#dick barely struggled in this arc

[yoakkemae]

grayson (2004)

blockbuster: nightwing. i'm so glad you're here. nightwing: what did you do? blockbuster: i'm just tidying up loose ends, but this gives me a perfect opportunity to talk to you about your future... which, as it happens, is going to look a lot like this. nightwing: she's dead. give me one good reason why i shouldn't kill you. blockbuster: there isn't one, nightwing. not one. that's the best part. nor is there a single good reason for me to harm a hair on your head. so you're dick grayson by day, who cares? it's a useful piece of information, but it's not the real secret. nightwing: if you go near any of them, i swear to god, i'll -- blockbuster: oh, yes, i know, i know. that's the secret, the essential truth of your nature. you could take every beating i could dish out. you might even enjoy them. you have absolutely no regard for your personal safety. but the people around you--well! that's a different matter. isn't it? i'll take out the people you care about--hell, even strangers you stand next to on the street--you won't be able to shake someone's hand without marking them for death! do you like being alone, dick? nightwing: shut up, rolly, just shut up! blockbuster: i'll make sure you can't save any of them. i'll make sure you relive, over and over, your failure to save my mother! which has now become your failure to save your relationship--your circus--the residents of your building--ms. michaels-- tarantula: get out of the way, nightwing. all you have to do is get out of my way. blockbuster: but he won't. don't you see, you stupid girl? this very moment, he's thinking of how to save me from you! even my life is more important to him than his own! and that's how i'll take him apart. loved one by loved one, innocent by innocent. it will never stop. nightwing: [internal: he's right.] blockbuster: it's never going to stop. nightwing: [internal: it's never gonna stop.] blockbuster: i can keep this up forever. [nightwing, internal: it's never gonna stop.] every loved one, every stranger... [nightwing, internal: every mistake i make, every life i risk... it's never gonna stop... ...never gonna stop. never... stop it... STOP.] tarantula: [shoots blockbuster dead.]

vs

taylor #96 (2022)

blockbuster: nightwing is dick grayson. all this time fighting the city's most frustrating rat, and there was another pest behind the mask. like a russian nesting doll on vermin. still, at least i only have to kill one man to be rid of two problems. nightwing: you think i'll go down easy? blockbuster: perhaps not. electrocutioner. brutale. merge on my location. bring more soldiers. nightwing: [internal: that sounds like it will take a few minutes...and that's all i need] batgirl: can you hear me, nightwing? what's happening? your heart rate is elevated and i've lost visuals. nightwing: yeah. sorry. my mask took a hit. batigirl: what? nightwing: it's blockbuster. batgirl: he's there? i'll divert some of the people in the field to-- nightwing: no. haven needs to be evacuated and we're running four separated anti-crime operations. everyone is needed elsewhere. and, honestly, i'm okay with taking him down alone. i feel like i've put this off long enough. i am so sick of men like you. men who could do anything and choose to hurt people. men who have everything and still want to take more. this city deserves so much better-- blockbuster: i am this city. nightwing: ugh. i bet you practise that little catchphrase at home. it probably sounds convincing when you get out of the shower and say it to the mirror, roland, but it doesn't make it true. the truth is, this city is done with you. [...] nightwing: sounds like bludhaven is putting out your fires, blockbuster. the city is fighting you. and we know everything. your arms deal on the docks is done. your people there are in custody. whatever poison you were bringing in on that truck won't ever see the streets. the flash has seen to that. the people being trafficked by cargo plane will be safely on the ground now, thanks to the titans. even boss maroni walked straight into a trap. and weren't you waiting on backup? [...] blockbuster: you're not the first in this city to try to stand against me. those who've crossed me are still out there. they're ringing the city. weighted down in the harbour. but your punishment won't end when your lungs fill with the sea because i know who you are now. and after you're gone, i will break everyone who's ever helped you, dick. the mayor. bruce wayne. your precious titans. everyone you've ever known. everyone you've ever loved. i will find them. all of them. and they will hurt before they die. nightwing: you think you... you think you know who i am? you don't know nightwing, you don't know dick grayson. or you'd know that there's no way in hell either one of us... would let you hurt our friends!

[beenbaanbuun]

the butler w/ addams!matz

good… so, so good.

your eyes are squeezed shut, teeth gripping onto your bottom lip for dear life. with every thrust of seonghwa’s hips, it gets harder and harder for you to stay silent, but you can’t let a moan slip free. not when you have hongjoong behind you reminding you that your mutt is still asleep… you wouldn’t want to wake him up so early, right?

in reality, you know that hongjoong doesn’t care. you know it’s just one more thing for the two of them to have control over, telling you how loud or quiet you’re allowed to be. normally, they like to head you squeal, but this morning it seems they want to watch you struggle. they want to see your face contort as you desperately attempt to keep your squeaks inside. they want to tease you as you look up at them with watery eyes. they just want to be mean.

seonghwa slips a finger through the ring of your collar, tugging on it a little in a way that normally has you whimpering for them. today, you just squeeze your eyes shut and let your laboured breathing echo through the room. the moan that’s trying to bubble up from your throat quickly gets shut down. you’re a good girl, you remind yourself; good girls follow instructions.

“that’s it,” hums at his normal volume, blatantly disregarding his own rules. it’s as if he doesn’t care about the werewolf supposedly sleeping a few rooms over. as if he already knows that yeosang is probably perched right outside their door, waiting for the second the bed stops squeaking so he can come in and ‘guard’ you whilst you’re still lost in the mist of post-orgasm bliss. “keep those little sounds to yourself, hm? it’s still too early for you to be as loud as you usually are.”

you squirm in protest, but with seonghwa’s dick deep inside of you, you only make it more difficult for yourself. his solid member prods a against your walls in a way that has you melting. a bolt of pleasure shoots up your spine and your jaw drops, a strangled gargle coming out of you as you’re too late to quell the sound all together. you half expect a a quick spank to your thigh, or some sort of foul-mouthed reprimand, but hongjoong just gives you a low chuckle as he kisses your temple.

you’re grateful for the softness; you wouldn’t have been able to stop the sounds if they were to turn up the roughness.

“such a brat…” he grins against your skin as his hand finds purchase on your stomach, slowly making its way south.

“not a brat,” you rebut. your voice is strained from barely being able to hold back the moan that wants to fall from you as hongjoong’s fingers find your clit. you suck in a harsh breath as he rubs teasingly slow circles against you. the tension in your stomach is building like an elastic band, tugging at your sanity as it gets closer and closer to snapping. with the determined finger on your bud and the increasingly sloppy thrusts into your hole, it’s only a matter of time.

but seonghwa reaches his high first, muttering a quick apology before burying himself deep within your walls and letting his cum flow into you. you clench around him, just the way you know he likes you to. it pulls a long, guttural moan from his throat as you milk him dry. you can’t help but internally scoff at the knowledge that he’s allowed to make as much noise as he wants and yet you’re a brat if you let so much as a peep slip. you pout your lips in dismay, a sarcastic comment on the tip of your tongue, but then hongjoong kisses you and everything melts into the abyss of pleasure. suddenly you don’t care about the hypocrisy of your mommy and daddy’s rules; you just care about them.

and that’s when you cum too; with seonghwa’s softening dick plugging your cum-filled hole, hongjoong’s lips on yours and his finger on your clit, it’s hard to hold it in. your stomach muscles tense as your spine lifts from the mattress in a perfect arc. neither of them bother to pin you back down, simply enjoying how your pleasure feels to them. the way your lips part slightly against hongjoong’s as you let out another tiny sound into his awaiting maw, the way you grind into seonghwa’s oversensitive cock as he tries to keep some of his own sounds at bay. it all feels so perfect…

and then it’s over.

you chest heaves as hongjoong slows his digits to a stop before pulling his hand away to rest on your thigh. seonghwa pulls out too, a soft grunt echoing through the room as he topples to the side of you and tugs you into his chest. you feel the way his cum oozes from your twitching hole so you clench, desperate to keep as much of it inside as possible. you’re not sure why; it just feels right.

hongjoong shuffles in closer until you’re pressed between the two of them, a mound of sticky bodies, each of you indistinguishable from the next. it’s warm and sweaty and honestly a little gross feeling, but you find yourself too tired to care. you close your eyes, tipping your head against seonghwa’s chest. his hand meets the back of your head, fingers delving into your hair and tangling themselves within your locks. you focus on that soft tugging as the door to the bedroom unlatches and a pair of footsteps make their way to the bed.

“morning, yeosang,” hongjoong mumbles as the werewolf crawls onto the foot of the bed and flops tiredly onto the pile of feet. it’s hardly the comfiest spot for him to lie, but he doesn’t care. as long as he gets to be close to you, he finds himself caring increasingly little about his own comfort. “i hope we didn’t wake you,” it’s hard to miss the teasing in his voice; you let your elbow ‘accidentally’ jab into his ribs.

“i was awake before the three of you even started,” the wolf hums as his tail flicks. it lands suspiciously close to your leaking pussy; you really hope he doesn’t mind getting seonghwa’s cum in his fur. “i started guarding at 7:30,” he says, although he really means that he started listening in on the fucking at that time, “and then there was a knock on the door at 7:50 so i went to investigate. it was just some guy claiming to be your new butler. i told him to wait in the living room but i’ll be surprised if he stayed; the sound of the bed squeaking is surprisingly loud down there. i think you’ve scarred him for life…”

“oh hell,” hongjoong pulls himself up into a sitting position, though his hand never leaves your thigh. you smile as he gives the flesh a gentle squeeze, “i forgot that he was supposed to arrive today,” with his other hand he wipes at his face frustratedly, “thank the devil we made our little dove keep the volume down; i’m not quite sure i want a complete stranger hearing all your pretty sounds.”

you can’t help but blush at his words, the idea of someone outside of the three of them hearing your moans setting something alight within you. something good, or something bad… you’re not quite sure know the answer to that just yet. although, the way your thighs involuntarily clench, trapping yeosang’s tail between them, seems to have you leaning in one direction. the wolf yelps a little, but it seems only you pick up on it. you release your grip on his tail and look at him in apology; all you get in response is a knowing smirk.

that annoying little mutt…

“we best go and greet the poor man,” seonghwa sighs, although the way he tightens his grip on you lets you know that he intents to let hongjoong do all of that. your daddy gets the message and lets his hand slip from your thigh. you whine, but he only huffs out a laugh as he stands up. before you can complain any more, he pats the mattress as an invitation. yeosang takes it, squirming his way up the bed until he’s flush to your back, just like hongjoong had been. you melt into his warmth.

