#dark city imagine

[classic80sand90smovieloves2]

Meeting and Dating Dr. Daniel Schreber

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous)

- Maybe you and Daniel met on the street. Or at your work. Or maybe just a coffee shop near your apartment. Maybe he was a stranger, a friend of a friend, a professional that you sought for one reason another: the list could go on. I could spin a tale at random and regardless of how implausible it may seem, you’ve probably; at one point or another, known it to be true; whether it be in this life or your next.

- But none of them are ever really true; not in the way they should be. Sure, you’ll believe them to be fact; instead of the carefully formulated fiction that they really are, but when push comes to shove, all they are are memories: memories that you yourself never created, memories that were created for you; created by the closest thing to a guardian angel someone in your position will ever have the pleasure of meeting.

- But where your story truly begins, the term “meeting” doesn’t necessarily apply. For two people to meet, they both have to be conscious, and considering the fact that you were nothing of the sort, it wouldn’t be fair to consider it as such.

- Alas, for lack of a better word, you and Daniel first “met” during the tuning: aka, the first time he entered your home and injected you with a new set of memories to base your entire existence around. The first time he laid eyes on you and found himself short of breath.

- In a few days time, you’d be moved into an entirely different home with no hope of remembering the former in the slightest, yet he’ll never forget the sight of you alone in that room; every last detail of it ingrained in his mind like the most important lesson he’s ever learned.

- Beautiful women aren’t scarce in your city and Daniel’s seen plenty of them; the type of women who could have been movie stars had they not wound up in the cage you called home. And yet, out of all of them, you compelled him the most. You were mundane, perhaps even a little flawed, and yet, to him you were perfect: a puzzle of interesting features that created a patchwork of beauty, beauty that few would take the time to notice yet many would learn to love.

- It isn’t often that Daniel allows himself to grow close to someone; his job makes it nearly impossible for him to do so even if he wanted to, yet he finds himself drawn to you against his own better judgement. He finds himself studying you, narrowing down exactly what makes you “uniquely you”; the inherent behaviors and morals and skills that you possess regardless of the situations you’re placed into. And he finds himself falling for those pieces of you just as much as he does your appearance.

- He soon grows protective of you; perhaps even a bit possessive. He finds himself creating memories that are sickly sweet; refusing to involve any tragedy or pain in your past so long as he can help it. If something horrid happens to you: if some accidental flaw in the systems sees to it that you suffer in some way, shape or form, it’s erased by nightfall; never to haunt you again.

- He favors you above everyone else; is constantly looking after you and seeing to it that you’re never harmed: he reasons to the overlords that you’re a control group, that you can show them the natural progression of a normal person living a normal life and they trust his judgement, unaware of his ulterior motives. He tries to convince himself that he’s protecting you because you’re pure, because you’re sweet and kind, and not because of some other selfish reason; but he knows deep down that that isn’t true.

- There’s a reason he can never bring himself to give you a boyfriend, a lover, a husband. Why he can’t bring himself to create memories of your first kisses or first times or whatever else one experiences in their youth. He can ignore the truth all he likes but that doesn’t erase it from history.

- The only person he can ever bring himself to set you up with is himself. He basks in the momentary bliss of your shared life and tries to enjoy the fleeting sensation of knowing you before it’s ripped away from him all too soon; lost to time as the tuning begins again. And yet, this experience is not without guilt and certainly not without risk, so he avoids it as much as possible.

- Instead, he’ll make it so you meet him by chance: enjoying the brief encounters that you share day after day; even if all they amount to is a few seconds of interaction between strangers. Almost always, you’re none the wiser: you might have a feeling that you’ve seen him before, a sense of deja vu that prompts you to pause and look at him for a second longer than normal, but never a life shattering realization; not at first.

- But at some point in time, you do remember him: he either neglects to erase your mind fully or your mind lapses momentarily and you greet him with a brightness in your eyes that he’s never seen before; a flicker of recognition that’s so foreign to your world that he struggles to respond accordingly. He racks his brain for the particular moment you must have remembered him from, and from there, the thoughts begin to surface; the idea that he should have you for himself in the way he’s always dreamed of.

- To him, your memory of him is a sign. If you didn’t hold some level of fondness for him, there’d be no reason for you to remember him and if your memory was going to continue to evade his attempts at changing it, then what was the point of trying to make you forget him. He could monitor you more closely if you knew him and protect you from your leaders; not to mention the fact that he’d be able to experience the relationship he’d always dreamed of.

