how kind he was to Priam. Loved seeing him as the “kind god”

Zeus: I’ve softened to him and really like to see how his position as a king makes him have to take harsh decisions. Fate makes me wonder how much control he really has

Hera: Badassssss. I really loved seeing her so manipulative and clever, it was really fun

Ares: I hate how Homer wrote him! Made him seem so pathetic and had everyone bully him

Athena: Ngl especially after writing my essay I don’t really like Athena? She’s manipulative but not in the fun Hera way

Aphrodite: My opinion on her dropped a little because of that one scene in book 3 where she forces Helen to sleep with Paris

Poseidon: He’s much more serious and scary than I thought, really awed by his sheer power

Hephaestus: Hate how everyone bullies him but damn does he make some cool stuff

Thetis: She’s such a good mom??? I wanna know more about her, like how she ended up married to Peleus