“you can’t say ‘we’ and then refuse to move, cara mia,” he laughs as he picks up the silk bottoms he’d been wearing not too long ago. they slide over his thighs and sit low on his hips; you let out a contented sigh at the view, “but i suppose i don’t quite mind; so long as my loves are happy, i’d do whatever you asked of me.”

“does that include me?” yeosang purrs. hongjoong scoffs.

“don’t get ahead of yourself, mutt,” the door to the bedroom unlatches once more, “you’re lucky i’m not forcing you to give san the grand tour…”

[nishikiace]

not the ftm toji anon but fuckkkk please write more 🔥🔥🔥 need this man

papaguro needs more spoiling i agree

ftm! bottom! fushiguro toji

Warnings: top!male!reader, dom!reader - amab anatomy, ftm!character - afab anatomy, lingerie, clothing kink, spanking, squirting, rough sex

[p1] p2 [p3 -tbc]

[masterlist]

with the way this man is built in his dilf arc, when he tenses his legs, his ass and thighs tighten and push against the fabric of the grey sweatpants you bought him. It stretches across his broad build and leaves nothing to the imagination

bury your face in the cameltoe between his legs and lick him through the fabric until he's too weak to stand

or

buy him expensive lingerie just so you can see his thick ass and tits barely held in by pretty fabric. his chest is fighting against the bralette as he pushes towards your face to feel your tongue lapping his nipple through the lace

his ass is spilling out of his panties and into your hands. pull him towards you and grind him down into your dick. let him soak through his lingerie and utterly ruin it with how turned on he is

○○○

coming home to him naked, only dressed in the apron you bought him...

bring your palm down on his ass with a loud slap just to watch the fat jiggle and make him cry with slick run down his bare legs

bend him over the kitchen counters and thrust into him sharply. he's scratching at the marble, trying to find purchase as his body is manhandled back and forth on your fat dick. fill the room with the slapping of your hips meeting his fat ass and the squelching of his wet pussy

he's definitely a squirter if you get him gushing enough. bring him to release with a tight thumb pressing down on his clit until drool is dripping out of his open mouth. and when he comes down,

"do it again."

the rocking of your dick into his sopping wet cunt and the pain of the marble edge into his swollen clit rip desperate groans from his throat. you're hunched over him, fucking him harder and faster until you feel his walls shake and pulse around you. he's moaning and gasping, heavy chest shaking, struggling to breathe with your rough pace

toji squirts again with a raspy scream, body writhing and fighting against you. you push in deeper to fill him with your thick cum

you leave him bent over the counter, semen spilling out of his trembling hole, dripping and running over his clit

(you come back with a wet towel right after, to spoil him more)

his apron is ruined

[redbirdandbluebird23]

The Kids from Yesterday - Alternative Beginning

Masterlist

A/N: As I said in the poll, this is only 356 words of basic set up, there is more explanation about where this story would have gone under the break. I don't currently have plans to flesh this out into a full story, but I could be convinced to if people like this bit!

Jason was struggling to remember exactly how he’d ended up standing at the white, slightly peeling apartment door in front of him. The last thing he remembered clearly was picking up the phone to find Tim crying on the other end of the line. 

“Jay, it’s Dick. They-they didn’t make it time. Fuck, Jay, Dick’s dead.”

Tim started sobbing in earnest then, but Jason had just hung up. He still didn’t know if Tim had just called him as a courtesy (none of the other bats had even tried to reach out), or if he knew more about what was really going on between him and Dick than he let on. But either way, Tim’s words completely pulled the rug from under Jason’s feet. He had been so sure, even when they unmasked Nightwing, that it was all going to work out. After all, it was Dick, he always found a way out. Not necessarily always in one piece, but he always made it out. 

But apparently this time he hadn’t.

Jason’s heart barely had time to break before he grabbed his ready packed to go bag, shoved several of Dick’s hoodies and shirts inside, packed a few other little keepsakes he couldn’t bear to part with, and then took off running. 

Now he found himself staring at the peeling white paint on the apartment door trying to work up the courage to knock and ask for help. He took a deep breath and finally reached up and knocked. He fiddled with the strap of his bag as he listened to muffled mumbling get closer to the door before it was pulled open to reveal a dishevelled Roy.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” Roy asked, exhaustion seeping into his tone, and Jason almost felt bad for waking him up. 

Jason stayed quiet, knowing the moment he tried to talk would be the moment the facade he put up in Gotham would crack and everything would come spilling out all at once. 

Roy seemed to see that anyway. “Oh, Jase. Come on.”  He stepped to the side and Jason walked into the apartment.

So yeah, the main change would have been the story taking place in the Spyral arc and all the angst that comes with that, including shit dad Bruce rather than protective mama bear Bruce. But the main plot points would have been:

Jason finds out he's pregnant during the time Dick is away fighting the crime syndicate and doesn't have a chance to tell him before he's captured, unmasked and strapped to the murder machine

Jason runs to Roy because he knows Roy will know what to do and guide him through everything

Which Roy does, and Jason moves in with Roy full time during the pregnancy, but keeps it from the rest of the family because he doesn't trust them

Tim, being Tim, eventually tracks Jason down and Jason lets him have limited access to his pup on the condition that Tim never tells anyone else

Tim is okay with this because he wants a relationship with both his remaining big brother and his niece/nephew

Something, something, something

Dick comes back from Spyral to half his family hating him, Bruce's indifference and Jason missing

He absolutely loses it trying to figure out where Jason is, but with Tim quite literally working against him, he doesn't have any luck

Tim lets Jason know Dick's not actually dead, but he's just as mad as Jason and agrees not to tell Dick anything about where Jason is

Jason's still living with Roy and they're basically best friends/roommates raising a pup together, so Jason doesn't think he needs Dick even without Dick's 'betrayal'

Something, something, something

Dick somehow finds out where Jason is and decides to just drop in unannounced

Only he comes face to face with a year old pup with Jason's curls, but Dick's mom's eyes

Jason grabs his pup and locks himself away in their room as Roy deals with Dick

Dick's honestly too shocked at the revelation that he's a dad now that it doesn't take much for Roy to throw him out

Dick's absolutely reeling from the revelation and hating himself even more for leaving, while Jason's losing it because he thinks that now Dick knows, Bruce will find out and they'll take his pup away from him

Roy immediately moves them to another city and gets Ollie and Dinah on board to help against Bruce if it comes to that

Something, something, something

Tim eventually finds the video of Bruce essentially beating Dick into submission to get him to agree to go to Spyral, as well as the recordings from Dick basically begging to come home

He sends them all straight to Jason because why wouldn't he

This brings another layer of problems for Jason, because on one hand, Dick clearly didn't choose to leave, but on the other, he stayed gone when he could have left before joining Spyral and he didn't try and tell anyone what Bruce did

Jason can't see himself ever getting back together with Dick, or letting him around their pup with the possibility of Dick defending or folding to Bruce's orders

Dick's finally beginning to realise this himself; that his codependent relationship with Bruce is toxic and it's going to kill one of them

So Dick leaves Gotham, and Bruce, behind for good

I didn't have the ending completely planned out, but you can imagine that they eventually make up and Dick proves that he's reliable enough to Jason to let him back into his and the pups lives. I've said it before, but I don't think I'll ever be capable of giving these two boys anything but a happy ending.

[somanyratsinthewalls]

Burning Hearts Chapter 1

HI WELCOME TO MY FAVORITE PROJECT! This series is what my fic Prescribed Medicine was loosely based on. I've decided to bring it to life in a multi part series! This chapter is sfw and building background. I will probably post to AO3 since the series lovers live there.

Pairing: Wyvern Devil Fruit Reader (female) x Law

Burning Hearts Chapter 1: A Heated End. A Cold Beginning.

Summary: You were teleported across the globe in an instant, away from your crew. Your body was badly broken and beaten, thrust into the harsh landscape of a Northern island. You are discovered by the Heart Pirates and brought back to health. Startled upon waking up in a foreign place with an unfamiliar crew, you are shocked with the news that you’ll be spending two years there. Trafalgar Law, the captain of the Heart Pirates has made a promise to train you, but will it become something more than a mentor relationship?

Background: O/C (Rito Daisy) is a Strawhat Pirate. Long hair, dark brown with a streak of grey hair coming from the crown. Heterochromia, one eye brown and the other grey. O/C (Daisy) has a Zoan devil fruit power, although she is unaware what type of creature it came from. She was forced to ingest the fruit as a slave, therefore is resentful and only uses it when completely necessary. The only powers she has harnessed are black, bat like wings, and refuses to explore her powers further. O/C joined the Straw Hat Pirates a brief time before the Water 7 Arc. 

— —

Chapter 1: A Heated End. A Cold Beginning. 

Milky, iridescent ribbons of northern lights swirled quickly across your range of vision. Were you laying on the ground? You felt your long hair tickling your back, nothing impeding it. With nothing above or behind you, you were whizzing through space and time. You tried to move your hands. 

Your feet. 

Your wings. 

Nothing. You couldn’t move an inch. Your head spun with dizziness and confusion. What happened? Where were you? The last thing you remembered was-

“Wait Sanji-!” You called out after being face to face with the padded paw of Bartholomew Kuma on Sabaody Archipelago. 

“Don’t touch her you brute!” Sanji’s eyes flared with aggression as he aimed a kick towards your attacker. 

