#but perhaps Batman is also a vampire

[arkangelo-7]

Watching “The Batman” (2022) is a trip because I always spend the first 10 minutes wondering why the fuck I’m watching an high-budget episode of “Law & Order” and then Robert Pattinson shows up, and I wonder why the fuck I’m rewatching Twilight. And then I remember he’s not a vampire he’s fucking Batman.

[zeynyukine3011]

LONG HAIRED DAMIAN!!!!!! It looks weird since I'm not used to it but I like it.

Also Kate dying 😭😭 Damian lost another member of his family. My poor boy he can't catch a break.

Sooo the new Batman is someone who has trained Damian before. This narrows the list a lot. My guess is Ra's al Ghul. I don't know, I may be talking nonsense but Talia is (was ☹️) leading the League of Assassins. Then where is Ra's al Ghul? Is he dead? Maybe. But he may be alive as well.

He perhaps decided to take the mantle after Bruce died idk. But it checks the marks. He has trained Damian. And since I don't think they will being Bruce back it will be someone else.

It's good to see Ghostmaker alive even though he is a vampire 乁⁠(⁠ ⁠⁰͡⁠ ⁠Ĺ̯⁠ ⁠⁰͡⁠ ⁠)⁠ ⁠ㄏ

At least we got to know what happened to him.

[supernovafics]

𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐀 𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄

"i'll be there for you" universe masterlist

pairing: bestfriend!roommate!steve harrington x fem!reader

word count: 4.8k words

warnings: explicit language, mentions of alcohol/drinking (reader and steve get drunk lolz), random guy at a bar being an asshole

summary: in which it's a halloween night full of partying, fun, and maybe one too many drinks

author's note: ohohoh this was so fun to write !! happy (almost) halloween<333

general note: everything in this universe/series can be read as standalone oneshots but to understand the full “lore” it would prob be best to read the other stuff too<333

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Fall 1985

In hindsight, maybe you shouldn’t have laughed.

Because doing so did not help in convincing Steve that the costume he was wearing did not look ridiculous, and instead your laugh only made him frown at you.

“I’m not wearing this.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I was just a bit surprised to see how you looked.”

You didn’t expect the Robin costume you got for Steve to shock you as much as it did, and it was mainly because of the green pants he had on; because perhaps they were a bit too green. It confused you a bit because the pants hadn’t looked that overbearing and bright when you bought them from the costume shop— but, granted, it had still been in the bag with the rest of the clothing items for the costume, so you didn’t get to see too much of the pants. And with the red shirt he had on that had the signature “R” logo in the corner of it, for a split second, Steve looked more like Christmas personified than Robin, and that was what made you laugh. It wasn’t even a full laugh, it was more like a breath of a laugh. 

“Why can’t I be Batman and you be Robin?”

“Because that’s not an accurate representation of us,” You answered him immediately. “I’m clearly the Batman in this friendship. And I’m older.”

He rolled his eyes at you and you knew exactly what that eye roll said— “You’re only two fucking months older than me.”

“Why can’t Robin be Robin?” He asked. 

“You already know the answer to that. She and Vickie are doing some vampire couples costume thing.”

Robin being a part of the costume had been the initial plan— Steve would’ve been Batman, Robin would’ve been Robin, and you would’ve been Catwoman. But, when Robin bailed so that she could do the couple’s costume with Vickie, you refused to be Catwoman anymore because you didn’t want to spend the night constantly telling people that you and Steve weren’t dating and just decided to do a duo costume that looked way too obviously as a couple’s costume for “fun.”

“And we can’t even change the costumes now because we have to be at The Hideout in an hour,” You reminded him. They were having a Halloween party there and Eddie’s band would be playing at some point during the night, they were all going dressed as zombies, and a handful of other bands were going to be playing too. “You should’ve tried this on yesterday when I bought it.”

Steve only rolled his eyes at you again even though he knew you were right. You hopped off the kitchen counter and followed him as he walked back into his room. You sat down on the side of his bed and he went into his bathroom, looking in the mirror and running a hand through his hair. 

“Robin’s the cuter one of the duo, anyway,” You told him. “Girls will love it.” 

Steve still didn’t say anything yet, so you took that as your cue to keep going. “You should change the pants. These ones are way too bright and they kinda hurt my eyes. Maybe put on those darker green ones you have. People will still easily understand the costume, so it’ll be okay. And the rest of the costume is perfectly fine. Also, when you put the yellow cape on it’ll tie everything together.”

He still stayed quiet so you got up and walked over to where he stood still looking at himself in the mirror, and you poked his arm. “Can you please say something so I can stop giving you an ego boost by rambling about how good you’ll look tonight?”

Steve laughed a bit. “No, you should keep going.”

That time you rolled your eyes at him. “Ha ha. Fuck you.” You walked out of the bathroom and started heading to the bedroom door. “Anyway, I’m gonna put my costume on and then we should take a few shots before Vickie and Robin come get us.” 

“I thought we were gonna keep things mostly PG tonight?” Steve asked as he began rummaging through his closet for the pants you mentioned. “Because of what happened two nights ago.” 

Somehow you simultaneously winced and laughed at the mention of that Wednesday night. Where you and Steve sat in the living room drinking and watching random bad movies he brought home from Family Video; the alcohol actually managed to make the movies somewhat bearable to watch. It was an impulsive decision that left you both with horrific hangovers in the morning as you forced yourself to go to class and Steve begrudgingly went to his twelve o’clock shift.  

“Okay, I know that we’ve still only barely recovered from that night, but you don’t have to work tomorrow, and I’m not gonna have any school shit to worry about, so tonight we can just have fun without any of the consequences of what happened last time.” You turned around and smiled at him. “The type of fun that involves a lot of alcohol. And it’s Halloween so I feel like it’s bad luck if we don’t partake in underage drinking.”

“Very solid points.” 

“I’m gonna pretend that you weren’t being sarcastic right then and instead just believe that you actually do agree with me,” You said before finally leaving his room and walking toward yours. 

Your costume was already lying on your bed— a black cropped shirt with the signature Batman emblem on it, a black cape, and black jeans that were probably the tightest pair of pants you now owned but they made your butt look great so you overall counted them as a win. Getting dressed took no longer than five minutes, but then you spent an extra five minutes rummaging through your closet to find your black hightop Converses until you remembered that they were probably buried in the heap of shoes that always sat by the front door. You knew that wearing anything other than sneakers would’ve probably been better for the look of the costume, but last year you made the mistake of wearing heeled boots with your pirate costume, and although they did make the outfit look great, your feet were absolutely dead in the morning and you never wanted to experience that pain again. Therefore, tonight, sneakers would be the way to go.

You noticed Steve in the kitchen— with his pants changed and the rest of the costume on— when you left your bedroom and started heading toward the shoe pile by the front door. You reached into the pile, pushing aside a pair of his Nikes and then grabbing your Converses. 

Steve opened up one of the kitchen cabinets and pulled out the bottle of tequila. You stopped tying your shoes for a second and looked up at him, immediately noticing how the bottle was close to empty. 

“Jesus, I didn’t think that we devoured so much of it the other night,” You said as Steve opened up a different cabinet to grab two mugs to use as makeshift shot glasses. 

“I vaguely remember us saying that if we drank more, the bad movies we were watching would start to actually make sense,” He said with a laugh as he started pouring. You couldn’t help but laugh with him because that sounded exactly like the type of drunken logic the two of you would have. “Also, I really wish Robin hadn’t bailed on the group costume because you look much cooler than me right now.” 

You only laughed more at his words as you went to grab two sodas from the fridge. “Next year, you can take full reign over our costume decision and I’ll go along with whatever you want.”

He smiled at you. “I will fully hold you to that.” 

“I’m already scared for whatever you end up deciding,” You said as you picked up one of the mugs and then Steve grabbed the other. “But, anyway, cheers.” 

“Cheers.” 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

You couldn’t remember exactly where Steve or Robin or Vickie were, but with your slight inebriation that realization didn’t worry you that much.

You had tasked yourself with grabbing more drinks for yourself and Steve from the crowded bar, but before you could even walk up to the counter, a guy dressed as a cowboy stopped you and decided to start a conversation. 

It was pretty dark and the music was loud, so you could barely make out what he was saying after he said his initial “hello,” but with the way he was smiling at you it was fairly easy to tell that he was flirting. And even though you were tipsy and he was a little bit cute, you weren’t in the mood to reciprocate. 

“I should go,” You interrupted him for the first time in the past five minutes. You attempted to make your voice sound as nice as possible because it was easier to say that excuse instead of the entire truth, which was that you simply didn’t want to talk to him. “I gotta get back to my friends.” 

Either the guy didn’t hear what you said or he decided to completely disregard it all because he said, “I’ll buy you a drink.” 

“No, thanks,” You told him, making sure your voice was loud enough so that he could clearly hear your answer.   

“Come on, let me be the Robin to your Batman, or better yet you be the Robin to my Batman,” He said and before you could scoff and roll your eyes and simply walk away, he reached out to firmly grab your waist. 

You immediately pulled away from him and were about to say something along the lines of “Fuck you,” but you were interrupted by arms circling around you from behind; it was a touch that felt so familiar that you instinctually leaned into it. 

“She already has a Robin to her Batman so fuck off,” Steve said and you had to try your hardest not to laugh at his words. It was always in moments like these, where guys were being dicks and didn’t take no for an answer, that you’d happily play the fake dating card with Steve. 

