#fd: red one

[raging-violets]

Red One: Have Yourself a Merry Little Crisis | Chapter One

Also on AO3

Summary: Dolly, head of Santa’s PR team, navigates the chaos of keeping the North Pole’s magic alive while managing the world’s growing disbelief in Santa. As she clashes with Jack, a disillusioned human solely responsible for Santa’s abduction, sparks fly. Can they overcome their pasts and truly allow themselves to accept the Christmas Magic they’ve been keeping at arm’s length all this time? Authored By: Rhuben

Divider by @strangergraphics

And thanks to @ceruleanmusings for the term "frost my cookies." XD

 

Snow Thank You

Last Week of November  

“We know that somewhere inside every lost grown up is the kid they once were.”  

And that was exactly why Dolly Goodwish refused to accept the idea that she had to work with Jack O’Malley. Because deep down, Jack O’Malley, the child,was just as…uggghhh as an adult. And he was one of those kids (and man-child) that made her job harder. And all she had to do was promote the image of Jolly St. Nick™ for every girl and boy across the globe. It should be easy.  

But, no.

Not when Jack O’Malley was involved.

Did everyone else forget how much of a headache he was last Christmas? Did no one understand how much harder it made her job to keep the image of Santa alive in the face of his abduction? In one stroke of his ENTER key, Jack O’Mally – and yes, the Naughty Lister did deserve to always be referred to in a first-name last-name capacity – almost caused their whole operation to go down the snow tubes.   

And not the fun snow tubes, either.  

A Christmas without Santa and presents? Without Christmas Magic?  

It was unheard of.   

And it was not going to happen on her watch. No matter what, kids were going to believe in his image and his message. She worked too hard and too long perfecting The Santa Claus™ image for something like this. Every single detail—down to the last white glove—had been crafted with the utmost care. All the photo shoots, and image deals, and live paintings, and personal appearances, and parades, and quotes to the media - in multiple languages to boot - that didn’t all just happen!  

“It’s not our job to change people. People change themselves,” Nick reminded her, speaking in his low, soft tone in response to her blank expression. The kind of fatherly tone that made anyone and everyone listen to what he had to say.   

Unfortunately, this was one topic she just didn’t want to listen to. Even more unfortunately, with the tingling she currently felt at the tips of her toes, the bottoms of her feet, she knew it wasn’t one she could just walk away from. Nick would make sure they were going to have this conversation, even if it meant using some of his Christmas Magic to keep her in his office.  

“And Jack O’Malley has changed.” Dolly almost snorted out of her red tipped, upturned nose. Her respect for Mr. Claus – Nick to his closest confidants - stopped her in her tracks. Something must’ve shown in her face for his lips twitched upwards into a hint of a smile and he added, “He’s trying. That’s all anyone can ask for. That’s all I can ask for.”  

Nick lifted a finger and gently tapped underneath her chin, forcing her to snap her jaws shut from the dropped position it had been in since he had told her about the employment news. His eyes twinkled in the way it always did, but even more so the closer it got to Christmas Day.   

“I trust you’ll find a way to explain this at the all staff meeting at the end of the week?” he asked, his tone light with amusement.  

Dolly pushed a close-lipped smile to her face. She pulled her clipboard tighter to her chest. Slowly, she sat down into the seat behind her. She was surprised it didn’t fall over with how quickly she popped out of it in outrage when Nick dropped the Hot Chocolate Bomb on her.  

“Nick, with all due respect, I don’t think I know how to positively frame the image of a man who, literally, would steal candy from a baby,” she replied.   

Nick’s eyebrows lifted as he silently settled back into his desk chair. One hand lay across his flat stomach, the other reaching up to start stroking his white (it was starting to look more on the gray-white side nowadays) beard. She made a mental note to take a picture of him before she left; Santa at his desk had always been a winning shot.  

“I wouldn’t ask you to do this if you weren’t the perfect elf for the job,” he reminded her. “There’s no one else I trust for something like this.”  

Dolly grit her teeth, parting her lips into the best smile she could muster. The tips of her ears started to prickle. “Yes, sir,” she said, stretching out her esses. She nodded. “I can start putting the presentation together as soon as I’m back in my office.”  

“Great.” Nick silently gazed at her. “Was there anything else you wanted to say?”  

“Nope!” Her smile frozen on her face, she said it in more of a high-pitched chirpy way than she intended.   

