#does he rescue himself?

[fairy-lights-and-blobs]

Danny finds the Batcave and spots the Memorial with Jason's old suit.

As a ghost, the very clothes ping in his senses as another Ghost's death garb, but in a way that said ghost hates seeing it.

So Danny grabs them, puts them on, and starts prowling Gotham, wailing like a Banshee and terrorizing the Rogues and crime families of Gotham.

Danny swears that Gotham and the Bat Will Not Know Peace until he's found a way for Danny to be able to safely go back to his family.

And besides, with a handy trick of manipulating the ecto of his Ghost form, he can alter himself to look lik the pictures he's seen of Robin 2, except color-switched like Phantom was.

As the Wayward Robin, he wails and screams about wanting to go home, and about how much his dad must miss him. Every Bat and Bird of Gotham know he's talking about Jack, considering the feral growling and 'I WILL bit you' vibes he displays whenever Bruce so much as breathes in his direction.

The one time Riddler managed to lure him to a warehouse to meet the Batman, hoping that might dispel the horrifying apparition of the Dead Robin, the Wail that comes out of the Ghost's mouth nearly tears the place to the ground.

With one dead Robin failing to recognize Batman as his dad, and the history of fighting between Nightwing and Batman, plus how stubborn and defiant the Robins and Batgirls are, people start talking. And asking questions, like if the Big Bad Bat might not be as good of a father as they thought he was.

And then Danny vanishes from the Manor.

Along with the Wayward Robin's presence in the streets of Gotham.

All that is left behind is an Owl pin on the boy's bed.

The Court of Owls have their eyes and ears everywhere. They know Bruce Wayne is keeping Phantom in his house, no matter how much the boy seems to refuse to leave, now that his secret identity has been revealed.

If only they could spread their influence to Wayne Manor, they might come to know where the Dead Robin Ghost came from. But no matter. Their Talons have captured the Phantom boy, and if they will be denied their Gray Son of Gotham, then they will be perfectly content to train the Outsider.

Bruce Wayne was a fool to attempt to subjugate the boy by tearing him from his home and revealing his identity to make sure he can never go anywhere. Who will miss a boy they've never seen? The child has no media presence nowadays, and his reclusive habits mean he's never seen by the population of Gotham.

No one will miss him, or notice another Talon take flight into the dark skies of Gotham.

Maybe he will even bring them the Gray Son they were promised...

The one where Bruce is the asshole (again)

So! We have a typical story where the JLA finds out about the Situation in Amity.

Whichever way they find out doesn't matter, but either way they end up sending Batman to do a threat analysis and review of whether this requires their attention.

And while there, he runs into a Kid who obviously needs to be saved from his Abusive Home. Look at him, he's far too thin, his grades are horrible, he has many unexcused absences, and he has bruises hidden under his clothes.

Even after figuring out that Danny is Phantom the local Hero, he thinks Danny needs to be saved from his Parents.

I mean, it's plain to see! They Hates Ghosts with a Passion, negelct their son very often, shoot at him nearly every day, and are probably the ones who killed him in the first place!

So, with no input from Danny himself, Bruce calls CPS on the Fentons and uses his Wealth to expedite the process and avoid the actual Investigation. (I mean, why would you even need one? It's so obviously a bad home!)

The Fenton's are arrested, and Bruce reveals that Danny is Phantom to convince the Courts that they are horrible people for shooting at their own son, and that they should be locked up (ignoring the horrified looks on their faces, probably cause they were living with a Ghost for so long, thats probably why).

He immediately offers to adopt Danny, even when Danny vehemently refuses his offer. He knows that Danny will come around to it, he's doing this for his own good. He still thinks his Parents were good people, and not thr Villains they really were.

Meanwhile Danny's life has been completely uprooted thanks to the self-righteous machinations of an Adoption Crazed Fruitloop! And not even the usual one!

Sure his parents were often busy with their work, but they Always set aside time to hang out with their kids and make sure they were okay. They never abused him, the neglect was only for like a month or two when the portal before they got their act together and apologized for it, and (most importantly) THEY DIDN'T KNOW he was a Halfa when they shot at him! They only found out when the ASSHOLE revealed his Identity in Court!

And Danny is Extra enraged by that part. The Adoption Crazed Fruitloop had revealed his secret identity for the ENTIRE WORLD TO HEAR!

He would never be able to live a normal life anymore, even if he managed to get away from the Moron who caused all this!

Bruce Wayne was a Villain in his eyes.

He ripped him from his home and from his family (basically kidnapped), revealed his identity to the world so he was forced to stay with him for fear of the GIW, and spun the whole story so that it looked like he was the Good Guy in this!?

It was official. Danny Hates Bruce Wayne, possibly more than anyone else in the World.

And that's a High Bar.

[watchyourbuck]

If Buck gets yet another random-rescued-woman love interest arc™️ I might have to retire guys

[silverhalla]

Back at it again with another theory: What if Lucanis’ betrayal wasn’t a betrayal at all?