- There’s very little Daniel can do without arousing the suspicion of your alien overlords and once he finds himself unable to plausibly deny his affections for you, he’ll find himself forced to confront them and ask their permission to keep you as his wife. Lucky for him, despite their constant studies, there’s still much about human life that evades their understanding; making it relatively easy for him to convince them of the importance of human contact and interaction.

- Thus begins his forging of the perfect relationship….

- Daniels imagined the details time and time again; planned everything out from start to finish, so much so that the story itself is ingrained in his mind like an actual memory rather than an elaborate daydream.

- He fine tunes everything to your liking; models everything around what he knows you’ll adore. You meet and fall in love in the way you’ve always dreamed you would: whether it be through one of your beloved hobbies, a particular book/movie plot, a casual encounter, etc. No matter what it is, it’s something you can look back on proudly and fondly and wonder how you got so lucky.

- He tries to restrain himself, reminds himself your memories must portray a version of himself that he can keep up with: that even though he’d like to be your perfect Prince Charming, he still wants to be honest with you and do everything in his power to form as real a connection as possible.

- One thing that Daniel knows for certain is that love cannot be faked; no matter how hard you try. You can convince a person of their physical attachment to someone, but you can’t create a genuine connection from scratch. You can be convinced you’re in a relationship but you can’t be made to feel like you’re in love.

- And that’s his reassurance that he made the right decision. You yearn to be around him the same way he yearns to be around you. You smile at him like you mean it, like there isn’t an ounce of disappointment inside of you, like you genuinely care for him. He can’t spot or remember a singular moment where you’ve acted as though you were merely playing an assigned role: and after years of being responsible for the casting of said roles, he can certainly tell the difference.

- Perhaps it’s because he knows you better than anyone else in the entire world; he can assume that it wouldn’t be difficult to fall in love with someone who acts as though they can read your mind, but even so, he knows that his observations aren’t prejudiced or obstructed by his own personal wants.

- You love him; regardless of his flaws and the reality of who he truly is: you love him as much as you love the person he convinced you he was and you love him as much as you love the things that are ingrained in the very fibers of your being. Against all odds, he found genuine love and very little could convince him otherwise.

- You’ll both remember all your firsts very differently; with you remembering the fabricated firsts and him remembering the real ones, and though he’ll think back on your first date fondly, nothing will compare to the first time the two of you kissed.

- You’d just woken up from your tuning; the first tuning that saw you become his girlfriend, and he’d discarded his briefcase before you began to wake up, watching you as you smiled at him warmly; blinking away the sleep from your eyes as he stood there nervously.

“You’re home.” You’d said happily and he’d smiled somewhat shyly, sighing in relief just quiet enough for you not to hear.

- He’d slowly approached the chair you were sat in and you’d pulled him down gently, pressing your lips to his own as he tried his hardest not to pull away out of sheer surprise. Alas, you’d still managed to sense his hesitation and asked if he was alright, listening to him carefully as he breathed shakily and swallowed softly, telling you that he “just missed you is all”. You’d merely smiled in response, kissing him again as he finally found himself able to return the gesture and kiss you back.

- After that moment, there was no turning back. And though he tries his best to keep your memories as similar as possible, he can’t help but thumb the wedding band in his pocket and contemplate whether he’ll have the nerve to slip it on your finger the next time he’s in charge of tuning your memories.

- For the sake of these headcanons, I’ll ignore the way the two of you met and just make the dating portion as in character as possible. They’ll most likely revolve around the idea that you’re relatively unaware of his occupation so try to keep that in mind as you continue reading.

- Though he knows the Strangers can view the two of you at any given moment, it still gives him a bit more peace of mind to save his affection for behind closed doors. He feels as though he could be putting you in danger by publicly linking himself to you; at least in a way that seems particularly genuine or romantic, so he prefers reserved Pda that looks more polite than intimate; affection that allows him to lie about your relationship to people who are none the wiser.

- Speaking of affection: Daniel is about as touch starved as a person can be. A simple caress or touch from you can make his breath hitch and a lump form in his throat in a matter of seconds. Hold his face in your hands and he’ll lean into your touch, immediately feeling as though everything is somehow alright again. Your gentle affection is like a drug; one that relaxes and grounds him like nothing else.