Of course she had something else to say. But she had already told him her reservations. There was no point in continuing to air her negative feelings. It was a well-known dance between them at this point, anyway: the back-and-forth and side steps of her dutifully doing her job amongst her growing frustrations, and his collected and positive rebuttal to every concern. It was equally annoying as it was calming and reassuring.  

“Are you sure?” he pressed. He tilted his head to the side, now clasping both hands over his stomach. “Your ears are starting to point.”  

Dolly took in a deep breath through her nose. She reached a hand up to tuck her hair behind her ears, and did, in fact, feel the top of her ear wasn’t exactly as round as it had been a moment before. Nick merely watched her in silent curiosity. She cleared her throat and bowed her head, scanning over the list in front of her. She just needed to calm down. Lists calmed her down. There wasn’t time to think about anything but the tasks at hand.   

“You know, Nick, we need to get you started on your December itinerary,” she said, changing the subject. She started dragging her finger down the lines of text. “Kittens and puppies have increased in popularity by 200%, so I think we can lean into reporting about our Reindeer-In-Training program. Dasher’s calves look promising, and Vixen’s calves are now weaned. We also need to set up an appointment for you and Mrs. Claus to update your annual photo. Of course, we’ve got you booked to go to Philly for one of the last mall appearances before the big day, but you’ll be pleased to know we’re fielding a lot more appearance requests compared to last year.”

“Dolly.”  

“And of course we’ve got the M&Ms commercial set to start rotation, but there has been more chatter online of people missing Garcia’s Coca-Cola commercial, so we might want to bring it back next year, or film new ones. People really do miss those polar bears.” She touched an ear, finding the skin starting to round out again. “The Air B&B rhyming ad is good, and people seem to be enjoying the new Target ad with Santa that looks a bit more like you. Personally, I think it’s a little too close to home, but people like what they like.”  

“Dolly.”  

“And all your Santa Schools are in their final push for the holiday season. Everyone seems ready to go, and ready to report any oversights we didn’t foresee. This year they emphasized how to interact with children who don’t celebrate anything this time of year. It’s been a struggle with more #SantaIsFake and #SantaTrap videos popping up online, as you know, but—"

“Dolly!”  

Dolly gave up all pretense, slapping her clipboard down in her lap. “He’s a Level Four Naughty Lister!” Disbelief, and admittedly, a little whining was now evident in her tone. The tips of her ears, her nose, burned. “You know what he’s done. You’ve seen his file.”  

“Of course I have,” Nick agreed, speaking in an even tone. A contrast to the sudden jump in volume of hers. “But I know why he’s done everything he’s done and why he’s always been on The Naughty List; even if Jack hasn’t figured it out for himself yet. But I still see the little boy who once believed. I wouldn’t trust you with this if I didn’t think you could use his expertise to your advantage.”  

“I’m sorry, Nick,” Dolly massaged her temples with her fingertips, “I just don’t understand how.”  

Nick twiddled his thumbs for a moment before he said, “The world’s changing, Dolly. Kids stop believing in me earlier and earlier in their lives. They’re seeing the truth online or being told about it at school. They’re growing up faster, and in ways we, nor their parents, can control. But we still need to be there for everyone; for the ones who always believe, and the ones who need to learn to believe again. Maybe they only believe in the positive feeling of the holidays. It’s ok. What’s most important is that they believe in something.”  

“And,” Nick chuckled, a deep laugh, “I seem to remember a time when you were on the Naughty List. And look at you now.”  

Dolly pursed her lips. She blinked. She grasped for something to say. “For Frosty’s sake, that was a long time ago,” she replied. Nick tilted his chin downwards in look of knowing. “Ok, ok, ok. “ With a huff she tried to mask as a sigh, Dolly put her hands up in surrender. “I’ll do it. You can’t say I don’t do my job.”  

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Can I at least get a picture of you before I start working on this presentation?” Dolly asked, getting to her feet.  

“Of course.”  

She set her clipboard down in front of Nick and reached into her bag by her feet. She dug around for a moment, pushing aside notepads, pens, peppermint and spearmint candy canes, some glitter she thought she cleaned out, and a couple different cameras. Selecting an old-fashioned instant camera, she lifted it to her eye and pointed it at Nick.

“Smile and say ‘Snowflakes’.”  