And that was the last thing you saw. You had been bested badly by Kizaru and Kuma, just as the rest of your crew had. You knew you had broken bones. You realized this now that the adrenaline had worn off and you could finally feel your injuries. The delicate tissue of your wings was ripped to shreds and you felt it deep in your flesh. You couldn’t even retract your wings and resume your full human form. You were helpless in your involuntary stasis. How long had you been flying away? The northern lights begin to meld together in your vision and your eyelids flutter closed again… 

— — — 

*WOOOOSH* *CRASH*

Your body crashed into the side of a snowy mountain like a dropped bomb. Pine branches snapped. Squirrels and foxes scampered away quickly. Boulders shattered at the sheer force of the impact. For a moment you were able to open your eyes. 

You were blinded by bright white. After a few moments of believing you had died and were ascending into the heavens, the craggy mountainside came into view. But before you could fully assess your situation, the rock face beneath you gave way and you were falling again. 

You scream but your mouth was quickly covered with snow from the incoming avalanche. You feel more of your bones snap. The pain is unbearable. Your head spins… 

— — — 

“Way too fuckin’ cold…” Penguin struggles to lift his legs from the knee deep snow as he trudges towards the woods on the mountain. 

“Captain said to get wood. You wanna tell him you were ‘too cold,’ Penguin?” Ikkaku snapped at her exploration partner while she too, struggled to move through the snow. 

“I’d like to see him out here in this shit! I can barely tell my hand from my dick in this blizzard!” Penguin shot back. 

“That’s probably because you can barely see your- Ooof!” Ikkaku trips over something in her path and takes a nose dive into the fresh powder in front of her. 

“Hah! Karma, bitch!” Penguin laughs and pulls his hat back. Upon clearing his vision, he sees what his crew mate had tumbled over. A pair of denim clad thighs and a slim waist. “Wait… Ikkaku…” 

“What is it? Help me up already!” 

“It’s… it’s a girl!” 

“What?” Ikkaku shakes her head to shake off the snow. 

“There’s some lady buried in the snow! We gotta get her out!” Penguin panics and starts scraping heaps of snow off the frozen body. 

“Oh shit, you’re right. Let’s pull her out.” Ikkaku reaches through the snow until she feels a lifeless skull lolling around. She places a gentle hand behind the body’s neck and pulls it out of the snow. It was a beautiful woman, long brown hair braided with flowers and vines that had been frozen and wilted in the snow, a large grey streak spread from a corner of her forehead. Ikkaku grabs the shoulders while Penguin grabbed the legs of the lifeless form. 

“Why isn’t it moving?” Penguin pulls on the legs. 

“Hmmph! It’s stuck on something… Hmmmpph!” Ikkaku tries to jostle the body free of the ice and snow. The duo pull and push on the body until something finally gives and it is released from the grip of the mountain. Suddenly, on one side of the body, a tattered black wing breaks free from the ice and flops back down. The second wing followed and slumped lifelessly next to the unconscious form. 

“What the hell is this thing?!?” Penguin exclaims. 

“I don’t know…” Ikkaku looks down at the strange person. “But Captain is definitely gonna wanna see this…” 

The two wordlessly agree to carry the body back down to the Heart Pirate safe house at the bottom of the mountain. 

— — 

“Captain! Law! Hurry!” Penguin yells as he runs into the base backwards carrying the legs of the unknown body. 

“Bring it to the med bay, if there’s any chance it’s still alive he’s going to want it in there.” Ikkaku hurries Penguin down the hallway to Captain Trafalgar Law’s surgery room that connected to his secluded office. 

Doors swinging open quickly, the pirates hoist the winged figure up onto the surgery table. The body laid lifelessly on the table while the shredded wings flopped lazily at its sides, tips nearly hitting the floor. Penguin collapsed against the wall behind him, breath heavy from the long, arduous journey back from the mountain with their new addition. 

The door to the adjoining office was flung open. 

“What the hell is this?” Law burst in and began pulling on a pair of blue rubber gloves. 

D, E, A, T, H.

H, T, A, E, D.

He slipped the gloves over each finger and moved towards the surgery table. 

“We found it on the mountain, Captain.” Ikkaku responds. “Under a blizzard and a landslide. I doubt it’s still alive.” 

Law wordlessly peruses the body. He stops by it’s neck and presses two fingers against it’s pulse point. 

E, A.

“There’s a pulse. She’s alive.” 

Ikkaku and Penguin look at each other and their eyes widen. 

“Bepo!” Law shouts. 

“Yes, Captain?” A large polar bear in an orange jump suit enters the operating suite. 

“Ready the surgery room.” Law eyes Penguin and Ikkaku gawking at each other. “You two, prepare for a procedure. Get Shachi too. This won’t be easy.” 

“Aye, Captain!” The duo immediately went to change their uniforms and scrub up for the procedure. 

—- —- —- —- 

“I need more stitches, Bepo.” Law states, muffled by the surgical mask in front of his nose and mouth. 

Law sits on a doctor’s stool sewing up the sinewy flesh on the being’s wings. It had taken him 2 hours, but Dr Trafalgar Law had already sewn up one wing and was finishing the other. It didn’t look good, even Law could admit that. He was just trying to stop the bleeding from the micro veins and tissue in the wing webbing. Bepo had hooked up the creature to machines to monitor its breathing and heart rate. 

“I-It’s a vampire. W-we should have left it out there.” Penguin says from the corner of the operating room. 

“If you can’t be helpful, leave.” Law states calmly without looking up from his work. 

“It’s not a vampire, you idiot.” Shachi remarks from his spot next to the body. “It’s that Straw Hat girl. You guys don’t remember her from the auction house?” 

This peaked Law’s interest. 

“Straw Hat? She’s with his crew?” Law takes a moment from his hunched position over the wing to look at the body’s unconscious face. He notices her button nose, full bottom lip, and her frostbitten skin. Law cocks his head. He remembers her from Sabaody now. She was with the young man in the Straw Hat. He recalls the information on her wanted poster. They had only left the chaos a few days earlier. 

“The botanist…” He mumbles under his breath. 

“Yeah! That’s it! They call her the Earthly Devil… Rito Daisy I think..” Shachi confirms. 

“Daisy…” Law says pensively. He looks at your peaceful face. His gaze lingers for a moment before returning to his work stitching up the flesh of his new patient. 

“Must be a Zoan type.” Bepo says from over Law’s shoulder. “She’s certainly no mink. The question is what kind of Zoan type makes wings like that…” The bear has worry and concern his voice. Law sighs and rises from his chair. 

“It’s not important right now.” He ties off his stitches and moves towards the body’s torso. “We need to set the bones. If we don’t do it now, it’ll be a lot more painful when she’s awake.” 

Law cracks his knuckles.

D, D, E, E, A, A, T, T, H, H. 

His crew members look at him expectantly.

“Well, let’s do it.” 

— —  

Burning. Bright. Fluorescent. 

“Ow… my eyes…” You mumble as you wake from a deep slumber. All you could see was artificial lights and steel ceilings. You knew you were not on the Sunny anymore, ToTo. You try to reach your arm to rub your eyes and found that both of them were shackled to the table you were laying on. 

You were a prisoner. 

Again. 

You heart throbbed in your chest. Your stomach dropped through your whole body. Someone had taken you captive again. How could this happen? You had aligned yourself with the strongest pirates the worst generation had to offer and yet here you were, strapped to a strangers ship just like was 8 years ago. 

“Hey…” You try to sit up.

“HEY!” You pull your body up further. 

“GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! HEY! HEEEEEY!” You try to lurch your body forward but you were met by sharp, extreme pain throughout your whole being. 

“Hey woah hold on relax it’s okay! We’re going to help you!” 

A voice comes from the corner of the room you couldn’t see due to your restraints. 

“Who… who are you! Get away from me! Let me go!” You shouted. 

“I know you’re freaking out right now but I promise we-“ 

You see who the voice was coming from. 

It was an 11 foot tall real-life anthropomorphic polar bear wearing an orange jumpsuit. Your eyes crossed in shock. 

“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME YOU FUCKING CARNIVORE DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME!” You pull at your restraints, ignoring the searing pain in your body. 

“No no! I wouldn’t! Please stop!” The bear raises his hands in front of his chest to signify he meant no harm, but you would’t believe it. You scream.

“AAAAH!” The metal restraints holding you down to the table broke under your strength, the material melting slightly. 

“CAPTAIN!!!! HELP!!!” The bear shrieked and cowered. 

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” You shouted and pushed yourself off the operating table and into the cabinet across the room, breaking the glass. You honed your eyes in on the polar bear. 

You spread your broken wings and they crash against the furniture in the cramped operating room, knocking over carts full of medical equipment. 

“Shit!” You groan in pain. 

“ROOM.” 

Suddenly, the air around you tuned light blue. You spun your head around, trying to see where the voice came from. 

“Shambles.”

You felt a body behind you. You breathed hard in suspense. 

“Shit, that burns!” An arm around around your torso pulls back. 

“Wha-?” You felt a sharp jab in your neck and then your eyelids closed. 

Three fingers pushed down the plunger of a syringe.

E, A, T. 

— — — —- —- -

“I have to go to Marine Ford. Picking up a patient. You stay here and make sure this patient stays sedated.” 

It had been a week and Law had been taking care of his new patient in his medical bay at the Heart Pirates safe house. Law had made sure that Daisy would stay unconscious during this time, pumping her full of sedatives. He needed the patient’s bones to heal. 

“Keep her sedated. I’ve left the exact measurements of medications in the folder on the desk. Make sure she stays unconscious. If she were to wake up now, the sheer volume of her broken bones would send her into another shock-like state.” Law gives the instructions to Shachi and Penguin. 

“G-got it Captain! You can leave it to us!” Penguin nods at his captain. 

“It might be a few days. Call only if it’s an emergency.” Law tosses Shachi a transponder snail and heads out of the base towards where the Polar Tang was docked, Bepo at his heels. 

“Great. What did you do that landed us in charge of the vampire girl? If she wakes up we are so fucked.” Penguin remarks at Shachi. 

“She won’t wake up. If we keep giving her meds, we’re in there like swim wear. It’s an easy gig.” Shachi laughs. “And if she does, so what? We just shoot her full of one of these…” Shachi grabs a syringe from a medical cart and squirts it into the air. “So what if she’s a Straw Hat? She’s their gardener. She’s about as dangerous as their damn musician. No real threat.” 