- Walking with your elbows interlocked or your hand clutching his arm; usually with him clutching his cane in the opposite hand.

- Lingering kisses pressed to your forehead and hairline.

- Daniels kisses always have a certain depth to them; an intimacy that makes kissing him in public a bit inappropriate. There’s a touch of clumsiness; the sort of clumsiness that comes with a lack of practice, and depending on the circumstances, there’s also either an air of desperation or a gentleness to them that you use to help determine his mood.

- Affection in itself is a good way to figure out how he’s feeling. Daniels a fairly secretive person; he doesn’t like involving you in his problems nor admitting to you when somethings the matter, so it’s best to try and learn the differences in his behavior. It gives you a bit more peace of mind and your silent understanding will visibly comfort him; even if he still refuses to speak about it.

- Sitting on his lap or the arm of his chair. It’s usually how you get his attention and start a conversation about something that’s worrying you: he’ll merely wrap an arm around you and insist that everything will be fine, patting your knee reassuringly as you sit in quiet thought.

- He typically just calls you by your full first name but on occasion, he’ll call you darling, dear or dearest as well. Sometimes; if he’s trying really hard to act normal or relate to someone, he’ll refer to you as “the old ball and chain” but it’s fairly obvious that the phrase is more sarcastic/put on than something he genuinely enjoys saying.

- Considering the fact that he typically has a job to do whenever you’re supposed to be asleep, it isn’t often that the two of you have the time to cuddle. But, whenever he does manage to get the chance, you’ll usually find yourself wrapped up in his arms; your head on his chest and his fingers tracing patterns onto your arms and back.

- Showering together. Like he said: water is the one thing that truly deters the strangers, so it’s only natural for him to enjoy the quiet and the peace of mind that comes with it; not to mention the obvious benefits of shared showers.

- Fetching him things; oftentimes without him asking. What are you gonna do, make him hobble across the room for something while you watch with perfectly functioning appendages? Be nice.

- Receiving calls from him when he’s out of the house. It gives him peace of mind to randomly reach out to you and ensure that you’re alright; even when there’s no real reason for him to be worried. On your end, it’ll just seem like he missed you and wanted to hear your voice, and while that is somewhat true, there’s also probably another reason for it as well.

- Visiting him at his lab/workplace. If you’re unaware of his real occupation then it’ll probably look a lot like a therapists office. But if you are aware then you’ll come and fluster him by appearing in his laboratory without warning; especially before the two of you begin dating.

- Speaking of: if you’d like to think that you knew about the Strangers all along, then you probably acted as a sort of partner in crime to him: either working alongside him to teach John or learning how to control the tuning yourself. I do sort of love the idea of Daniel slowly; and somewhat pathetically, falling in love with his coworker and/or his assistant.

- Helping him with his experiments.

- Helping to calm him down; even if you don’t know anything about his current situation. Sometimes, he’ll come home to you in a panic and just fall to his knees in front of you, clutching at you desperately as he tries his best to even out his breathing and avoid crying into your dress. It’ll scare you half to death but you’ll just have to reassure him that he’s alright and that everything’s okay; no matter how wrong you may be.

- Occasional spontaneity. There’s usually a reason behind his sudden decision to stay home from work and spend the day with you or go out for the night, but you’re almost always none the wiser. You’re just happy you get more time with the love of your life.

- Receiving flowers and other little treats and gifts whenever he returns home to you; things he’ll be sure to drop on instinct if he’s ever confronted with something shocking in your apartment.

- Going to the cinema and the theater.

- Dinner dates.

- Spending quiet evenings at home. Usually, you’ll just sit in front of your fireplace and enjoy each other’s company: reading from different books or having different mundane conversations.

- Listening to radio shows and records.

- Moonlit strolls; as if your strolls could ever not be moonlit.

- Him visiting you at your work and asking you about your day; even though he’s bound to know exactly how it plays out even before you open your mouth. He can’t deny how interesting it is to walk into an entirely different building than the one he’d entered the day before and see you acting in the role he’d assigned for you himself.

- Cleaning his glasses on your skirt and placing them back on his face, or taking them off to kiss him. The action makes him melt into a flustered mess.

- Him buttoning your shirts for you, zipping up your dresses, and clasping your necklaces. He likes how intimate the little acts are.