Nick pulled her clipboard closer to him. Reaching across his desk he plucked a shooting star pen out of his cup holder and held the tip over the paper. He smiled at the camera and Dolly snapped the shutter, a flash of light briefly illuminating the space. With a whirr the picture printed out of the camera, and Dolly retrieved it.  

“Ah, your best one yet,” she declared, turning the photo around to face him: Reflected in the printed photo was a jolly looking Santa Claus, white gloved hands clutching a quill poised over curled parchment. His white hair, covered by a red Santa hat, was long and curled at the ends, framing his jaw where his white beard was full and fluffed to perfection. Thin gold framed spectacles sat across his nose. “I’ll see about this being put up on your socials. We can use it as we remind kids to start sending in their letters. Thank you, sir.”  

“You’re welcome.”  

Dolly gathered her belongings and left Nick’s office. Her smile dropped the moment the doors shut behind her. She allowed the rest of her body to sag only when she got into the elevators. The only sound in the elevator was the holiday muzak playing through the speakers. It covered the deep breaths she took in an attempt to calm herself down.  

For the love of Reindeer, he’s got to be kidding, she thought. She buried her fingers into her hair, feeling the now sharp point of her ears brush against her palms as she did so. She had no idea how she was going to swing this. For if there was one thing that really frosted her cookies, it was people like Jack O’Malley.

-

“If you don’t take this job, I’ll never speak to you again.”  

Normally, this would be the sort of teenage-speak Jack could brush off his shoulders. It was usually accompanied by a scoff or an eyeroll. Or, in Dylan’s case, a mumbling of how stupid the job was, anyway.  

Crisis Management? If anything, Jack was the crisis: for those trying to outrun debts, for companies trying to brush internal scandals under the rug, and the targets of anyone with the right price tag.  

Still, he didn’t remember any of those words from his son whenever he got offers to work with the FBI. And those were offers to work a steady job. Good pay. Great health insurance. An office bigger than a closet. Sure, his experience and talent was a big draw, but it wasn’t exactly a good look to have deep gambling debts and DUIs under his belt, either. Even if he hadn’t had an instance of the latter in over a year.  

But a job with M.O.R.A at the North Pole Complex? Talk about a game changer.

“You’re laying it on a bit thick, don’t you think?” Jack asked, stepping around the kitchen table, placing silverware out on the table. He craned his neck to peer around the dining room to check if Olivia and Craig were still preparing the last bits of dinner. “And could you lower your voice, please?”  

“Sorry,” Dylan said. He dropped his voice to a whisper. “I just think you should take the job.”  

“If I take it, it means less time with you, pal.” Jack set down the last bit of cutlery and put his hands on his hips. “Especially around Christmas. Boxing Day, though, apparently, I get that day off.”  

“Not even New Year’s?” Dylan asked, his nose wrinkling as confusion crossed his features.  

“Nah, that was weird to me, too.”  

“Maybe they know how to throw a huge party at the North Pole or something.” Dylan walked behind Jack, re-placing the silverware in the correct spots. “That’d be pretty cool, I guess.” Jack glanced at his son, Dylan’s dark tresses hung over his face (which was growing a bit too long, but Jack knew better than to comment on a teenager’s sense of style), shielding his eyes from his dad.  

Jack sighed inwardly. He had done his best to keep his promise to his son over the past year. He showed up to his son’s events, took him out on one-on-one days, he started testing the waters to see how he and Craig being at events together went, (and Craig was nice, a good role model for Dylan, but Jack got lost in the shuffle at times within their lives so he decided it was easier, at times, not to be around), and he even surprised Dylan with days he’d pull him out of school. Olivia wasn’t exactly happy with it, but the smile on Dylan’s face was always worth it.

He even bought a newer, safer, car and moved to a new apartment. And that went against his usual thought process. People didn’t look twice at you, didn’t wonder what you did for a living if you blended in with everyone else. Not like he had much of a choice; he was lucky his landlord didn’t immediately evict him after the smashed door, broken furniture, and holes punched in the walls…of multiple apartments. If it meant Dylan was more comfortable around him, then it was all worth it. Even if it did sort of go against his personal rules: no one looked twice at you when you could blend in.

Still, it was hard to hear the disappointment underlying his son's words: was this the time Jack would go back to how things were before?

He knew his son would never ask the question out loud, but he was getting pretty good at communicating through his face, short answers, and the silent treatment. Then again, what teenager didn’t have the grouchy attitude mastered by 14? Hell, Jack had surliness down pat for as long as he could remember. Game recognizes game and all that.  

