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wirewitchviolet · 2 days ago

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Let's talk about how Ranma is trans in the 2024 anime, part 1

Way the hell back in 2018, after a random exchange with a friend, I sat down and wrote a series of four blog posts where I looked at the manga Ranma ½, which ran from 1988 to 1996, explicitly through a lens where I assumed the protagonist is in fact a trans girl. A major component of the series being that Ranma and several other characters fell into various pools in a cursed set of natural springs causing them to magically change into whatever tragically drowned in one when hit with cold water, then back to their original body with hot, and Ranma fell in the girl one, so it was bound to be a series that would crack a lot of eggs regardless, but my memory of reading it years before transitioning was that it worked on a mundane level too, particularly later. I did somehow forget a bit towards the end where Ranma honestly just kinda straight up comes out of the closet, but I'm not going to link to that panel yet again for the sake of preview links not blending together. Anyway, those posts were already the most popular things I ever put on this blog and have never stopped circulating, despite it being a pretty old and largely forgotten series at the time.

I had always had the idea that I really should go back and also watch the anime adaptation(s) of Ranma, which deviates a good bit from the manga, but that is 161 episodes, 3 movies, and 11 OAVs which are terribly terribly paced, and I don't actually get paid for this. But then lo and behold, here's a brand new anime adaptation coming out decades later, looking really nice, and surely that will deviate even more from the source material, so here I am diving in to find all new bits of gender stuff to talk about, under the fold here and-

Oh. Turns out the new anime series is actually an EXTREMELY faithful adaptation of the original manga and the only deviations I've actually noticed are that there's a little bit less nudity and the one scene with Ranma's breasts fully on display goes the route of not drawing nipples. And really that's only significant because the original anime adaptation somehow got away with that one. Speaking of the original anime run, this adaptation brings back the entire surviving voice cast, and continues the tradition of coloring Ranma's hair red in cold-water form as an extra tell for the audience. And speaking of color, one thing this adaptation does now and then that I really appreciate is punctuating certain scenes with the sort of cool pastel palettes (see above) that were used for the cover illustrations of the original manga.

Another thing the 2024 anime does is throw in a quick little vignette before the opening credits of each episode to restate that Ranma and Akane are engaged, and the feminizing water thing, which mostly feels like it's there as just a little extra emphasis that regardless of all the other shenanigans going on, those two are the one actual couple and making it clear that the rest of the tangled web of crushes and obsessions don't really matter. Something I feel like this adapatation is keen to emphasize in general. In fact, being as nearly 1 to 1 an adaptation as it is, the title of every episode is directly lifted from the chapter names of the manga, so we can just slap together a little infographic and see what's getting compressed a bit and what's getting the time it needs to breathe!

We're chewing through the extended fight scenes pretty quick and slowing down any time Akane's having an emotional moment or some time in the spotlight basically. Which makes sense since the action scenes in the manga are like all full page splash images with a word of text and need to be flowing quickly, and because we have the benefit of hindsight knowing that the Kunos become irrelevant real quick. We're also squeezing out a little early identity crisis stuff for Ranma in the process (there's an early dream sequence after first meeting Kuno, coming to grips with the whole "since I'm a girl, dudes want to sleep with me" realization that barely makes it in and a few early moments of internalized misogyny that get dropped), and we really give Shampoo's debut some space (not QUITE as much as the above suggests, most of episode 10 is wrapping up a three parter on the ice skating with her just punching through the wall as a cliffhanger at the end).

The whole thing is also paced out to nicely cover the first four volumes of the manga, out of 38. They might up the compression rate a little, but as it stands, it's going to take another 8 or 9 seasons to get through everything at this rate. In comparison, my first blog post got through three times this much of it, but the original anime covered only the first half of this in the same episode count (and then for some reason introduced Shampoo and Mousse early and didn't get through the ice skating until episode 27).

Anyway, like I said, this doesn't really change things up enough to have a lot to say about how clearly Ranma is trans. Jumping back to the start though yet again, it really cannot be emphasized enough though just how clearly, even from the very first episode, she is SO much more comfortable presenting as a girl, not at all nervous meeting Akane's family like that, then suddenly super tense and awkward and closed off when interacting with... really anyone while boy-moding. So I guess it's time to bust out some of these other lenses to look at this...

Let's talk about how Akane is gay, part 1

I mean, we've established she's into Ranma, with extra emphasis in this adaptation, and we've established that Ranma is in fact a girl, but that's just the one data point. What else do we have? Well, she's quite explicitly not a fan of guys, particularly guys who are attracted to her, and we're keeping plenty of a focus on that while not wasting time trying to pretend Kuno matters at all in the grand scheme of things. The closest she ever comes to showing interest in a guy is Dr. Kuno, and the anime here is strongly emphasizing how that's less of a real crush and more just emulating her oldest sister (Nabiki of course is also some flavor of queer, and I don't think anyone has ever questioned that) since that's kinda what you do, right? She also gets intensely jealous of the idea of Shampoo kissing Ranma while assuming Ranma is a girl, talks about how hot she is, and hell, at the start of things when everyone's assuming they've somehow gotten into a situation where one of the three sisters has to marry a cis girl, Nabiki points out how that works out perfectly for her. Because she is extremely gay.

Let's talk about how Ryoga is trans, part 1

OK so this isn't the same absolute slam dunk as Ranma turned out to be, but there is a surprisingly strong case to argue that Ryoga is also a trans girl. What do we know about Ryoga after all? Real real socially awkward. Only has one sorta-friend from childhood, who turned out to be trans later. Can we call Ryoga a furry? I'm not even talking about the pig curse, but there's this whole feral wolf vibe before that's even established. In a series where basically every guy who is ever introduced is a horny creep obsessed with rigid gender roles, Ryoga does not bat an eye at seeing women naked (which comes up oddly often), spends a lot of these early arcs hanging out with the gal pals to help practice gymnastics and skating, deals well enough with the pink heart collar and being called Charlotte, and like so many of us, Ryoga is introduced to the series indignantly sputtering about how Ranma's situation shouldn't really be called a curse and is a situation we'd be happy to be in. You could argue that Ryoga's saying this just relative to the pig curse, I guess, but I do at least get the vibe that Ryoga wouldn't be too super worried about finding hot water with that one.

Speaking of the pig curse, I feel like every time I revisit Ranma I have a different perspective on the whole "P-Chan" situation. With this adaptation, it does feel significantly closer to "it's really just this super awkward situation where I've been looking for a good moment to explain and at this point it's been so long she'll probably kill me" than "I am a loathsome sex offender using a disguise to snuggle up with this girl who thinks I am a small animal" and Ranma is doing an appropriate amount of "I'm not going to blurt it out, but you should seriously come clean already" so, glad to know we're downplaying that.

Also, the emphasis on Ranma and Akane as The Couple in this adaptation really makes it clear that Ryoga isn't so much into Akane as just kinda... incapable of conceiving of any sort of existence that doesn't involve being Ranma's rival/friend/polycule member.

Anyway, I guess that's where I have to leave this until the second season drops? Have a patreon link?

#trans reading #ranma #ranma 1/2 #trans #ranma 2024

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bingbongsupremacy · 18 hours ago

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Hey I saw your old post asking which fanfics you should do next. I know it didn’t win but could you please please please do “Tell Me You Love Me Again” with Eddie. Im in dire need of some good angst ❤️

Tell Me You Love Me Again

Sorry this took me so long to write! I have had some massive writer's block. Hopefully, this is okay!

Pairing: Rockstar!Eddie Munson x reader

Story Type: Angst

Warning: Y/N use, swearing, Eddie's a bit of a greedy ass ngl

Summary: You've been with Eddie since before he was famous. It used to be a loving relationship. As the years have passed, things have changed. Can you save the dying spark between you?

*Not Proof Read*

□□□□□□□

"Baby, you wanted to talk. Why are we just sitting here in silence?" Eddie asks with a grin. He casually flips through a music magazine, observing all of the new instruments for sale.

I take a deep breath. How do I even start this conversation? He's been so busy launching his band's new line of merch that I doubt this is a great time to talk about our relationship. Who knows when we'll have another opportunity? This is the first time I've been able to see him privately in weeks. I don't know how long I can keep harboring my frustrations.

"We do need to talk...here goes nothing." I sigh. "It's about our relationship."

Eddie pulls his eyes away from his magazine, his smile fading into a serious expression. "What about it?"

"I've been feeling very frustrated lately. I feel like you're never home, and I never get to see you anymore. I miss you." I reply honestly.

Eddie sets the magazine on top of the coffee table that separates us. "I know it's been busy lately, but it's great for us! Now I can take you anywhere you want to go. Name any place, and I can bring you there." Eddie's playful smile returns.

I let out a tired laugh. "Eddie, that's nice and all, but the problem is you don't have the time to take me anywhere I want to go. I just want you to dial it back a bit, please. Spend more time with me, and I'm sure Wayne would love it if you spent some time with him, too."

I'm not even sure if Eddie has time to call Wayne anymore. I might be the only one talking to him regularly.

"I spend plenty of time with Wayne." Eddie's expression is slightly offended.

"It's just the past year; you've rarely been back. Can't you take some time off? Cancel a few tour dates or reschedule some photoshoots?"

"I can't just abandon my career, Y/N. My band has worked so hard for this." Eddie argues. "It wouldn't be fair to the boys."

"What about what's fair to me, Eddie?" I let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm not asking you to abandon anything, Eddie. I just think you should prioritize our relationship a little more. We barely see each other anymore!" My heart pounds. "When you're not on tour, you're constantly doing promotional videos or photoshoots. We haven't gone on a date in almost a month."

My flurry of emotions has caused tears to prick the back of my eyes. Fuck, I can't cry right now.

Eddie's shoulders are tense. His usual animated and playful exterior is replaced with a frustrated and angry one. One I rarely see, especially not when talking to me.

"That's part of the job. I'm a fucking rockstar, Y/N. I can't exactly blow off the world tours and photoshoots. My label and manager expects me to get shit out quickly. You don't understand! The moment I stop making songs and producing new shit, the moment all of this, " He gestures around the room to all of his expensive nicknacks and furniture. "disappears. I'll become irrelevant. My band will become irrelevant. This is my life, Y/N. And you're going to need to learn to accept it."

My frown deepens. "Do you hear yourself? How can you not see how greedy you're becoming? What happened to just loving music? Loving the art of creating, no matter how many people heard. When did this all become about money?" I stand up from my spot on Eddie's couch, needing to put some distance between myself and the man. I avoid making eye contact with him, knowing if I do, I'll burst into tears.

This room suddenly feels so suffocating. "Is this really all you care about? How many shows you can sell out? How deep your pockets can get?"

"For fucks sake, Y/N." Eddie groans as he leans back against his recliner. His head hits the back of the seat, an annoyed expression flashing across his face. "You're being so fucking dramatic."

I shake my head. "This is not what I signed up for. You are not the man I signed up to be with."

Eddie stiffens. Hurt crosses his eyes. His face turns stoic as he looks me dead in the eye. A dark anger replaces his hurt. "Things change. People change. Obviously, I've changed. If you hate me so fucking much, why don't you get the fuck out and find someone new? Someone who better suits your lifestyle since you're not happy with me."

I freeze. My heart drops at his bitter words. He's never spoken to me like this before.

He's so different than the man I fell in love with all those years ago. Life seemed simpler in Hawkins. I'd work the night shift at The Hideout and he'd play with his band. I was able to see him regularly while he was still able to do what he loved. No massive world tours to separate us for months. No partying until early the next day. Just the two of us, supporting each other and doing what we loved.

I feel my cheeks heat from embarrassment and anger. He's right. He's changed, and it's obviously been for the worse. "You know what, you're right."

Eddie's eyes widen slightly in surprise, like he didn't think I'd agree.

"You don't want to work this out like an adult, so I'm going to leave. We're done, Eddie. I can't do this anymore. I deserve someone willing to set aside time for me. I shouldn't be the only one giving 100% to the relationship. I need someone who respects me and what I need. You can't give that to me." I grab my purse from the couch. I pause right before I reach the door. " Eddie, " I turn to look back at the man.

He doesn't meet my gaze. His eyes are trained on his locked hands. He looks like he's in disbelief.

"I hope you find what you're looking for. Just know that you'll never have enough money or fame to please yourself. Materialistic things can only bring you so much happiness. You'll suffer until you realize that. I just hope it isn't too late when you finally do."

With that, I leave the apartment. As soon as the door behind me clicks shut, the tears begin to fall. I lean against the wall near Eddie's door and wrap my arms around myself for some sort of support.

I wish he loved me enough to apologize. I wish he would come out here, tell me he was wrong, and that he was going to try to fix things.

I finally garner the strength to push away from Eddie's wall and make my way downstairs. With every step, I think of new things I wish Eddie would do.

When I take my last step out of the apartment building, disappointment settles in my chest as I realize none of my wishes came true.

Eddie's a rockstar. He'll never love me as much as he loves his lifestyle.

I was stupid to think he'd always be the man I fell in love with in Hawkins, Indiana.

#fanfic #fanfiction #x reader #x you #x female reader #stranger things x reader #xreader #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #x yn #stranger things x you #stranger things x y/n #rockstar eddie munson #eddie munson #eddie stranger things #eddie munson angst #eddie munson fanfiction

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nextstopwonderland · 1 day ago

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(I put an abridged version of this untagged on my blog but honestly i need to give it a longer tagged write-up)

So Yuta saw this side of my sign before his match against Willie Mack at the Oakland Collision:

while he was looking at the hard cam (which is where I was front row with @sonnykissed) and yelled “he’s DEAD he’s DEAD” right at me to which I think I cursed my head off at him idk I go into automatic when it comes to Bryan and slander and also Yuta being a shit post-murder.