“I don’t feel real great about this, Shach…” Penguin remarks while rubbing his brow. 

[bits-and-babs]

✰ 𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 - 𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐎𝐍 ‘𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓’ 𝐑𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐘

↳ summary: prompt: “You make me so wet." — A night at the pub with the 141 lads leads to a mortifying misunderstanding.

↳ pairing: Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley x f!Reader (Delta)

↳ [1k] content: 18+ MDNI. Alcohol, drunkenness, Soap being a loveable dick, Simon ‘eyefucking’ you, sexual tension 4 days, masturbation (f), exhibitionism, light dirty talk.

ghost masterlist I| main masterlist |I join taglist

The apples of your cheeks buzz, pins and needles crinkling the warm skin there. Your tongue feels numb and dry in your mouth like somebody layered cotton wool over your tastebuds. You wish you could blame your impotence entirely on the alcohol, but Ghost's hazel eyes stick firmly to your face, and you melt beneath their intense gaze.

A knowing chuckle sounds to your left, a solid shoulder nudging your own to wrench your attention away from the Mancunian skull face that filled your vision.

"Yer pished, aren't you, love?" Soap smirks, snapping you from your haze. Your meek smile does little to dull his laughter as he stands from the chair, the wooden legs scraping on the tiled floor of the pub. "I'm turnin' your tap off before yer absolutely rat-arsed." 

"You're no fun, Johnny," you whine after him, but he waves his index finger in your face-- you can't even follow it with your eyes. 

"Don't you start with yer 'Johnny' bullshit. It ain't gonna work on me!" 

Scowling, you watch after him as he approaches the bar, Gaz in tow as he shoots you a playful smirk. The cheeky bastard has the nerve to mouth 'sorry'. 

Resigning to a glass of water, you settle back in your seat and cross your arms over your chest in indignation. 141 always watched your six, even if that meant them being a little too overprotective of you. You pout your lips in frustration, gazing at the alcohol-glazed oak tabletop before flicking your gaze to Simon from under your lashes. 

You're startled, jolting in your seat. Simon's hazel eyes gaze at you shamelessly, unmoving as they focus on your face. Heat prickles at your cheeks when he fails to remove them once you've caught him staring, unabashed in his observation of your features. 

The throbbing sensation of your pulse in your cunt slams back into the forefront of your mind. It simmers deep in your abdomen, coiling and swirling so adamantly that you're desperate for friction. You feel yourself clench at the intensity of Ghost's stare, swallowing back the need that creeps up your throat in the form of a whine. 

Blinking slowly, you can barely help yourself as the alcohol grips your logical mind. You can hear the raucous laughter of Soap and Gaz as they banter with the barman, no doubt attempting to tease their way into some free drinks, but they're mostly drowned out by the thudding of your heart echoing in the shells of your ears. 

Tension builds between your thighs, and your stomach flips when he takes a deep breath in, his chest expanding with the oxygen in his lungs. Before you're even thinking about how lewd it is, your hips rock forward on the oak chair seat, chasing just enough friction to ease the intensity of your arousal. It doesn't work-- if anything, it makes it worse, and Simon continues to observe your struggle with indifferent eyes. 

'Ghost'. You mouth his name, lips struggling to make the right shapes as your jaw goes slack. The burning arousal between your thighs surges as you roll your hips just right, clit catching on the seam of your cargoes. 

You're getting antsy under his stare, gripping the tabletop with a white knuckle hold as you attempt to chase the arcing pleasure that curls around the base of your spine. You don't even care about the bars' other patrons, couldn't care less about the return of Gaz and Soap; they could tease you all you like- you need this. Working yourself up, you shove your free hand between your thighs, rocking your clit up against your wrist. 

"Fuck," you pant weakly, the singular vowel catching in your throat, "You make me so wet."

"Mhm?" Ghost's eyes flicker slightly to the left- to your face. Your hips stall under his true gaze, and your heart plummets to the pit of your stomach once you realise... He'd been looking over your shoulder at your teammates at the bar the whole time.

"Oh-" you choke out, embarrassment churning in your stomach and rising up your throat like bile, "N-Nothing, I'm so fucking stupid--"

"You heard me. Repeat yourself," Ghost's gruff voice rumbles in his chest. He's in no mood for games, his heavy-lidded eyes wholly settled on your face as he attempts to pry the information out of you. 

"N-Noth-"

"Don't make me pull rank on you, Delta." Ghost speak. Directly, that translates to Don't fuck me around. 

You swallow thickly, letting your eyelids slip closed as you try to urge the words from your lips. It takes a second, every atom in your body screaming not to tell Simon. Don't tell him, don't- "Y-You make me so wet..."

"S'What I thought you said," he rumbles, those amber irises swallowed by the blackness of his pupils as he glances down to your wrist, observing how it stays firmly pressed against your core.  

"I'm sorry-" you whimper, but Ghost just cants his head slightly in a vague shake. His chest heaves with a heavier breath pattern, and the overhead lights cast shadows on his ski mask, revealing that he's parted his lips as he watches you. 

"You're not. You're sorry you got caught, love," Ghost points out, but his tone has no accusatory edge. Instead, he's enjoying you like this, hot-faced and shy. You nod feebly and nearly jolt out of your seat when a pint glass of tap water crashes against the tabletop. 

"Ye look scared. Did Simon show ye his face?" Soap smirks, settling down in his seat beside you. He's got a glass of scotch in his hand, and if you weren't inebriated and horny as fuck you might have been able to string together a stupid joke, like one you'd hear Soap say over the coms. 

"N-No," you mumble weakly, eyes glued to the countertop. Gaz's eyebrow raises, seeing your obvious discomfort. 

"What did you do to her, L.t.?"

"Didn't do anything," the gruff Mancunian accent crawls up your arms, running a chill down your spine, "Just told her she'll be gettin' punished when we get back to base for getting hammered."

Something tells you that your sentence wont be 100 press-ups. 

join the taglist here:

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[modernday-orpheus]

Okay, hear me out. If Tim idolized Batman instead of Robin, Bruce would be dead.

Disclaimer: I am not perfect and don't know everything there is to know about comics! Some shit here may be accidentally based on fanon rather than canon! Please be nice!

Tim, of course, respects and looks up to Batman. Bruce is his mentor and his father, so it's safe to assume he loves him as well. But his Hero™ is and always has been Robin, Dick at first but especially Jason judging by the timeline. Most people in Gotham view Robin as an addendum, an extra, nothing more than a kid sidekick. They’re disappointed if her shows up without Batman, and question his abilities. Tim’s hero worship combined with his knowledge of their identities, in this case, allows him to see things as they truly are. For Tim, Robin is a light in the dark, a balancing act with Batman, not his sidekick but his partner. He’s a necessary part of the Dynamic Duo because while Batman represents Justice, Robin represents this Hope for a better future. Sure, he’s just a kid; by all accounts he shouldn’t even be out there fighting, but maybe, if he is, no other kids won’t have to fight as hard just to survive. He represents the soul of Gotham, underneath the criminality and corruption; a city full of people, tough-as-nails, saying “No, fuck you, this is our city” despite the constant danger. He represents the people who come together in times of crisis, who help out their neighbors when each new disaster strikes. He’s trained in martial arts, of course, and he’s a skilled fighter, but Robin’s primary job is always the safety of civilians. He’s the one that gets scared little kids out of a burning building while Batman keeps the villain of the week busy, the one who stays behind with SA victims walks them home because Batman is too much for those things. He uses fear where Robin uses kindness, compassion, and love.

Tim sees this. So, when Robin dies and Batman is getting rougher, more violent, more careless, he notices. He notices that Bruce is picking bigger fights than he can handle, taking hits he could dodge, breaking four ribs instead of two, barely making it back to the manor each night. If he idolized Bruce, at this point, he would trust him the way the rest of Gotham does. He would assume it was a rough patch, and Bruce would recover, and that Batman would always save the day. He would see a solitary hero, the way Batman wants to be seen. He wouldn’t think it necessary to reach out to Dick for help, and even if he did he would think Nightwing would be enough help. He wouldn’t understand the importance of the Robin mantle, the specific role that needs to be filled. Nightwing can represent a lot of things; fluidity, positive change, and freedom come to mind immediately, but there's no world where Nightwing represents Gotham and Hope the same way Robin does. He can’t serve the same purpose anymore, not in that uniform. Bruce would die at Two-Face’s hands in that very first arc, I have not a single doubt in my mind.

Then, as Tim comes back to Gotham post-training and actually starts to help out, it’s common for him to be the conscience. He falls easily into the role of Robin, the role that makes him protector of the innocent. He’s not like Jason, raised by these streets in a very different way, though I wouldn’t say either is better or worse. Where Jason struggled and had to fight, out there each night pre-Bruce out of necessity rather than choice. He knows all the best hiding spots and back-alleys because it kept him alive. He chooses to be Robin because he needed a hero and wants to be that for other people. Tim chose those streets, and he chose them for Robin. He knows the best hiding spots because they put him closer to the action, because he raised himself on all those cold nights alone on rooftops with his camera. He knows the back-alleys because they made him faster, made it so his little kid legs could keep up with his hero so he wouldn’t miss a moment. He lives for Gotham nights, for the thrill of seeing everything, getting to know everything. He chooses to be Robin because where his parents failed to teach him how to be a good person, Robin stepped up. He bases his morals off of watching Robin help people, and because he’s a kid he assumes that it’s normal to behave with altruistic intentions and prioritize others.

There’s a point to be made here, briefly, about how this lends itself to Tim’s self-worth issues and insecurities. If his job is to assist, supplement, guide, and fill in the blanks when Batman fails, he doesn’t have the option of failure. He expects that how he does his job, as long as the job gets done, doesn’t matter because he doesn’t view himself as the hero. He never views himself as a main character in his own story; he truly thinks he’s doing what anyone else in his position would gladly do. This is why he overworks himself, why he’s known for living, for lack of a better term “like a goddamn ninja turtle”. It’s why he’s always Robin or Red Robin or even his public persona Timothy Drake-Wayne but rarely Just Tim. Very few people get to see Just Tim, normal Tim, because if they’re seeing that then he’s not doing his job.