So why did it take a comment from Callum Drift for him to realize just how much his inaction was actively hurting his son? No, he always realized it, it took Callum questioning him to accept it. It was those same words that made him question whether taking the job was worth it.

It was only for a month, and it would take him further off the radar then he could manage himself. Even with all the encryptions and safeguards in his operation, having the extra protective layer of the North Pole would be pretty nice. It wasn’t like he had been away from his son for a month before. Now? It sounded like an eternity.

Was this really the type of job he deserved to even have offered to him? It sounded made for someone else. Someone better.

“I don’t have to take it,” Jack said, “it’s just an offer. An offer isn’t binding.” Dylan lifted his head, his eyebrows coming together. “It’s the verbal contracts that are. But it doesn’t hurt to get anything in writing. Or cash up front. Either or.” Now Dylan lifted an eyebrow, twisting his mouth to the side. “And, yes, I have told you to not get anything incriminating in writing. It’s all important. Right up there with ‘don’t get caught’.” 

Dylan crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. “How’d that work out for you last year?” he asked. “You wouldn’t even have this job offer if you didn’t get caught.” 

And it was in this moment Jack didn’t like how much his son took after him. 

“Don’t be a smartass.” 

“You’d be working at the North Pole.” Dylan looked up at his dad with wide brown eyes. “That’d be so cool.”  

Jack opened and closed his mouth. First Dylan was threatening him, then he was upset, now he was indicating something in his life was actually cool? Boy, he really didn’t understand teenagers at all. Maybe he should’ve looked at those parenting books when Olivia suggested it to him. God knew it had to have a tip in there about holding onto the pride he felt settle in his chest at the idea that his son thought some part of him was awe inducing. 

“Well, I didn’t want to just take it without talking to you first,” Jack said. He reached out a hand to put on Dylan’s shoulder, hesitated for a moment, then followed through and gently squeezed Dylan’s shoulder. “Things have been better between us, right? I didn’t want to just suddenly disappear on you. Ok? Not again.” 

“Yeah, ok.” 

“Plus, I still haven’t exactly figured out how to tell your mom and Craig I’ll be gone for the month,” Jack replied. “If I take the job.” 

“When you take the job.” 

Jack copied his son’s demeanor and crossed his arms over his chest. “Why are you so adamant I take this job?” 

Dylan smiled. “Well, now I can guarantee I’ll get what I want for Christmas,” he replied. His smile widened. “The new iPhone was released recently. And I was starting to look at building my own computer next year. The parts are expensive.” 

Something he knew all too well. He wouldn’t be able to rake in half of his funds without a decent equipment under his belt. Jack placed a hand over Dylan’s face, pushing his son away from him. Dylan laughed, grabbing at his dad’s hand in an attempt to pry it off him. Then, Dylan’s words struck him, and Jack found himself silently staring at his son, a hint of a smile on his face. 

“What?” Dylan asked, cheeks flushed from his dying laughter. 

“Are you into tech?” Jack asked. “Seriously?” Dylan merely shrugged. “That’s pretty cool. I mean, hey, you were a natural figuring out how to hack the attendance record, right? You probably would’ve gotten away with it, if you didn’t slash that kid’s bike tires, though.” He shook his head. “You gotta think about the trail, dude. Know when to get in and get out.” 

“Thanks, I’ll be sure to remember that next time,” Dylan said, flatly. “I’ll also make sure to do a sweep for security cameras.” 

“That’s not a bad idea, either.” 

“Should I also expect a lock picking set for Christmas one of these days?” 

Jack pressed his lips tightly together. He dropped his chin to his chest, sighing, upon seeing the glimmer of amusement in his son’s eyes. Nope. He didn’t like this teenager stuff. And Dylan wasn’t a new teenager either. He was 14. So he was practically 18. A wistful, sad feeling suddenly washed over him: when did he get to be 14? He wondered if those parenting books also covered how quickly time seemed to fly as a parent. 

“Absolutely not!” Olivia stated, carrying a tray of melted butter glistened rolls in her hands. She set it down in the center of the table and pulled her hands out of the oven mitts. “Jack O’Malley, I can’t believe you’d even consider it.” 