When the guy walked away, muttering something under his breath that you couldn’t make out, you turned to face your friend and leaned in close to him so that he could hear you over the music. “Thank God for you, Steve Harrington.”

His mouth was close to your ear. “I knew that I shouldn’t have let you go alone to get the drinks.” 

“You were chatting up that girl dressed as Tinker Bell, so I thought I’d be a good wingwoman and walk away.”  

“She left with her friends.”

From the sound of his voice, it was hard to tell if he was sad about it or didn’t really care. “As your wingwoman, should I help you go after her?”  

He shook his head. “No, it’s okay, she was a little boring.” 

“Got it,” You responded with a quick nod. “Can we get a drink now? Talking to that asshole sobered me up too much.”

Steve glanced at the bar. “Eddie’s supposed to be on in five minutes and the bar looks even more crowded than it was ten minutes ago.”

It was your turn to look in that direction and you immediately knew that with the amount of people surrounding the counter, you and Steve would be waiting there for much longer than just a few minutes. 

“Fuck,” You mumbled and then looked back at Steve. “Okay, let’s go back to Robin and Vickie. Aside from helping to get that random guy away from me, I’m even more glad you’re here right now because I fully don’t remember where we were standing.”

“I had a feeling that would happen too,” He said with a small laugh before slipping his hand into yours and leading you toward your other two friends. 

There was no way you would’ve been able to find the semi-secluded corner near the stage that Robin and Vickie were standing by if it weren’t for Steve, and you made a mental note to not leave his side for the rest of the time all of you were at The Hideout. 

“Woah, no drinks?” Robin said when she noticed you two. She and Vickie were holding hands and once again seeing them in their matching vampire costumes made your heart squeeze at how adorable they were. “Are you two actually gonna be sober like us for the night?”

“I’m sorry, but that won’t be happening. But, I do promise that I’ll be the best and most functional drunk person ever so you don’t get super annoyed with me,” You said, smiling at her, and when Steve laughed at your words, you playfully elbowed him. 

“I love you, truly, but I kinda doubt that will happen,” Robin responded but still smiled back at you. “Oh, also, like five minutes ago, Vickie ran into this girl she knows and she told us about this party happening two towns over. We should go to it after Eddie’s set.”

“I don’t know the guy throwing it, but apparently, his house is huge,” Vickie chimed in and you nodded.

That was probably one of your favorite parts about this stupid little holiday; how quickly plans could change or be adjusted, and most of the time it would lead to you having more fun than you had initially anticipated. And plus you’d rather have free drinks at the house of this random guy than buy more at this bar or any other one.  

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

The time was inching closer and closer to midnight and the party seemed as if it was at its absolute peak. So much so that Vickie had to park on a completely different block because of how crowded with cars the actual street was. 

Steve was carrying you on his back as you all walked to the house; he had been reluctant at first but ultimately couldn’t say no to your persistent “pleases.”

“This reminds me of last Halloween when your feet were hurting because of your shoes, so I also gave you a piggyback ride then,” He said and then glanced down. “This time you’re wearing sneakers, though, so this feels a little unnecessary.”

You smiled even though he couldn’t see you. “This is always necessary, Steven.” 

Robin and Vickie were a few feet behind you two, hands intertwined as they went into a conversation that went unheard by you and Seve because you were laughing at him saying that him carrying you right then proved why he should’ve been Batman tonight.  

“And they’ve never dated before?” Vickie asked and Robin immediately shook her head. 

“No, it’s never happened. It’s weird. They’re weird,” She answered as she continued looking at you and Steve. Sometimes she felt as if the idea of you two dating was something that she could see as clear as day— it did seem like it would just make so much sense. But nothing ever happened, and at this point of knowing the two of you, she honestly didn’t think it ever would. “They seem like they’d be perfect together, but I also think the world would implode if they ever tried something.”

Vickie laughed a bit at her girlfriend’s words. “Aw, well, I think they’d be cute.”

It was only thirty minutes into the four of you being at the party and you could finally say that you were no longer just tipsy. You’d probably end up regretting this in the morning because of the hangover that was imminent, but right then, you were glad you were drunk because it finally made your pants feel completely bearable. And Steve was as intoxicated as you were, maybe even more so because it somehow took little to no convincing to get him to play dumb games with you. 

It started out as truth or dare, but then one of the dares was to do a round of hide and seek, and then you decided to do more rounds of it because since both of you were drunk, it made the childish game even more fun to play. And since you were in a place that you two were completely unfamiliar with, it also made it funnier to play.

You weren’t sure whose turn it had been— who was the hider and who was the seeker— but you and Steve somehow ended up outside in the backyard, lying side by side on the grass and staring up at the sky. And you were laughing at a joke that you now couldn’t remember if it had been you or Steve who told it— you honestly couldn’t even recall the joke itself, but you just knew it had been funny. 

You shifted and turned on your side to face Steve and after a moment he did the same. 

“Thank you. For always being there for me,” You told him and then lifted your head so that you could kiss him on the cheek. “You’re quite literally the best person in my life.”

He shook his head at you, a small smile gracing his lips. “You always get so sentimental when you’re drunk.”

You let out a breath of a laugh. “It’s the only time I let myself get super cheesy with you, Stevie.” Your drunkest of moments were also usually the only times when that nickname would come out. “But, I do hope you know that even though I don’t say it all the time, I always do feel this way. I always think about how insanely fucking glad I am to have you in my life.” 

“Don’t worry, I know.” He nodded at you and then smiled wider. “And I’m insanely fucking glad to have you in my life too.” 

He was Steve. Your Steve. Your best friend Steve. The Robin to your Batman. That couldn’t change. Ever.

So, why the fuck did you get the sudden urge to kiss him on the mouth instead of that all-too-familiar spot on his cheek again? 

Of course, you didn’t do it, and, of course, neither did Steve. Instead, a silence settled over the two of you for a bit.

“Come on, let’s head back in,” Steve said after a few moments. Somehow he was always the logical one in moments like these. 

Still, though, you felt the tiniest bit disappointed. But, you’d completely forget about that feeling, that fleeting thought, by the morning. 

Steve stood first and then reached out to pull you up. One of your hands was still intertwined with his when you walked back into the house. 

The party was still in full swing, and when the front door opened and a handful of new people walked in, that didn’t necessarily shock you. But it did make you smile widely at the people coming in because you recognized a familiar face. 

“Eddie!” You immediately went over to him, practically falling into his arms as you hugged him.

Since, due to your drunkenness, you’d actually forgotten that you all told him about the party after his band finished their set and he said he’d meet you there later, it felt like so much more of a coincidental, happy accident that he was there right then. You weren’t even fazed by his zombie costume, which had freaked you a little earlier because of how good and realistic it looked. 

“Hi!” He exclaimed, matching your enthusiasm while also smiling and laughing at your current antics. “You’re drunk.” He then looked at Steve who was behind you. “Wow, and you are too.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “I haven’t even said anything yet.”

Eddie laughed a bit. “I can just see it all over you, Harrington.”

You stopped paying attention to their conversation and let your mind wander as you looked around at all of the random people in the house that were dancing and laughing with their friends.  

I should get another drink.

“That’s a bad idea,” Eddie said to you. 

You laughed as you looked at him. “I didn’t even realize I said that out loud.”

“Another reason why both of you need to be cut off for the rest of the night.” 

You knew that he was right, but that didn’t mean that you had to outwardly agree with him. Instead, you smiled at him and said, “I never thought I’d see the day where Edward Munson became the mom of the group.”

“Sometimes I like to turn over a new leaf,” He gave you a wry smile back and then poked your side which only made you laugh. “Where are Robin and Vickie?”

“That’s a good question,” Steve said and looked around for a quick second before meeting your eyes. “Do you remember the last time we saw them?” 

“I’m pretty sure it was right before we started playing truth or dare,” You answered and tried to think about exactly how long ago that was, but failed to do so because your memory felt too fuzzy right then. “I have no perception of time right now, so that could’ve been hours ago, honestly.” 

“It’s actually kind of funny how you two always somehow end up playing that game whenever we go to parties,” Eddie said. 

Steve shrugged. “It’s a stupidly fun game to play when drunk.”

“We also played a lot of hide and seek tonight,” You added and smiled.

Eddie only shook his head and laughed a bit. 

You placed a hand on his shoulder. “Eddie, if you’re feeling left out, we can play another round of hide and seek with you.”

He playfully rolled his eyes at you. “Don’t worry, I’ll live.”

“Oh, there they are,” Steve said, and when you looked in the direction of where he was pointing, you saw Robin and Vickie sitting on the couch in the living room and watching the movie that was playing on the huge television. The most random scene was on right then, and the sound coming from the TV could not be heard over the loud music that was playing throughout the house, but you immediately recognized the movie as Friday the 13th; which was actually pretty fitting because even though it wasn’t literally Friday the 13th, it was at least a Friday.

You then realized that the time was probably so far past midnight, so maybe it actually wasn’t fitting anymore. But, it was still a Halloween party, so technically any scary movie could work. 

Your mind then started listing off other scary movies you didn’t mind watching— Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Shining—  and you suddently couldn’t remember why you were even thinking about scary movies in the first place.

Eddie was definitely right; you really didn’t need another drink. 