(Watching it back now here’s what the camera caught: here’s the tail-end of him yelling ‘DEAD’ while I point at him and wave the sign and say ‘fuck you!’ I’m pretty sure 🤣)

So I’m randomly waving the sign during the match at times while also trying to update y’all on things

He does I have till 5 which I mostly miss and then once again curse him the fuck out (while apparently Nigel on comm also calls him out for it and also for Bryan ( thanks for that info @shes-a-voodoo-child)

When I listened back Nigel said “people questioned Yuta, I questioned Yuta when Moxley forced him to do what he did to Bryan Danielson” and then “I have till 5 an oft repeated phrase from the American Dragon Bryan Danielson, again Wheeler Yuta reveling on the fact that he was the one that caused the end Bryan Danielson’s career, at least for the time being.” AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING. do you miss your dragon Nigel? Do you know something? Are you gonna visit him in Napa while he’s on child and chicken duty before Sacramento and plot a revolution return? (A girl can dream okay)

So then Mox comes. I try to get him to see my sign but he doesn’t. He tries to brainwash Yuta into “finishing the job” and I yell over and over “don’t do it don’t do” (at that point we didn’t know he was telling him to take out cope on weds we thought he just wanted him to take out Mack which also happened) I can definitely hear myself screaming in the clip although none of the words are clear I’m sure I’m sure I’m booing and calling him a piece of shit among other things

But then I watch him in the ring stroke that briefcase, like lovingly stroke it and I see emotion on his face, real emotion and I’m like oh shit, What’s happening here? An Actual Yuta conflicted character arc after so long with legit nothing?

And my first thought as he stroked that briefcase that way was what was inside it. And the last time he ever saw what was inside it. And who was wearing it. And who it belonged to.

And I know for sure he was thinking of it, too. In fact it was pointed out to me by @extracurriculargrief that the last time he ever even touched the belt was this moment:

Was that going through his head?

So he’s leaving the ring and I’m still kinda pissed at him for doing mox’s dirty work even while realizing he could now be Going Through It and I start screaming “THINK ABOUT IT YUTA!!” while waving the still missing Bryan Danielson part of my sign. The same part he dismissed to me earlier.

(Apparently I can be seen on camera yelling at him on the fite feed. I have not been able to find the fite feed yet.)

And he’s standing by the ring post and turns to look at me while I repeat it over and over and he is staring at me, staring at the sign, solemn and serious and I can see his eyes because he moved his hair during that whole emotional moment and he says to me “I will. I will. I will” while nodding and still clutching that briefcase to his chest, still totally and fully in character.

And I nod to him and I think I smile a small sad smile, just completely overcome, and then I collapsed into @sonnykissed because that emotionally drained me and YEAH folks

Never expected to contribute to the death riders storyline (especially when I’d all but given up on them actually continuing the Yuta part of it in terms of Bryan) but here we are

Here we are. I have no idea what will happen here:

I’m going to the sacramento show and I was already planning to bring the same sign (but to update the days) but now I’m pretty sure I’m also going to update it with words coming out of the sad dragon’s mouth. He’ll be saying “think about it Yuta.”

#wheeler Yuta #bryan Danielson #aew #all elite wrestling #death riders #i….contribute to the narrative i Guess?#bryanwheeler

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mariatakesover · 2 days ago

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Night Unending - Crossroads

7k words | Caleb helps you to escape from him. Zayne and you talk about their shared childhood. Chapter 09 of Night Unending. And beyond. 2/3

First part

Tags: Angst, Semi-Canonical Character, Fluff and Angst, Hurt No Comfort, No Smut, Possessive Behavior, mc has a name, jealously, Semi-established relationship with Zayne, I'm Sorry, the fluff is for Zayne, the angst is for Caleb, Post-Canon, shared childhood, my take on MC x Caleb x Zayn childhood, the angst is for Caleb, no proofread.

You can read it on A03.

Caleb towers me winning and watching me struggle from his high up stance, with my arms aloft and imprisoned by his large hands. I don’t stop wrestle even if I don’t win, squirming with frustration that makes me want to scream.

“Maria, I’ve always held myself back and endured. Day after day, after day. It was suffocating” the rain quickly has become a storm and a lightning strikes the sky, framing one side of Caleb’s face. “But now, I’m tired of playing these games”

The storm rumble in the living room, a sharp sound caused by the striking lighting catches the attention of Caleb for a moment and I take my opportunity to free from his grip. With all the force I gather I push him down onto the coffee table, using my foot as leverage to kick his tight between my legs making his balance to falter. His limbs are longer than mine, so I move quickly away from his reach.

I stumble while running away from the living room into my room and I grab my travel bag. There’s no time to think about Caleb monitoring my phone or not as I text Zayne the location of the building we are and make sure to pack something to protect me from the pouring rain outside. I’m hoping that Zayne hasn’t left Skyheaven by the time I’m sending the first message in days. I don’t waste time waiting for the small ‘read’ notice because I can hear Caleb’s loud steps towards my room, his room.

I can’t let him to catch me again so I maintain a large distance between us when I leave his room, moving quickly to the side when his arms are extended to reach me. Caleb may be stronger but I’m faster than him.

My guns are in the living room and it’s the only thing left I need to leave his home, so I sprint towards the center of the house, frantically searching every surface. If they're not in the living room, where they could be? Caleb won't—

“Are you looking for something?” he asks me in a cheerful tone behind my back, so fucking smug about it too. I put my bag over my shoulder, tightening the traps to my body as I slowly turn to face him. “I guess you reaaally want to leave, uh?”

I create a big gap between us, trying to remember how the furniture behind me is placed, so I won't be cornered. There's a buzz on my phone but I make my best to ignore it, never leaving my eyes from Caleb’s arms and face. I can't check the response right now; I just need a little bit of luck.

“Where did you put my guns?” I sneer at him, using the small question to search the surroundings behind Caleb, but the darkness makes it impossible to look.

“It’s pouring outside, pip-squeak” he ignores my question and cross his arms over his chest, tilting his head to the side, “Where are you gonna go? I’m the only person you know in all Skyheaven”

“You’re not”

His smile drops so fast that I’m a little amused by it; he didn't expect it and now I can fight back. Caleb's face frowns, not quite sure if he listened correctly. One of the high cards he held against me was the fact that I was utterly alone in Skyheaven, except for him. Colonel or not, he must've taken pride in being the only person I could ever rely on.

That may be truth before, when I used to tell him things Grandma shouldn't know, or when all the friends I managed to made stopped talking to me and invited me to their houses. When kids bullied me or when I had bad grades in high-school. Or when I told him how bad I wanted to be friends with the quiet kid with glasses who often ignored me when Josephine's friends came over for dinner.

“Who could you possibly run to?”

His expression was utterly out of himself, even when he laughed at the ridiculous idea of me having people in my life. His brows were fused together but his eyes were black and impossible to decipher in the darkness of the room. His body went completely stiff, his wide shoulders squared and his chin went higher, trying to keep the composure and pretending my response didn't affected the way it was affecting him right now.

Towering over me, he walks in my direction as I walk backwards with long steps. Even if he is watching me from above, it doesn't affect me anymore.

I’ve always hated how tall he grew up compared to me, with a whole gap of forty centimeters and his body the double size of mine. But, in the last few years things changed for me, I was no longer intimidated by taller people, let alone men, and my body kept developed until I end up being taller than the rest of the girls at the Academy. As a Hunter, I snatched a few centimeters extra the last two years and I also wore platform boots with the uniform.

My body also grew wider because of the constant training and now I have strong muscles and enough strength to have beaten some male collages at the last work-related dinner. It doesn't matter if Caleb was stronger, what matters is making enough time to Zayne to arrive.

Walking backwards towards the kitchen, I check the last message notification I have received. Zayne’s message is short and precise: ‘I’m on my way.’ I must've spent too much time reading it, to make sure I wasn't reading it wrong, because my back is against the isle counter. The next thing I know, my phone jumps out of my hand, suspended in midair and floats towards Caleb.

He keeps walking towards me with a predatory gaze, black eyes and obscured body frame. With the stupid uniform or without it, it was undeniable his strong and authoritarian aura. Not intimidated but certainly alert at his behavior, I've refrained from running at him for my phone. It was of no use anyways. I was counting on running in circles as long I could, making sure the predator was busy enough to forget about his own ability.

My phone floated directly towards his extended hand. Caleb grabbed it and read the same message I read. He became even more infuriated than what already was, I was able to see his eyes perfectly under the suddenly brightness of a new lighting striking the sky. The deep pools of purple were almost nonexistent, full blown shiny pupils were looking at me with the same madness and the same threating way they looked at the interrogation room. But this time, I am no longer pressed by the confused feelings I felt the first time I saw him after his own death.

I notice some strange shape on the side of his all-black sweat pants, I could swear it looks like a gun hostler. Caleb’s signature weapon is also a double wielded pistol, just like my hunter firearms. If I don’t find mines, I could use his instead.

“Oh, I see. So, this is what’d you been doing, uh?” he mutters with a large smile on his lips, half of his face is covered by my phone as he reads Zayne’s previous messages with his extended arm. He tilts his head to the side to give me some fake impressions of the incredible sweet messages I’ve received from Zayne the last few days, teasing me. “And here I thought you were out for a super-secret mission from the Hunter’s Association. You got me worried! I spent too much resources following you to make sure you were safe, but I guess it wasn’t necessary since you weren’t running to danger… you were running to a man”

His slip makes me curious about what resources he used for tracking me down every time I got out. Specially since I went numerous times to the place of the explosion to look out for Kevi and to the Hospital to keep an eye on Mia. If the Fleet had me followed, that means I guided them to Kevi. In other words, even if I didn’t meet Kevi that night and took him to Zayne, it was still my fault how he ended up living with that “Professor”. And the chip on Kevi’s body, that my fault too.

In the end, Caleb wasn’t monitoring my phone like I suspected him to do, he didn’t know about the messages Zayne sent me these days, judging from his voice raised an octave every time he read another message. He was monitoring all of my whereabouts every time I put a step out of his home, which makes me less guilty about the tracker I put on his necklace.

The situation makes me crackle.

“That’s what you been worried about?” I tease him with my arms crossed, even with our distance and smaller high difference than previous years, I look down on him like he was some fly. I muster a bit courage as I walk towards him, my new route being the door at the entrance of the house, couple of meters next to him. “That I was out with him? He was working at the Hospital, you know? It was easy to run into him every time”

His jaw clutches, the muscle on his jaw pumps under the faint light provided by the storm. The grip on my phone is so tight that I’m worried Caleb ends up breaking it in half. I’m amused by how worked up he looks, rabid like a dog, his chest raising up and down. Surely his face must’ve flushed by now, the heat flowing from his chest and neck. All of it… because I ran into Zayne a couple times? How protective he can be when I’m not longer a child, but an adult who makes her own choices? It was endearing when we were kids and some boys teased him about me, Grandma Josephine and I laughed about it every single time. In high-school, he got so mad when some guy asked me to be his date for prom. He even got mad at me for taking too much time to turn down his offer.

But I’ve never been mad at him when girls followed home after the basketball practices, or when they’d waited outside of his classroom, making it hard for other people to walk in the corridor. I’d never asked nor expected for Caleb to reject every girl’s approach to be their date for prom and instead asked me to be his date.

Never paid too much attention to it since we were always together, living under the same roof and spending almost every minute of our childhood together too. But that was a long time ago.

We aren’t kids anymore.

“What did you expect? For us to play house forever, gege?” I use the term the same way I used when we were younger, but this time he doesn’t smile and hugs me like he used to. I’m a few meters from the door and a few centimeters from him, if I raise my arm, I may be able to touch him. However, he filches at my words.

“Don’t call me that”

I take the last steps in his direction, looking at him with big eyes and my arms behind my back. I’m walking over the edge to see if he falls into my small trap. We are closer now, yet there’s a small gap between us that it needs to be closed.

His evol wraps around my body only to drag me in front of him, my arms are stiff behind my back but as I still can move my hands. I’m not fully immobilized by him. My feet slip onto the floor, my shoes making chirring sounds as I’m being moved forward until I stop in front of him. Our chests are touching and I can feel the breeze of his agitated breath in my face. Up close I can see more of his face and the dark pink on his cheeks, his mouth is open a little and the tendons of his neck are visible under the faint light.

Caleb holds my face with both of his large hands, looking down at my eyes with so many emotions in his face. He drops a long sigh before speaking.

“I keep myself for you, Maria. All those years I protected you from everyone who wanted to mistreat you” he shakes his head with disbelief, his fingers grab my face a little tighter. “I needed to keep you safe. I managed to send away everyone who wanted you, so why? Why you choose him? Of all the people you could rely on, why him?”

I place one of my hands on his larger one, stroking with my thumb his knuckles. I could feel the power of his evol slipping away from my body as I move even closer to him, wrapping on arm around his waist. It pains me so much what I’m about to do, my resolution faltering as I swallow the lump in my throat.

I have to remind myself that this isn’t a safe space.

Exploring his lower back, I caress the hard muscles softly. His eyes are still looking for an answer of me, I but I can’t come with something that won’t break him more than he already looks. Maybe the truth is the only weapon I should be wielding. My fingers seize what I’m looking for and I get ready to respond, using all the oxygen in my lungs to admit something deeply guarded in my heart for years.

“I lov— “

I hiss in pain, the hold in my face became quickly an iron grip and it hurts when I’m tossed to the side. I may have stumble, but I recover instantly with his firearm now in my hand. It seems like something’s really wrong with Caleb, even with his extremely jealous behavior there’s a strange look in his eyes I barely catch as he puts his hands on both sides of his head, grunting in pain. He shakes his head and his hair shuffles with the intensity of his movements; I put away in my belt his firearm and look at the door, now the escape route is clear.

Should I’d have been running towards the exit.

Why am I running towards him?