(obviously, spoilers below the cut)

During The Wigmaker Job, we have some dialogue between Illario and Lucanis about their position within both the Crows and the Dellamorte family. Illario wants Caterina to step down so he can take the coveted First Talon spot. Lucanis reassures him that his time is coming, to which Illario makes a snide comment about whether his cousin would ever go against their grandmother’s wishes. When they continue the conversation after the job, Illario states that Lucanis is the potential heir, that he’s her favorite, and that he’s unlikely to say no to her. Lucanis doesn’t argue, only insists that he doesn’t want to be First Talon, and that he hopes she’ll see reason before that. It’s mentioned again in Eight Little Talons - Caterina favors Lucanis. It’s well-known enough among the Crows that Viago and Teia discuss it in front of her (not on purpose, but she doesn’t deny it). He’s her prodigy through and through.

In the opening scene for the Lucanis quest in Veilguard, Caterina is poised, as you’d expect of the First Talon. She’s certain that the body they buried wasn’t her grandson, that it had been altered with blood magic. She doesn’t pose it as a theory, though: she poses it as a fact. It could, of course, merely be her confidence, but there’s another very unusual aspect to the scene – everyone else discusses how Lucanis was clearly betrayed, that someone must have sold him out in order for the Venatori to capture him. Caterina is the only one in that room who never speaks on it. She doesn’t ask for justice, doesn’t mention vengeance, never acknowledges that her grandson was sold out by someone he trusted – perhaps because he wasn’t. 

What if, when Caterina comes to him with a plan, with an impossible request, he’s still her favorite prodigal grandchild, and he still does whatever she asks? She’s had him tortured before as a child, has tortured and starved and beaten him herself before, because it makes him stronger and more resistant to it in the future. He says in The Wigmaker Job that he used to hate her for it, but now he understands. He justifies it. All Crows justify it, because they have to - if they don’t, then the cruelty wasn’t for survival’s sake, and their suffering meant nothing. Perhaps he doesn’t even question it. When Caterina tells him that she has a job for him, he takes it. 

What if the contract has a caveat? Sure, Calivan must die by his hand by the end of it, a little treat for a job well done, but what if his primary mission is reconnaissance, is discovery? The Venatori are using blood magic to torture and corrupt prisoners. It would behoove the Crows to find out what it entails and how to resist it, before it’s turned back on them. It would have to be someone so deeply, unabashedly loyal to her that when she asked them to infiltrate a Venatori prison, expecting torture at best, their own death at worst, they’d take the job anyway, no questions asked - someone Caterina can trust, certainly, but also someone who has never once said no to her.

And Lucanis has always been a loyal grandson. 

[pianokantzart]

Hey, remember that time Mario flung himself out of a penthouse window because he knew full well his brother would catch him?

[add1ctedt0you]

What a plot twist you were. [x]

[discordiansamba]

have you considered.... vampire zuko

taking him away from the sun! mean to him!!!!

but. i am in fact, considering it. vampires not as undead creatures (because that brushes up a bit too close onto the bum spirit deal AU's uh... deal) but a form of a Fire Nation spirit curse. for a long time, it was simply considered a myth until some fool brought proof of its existence before Ozai and you know his ass was like

'hm. we can use this.'

so he does. the Earth Kingdom has a Fire Nation and a vampire problem. they cannot fucking win. speaking of guys who cannot win- world's unluckiest fire nation prince gets on the wrong side of one and ends up bitten and turned. but he has something on his side that most don't- and that's iroh.

iroh is going to save his nephew.

he prays to any spirit that is willing to listen to him. he will do anything they ask, if they will help his nephew. it is the moon spirit who answers- and she tasks not iroh but zuko with exterminating the vampires who are starting to become a problem. if he kills them all, she'll grant him a boon.

in short order zuko

a.) becomes a vampire

b.) learns that his father was the one behind using vampires as a method to overtake the earth kingdom

c.) becomes much more aware of the violence the fire nation is inflicting upon the world as a result

d.) uncle talks him into treason so much more easily

or: ozai's plan to use vampires to conquer the earth kingdom was going great, until the blue spirit shows up. then it is decidedly going less great. two and a half years later, the gaang will run into the blue spirit in a town that's having vampire trouble and end up working with him to get rid of it.

zuko quickly realizes a) that's the fucking avatar and b.) they don't know he's a vampire. aang takes an interest in the blue spirit and asks if he'll come with them to the north pole. zuko turns him down- his nocturnal lifestyle doesn't make him a good traveling companion. just ask uncle. they part ways there.

...then the avatar gets himself captured.

zuko sighs. breaks the avatar out. takes an arrow to the head. has a vision of the moon spirit talking to him who says she'll grant him that boon a little early, if he agrees to accompany the avatar. zuko wakes up. it's daytime, but for some reason he isn't dead. moon spirit made him a daywalker. the avatar asks zuko if he'd like to come with him again.

...sure?

[natelia-aldelliz]

Ghost gifts a single tiny ear loop to Soap one day. Says he noticed Soap had pierced ears. That rings keep from handling a gun or a knife properly. He doesn't make eye contact, tries to hide his face, even as he's already wearing his balaclava.

Soap blinks. Ghost has already given him gifts and only behaved that way for the very first one. He doesn't understand. The earring is very simple, but seems to be made of expensive material and not only covered with a thin leaf of gold.

"Didnae it come with another one?" he says, jokingly.

But Ghost flushes, turns his head, and lifts his mask, only enough for Soap to see the glinting of the other earring on his ear. Suddenly he understands that it's not simply a gift. Ghost favoured practicality, but he wanted to give him a ring.

He grabs his hand as it falls back down.