“Hey,” Steve said, pulling you out of your thoughts. Eddie was now sitting with Robin and Vickie and watching the silently playing movie with them, and you and Steve were turned around leaning back against the couch. “What’s going on in that head of yours, Batman?” 

You laughed for no particular reason aside from how nice it felt to do so right then. 

“I think I’m starting to hit my peak. So, I need to capitalize off of this feeling before things start going downhill and I start begging Vickie to take us home so that I can pass out in bed.” You looked up at Steve and met his eyes. “Are you down for a few more rounds of hide and seek?”

His mouth quirked upward in a small smile. “Always.”

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

You felt like you were choking, and that feeling was what pulled you out of your sleep. Your eyes were still closed as you reached up to touch your throat and immediately felt that your cape was still buttoned around your neck, but it felt so much tighter than how it did last night.

Your eyes opened just a bit and you saw Steve sleeping next to you, and you also noticed that you were in his room. He was on top of the blanket, still fully in his Robin costume, and you were under the covers. Somehow your cape had gotten tangled up underneath the pillow Steve was laying on. You groaned as you unbuttoned it, finally breathing normally. 

You shut your eyes again, trying to will yourself back to sleep because you felt like you could use a thousand more hours. But, for some reason, you couldn’t fall asleep, and instead all your mind could focus on was Steve’s soft snoring. 

Anytime you two ended up sleeping in the same bed or same room, his snoring rarely ever annoyed you, but this time it managed to do the opposite. And now you also needed to pee. 

With a sigh, you got out of the bed and padded over to Steve’s bathroom. You kept the light off because you refused to see how you looked right then, and also because the abrupt brightness would’ve only contributed to your growing headache. 

Steve was awake when you exited the bathroom. He was on his back, eyes open as he looked up at the ceiling. 

“You almost woke up next to a corpse,” You told him, your voice actually sounding much more hoarse than you expected it to be. 

He turned to look at you. “I feel like a corpse.”

“You were sleeping on my cape. I was almost strangled to death.”

“Shit, sorry.”

“I don’t really understand why we didn’t change out of our costumes when we got home. I also don’t remember why I decided to sleep in your bed,” You said as you got back in bed and pulled the blanket over you again. You tried to think back to last night, when you and Steve got back to the apartment, but right then it felt too hard to put the pieces of what happened together and you felt too hungover to do so. “Where are my pants?”

“I slightly remember you saying something about how much you “fucking hated them,” so you took them off before you got in my bed,” Steve answered.

You laughed. “Okay, yeah, that sounds familiar.”

He sat up, letting out a tired groan in the process, and started getting out of bed. “I need a shower.” 

“Me too,” You agreed with a nod but still leaned back and let your head fall against the pillow. “But, I also really wanna go back to sleep.” 

“We can be lazy on the couch all day,” Steve suggested. “Watch random sitcoms and order takeout for lunch and dinner.” 

His words were enough to get you of the bed and you smiled at him. “I love that idea.”

It wasn’t until you were in your room that you finally noticed that the time was somehow only nine in the morning. A part of you felt like it should be illegal for you to be up this early after the night you’d had, but your shower was helpful at washing away most of your tiredness and dull headache. 

When you emerged from your bathroom thirty minutes later wearing your favorite hoodie and a pair of sweatpants, you smelled coffee in the kitchen. 

“You’re awesome. You’re amazing. I love you. Thank you so much,” You said to Steve when you walked into the kitchen and he handed you a warm mug.  

“No problem,” He told you before taking a long sip from his own mug. “Also, while I was in the shower I had a thought; no more drinking for us. Not until Thanksgiving when we have to deal with our families, and alcohol is the only thing that will make getting through that holiday bearable.”

You nodded at that. “I completely agree.”

You were about to open the fridge to grab the carton of milk so that you could add some to your coffee, when you noticed the new polaroid picture that was hanging on it, pinned up by the Statue of Liberty magnet you and Steve got in New York when you took a trip there back in June.  

“When did we take this picture?”

Steve looked at the polaroid and his eyebrows furrowed. “I honestly can’t remember.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “We look so drunk, holy shit.”

So drunk but also so happy. Your cheeks were squished together so that you both could fit in the frame and happy drunk smiles took over your faces. You could tell by how much of a close up the picture was that you were the one that took it. 

It was a little funny, but also sort of fitting, seeing that picture among the other ones already on the fridge— including a group photo of the kids when they spent the night over at the apartment just a week ago, and one of Eddie smiling and holding your and Steve’s shared pet hamster, Harold. 

You grabbed the black Sharpie that was someohw always sitting on the kitchen counter— perhaps it was for this exact reason— and you wrote on the empty white space at the bottom of the new polaroid. 

Halloween ‘85. Batman & Robin.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

let me know ur thoughts<333

(requests are open for stuff you wanna see in the universe/series!🫶🏾)

[yanmuffins]

It's hilarious you made Tim be paranoid of Perry. And when the reveal of Perry being Agent P. He is going to go, I told you so to Jason.

Also, let Dr. Doofenshimertz be friends with MC (or Reader, I usually call them MC). Like, just invention buddies. Let him be a good dad friend to MC, like look at how he raised his child, Vanessa. Let MC be doted on. Also, let MC be friend with Vanessa.

the lore just creates itself, with the asks! tim being paranoid of perry is making it into the fic. he's going to feel so vindicated (maybe even more vindicated than damian when reader gets busted) when the truth about perry comes out. funny thing is, he's still the littlest bit suspicious of perry after that. he's still convinced the platypus doesn't like him and is out to get him specifically. which is too bad, because he seems to get along just fine with reader, damian and jason.

i mean, dr. doofenshmirtz is huge no-no as a friend for reader because he's a villain. a subpar villain, but still a villain! i could see reader perhaps being friendly with vanessa, maybe they go to the same school, but it would unfortunately be a short-lived friendship when the batfam intervenes. damian didn't like vanessa and he sure didn't like her dad, so he's glad that his family finally caught wind of reader's bad companions and cut them off their life (hopefully with just a warning to stay away from reader...). they don't need such bad influences in their life.

on another note,

reader after they come back from dc. vs vampires universe:

(warning: spoilers for the dc. vs vampires comic)

honestly, i'm conflicted on how tht would go because the possibilities are endless. i like the idea of reader not really existing in that reality, so when they pop into existence mid-chaos, it's very... interesting. nobody knows who they are, and not in a "oh sorry sib i forgot about you for a sec" way, they really don't know who they are! and batman couldn't be more exhausted at this point, now he has an extra child from another dimension who's stuck here while he's dealing with figuring out what this whole vampire mayhem is about.

now, whether they arrive in dc vs. vampires while batman is still alive trying to figure out who the vampire king is or after dick reveals himself and is on his way to conquer the world is difficult to decide. realistically, reader would just go back to their universe in both cases as soon as they realized they're not in their gotham. but what if their dimension-traveling device breaks and they're stuck for a while before they manage to fix it?

bonus points if damian got dragged into this bullshit and gets to meet his vampire version who's trying to defeat dick. that would be a mess of unheard of proportions.

"damian (x2), i know what we're gonna do today!" and it's defeating the vampire king.

that, or damian and reader adopt the "no interfering with other dimensions" approach and mind their own business getting back home. just a moment to see that oh, the situation here is way above our pay grade, let's leave asap.

but tbh, i think both reader and damian would be horrified by this reality and so very relieved when they get home safely, in time for dinner. nobody believes them, sure, but dick does notice they're following him around and looking suspiciously at him at lot. and he's baffled, do they really think he's a vampire? come on. he heard about kids having over-active imaginations, but that's just too much.

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 213

“Hey spooks, is there an actual reason you never like, eat?” Hal ignored Superman’s rather expressive don’t motions, leaning over the meeting table. He also ignored how everyone else’s conversations quieted, staring straight at Batman instead. 

It was hard to tell if said vigilante was looking at him, what with the whited out eyes, but the sheer judgment that seemed to waft off of him did the job just fine. “Like, I get you’re paranoid and everything and- hey!” Batman stood up suddenly, practically striding out of the room mid conversation. Superman gave them all an unreadable look, shaking his head and following. Well. Touchy subject then.  Though it was another point to the vampire bet too.

“I understand not telling them anything about the situation, B, but there’s going to be rumors about this now, you know?” A hand rested on Bruce’s shoulder, the weight comforting to the deathly cold that always covered his skin. Kal. Clark. Whichever was better for work. 

He clicked, shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter,” he muttered. “... the kids would like to see you again if you’re open.” 

Clark snorted, smiling softly. “You know you can just say you don’t want to be alone right now B…” Lies and slander. He was perfectly fine being alone for long stretches of time. Used to it even. He just also perhaps had been reminded of… other times. Better and worse ones. 

[milesluna]

My Favorite Games of 2023.

Hi. Hello. Thanks ever so much for clicking on this page. Happy to have you.

First thing's first: I'm a little freak when it comes to video games. I don't feel the need to beat most games I play. From Software is one of my favorite studios in the industry and I've never finished a single one of their games. This means, fortunately, that I get to play a LOT more games than the average bear.