“He was just kidding,” Jack commented, lifting his head to lock eyes with Olivia. He smiled. “Besides, if I was going to give him anything like that, it’d be a window hammer.” Olivia’s jaw dropped. “What? You never know when you’ll be trapped in a glass room or something. Like school.” He winked at Dylan who offered a quick smile before muttering something about getting the napkins. 

Neither of them knew exactly how to explain to Olivia or Craig what had occurred over the last holiday season. So, neither of them said a word about it. Not really. They had tried telling the truth, but Santa Claus being abducted and his workshop being real didn’t exactly land. Jack did end up taking her ire on the chin because he did, technically, pull him out of the concert. So, they told her Jack missed his concert because of stage fright and Jack took him on a long drive to calm down. Father-son bonding. And he got the opportunity to see Dylan perform with the jazz band for their New Year’s show to “swing in the new year.”

(And who scheduled recitals, or pageants, or whatever on Christmas Eve, anyway?!)

Craig cleared his throat as he set a platter of mashed potatoes down onto the table. “It just wouldn’t look good with the forging attendance mark on Dylan’s record,” he commented. He drummed his fingers on cloth covered tabletop.

“You know the school permanent record is a myth, right?” Jack asked, lifting his eyebrows. “I mean I’ve got the worst record of them all, and I’ve still got a steady job.” Of course, they both thought he worked in I.T. in tech sales, but that was beside the point.

“And you’ve got a new job offer,” Dylan added, returning with one hand clutching napkins, the other carrying a pitcher of punch.

“Really?” Craig asked. His eyebrows shot upwards in what Jack could deduce was partly surprise and mostly disbelief. “Well, that’s great, Jack. What kind of job are we talking about?”

Jack hesitated. “It’s, uh, a contract position. Only for a month right now,” he lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck. “But, it’s interesting. I don’t even know if I’ll take it.”

“Well, what would you be doing?” Craig asked. He looked at Olivia and they shared a smile. “You ready?”

“Let’s eat,” she replied.

Jack pulled his chair out from under the table and dropped down into it. “It’s Crisis Management,” he replied. “You know, I’d be helping this organization look at their past situations and build a framework for the future, enhancing security protocols, that kind of stuff. I just found out about it recently and I know we’re all busy this time of year. I’d be around as often as I could for Dylan, for you—” He briefly looked at Craig who was busy cutting into his rolls and stuffing them with ham, “you both. Liv, the hospital is so busy this time of year. And Craig, you can be called out of town at a moment’s notice. And this will take up my time.” He waved his hand in the air. “It’s ok. I’ll figure it out.”

“Look, it hard. It’s a new work environment, different responsibilities, different risks,” Craig said. “Anyone would be nervous trying something new. What kind of company will be working for?”

Jack settled back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked over at Dylan, then back at Craig and Olivia, a half-smile coming to his face. “Let’s just say it involves delivery logistics, enhanced security, and damage control.”

[oneirataxia-girl]

THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS: DREAMMYRTLE & BUCKLAN

aphrodite of the olympians/morpheus of the endless = myrtles, roses, poppies & forget-me-nots -- morpheus was the first to call aphrodite myrtle (albeit as an insult), rose for symbol for love of the olympians, poppy was what aphrodite called him in return due to its association with sleep and imagination, and forget-me-not being the flower aphrodite gave morpheus the first time she gifted flowers to the seven endless (and the last for a long time)

robin buckley/wren bulan = sweet peas, tulips, camellias & carnations -- sweet pea as the flowers robin laid on wren's memorial, a tulip the way robin confessed to wren, camellia the flowers wren brings robin on their first actual date because those were the only ones in her garden, and carnation for the flowers wren's mother (and by extension wren) liked most

part of the 2023 oc valentines challenge: day 6

the enabler's call: @arrthurpendragon@misshiraeth98@carmens-garden@nightmaresart- want to be added? shoot me an ask!

coloring: here!

[balladetto]

reasons to cup a face / always accepting / @nihlkahn

BELIEF, in a moment where the receiver is lacking in self-confidence, the sender cups their face tenderly and professes their faith in the receiver's abilities.

     Remembering only comes in two ways for Link.

     Mercifully. Bitingly. Sometimes, it's and that anchors them to each other. Sometimes, it's or that separates them. Tonight, it's then that connects how the memories visit him — and in some part, he really shouldn't have expected otherwise.