His strong legs seem to quiver, his knees are buckling a bit and his body trembles as he’s been electrocuted. I place one of my hands on his shoulder, unsure what to do and what to say. I called for him, almost yelling his name but he didn’t seem to listen at all. He keeps murmuring muffled things at himself that I couldn’t understand. I realized he is walking backwards too so I try to chase after him, raising my hand again to touch his face.

That seems to distract him from the pain he is enduring because snaps the moment my hand reaches his. There is a nasty change in his eyes, at first, he looked so afraid but now all I see is a murderous gaze. He uses one hand to lift me in the air, his evol is pressing down my throat and as I try to breath, gasping desperately for air while my feet are moving farther from the floor. Both of my hands are on my neck urgently making efforts to break free with from this grip but there’s nothing I can hold to.

“No—please” he cries, my vision goes hazy and I can barely see him struggle with himself. “Stay back, please”

I left out a chocked sob.

My head feels so heavy right now, I can’t keep my eyes open no matter how much I try and even my legs and arms feel numb. I don’t have any energy left to breath anymore or to unloose the deathly grasp. I could’ve use my evol to fight back, but its no use anymore and I couldn’t bear the very real danger of hurting him, since I’ve never used my own ability to shut down another evolver’s. I may not even be powerful enough to do that.

My plan was just stealing his gun and pointed at him, just in a threating way enough show him I’m serious business and to leave with something to defend myself in case I encounter new Wanderers. I never planned on actually hurting him, just I just wanted to leave.

His voice is utterly broken and raspy, like he is making a magnanimous effort to communicate with me. I’m somewhat dropped on the ground and my knees hurt at the sudden contact, gasping for air in a crazed manner, both of my hands touching my throat in reflex. I cough violently, my eyes are all watery and my neck hurts like it’s on fire. I’m so shaken by it that I stare at the ground for solid minutes while I hear he anguish sounds Caleb’s making while walking in the opposite direction of me.

I managed to sit down and start my way to him again, walking in all fours as he stumbles against one of the living cabinets. He’s moaning in pain, his eyes squeeze shut and I want to cry in despair; I’ve never seen him so damaged. But his evol pushes my far away, sliding near the door.

Looks like he is attempting to send me out of here.

Butt seeing him like this, how could I?

“Caleb…” I mutter; tears had formed in my eyes. “What’s happening?”

He tosses my phone followed by both of my Hunter firearms; hidden in the cabinet he is against and his expression changes from utterly dangerous to complete agonizing in seconds. In a split of a second, the look in his eyes truly looks like he wants to… kill me, his body reacts too attempting to stand still. But then, grunts in pain and his intense gaze changes. I recognize that part of him, because part of my Caleb is still inside him, I can see that now.

I need to reach for that Caleb.

As I stand up, with my head still heavy from the momentarily lack of air, I make one step towards him again, way more unstable I would like to. But a hand stops me.

It’s no longer Caleb’s evol the one who is pushing me away from him and in direction to the exit. Cold hands keep me in place, hugging my torso from failing and I hardly hear my own cries. I’m by the door with the deafening sound of the storm crashing the sky when Zayne gives Caleb a nod and guides me outside the building. I’m crying with such a violence that my body shakes between Zayne’s arms by the time I’m seated in his car.

My hair is all wet from the pouring rain, I’m making a mess with constant droplets falling from my drenched clothes into the leather of the car but I can’t stop crying. I’m also soaking Zayne’s clothes too, but he doesn’t seem to mind as he stokes my hair in silence.

“I need to go back” I weep, “something is wrong with Caleb, I need to help him”

“He struggling right now, if you go back, you may be in danger” Zayne argues, his voice is soft and low next to my temple. I can’t receive any type of comfort right now; I don’t deserve it. Not when he is out there suffering because of me. His own cries replay on my mind.

“We need to help him, Zayne!” I remove myself from his embrace to look at him with pleading eyes. His hazel eyes look at me with such a worried look, I don’t think I’ve ever been so affected by anything in my life. His cold fingertips reach for my shaken hands and brushes my knuckles affectionally. I can see that he is trying to negotiate with me, knowing I won’t budge easily.

“And we will. But you are in no condition to help anyone at the moment, and any further plans will endanger him too” I don’t know what Zayne means by that and he looks at my confused expression thought my tears. “If he attacks you one more time, I won’t stand aside and watch. I’ll kill him myself” he responds, ever calmly through his soft voice.

I don’t say a word of protest when he takes me away from Caleb’s home, but I do try to spy from the inside of his house with hopes of catching him by the window. It’s of no use anyways, he must’ve still been on the same spot I left him. His painful image makes me want to puke my intestines out. I do accept Zayne’s offer of coming back tomorrow with his company to see Caleb, and he adds the promise of check Caleb’s vitals to make sure he’s okay before leaving. Because tomorrow will be the last day I would be able to see him before he goes in another Deepspace mission. Knowing what I know now, even if he lied about a chip controlling him, I can’t leave him just like that.

No, I will come back tomorrow morning.

We arrived to the hotel Zayne’s staying and I get out of the in silence. He guides me to his room with short directions and opens the door for me. Inside I drop my firearms and leave my travel bag by the door before I make another mess. I walk to the bathroom and Zayne’s prepares the bathtub with steamy water, since apparently my own temperature had dropped. Lends me a dry change of clothes in the toilet and leaves me alone with my thoughts.

I don’t cry anymore, my mind is racing with all the things I’ve experimented in this short period of time, trying to make sense of all. When the water starts to get cold, I get out the tub and put warmer clothes than mine while leaving the bathroom without glancing not even one time around me. Zayne just sits in front of me, checks my pulse and my temperature, he doesn’t pry. I briefly remember about the wristband and I tell him about it, so he uses to check my wound too. He also pays extra attention to my neck, since I keep coughing from time to time and I can’t hide the pain it causes me. The skin is sore and very pink. Zayne doesn’t ask about it.

His closeness reminds me of the night when Caleb took me to his home and disinfected my wound. I want to move away from it, everything too fresh in my memory. Also, the pain.

However, his hands are complete opposites and when he touches my knee as a non-verbal confirmation that everything in my body is okay before getting up and give me space, I stop him. I hold onto his sleeve and give him a pleading look. Zayne cups my cheek, ice cold in his fingertips and caress my chin with an affectionate but small smile. He waits. Waits for me to do something. I can push him aside, I can ask him to leave me alone, even yell at him and that won’t erupt any harsh reaction as he waits until I’m ready for the next step. Whatever that step may be.

I breath through my nose and settle the turmoil inside me for a moment as I get up and look at his green eyes, reaching for his own cheek and he melts under my touch with closed eyes and long dark eyelashes. He whines slightly in pain and I know is evol is acting up right now, making small snowflakes into his skin. I take his hand and kiss his scarred fingers melting some of those little daggers into his skin before speak.

“I’m so sorry, Zayne. Were you busy at this hour? I haven’t even asked”

“I was asleep. I have to return to Arko Hospital tomorrow, my trip got delayed because of the lockdown.” I nod, feeling guilty about mingled him in this mess. I should’ve really asked him first, or at least, replayed to some of his messages the last few days. But after I failed Kevi and Mia, I just didn’t have the energy to feel anything else than my own charged emotions and the days happened in a blur. I can barely recall what I did the days previous to the lockdown. “But, if I were on Linkon by the time you messaged me, I would’ve taken the Coelum Express in the middle of the night to fetch you”

A smile sits on my lips, tiny and shy. I nod again, but this time what I want to say is thank you.

He strokes my forehead swiftly, passing his fingers between my entangled hair and holds me by the back of my neck with such tenderness that makes me want to cry again. His thumbs draw circles onto my skin with feather-light touches. I recognize these lovely administrations like the palm of my hand, countless times he comforted me like this without utter a single word. Without demanding answers about my nightmares that got me covered in sweat and scared of my own shadow and my untamed behavior when I’m too overwhelmed.

“I’m sorry for ignoring you and out of the sudden, drag you into the weirdest family reunion ever” my useless try to humor this situation makes me feel even worse. “I just… I had none else”

“I reckon being close with your family since we were children, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Must’ve been quite a shock for you”

I know what he means by that, and he is right. But I didn’t have much time to process Caleb’s presence at all, let alone been shocked because I got my undercover identity blown up and got sent to the interrogation room with him withing the same day, a couple minutes between both of those very dangerous situations. I still remember how scared I was, how infuriated and how confused when he was telling me what I should answer while checking for the cameras in the interrogation room.

Looking back, it seems like the Fleet knew more about me than I previously thought. Caleb mentioned about me going to the N109 Zone which also means, Operation Aether Ordeal’s information was incomplete and put me in danger the second I stepped in Skyheaven. I never stood a chance against them, maybe the Association is truly powerless under the military force of the Fleet. I should tell Captain Jenna about this when I get back to Linkon.

Super-secret missions, Spatium Core and even Ever aside, I need to see Caleb one last time before he goes into the Deepspace Tunnel for who knows how long. But the prospect of seeing him makes me sink in my place. Is truly the right decision? What if everything gets worse? What if he gets worse because I’m there?

“It was. It still is, I mean” I concede, suddenly feeling anxious.

I need to talk about this with someone.

Someone able to see my pain and sorrow for Caleb with the same value as Caleb’s own actions as Colonel of the Fleet and powerful evolver involved in something potentially more dangerous than the authoritarian military force. Seems like all the people I know would side on one thing over the other except for…

“Come, sit on the bed” Zayne guides me through the room and I obey, sitting in the border on the bed with my legs crossed. He let go my hand for a moment and comes back with a wholly blanket and places it on my shoulders, kneeling in front of me and stroking my scrapped knew with affectional touch. I take a look at his hands, the hard-working callouses and small scars in his fingers. There’s cold every time he is around, that’s what he says, but I’ve never felt warmer.

I start talking, spurting words after words without keeping vital information about what I saw except for the secret intel from the Operation Aether Ordeal, and that’s just because it has nothing to do with what worries me. I tell Zayne about the interrogation, about the man who confronted Caleb the first time he arrived to Skyheaven, about the chip on Kevi, about the “Professor” and his weird snake-looking guy who tried to kill me; I also detailed all the things I’ve noticed about Caleb’s behavior the past days, specially that reluctant force that controls him from time to time, like he was out of himself and fighting to take the control of his own body.

There’re details that won’t add to the story, so I kept it with me, like his fantasy world in where none could ever find me while he’s by my side, and his intense gaze accompanied with his dangerous threats to put a collar with a bell on my neck. I remember his hand caressing my calf and a shiver runs through my spine.

Zayne nods here and there while listening to my rant, questions will be asked at the end and I know, since doesn’t have a notepad to keep track of all the revelations, he’s paying extra attention and making metal notes. There are a couple times I noticed his expression changing from a relaxed and neutral one to a surprised and worried, but he doesn’t say anything. Probably just waiting for the right moment to leave some comments about certain topics, but his stance is a professional one and not the truly relaxed and calm he uses with me. So, that means is Dr. Zayne the one listening to all the small details about Caleb’s condition from my memory.

At the end, I feel extremely worn out and all the muscles around my mouth are sore from the constant chatter. I glimpse Zayne’s amused smile at my experimental stretches and massages on my jaw and I stop dead in my tracks. He may be a cardiologist and no a physio, but I’m pretty sure I’m doing something wrong with my face and he knows it but doesn’t want to say it. The heat flows and sits on my cheeks as I look down; I vaguely think with pride on my chest that his smile isn’t something the professional doctor would do, so I managed to break past his walls and found him in the end.

“From what I gather, he does seem to be in a complex and frail mental state. Do you know what happened to Caleb from the explosion to the moment you saw him again?” I shake my head and he hums. “Its not wise to allude directly to a chip controlling him since we don’t have tangible evidence or know how it works. However, I do think it can be the cause for this erratic behavior. He must’ve been in a lot of pain to hurt you, out of himself even”

“Have you seen some of this possession and obsessive behavior when we were children?”

He lets a small laugh.

“If you are asking me if I think a younger Caleb would so any of those things, I answer is no. But I’m not exactly surprised to lean about his devoted care for you and your safety”

“What do you mean?” Caleb used to be my favorite person in the world back when we were kids, but I never thought of him as my ultimate protector since he spent a lot of time around too many people, always the center of attention.

His charm was undeniable and he often held conversation with a lot of kids younger and older than him, specially when he became the basketball star in middle school. I’ve always tried to walk home by myself to avoid making him wait for me outside class or talk to me too much after his games cause girls often bullied me for his attention. So, when we were at home, I become much happier with being by his side.

We used to be friends, Caleb, Zayne and I before Zayne went to middle school earlier than us and stopped coming home to visit with his parents. After that, my teens years blend into a blur of responsibilities and extra-curriculum activities as president of my class every single year. Caleb and I spent most our free time watching movies and playing together, he often helped me with my homework since he was smarter and older than me. I remember feeling so dumb around him and knowing that Zayne was even further in his education, studying to become a doctor while I was struck on algebra and calculus.

“Caleb was always open to make friends and because of it, he had tons of different social circles. But none compared to you” I roll my eyes at the remark; I vividly remember how many social circles he had every time we walked to the school. People gather around him, in awe of his spectacular presence and charming personality, fighting for a space by his side. It made it difficult to walk, literally.

For me at least, since I wasn’t the center of attention, people pushed me out and I often stumble my way to class. Always got Caleb worried and he offered me to beat the shit out of the people who mistreated me, but I turned him down every time. I didn’t want to see someone hurting him, let alone for me. The outstanding student involved in fights wasn’t something Granma would approve either. And I would be my fault, even if Caleb didn’t say a word.

I guess I was the only one standing in the way of him becoming my ultimate protector.