I've written up some blurbs about my top ten favorite games from 2023, but before that here's the list of every game I remember playing this year that left any sort of lasting impact on me (in no particular order):

Dead Space Remake Resident Evil 4 Remake F-Zero 99 Humanity Dredge Metroid Prime Remastered Anemoiaplois Alan Wake 2 Baldur’s Gate 3 LoZ Tears of the Kingdom Counter Strike 2 Hunt Showdown El Paso Elsewhere Jusant Slay the Princess| Remnant II The Finals Street FIghter 6 Lethal Company BattleBit Remastered Don’t Scream Homebody The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog Pizza Tower World of Horror Super Mario Wonder Mr. Sun’s Hatbox Fifa 23 Sea of Stars (Demo) Half-Life (25th Anniversary Update)

And the games I played that were NOT released in 2023:

Unpacking Persona 4 Golden Picross 7 The Order 1886 Shovel Knight Dig Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Spider-Man: Miles Morales Pac-Man Championship Edition DX Project Zomboid Quake LoZ The Minish Cap Drill Dozer Wario Land 4 Pokemon Pinball Resident Evil Revelations Summer of ‘58 Trackmania TwinCop We Were Here Visage Cursed Halo CE Half-Life 2 (I probably play this once per year) Witch Hunt Red Dead Redemption 2 Cyberpunk 2077 Borderlands 3 Brutal Legend Cultic Slay the Spire PUBG Rez Infinite Batman Arkham City Alan Wake Alan Wake: American Nightmare Max Payne LoZ: Majora’s Mask 3DS Metroid Prime Metroid Prime 2 Tunic Everhood Final Fantasy VII Final Fantasy VII Remake GOODBYE WORLD Yakuza: Like a Dragon Critters for Sale Dome Keeper Phasmophobia Hades Nintendo Switch Sports

Now that you understand the kind of freak you're dealing with…

Let's dive into my top ten favorite games from this objectively fucked up year.

10. El Paso Elsewhere Developed by Texas indie studio Strange Scaffold, El Paso Elsewhere is a Max Payne-clone with vampires, an opinionated narrator, and lots and lots of bullet time. As a small studio punching well above their weight class, Strange Scaffold leans into abstract, PlayStation 1 minimalism when it comes to visuals and pairs them with a soundtrack that will make your hands sweat. The vibes are here and they're ready for the end of the world. I'm personally also a big fan of everything this studio stands for.

9. Mr. Sun's Hatbox I want you to imagine Metal Gear Solid V. Now I want you to imagine that game as a 2D, level-based, slapstick platformer you can play with up to three friends. If you think that sounds stupid, you'd be right. And it's beautiful. As you build up a secret army of soldiers with various skills (and disorders), you'll start to develop *favorites*. This game constantly asks if you're willing to send those favorites on a harrowing mission and risk losing them forever… or if you'd rather send an idiot you recently captured who blinks constantly and can't kill anyone without fainting.

8. Dredge Every year I feel like I find one game that falls into the “just one more round” category, and baby… Dredge was it for 2023. As a weary fisherman in strange waters, you'll make the most out of your 12 measly hours of sunlight only for your daily voyages to inevitably pull you into the darkness of night, and night is when things get weird. Rocks emerge from the fog that you swear weren't there before, your equipment malfunctions, and you're pretty sure you just saw something in the water… something big. Despite only containing a small collection of islands, the world of Dredge manages to feel vast - perhaps vast enough to swallow you whole.

7. Resident Evil 4 Remake I was curious to see what sort of changes would be made to the timeless classic and father of modern 3rd person shooters, Resident Evil 4. I wasn't let down. RE4 Remake takes all the things that didn't age well about the original, tossed them out, and replaced them with only good things. And MORE things! It's campy, fun, and better than a game of bingo.

6. Jusant I really feel like this one didn't get the recognition it deserves. Jusant is a rock climbing game that combines the quiet contemplation of Journey with the mechanical specificity of Death Stranding. Unlike Death Standing, though, there is very little story to interrupt your flow. There are plenty of collectible bits to find for those curious to learn more about what happened before the events of the game, but the environmental storytelling does most of the heavy lifting. For me, the joy of the game comes from how it feels. Right trigger controls your right hand grip, and left trigger controls left hand grip. Plan your route, manage your stamina, and climb high above the clouds in search of answers.

5. F-Zero 99 This. Shit. Slaps. I've never been a big F-Zero guy, but this MADE me one. The “battle royale”, 99 player format is the perfect fit for the ruthless, high octane world of the game. Races last about three minutes, and friend, they are the most intense, white-knuckled three minutes of your life. The decision to make your boost meter the same as your health meter started in F-Zero 64 (I believe), and it is so much more HARROWING in this game when another player could side-swipe you mere meters from the finish line and blow you to bits. Sadly it's only playable via Switch Online, but it made me cheer, laugh, and scream enough this year to earn a spot in my top 5.

4. Alan Wake 2 Remedy makes weird games that also manage to exist in the AAA space and for that I will forever love them. Although Alan Wake 2 resembles a 3rd person shooter survival horror, I'd honestly say it's more of a narrative game than anything else. There's sidequests, there's puzzles, there's upgradeable skills, but at the end of the day the characters, world, and story are what kept me playing. If you haven't checked them out recently, you should definitely watch a story recap of the original games before diving into this sequel, but the wild swings for the fences this game takes are well worth that small price of admission. There's a god damn musical number, for Christ's sake.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom I've really got nothing to say about this game that most people don't already know. It's incredible. The fact that Nintendo made a game that redefined an entire genre and then made a SEQUEL to it that ups the ante is remarkable. To be honest, I've only cleared the Rito, Zora, and Goron cities. I got a bit tired of exploring the depths and guiding Koroks to their friends, but I can't deny the sheer level of complexity and polish on display here. I saw someone on TikTok build a functioning Mecha Godzilla in this game. Good God. I've heard that the ending of this game is one of the best in the franchise, and if I'd seen it this year then it may have wound up higher on my list, but for the time being I'll continue picking up this masterpiece from time to time, chipping away at it until the day comes that I can finally smack the tits off thicc Ganondorf.

2. Half-Life (25th Anniversary Update) I know I'm gonna get shit for this, but I don't care. This year was the 25th anniversary of Half-Life and Valve released an update that made playing it (and it's online Death Match) much more accessible. I threw it on my Steam Deck out of curiosity, expecting to play for 20 minutes. I could not put it down. It is unbelievable how modern this game still feels. I simply had so much fun sprinting through the corridors of Black Mesa with a dozen weapons strapped to my back, blasting aliens and military Spec-Op chumps as a 24(?!) year old theoretical physicist.

1. Baldur's Gate III This game is fucked up, man. The sheer amount of writing in this game scares me. We can all talk about how BIG this game is, it deserves it, but the thing BG3 does better than any other role playing game I have ever experienced is actually encourage roleplaying. I've played through Act I four times now, with four different groups of friends, and it has felt fresh every time. I have seen the same events play out in so many different ways that it boggles the mind, but in every one of those play sessions I see players asking themselves “What would my lil guy do here?” rather than "what is the best thing to do here?" The game rewards players constantly for just trying shit and the D&D 5e rule set means playing like the character you said you were from the start leads to frequent Points of Inspiration. Maybe one day I'll see the end of this story (probably not), but I don't have to in order to feel a connection with BG3's world, characters, and most impressively, the characters I made myself.

Honorable Mentions for 2023

5. Dave the Diver 4. Homebody 3. Sea of Stars 2. Humanity 1. Super Mario Wonder

Top 5 Favorites NOT from 2023

5. Metroid Prime 4. Final Fantasy VII Remake 3. Cursed Halo (Halo CE Mod) 2. Red Dead Redemption 2 1. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (3DS)

Games I didn't have a chance to play from 2023 but still want to when I find more time...

Viewfinder Venba Chants of Sennaar Thirsty Suitors Hi-Fi Rush Moonring Armored Core VI Laika Aged Through Blood Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

OKAY THANKS BYE!

[mayhemchicken-varneyposting]

Varney the Vampire, Chapter 1: It Was A Dark And Stormy Night

[Next chapter]

Our story begins with several long, languid paragraphs of scene descriptions. First a terrible storm, then an antique bedchamber and its equally antique bed, then the lovely feminine occupant of said bed, who is detailed in a manner I can only describe as "fucking creepy". In the bedchamber is a large, strange portrait of a man; remember this portrait, it will be important later.

The young woman in the bed is awakened by the storm, and stares out the window praying for a few minutes, until a flash of lightning illuminates a tall, gaunt figure standing in front of the window. She watches, frozen in terror, as the figure unfastens the window and climbs into the room. It is gigantic in height, stretching from floor to ceiling (in fairness, the room has a low ceiling), and has eyes "like polished tin" and "fang-like" teeth. (I think those would just be fangs, Rymer.)

Slowly, the figure creeps towards the young woman. Just as slowly, she backs away. Suddenly, it seizes her by the hair, pins her to the bed, and buries its fangs (sorry, fang-like teeth) in her neck. And just like that, the VAMPYRE is at his TERRIBLE FEAST OF BLOOD!

An exciting and promising start! Surely this will not be the only instance of blood feasting for the next 130 or so chapters. Surely.