All of these factors lead to Tim’s conclusion that if no one else can get Batman out of this state, least of all Batman himself, of course the next logical conclusion is that it’s his responsibility to step up and do the job. Furthermore, it’s only because he idolized Robin that he can fill the role properly because his relationship to Bruce, especially in the beginning, is nothing like Dick and Jason’s relationships with Bruce. He’s not his kid, doesn’t bring Robin’s joy and hope home, so instead he has to work twice as hard in the field to keep Bruce away from the edge. He’s the first of the Robins to view himself as Batman’s protector rather than the other way around, and he’s the only one who Bruce acknowledges when he tries to fill that role. Bruce accepts it when Tim manages him, reorganizes his files, forces him into the medbay, even when he very occasionally goes as far as to outright scold him rather than just pressure him to make the right choices. He’s given an inch and takes a mile, because he believes (rightfully, in my opinion) that if he doesn't then all hope is lost. And Bruce allows him to help, to guide, as much as he’s willing to because he’s not his kid first. He’s Robin first.

This mentality carries over to the Red Robin arc, where Tim spends an entire year chasing after Bruce to save him. He does it alone, and although he asks for help he doesn’t actually expect it. Furthermore, because his morals are based off of Robin in his infinite altruism rather than Batman with his rigid rules, he doesn’t mind working with Ra’s al Ghul. He doesn’t mind betraying Ra’s by killing his men, by blowing up his bases. He doesn’t tell Bruce about it to protect Bruce from having another murderer under his roof, and because he doesn’t think it matters enough. Bruce isn’t surprised when Tim is the one to save him. I believe he would have been if any other Robin had shown up. He and Dick have had a strained relationship for years, he and Jason aren’t even on speaking terms, Stephanie was so often full of rage at him throughout her run as Robin and is dead at the time, and he doesn’t even really have a relationship with Damian. Aside from all of that, he’s assumed dead. He can’t assume the Justice League will spend their time saving a dead man. And yet, despite all of that, he isn’t surprised when Tim is the one to pull him out of the time stream. He’s disoriented, sure, and a little surprised it was possible for him to be saved at all, and he even wants to hear about how he figured it out, but his doubt is never placed on the fact that Tim would be the one to understand and tear the world apart to bring him home.

I believe this also helps to explain Tim’s struggle with letting go of the Robin mantle, outside of the fact that he was the first to have the choice to move on taken away from him. If he’s always been Robin first, always felt the weight of that on his shoulders, what is he supposed to do when his very identity is stripped away right as he loses everyone who got to really know him as Just Tim? How is he supposed to cope with having to reconstruct his own idea of who he is with no one around to remind him? Humans are social creatures. We learn and grow with and because of each other. He’s encouraged by Dick to grow quickly out of Robin to fill a new role, which is a nice sentiment from Dick’s own point of view, but he’s lacking a sturdy foundation. Not because it’s not actually there, or because he lacks personality or morals, but because he truly views himself and all of his good decisions as just what anybody would do and what Robin is supposed to do. He doesn’t consider that following these morals makes them his, makes them the building blocks for wherever he goes next, he considers them to be traits of a character he no longer plays; a purpose he no longer serves.

(This is the second time I've posted this, so if you see another version that's why!)

[wintersettled]

Ongoing Batfam recs

disclaimer! this is being written primarily off the top of my head so don't expect insane quality! also I'm aware a lot of people aren't sure where to start or what's current -- for that I recommend looking through reading guides but I thought I'd talk a bit about current ongoing batfam comics I'm aware of. To read these you could go to your local comic store, use the DC Infinite app or do what I often do and use alternative sites to read comics, many of which can be found by searching "where to read comics free reddit" via your internet browser.

not all batfam characters are currently appearing very much in comics so I'm afraid there will be a distinct lack of many favourites such as Tim Drake, Helena Bertinelli, Stephanie Brown, Jason Todd, and Jean-Paul Valley, however it should be noted that in Batman: The Brave and the Bold there is always a chance that an issue will feature one of them. This series features 60 pages containing multiple short stories which vary in length, some occurring across multiple issues. While it is labeled "batman" it regularly features characters outside of the batfamily.

I'd also like to not that due to DC's All-In there are many new authors and storylines starting up so most are barely any issues in! These are really just early on thoughts BUT it's a great time to start reading!

Regarding Bruce Wayne himself, Batman is currently (as usual) appearing in two new all-in arcs in both Detective Comics and Batman (2016). Can I say I like either? No! It is a long established fact that I am most definitely not Taylor's biggest fan and him deciding to rehash already done and in fact tired storylines as well as making minor adjustments to origins is no surprise nor do I care -- still I'll be fair and tell you that the story involves, you guessed it, the no-killing rule woah! Something so deftly written you can spot the killer from the first couple pages except this time the issue ends off with perhaps one of the most ridiculous and bad plot twists I've ever seen... enough hating on that. Now with the Batman series itself, I fear I dropped it ages ago. I'm understanding there's some conflict regarding the return of previous characters but following Gotham War I struggle to car about this run and I'll admit so far what I've heard from those who have read the recent series is mediocre at best.. still I recommend checking it out for yourself seeing as I can't actually speak on it.

Nightwing aka Richard Grayson is having a seemingly better time. With the introduction of Dan Watters as the new writer we're getting a new Nightwing (2016) story that I am feeling really positive about! I fully recommend checking this one out, just going off the first issue it looks good and I have spent the last month yearning for more! Titans (2023), however, I'm a bit more sceptical of... I'm liking the change in dynamics (always love a Roy feature and Donna leading) which see different characters taking the forefront of the team. I'm not a big fan of Beast Boy nor his dynamic with Raven so it may not be the best but I think the Titans are a super important part of Dick's story so I'll say if you're not keen on this, maybe run it back and pick up The New Teen Titans (1980) which is the start of the team and even sees Dick become Nightwing!

A new writer has finally joined up on Catwoman (2018) and let me say that I loved that first issue. Someone is trying to kill Catwoman and all of her previous identities. We hearken back to her international thievery and what a huge scale Selina Kyle was once on! I'm very excited to see her travel as the story progresses!

Damian Wayne continues as a main character on Batman & Robin (2023) which I am not caught up to so I can't comment on the story but at least in the past it's had its moments! I can't say I've always been totally into the portrayal of Talia however this series has in the past emphasized Damian's relationships with his father as well has others like Nika aka Flatline!

Both Barbara Gordon and Cassandra Cain have been appearing in Birds of Prey (2023)! I enjoy the series but I will admit I feel like it's still finding its footing and I loath the occasional portrayal of Barbara as Batgirl -- something I feel is actively harming the quality of the story. Most of the time she is portrayed as Oracle, and while her wheelchair has yet to make a comeback, I'm hoping somebody explodes the dark spirit of Dan Didio from that office so ableism and misogyny can finally die a cold and lonely death in their buildings janitorial closet. Anyways! Cass has also been appearing in her new solo Batgirl (2024)!! This is so exciting! If you don't know Batgirl (2000) is possibly one of the best things ever written in history and every one should read it so I'm so excited to see her back! This first arc seems to focus a lot on the dynamic with Lady Shiva, Batgirl's mother. While the first issue was more set up for the rest, I cannot wait!

outside of elseworlds I'd say that about wraps things up for current batfam! pick one up, I'd love to chat about it!

[kingsandbastardz]

more of the wips list

@cheetahing

shark-dick - a tale of narratives and severe misunderstandings

Ok this one will likely eventually be some flavor of dihua.

But it's basically continuing on the theme of narratives != reality, where I ask, "What if Jinyuan Alliance, and Di Feisheng in particular?"

Which, we know DFS isn't nearly as evil as the name Demon would suggest. But what else?

It starts with the idea of Jinyuan Alliance being the hive of scum and villiany and sexual deviance. Where it's the place where perverts go to roam free and wave their freak flag in a way polite society doesn't allow. Like, their poor prisoners! You'd be better off dead! Etc.

"So... you haven't? At all? Even when you're this old?" Fang Duobing asks with far more confusion than was warranted. Di Feisheng's eyes are closed as he cycles his energy through his meridians, his eyelashes arcing softly across his cheeks and his hair lifting and fluttering about as if buffeted from an invisible, spiraling wind. He doesn't respond beyond a faint but clearly disdainful snort. Offended, Fang Duobing points at him and demands, "So if shaoye grabs your- your jade rod, you're telling me you can just make the feeling go away?" A sharp brow twitching faintly, Di Feisheng immediately replies, "Yes." "I refuse to believe you." Really, Xiaobao? In Li Lianhua's opinion, if there was anyone who would take a largely ignored path to harness his youth's yang energy and efficiently turn himself into a high density cauldron of power, it would be Di Feisheng. The concept of taking sexual energy and transmuting it into something else was not a new one (there were entire schools of thought and exotic styles based around it), but this was an area largely ignored by earthly men and women for a reason -- only Di Feisheng could accidentally master systemic chastity out of annoyance that his adolescence was disrupting his focus. Li Lianhua carefully pours himself a cup a tea with perfectly steady hands and a blank mind. He can feel as Di Feisheng winds down his daily meditation - his energy slows and pulls inward and back, like the ocean's waves tugging lightly at bare toes as it withdraws at low tide. Li Lianhua should be impressed. He really should be. It was a great skill mastered at a very, very young age - a skill mastered without a teacher and without any understanding of what it could mean for Di Feisheng's future self. But instead, unexpectedly perverse words like "virgin" and "untouched" echo resonantly in the cavernous space between Li Lianhua's ears. Meanwhile, Di Feisheng has unexpectedly embarked on a wordy tale of something he personally witnessed. "I know a man who was prideful in his high energy and the size of his manhood. One day, we traveled together for a short time and was on a ship heading to [____] when he started arguing with a deckhand. The sailor insisted his reputation was too overblown. In a rage, my aquantance ripped open his pants and whipped out his cock --", Di Feisheng pauses and looks down at his arm, thoughtfully tracing a finger in the vicinity of his elbow, or maybe his armpit. Di Feisheng blandly continues, "--his cock comes out and he slaps it over the side of the ship's railing." (And the word cock coming out of his mouth makes both Fang Duobing and Li Lianhua twitch for different reasons.) Di Feisheng pauses again and looks sideways at nothing as he reaches his limit for words and struggles for more, "--Heaven was watching and was unhappy with him? There was a shark." "A-a shark?" "Big fish. Lots of teeth. It jumped out the water in a big arc the moment the meat came out and--- when it went back into the water, it took this aquaintence's cock with it." Fan Duobing's mouth had fallen open and remained open for the entirety of this telling. He shuts it with a snap. "It was a freak accident. But truly," Di Feisheng's brows arch questioningly. When there is no response, he says slyly, with great logic, "Why would I want anything to do with that?" Why indeed? Fang Duobing sits down. Li Lianhua has no response either, but not because he is struggling to decide whether this tale has any truth. It's because he realizes, with a sudden flood of fondness that he hides behind his tea, Lao Di may be inexperienced but he isn't innocent.

basically dfs is gonna fuck with fdb's brain about his 'innocence' for the foreseeable future. fdb is a 3-star intelligence against dfs' 5 stars. someone help him.

anyway.