“I think that’s why we tolerate each other so much, even after parting ways. He used to talk about you all the time, but didn’t let anybody go near you” Zayne’s voice dragged me out of my memories and I got a little startle by it. It also surprised me to know that they keep in touch. “He used to lie about you not being at home and Josephine scolded him for it. He often tried to discouraged me to be friends with you since I was much older”

“I thought you were friends with each other too” Zayne lets out a small chuckle, my statement sounded like a joke to him and I can’t help to wonder why. Both of them always seemed to be good friends in front of my eyes, at Zayne’s standards at least. Which is saying a lot.

“At first, yeah. But, as a child, making friends wasn’t a priority in my life. I was perfectly content by being at my own. I ignored him most of the time. However, you…” there is a light blush in his cheeks and his ears are red at the confession, he cannot see me directly anymore. “You kept coming back. I think you won me over with your silently approach and my parents loved you instantly. Caleb used to rant hours about you I would just… listen”

I smile briefly at the memory, at Zayne’s memory of our short-shared childhood. He was indeed older than us, he is older than Caleb too, but never took any particular interest that I couldn’t be part of. We liked to draw together and he used to read a lot, so I sit next to him in silence. That’s I used to be fond of, the calm and collected little Zayne with his glasses and extremely short answers. The adults were boring as they talked about things kids weren’t allowed to know and Caleb was very popular with the kids on the block, so he was outside playing basketball with them; even when he invited me to play, the others kids didn’t really like the prospect of playing with a little girl.

So, Zayne was the best option. He didn’t pay me too much attention at first, always focused on a different book but there were times when I asked things out loud and he responded. He had a lot of patience with me, specially when I asked topics where the response was way more serious and complex than expected. If I didn’t understand at first, I got really upset.

“I didn’t know you had a soft spot for me, Dr. Zayne” I playfully elbow his side.

“You can be very oblivious sometimes”

I nod, it’s not the first time he calls out my unawareness and borderline silliness. Sounds like a joke, but I know it’s true. If I’ve paid more attention to the things around me, maybe I would avoid certain major events from happen. Maybe I could’ve recalled all of those memories when Caleb was alongside me and when he left me alone so others kids won’t disturb me or got near me. Coming to think of, he was very protective of me, even with Granda or Zayne. I think I just didn’t mind it, having to grow so accustomed by it; it was like a second nature for both of us.

It's certainly a huge difference his overprotective self when he was young, but older than me, than now. I trusted his judgement since he was my most reliable and only friend. But know, it’s due past my time to make my own decisions and come up with my own conclusions. Ever since he started to be part of the DAA, he often kept things from me. Even the harmless ones. I barely know anything about him prior his official death.

What happened that day, why he insisted on accompanied me when I left the house, why he wanted to go to the convenience store for vinegar but came empty handed. Why he entered first to our house and what happened afterwards. How he was officially recorded as deceased when no body was to be found since he is very much alive. What happened to Grandma, why she died and I didn’t. How he became Colonel and how long he has been in the Deepsapce Tunnel with the Fleet. What’s with his erratic and frankly scary behavior, his over-the-top obsession with keeping me safe, his authoritarian façade and his alliance with shady people like the “Professor” who keeps a child kidnapped and brainwashed.

Most importantly, what happened to him? To my childhood best friend, my shoulder to lean on and my most loyal family member? I know he is in there, but I can’t reach out for him. There’s layers and walls protecting him from my grasp. And when I was sure I saw in those eyes something similar to the expressions he used to have with me, even if I was making him crazy about implying my non-existent relationship with Zayne in the process, he went over the rails and choked me.

But also begged me to leave.

I hardly recall Zayne rising from the bed and looking for something in the room, near the entrance. When he comes back and sits again next to me, he lends me my phone.

The glass is still wet from the heavy rain and there’s a crack in the screen. Other than that, works perfectly well as lights up and shows me Zayne’s messages. Caleb read some of them with such rage and mockery, practically ridiculing me for having those texts.

A new text-bubble draws my attention, I don’t recall send him a double message.

“Caleb sent me the password of main door, I believe he wanted you to go before something worse would happen” Zayne murmurs solemn. The last message sent to Zayne was a rushed combination of numbers and the exact floor of Caleb’s house. Something I didn’t thought I would’ve important to mention I the heat of the moment. I also don’t think I would’ve been able to recall with precision. “That’s why I’m sure he’s beyond of himself. Even as a little kid, he would give his right arm instead of hurting you”

I absent-mindedly caress the cracked screen with my thumb and I gasp in pain. A small bristle of glass cuts through my skin in one of the corners of my phone. It stings, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t draw blood.

It doesn’t go unnoticed by my attentive doctor as he inspects my thumb and uses the flash of his own phone to check on me. Feeling the torment of my commotional state, the tears are about to fall again.

“I need to see him”

“I know” he doesn’t seem surprised at my words.

“Would you take to him?”

“Yes”

I breath in profound relief. With the heavy storm outside, it would be very hard to find a cab willing to take me to Caleb’s house. The wait time would’ve risen up to an hour minimum for a normal ride and the fee would’ve also grown higher.

It’s also in the middle of the night.

But I won’t be able to sleep at all if I don’t see him one last time before he goes into that mission. I can’t leave him like that. He can’t go first this time. I won’t let him to do the same twice.

I won’t let him sacrifice himself again.

Zayne holds my hands; his big hand almost covers both of mine. I turn my body to face him entirely and his lovely hazel eyes meet mine. I stare at him for a while, his ears redden as time passes and I smile fondly at his shy conduct so different from his stoic demeanor. Without giving him time to process, I close the distance between us and I give him a small kiss on his cheek. My nose brushes against the side of his face, freshly shaved and always soft.

“Thank you, Zayne”

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miraculouslbcnreactions · 2 days ago

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Regarding that scene on Werepapas, what a coincidence. My friend just finished watching the series up to season 5. While he agrees that the writing is far from ideal, while discussing Representation, he didn't get that Adrien is a senti! Only Felix. He felt that it was ambigous. He hopes that maybe Adrien was made thanks to the Peacock but without him being exactly a senti (he still can't exactly explain Gabriel's influence).

With Werepapas... I was astonished, and I don't know if my friend's theory might not be as farfetched... we are giving the writers too much credit, right?

(Post that spawned this ask)

I think it's perfectly valid to be on the fence. I wouldn't put money on Adrien being human, but I wouldn't put money on him being a sentimonster either. He probably is, I wouldn't hold hope for him to not be, but it's not explicit canon and that does matter to a certain extent.

There's a rule in story telling that no one is really dead until their body is show and that applies to more than just death. Any twist isn't truly canon until it's explicitly stated in the text and Adrien's status has never been officially stated. It's only strongly hinted at. This was likely done with purpose because this show is aimed at children. You don't go the subtle route with five-year-olds. They don't know enough about story telling for that to work.

Writers use this hints only trick for a variety of reason, but when it comes to writing in long running shows, the most common reason is to keep the story from having to commit to something before the writers are sure about it as they don't know how many seasons they'll have to write and what plot points they want to use. Right now, the writers can backtrack Adrien's status without retconing anything since he was never said to be a senti. Same goes for Kagami. The only canonically confirmed senti is Felix.*

This noncommittal tactic where nothing is confirmed in canon isn't a writing style I love, but it does have its place. Reveals generally should be teased out over time and not given after the first hint. Tease it out too long, though, and it's no longer solid setup and payoff. Instead it's just an annoying stalling tactic. When it passes from good pacing to stalling tactic is highly subjective and depends on how complex the reveal is. Adrien's status isn't remotely complex and was setup all the way back in season four, so I feel comfortable saying this has gone from the story slowly teasing out the reveal to a stalling tactic which is very much in line with the show's writing style. They're dragging the love square identity reveal to death. I will not be shocked if this gets the same treatment just to keep people watching in the desperate hope that they can finally get some clear answers. It's how show's like Miraculous work. There's not enough here to actually tell an eight-season story so we get this instead.

*Do NOT quote Twitter at me. Twitter is not only not canon, but Twitter "canon" has been retconed and contradicted by actual canon on several occasions. In Twitter canon, Luka is two years older than Juleka and that's clearly not true in actual canon. It's why I try to avoid using Twitter as a source. There are times when I feel you basically have to acknowledge it because it's the only source for any sort of explanation for some nonsensical but important thing canon did, but even then I never assume the statement is truly canon. It's just the closest we can get to canon at the given moment. Which is embarrassing because most viewers are not checking Twitter to understand this show for children!!! The text should speak for itself on all major bits of lore. Twitter should be reserved for fun but pointless facts like what Ladybug's suit feels like.

#anon ask #ml writing critical #ml writing salt #senti salt

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randomthefox · 1 day ago

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I find it so annoying and disconcerting that The Audience is not allowed to simply discuss media anymore without the creators of said media engaging in the discussion. Breeze did not tag Evan Stanley in their tweet. They were simply voicing their own thoughts, in their own space, on a public platform. Artists who work on the comic found (or more likely, were sent) their tweet, and decided to engage with it. In a very defensive and condescending manner, it must be said.

I keep going back to this, but the creators of the IDW Sonic comics do not seem to be aware that they are creating an official product that is being sold for money. They act like they're creating a web comic or something. A passion project that they're making for fun, and we're being assholes by criticizing their fanart. It's incredibly unprofessional, and I don't mean that in a derogatory way, I mean LITERALLY unprofessional - this is behavior that you see from people who are NOT professionals. If I find a comic on deviant art, say for example Ghosts of the Future, and I start complaining about how bad it is, then the artist and creator of that comic is more than well within their rights to defend their creation which they drew in their own free time and have posted free of charge as an expression of their own passion.

If I SPENT MONEY on a PRODUCT that was PUT ON SALE by a MAJOR PUBLISHING CORPORATION then I am allowed to say whatever the hell I want about what a piece of shit it is, and YOU as a contributing creator to that product are well within your rights to SHUT THE FUCK UP AND PISS OFF. Who the fuck do you think you are? What do you think our relationship is? I bought the fucking ticket, I can say whatever the hell I want. If you don't want me to be able to do that then GIVE THE MONEY BACK. The five dollars I spent on this comic issue is the free pass that gives me the right to wipe my ass with it in front of your face, and the money in your hand that you were paid in exchange for producing that comic means you have to sit there and watch silently with NO INPUT OR RESPONSE WHATSOEVER.

The way these creators feel like they have the right to respond to fan discourse and criticism like this is so INSANE. Like, first of all, everything I already said: you produced an official product that was manufactured for sale. This is a transactional relationship, and the transaction is completed as soon as I spend the money. After the money changes hands the relationship is officially over and you have no input from that moment onward. Second of all,

how is this not punching down? How is this not inciting harassment? Evan is 100% knowingly exploiting her status as a much larger and prominent account to intimidate critics into silence and putting a target on a much smaller account and essentially giving her fanatical followers carte blanche to attack them with righteous indignation.

There is a zero percent chance that she is not aware of what she is doing.

These comic creators (and I don't just mean the creators of IDW Sonic either this is a massive problem with western comic books in general tbh) have a serious problem where they think that we are peers. We're not. You are the creators. We are the audience. We are not peers. This is not a respectful discussion between equals. Comic creators in this day and age are all comic fans themselves, they became comic creators because they were fans and got the dream job of getting accepted into the comic industry, but they never acclimatized to realizing that they are now part of that industry and thus NO LONGER PART OF THE FAN COMMUNITY. They act like we're all still just fans discussing the thing we're a fan of, and they have just as much of a right to take part in that discussion as everyone else. But they aren't, and they don't. They gave up that privilege when they started accepting a paycheck.

The fact that they do not realize that and keep doing this shit is destructive to fandom spaces and discourse. The response to what Evan Stanley has done with her tweet needs to be "SILENCE BRAND" en mass, because that's what she is now. She is The Brand. And she needs to be treated as such, especially since she is seemingly unaware of her status.

#evan stanley #comic industry #comic books #fandom #idw sonic #sonic idw

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currentfandomkick · 2 days ago

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Edit: HEY tumblr ate half the post. Just noticed so. Here’s the rest.

—

“Nah. She’s one of my best friends back home and gets both sides of the mask. Like Batgirl and Robin are better off as friends than dating—though Cass and Babs have granted me honorary Batgirl Rights a while back. We do spa days and movies nights.”

“And we’re not invited because???”

“Not a batgirl or honorary; as declared by Oracle.”

“And that matters as…” Greta baited while Cissie shook her head.

Tim paused his calculations to turn to his friend. “First Batgirl gets to decide, duh.”

The group erupted at that.

Tim smiled. Just a bit. Baby steps with reveal and all. Hopefully the Ivy alliance overshadowed the ‘ability to hear plant speak and learning to use it.’

He loves them, but its just. A lot of anyone wants to help with his abilities and how to compensate. Telling Virgil most of it had been a pain, and easy enough as he was a teammate but not. Not Just Us, not one of his chosen family members he'd switch sides for.

He still can’t quite articulate how it makes a difference, just, that it does. The degree of separation and long term personal investment and stakes are just. Lower with Virgil than most Titans, let alone Tim's team.

Virgil helps with exposure therapy, sure, and Tim listens to him work through what to do with his family. He’s the emotional support Robin, but this time its mutual.

Its also fun to see how his pitch can affect Static’s control and vice versa. Tim is working on more compensation tactics for long range combat not relying on his weapons. And Virgil smiles more and ruffles his hair on occasion.

The two did agree that given Dick’s own habit of… hallucinating Jason, it was better to not tell Dick about Jazz and the cause of his narcoleptic tendencies with his insomnia is a red head dream-walker who was his older sister in a prior incarnation.

Too much of a chance Dick would try to steal his sister for his ginger allies and ex’s club, they agreed.

—

Dana raised an eyebrow as a teen that was not her step son came in through the window.

The boy was unfazed by her being there.

“Is Tim here? It took ages to track him down,” the teen complained.

Dana hummed, wondering how to answer the red head around Tim’s age in front of her.

“Why would I tell you?”

“Oh, right. Tim is my Robin." the boy offer his hand. "Anarky. Or Lonnie. I bet you heard a lot about me!”