Chapter 1 of Varney the Vampire is sort of difficult for me to describe. It's vividly engaging, yet simultaneously tedious and long-winded. The prose is descriptive, detailed, drawing the reader in and holding them in suspense. It's also some of the worst writing I've ever read in my life. Rymer cannot maintain a consistent tense; from paragraph to paragraph, sentence to sentence, and sometimes even within the same sentence he will jump back and forth between past and present tense. He's trying his very best to be evocative in his description; sometimes, he even succeeds. Chapter 1 is woven together with all the beauty and grace of a deer with its head stuck in a plastic slide. It is terrible. I can't stop reading. In this way, it is the perfect first chapter for this exquisite compost heap of a story.

The narration moves across the countryside, as a terrible storm breaks out - thunder, lighting, and hail which falls sideways with force sufficient to break windows. Readers of The Beetle will be delighted or perhaps dismayed to learn that em-dashes are deployed in full force.

All is still—still as the very grave. Not a sound breaks the magic of repose. What is that—a strange, pattering noise, as of a million of fairy feet? It is hail—yes, a hail-storm has burst over the city.

Oh, how the storm raged! Hail—rain—wind. It was, in very truth, an awful night.

The narrative now zooms in on a single room in an old house. It pauses briefly to describe a portrait on the wall, before moving on to the bed:

That portrait is of a young man, with a pale face, a stately brow, and a strange expression about the eyes, which no one cared to look on twice.

Finally, we reach the bed and its occupant, a "creature formed in all fashions of loveliness", and the description only gets worse from there. I am not going to copy it here; you can look it up if you like, but suffice it to say Rymer probably ought to be put on a list. The tone of it is leering; the emphasis on the girl's youth makes it all the worse.

After far too many words of that, we are mercifully interrupted by the storm, pounding on the windows and waking up our heroine, the only female character of note for many, many chapters. Her name, we will learn shortly, is Flora. Frightened by the storm, Flora begins praying for the safety of her loved ones. Just then, a lightning flash illuminates the window, prompting Flora to say the following Batman picture dictionary ass line out loud:

"What—what was it?" she gasped; "real, or a delusion? Oh, God, what was it? A figure tall and gaunt, endeavouring from the outside to unclasp the window. I saw it. That flash of lightning revealed it to me. It stood the whole length of the window."

This will become a pattern, by the way. No one in Varney the Vampire has ever heard of an internal monologue.

Suddenly there comes a tapping, as of someone gently rapping at the giant bay window. The narrator likens the sound to the hail from earlier, which is a pretty cool descriptive image. Somewhere out in the countryside, a mill catches fire, and the red light now illuminates the scene. Very nicely spooky.

The figure breaks a small pane of glass, reaches its skeletal hand through, and undoes the window clasp. This is an action which will recur elsewhere; Rymer loves to write a character breaking a small pane of glass, reaching their hand through, and undoing a window clasp.

Now we get our first look at the eponymous vampire. His description puts me in mind of some sort of Gollum-like creature, pale and long-limbed and skeletal. I'll go ahead and ruin that image right now: we learn later that he is apparently wearing a somewhat battered suit of (as best I can figure) 17th-century clothes, so picture if you will a 7-foot-tall Gollum dressed like a raggedy Musketeer. One feature of him stands out in particular: Varney is the earliest known literary vampire to be described with fangs. Or rather, fang-like teeth. I'm not sure why Rymer is so insistent on the phrase; he repeats it several times, in this chapter and elsewhere. "Tusk-like teeth" is also used.

The vampire advances on poor Flora. His eyes appear to have a sort of hypnotic effect; she cannot tear her gaze away from them, nor cry out, but only slowly back away across the bed. Her hair is apparently as long as the bed is wide, which I find doubtful.

Varney hisses at her. We love a good vampire hiss. Then, with a howling cry, he seizes her by the hair and pins her to the bed.

He drags her head to the bed's edge. He forces it back by the long hair still entwined in his grasp. With a plunge he seizes her neck in his fang-like teeth—a gush of blood, and a hideous sucking noise follows. The girl has swooned, and the vampyre is at his hideous repast!

Thus ends Chapter 1. Savor that description, because it's the only description of any bloodsucking we're going to get for a long, long time. You would not believe how little vampire is in this story titled Varney The Vampire; Or, The Feast Of Blood.

Next: We meet a lot of other characters all at once, and the already dubious writing quality drops sharply off a cliff.

[biteofcherry]

What the Doms and subs at Ruby Garden dress as for Halloween?

ah, Ruby Garden on Halloween shenanigans

I once said Cherie would dress up as Dom!Ari and announce she's dressed as the scariest big monster 😂 I also can imagine her dressing up as some sort of pixie slash wicked fae. Obligatory with lots of sparkling glitter! 😆With wings on her back which Ari could grab when she tried to run away after mouthing off. I don't know what Ari would dress as up, but his shirt would undoubtedly be unbuttoned and slutty. Maybe he could be Oberon from Midsummer night's dream?

I'd love Darling in something sexy and beautiful, so she could feel stunning and hot - perhaps some elegant vampire lady or noir type femme fatale. Steve would match her accordingly (if she's a vamp, he's also a vamp, if she's femme fatale he's a fedora wearing mobster).

Perhaps predictable, but I like the classic theme of Red Riding Hood with two big bad wolves for Doe, Bucky and Curtis. They could also go as Red Hood, wolf and huntsman. It fits them and their kinks.

Andy doesn't mind the themes and costume parties, but he's not much into really dressing up himself. So he's gonna be Batman, but in a Bruce Wayne costume 😆 So a nice, expensive suit. And Birdie would be Catwoman - lots of lap worming, being petted, but also more reason to be a bit playful.

I think Lloyd would have fun dressing up, since he's wicked. I could see him in some type of devil costume, with horns and a pitchfork with which he could poke. If he's the devil, then Pumpkin is his caught angel, whom he'll get to torture as he pleases. Though I can also see him dressed up as Gomez Addams and have Pumpkin be Morticia.

See Nick totally surprise Bonbon and melt her heart by getting them high quality, beautiful regency costumes, so they can go as Anthony and Kate from Bridgerton, or Mr Darcy and Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice, because he noticed she loves those books and movies.

[fangbangerghoul]

✨Writing Interview Tag Game✨

Tagged the other day by @roguishcat Sorry this is so late I turned off my notifications at the start of my semester. I've been really stressed lately.

When did you start writing?

Kindergarten. Jk. Um...fanfiction? 2007/08? It was personal writing with a friend in a bunch of notebooks. Didn't start posting till 2022 when The Batman came out. (dont look into this fact)

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

I almost exclusively read Vampire/fantasy Romance. So, there is a difference. There have been a few books outside of that category I tackle but its normally related to my college work. I do think those horror/goth themes seep into my writing.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I do not think my writing has been compared to any other writing, at least not to me directly. I do really love the world building Charlaine Harris created. It is so lovely and to be able to write such an addicting 13 book series is something I hope to achieve as well.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

I'm lazy so here's a picture:

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

It used to be absorbing other content by other artists but lately I couldn't tell you. I've been considering quitting writing for some time because I just don't enjoy it as much as I was.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Yes, angry violent woman. No it does not surprise me. There have been some themes of sexual assault and abandonment. Also doesn't surprise me.

What is your reason for writing?

Community. When I started writing in 2007/08 it was with a friend and the comradery filled a need I didn't have. I started again last year and found some community. It was great for the time being. Now I am not sure. I know most people say you should write for yourself but being a depressed person since the age of 9 it hard to center yourself like that. Another reason I am thinking about just quitting for some time at least till I find that spark again or reason.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

When the parts I had the most fun writing get complimented. I also appreciate the comments that pull favorite quotes. They are really wholesome and make me feel like my writing is appreciated.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I am okay with being the writer of the story that lives rent free in the back of your mind because it had such a mind-blowing event. Or maybe just a story that is thought of fondly occasionally.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Perhaps character psychology?

How do you feel about your own writing?

Right now, I am not my biggest fan but that's okay. I really wish I had a more poetic approach to writing or at least better with descriptions. I worry sometimes my writing is all events and no emotion.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

Though my reason for writing is community at the end of the day when I can write I try to focus on stories I will enjoy or need to get off my chest. There have been a few fics in the past I wrote solely for mutuals, and I do not mind doing that because it brings me a lot of joy to create for others.

(I know some of the answers may have sounded a little sad. I want to clarify I am not looking for sympathy this is just truly how I feel at the time being and that is okay. I am okay with it.)

Tagging with no obligation:

@bearlytolerant @interplanet--janet @staticpallour @lisa-and-shadow @therealgchu

@soloavengers @arisenreborn @dryad-of-the-dogwood @eridanidreams @kimberbohwrites

[ladytauria]

“You drive me so insane, you don’t even know.”

Vampire Dick any Bat 👀

thank you so much for this prompt <3

also congratulations, i'm p sure this is my longest prompt fill yet 😂 thank you so much for helping me with suggestions and also brainstorming titles with me <333 i had a fun time writhing this~

>> AO3 <<

Jason wakes slowly; long lashes fluttering against his cheeks.

Dick watches him—the way he tenses, the slight furrow in his brow, mouth twisting. Jason can tell something is wrong.

All of them are used to alertness coming suddenly—but the drug in his system makes him slower. Sluggish. Dick can hear the way Jason’s breath catches; the uptick in the beat of his heart.

Dick hated to do it.

Really, he did.

If he could have gotten Jason back to his apartment any other way… he would have. But the last thing he wanted, or needed, was for Jason to put up a fuss. Drugging him would make sure he was… pliant. Receptive.