[literary-illuminati]

2024 Book Review #26 – The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor

This was my monthly dose of high literature, chosen because I subscribed to the author’s substack for a while and generally liked it. After somehow accidentally grabbing historic fantasy and dystopian sci fi, this time it did was actual proper adult contemporary litfic, even! So y’know, horizons successfully expanded.

The book is honestly a caricature of what an outsider would guess contemporary litfic to be. Meandering and plot light, eight different POVs whose chapters’ are largely character studies of their own interiorities and relationships, deeply preoccupied with the process and structures that produce Fine Art, about a bunch of miserable queer grad students in Iowa City. It did at least refrain from having a character actually be an author attending the Iowa Writers Workshop so like, not totally free of restraint here, but it’s still nearly overpowering.

Saying ‘plot light’ is still almost overstating it, really. Each chapter is a vignette from the perspective of a different character, with varying levels of personal connection to the other protagonists. Some individual characters have little arcs, but none exactly undergo a profound transformation – the book is largely just a study of them, their relationships, their damage and their neuroses as they drift through a year of their lives.

The characters themselves are all resolutely unexceptional. No prodigies, no savants, no stars in the making – they are all talented and dedicated, but in ordinary and unremarkable ways for their milieu. It’s precisely that ordinariness that Taylor seems most interested in – how people conceive of their relationship to art when they’ve devoted everything to a craft that only barely seems to love them back.

The relationships between the characters is the other real driver of the book. They’re all..kind of dicks? In the thoughtless, inarticulate, emotionally-illiterate-lashing-out way of incredibly stressed people in their mid-20s (though exaggerated a bit for effect. Or at least, I hope so). Everyone is broken and jagged, and rubs up against everyone else only with violence and force – resentful friendships, unhappy romances, comfortable enmities. No one ever makes a clean break with anyone – no one shows much sign of being able to even if they wanted – and what character growth there is is a matter of compromise and accommodation, making peace with the people you love around you whatever their shortcomings.

The characters are all very well-drawn, their neuroses and struggles believable and mostly compelling. There’s probably one or two too many of them – at a certain point I did start having trouble with whose tragic childhood (they of course all have tragic childhoods) or insufferable emotionally unavailable boyfriend was whose – but in the final analysis they all mostly worked for me. That said, the two female POVs seem almost..tangential? Less connected to everyone else, less richly examined, less grounded and dirty and vicious. Which is a bit unfortunate, both in terms of the novel’s overall strength and because almost literally the only other women with lines in it are a bunch of deeply unkind caricatures of poetry/literature-as-activism types in one of the character's seminars.

Speaking of relationships – if you don’t know what the stereotypical litfic sex scene looks like, this book overflows with examples to learn from. Partially just trying to be true to life about a cast of horny gay guys in their mid-20s – if you draw a chart of who fucked who I’m pretty sure it connects every man in the main cast – but the book also just tries to get a lot of characterization and symbolism across through sex scenes, and ends up devoting more word count and flowery prose to them than anything I’ve ever seen besides outright erotica. All the sex scenes do have a fascinatingly vast variety of valences and tones, though – some are passionate and romantic, some flagrantly exploitative or transactional, some are just something to do on a boring break in the middle of nowhere. The sex can get a bit monotonous, but at least it’s never one-note.

Taylor’s very interested in the culture of like, capitalized prestigious Fine Art, its production, and the relation of the university to both. The book, broadly, seems to take the point of view that the whole edifice is one great machine for chewing up and spitting out hopes and dreams. It’s a recurring theme that even among these people who have dedicated their entire lives to poetry or dance of the piano are unable to spend it making the kind of art they want. And that’s not even getting into how all the people you’re supposed to be making art with are the most insufferable pieces of shit to ever see the sun.

And on the note of insufferable pieces of shit – there’s also just a very strong recurring theme of class. Getting a MFA is largely the province of people who don’t really have to care about a near-future paycheck, and the cast is divided between those who fit the description and feel varying amounts of repressed guilt and awkwardness about it, and those that have to work some job to pay the bills and display a remarkable amount of restraint in not decking at least one classmate a day. The irony of art imagined as activism or world-changing being near-exclusively the result of elite educations and trust funds is bitter and plentiful, especially among the poets.

It’s, I think, a very sort of subtle humour that across the first half or so of the book the really poetic prose and most evocative imagery is used near-exclusively to describe the vulgar, low-class survival work that the less fortunate half of the protagonists do to support themselves – meal prep in a hospice kitchen, preparing cuts of beef in a slaughterhouse, recording porn of oneself to post online – while the actually art they create isn’t much described at all. This doesn’t last, but it’s a very funny joke while it does.

The book is, on a sentence-to-sentence and page-to-page level, really quite beautiful. Unfortunately, it ends up feeling like less than the sum of its parts. There’s a bit of a running narrative connecting half or so of the protagonists, who really are major parts of each others lives and enrich each others narratives with an outside view – and then the rest only appear outside their own chapters as cameos, if that. Exactly one characters gets two chapters from his POV – the first, and about halfway through the book – and he’s one of the people who barely touches the rest of the cast, so it’s not like he’s actually the protagonist or propelling the narrative. You end up with a novella and a bunch of short stories that, put together, are both constantly hitting the same beats but also lacking any real through-line tying them all together and pushing things forward. Which really isn’t helped by the fact that the ending reads like someone gave Taylor a maximum wordcount 5 pages before he hit it and he just did the best he could.

[gffa]

"Grimm" is a five-part story from Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight from 2002 and I kind of absolutely lost my mind over it because there was just so much validating everything I've always thought about these two. The premise is typical comics shenanigans, there's a Mother Grimm who is stealing street kids and abused children away to this fantastical underground carnival to let them live a whimsical life, where they're loved and cared for--which Dick falls into because he's clashing with Bruce, who is freaking out because he's worried that he's turning Dick into a mirror version of himself. The story is woven through with Alfred gently trying to push (which I've been losing my shit about here and here because this is exactly what I read comics for) both Bruce and Dick into acknowledging that they're becoming father and son--but it's clear that both of them are terrified of stepping into those roles, Bruce because he doesn't know how to raise a kid and he's afraid he's hurting more than helping, Dick because he's not sure Bruce even wants him around as Robin, much less as Dick Grayson, but you watch the way Alfred barely has to nudge them and you see them both start to lean into the idea before they get scared again and jump back into saying they're partners and friends instead. And it's so validating because it's the good stuff--Dick running away because he feels like Bruce doesn't want him, Bruce coming home to tell him that he's going to find Dick a new family because he's scared he's molding this kid into himself but he can't because Dick's already run off, but when Dick says he's going to stay with Mother Grimm, Bruce looks gut-punched like he can't actually believe Dick would leave. Meanwhile, Bruce tries to leave, but Mother Grimm secretly doses him with psychotropic drugs which send him into hallucinations about how he's dragging Dick into this violent world of his, and how he's setting him up for death, that because Bruce didn't die with his parents, now he's trying to get this kid--this kid who mirrors him in so many ways--killed instead. And it's all just so much terror at the thought of letting someone else in after their losses--Bruce because he's scared of losing more people, Dick scared because he's not sure he's wanted, and it'll take years yet for them to actually put anything into words, so instead they settle for "partners" and it might feel unsatisfying and half-assed, except honestly Dick Grayson and Alfred Pennyworth were working miracles here. There's plenty of room for other interpretations, including soft dad!Bruce who eagerly embraces the idea (and it's not too far off from this, this Bruce very clearly does want that, he's just scared and so he keeps chickening out), but this is where I live, this is why Dick Grayson is so fundamentally important to Bruce Wayne's story, that neither character is complete without the other. Bruce Wayne is a character who lost his entire world on that night he was eight years old and didn't know how to grow beyond it for so long, and how do you make a character arc like that satisfying? How do you take a character that is defined by a child's loss of his parents, that shapes everything of who he came to be, and make a satisfying conclusion?

You do it by making him a father to a child who needs him. A child who mirrors him, where they could bring out the worst in each other--and sometimes they do tend to slide into those fears getting the better of them--but instead Bruce struggles his way to being someone who openly admits that he's fallible, he makes mistakes, but he loves his kid and he is a father, that he needs to step up. I've been reading a lot of Bruce & Damian comics lately and it's been striking me how different Bruce is--he's still emotionally constipated, but he understands that he has to get in there, set boundaries, set rules, and make sure the kid knows that he's proud of them. Has to be the adult that looks past the scared kid's bravado and harsh words, to see the vulnerability underneath.

Bruce could never have done any of what he's doing with Damian currently without THIS RIGHT HERE. Without the yearning for something he doesn't know how to put into words (even when Alfred basically spells it out for him), without Dick Grayson bringing light and love into his life, without Dick being such a bright and loving child who was still scared that he wasn't wanted, so Bruce has to open up and learn to start actually saying what he means.