"Simon, what is this?" he asks softly, not daring to be hopeful just yet.

With his other hand, he reaches out to gently turn Simon's head back towards him. His cheeks and his nose are flushed, it makes the warmth of his dark eyes, generally hidden behind a sneer or a bored expression, undeniable.

He looks nervous. Johnny's heart is beating faster. Could it really be...?

"I know", Simon starts then pauses, uncertain. "I know I'm probably not what you thought you'd have, when you were younger" Soap wants to interrupt, to scoff, to protest that Simon is way better than anyone he could have hoped for, but doesn't. He never wants to cut off his love when he's barely starting to open up.

"I know that I'm not easy to be with some days, that I'm not friendly and easy going like you, like someone you'd deserved to be with." he continues, unconsciously pushing his face more into Soap's hand. "But... I love you, more than I thought I could, and I'd like... I'd like to be with you, for as long as you'd have me..."

Johnny's heart is soaring. He has no idea how to react. He'd have to get all the giddiness out first, and the moment doesn't seem appropriate for jumping around and squealing.

"Officially," Simon continues, voice quieter, out of breath. "If you want to."

A gigantic grin splits Johnny's face. All of his limbs are buzzing, he needs to stand up, to run, to explode something. But he's terrified to spook Simon so instead he just squeezes the hand he's holding rhythmically and moves his feet back and forth.

"Baby, are ye asking me tae marry ye?" Johnny says. He's pretty sure his voice is wobbly, but can't really hear it himself as the blood in his ears is louder than the rest.

Simon's eyes do something, what is visible of his face looks like he has an expression on but Johnny can't analyze it now, doesn't dare to see the hope in his eyes, the pleading in his brows.

"I... Yes, I guess I am," the love of his life says finally. "If you want to. You don't have to."

Soap can't keep himself in check any longer. He's making a high pitched noise, jumping up and down where he's seating on the bed, and throws himself at Simon.

"Of course ah fooking want tae!!!"

Simon lets out an excited giggle, swept in Johnny's mood, and tightens his arms around his lover. No, his fiancé.

This is the best day of his life. He just has to deal with this mission tomorrow, and then they can start to plan everything.

[sysig]

Go play pretend on your own (Patreon)

[oflights]

my whole thing with the snape redemption arc (beyond it just being poorly written) and harry's reaction to it is just like. when you're a kid and an adult treats you poorly, that's a really hard grudge to shake. especially later when you're an adult and you look back and you're like "that grown ass man hated me, a kid...he should've known better...i'm an adult now and i know better, i would never treat a kid that way"

there just doesn't exist a calculus in my mind that goes "snape was in unrequited love with my mother - low key caused her death - took his guilt and anger out on children + vaguely protected me and contributed to the war effort = he's a hero and i respect him" for harry. it makes no sense!

snape never actually redeemed himself for the harm he caused harry and other kids. the narrative never even attempts to hold him accountable for that and harry is just like "meh he helped when it counted for these loser ass friendzone reasons" and is fine with it.

[hana-bobo-finch]

erm…..posting about an OC via a rushed shitpost was not on my 2025 bingo card!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂get it??? 😂😂😂because his name is bingo??(GETS SHOT)

these are all things he has done or has attempted to do so consider this the full intro post for that freak for now. he’s still too undercooked to fully introduce but damn I love him

[pompomqt]

Journey to the West Chapter 65

Wukong when he has to rescue Tripitaka from the 10th demon trap he's fallen into this month because he refused to listen to him:

Welcome back to this weeks chapter of Journey to the West with @journeythroughjourneytothewest. This week do the Pilgrims actually arrive at their destination, the Thunderclap Monastery? Let's find out.

After the gang has traveled peacefully for a while, they run into yet another mountain, this one is particularly tall. In fact while they were talking about it I wondered if they were talking about Mt. Everest, turns out no- instead they are apparently at Mount Kunlun. After a quick scuffle between Pigsy and Sandy, the group proceeds to climb the mountain, while being suitably wary of lions and tigers and bears oh my. Luckily Monkey is around to scare off any normal hungry creatures and they are able to reach the summit without incident.

At the summit they see a magnificent building, surrounded by divine light and the sound of harmonious bells. Despite how tempting the place looks, Tripitaka asks Monkey to take a closer look to see what kind of place it is. I mean- he isn't going to listen to Monkey anyways, but at least he asked? So Monkey takes a look and decides that despite being a very beautiful place that reminds him of Thunderclap Monastery somehow, it still feels shady to him somehow, so they should probably be careful.

Tripitaka however is to excited by the idea that this could be the end of his journey, and asks if this place could actually be Thunderclap Monastery. Monkey however claims that it isn't, since he's actually been to the Thunderclap Monastery plenty of times before, and this place isn't it. Despite that the pilgrims decide to take a closer look, and when they arrive at the door they see the words 'The Thunderclap Monastery'. Which causes Tripitaka to fall off his horse in astonishment and yell at Monkey for trying to deceive him. Monkey tells him to cool it, and maybe finish reading the sign before he starts leveling accusations at him.

And indeed there is a forth word that Tripitaka missed in his excitement- this is actually The 'Small' Thunderclap Monastery. Despite this, Tripitaka still insists that they should go inside, because even if it isn't THE Thunderclap Monastery it probably still has an important Buddhist Patriarch inside. Monkey warns him one last time, that this place is trouble, and not to come crying to him when he gets kidnapped again. Tripitaka still insists that they go, since if nothing else he still has his vow about bowing to any Buddhist image he see's, and there is surely one here.