     The fairy fountain they'd stumbled upon had been a pleasant shock with how far from Hyrule's borders they were. Link had cupped little sprite after little sprite within his palms, delighted by the familiarity of wings fluttering a tooth's gap from his fingers and gossamer dust sprinkled on his skin. None of them were Navi — had Navi's shine, or her colour, or her voice, or her recognition — but that was fine. That was fine. It was an adjacent kind of wistful relief at having found anything at all that had his heart swelling with something close to hope.

     As he startles awake with a desperate cry, ears ringing from the silence of a cruel farewell, his heart tears through the flesh of his lungs and pounds imprints on the bars of his ribs.

     His hands are what he registers first. One twisted in the blanket covering him, the other unthinkingly extended towards the next thing that pierces through the sleep-haze. Link inhales sharply and pulls away from the figure crouched over him, scrambling upright and a small distance back.

     How bad must his dream have looked for the Fierce Deity to thread together this tangible form? Bad, the shadows on that marked face tell him — really bad, the heat stinging his eyes and the soreness of a lip bitten clean through correct. He presses the back of a hand to his mouth, swallowing what blood's been drawn, and lets the quiet hanging in the space between them fester like a blistering sore.

     "Ss-orry," he finally blurts out. "Sorry," he repeats a beat later, then again, and again. He doesn't know what he needs to keep apologising for. But when his companion shifts — just some slight adjustment of his posture — there's a sudden, staggering fear that Link will be left alone if he stops.

     "Nno, don'—" The hand at his chin jerks forward, darts back. "Don' g-go. Sorry. Sorry, mm— I'll be—"

     Better. I'll be better. He stills, clarity coldly cleaving through the snapshot of an unreachable light in his mind's eye.

     Link folds over himself. Folds into himself. He takes each raw, pulsating wound tonight's nightmare has unburied and pushes them beneath the layer of indifference he's reapplying over every inch of his skin, trying to force his breaths into a measured pace. It works enough that he can redirect his words, and even smile — however strained — as he looks up and shakes his head. "Sorry. I'll...be...fine."

     He forgets, in his distress, that this god is the only thing alive who's seen every crack splintering his soul.

     Warmth washes over his face, radiating from hands hovering a hair's breadth away from his cheeks. These are hands that want to hold him safe. They are hands that seem to only ever want to hold him safe. Link feels his efforts to recover some manner of composure unravel at the thought: his smile crumples, his pulse picks up. The prickling behind his eyes worsens as he meets his companion's steady, pale gaze.

     Tentatively, helplessly, he nods.

     The Deity's touch is softer than he's ever felt it. Careful, almost delicate, and when Link doesn't react beyond a quiver of his lips, they press a hint firmer until sensation blooms over his scalp and down his neck. He has to stifle a fractured noise as tears leak past the corners of his waterlines, dripping in rivulets to where those thumbs meet his cheeks.

     He's vaguely aware that something is being said. It's so hard to focus on the words when all he can do is drink in the security he hasn't been able to feel so, so keenly in so, so long. For a fragile moment, Link wonders what this care must look like — what kind of picture they're painting over the backdrop. He wonders, if they were in some town or village or anywhere but out here where it's only the two of them, what would set them apart from the scenery he's begun noticing since the Deity's stayed with him through many awful days and many awful nights.

     What would set them apart from a child getting their scraped knees cleaned by the fountain? What would set them apart from an adult kneeling to lift someone so much smaller? What, if anything, would set them apart from sights he once thought less than nothing of — and now finds some measure of understanding in?

     The moment persists. It lasts through the sound of more words he can't pinpoint, in the quiet tones of someone who could be that concerned, someone who could be that fond. He places feather-light fingers over the Deity's knuckles. His companion says his name the way it used to be cradled on tongues from an old home and the steady branches of an old tree.

     Link shuts his eyes, leans into the comfort of hands so tender in spite of the unfathomable things they've done-can do-will do, and weaves together imaginings of a world where a father might be something he can have.

[occasionalsnippets]

hello author!

I’m a totally different, definitely not the anon who sent the previous post!

So…out of curiosity…if fd reader was filling in for robin ( I assume this is pre- red robin-or would reader act as a double for red as well?)

and they got sucked into another universe…

what kind of shenanigans would occur?

also while I am definitely not the previous anon, I’d like to mention that the fd series has a new film coming out next year it’s a little different!