Dana came to understand Bruce’s adoption habit at the way Lonnie had a clear mask of false bravado.

“Not much, he keeps what happens in his Mask to himself and tells us small anecdotes here and there. He did mention you a few times though.”

She idly wondered how her husband would handle her potentially adopting a former rogue to their semi-retired vigilante son.

“Cool, cool… so he’s not here now?”

“I’ll see when he’s on his way and let him know you’re here.”

“Okay, okay… can I get your WiFi while I wait orrr….”

Dana passed him the sticky-note with the information.

Not even five minutes later Tim rushed in and Lonnie perked up.

“Found you! Now you have to help me!”

“That is not how it—“

Dick Grayson barged in next, looking at her son and potential second son with a wide grin.

“You got you’d. By a rouge.”

Lonnie stuck his tongue out at Dick.

Tim looked up at the ceiling, clearly calling for powers that abandoned Gotham long ago.

Dana did laugh when Lonnie babbled about a plan to take out another corporation dumping into the harbor. Why he hadn't handed that off to Ivy, she didn't know.

She hummed, grabbing a snack for herself and putting on Star Trek. If the boys present were going to talk about things outside of her jurisdiction, that was a problem for them.

Tim shushing them as she picked which iteration, made her smile.

“Uh, is it okay to help with this one?”

“Online or in person?”

“Online! Just the hacking part! No in person vigilantism like we agreed,” Tim threw his hands up in his defense.

Dana texted her husband code yellow-green.

He agreed to be home to discuss the issue of how involved Tim would be with Lonnie’s scheme in an hour. They did know this could happen, given the early signs of a new alias' construction.

Dick had the courtesy to buy them all takeout using one of Bruce’s cards, while laughing at Tim.

It was good to see him being less tense, more relaxed now that things were in the open. And if she finds Lonnie’s situation lacking, they do have a spare guest room. Lonnie would just be required to stick to this ‘hacktivist’ thing rather than bombing buildings once he moved in until after college or trade school.

Doxxing would work just fine, in her opinion. So would reporting their tax fraud to the IRS if what she’s seen Tim try to do to a number of people, given he can’t fight them as Robin or another alias again quite yet in Gotham.

—

Tim feels like he should have seen Bernard and Darla walking in on him and Lonnie mid-hacker fight against Black Mask as a bad thing.

Instead Bernard asked if Tim wanted any more info and Darla just hummed at him until he and Lonnie got what they wanted.

Irrefutable proof that Black Mask is Roman.

Once they got out, Tim kept grinning and Lonnie was cackling beside him.

Tim half wished he could tell Stephanie about it right then and there, but she’s patrolling right now.

He’s also tempted to find the new player in Crime Alley and see what the newbie does with this information. So far his moves have fascinated Tim, and amused his father.

Bernard toyed with Tim’s additional “protected by” pins. Harley and Ivy merged territories. So new pin for both of them. Being Harley’s “duck boy” was more than what he expected. But her actively helping him find a discreet therapist for former vigilantes in Gotham is nice. Stephanie decided to throw her own pin at him a while back, and Oracle nearly branded his stuff with her call sign.

Anarky still has Two Face’s pin, and Bernard is running around with a Penguin one recently. Darla was pin-less, but her necklace made it clear which crime family she was from.

“So. Whose life are you ruining?”

“Exposing Black Mask,” Lonnie damn near crowed. “Now it’s how to release it, and when.”

“Hm, gala party, or when he’s on TV?” Tim mused. The goal is the reveal being done when he can’t run away; pinning him physically until less corrupt authority figures arise… and preventing their intervention.

“Isn’t he visiting Metropolis for Lex’s thing,” Lonnie asked while scrolling through Roman’s calendar events.

Tim hummed. “If we drop this as a tip to Superman…”

“You mean you,” Lonnie clarified. “I’m still on probation. Legally speaking.”

Tim shook his head. “Fine, I’ll go and pass it on to Superman through his inbox and spam him until Roman’s arrest.”

“Excellent!”

“Do we even exist when you two have a project?” Darla asked.

“There are voices, but not helpful ones to the cause,” Lonnie answered.

“I’d be more offended,” Darla glanced at the multitude of computers between them. “But I don’t think I can be here.”

Bernard hummed in agreement, wrapped around a content Tim, high off a case’s major breakthrough.

“So, how big will the shake up in Gotham : underground be?” Bernard asked, eyeing Darla.

“Pretty monumental given Roman’s hands in everything. Power vacuum will suck. Think the Newbie can use it? Guy has been listening to the working girls before profit,” Lonnie muttered. "and good with environmental protections."

“That would mean poking Bat’s latest fixation…" Tim leaned into Bernard's embrace like a cat into a sunbeam. "And probably able to absorb a decent chunk of the areas near the Alley, and hopefully take out more of Mask’s lieutenants. If we can get Oracle in on this, maybe save more victims too.”

Lonnie whooped.

Bernard got that mad look in his eye that reminded Tim his friend joined multiple pain-cults on his own out of boredom.

Darla leaned over to grab at Tim too. “Save the world is over, now it’s mall time. Your mini can come with.”

Lonnie doubled over at that. “Thanks but no. Enjoy your date!”

“We will!” Bernard answered as he and Darla dragged Tim away.

Jack yelled to “wear protection!” While Tim protested his friends calling their hangouts dates lately. Only when it was the three of them however.

He could feel Jazz laughing at him and something about history repeating. Still no idea which history she means, or why it’s so funny.

Bernard and Darla did continue to refer to Kon as his ‘bi-awakening’ and stated they can wait for him to get over the "situation-ship of his life," but are retaining joint-custody of him.

Tim is fairly certain they’re just being supportive, and joking about the legalization of polycules in Gotham… right?

The Aquista family member tailing them did tell Tim not to “break her heart” only for Darla to shoo them off as “oh, he’s processing this is a thing still.”

Bernard did laugh as Tim blinked owlishly at the pair and the guy giving him a… platonic shovel talk? Darla hummed, stating regardless of if the three date romantically or platonically, Tim is Theirs Now, no returns.

Tim did his best not smile at that, and failed miserably as Bernard agreed.

Bernard grinned and dragged him into the middle of one of the growing group hugs the three end up in.

Harley perking up mid-robbery when she spotted Tim passing by and teasing him about his dates with Darla and Bernard, the pair proudly nabbing his hands as “some of us aren’t scared to take them” did confuse him further.

He came home to the Poly Pride flag slapped onto one of his cactus pots. At least it was painted?

Jack reminded Tim about maintaining his group and individual relationships with Darla and Bernard.

—-

Tim showed jack his latest design for a new vigilante ID—the one he wanted to transition into.

Phantom Shriek.

He still had leaps and bounds to go on training with Static. Dick caught them in an exposure therapy session and took to giving Tim stickers.

He later caught Tim and Ivy practicing his scream and plant speak.

Nightwing did not stop hugging him, and said something about his brothers all being alive and different but its okay and kept babbling.

Ivy knocked him out for Tim, and he called Wally to pick up his best friend.

Ivy said she already figured him out a few weeks after their lessons began, and had known about Dick for almost a decade.

Tim did his best not to laugh hysterically. He failed and screamed for a bit.

She helped him minimize the damage.

Wally came in on that and agreed to give Tim “bat berth”.

It reminded him weirdly of Amorpho and his deal back in Amity. Ancients, he missed it like a phantom limb some days.

Finding out that the more danger he’s in, the more abilities he has, had been a Time to work out with data sorting.

Harley helped with triple checking his numbers. And consoled him mid-break down.

—

Tim gave the info to Clark Kent while visiting Metropolis with Dick.

Clark gave him a look before asking Tim if he and Conner had a fight.

When Tim answered Kon had been avoiding him and he didn’t know why, but he was giving his clone boy the space he made clear he wanted.

Clark froze.

Dick adding Tim had a girlfriend and boyfriend too now, so Kon must be jealous of Tim for bagging two partners and showed off pictures Dick got of their “dates.”

Clark must have had some realization as Tim pointed out that “it’s just Bernard being Bernard and Darla going along with it. They’d have to ask me out first, and Bernard is into Darla. And Darla is my friend, not girlfriend, or, the kind you and Kori are Dick.”

“Uh huh. Keep telling yourself that Timmy,” Dick answered while Clark kept an eye on Tim as he wandered off to give Lois more scoops about corrupt multi-billion dollar companies and debate which tactics to destroy them systematically before the rats can jump ship.

—

Luthor invited Tim to the very event that Roman would be exposed at.

Lois grinned at him when she saw him with his Dad vibrating in place while going over a particular artifact's importance to showing signs of civilization, while Dana chimed in with the healed broken bones as better proof.

Tim did side with Dana, but argued settled civilization’s best sign was yeast-y pottery for bread and beer.

Lex brought out Kon during the discussion. Kon who froze when he saw Tim.

Tim waved awkwardly, message well received Kon didn't want to see him, before Cassie ran over with Cissie and the two began interrogating Dana and Tim and Jack in turn.

Kon didn’t approach him the whole time. Which.

He’s had less painful vivisections, if he's any bit honest with himself. The bear trap was easier to deal with.

He doesn’t know why that rejection hurt as much as it did.

Cassie ran off to check up on Kon while Cissie grumbled about cowardice and took to bugging his dad over various ‘hunting projectiles’ used in various areas and their methods. It was as good a distraction as any, his dad's voice soothing something that smarted something awful.

Tim kept his growing glee off his face as the pings went off and the cops poured in. Black Mask was exposed as Roman. In Metropolis. After his local allies had been picked off earlier that week, one by one.

And his arrest and trial are outside of his political connections and strongholds, while Lex is in one of his ‘PR parent’ moods.

The man is cooked.

Cissie looked at Tim, sensing him shedding his attempt to look sane. He put that mask back up quickly.

Tim feigned innocence while Dick barged over to “check” on Tim and Cissie over the shock.

When things settled down, Kon and Cassie returned with Kon freezing at the sight of Tim, who decided to see if the poor houseplant wanted a larger pot. At least the plant would talk to him, and he had chosen to be out as a meta with his parents' help over the last few months.

As Tim Drake, he was going to admit to being capable of speaking ‘plant’ and hearing them since the JJ incident. Which is public knowledge, and trauma induced meta gene activation is well known.

Cassie flipped Kon off and dragged him over the rest of the way, while Kon kept his eyes on Tim’s ‘barely noticeable now’ scars around his mouth. Like those were all that mattered and all Tim was now.

Like the portal accident with Sam and Tucker checking his pulse daily all over again.

“Tim, uh, how you holding up?” Kon tried, obviously not wanting to be around a tainted Tim.

“Okay.” He wouldn't force Kon to talk to him when he clearly doesn’t want to be around him. “I think we’re leaving soon, I should do my goodbyes. Good to see you.”

Cissie shot Tim a look as he escaped.

Kon grabbed his arm. Too tight but Tim is a fast healer. “So. Virgil?”

Tim blinked slowly. that was what Kon wanted to talk about after limitless radio silence? His frustration seeped into his tone. “Helps me with the triggers. And I listen to his.”

Kon almost let go at that. “Oh, oh,” he spoke too softly.

Tim tried to pull back. Kon let him.

“Anyways yeah,” Tim put more distance between them.

“Say hi to your dates for me Timmy!” Cassie yelled as he left and waved her off.

Tim missed the panic in Kon’s face, already turned away.

The rest of the gala did not. Gossip was brewing.

“I’ll send them your love Cassie!” Dana yelled back with too much teeth.

Jack looked between his son, Kon and Dana’s too-knowing look he’d come to trust when it came to emotions.

“How is my son’s life a soap opera. How," he muttered as he herded Tim and Dana to the car.

—

Okay! Let me know if i forgot tags and if you want another part as this is a lot of fun to write.

Pt2 reincarnated Tim gets the Wail aka Phantom Shrike

Part one here

Virgil let Tim in, leaning against the wall as Tim looked about his room, clearly searching for where to start as his head looked everywhere, largely at the walls and floor, but not directly at Virgil.

“So," Tim began as he wrung with his hands awkwardly. "I’m going to guess you noticed the early reflexes thing and flinching when you use your powers or Nightwing lights up his escrima sticks?”

Vigil raised an eyebrow at him. “Don’t need to be a detective to see that a mile away.”

Tim took a seat at last, settling the urge to scream as the beanbag chair engulfed him. “So, Dick told you all about the uh, JJ incident, or do i get to explain that?”

Virgil moved back to his desk, moving his project to the side. “Just that it was bad.”

“It was.” Bad enough to revive a former lifetime and activate his meta gene. “Kind of shot him, but not me? He’s still in a coma from it.”

Tim waited for Virgil’s reaction. Virgil merely turned to face Tim again, sitting backwards in his swivel chair with an unusually neutral expression.

“I, uh, always had a thing with electricity before that.”

Tim fiddled with his hands again. Counting taps in twos and threes. Dad mentioned it after his last anger management session as a grounding technique. Tim found it… useful. For other things. Largely subduing shrieks, and kicking his trauma triggers in the nuts—when he was certain it was rude to break out tetris anyways.

“Mom called it ‘soul memory hugs’, and not to look into it when I was a kid.” Tim continued, tapping out one of his favorite songs in a modified version of morse code.

He remembers going to Janet in the middle of the night, asking where the nice red head girl went, and why she was crying when he got shocked in his sleep and everything went green. Janet just soothed his concerns and reminded him that the Talons don't go for society kids, but maybe the little girl lost someone and Tim reminded her of him. That he was not responsible for the girl and to let her come to him on her own terms, but to keep a few back ups prepared "just in case" and had him sleep with salt in hand and an iron bracelet.