Once they enter the gate, a booming voice greets them, calling out the Tang Monk and telling him not to be insolent. Tripitaka, Pigsy, and Sandy all bow in proper respect, while Wukong tends to the luggage and horse, presumably while rolling his eyes at the latest demon's theatrics. Once inside the grand hall, they see the five hundred arhats, the three thousand guardians of faith, the four great diamond kings, the mendicant nuns and the upaskas, along with some normal monks and workers. And up on the spiritial platform sits Buddha himself! When they see this, the three of them all go into deep bows, while Wukong stays standing. The supposed Buddha calls him out for this of course, but Monkey isn't going to bow to someone just because they are disguised as the Buddha, you have to actually trap him under a mountain for five hundred years to earn that privileged.

Unsurprisingly, Wukong does not care to for being called out by a fake Buddha, and immediately takes out his staff and goes for the kill. This fake Buddha, while not having a spare mountain to crush Wukong under, does have some golden cymbals, which fall onto Monkey and enclose him inside, the edges sealing together. Which I find to be a particularly ironic imagery, mainly because of that one toy with the Monkey and the cymbals, you know? Anyway with Monkey captured, Sandy and Pigsy try and reach for their weapons, but all three of them are quickly overwhelmed by the people in the monastery and are captured. It turns out that the fake Buddhist is actually a monster king, with all the arhats and such being his minion demons. Gasp, who could have seen this one coming? Besides Sun Wukong of course.

The demons pack up, and lock up the three pilgrims, while cymbals trapping Monkey are placed on the jeweled platform, and they expect him to be reduced to pus and blood within three days and nights, so that they can eat the other pilgrims unimpeded. Oh, and they also take the horse and luggage to I guess.

Monkey meanwhile is trying everything he can think of to break out of the golden cymbals. Striking at it with his staff, only to not leave a dent, growing and shrinking in size only to have the cymbal grow and shrink with him, and transforming some of his hairs into tools to try and drill or puncture a hole in the cymbals. Out of options of what he can try himself, he summons the gods that are on Tripitaka babysitting duty.

The gods aren't particularly happy to be summoned away from Tripitaka when the risk of him being eaten is currently very high, and asks why Monkey summoned them away at this critical moment. Monkey however also isn't particularly happy with Tripitaka at the moment for refusing to listen to him and getting them stuck in this position in the first place. So he just tells them, that if Tripitaka dies, he dies, so they should just focus on getting him out of these cymbals so he can just handle everything.

The gods try and pry the cymbals open, but can't even budge them. The gods inform Monkey that they don't know what kind of sacred treasure the cymbals are, but they've completely fused together now, and are one piece. For now the gods decide to send some of them back to watch over Tripitaka, while some stay to watch the cymbals, they also send someone to go to the Jade Emperor to ask for help. The God gives the Jade Emperor the run down of the situation, and the Jade emperor sends the twenty eight constellations to help.

The constellations arrive and tell Monkey they are here to help. Monkey tells them to use their weapons to bust him out, but they tell him that if they make to much noise they'll alert the guards. Instead they'll try to use their weapons to puncture it, since Monkey will be able to escape through even the tiniest gap. Monkey agrees, but despite the gods giving it their best, Monkey doesn't see any gaps to escape through. Finally the Gullet of the Gold Dragon says that the treasure he is trapped in, also posses the power of transformation. So he's going to to use the tip of his horn to see if he can try and wedge it inside.

So the dragon wedges his horn inside, while Monkey feels the edges between the cymbals. He manages to stick his horn inside, however the cymbal fuses around it, and no gap is formed. Monkey however, is able to feel the edge of the horn, and uses his staff to drill a hole in the horn, and shrink to fit inside. After that, the dragon pulls his horn, and Monkey, out of the cymbal, freeing him. Good job team, great group effort all around!

Of course as soon as Monkey is out of the cymbal, he smashes it into gold dust, which does indeed alert every single demon in the hideout, including the demon king. The Demon King challenges Wukong to a duel and declares that he is Old Buddha of Yellow Brows, and if Wukong can defeat him, he'll let them go, if not he'll kill them all and receive the scriptures from Buddha himself. Wukong, never one to turn down a fight, takes this challenge. The two fight for a while, until the gods that came to Wukong's aid earlier try to join in on the fight. However, now that Wukong and his allies are nicely clumped together, Yellow Brow takes a white cloth wrap from his waist and uses it to scoop up and trap Wukong and his allies.

Rather then just leaving them in the wrap however, Yellow Brow orders his minion demons to take them out and tie them up individually. However it looks like just being in the wrap for a short time did a real number on them anyways, since the deities are all in rough shape. While Wukong is tied up with the rest of the deities, he hears the sound of Tripitaka softly crying. Saying that he hates himself for not listening to Wukong, and now Wukong is probably hurt and trapped in the cymbals. This is enough for Wukong to forgive him for not listening to him and getting them all into this mess, and Wukong resolves to rescue them all right away.