A/n: sorry kinda messy because I got my wisdom teeth removed

Taglist: @dragondevinity, @lonely-star2044, @sheep-from-rad, @ilxandra, @thethingwiththefeathers, @star-wars-lycanwing-bat, @sackofsadstuff, @zonked-times, @paastaboi, @venfia, @fantasy-angelo, @linaisadream

---

Getting dropped through a portal and landing in the middle of a fight isn’t great. Fortunately, you're dressed for the occasion since you’re filling in as Robin. Unfortunately, your comms are dead. Fully dead. Dead enough that there isn't even a trace of static to be heard.

It could have been worse, you think as you help Nightwing (alternate universe? Probably alternate universe Nightwing, he doesn't seem to recognize you) clear out a group of goons. At least you're in Gotham and at least you didn't land directly in the path of the batmobile while someone was driving it or something.

Nightwing is wary of you and your supposed help, at least, until you get a moment a tell him the code for alternate universe situations because of course, there’s a code for everything.

(Code for time travel, code for alternate universes, code specifically for family, etc, etc. You leave all those codes up to Batman to decide.)

He doesn’t totally relax, obviously, but he’s willing to take down all the goons before focusing on you.

You're clearly bat-trained, have bat-gear and would look like a carbon copy of Robin if Tim was currently Robin and not Damian. It isn't difficult to believe you are a dimension traveller (you aren't the first and likely won't be the last either), especially with the obvious portal you hopped out of.

And well, things should be okay if you’ve got the family code tagged along with the standard code, right?

Either way, you and Nightwing end up going to the batcave. There’s some back and forth banter, you ask about who’s around and find out that it’s basically everyone you remember from the comics in their own role. Their universe is a bit ahead of yours it seems.

“D’s not allowed to be Robin until he’s more than 4 apples tall,” you tell Nightwing. By 4 apples tall, you mean 4 apples on the height chart you bought to mark Damian’s growth.

"4 apples tall," he mouths, delighted.

Dick had reacted the same way when you put the chart up. Damian had been livid.

The batcave is every bit as dark and cave-y as you remember it to be. Batman is there. So is Red Robin. And Spoiler. It's still early in the night so everyone else is probably still doing patrol.

Being interrogated (kind of) is interesting. It would be more effective if you hadn't seen similar songs and dances hundreds of times. Plus, Batman isn't being too harsh about it. It might be because you're Robin, because you're family.

The edges of your domino mask are peeling off. It always feels like you never put enough glue.

Well, you might as well reveal yourself. With the retrieval of the glue solvent, removal of the mask and a quick run of your hand through your hair, you could consider yourself off duty.

“Are you a girl???”

“Congrats on your top surgery.”

“Congrats on your bottom surgery.”

Hilarious. You laugh softly and ask, “Do you guys think I’m Tim?”

Something discordant ripples through everyone. You thought it was obvious you weren't Tim but well... You smile and hide your teeth.

"I'm (Y/n) Drake, nice to meet you."

You’re pretty sure that your universe will figure some way to get you back so you tell Batman that if you haven’t disappeared by the time 48 hours have passed, he should probably contact a magic user to get you back.

No one is going to bed apparently. It’s Sunday tomorrow. They’re not technically the family you know so you don’t say anything about pulling an all nighter.

There are some fascinating follow-up one-on-one conversations afterwards once they get past the "Tim's older sibling who doesn't exist".

Dick mentions it’s a bit odd to see you as Robin. You’re technically the oldest person to have ever been Robin as everyone grew out of it (died in it, got fired, etc) and got their own costume before they hit 18.

You point out it's not really your costume and that you only really fill in when you have to. He tells you you're still part of the legacy. You're still Robin. You... don't really know what to say to that.

When he asks you how you got involved, you shrug and say you just followed Tim. "He's my brother. What was I supposed to do? Leave him?"

Anyways, interesting conversations between two people who have been eldest daughter syndrome-d. Maybe things are better in your universe where you're there to ease the emotional load of the family but it shouldn't have been your responsibility. It shouldn't have been Dick's either.

You end up telling Jason that the Joker is dead in your universe. More specifically, that he "had gone missing a bit after Red Hood arrived in Gotham". You don't say exactly how it happened but he can probably infer that you had something to do with it.

The two of you probably bond a bit over your paper thin morals. After all, when you aren't playing at being Robin, you don't have to follow Bruce's moral code either.