- He definitely keeps a photo of you in his wallet or office; or anywhere else that's safe and capable of being taken out and viewed at any given moment. He likes having a little piece of you with him at all times.

- Sweet affirmations, telling each other how much you love one another, openly admitting how much he’s missed you, etc. Romantic talk is common in your relationship and oftentimes sickly sweet; the sort of thing you’d be embarrassed to be seen doing because of how pathetically lovey dovey it makes the two of you look.

- For obvious reasons, he thrives in any scenario where a doctor is needed: whether it be putting eye drops in your eyes, making you a special tea to settle your stomach, or bandaging your wounds after a minor accident. Just caring, precise work that makes him feel needed and you feel cared for.

- It’s almost guaranteed that you live together; he wouldn’t have it any other way, and you probably adopt a pet together as well: a cat and some fish, or maybe a bird that serves as both a companion to you and an exercise in irony.

- You can insist you’re fine but he’s always one step ahead of you; picking up on your nervous ticks and pointing them out with a subtle flick of his eye. You’ll merely smile a bit bashfully and accept that he knows, admitting to what’s on your mind as he listens to you carefully. Sometimes it’s a pain to have a boyfriend who can psychoanalyze you but at least you never have to tell him how you’re feeling.

- I mentioned it before, but he knows you like the back of his hand: knows your thoughts as you think them and pulls the words right out of your mouth. Have a specific routine? He can write a schedule for you down to the very last minute. Favorite candy? He buys it the day you feel like having some. In a mood? He can tell the second he steps through the door. It’s like he’s found a way to tap into your brain….

- Daniel is always on your side, no matter the situation. He never lets you get deterred and always tries his best to help you figure things out: acting as a careful and comforting teacher whenever times get tough. Blame it on his occupation; he is a doctor after all.

- He likes knowing your every thought; even the arguably mundane things that should be of no real interest to him. Most of the time it’s to monitor what you know and remember, asking you to “humor him” as you chuckle and say “oh it’s nothing” or “it’s just sort of strange” after making like you were going to tell him something. You’ll think it’s just nonsense but his response, the way he goes quiet like he’s deep in thought before smiling and saying something like “that is strange” makes you wonder whether you should pay it more mind yourself.

- He doesn’t talk much about himself but on occasion, he’ll humor you: telling you about his backstory, his day to day life, etc. None of it is true of course, but it’s as true as any story he can spin. No harm in making up a lie when you can’t remember the truth; especially if it makes you happy.

- If he ever finds himself able to, he’d love to tell you how the two of you truly met and how he fell in love with you to an immeasurable degree. He’ll have to play it carefully though; of course, and he’ll have to do it one step at a time; unless he’s undeniably forced to do it in one fell swoop.

- There’s a moment in time where he finally admits to everything; nervous to the point of tears, explaining what’s happened in secret and what he’s done to bring the two of you together before telling you that he understands if you never want to see him again. And though it’ll take you a moment to process exactly what he’s telling you, you’ll ultimately tell him that you’re not leaving him just yet: watching as he blinks away the shine in his eyes and sighs like the weight of the worlds been lifted off his shoulders.

- A part of him feels as though he doesn’t deserve the happiness he’s constructed for himself. He wonders that if you knew the truth; the full truth, if you’d still be capable of loving him. He’s a traitor to his own kind, a coward, he’s ruined countless lives and you know nothing of that side of him nor the depth of his self loathing that you just barely pick up on. What would happen if you found out? Surely nothing good; though he could certainly hope….

- Daniels a fairly jealous person: mainly because of his fear that you’ll find someone you have a genuine connection with; a love that naturally exceeds the one he’s tried so hard to garner for himself. Most of the time, he’ll merely approach the two of you and passive aggressive say “oh, I see you’ve met my wife” or “if you’ll excuse us, we must be going” before dragging you off and away. By “morning”, you won’t remember them at all and they’ll be moved all the way across town.

- He’s protective in the way a father tends to be and it’s usually for good reason: telling you not to “talk to Strangers”, to call him when you get home, to not go out “tonight”, etc. They’re silly little things that you don’t think twice about so when he tells you to “humor him” it isn’t often that you refuse. Unfortunately for him, he’s never quite sure if it’s safer for him to stay close by or far away.

- Fighting is fairly rare between the two of you: your shared apartment is a refuge for him and he works hard to keep your lives stress free. But on occasion, you just won’t be able to stop an argument from happening; especially when you’re suddenly hyper aware of the fact that he’s lying to or keeping something from you.