So Monkey just shrinks himself to remove the ropes, and then goes to Tripitaka and quietly announces his presence to him. Tripitaka asks how he escaped and Monkey gives him the quick rundown, after which Tripitaka begs Monkey to rescue them, and promises to listen to him from now on. We'll have to see how long that will last, nevertheless Monkey unties everyone and they make their escape. On the way out, Monkey remembers that the demon's still have all their stuff, so he sends everyone out while he stays back to get their luggage back.

So Monkey transforms into a bat in order to search the place, and is able to find their stuff pretty easily, helped along by the fact that Tripitaka's fancy cassock apparently glows. Monkey however makes a rookie mistake when trying to steal their stuff back, he doesn't check to make sure their stuff is probably attached to the pole. So when he lugs it all over his shoulder, the luggage slips right off with a loud thud, that once again awakens every monster in the vicinity. The demon's immediately find out that all their prisoners have escaped, and order demons to guard all the doors, which causes Monkey to cut his losses and escape without the luggage. With the demon king giving chase right behind him.

The Demon King catches up to where Tripitaka and the others fled to, so Pigsy, Sandy and all of the celestial go to battle the Demon King, who quickly summons his own demons to fight in a battle royal. Pigsy asks Monkey where all their stuff is, and Monkey says that he was lucky enough to escape even without the luggage. The battle between the two forces, last all day, but when it starts getting late, the Demon King gets bored I guess, and once again takes out the white wrap. Monkey has seen this move before and doesn't care to be a part of the sequel, so he jumps clear and tries to shout out a warning to everyone else. However no one else is able to respond in time, leading to everyone but Wukong getting captured again.

Tripitaka, Sandy and Pigsy are left to dangle from the rafters while their horse is tied up and all the deities are tied up and thrown in a cellar. Leaving Monkey alone to contemplate Tripitaka's rotten luck in life. After Monkey thinks on the problem at hand for a while, he settles on going to get the help of the True Warrior of the north.

Current Sun Wukong Stats: Names/Titles: Monkey, The Stone Monkey, The Handsome Monkey King, Sun Wukong (Monkey awakened to the void), Bimawen (Banhorseplague), The Great Sage Equal To Heaven and Pilgrim Sun. Immortality: 5 + 94,000 years Weapon: The Compliant Golden Hooped Rod Abilities: 72 Transformations, Cloud-Somersault, Ability to transform his individual hairs, super strength, Ability to Summon Wind, Water restriction charm, and the ability to change into a huge war form, ability to duplicate his staff, ability to immobilize others, the ability to put others to sleep, and the Fiery eyes and Diamond Pupils, intimidating horses, churning large bodies of water, sleeplessness, seizing the wind, enhanced smell, discerning good and evil within a thousand miles, Spirit Summoning, lock picking, object transformation, distance reduction, vanishing in a flash of light, super healing, transforming others, Invisibility, and Wind Immunity Demon Kill Count: 11 + Unknown Number of Minions Human Kill Count: 1039 God's Defeated: 23 + Unknown number Defeats: 7 Crime List: Robbery, Murder, Mass Murder, Arson, Theft, Coercion, Threatening a Government Official, Resisting Arrest, Assault, Forgery, Employee Theft, False Imprisonment, Impersonating a Government Official, Treason, attempted murder, failure to control or report a dangerous fire, desecrating a corpse, breaking and entering, trespassing, violating Tree Law, looting corpses, trading counterfeit goods, criminal threat, animal abuse, Assisting or Instigating Escape, Damage to Religious Property, contaminating a substance for human consumption, Identity Fraud, Disorderly Conduct and Joyriding Cry Count: 9 + 3 fake cries Mountains Trapped Under: 4

Current Tang Sanzang stats: Names/Titles: River Float, Xuanzang, Tang Sanzang, Tripitaka and the Tang Monk Abilities: Curing Blindness, making branches point a certain direction (allegedly), reciting sutras, pretty privilege, memorization, Heart Sutra, Meditation, and Being Heaven's Specialist Little Guy Cry Count: 34 Tight Fillet Spell Uses: 63 Paralyzed by fear: 6 Bandit Problems: 3 Kidnapped by demons: 11 Falling Off Horses: 11

Current Bai Long Ma Stats: Names/Titles: Bai Long Ma (White Dragon Horse), Prince of the Western Ocean, and third prince jade dragon of the dragon king Aorun Abilities: Transforming into a human, a water snake, and a horse, eating a horse in one bite, flight, Magic of Water Restriction, Singing, and Sword Dancing. Cry Count: 1 Crime List: Arson, and Grave Disobedience. Contributions to the plot: 3 Kidnapped by demons: 3

Current Zhu Wuneng Stats: Names/Titles: The Marshal of the Heavenly Reeds, Zhu Wuneng (Pig who is aware of ability), Zhu Ganglie, Pigsy, Idiot and Eight Rules. Weapon: Rake Abilities: 36 Transformations, parting water, fighting underwater, cloud soaring, size enhancement and CPR Demon Kill Count/Kill steals: 15 + Unknown number of minions Kidnapped by Demons: 7 Human Kill Count: 1 Failed Flirtation/romances Attempts: 4 Cry Count: 2 Crime List: Sexual Harassment, Murder, Kidnapping, arson, defamation, Damage to Religious Property, contaminating a substance for human consumption, Identity Fraud, Theft, Forcible entry, Disrupting a Funeral and Violating Tree Law

Current Sha Wujing Stats: Names/Titles: The Curtain-Raising General, Sha Wujing (Sand Aware of Purity), Sandy and Sha Monk Weapon: Monster Taming Staff Abilities: Fighting underwater, Cloud soaring, and fetching water from a well. Demon Kill Count: 1 + Unknown number of minions. Kidnapped by Demons: 5 Human Kill Count: 1 Cry Count: 1 Crime List: Breaking a Crystal Cup, murder, desecration of a human corpse, Damage to Religious Property and contaminating a substance for human consumption

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Art

[armandcock]

& btw my kid armand pov feelings will be further explored in the hypothetical third chapter of paterfamilias

[softquietsteadylove]

I have an idea for the lawyer au. Inspiration from Boston legal season 8 episode 9.