Still.

Dick may be immune to the drug’s effects, but the flavor will taint Jason’s bloodstream. He would have preferred his first taste of his brother to be… purer.

It’s worth it, though. For this—for Jason naked and on his knees before him, wrapped up like a gift in soft blue rope. His arms are bound behind his back, crossed nearly, while his calves and thighs have been tied together. He’s a living, breathing work of art. Dick is honored to have him on display in his bedroom.

He’s even already decorated; red tipped hoops glinting on his nipples and a few fading purple bruises on his skin. Dick would prefer to see Jason in blue—or perhaps purple, a lovely mingling of their colors together. He’d like to add a chain between the piercings as well; something to tug on. It would draw such delicious noises from Jason, he’s sure. Maybe he can convince him into getting a piercing on his cock as well…

Dick is getting ahead of himself.

The position should be one Jason can hold for a while. He had done his best to ensure it was comfortable, but there will still be some strain.

No matter.

Dick will soothe him…

Later.

After Jason understands what’s good for him.

Jason’s eyes flutter open at last. His pupils are blown wide from the drug. It takes him a moment to focus; long, slow blinks as he slowly drags them through the room.

They settle on Dick. His brow furrows, the corners of his eyes wrinkling as Jason fights to keep those pretty green-blues focused on Dick.

“Dickie?” His name in Jason’s voice, still thick with sleep, is one of the loveliest things Dick has ever heard.

“Hello there, little wing,” Dick whispers, kneeling down in front of him. He can’t stop himself from touching; gliding his fingers over Jason’s jaw.

Dick has always had charm. Charisma. He was born into showmanship. Drawing people to him, keeping them captivated… it came to him as naturally as breathing. After he was turned…

After he was turned, he had quite a few new tricks to add to his toolbox. One of those is his allure. A subtle, ever-present vampiric charm that does wonders for drawing in new prey. Dick usually keeps it on a tight leash, unless he’s hunting. But here, now, in his den…

He lets it free.

Like this, still half-drugged and bleary from sleep, Jason’s defenses are down. He’ll have a harder time fighting against it. It’s playing dirt. All of this is. But…

Dick can’t have his little wing running out on him.

Not that he could, of course, but it will be much less painful for both of them if he doesn’t fight.

Jason’s brow furrows. Dick can see the wheels turning in Jason’s mind.

His lovely, brilliant Jaybird. People tend to forget how smart he is. They see the bulk and the guns and assume that Jason is all violence and muscle. They forget it takes far more than athletics to get through Batman’s training, let alone whatever he learned during his time outside of Gotham.

“I don’t… What’s going on?” Jason frowns, the furrow in his brow deepening. “I…”

His eyes sweep through the room again. Dick watches him take in the details, his head cocked like a bird’s. He loves watching his Robins untangle a new puzzle.

The dark hardwood floor is covered with a dark blue-and-gold rug. It’s plush and soft, but Dick had still placed a pillow under Jason’s knees. He’d left the overhead light off in deference to the light sensitivity the drug may cause. Instead, the room is illuminated by lamps, their light dim and golden. All of the windows are blocked by thick, light-blocking curtains, all of them deep blue with golden tassels.

The doors leading out onto the balcony are similarly covered. There’s a private bath attached, though Jason cannot see it. Nor the antique wardrobe and standing mirror.

What he can see, right behind Dick, is Dick’s bed. It’s nothing so gauche as a coffin—he can be a sadist, but he’s not that cruel. Instead, it’s a four-postered bed with a canopy.

Dick has never brought his Robins to this apartment before. It’s luxurious, tasteful in a way that would be right at home in the Manor. Still… there’s no denying Dick’s touch.

He can see the realization dawning in Jason’s eyes. In the same moment, he watches him try to fight it.

Dick’s heart squeezes. Precious.

“Dick?” he repeats, sounding more alert now. “What’s… What’s going on? Where are we? What are you doing?”

“Oh, little wing…” Dick moves his hand to Jason’s shoulder, his thumb settling over Jason’s pulse. “You’re a smart boy. What do you think is going on?”

Jason’s eyes flicker over his face. The movements are half a beat slower than normal.

“I don’t…” Jason’s throat bobs when he swallows. Dick tracks the movement, and doesn’t bother to hide his hunger—both natural… and unnatural.

Jason’s breath hitches.

Dick decides to be generous. “You and Tim have been working a case,” he prompts gently. It’s the same tone he’s used on all of his little Robins, when guiding them toward an answer he has already puzzled out.

Jason nods slightly; an infinitesimal dip of his chin. “People keep turning up with neck injuries,” he whispers. “Puncture marks on their necks, in the middle of a bruise. And missing time. Usually a night, sometimes a little longer. But… every now and then… we find a corpse instead.”

Dick hums, rubbing his thumb over the best place to bite. He can feel, and hear, the rabbit of Jason’s heart. Silly boy. There’s no place for fear here. Dick would never hurt one of his little Robins. His precious little birds. All of them have already suffered too much.

“I— Tim and I joked about vampires,” Jason says, voice cracking a little. He searches Dick’s face. “Dick… are you…”

Dick dispenses with a little of his glamour, and smiles, showing off his fangs. “I told you you were smart, little wing.”

As much as Dick doesn’t want Jason to be afraid… he would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the scent of it; the way it makes saliva pool in his mouth, fangs itching, aching for a bite.

He resists.

For now.

“Dick… please,” Jason whispers. “Let me go. We can talk about this.”

Dick cups the back of Jason’s skull, leaning in to brush his nose over Jason’s cheek. “Oh, little wing,” he breathed. “You drive me so insane, you don’t even know. Now that I have you… I don’t think I can let you go.” Just being close to him like this is eroding Dick’s self control. He can’t help but cup Jason’s pec in one hand. It fills his palm just like a breast, the relaxed muscle plush under his touch.

Jason shakes his head, trying to move away from Dick’s touch. “N-no… Dick… You can’t… you can’t be a monster.” His voice breaks. Poor little wing. He sounds so young—the boy who never quite got to grow up.

“Shh,” Dick hushes him. “Of course I’m not a monster, little wing. I only want to keep you safe. My first little Robin.” He kissed the corner of his mouth, another little indulgence he just can’t help.

“Dick… please.” A tear rolls down his cheek. Dick tastes it on his lips. The scent of his fear has ratcheted up now, no longer enticing in its bitter pungence.

Dick exhales slowly, in something not quite a sigh. He had been hoping to avoid this a while longer, but he supposes it simply can’t be helped.

Just his allure isn’t enough. Dick needs more.

He cups Jason’s chin in his hands, and meets his eyes. Jason’s eyes widen, slightly—but he doesn’t look away.

He can’t.

Dick has locked them together, his power holding Jason in place.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of, little wing,” he says, voice melodic. “Big brother will keep you safe.”

>> continue on AO3 <<

[notjustjavierpena]

That little glimpse of Husband!Joel and his wife Easter got me thinking, what about Halloween? It wouldn’t surprise me if they did a family-themed costume. What do you think, maybe some Disney/Pixar like Toy Story or Star Wars, or perhaps to keep with the season they would go after Ghostbusters? Or a totally different thing? It might be a silly question but the Pedro Pascal Fandom Bingo gave me the last push to ask, lol! Lots of love!♥️

I think Javier would despise dressing up for Halloween because honey, people respect me in this town, let��s not jeopardize that. However, he wouldn’t refuse it completely, and especially not when he has small, excited children, so he finds a loophole of dressing up as e.g. Superman with the supersuit peeking out from underneath his regular work shirts. Maybe he’ll dress up as Mr. Incredible but the version where he forgets to take his mask off in the church. Or as a sheriff. Or maybe he’ll go as far and allow Wife to put him in a Han Solo costume.

Inés doesn’t have patience for family costumes! She wants to be a princess zombie, a vampire witch in pink or a pirate that knows karate. Something that doesn’t make sense.

Lucas, Seb and Wife ALWAYS match. They go all out. If Lucas is Batman, Wife is Catwoman (this choice is praised loudly by Javier) and Seb is The Penguin. If Lucas is Mario, Wife is Luigi and Seb is Bowser. If Lucas is Buzz Lightyear, Wife is Mrs. Potato Head (and tries to make Javier dress up as Mr. Potato Head because you already have the mustache, however chooses Jessie when her husband refuses) and Seb is Woody.

(Also I assumed you meant husband!javi and not joel)

[bloomeng]

I don’t normally share personal projects here but I'm happy with the art so why not. Anyway these are some character concepts for a game pitch assignment I've been working on. It's still very much in its infancy but the idea is a dating sim/visual novel-style game based around the concept of a support group for the henchmen of supervillains, called "Henchman Anonymous."

You-- the player-- are the familiar to Carmilla de Villeneuve, the Vampire Princess (pictured left). No, she isn't royalty. Yes, you're pretty sure she stole her name from popular vampire media. But yes, she's actually a vampire, a vampire supervillain more specifically, and a very mediocre one at that. After years of thankless work executing her extravagantly stupid schemes (that might also just be a wee bit genius) and styling her finger waves you've about had it. That's what Henchman Anonymous is for, breaking up with your abusive boss! Only one issue you might sort of actually be a bit in love with her... Perhaps what you need is a little help getting over her.

As of right now I only have two main routes planned.