- He’s always tempted to erase the fight from your memory but it isn’t often that he goes through with it; he only does so when knowing the truth will put you in danger. Typically, he just apologizes very earnestly and seriously and tries his best to come up with an explanation that’ll both keep you safe and placate you.

- He’s very open about how much he loves you: telling you that he does nearly everyday; amongst other things that would equate to it. He also loves hearing you say it back, and grows so used to you doing so that he’d probably question you if you didn’t; wanting to know if everything was alright.

- Marriage is a definite, but I also think he’d want to have his own little family with you as well. He’d dream about being a father but he’d never find the nerve to bring it up to you; feeling as though it isn’t fair to ask you about it before he’s able to be completely truthful with you.

[gummi-ships]

Kingdom Hearts 3 - Scala ad Caelum

[alwaysakookie]

Why is it when I look up kotlc aesthetics I find these dark and mysterious collages and stuff

Bro when I think of Kotlc, I think of it like as if Im entering a Claire’s store

[aeturnum-mendacacium]

the entire rouge galary carries antitodes for the fear toxin and some anti jokers spray (if it exists) or some shit, but not for themselves, it's for batman cause they AIN'T gonna deal with the BAT who would literally batshit crazy at that moment. like imagine it's a normal fight everything is going normal, and then batman appears but with a smile on his face, or maybe a different demeanor that makes it looks like he had inhaled fear toxin, and the entire thing just shifts, everyone and I mean EVERYONE, has a vial in their hand and are dodging instead of attacking, trying to talk him down.

Bruce was just high on Ibuprofen and let out a smile cause nightwing cracked a joke. He is extremely confused

The rouges are all extremely serious

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 241

Wing au? Wing Au. With perhaps a bit of a twist. Also a hint of eldritchness perhaps. For fun! 

Ghosts have wings. Sure, they aren’t normally seen, not in the visible spectrum, but they do. Scanners pick them up, and sometimes a ghost might even reveal them, which was hypothesized to be some sort of animalistic intimidation attempt. (Something more than one Amity Parker rolled their eyes at)

Everyone had seen them at least once- the motorcycle-driving ghost’s mass of shadowy feathers, the green-haired girls matching shaggy ones, the rocker’s ones that looked like pages of music before bursting into flame. Even the box ghost’s had been spotted- feathers looking more like sheets of cardboard than anything else. 

It wasn’t until the whole kidnapped to the ghost zone that anyone saw Phantom’s, but that was another tale unto itself really. Honestly the arrival of the GIW would have maybe been seen as positive before, but the fact that many of them had looked in the mirror or gone to the doctors only to find feathers beginning to sprout on their back soured it. 

Especially as the GIW continues to prattle on and on about how all ecto-contaminated scum are less than human, less than bacteria. And well, what does that make them? Them, who have been to the realms of the dead and gods and back, touched by the swirling green energy in ways incomprehensible? Changed by that energy? 

So the people silently brush hidden feathers together, quietly rebuff the white-wearing lunatics from the city as best they can, and hope to anything listening that they can stop anyone else from disappearing. That maybe they can find the few no one noticed had been taken before it’s too late, even if they have to tear down the entire government to do it. 

[aaestheticbabyyy]

“I’ll wait for you”

[toastedbarleytea]

Jujutsu Kaisen | Chapter 224

[kdval]

Now she had seen everything, thought Hardin, looking at Lara from across the table. Few were granted the honor of descending into the underground fortress of Grand Lord Ha'al, but those who did always returned unusually silent. Now she sat at his right hand, lost deep in thought, and in the light of the two ghostly moons, her skin seemed almost as pale as Ha'al’s. Another world had touched her, Hardin realized, doing his best not to stare so obviously. She had grown even colder than before, and perhaps had drifted further away from him.

“I’ve lost. And not to just anyone, but to the Grand Lord himself.” This thought struck him to the heart — far more painfully than he’d expected, but Hardin accepted the pain without hesitation. He and Lara may have been bound, but they had never belonged to each other.

Finally, Lara raised her gaze to meet his, a shadow of a smile crossing her lips. And that hurt him even more.

Cyberpunk 2077: Fright Night City 2024

› Day 4//Under the Moonlight

For the @fright-night-city event

Quote from Bloodborne.