A girl, make her young like sprite, comes to Gil one day and asks if he is a lawyer and if he can help her. Gil thinking she is being a kid jokingly asks how much money she has and when she answers 10 bucks her father comes and wants to take her with her. But she holds onto Gil and says please help me, if I go back to Poland they’ll force me to marry a man in this country. in this moment he realizes it’s a serious matter and protects the girl. At the end of this case it’s a very depressing situation for him. Thena is there to gently lift him up

Im sure you’ll manage to do something with it

"Gil."

Gil didn't even pick his head up. He was all but sleeping in his mug of guinness. "Gil's not here."

Thena didn't let him get away with it. She did pat his shoulder with some sense of pity for him. "Come on, Gil. It's well past midnight and you have another court date tomorrow."

He groaned at even the mention of going into court again. He didn't know if he had it in him after his day today. "I'm not going back there."

Thena shuffled her purse on her shoulder and perched herself on the stool next to his. "You don't mean that."

"I do," he huffed, pushing the goblet away with distaste. All he could smell was the thick, sweet stench of it. "And I should have punched that judge in the face."

"It wouldn't have changed the ruling," she pointed out in a very Thena way. "Unless you want to be barred from practising law for a year, if not the rest of your life."

He shrugged. He wasn't sure how he felt about the law after today. He had always thought he was on the side of the good guys, as cliche as it sounded. Sure, the law was far from perfect, but he really thought he was doing some good with his job.

"You did everything you could for that girl, Gil."

He scoffed and rubbed his eyes. The dim lighting and loud music of the bar were making his vision blurry, and all he could taste in the back of his throat was cheap beer. "Is that what you call letting her get shipped back to Poland to get married to some old creep?"

She was a kid, no older than Sprite. It was a sickening 'case', no matter how sudden or pro bono it had been. She had even offered to pay with the only 10 dollars to her name, kept safe inside the birthday card it came in and everything. But none of it had done any good.

"We don't win every case, Gil."

"Well, you'd think this one would matter more!"

A few heads turned. He had been quietly sulking at the bar for hours, by this point, enough beers in that the bartender was beginning to eye him every time he asked for another.

Thena didn't even flinch.

Gil groaned again, scrubbing his face with his hands even though he'd been touching the bar that was cleaned only god knew when. He sighed, "I'm sorry."

But she understood his outburst, maybe even condoned it. "It's okay. I can't say I blame you for coming here and burying it under...how many is it now?"

More than he wanted to admit to. So, instead, he ruffled his hair and attempted to pull himself up in his seat with some dignity. "Doesn't matter. I'm pretty sure he's cut me off quietly anyway."

The bartender turned around, ears already burning and a towel slung over his shoulder. "Time to pay up, Boston Legal?"

"Very funny," Gil snarled at him. He knew it wasn't this guy's fault he'd had the worst day of his entire career, but that didn't mean he was in any mood for it. He slapped his hands over his jacket, his rumpled tie and then his suit pockets. "Shit."

"Oh come on, man, you're a lawyer, I know you've got-"

"It's okay, I'll pay it," Thena held her hand up, already reaching into her purse.

"Fuck," Gil cursed, hanging his head (as if he needed any more reason to be ashamed of himself tonight). He misjudged the distance, even knocking his forehead against the counter edge. Maybe it would be a little sobering, if he was lucky. "Thena, you don't have to-"

"It's okay," she assured him yet again, but she was still sounding more like 'work' Thena than the Thena had come to know and prefer.

Gil watched as the bartender took her card to close out his tab. He couldn't get any more pathetic anyway--what was a little more humiliation? "What are you doing here? Are the girls okay?"

Thena finally smiled at him, and it was the real Thena he saw, no matter how blurry. "They both asked to have sleepovers tonight. It's rare, but tomorrow is a half day at school, so I dropped them both off. When I asked how you were, the response wasn't all that clear, so I figured I would try here."

Gil made a face. He didn't remember talking with her. He felt around again for his phone, which he didn't so much pull out as clumsily drop it onto the bar. He blinked a few times, really trying to focus on reading his messages.

She had texted him, asking if he was doing okay and where he was. His response was a jumbled mess, but he unfortunately could make out something resembling him telling her that he was going to drown himself in beer and that she could join if she wanted.

He couldn't even remember reading, let alone responding to it. He really did need to be cut off for the night. He wasn't young and in college anymore--he would probably have a hell of a hangover tomorrow morning (afternoon).

Thena nodded as her card was handed back to her, Gil's debt settled. She turned back to him, "think you can walk?"

He grumbled. If he wasn't already, he would flush with guilt at the insinuation. "I'm not that bad, Thena, really."