You don't get Bruce & Damian (or Bruce & Jason or Bruce & Tim) without Bruce & Dick first. You don't get any of that without Bruce's relationship with Dick making him put his fears into words and learning to trust his heart to this kid, step by step.

Bruce and Dick's relationship being rocky in the early days isn't a mark against how much Bruce loved that kid, but instead a sign of just how miraculous it was that Dick Grayson got him this far in the first place. Dick Grayson had to be the first, because you don't get to current day Bruce Wayne with any of his other kids without him. (Overall, this was a fairly silly comic that was very much of its era, but I thought it was a great read because it really nailed how hard it was for them to even begin to approach the idea of Bruce being a dad, he couldn't even say it at the end of all this, despite that he literally pulled the most dad move of all time by waiting in the dark for his kid to sneak back in and basically tell him he was grounded. GOD THEY ARE SO EMOTIONALLY CONSTIPATED AND IT'S SO DELICIOUSLY FUN.)

[vechter]

vech this is gonna be a weird ask so brace urself but im on some new brainrot so please bear w me.. (im watching too much suits on netflix..)

and because of this new development and my talent for shoving my favorite characters in every piece of media i see (always rotating them in my brain like rotisserie chicken) i was consumed by the idea of lawyer dick grayson. ive always preferred the idea of EMT/social worker dg but let's say this is an au or whatever circumstances fit best. just thinking about his insane competency which is extremely undervalued these days and his need for absolute perfection in everything he does. thinking about his ability to put on a show (let's be honest when are we not thinking of that) he is manipulative, it's one of his biggest strengths and more importantly biggest flaws! most of all he cares so much about people and community.. i know being a lawyer can involve corruption and dirty work but so did being a cop and he fought against that!! (might not be the best example but still) like you can't tell me he wouldn't absolutely kill it in court. his talent of reading people, seeing them, understanding them and knowing just where to press to make it hurt. (also often shown as a flaw) and of course he's a detective at heart. a way he can take all those abilities and use them for good ughh. also dg as a diplomat wjsje but anyways.. i digress

im probably gonna end up thinking this is stupid later but for now i'd love to hear ur thoughts!! <3

omg suits... i remember when one of my exes and i were obsessed with it... it was so promising and then the quality progressively got worse with each episode lmao. what szn/arc are you on?

but to answer ur question, hmm, i think one of the most compelling things about dick is that he's usually pretty good at everything he tries or does. he's just That Guy, you know? so for a potential lawyer au, you're right, he would be a pretty good one. couple of thoughts on this:

would it be his day job or a full time commitment? because the balance between vigilantism and being a lawyer would be difficult to maintain... he'd be burning the candle on research and prep from both ends. plus, being a lawyer does involve a fair amount of public interaction— with judges, other lawyers, juries, clients, etc so it would be an added source of stress with protecting his secret identity bc it would be hard work to hide his injuries from patrol (like just consider marvel's daredevil if you want a more detailed insight into this)

as for the things that would make him a good lawyer, we already know he's a great detective, an excellent tactician and he's extremely adaptable so if there were any potential scenarios in a courtroom/case that he had somehow not prepared for, he seems capable of improvising... and improvising well.

plus, his instincts about people are generally good— he knows how to reach people and he's got a pretty magnetic presence. he's good with reading body language and also having an inkling of when someone is lying to him... which would be incredibly helpful when he's dealing with people who are trying to skirt the law or have been forced to give a certain type of testimony etc

and like you mentioned, not only is he capable of manipulation but he's also very good at it. when you combine it with his uncanny ability to throw baring truths about people like gut-punches, it's a good set up for him able to hone in on weaknesses and exploit them to his client's benefit. but this is a bit of a double-edged sword because i think one of dick's most valuable traits is his empathy. i think he'd struggle with harsh consequences for what he considers crimes of circumstance. he'd be able to rationalize some offences, even when they've inadvertently harmed others and he'd probably be unsettled about how unforgiving the law can be.

it would also war with his belief that no one person is their worst day.

moreover, like you said. there's often a fair bit of politics and corruption involved and while i think he excels at undercover work, being a lawyer full-time would probably chip away at him because there'd be a lot of compromises involved. backroom deals, servicing people in power to get what you want— i don't think he'd have the patience to handle it.

i think he prefers doing the work himself which is difficult when you involve what he could potentially consider intermediary third parties (parole officers, the law, government, etc). it's why vigilantism is what he does and very often, who he is. gordon and amy may be people he trusts and respects, but i think the foundational element of him chasing after zucco because law enforcement essentially failed him... that's pretty important.

like maybe the most important insight into this— if you take dick's time at the juvenile centre in gotham after his parents fell into account and how pervasive the consequences of that time could be— especially when you're a traumatized, grieving orphan surrounded entirely by strangers... and you're placed in a centre for young criminals, othered by your 'peers'... not to mention the racial element of otherness with his romani heritage... yeah, i don't see him ever being comfortable with being a lawyer.

it could be a fun arc for an undercover stint but long-term, i don't see it working out. moreover, if he's able, i always envision him doing something intensely physical as a way of staying connected to his earliest legacy... though i could definitely see him being a social worker... be for others what bruce was for him. hope this answers your question, ivy!!!

[showtoonzfan]

Every time I think about Our Flag means death, I get depressed. Like it had such a strong beginning, season 1 was so incredibly good with its writing and characters, making you care about them and seeing their inner struggles, great themes as well. It was one of my favorite shows and it ended on an impactful cliffhanger, only for season 2 to be such a disappointing downgrade from how big season 1 was.

Stede and Ed’s arcs were rushed/unfinished, crew members we grew to love in the first season barely get any screen time or development this season, the new characters they introduce (while not bad) lacked the same charm the originals had, they split up Jim and Olu and pair them with different characters for honestly no reason, Ed never gets called out for his abusive behavior towards Izzy or the crew, Stede goes back to being a dick for some reason, the villain felt so last minute/boring and lazy, Buttons and Izzy get killed off for no reason, and mainly characters like Stede and Ed were OOC throughout the show. That’s just the surface, and don’t get me wrong, there were lots of enjoyable elements and moments, but as a whole the season is so messy, especially the last episode where they try to wrap everything up in a satisfying way, and it was unsatisfying.

Then the show got cancelled shortly after season 2 ended, so it’s never coming back nor will we ever see it continue with a more satisfying conclusion or better writing/expansion on the characters. It started with such a bang and ended with a sinking ship. It happens, but man does it suck.

[paladin-of-nerd-fandom65]

Alrighty, after taking some inspiration from the recent X Men 97 and now that the Krakoa Era is finally wrapping up, I would like taking this opportunity in explaining a sort of take on this idea of an entire nation of supernatural peoples and beings from all across the globe and giving it a….Titanic spin to it

Basically

What if The (formerly Teen) Titans have a Krakoa Arc to call their own?

Yes this idea will be based on my little Fanon universe that’s in my Pinned Post so anyways Brace Yourselves My Friends

Background: Taking place an in universe year or two after Dick and Kory’s epic honeymoon and after a more or less steady status quo for the DCU, things start escalating with a grand alliance of Planet Tamaran’s enemies from all across the Vega System reconvene once again to seize the planet for themselves. While the Tamaraneans under their Empress Komand’r are well prepared for such a threat, so have their enemies in advance with equipment and tech from Apokolips. Despite their best efforts, Komand’r and her people are deeply struggling against New God tech and it’s not too long before their enemies surround their capital demanding their unconditional surrender. Kom’s scientists though have come up with a final desperate plan which they believe can either help their people fight back against the overwhelming odds however at a great risk, a plan Kom is all too willing to go if it means saving her people from subjugation.

As such, she flies with all her great speed fully charged with her power right all the way to the Vega sun itself, the plan being to supercharge its solar output with her power inner reserves, allowing more energy to shine which should empower her people even those who didn’t tap into their starbolts like Kory and her can. While granting the entire race the ability to charge up Starbolts, the ability to legit breathe in space and other advanced powers and abilities, it all came at an extraordinary cost; the Star itself wounded up overloading and with barely time for their enemies to acknowledge it on time, it explodes into a massive supernova, taking not just them and not even just the planet itself but the whole of the Vega system.

The Tamaraneans themselves, all their civilians and even their then freed relatives managed to evacuate right on time so not one was lost in the supernova but now they have no home to come back to, leaving them a diaspora.

Meanwhile, as the Titans (nominally split into the premier Justice Titans and their B team allies though in the whole composed of Nightwing, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Terra, Troia and Red Arrow) have numerous adventures and meet new allies across not just the universe and other planes of existence which can include the Phantom Zone, the realm of the Lord of Chaos etc, but throughout the Multiverse itself, even coming into contact and allying with the titular Titans of the Multiverse in their own quests to fix worlds with their timelines screwed over; all of it has them gaining new never wig their team and other allies but more importantly a massive influx of entire peoples as refugees and immigrants settling in the Titans’ universe for a new home. Unluckily for the Titans by the point this influx of people’s in need of new home becomes of a priority, The Legion of Doom, Lex Luthor’s team of supervillains, have launched an all out assault on their T shaped bases in both in Earth’s exosphere and in Bludhaven bay. While the attack was ultimately repelled, both T Towers were destroyed, now requiring the Titans themselves in need of a base themselves

Eventually the Titans decide on a Take out Multiple Birds with One Stone approach: with some Kryptonian tech borrowed from the City of Kandor and a location on the opposite side of Mars’ orbit (due to Earth’s orbit being occupied by Earth itself and New Krypton but I Digress lol), a massive new planet is created to be a sort of new home for all those refugees across existence and of course the Tamaraneans, Empress Blackfire acting as their representative in a high governing council which her sister and the other Titans are the ultimate authority on

While the Titans themselves are mainly tendering to Earth’s matters and small scale operations and crime fighting, this Planet shall serve as their new base of operations and the mainly settlers on it being their allies for Cosmic scale threats and crises.