[betweenblackberrybranches]

Yo wait, has anyone made skyrim dca? As dwemer automations? Hello? That idea has been bouncing around my head for a while... that would be so fun

Gonna try my hand at it actually

They are the fucking DCA Dwemer City Atendant

[queenlakiefer]

Masterlist

Finally creating a masterlist for all my stories and imagines (junk) 🥳.

The Lost Boys (1987)

1. Imagine if Lucy was Married to Max and being the caring mother, she asks if Max has given The Lost Boys money

2. One of the reasons The Lost Boys got kicked off the boardwalk

3. If The Lost Boys were in high school

4. When Paul gets high Part 1

5. When Paul gets high Part 2

6. Imagine if Marko was flirting with his next meal who is sitting down and she stands up and is taller than him

7. I Guess You’ll Never Know Part 1

8. Max has ranted like this at The Lost Boys after one of their shenanigans and you can’t tell me otherwise 🤣

9. The Price of Salvation (F!OC Michael’s Twin Sister Oneshot)

Woman Wanted (1999)

1. Wendell Goddard x Reader Part 1

2. Wendell Goddard x Reader Part 2

3. A Safe Haven

Gotham

1. Imagine Jerome teasing Bruce Wayne about his older sister

2. Imagine Bruce’s older sister working at Arkham as a nurse and Oswald reaches out for help

3. Don’t Be A Cog (Jerome Valeska x Reader)

4. Theo Galavan seems to have gotten himself rather badly injured after killing Jerome.

5. Imagine Jerome developing a conscience…well…almost.

6. Imagine trying to explain to Jerome what a proper April Fools’ joke is...

7. Pretty sure Jerome wishing you a ‘Happy Birthday’ would go something like this...

8. The Last Straw (Jerome Valeska x Reader)

9. The Lady and The Circus Boy (Jerome Valeska x Reader)

PART 2

10. Your Name…is Harleen Quinzel (Jerome Valeska x Reader)

11. Imagine going with your father and Bullock to question Mr. Cicero

The Cowboy Way (1994)

Coming soon

Dark City (1996)

Coming soon

1969 (1988)

Coming soon

The Brotherhood of Justice

Coming soon

Promised Land

Coming soon

[morninkim]

As a show of good faith toward the remaining Decepticons at the beginning of a new, united Cybertron, newly appointed Senators Bumblebee and Soundwave allowed Shatter and Dropkick to enlist into Autobot City's Defense Team.

These two turned out to be... not the best choices.

The city may have fallen to Insurgent Decepticon occupation had it not been for young recruits Hot Rod and Arcee's accidental interception of Shatter's communication with the fugitive Starscream.

To replace the errant Defense Team members, Springer and Blurr were reassigned from Iacon to Autobot City in their stead.

[ragnarokhound]

For the au ask game!

OKAY I wanted specifically to get to the pokemon au from the ask you sent, it's been cooking a bit so it's time to see what comes out of the oven, so... @azol-otl ty for the ask!

Crossover au's are all about the fused worldbuilding for me and speculating on how characters from universe A would fit into universe B heehee hoohoo - and for Batfam especially it's fun to think about the equivalent of their roles as vigilantes! What kind of people have the same level of celebrity, the same sideways seeking of justice?

Naturally this leads you to the gym leaders because a) it's the most fun and b) they are like. Quasi-law enforcement/educators/professional athletes depending on how you try to translate the innate child's perspective on the pokemon universe into something that makes sense as an adult lol ilu pokemon. [insert 'compels me though' gif here]

SO with this in mind, here's 5 fun facts (that are mostly backstory lmao) from a jaytim pokemon au I would write

I'm deeply ill about pokemon so this one goes under the cut lol:

Jason Todd used to be the Champion. He won the role after Dick Grayson quit a year or two before (Dick had been getting older and chafing under the League rules - meaning he'd been chafing under how Bruce ran the League) and was a fierce competitor who didn't believe in going easy on anyone. His Houndoom was a force to be reckoned with, and despite running a mostly Dark-type team, his Honchkrow cleaned up anyone thinking their Fighting-types could sweep. He looked after the League and Gotham with a cocky, self-assured attitude and the win record to back it up. .