“Didn’t stop the flashes of," he still couldn't adequately describe the flickers of his pre-Tim life. Of a realm made of ectoplasm the way theirs was made of carbon. The sentient food, watching people walk off injuries that should have crippled them, or the Fenton Driving Watch for the weather. Tucker's laugh and his varied PDAs, or Sam's smile promising someone pain. Dani's joy when she stabilized and befriended Val. Val's everything. "Of something,” he finished lamely.

It'd all been so difficult to pin down back then, as it was too vague without the rest of his memories giving context. A hand holding his. Someone protecting him, other times being punched in the arm or patted on his shoulder almost in condolence of some sort.

“Usually just a warm feeling that uh, stuck if it was static, no pun intended!”

Virgil shook his head with a smile, leaning into the cushion of the chair. “Sure thing Rob, keep going.”

“But when I started going out as Robin," it began a bit before, when he was gathering more evidence of Bruce as Batman to validate his threat of exposing Bruce's secret identity if that was the only way to the man to stop and get help. The sense of dejavu and the stray thought of 'Wes is rolling in his grave' that he never could explain away…

"As Robin," Tim repeated after a beat of silence. "and got hit anytime? It, it changed." his taps stopped being to any song at all. Mouth pulled to one flat, Tim continued. "Flickers of something," he leaned his head to one side, before moving it to the other as he spoke. "Became more and bits of something else.”

Virgil leaned back minutely, face starting to tinge with pinches of worry. “Do any of the Bats know about that?”

Tim shook his head. “B wasn’t, uh,” Tim fiddled with his hands more, not taps or morse code. More hand wringing and flexing phalanges. “In any state to even recognize I wasn’t Robin the Second when I started,” he confessed.

Virgil seemed frozen, like he was mentally recoiling as he moved from his chair to perch on his bed to see Tim and be closer to him for some reason. And now far more attentive than the earlier lull.

Tim shrugged off his concern, as it wasn't like anybody was unaware of how badly Bruce took losing Jason, or how badly Batman took flying solo. People are excellent at ignoring inconveniences to them. and a compromised bad was inconvenient to the GEL.

“No one noticed in the field as Robin was still who he called. My job was to deescalate him, not the other way around.”

Virgil pinched his brow. “So your mentor was violent, and you mentored him rather than mentoring you.”

“Yeah, for most of the three years I pieced him back together. He had me go through the ringer and work under a lot of mentors for combat. Some villains too.”

Tim briefly wondered if Lady Shiva’s offer would extend to helping him take out Joker… And if he could live with himself if he did. Joker killed Jason and was a contributing reason to his parents' hesitation to letting him take up a mantel again in Gotham.

Tim ran a hand through his hair, trying to push that thought aside and the relief of it out of his mind. “Didn’t really tell B things until it was mandatory or necessary. And I wasn’t Robin like Dick and Jay were. I wasn’t and won’t be his son. Just the kid pulling his ass out of his own head and enforcing his old code on his ass. With whatever weapon I need to keep others safe.”

“Hey, Rob?" Virgil interrupted. "You do realize what that sounds like out loud, right?” Virgil's form radiated tension.

Tim could only give a strained smile in return. “Dad and Step Mom lectured me on it and not sacrificing myself for someone that can’t even see me, not the people they wish I was.”

Virgil shook his head as he leaned back. “No wonder you’re off patrol in Gotham.”

Tim let out a long exhale through his nose. “Yeah. Dad sort of wasn’t around until after Mom died, and uh, fixed his priorities.”

“Deathlike do it,” Virgil muttered to himself bitterly.

Tim tactfully ignored that as he knew it was something for Virgil to reveal to his family (not being dead) not Tim’s brand of meddling.

“So uh, Dad always knew about the memory hugs, and more recently the uh, flickers? I've been calling the longer and more detailed memory hugs that. A lot of people get flickers of previous lives and shit, so no need to tell Bats when he frankly couldn’t tell ass, elbow and knees apart.”

Virgil whistled long and low. “Cool, cool… so what does that have to do with the Joker Incident and the extra sensory shit you’ve clearly got going on.”

Tim took a deep breath. “Joker uh, used electric shock repeatedly as a way to torture me. Tried to re-write my memories to be his kid, not B's."

Virgil froze.

“Which is ridiculous. If anything, B was my kid." Tim curled his toes as the memories tried to creep back in. He wished that etiquette allowed him to play tetris right now—to distract him from the phantom sensations.

"Same thing happened in the last life and it," he struggled how to articulate the change of impressions and images to the meshing of time and emotional intermingling. "It stopped being flickers."

He bite his inner cheek and could feel the barely noticeable mouth scars pinking as he bit down. All while Virgil's eyes watched his every move. "More, more like flashbacks, I guess. A lot of time being tied down with an asshole demanding I kill my dad and join him as his evil apprentice. Sometimes it was bleeding memories and superimposed images of people I knew then onto people I know now. And it uh, kicked my meta-gene into activating.”

Virgil finally moved, visibly tabling most of what he said. The tension in his own shoulders dropped when he realized he wouldn't have to go back to that horrid laughing place in his mind . “What kinds of activating, and how’d they emerge?”

“A few my step mom clocked—I could hear better and had a larger pitch range that my voice cracking couldn’t hide. Mostly on their own but the uh, scream one is uh, a work in progress on emerging still.”

“So you can hear people coming from further away?” Virgil surmised.

“Not exactly. Its uh, complicated<" Tim let his shoulders and hands do the talking again. "A local eco-terrorist and meta is helping me with where it overlaps on her turf. Apparently plants can hear a lot more than we thought and have opinions on my singing skills. Mainly, that they suck.”

Virgil took a deep breath and looked up. Tim waited for him to give the okay to keep going.

Virgil waved him on once he was done pleading to the ceiling for something to make this more bearable.

“So uh, Ivy is teaching me how to understand plant languages, in exchange for beach cleanups and something I already planned to and had in the works.”

“A rogue is teaching you about your powers, and the adult who you were monitoring in hindsight has no clue.” Virgil rubbed his face before looking up. “And Dick, he looped in?”

“Not yet, I uh, want to know more before becoming a pet project for the extended Bats, you know?”

Virgil conceded that much.

“And its only one aspect the rogue knows! She helps a lot of metas hide their abilities and teaches them how to cope and work with it on their terms. B knows about her doing that and doesn’t interfere with that part of her work. Everyone knows about her doing it.”

“But not regarding you?”

“Its," Tim scrambled to find the right word. "Its complicated.”

“A lot of things with Bats are.”

“Look," Tim held his hands up in surrender. "My dad will go down for attempted murder, if not murder one, if B is around me anymore. I don’t know what they said, but Dad found out about Robin a few weeks after I escaped the JJ incident…”

Virgil paused, face loosening as something clicked. Shoulders slack, he muttered, “you almost died, didn’t you?”

Tim bit his inner cheeks and scars, tapping a littler harder than before. “Legally dead a few times during it, and uh, got to relive the times I died in my last life.”

“How Bad?”

Tim could feel Maddie cutting into him, could see her comparing his insides to Ember’s.

“Mad scientist parents found out I stopped being fully human. It, it was, it was bad.”

“Shit.”

Tim swallowed dryly. “Yeah. Uh, I was hoping, no pressure or obligation, if you’d be okay helping with exposure therapy with electricity. Yours doesn’t sound the same as, as,” Tim felt that urge to scream grow in his throat. He clamped his hands over his mouth and used that trick from Fear Toxin.

“Tim?!”Virgil stood up.

5 things he could touch. His mouth, shoes, ground under his feet, the chair he was sitting on, his clothes.

4 things he can see. Virgil, door, poster, desk.

3 things he can hear. His breathing (too quick), Virgil’s static field, hum from the lights.

2 things he can smell. Stress and BO.

1 thing he can taste. His teeth.

Tim dropped his hands as his throat loosened to safe speaking levels as he repeated the steps. “Sorry, just uh, some stress requires screaming now and it, its not safe to be in the blast radius.” Tim ran a hand over his face. “Learning pitch control still and the screams tend to uh, level things. Missions are fine, the, the flashbacks…”

Virgil nodded slowly. “Not far off from Canary then. Talking about JJ triggers it?”

Tim nodded with a hard swallow. “Talking about the, the memories from the life where my parents uh, killed me and the dying by them after half dying from fixing an invention of theirs and having multi-dimensional portal kill and revive me simultaneously multiple times does it too.”

Static opened and shut his mouth. “Flashbacks frequent?”

“Yeah, kinda. Telling my body we’re not being strapped down and vivisected is uh, not something it likes to believe. And survival first, questions later. Fear gas is so much easier to handle,” he complained.

Virgil nodded slower this time. Tim knew it was a lot to take in.

“So, a Canary Cry?” Virgil began once the silence began to stretch to uncomfortable.

“Kind of?” Tim read her file enough before just in case, and he had clear add-ons she didn’t have. “Enhanced hearing too, but I can use infra sound and hear it if I tune into it. Also can hear the weather more than usual.”

“More than—you could hear the weather before?” Virgil stared at him.

“Assumed it was the autism,” Tim dismissed. “Could be both now.”

Virgil shook his head, possibly grumbling about 'white boys' under his breath. “Any other metas in the family?”

“Not that are still around. Dad’s cousin had a similar voice ability,” Tim talked around the issue of Black Canary Senior being his disowned cousin. “But never met her. Fled long before I was born on Dad’s side. Mom’s is a mystery in general unless you ask for someone specific about a specific event or topic.”

Virgil shook his head. “Okay, but are you sure nothing else has gone on, anything unusual?”

“Not that I can think of off the top of my head. Broke down Batman’s resistance to me being Robin using what Mom taught me about destroying my enemy’s mental fortitude, so… I don’t think so.”

“Think on it. And I can help with the exposure therapy thing if you want, but getting any help for all of this besides me?”

“Step mom, Dad, and Ivy. Robin’s supportive but doesn’t know any specifics… I think. She caught me during training on a surveillance mission, only knows some powers. Dad, step mom and me are the only ones that know about all of them.”

Virgil sighed. “Bats can’t know?”

“Not if we want my dad to stay out jail.”

Virgil looked up at his ceiling. “Planning to your tell your friends?”

“…When I have a better idea of how to control the screaming part. They were already convinced I’ve been meta since we met.”

“Might have been.”

Oh, Tim had not thought that part through.

“…maybe? I’ll have to work that out at home… and thanks. I mean it.”

“No problem man, just try not to mix me with anyone you knew last life, or not too bad.”

“You’re safe. More worried about mixing current friends with my dead ones.”

Virgil shooed Tim out.

Tim relaxed, just a touch, before going back to cases in the commons and catching Stephanie up on Titans BS with everyone chiming in.

It was good to be home.

—

Tim knows, logically, he can tell his team about being murdered by his parents in his last life. He also remembers meeting Greta and knowing she wasn’t truly Dead, which is something he can’t explain fully still…

Virgil might have had a point about being some sort of meta (or maybe magic?) long before the JJ incident. Most kids can’t evade Batman and Robin for years just to take pictures of them mid-flight.

Maybe a sound nullification ability or something to that effect… he can bribe Ivy to help experiment with it later.

The problem is he doubts Kon wouldn’t lead the charge with his dad to summon and beat up said former filicidal parents. And he knows that the whole team would be on board if they knew.

He would rather not see Maddie or Jack again. Especially while awake. Jazz showing up a bit different in his dreams and complaining about his broken sleep schedule making it harder to visit was something he remained on the fence about telling anyone.

Possibly harass Captain Marvel about it as that guy said nothing about people’s shit unless it becomes a game of which plane of existence you can stay on… but even then, tracking him down without bat-tech is a game of whackamole.

There’s also the complication of Tim being very aware he likes Kon, and not necessarily as a friend alone. Which. He doesn’t have time for the additional sexuality crisis on top of his varied identity crises at the moment and the media’s questions about the two Robins and if Robin was gender fluid, flux or only out as a girl in Gotham and a young man elsewhere. He cannot add ‘crushing on a teammate’ to his list when he and Stephanie only broke up a week before the JJ incident and are just now easing back into their old friendship. He doesn’t want the amputated feeling of losing a friend again because he keeps catching feelings for them, and is 10,000% certain he should not touch romance until he’s in a better mental state.

He has Problems on his plate, and it’s already overflowing. He’d rather not break.

And he loves his friends. But he has no doubt that Cassie would set up the pitchforks rather than stop any of the retribution his father was undoubtedly planning. He can’t gift-wrap his friends as minions in his dad’s crusade to fuck over the Fentons across dimensions, spacetime and afterlife status.

He did manage to make a small list of oddities for himself about his capacity to do things that were vaguely ghostly or similar to powers he’d pieced together.

So far potential intangibility or density shifting, invisibility, faster recovery rate than non-metas yet slow for a meta—speed seems dependent on how likely the injury is to kill him. His high tolerance for the cold was making sense the further in Winter he got and the more he’d see flickers of Frostbite training him in his last life.

Whatever an ��ice core’ is, seems cool. He may have taken to playing with discarded freeze guns and be reworking them to be smaller and more compact. Possibly to add to his future vigilante ID, or to be a general weapon as a civilian given non-lethal status and his ability to add a melting rate adjustment knob of some sort, and call 911.

Bart saw him with it, grinned manically, and joined in helping him improve and adjust it. Slobo joined them both.

Cassie took one look at them and declared it ‘not her problem if they freeze themselves’ while Kon was out on another press tour thing.

Tim pretended not to note those had increased lately only on days Tim was staying with Just Us for non-mission things and Kon’s increase in excuses to avoid him in general.

If Kon wanted distance, then he’d get it. Even if it stung. Kon’s time and his life to spend as he pleases. And clearly, Tim displeases him. /worthless. Monster. Failure. Stand-in. No wonder you’ve always been a loser—/

“So, for Robin time or outside the mask?” Greta asked when she caught the three near the end of a schematics debate.

“Not sure yet,” Tim admitted. “Rogues are weirdly chill with me in civvies lately. But that could be Ivy being Ivy.”

Bart and Slobo’s debate died at that. “Ivy?”