Route #1: Amélie is one of Ring Master's many henchmen and she is also her daughter. Let's just say crime runs in the family, as in they're literally a crime family. Amélie is the fourth eldest of eight, meaning her smack dab in the middle and often overlooked. Between the size of her family and her mother's controlling tendencies, Amélie feels more than a little stifled. She hopes that Henchmen Anonymous will help her break free and lead a normal life. It's too bad her boss just happens to be your boss' villain rival— not that Ring Master knows that.

Route #2: Dorian is a man of mystery, well it's more accurate to say he's a stubborn jerk who refuses to share anything, despite being in a support group. You swear he looks familiar though. Little do you know the reason Dorian won't talk is because he's not-so-secretly the sidekick to the Ebony Knight-- your city's resident vigilante-- who's undercover trying to get insider information on supervillains so that maybe his boss will fully take him under his wing. Unfortunately for you, the reason he looks so familiar is that the Ebony Knight might just be Carmilla's nemesis and absolute obsession. (Lego Batman and Lego Joker vibes)

Main Route:

Ideally, I would like to have a non-romance-based route for those who want to explore the plots of both stories. This route would allow players to learn about both Amélie and Dorian's connections to Carmilla and allow you to befriend them. There are also a couple secondary non-romanceable characters that I haven't mentioned because I don't have concepts drawn up for them that would get more emphasis. I haven't decided if it would be something activated by not scoring high enough with either of the romanceable characters or if it's something I would let players choose.

Secret Route:

In my head, I'm calling this the "I can fix her" route, because that's basically what it is. It would focus on getting to know Carmilla. In all versions of the story, there would ideally be a plot about learning to set boundaries with Carmilla, but this secret route would basically allow you to then romance her. Unlike the other routes, Carmilla wouldn't be something you could choose, you'd have to earn it through the main route.

Notes on the designs:

Carmilla died in the 50's and is old Hollywood-inspired, specifically Marilyn Monroe who I used as a clothing reference. Overall I wanted this whole series to read very campy and lean into tropes, so I tried to also capture as many vampire motifs as I could. While she loves to look glamorous she's actually not all that good at styling herself. I sort of based her on the wwdits vampire logic of them being dated but not completely tied down to whatever century they died in. Committing to the aesthetic is the most important factor.

Amélie is based on court jesters and is absolutely supposed to be a Harley Quinn knockoff. I mixed several eras for her clothing. Court jesters are associated mostly with being medieval so I pulled some references there with the headdress, which I heavily stylized to look like devil horns. The ribbons are a call back to the veils women used to wear. The collar and sleeves are more Elizabethan, while the stays are based on 18th century fashion. (I've been drawing too much ofmd fanart my bad everypony) Don't ask me where the chemise is, maybe it's cropped. For the bottom half I referenced DC comics silhouettes. It might also be worth mentioning that I was listening to Chappell Roan while drawing her initial designs, so that really carried over in the make-up, but I swear she was always going to be a redhead!

Dorian's outfit I have to be so real about, I'm not super satisfied with. I wanted to do a more modern, street-wear look. The best way to describe the vibe I wanted to go for is "if DC's Nightwing were to try to style Marvel's Prowler." I wanted this sort of uptight, hyper-serious sidekick to dress like what he thought villains dressed like. So I opted to put him in stereotypical "bad boy" clothing; leather jacket, studded belts, fingerless gloves. I looked at a lot of Shadow the Hedgehog gijinka fanart. I don't hate what I came up with, but I definitely want to push the design more next time, really amp up the emo, bad boy-ness of it all. 

some notes on the design of the game:

Because I'm still very early on in the hypothetical process I don't have backgrounds or specific graphic design elements selected. However, my initial idea would be to use the classic comic book style font with the text bar emulating speech bubbles-- well, closer to the bubbles they use for inner dialogue or establishing shots. I want to play up that comic book vibe.

And for funsies here’s a facial sprite in action:

(ingore her lack of feet it's a sprite draft)

[littlebeelife]

Daily J2 Breakdown

Day 46

Tom Welling to Jared and Jensen: "You guys, the show is you guys together.”

Smallville @ 20: Tom Welling Opens Up About Nixed Season 1 Suit-Up, Batman Ban and Our 'Best CW Show' Tourney

By Matt Webb Mitovich / October 17 2021, 7:30 AM PDT

As Smallville marks a full 20 years since its premiere, Tom Welling says that he now is in a “much happier” place when it comes to his relationship with the superhero origin series.

Having struggled back in the day with his responsibility as the lead of the popular WB-turned-CW series (and the demands put on him), “As time goes on, I am enjoying Smallville more,” Welling shared in a new TVLine Q&A pegged to this Tuesday’s release of Smallville: The Complete Series on Blu-ray for the first time ever. “I wish I could go back [to my 2001 self] and just say, ‘Take a beat, and appreciate this.'”

In the interview below, Welling also revisits the not-so-super limitations Smallville contended with at the time, reflects on how the series set an example for the eventual Arrowverse, and he has a thing or two to say about how TVLine’s “Best CW Show Ever” tournament played out.

TVLINE | I don’t know if you’ve heard, but TVLine recently conducted a bracket tournament to determine “The Best CW Show Ever”….

I didn’t get the invite.

TVLINE | Readers chose 32 shows to send into a bracket tournament, and Smallville beat One Tree Hill to get into the Final Four—

Thank God.

TVLINE | In the Final Four, Supernatural beat Arrow, and Smallville beat Vampire Diaries.

F–k yeah.

TVLINE | The final was then Supernatural against Smallville. There was lots of drama, lots of voting, and…. Supernatural won, 77 percent to 23 percent.

Yeah, I can kind of…. Unfortunately, I can kind of see that. Is it because it lasted longer?

TVLINE | Could be. You guys had a good run, though — 10 years versus 15.

Yeah. I mean, we were more watchable. [Laughs] No, I love those guys, they’re buddies of mine. I like the way that [tournament] trickled down, though. It made a lot of sense. Especially with, like, [Smallville against] One Tree Hill and Vampire Diaries? Like, come on.

TVLINE | When Supernatural rolled around, did you get a sense that it was going to have some legs?

You know what, I did — probably more than I did about Smallville, to be honest. Because with Smallville, I was in it. I was trying to tread water every minute, every day, trying to keep it going. Nobody tells you that you’re going to be successful, even when you are successful. No one tells you that you’re going to be there for a long period of time, but knowing Jared [Padalecki] and Jensen [Ackles] and then watching Supernatural, from the outset I could see where the two of them made that show. And there was a point in that show where they started separating, and I was like, “You guys, the show is you guys together.” Like, that’s what it is.

It was obviously a different show than Smallville, but you’re right, when I saw Supernatural, I was like, this show’s going to work. I could never look at Smallville that way, only because maybe I didn’t want to let myself feel that way, perhaps. I didn’t want to, like, get comfortable.

-

The whole interview can be found here.

[distort-opia]

I have always asked myself why do you ship batjokes? What is the appeal for you with this ship? You like bruce a lot, so why ship him with joker? I am just very, very curious.

Hi! From your question it seems like you associate having a favorite character solely with wanting them to be happy or wanting them to have nice things, which... yes, but also you have to keep in mind that half of Tumblr means this when they say they like a character:

Which I very much relate to, personally. Bruce Wayne is my favorite character of all time, but I specifically like to read/write about him going through the Horrors.

Shipping Bruce with Joker... well. Perhaps you're familiar with Hannibal NBC, and Hannigram? Death Note, and Lawlight? Or more recently, Interview with the Vampire and Loustat? I could list some more enemies-to-lovers, but it's the same principle. Two bastards who deserve each other and should not inflict themselves on anyone else, hand in unlovable hand.

Still, I appreciate that you're asking me this in good faith, so I'll try to explain in more detail. I got long, so I'll put my answer under the cut. Just a heads-up: there's mention of abuse, depression and some discussion of suicidality (stuff that tends to come up with more in-depth talk of Batjokes in comics), so take care.

While the ships I mentioned also have a portion of fandom going "But A is the good guy! Why would he care about B, who kills people and only seems to make them suffer?", that portion is larger when it comes to Batjokes. Bruce Wayne is Batman-- he's supposed to be a hero, the father figure of a large family, a symbol of hope. And there's a lot to be said about a more idealized or fanon version of Bruce, and the gap between it and the one depicted in comics. But I'm mentioning this gap because it tends to be connected with an unwilligness to deal with, or even acknowledge, Bruce's dark side.

Bruce struggles with violent tendencies, with an unbelievable amount of anger, with control issues, with paranoia and self-hatred and issues with intimacy. He's terrifyingly intelligent and also incredibly manipulative when he wants to be. He's canonically been abusive to his adopted children and he's canonically been shown to have quite the sadistic streak. And while I understand why some fans see this as bad writing (to be fair, sometimes it just is), reinterpret parts of it or pretend it doesn't exist... it is there, and it is a pattern. Many of these darker aspects of Bruce's personality are a result of how he's processed his trauma-- refusing to heal is literally the fuel for being Batman. But refusing to face his grief has consequences, and some of them inevitably end up ricocheting off his loved ones; though I am saying this as an explanation, not an excuse.