Jason disappeared suddenly at the age of 15. Many assumed him dead, after a Rocket (Or whatever Gotham themed gang name we want to go with lol could be Team Joker) bombing in the area he'd last been seen, but he's officially declared missing. Bruce Wayne took back the duties of interim Champion as he once did for Dick Grayson, but he's not quite the mentor he once was. It's obvious he's grieving, and that he doesn't want to mentor any more twelve year olds. Dick signed up to be a Gym Leader shortly after this, returning from his trip about a year early to help out in the chaos following Jason's disappearance. .

Enter Tim Drake. Tim's gym challenge wasn't all that interesting in the circuit at first; he had a rocky start and had to retake a few gym challenges. He wasn't exactly sweeping on his first try every time like Jason had done. He didn't have the meteoric rise that caught the Champion's attention early, didn't get one-on-one mentorship or face-to-face meetings, cautionary advice and congratulations all rolled into one from Bruce Wayne himself - but Tim had patience and grit, and he paid attention. He was gunning for the Championship, and it wasn't just so he could prove himself. Team Rocket/Joker was still out there, and Bruce needed all the help he could get. He was always better for Gotham when he had a Robin. .

Dick had been nicknamed Robin for his all-Flying-type team and especially his Natu-then-Xatu; Jason followed up with his Murkrow-then-Honchkrow; Tim's Rookidee was one among many (Robin-esque pokemon were popularized by Dick and the trend remains through Tim's day) so he wasn't considered a possible Robin successor until it was a Corvisquire and he was about to face Dick Grayson himself, a badge away from Victory Road. By then, Tim and his team were a well-oiled machine (he runs mostly Steel-types lol but also Normal-types for the unexpected adaptability and the 'underestimate my rattata i dare you it's in the top peRCENTAGE--' of it all. FEAR.), and his loss-record had all but frozen while his win-record ticked higher and higher. .

Shit finally goes down about three years after Tim has become Champion and all but bullied Bruce into mentoring him (he basically said 'if you don't watch me, i'll go find Team Rocket/Joker on my own' and triggers all of Bruce's child endangerment traumas simultaneously) and the mysterious Rocket/Joker leader Red Hood shows up, bringing the gang out of the shadows in pursuit of a hidden agenda. Identity shenanigans and "wait is that a Houndoom? But he's only been using Ghost-types, it CAN'T be..." and heel-face turns abound. .

(BONUS FACT: Something something, Jason went into deep cover with Looker or whoever he is, that Interpol guy from X & Y (WAIT. LOOKER MIGHT ACTUALLY BE TALIA AL GHUL IN THIS AU HOHOHO), infiltrating the Rocket/Joker gang and going public as Red Hood is the first step in the last phase of the sting. Cue a million tense Jaytim interactions in which Tim is legitimately trying to take Red Hood down and Jason desperately tries to shake him so that he doesn't do anything that forces Jason to blow his cover. There is at least one 'tugged into a tight space to hide them both from the actual bad guys, "wait, did you just HELP me...?" "Think whatever you want, babybird"' interaction because I am a slut for the first sprinkles of a redemption arc that is rife with UST fufufu)

[lislgtwd]

just to understand: am i the only person on earth who would love for the scene (which was fairly deleted) of jace kissing alec to prove that he was never in love with him to be in the final version of cog??

imagine jace brooding over the disappointment of being rejected by his parabatai for the rest of his life and tell me if that wouldn't be hilarious

[wikitpowers]

u ever think about how little boy!kit never got any love from the person he thought he was supposed to be closest to in the world and how that made him feel? because i do constantly & now i’m depressed :)

[generic-sonic-fan]

Rouge strikes me as the kind of person to know the history of the culture around her. She's a city girl. She knows the streets and the people who've made their home there. She knows where to get the best tamales and dim sum and hot dogs in the various neighborhoods. Where to shop, where to steal, where to visit and where to see. How it got that way. "A riot happened here," she explains to Shadow as they run down a specific road, "back in the day. And it changed things."

Shadow, then, is the equivalent of a small-town boy. And he's hit with just how much history and culture can be baked into a ten-mile radius. More foods than he could ever name, more foreign languages on shop signs than he could ever recognize, more histories and heritages than he ever knew were possible. He realizes that someone could spend a lifetime here and still not have experienced it all.

(And that gives him the only thing he looks forward to about the long future ahead of him. Instead of just one lifetime, he'll have several.)

(Maybe he could experience it all.)

[aaestheticbabyyy]

“I wait for you in my dreams”