“Uh, Poison Ivy’s plants outted civilian me for something i was dealing with. She’s decided she’s helping with fine-tuning my control on it and gave me one of her ‘protected by’ pins.”

Greta hummed, floating nearer while Bart was buzzing in his place.

“and its a good thing?”

“Other than her shipping me and my ex? Parents approve of the additional support and it’s made intel gathering easier. She was right about the hearing range increase being a bitch to deal with daily.”

Cassie came in with their takeout then, and everyone dispelled to their usual nonsense.

“So, Ivy ships you and your ex?” Greta began with innocently enough.

Tim debated banging his head against the table.

“My civvie self and Gotham’s Robin,” he clarified. “And only enough to throw cuddle pollen on her and lock us together in… varied situations. And laugh about it.”

Cassie blinked at him slowly. “You are being teased by a Rogue who ships civilian you, with a vigilante.”

“… to be fair I am getting plant speak lessons, but yeah.”

“Rob, what the fuck,” Cassie shook her head.

Tim shrugged. “Its Ivy. A safe distraction for the minors she fights is her preferred MO. if it’s just Bats she can and will use sex pollen. If kids or unclear on minor status are involved, cuddle pollen galore.”

“Uh huh.” Cassie and Greta share a look. “So you dated girl Robin, before she became Robin?”

“She was Spoiler first, and I gave her tips on managing Bruce’s ass when I uh,” Tim still didn’t know how to explain ‘forcibly removed from vigilante activities as his dad worried about him dying in a cape like the last Robin, so Tim was forced to pass the buck of Bruce’s mental instability onto his ex-girlfriend and close friend, Spoiler, and coaches her in Bruce Wrangling at a distance’.

“Forced semi-retirement?” Cissie suggested as she stole a slice of pizza, cringing at Tim’s. Which was all his as Bart didn’t care for it. Sucker’s bet on keeping their slices safe from speedster snatching. Amateurs; clearly they never went to boarding school.

“That,” Tim took a bite of his Canadian bacon and pineapple goodness. “And also she’s officially Oracle’s Robin," he swallowed. "Just B’s for combat scenarios. Dad has decided to threaten B’s living status for her too.”

“Rob,” Slobo interrupted. “The fuck.”

“…in my defense, she asked me out a week after almost killing me the first time.”

“Your dad, not other Robin!”

“First time?!”

“She prefers bricks as her projectiles.” Tim wiped his hands clean after his first slice, humming as he went over the blueprint… how should he compensate for his screams and Wail?

“Oh, and she aimed at my head. She’s into three section staffs lately which is a lot less deadly.”

“Rob. She asked you out after almost killing you?” Bart clarified.

“… not on purpose but yeah.”

“She asked you out by accident?”

“No, almost killing part. She’s gotten better aim since, and is following the no killing until you’re not a bat-affiliate rule.”

His team shared looks he didn't bother to check. The urge to analyze could spiral into another screaming attack if he didn't nip it in the bud.

“So not getting back together with her?” Greta clarified with a smile that screamed Gossip Detected.

He let her have either way, even with the looks Cissie, Bart, and Cassie shared.

———-

Let me know if i missed any tags ^^

#long post #my writing #dpxdc #danny phantom #danny reincarnated at tim #good parents jack and dana #phantom shrike au #tumblr kept eating the full post sorry

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buttercupshands · 15 days ago

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I've been thinking a lot lately

ref to the quote under the cut

under the cut for maybe some people that would like to try and guess *shruggs*

#fanart #my art #sketch #crk #crk fanart #shadow milk cookie #cookie run fanart #I'm literally wasting my phone's battery by playing the ep again but I can't help it #I love the music in there especially in that one scene right before PV is awakened it's so... interesting #I've also been thinking about how this quote should probably fit sm as well and I just like how it sounds #back when I first read the AMA I didn't know English very well and I won't say I know it well now but at least I can talk and read it bette #and the way it sounds makes me think every time #I do like ep's ending but some of the other scenes caught my attention more like sm's curiosity about the soul gem being his downfall #corrupted or not he's still a Fount of Knowledge and that's an interesting detail as Vanilla did the same with trying to figure sm out late #before being awakened too! like those too ARE two sides of the same coin in sense that truly fits their soulstone #but in ep 8 specifically it shines the brightest as we see both get more serious in it getting new sprites and all #anyway I've just been thinking #crk is like a meditation thing for me as I don't expect anything from me drawing it #isat is a bit overwhelming everytime I post anything and I have no idea how much is it my skill and how much is it isat being a small fando #but going in dissapointed beforehand means it can't dissapoint you twice! so I win this one #writing all that took me more effort than sketching and putting up the alphabet just to be extremely close to the norm #artists on tumblr #digital art

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crossbackpoke-check · 28 days ago

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blessed be (lorscher bienensegen) | telling the bees (wiþ ymbe)

"Bees" [remixed, abridged], Claudia Emerson // "Letter to Someone Living Fifty Years from Now" [remixed. abridged], Matthew Olzmann // "Letter to my Great, Great Grandchild" [remixed, abridged], J.P. Grasser | Len Redkole, Nina Weiss, Brian Babineau, Christian Peterson, Mitchell Leff, Dave Isaac, Megan DeRuchie

#liv in the replies #if i were insane there would be an appendix to this called telling the bees however i finished this at 3am yesterday its nearly midnight &#my cutoff is when my ahl asg stream cuts. GOD by now i should know when i save a poem like hmm. not applicable but god it'd be perfect #THAT'S A CURSE. DON'T PUT IT IN THE DOCUMENT. DON'T SAVE IT. FORGET YOU READ IT. IT'S A CURSE!! <- things i should've told myself when i #went to read bees was already like 👀 &then the first line was FUCKING CLAUDE!!!!! anyway. sorry also this is like. insanely long but ALSO #regarding mf claude. the first picture is a leftover from the claude edit i made years ago so that feels GREAT and BEAUTIFUL & also for me #as ever y'all will be getting a full breakdown. starting with what i regularly have a breakdown about every time i see it which is joelle's #james 1:12 tattoo which if u use the king james version (gay) is blessed is he who perseveres under trial because having stood the test he #will receive the crown of life the lord has promised to those who love him. which i always go blessed is he who perseveres // for those who #love him. and that's joel. ignoring him getting it then getting sent down on his birthday IGNORING IT. also we know the frosty/maple leafs #hahaha fuck the flyers lore right? good. that's morgan and his dad also bc i love a baby picture & it was perfect. also the dave isaac pic #next was in an article talking about morgan 'stung' by draft camp. shut UP. i have an alt for tells him with claude and ALSO hate the #elephant w/phil bc myesie u fuckin leaf-eater (giraffe) but i love the composition of that jake shot & had to use it (it was also almost #tells him) with thylacine jakey frog nolan also raff the extinct whale bc i needed him here. if my editing on incapable of joy is bad no on #tell me i did some SHENANIGANS to put morgan in there & color-pick/alter his jersey. new skill. i think euphoria is one of my favorite for #the sake of pride night but ALSO that polaroid kills me very time &they're so stoners contemplate the universe but ALSO i love transcendenc #so that whole three photo string i think is my favorite. and i was in looking at these like listen okay it's okay there are only so many #photos in the world. you can repeat from others you've seen before. except ALSO there's so many of these freaks together do you separate #and every time i was like there can't be more there was more. don't ask the number of back-ups for the sweetest blossom/pinch/ruffle sets #okay also the ready to be stung one was a surprise favorite fit for me because i love that line but wasn't sure how to convey it? so it's o #i think with how morgan's face is and the almost of it all. yes joel hardest trier is in there purely for me i do have an alt but. how coul #u doubt him. insert sasha's tweet abt how much joel loves philly but all his quotes have been abt being excited for morgan to have a fresh #start. AND NOT EVEN TWO MINUTES IN CALGARY AND YOU'RE STILL INSEPARABLE god i literally googled frost farabee calgary to find the last #blessed [because. heard but not seen you know of everyone traded but you went together. not seen. (which ties into the terrible appendix)]#and IT DIDN'T EVEN TAKE ME TWO MINUTES TO FIND THAT!!! WHAT DO YOU MEANNN anyway. sorry again it's so long & also i will be vanishing a wee #& a half after posting [redacted] is kicking my ass & im doing [redacted fun things WAIT ACTUALLY U CAN KNOW ONE i'm seeing hippo campus]#morgan frost #joel farabee #philadelphia flyers #calgary flames

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youdontknowhowtodiequietly · 4 hours ago

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@aurisartblog (it won't let me tag you??? for some reason???) i saw you asking for elaboration in the comments but idk how long my response would be and i despise typing under comments (it's just so squished - don't ask) so here ya go!

TW! Spoilers for TGR (I will only be talking about things I picked up in this book because I did not annotate TSC), mentions of SA, because, of course there is, it's these two.

To start off with: Jean is so aggressively loyal.

BUT

His aggression and violence is controlled. Idk if you saw the post someone made about Andrew never being out of control, even when others think he is, and I 100% stand by that and it's the same thing with Jean. We all saw how controlled he has been with everything - the game, practices, when ppl piss him off in general - but when it comes time where that aggression is needed to protect his people, it comes out in a measured dose that doesn't intend to seriously harm, but to get someone to back down. Like how a dog will give you a nip, or a cat will swat at you, to get you to back off? Yeah, like that.

Which leads me onto the dog thing.

Now, we're all aware of how Andrew is referred to as Kevin's guard dog, or something of the likes, with the leash and other metaphors. Well, Jean's is not so outwardly named, but he does display dog-like behaviours - especially an obedient one, even if that obedience has been abused into him.

For example, on page 13/14 (Kindle): "As usual, Jean finished first and went to wait on the bench near Jeremy’s locker." Tell me that is not a dog waiting obediently for its "owner" (not saying at all that Jeremy owns him, he does not, but Kevin did not own Andrew, so...) And going back to the whole control thing? If Jeremy said "bite", Jean would. It is Jeremy (and Rhemann, and his contract, but mainly Jeremy and Jean's fear of disappointing him) that keeps Jean at bay (most of the time - technically with Bryson Jeremy didn't say "go" but he also didn't put up much of a protest. I'm sure if Jeremy had been more confident and less afraid of his brother, he could have stopped Jean. But also, sometimes a guard dog will bite even if it isn't told to if it's owner(s) are in danger, and Jeremy and Laila were).

Another quote, which kind of made me really think "hmm, this guy is kind of a parallel to Andrew!" is one quote on page 335: "It makes you more interesting" after Jeremy insults the Bobcats. And quote on page 226 "Stop looking at me like that." (though I didn't realise how Andrew-like it was until I started writing this) are both almost exact copies of what Andrew has said - I think Andrew says "Interesting" to Neil once in the first trilogy? But I haven't read the books in yonks.

Also, just, the poker faces (though Jean's is less "I'm bored" and more, "I could not care less about anything going on"), how they're both so accepting yet filled with rage at what has happened to them (e.g., page 350 "I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. Then why did he want to scream until his throat bled?").

The fact that they are both victims of rape, yet believe that they would never get a true prosecution for their abusers (I'm sure that's why Andrew never spoke out, not just because he was trying to move on, but he knows how low the rates are of rapists getting prosecuted for women, and he no doubt made the connection that it would be even less between two men, even if it was CSA), and Jean doesn't really express this but I'm sure it's a thought.

And I don't doubt Andrew struggled to come to terms with his sexuality after everything that happened to him, and though it isn't the same as what happened to Jean, his struggle with his own attraction is similar.

If we were to get a POV of Andrew, and I were to read TSC again, I would probably be able to make more comparisons.

I hope you enjoyed anyways, and feel free to add to this if you wanna (anyone, btw, not just the person I tagged and am replying to) and sorry if it's a little incoherent, most of my posts usually are lmao.

everyone talks about the parallels between jean and neil, the misplaced forever partners, but no one talks about the parallels between jean and andrew

#now lets talk about jeremy/nicky parallels!#(lets not bc there are far less of them lmao)#tgr #tgr spoilers #the golden raven #the golden raven spoilers #jean moreau #andrew minyard

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raventhekittycat · 4 months ago

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I know it's Ryousuke but I genuinely thought it was a woman there for a hot second

#rewatching initial d now i live in gunma and lemme tell ya its an experience #very much a hey i know that! now 🤣🤣🤣#even if I'm down in Takasaki and not in Shibukawa or Maebashi #tho apparently the hospital is in takasaki which surprised me cause i misremembered that bit #was gonna go to akagi for the first time this weekend to see leaves but heard it might be better to wait still #so putting it on hold #but E is thinking doing a day at Haruna (up the ropeway which i haven't done) then Akagi #hit the two big ones #ALSO WE DROVE BY THE KANAMESHI SIGN AND I LOST MY MIND #one of those things i didn't expect to still be there but is #we were headed to karuizawa and saw some great waterfalls tho the leaves were only just starting to turn #and on the way back i noticed they did have a 86 & a sileighty under it and i tried to get a pic but my phone didn't focus in time 😭#will have to go back when i have my license #Wanted to do usui pass even if we were in E's kei car but it was closed #will have to go back obviously #anyways fuck do i love living in Gunma like genuinely perfect place for me #I honestly think I could live in Takasaki for the rest of my life which is kinda bonkers #anyways come to gunma we got great onsen beautiful nature no tourists and lots of fun roads to drive #(i actually kinda recommend avoiding the initial d ones cause some have preventive measures now and others are well....#crowded 🤣)#Anyways theyre still fun but with all our mountains we have so many more #wow long tag post

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themyscirah · 8 months ago

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Okay so basically the United States MINT of all people is going to be working with DC to make a line of coins! These coins sadly won't be in circulation (the things I would do to live in a world where I could get Batman coins from the supermarket) as they're collectors coins, but will be releasing over the course of the next 3 years, 2025-2027.