Thus we present to you,

Titans Planet

For this new status quo, before the destruction of the Towers, the Titans Book (the one featuring the aforementioned B team of Troia, Red Arrow, The Flash (Wally West), Omen, Bumblebee, Herald and Jericho) would have a definitive conclusion after around hopefully 100-120 issues (bi weekly schedule applying), the team within it being consolidated into Justice Titans

Therefore in Issue #125, that’ll be a triple sized jumping on issue in which has not just that grand attack by the Legion of Doom but also the Titans consulting with the Kryrptonians of Kandor for borrowing their tech to create Titans Planet. Midway through the issue, Dick would have a bite among their members on whether to proceed with this plan or not, bringing up some differing options and raised concerns among them. Eventually the votes lean in favor of a Yes, leading to creation of the new planet in the opposite side of Mars’ orbit.

Here, Dick, Kom, Donna and Kory lay down simple ground rules for their new found headquarters/planet:

1) The core team should be addressed of tensions between peoples over land rights and other disputes.

2) No citizen of this planet should harm not especially kill another. Should they travel to Earth, they must also not kill any humans or any earthlings

3) The earthlings in turn must respect and treat these citizens of this planet as much any other earthling

4) Titans Planet Must Be Respected. Any attacks on its citizens, not the Titans themselves, but its citizens by hostile powers across both the stars and across dimensions will be a declaration of war.

As for the books that would be affected or launched by this new status quo;

- Titans (formerly Justice Titans, starting in maybe Issue #126, this book will be renamed)

- Nightwing and Starfire: The Flying Graysons (Despite the both of them still officially living in Bludhaven, the Planet especially due to the presence of Kom would serve being a platform for stories for Kory in order to diversify it from the standard Bludhaven based ones)

- Titans Planet (launching after Justice Titans #125, The Main ‘Hub World’ series which explores the day to day operations of the planet’s many people groups and factions; the only title that operates in a one issue per month schedule, Though each single issue are double sized)

- Blackfire: Empress of Tamaran (Launches after Justice Titans #125, serving as the solo adventures of Empress Komand’r as she contends with not just remnants of that alliance that ultimate destroyed her home planet but also other cosmic foes and enemies including probably up to Darkseid himself)

- Mon El: Man of Valor (Similarly launches after Justice Titans #126; Among the people groups that have settled on Titans Planet was the Daxamites who due to events in Action Comics, their own planet too has been destroyed thus they are in the need of a new home. Mon himself being a top representative on their behalf on the planet while he deals with not just a rise of potential supervillains on this planet but also his own place in this world, on Earth and in the universe as a whole in light of these events. Mon himself at this point is something of an Honorary Titan due to his stronger connections with the Superman family)

- Cyborg

- Raven

- Beast Boy

Future event comics and crossovers that involve these books can still occur though the status quo remains for a lengthy amount of time in real life. At the bare minimum, it should last between 2-5 years before another massive shake up can occur.

For any constructive criticism, compliments or additions, Please Reblog and/Reply if you can. It’ll be greatly appreciated

[mamawasatesttube]

What was your fav part about Robin 93?

zoanne wilkins <3

skdjfds but more seriously i really enjoyed the overall arc tim had over the course of it. you can really See the way he goes from just a silly goofy little guy to "oh no. vigilanteism has consumed my entire life" and i think that's sooo fun. also i just really enjoy him as a character. he's so weird and there's so many things wrong with him but also like he is so so so good and kind at heart and it compels me. tim drake i love uuu

like he's so devoted to helping. wanting to keep people safe. sometimes it consumes him but usually he treads water. and he loves people!! he's a friendly lil creature!!! and he has so many friends and also family who love him!!! and he's silly with them and it's GOOD. like his banter and his pranks and everything. it's just so delightful to me the way he's not so isolated like dick and bruce and he's constantly struggling with the line between his civilian life and vigilanteism in a way most others in his family don't really (bruce has no civilian life that isn't simply a charade, dick is barely much better than him most of the time (at least he has some friends, like clancy, but. man.), and cass. well. look at her.) it's a very fun thing for a character to grapple with. in some ways that feels like a classic for superhero stories but i just really like how tim in particular handles it (babygirl your compartmentalization is severe and you have so many identity issues). it's fun!

and also the tragedy and devastation of his everything over the entire comic. i have mixed feelings on the final arc (the steph character assassination was a little much. also why did it have to be ulysses) but the concept of tim sort of accepting that vigilanteism IS consuming him, in a way he always struggled to avoid before... and that being the setup and prelude to everything else that happens to him Later... yeah, that's some good shit. makes me want to make him some hot chocolate, but it's good story.

and also, robin '93 is good because zoanne is there :)

[justanancientfangirl]

A bit of a rant: on Sylvie

Okay, look, as a preface: I do not hate Sylvie. I feel like I see a lot of hate for the character from a lot of people not Sylkie shippers, and I definitely do not hate her, even if the ship is something I struggle to see.

I actually like Sylvie's character a lot. She has had to struggle and fight and flee for something like a thousand years. I honestly don't begrudge her desire to stay in a quiet universe and just live a life. I want that for her, even.

Is she being a huge dick to Loki every time they interact this season? Yes. She refuses to listen to him (though he isn't being entirely straight with her either, to be fair), and she continually belittles his own choices and refuses to take responsibility for her own. She blames him and the TVA for the destruction of timelines, even though Dox's crew was, at the time, acting as a rogue element, and the issues that the timelines and TVA are currently facing are entirely her fault.

Again, I totally understand why she didn't listen to Loki at the end of season 1. It makes sense that she wouldn't want trust anything that He Who Remains had to say, and it makes sense that she wouldn't trust Loki at all. She barely knows him, and she's been alone her entire life. She doesn't really remember her life before the TVA ruined it. She has no friends, no allies. So yes, it was foolish of her to not stop and think for like ten seconds, but killing He Who Remains had been her ultimate goal for centuries. Of course she was going to do it.

HOWEVER. Because she killed He Who Remains, the multiverse is in danger. And just because I understand her inability to accept responsibility for her actions, does not mean I condone it. The lady is incredibly emotionally stunted. Of course she doesn't know how to take responsibility. She's been blaming other people for her problems her entire life (and most of that was 100% justified). To stop doing so now, when she hasn't had a chance to learn, would be bad writing.

I am all for a good character arc and a redemption story. Loki's himself has been...a little rushed. And they haven't touched on the trauma that was his time Before New York at all since that like, thirty seconds in season 1. Sure, he mentions NY a little flippantly here in season 2, but we all know that was just a way to get Mobius to talk. Point is, they have set Sylvie up for a good character arc, and kind of fast tracked Loki's without actually talking about some of the things I'm most interested in, but...eh, whatever. I can rant about that another time.

What I don't understand though, is Sylkie shippers. Like...number one, are we watching the same show? Season 1 seemed to have some unrequited pining going on, on Loki's side, especially before Loki and Mobius made up, but Sylvie has never shown any interest in Loki beyond that of a tentative ally. And really, there's no reason she should. When would Sylvie have had time, ever in her life, to think of romance beyond, possibly, an errant daydream? And this season, it really seems like she can hardly stand him.

Every time they interact, she lashes out, she tries to hurt him. She has told him, unequivocally, to leave her alone, multiple times. She listened to him say that he feared being alone most of all, and then she left him (I assume she has a tab at that bar, otherwise who the hell paid for those shots, and also, I've never met a bartender who would hear 'two bourbons' and just pour shots immediately, if it isn't a common order for that patron, but that's yet another rant for another day).

Like, she just seems to be going out of her way to be cruel, to drag him down, to blame him for everything, and to paint him as the bad guy. Sure, he wants to have his friends back, and maybe that IS selfish, but he ALSO wants to save the TVA because he believes that will save the multiverse, and that isn't, but she knows that once she pokes any holes in the story he's concocted for himself, he's only going to dwell on the bad side. Which he does. Her goal, I assume, is to get him out of her hair and leave her alone. She doesn't want to be involved with all this TVA stuff anymore. And...yeah, fair enough, except that the multiverse is actively disintegrating. Which is at least...oh, 45% her fault. (I'll grant that most of the fault lies on the heads of the old TVA, He Who Remains and Ravonna. And maybe like 3% Loki's fault. Everyone can take somewhat a share of the blame, but she really was trying to do the most. And she is the only one of our 'heroes' who hasn't taken any responsibility for the problems now facing the multiverse).

Look, I have shipped Loki with almost every single character he has had screen time with, if the story is well written enough for it to make sense. I've even read a Sylkie story that I actually managed to really get behind. (It took place before season 2, the premise being that in their fight at the Citadel, there was an accident and they ended up in Westview during the events of Wandavision, and were paired as a husband/wife duo for the show. It made sense, and there was enough of a build of their relationship that I was like...yeah, sure).

The writers of this show have NOT done their due diligence to make Sylkie make sense. In season 1, I could see that he might have a thing for her. But I never saw that being reciprocated.

Sylvie needs friends, she needs to learn how to trust, she needs stability, and she needs to figure out who she is as a person when she isn't on the run. She does NOT need a romance. A romance at this stage would be incredibly bad for her, really, if we give a shit about a fictional character's mental health.

I like Sylvie as a character. I think her arc has been interesting, but she is definitely still in the middle of it, and it is nowhere near resolved. I can't see a single instance in the show where she showed a romantic interest in Loki. (And...what, she kissed him? That was only to get him distracted enough to kick him out a time door so she could kill He Who Remains).

If this season ends with Sylkie endgame, I will have honestly lost faith in Marvel's ability to write a good story entirely. If they want the two of them to be together, they have to write them together. They have to actually be a team, not just constantly bickering (or in this season, Loki begging for her help and her telling him to stuff it). She only comes to help because her own universe gets shredded, not because she wanted to help Loki or save the other universes. She would not be good for him, at least not right now. That relationship would be hella toxic. Has she ever done anything for him? Just for him, not because he was useful to her in some way?

Look, TL;DR, I like Sylvie as a character and I want to see her grow and thrive, but Sylkie makes no sense and if they go that route this season it is bad writing. MCU has always been bad at romance and character development, but this would take the cake.