The way he's been written seems to have spawned two larger attitudes in Tumblr fandom, varying in degree and nuance: either refusing to deal with Bruce's dark side, or only seeing his dark side and hating his character entirely. And obviously, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and preference, as long as they respect others'. But to me personally, it's never been black-and-white. One of the best parts about Bruce's character is the very conflict at the heart of him... because despite everything I mentioned, Bruce always tries to do better. He's also empathetic and compassionate; he hungers for love and for connection, and he constantly tries to help people and do good. In my eyes, that's what Batman is about: never giving up. You fail, but you get back up and you try again. You might be struggling with so many things threatening to drag you under, but you make the effort to do good. To me that's deeply inspirational, specifically because it's not second nature to Bruce.

If you prefer a version of Bruce that doesn't have much of a dark side, Batjokes is likely not something you'll enjoy. Bruce caring about Joker is very much connected to it. He deeply relates to Joker because their identities are both born out of their traumas. They could have become the other, and that's a level of closeness and intertwining that cannot be understated. In the face of their loved ones being taken away, Bruce and whoever Joker used to be made choices in the opposite direction. Bruce chose to force meaning onto the world and be defined by his past. He chose to channel his anger into ensuring no one else goes through what he went through. Joker had the same anger, but he chose to erase his own past and burn the world down instead. He chose to ensure everyone else goes through the same horror he went through, to prove nothing has meaning.

And this is, at the end of the day, the reason why Batman never lets Joker die, even when it doesn't make sense. Joker's existence makes Bruce feel less alone-- and yes, it is very selfish of him to choose this over the lives of others and despite what Joker has done, but it is what it is. I've seen people discredit this notion of Joker being Batman's friend as stupid, because Bruce already has so many allies and such an extensive Family; how could he feel alone? He already has so many relationships, people he cares about and who care about him. But... that's never how it works, is it? You don't choose to feel the way you feel. Bruce loves the people around him, and those relationships ground him in very meaningful ways, but that doesn't make the darkness disappear. He wishes it did. But his choice to be Batman is a choice to keep hurting, like I just described. It sets him apart. And the line it puts him on, the things he's balancing, are things Joker intimately understands. Joker is his shadow and his creation, his negative. Bruce's anger and his sadistic violence get channeled in his relationship with Joker, and the worse Joker gets the better Batman has to become, and viceversa. I see it a bit like magic (and Bruce does too, when he talks about how he's afraid that if Joker disappeared, Gotham would send him someone worse). You cannot perform magic without it exacting a price, and the price for Bruce's good is Joker's evil. Lives are saved, but then lives are taken away.

What I am describing here is the appeal of the ship to me. In many ways, romantic is not nearly enough to describe it; I'm just fascinated by their dynamic, any form it takes. Batman and Joker have been opposites and narrative foils for almost a century, and I'll probably never run out of stuff to analyze (yay!). There's so many stories with them, so many different incarnations of them, so many layers and complications that their dynamic has accumulated, simply by virtue of how old and mythical they have become.

The more accurate description for them is probably soulmates, but the most painful kind-- destined to always meet but to always be at war, never able to kill the other or let the other go, because they are two sides of the same coin. And there's an attraction to not being able to let go, no matter how high the bodies pile up. Bruce can't kill Joker without losing himself, and he can't let Joker die. Joker can't kill Batman or let him die without losing his life's meaning. No matter what, the other is always there. They hate and resent this connection plenty, but at the end of the day, the other's existence is an essential comfort they can't run away from.

And thing is, Bruce sacrifices so much for his crusade as Batman. He sacrifices his very childhood and self, his potential happiness; he distances himself from his loved ones and he pushes them away. He represses as much as he is able to so he can go on, so he can save as many people as possible, so he can rewrite the trauma that broke him. But he chases Joker. He obsesses over Joker like over no one else. He chooses to keep Joker alive, even when it hurts his Family and even when it leads to more and more death.

Joker is a connection he selfishly chooses, and doesn't run away from, especially because it hurts. Both Bruce and Joker are self-hating and suicidal, so they allow themselves this one thing precisely because it's destroying them both. Yet, no matter what, part of Bruce sees in Joker someone who suffers, someone who understands, and he keeps trying to reach out to him because of it. It's not just the worst parts of Bruce that resonate with Joker. It's also his hope. Somewhere deep down he can't let go of the idea that maybe, Joker could be better, and if Joker could be better, maybe he could be better too.

...I guess I ship them because I want Bruce to get what he wants. Whether it's dying alongside Joker in a cave, or them helping each other heal, in spite of everything (both of these are plots for stories Scott Snyder has written, hah). Because the thing about Batjokes is that they're perhaps the only people on Earth who could get the other to stop. The easiest way is the way they've already chosen-- by being the one to kill the other. They both see death as the ultimate form of peace, a laying down of arms. But there's also the reverse; the possibility of a world in which neither of them has to die. A world in which they're not each other's preferred method of suicide, but in which they actually learn to live again, helped by the other.

I tend to oscillate between the two. I like Batjokes as an unmitigated tragedy with a course that cannot be diverted, and I like Batjokes as the most unlikely path to a form of peace. Both can provide catharsis in different ways. On a symbolic level, Joker is fighting for meaninglessness and Batman is fighting for meaning; Joker asks, "What is the point?" and Batman answers, "The fight is the point." On an individual level, they're both depressed and suffering from PTSD and always a hairbreadth away from self-destruction, but they keep each other alive, no matter how much it hurts. You can probably imagine how this ship can be a comfort, for people with similar struggles.

I do hope this satisfied your curiosity, Anon. Batjokes might still not be your cup of tea and that's okay, but as someone who likes to read about other ships and the psychology behind them, I hope this was at least a fun read. You seem like you're familiar with my blog already, but just in case you want to seek out canonical instances of what I am describing, I can point you to this compilation of Bruce's side of things that mentions part of what I say here, but also delves into comics. And my Batjokes meta tag is full of similar stuff, some detailing Joker's side too.

[nayialovecat]

Can I get any more hints for the challenge? Perhaps a list of fandoms you like, or a reworded clue?

Ok, it's even a good idea to write down what things I like. Especially since lately I have been often asked to draw something or to make a cross with something that I only know it exists.

I divided the list into categories to avoid any doubts (e.g. BATIM is only in the games category, 'cause I haven't read the books and I don't plan to read them yet, and W.I.T.C.H. in comics, 'cause I hate the animated series).

Books: (here list is really long so I write only these very popular)

Discworld and others from sir Pretchett

The Lord of the Ring, Hobbit

Harry Potter

Agatha Christie's books

Jane Austen's books

Maria Rodziewiczówna's books

many old Polish authors (like Sienkiewicz)

Movies:

almost all from Disney

almost all from Pixar

Ghost Busters

almost all from DreamWorks

Beetlejuice

old Star Wars

LotR, Hobbit but not really

strange French animations

old Polish movies (like Odwrócona Góra)

Scooby Doo but not all (hate live actions especially)

Smurfs

Not all - Pokemon

Deadpool

Jurassic Park

good ol' classical movies like Terminator, Mission Impossible or Fifth Element

Animated serials:

Gravity Falls

Scooby Doo (ALL of them)

Star Butterfly

The Owl House

old Polish series (i.e. Dixie or Koziołek Matołek)

MLP (almost all generations)

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Spider-man (almost all)

Batman (not all, but Brave and Bold is my fav one)

Kipo

Rick and Morty (but last seasons were meh)

Phineas and Ferb (whole universum)

Smurfs

Duck Tales

Dead End: Paranormal Park

Steven Universe

Teen Titans (yes, Go! also)

Pokemon

Loony Tunes

Merry Melodies

Craig from the Creek

Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy

other CN stuff I guess?

Comics:

Donald Duck (and others)

W.I.T.C.H.

Deadpool

Hellsing

The Bridge's Stories

many online series like Erma, Vampire's Husband etc.

Pokemon Special

Games:

Chrono Trigger (world best game - you cannot change my mind)

BATIM

The Sims

Don't Starve Together (+ Don't Starve)

The Night of the Rabbit

Pokemon (all of them I guess)

Fallout Shelter

Team Fortress 2

Planet Zoo

Timberborn

Settlers

Sid Meier's Civ

Heroes of Might & Magic (but not IV)

Terraforming Mars

Talisman

Magic the Gathering (TCG)

Death and Taxes

many point&click

Tzar

Aztec Wars

Jazz Jackrabbit 2

Worms

Inscryption

Graveyard Keeper

It's not a complete list, just the things I remember at this moment :)

[doctorsiren]

Wait this might be a dum question, but what's the difference between bats, magical bats like Athena, and vampires in this au?

I know that in real life™ there are bats that drink blood, so are vampires like, an offshoot of bat people that evolved to specialize in sucking blood? Perhaps a bat person was cursed by a fairy or something? Or maybe the original choose this path + tradeoffs for power?

Also, when vampires are in Batman form, do they only sound like a bat, or can they form words? if its the former, then can any bat like creature understand them and vice versa? (As in vampires becoming besties with some random bat they found)

Y’all assume I know much more about vampires and the like than I actually do 😭 /nm

Bat people (like Athena) and vampires are two different species, but I guess could be distantly related in a sense. Vampires can just turn into bats idk why they just can 🤷‍♀️

Idk where the vamps came from I didn’t think I needed to create so much vampire lore I was not anticipating this 😭😭😭 /lh

Vampires can speak both bat and normal words

It’s not a dumb question, it’s literally too smart of a question for me to have an answer to 😭