Designs haven't been released yet (the same is true for all 2025 designs) but we know there will be 9 coins in total (3 each year) with the first year featuring (of course!!!) Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

Although we know the first three heroes to be featured, the remaining six have yet to be decided, and it turns out the Mint is putting out a survey on their site to gauge which of a group of culturally significant heroes people want to see most! (link to the form is mentioned in the article above)

The considered group includes: Supergirl, the Flash, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Captain Marvel, John Stewart GL, Aquaman, Hawkman, Jamie Reyes BB, Robin (Damian?), Cyborg, and Batgirl, of which 6 will be selected.

As someone who does a bit of coin collecting myself (mainly circulation coins like the quarters sets, but I also have a couple proof and collectors coins) I think this is a really cool and interesting idea that showcases the history of the comics medium and these characters and their influence on American culture. Really excited to wait and see what the designs look like for the coins already announced!

#ABSOLUTELY INSANE TO ME #sorry just. only thing that could make this crazier is if these were circulating. i would fucking die actually lmao #i mean you could buy something with one of these legally but like youre an idiot if you do that so likeeee #someone showing up with the solid gold superman collector coin and its only legally worth a dollar lmao #not that someone would do this but future generations/archeologists finding a coin in some ruins and it just has like. batman on it #amazing to me #also just the transition from us currency having all fake people (lady liberty some random native american guy etc.) and then going to real #people and presidents then expanding that to honor people that they believe should be honored (think the harriet tubman coin set right now)#and representing beauty and innovation and culture through representation of the states #only through that lens to swing back around and have fake people on the coins again in the form of the freaking dc trinity. insane to me #no one ever gets me when im nerding out over coins its okay. at least its not postage stamps (i actually do have some special postage stamps #its like 1 sheet though it was for the 2017 eclipse and the image changes from totality to the moon with the heat of your finger theyre so #cool okay) anyways i like dont really know that much abt coins lol i originally saw a post abt this on reddit 💀 lol and had to check this #was real which is insane. anyways my dad got my all my coin stuff ive got a proof set from the year i was born albums to hold the 50 states #and national parks (america the beautiful but its 90% natl park designs lets be honest here) quarter collections as i find them irl #(dont have an album for us women yet sadly but do have some of the coins) as well as a few dimes and other circulation albums i havent used #much. and then i have a few collectibles like the hubble telescope $1 coin the 50th anniversary apollo 11 one and the 2021 anniversary peace #dollar. though like not the gold ones or anything like that lol but yeah. i talk abt coins every once and a while with friends and i know #things but then my dad is in the car and its like nevermind lol.#also put a ? after damian's name bc theres a chance it could be dick and they just used the wrong picture. because some of the character #bios had names but his didnt and seemed very dick grayson (acrobatics mention “batman's partner” etc) but not so specfic exclude either one #and the pick was damian. but then the ollie pick was goateeless for some reason so who knows #culturally dick is more important but dami is current so idk #dc comics #blah #ive really been learning so much today. first all in announcement and subsequent leaks and now this. what a ride #also love how im anticipating and know future comics things lol. when did that happen haha. ive really transitioned from only reading back #issues and never knowing current events to following a lot of releases lol and somehow finding out about the freaking coin collection...#crazy how that happens #cant scroll up at that first image without losing it a bit still actually. what a world we live in. anyways take your bets who is gonna be

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ekingston · 2 months ago

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SO HERE IS THE WHOLE STORY (SO FAR).

I am on my knees begging you to reblog this post and to stop reblogging the original ones I sent out yesterday. This is the complete account with all the most recent info; the other one is just sending people down senselessly panicked avenues that no longer lead anywhere.

IN SHORT

Cliff Weitzman, CEO of Speechify and (aspiring?) voice actor, used AI to scrape thousands of popular, finished works off AO3 to list them on his own for-profit website and in his attached app. He did this without getting any kind of permission from the authors of said work or informing AO3. Obviously.

When fandom at large was made aware of his theft and started pushing back, Weitzman issued a non-apology on the original social media posts—using

his dyslexia;

his intent to implement a tip-system for the plagiarized authors; and

a sudden willingness to take down the work of every author who saw my original social media posts and emailed him individually with a ‘valid’ claim,

as reasons we should allow him to continue monetizing fanwork for his own financial gain.

When we less-than-kindly refused, he took down his ‘apologies’ as well as his website (allegedly—it’s possible that our complaints to his web host, the deluge of emails he received or the unanticipated traffic brought it down, since there wasn’t any sort of official statement made about it), and when it came back up several hours later, all of the work formerly listed in the fan fiction category was no longer there.

THE TAKEAWAYS

1. Cliff Weitzman (aka Ofek Weitzman) is a scumbag with no qualms about taking fanwork without permission, feeding it to AI and monetizing it for his own financial gain;

2. Fandom can really get things done when it wants to, and

3. Our fanworks appear to be hidden, but they’re NOT DELETED from Weitzman’s servers, and independently published, original works are still listed without the authors' permission. We need to hold this man responsible for his theft, keep an eye on both his current and future endeavors, and take action immediately when he crosses the line again.

THE TIMELINE, THE DETAILS, THE SCREENSHOTS (behind the cut)

Sunday night, December 22nd 2024, I noticed an influx in visitors to my fic You & Me & Holiday Wine. When I searched the title online, hoping to find out where they came from, a new listing popped up (third one down, no less):

This listing is still up today, by the way, though now when you follow the link to word-stream, it just brings you to the main site. (Also, to be clear, this was not the cause for the influx of traffic to my fic; word-stream did not link back to the original work anywhere.)

I followed the link to word-stream, where to my horror Y&M&HW was listed in its entirety—though, beyond the first half of the first chapter, behind a paywall—along with a link promising to take me—through an app downloadable on the Apple Store—to an AI-narrated audiobook version. When I searched word-stream itself for my ao3 handle I found both of my multi-chapter fics were listed this way:

Because the tags on my fics (which included genres* and characters, but never the original IPs**) weren’t working, I put ‘Kara Danvers’ into the search bar and discovered that many more supercorp fics (Supergirl TV fandom, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor pairing) were listed.

I went looking online for any mention of word-stream and AI plagiarism (the covers—as well as the ridiculously inflated number of reviews and ratings—made it immediately obvious that AI fuckery was involved), but found almost nothing: only one single Reddit post had been made, and it received (at that time) only a handful of upvotes and no advice.

I decided to make a tumblr post to bring the supercorp fandom up to speed about the theft. I draw as well as write for fandom and I’ve only ever had to deal with art theft—which has a clear set of steps to take depending on where said art was reposted—and I was at a loss regarding where to start in this situation.

After my post went up I remembered Project Copy Knight, which is worth commending for the work they’ve done to get fic stolen from AO3 taken down from monetized AI 'audiobook’ YouTube accounts. I reached out to @echoekhi, asking if they’d heard of this site and whether they could advise me on how to get our works taken down.

While waiting for a reply I looked into Copy Knight’s methods and decided to contact OTW’s legal department:

And then I went to bed.

By morning, tumblr friends @makicarn and @fazedlight as well as a very helpful tumblr anon had seen my post and done some very productive sleuthing:

@echoekhi had also gotten back to me, advising me, as expected, to contact the OTW. So I decided to sit tight until I got a response from them.

That response came only an hour or so later:

Which was 100% understandable, but still disappointing—I doubted a handful of individual takedown requests would accomplish much, and I wasn’t eager to share my given name and personal information with Cliff Weitzman himself, which is unavoidable if you want to file a DMCA.

I decided to take it to Reddit, hoping it would gain traction in the wider fanfic community, considering so many fandoms were affected. My Reddit posts (with the updates at the bottom as they were emerging) can be found here and here.

A helpful Reddit user posted a guide on how users could go about filing a DMCA against word-stream here (to wobbly-at-best results)

A different helpful Reddit user signed up to access insight into word-streams pricing. Comment is here.

Smells unbelievably scammy, right? In addition to those audacious prices—though in all fairness any amount of money would be audacious considering every work listed is accessible elsewhere for free—my dyscalculia is screaming silently at the sight of that completely unnecessary amount of intentionally obscured numbers.

Speaking of which! As soon as the post on r/AO3—and, as a result, my original tumblr post—began taking off properly, sometime around 1 pm, jumpscare! A notification that a tumblr account named @cliffweitzman had commented on my post, and I got a bit mad about the gist of his message :

Fortunately he caught plenty of flack in the comments from other users (truly you should check out the comment section, it is extremely gratifying and people are making tremendously good points), in response to which, of course, he first tried to both reiterate and renegotiate his point in a second, longer comment (which I didn��t screenshot in time so I’m sorry for the crappy notification email formatting):

which he then proceeded to also post to Reddit (this is another Reddit user’s screenshot, I didn’t see it at all, the notifications were moving too fast for me to follow by then)

... where he got a roughly equal amount of righteously furious replies. (Check downthread, they're still there, all the way at the bottom.)

After which Cliff went ahead & deleted his messages altogether.

It’s not entirely clear whether his account was suspended by Reddit soon after or whether he deleted it himself, but considering his tumblr account is still intact, I assume it’s the former. He made a handful of sock puppet accounts to play around with for a while, both on Reddit and Tumblr, only one of which I have a screenshot of, but since they all say roughly the same thing, you’re not missing much:

And then word-stream started throwing a DNS error.

That lasted for a good number of hours, which was unfortunately right around the time that a lot of authors first heard about the situation and started asking me individually how to find out whether their work was stolen too. I do not have that information and I am unclear on the perimeters Weitzman set for his AI scraper, so this is all conjecture: it LOOKS like the fics that were lifted had three things in common:

They were completed works;

They had over several thousand kudos on AO3; and

They were written by authors who had actively posted or updated work over the past year.

If anyone knows more about these perimeters or has info that counters my observation, please let me know!

I finally thought to check/alert evil Twitter during this time, and found out that the news was doing the rounds there already. I made a quick thread summarizing everything that had happened just in case. You can find it here.

I went to Bluesky too, where fandom was doing all the heavy lifting for me already, so I just reskeeted, as you do, and carried on.

Sometime in the very early evening, word-stream went back up—but the fan fiction category was nowhere to be seen. Tentative joy and celebration!***

That’s when several users—the ones who had signed up for accounts to gain intel and had accessed their own fics that way—reported that their work could still be accessed through their history. Relevant Reddit post here.

Sooo—

We’re obviously not done. The fanwork that was stolen by Weitzman may be inaccessible through his website right now, but they aren’t actually gone. And the fact that Weitzman wasn’t willing to get rid of them altogether means he still has plans for them.

This was my final edit on my Reddit post before turning off notifications, and it's pretty much where my head will be at for at least the foreseeable future:

Please feel free to add info in the comments, make your own posts, take whatever action you want to take to protect your work. I only beg you—seriously, I’m on my knees here—to not give up like I saw a handful of people express the urge to do. Keep sharing your creative work and remain vigilant and stay active to make sure we can continue to do so freely. Visit your favorite fics, and the ones you’ve kept in your ‘marked for later’ lists but never made time to read, and leave kudos, leave comments, support your fandom creatives, celebrate podficcers and support AO3. We created this place and it’s our responsibility to keep it alive and thriving for as long as we possibly can.

Also FUCK generative AI. It has NO place in fandom spaces.

THE 'SMALL' PRINT (some of it in all caps):

*Weitzman knew what he was doing and can NOT claim ignorance. One, it’s pretty basic kindergarten stuff that you don’t steal some other kid’s art project and present it as your own only to act surprised when they protest and then tell the victim that they should have told you sooner that they didn’t want their project stolen. And two, he was very careful never to list the IPs these fanworks were based on, so it’s clear he was at least familiar enough with the legalities to not get himself in hot water with corporate lawyers. Fucking over fans, though, he figured he could get away with that.

**A note about the AI that Weitzman used to steal our work: it’s even greasier than it looks at first glance. It’s not just the method he used to lift works off AO3 and then regurgitate onto his own website and app. Looking beyond the untold horrors of his AI-generated cover ‘art’, in many cases these covers attempt to depict something from the fics in question that can’t be gleaned from their summaries alone. In addition, my fics (and I assume the others, as well) were listed with generated genres; tags that did not appear anywhere in or on my fic on AO3 and were sometimes scarily accurate and sometimes way off the mark. I remember You & Me & Holiday Wine had ‘found family’ (100% correct, but not tagged by me as such) and I believe The Shape of Soup was listed as, among others, ‘enemies to friends to lovers’ and ‘love triangle’ (both wildly inaccurate). Even worse, not all the fic listed (as authors on Reddit pointed out) came with their original summaries at all. Often the entire summary was AI-generated. All of these things make it very clear that it was an all-encompassing scrape—not only were our fics stolen, they were also fed word-for-word into the AI Weitzman used and then analyzed to suit Weitzman’s needs. This means our work was literally fed to this AI to basically do with whatever its other users want, including (one assumes) text generation.

***Fan fiction appears to have been made (largely) inaccessible on word-stream at this time, but I’m hearing from several authors that their original, independently published work, which is listed at places like Kindle Unlimited, DOES still appear in word-stream’s search engine. This obviously hurts writers, especially independent ones, who depend on these works for income and, as a rule, don’t have a huge budget or a legal team with oceans of time to fight these battles for them. If you consider yourself an author in the broader sense, beyond merely existing online as a fandom author, beyond concerns that your own work is immediately at risk, DO NOT STOP MAKING NOISE ABOUT THIS.

PLEASE check my later versions of this post via my main page to make sure you have the latest version of this post before you reblog. All the information I’ve been able to gather is in my reblogs below, and it's frustrating to see the old version getting passed around, sending people on wild goose chases.

Thank you all so much!

#fandom #plagiarism #AO3 #speechify #word-stream #Cliff Weitzman #writers on tumblr #fan fic writing #AI plagiarism #independent authors #Ofek Weitzman #please share

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