She was kind to say nothing about him wobbling a little as he got up at first. But he made it to the door easily enough with her behind him. Maybe he did need a little hand on his back, but as soon as he was out in the cold night air it was at least a little better.

Thena pulled her jacket tighter around herself. She should have been at home, relaxing during her kid-free-evening. She could have been curled up reading or watching that funny ghost show she liked with a glass of wine or a mug of tea or something. Instead, she was picking up his drunk ass from a dive bar a block away from work.

"I'm sorry, Thena," he began apologizing, for the first time of many, he told himself. He owed her plenty more, and that was beyond his bar tab, which he would pay back with interest, too. "I just...that kid-"

He pushed his nose deeper into the soft material of her white turtleneck. The cotton or cashmere or whatever it was soaked up his tears. "She was just a kid."

Thena probably didn't consider herself a hugger, but she gave really nice ones. She was really gentle, and soft, and even if she was small boned, she still felt warm. Even in her boots, she was up on her toes just slightly to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling his face into her shoulder. "I know it's terrible. But you did everything you could, and we're just going to have to live with that."

"I know." Thena did know--she had sat in for the final leg of his plea. She had witnessed his loss and she had been the one to restrain him from mouthing off to the judge presiding and possibly losing his license. "It's not fair."

"What are we doing?" he asked, even hiccuping faintly as he closed his arms around her as well. He was a mess, probably stank of beer, and he shouldn't have been here in the first place. But he melted into Thena's good graces, letting her absorb some of his misery for him. "What good is any of this if I couldn't protect her?"

"That wasn't your job today," Thena whispered to him, and it felt as if it was right next to his ear. "Your job was to argue for her in her place, and you did that. You fought with all you had. But the law wasn't on our side, today. And there will be more days like this."

He knew that. He'd had hard cases before, lost cases before. But never anything like this. He'd had his faith in the judicial system and the court system and the social work system waver before--it came with the job. But now he wasn't sure how he was ever supposed to go back to work again.

"You lost a case, and it's never easy. But what that girl's parents are enforcing is not your fault."

It sure fucking felt like it was. Gil could still remember the look on the kid's face as it sunk in that it really was over, that they had lost and that her parents had every right to drag her back with them. He had handed her back the card with her birthday money in it, unable to accept it after their defeat.

"Come on," Thena leaned back, putting a hand on his cheek, probably checking his eyes to see if he was sober enough to make it back to his car. If she even called him an uber and watched him slump himself into it, it would already be more than he deserved.

"Yeah," he cleared his throat, swallowing the lump in it. He looked around the parking lot, increasingly empty by this time on a work night. "I, uh, left my car back at work. It's probably where my wallet is, a-actually. I should-"

"We can get it tomorrow, Gil," she cooed in that melodic voice of hers. She insisted it was like cold, hard ice, but he thought it was gentle and elegant, like a curtain dancing in a window.

"I've gotta get home," he all but whimpered. What a wet blanket he was being, but whatever. He pulled out his phone again, attempting to find an uber she could toss him into and be rid of him.

"I know, come on," Thena pulled at his arm gently. And when he stumbled anyway she leaned closer, letting him rest his big, meaty shoulder against her little one. "I'll get you home."

He just stared. She looked really pretty in the streetlight glow, all blurry at the edges like it was a dream sequence in a movie. "You didn't have to come and get me."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Was I to leave you drowning in your beer?"

It would be a fitting end, at least. But he shrugged, leaning on her as little as he could afford as they made their way to her car. "You shouldn't have to deal with the aftermath of my shit."

But she shouldered him easily, getting him to the passenger door first and unlocking it with her fob. "We have the same job, Gil. Same job, same shit--I know what it's like to want to dive head first into a pool of cheap wine coolers and forget everything we've ever learned."

But she didn't, that was the difference. Because Thena had other obligations and responsibilities. And took them seriously, unlike how he had come over here without even his wallet somehow.

Gil leaned against the top of the car before letting her elbow him in. She was supporting him under his other arm, tucked into his side. He would rather be supporting her, like he had after she broke her arm. "Thanks, Thena--even if you're seeing me make a huge ass out of myself."

She gave him a really sweet smile as she separated herself from him at last, letting him get into the car seat. "Quite impossible."

She even closed the door for him, being a real gentleman to his drunk ass. Gil crossed his arms, tilting his head as he looked out her windshield. "I don't think that's true."

But she climbed into the driver's seat without a word, not wasting any time as she began backing out. "I've only picked you up a few times, but I believe I remember the way."

"You'll be fine," he murmured, still with a slight slur to his words. He would let her go and if he really had to correct her, he would. "Just look for a depressing bachelor complex and I'll be on the left."

Thena let out a laugh, which added at least some levity to the night.

She had a cute laugh. He looked at her again, although hopefully with her focused on the road she would just think he had a sore neck or something. "Y'know, maybe we should change firms."

"What makes you say that?"

He shrugged, his eyes getting fuzzy again. He was tired. "I mean, we're not allowed to do any pro bono work, which sucks. I know it's a small firm but come on."

"I do agree with you on that one," she muttered quietly. She could act all 'ice queen' if she wanted to, he knew she also had a soft spot for the kids they ended up working with.

"And the guys at the office," Gil made another face, but Thena was driving so she couldn't appreciate how funny it was. He made a noise to accompany it. "I don't like the way they look at you."

Thena didn't answer for a few minutes, probably trying to actually focus and navigate amidst his yapping. "I didn't think you noticed."

He blew a a raspberry, although with his dry lips it really sounded more like a wet fart. "Please, those pigs think they're being subtle when they look at you like--well, they're not, is what I'm getting at. And they wonder why I don't like them."

Thena let out a faint laugh again as she made a turn. She was driving a little slowly, but that was probably because she was afraid she would jerk him around too much and risk him hurling on her nice off-white interior. "I figured you were just too nice for their crass tastes in drinking buddies."

"Not disgusting enough, more like," Gil huffed again. He had to reel himself in and keep from divulging anything else. He didn't ever want to have to repeat to Thena the kind of language he'd heard them use to refer to her when they thought no one was listening.

And it didn't matter how many times he told them not to talk about her like that. All it ever did was get them convinced he was sleeping with her and beg him to tell them all about it.

"You would leave the firm just because of them?"

He slumped down further in his seat. He wasn't paying nearly enough attention to direct Thena if needed, but it was kind of nice just being in the car with her. Just them, a quiet drive, not even Sersi or Sprite or the loud, bouncy pop they liked to listen to between them.

Well, he did like some of the music they made him listen to.

"It wouldn't be just for that reason, there are more," he sufficed to say. But then he dragged himself up again and looked at her. "But I wouldn't leave without you."

Thena, driving, spared him a quick glance. She seemed surprised. "You wouldn't?"

"Of course not," he scoffed more lightly this time. Because that question was actually funny. "If anything, you're the reason I stayed past my probation period."

He wasn't supposed to tell her that. Well, he hadn't wanted to admit it to her, and certainly not like this. Whoops.

"Well," Thena began as they pulled into the parking lot of his building (unfortunately). Her voice really was like a lullaby. He had to wonder if he would even make it inside, at this rate. "If you decide to leave...then so will I."

[daily-hanamura]

[morocosmos]

FFXIVWrite 2024 Day 11 - Surrogate

Masterlist Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV Characters/Pairings: Leofard Myste & Warrior of Light Rating: Teen & Up Additional Notes: Takes place at during HW patch 3.5. Major spoilers for the Shadow of Mhach alliance raid questline. Ao3 Link

Lady Raimille. The picture painted by Stacia's tale was everything an orphaned child could want from a parent. Everything except that she'd passed on too soon — but not before giving her foster son one last gift.

The noblewoman’s real portrait hung above them, enshrined in Leofard’s quarters. Presiding over his affairs and his family; watching over the man himself. Moro'a knew that paintings like this cost a considerable sum to commission, and that taking care of them required specific knowledge and attention; unexpected obligations for a sky pirate. 

But the painting gleamed, immaculately free of blemishes. “I had wondered as to the origin of his vessel's naming,” Cait Sith said softly, his voice touched with emotion. “‘Tis a most beautiful painting.”

Moro’a’s time in Ishgard had also taught him that portraits like this one were made to memorialise — a likeness captured in brushstrokes, preserved from time. Remember me as I was, in this moment. Remember what this person means to us. Situated where their loved ones could gaze upon them, and never forget.

I doubt I'll ever feel worthy to sit where he sat.

Throughout their adventures, Leofard had pretended as though the portrait wasn’t there, and it was all Moro’a had needed to know not to bring it up. He’d accepted it without judgement, without ever considering otherwise. What was he here for, if not to hide from ghosts and broken hearts; from memory?

But now that Stacia had told them what Leofard would never impart himself, the pieces that made up the leader of the Redbills had finally begun to click: why a man who prized freedom so highly would build his new home a stone's throw from the Holy See, and why the loss of his airship had made Leofard retreat into himself, like a creature seeking familiar refuge. 

It seems she kept him safe until the very end, Utata had said, and Moro’a’s heart had clenched so tight that he thought it might shatter.

It wasn’t any of his business. The voidsent had been stopped, and Cait Sith had found a new home. His time with the Redbills was coming to a close. It’d been an engaging distraction, which was precisely what Moro’a had needed; there were no stones left to overturn, no more accidental revelations to be had. He would go his separate way, into the unknown, and then…

Later, as he was stowing the few essentials he’d brought into the manacutter, Moro’a heard footsteps approaching. He turned to see Leofard, who was already dressed in a clean set of clothes and red-tinted goggles. “I almost forgot,” the sky pirate said, as breezy as could be now as he held something out in his hand. A Redbill scarf.

“You didn’t have to,” Moro’a murmured, feeling a strange mixture of reluctance and guilt. 

“And I say otherwise, Warrior. I reckon you’ve done more than you’ll ever need to to have earned this.” His hand stretched closer, and Moro’a considered refusing. He was ready to quit this place, to move on. I’m not who you think I am, he wanted to say.��

Instead he found himself reaching out for the scarf, and tucking it in with the rest of his things.

If, after he'd said his farewells, his hand reached under the collar of his shirt to gently hold the necklace that rested against his chest, to remember, he was the only one who needed to know.

[jrueships]

Isiah probably thinking omgggg why am i the only one popping my Fucking pussy rn. i’m the only bitch serving cunt here 😭😭😭 omg 😭 i’m soooo embarrassed 😭😭