Bruce is okay. The one here isn't horrendously terrible or anything but there were probably more bumps along the way. You straight up tell him to start seeing a therapist. His nest of birdies are his children first before they are his vigilante partners. He should make that clear before he makes another blunder, fails to apologize, and has to try to mend his relationships again.

He asks if you’re one of his children. You laugh until your ribs hurt.

Damian asks why you (and your Tim) are still Robin. You’re reasonably confused. Dick had informed him that your Damian is with the Waynes already yet has not been made Robin.

You aren’t exactly aware of how this Damian (or comic Damian for that matter) became Robin but you just tell him, “There’s no rush to pass on the mantle. Besides, we’re a couple years behind you guys.”

"You coddle him." "He's literally like, 9."

He'll figure it out someday once he gets past the being raising in an assassin cult thing. You ask what pets he has to derail him.

Things are easier with Cass, as they always have been. She takes one look at you and definitively declares "Family". You smile, ruffle her hair, the same as you would with your Cass, and she drags you away to talk to Steph.

Steph cracks a joke about your presence evening out the gender ratio in the household. She's also on the phone with Barbara so you say a quick hi before being swept into the next conversation.

You and Tim. Tim and you.

It’s been years since Jack and Janet Drake have died. Years upon years since Tim was a little boy waiting by the phone for his parents to call and tell him they’re coming home. He thinks some part of him still longs for them, despite it all.

And now, there is you. His sibling who never existed.

You remind him of his mother, of Janet. You’re as sharp as he remembers her being but you’re so terribly warm and patient and casually affectionate in ways he still isn't used to. Perhaps you're how Janet would've been like if she had loved him more.

You and Tim probably have the most to talk about out of everyone, especially about the early days from before he became Robin. Throughout it, he finds out just how much you've involved yourself in the other Tim's life. There's something sad in your expression when the two of you talk.

He hasn't needed someone to protect or raise him for a very long time but still, it must have been nice to have you, to have someone to trust and love him unconditionally.

For what it's worth, you tell him you're proud of him. Even if you don't exist in this universe, he's still your itty bitty tiny little brother.

Something bubbles in his chest. He thinks it might just be jealousy for the version of him that has your unconditional love. The version that has everything that you could give him.

Alfred brings down food for you to eat. Despite the fact that you don't belong, he insists on calling you "Master (Y/n)". Some things never change you suppose.

Everyone notes that it's very very strange to see you be so familiar with everyone when none of them know you. It's like they're all stumbling over a step in their life, fumbling in their interactions with you, uncertain about what to do.

Duke wanders into the Batcave in the morning and finds you at the batcomputer, still wearing your Robin costume. You get one look at him and go, "Ah they didn't tell you about me did they."

You give him a quick rundown ("I'm from an alternate universe, yeah I showed up last night, I'm Tim's older sibling, I'm only a placeholder Robin, no I don't really know you but I think I've seen you around in my universe before") before he leaves for day-patrol.

He's cool. You'll keep an eye out for him when you get back.

True to your expectation, less than a day after your arrival, a portal opens up beside you. Everyone's in the batcave and are able to see you off as Tim (your Tim) reaches out to bring you home.

You're wrapped up in hugs immediately upon return. So clingy, you think as you say, "I'm home."

Tim, who's buried by your side, mumbles, "Welcome home."

As for you filling in as Red Robin later on, it might be better to discuss it chronologically with Batman getting lost in the timestream and the no good very bad follow up conversation about who should wear the cowl that somehow ends up with you filling in as Nightwing.

[harunayuuka2060]

Malleus and Yandere Malleus: *have mixed feelings about this wedding*

MC: *looks beautiful in their wedding dress while it is obvious on their face that they're contemplating everything*

Saint Rook: You look lovely! *to MC* If I weren't a saint, I would marry you myself!

MC: *muttering to themselves* Mom, sorry for not breaking the generational curse. You will forgive me if you've come to know that they're hot and rich guys, right?

Yandere Malleus: *chuckles*

Malleus: Child of man...

FD Vil: MC, you should look on the brighter side.

FD Vil: After this wedding, you will return to Twisted Wonderland together with your husbands.

MC: ...

MC: *on the verge of crying* What am I going to do after this? I'm not familiar with marriage... Huuu...

Grim: You can decide to not live with them for now, right?

MC: *sniffles* I can do that? *looking at Malleus*

Malleus: Yes. We can live together after you have finished your studies at Night Raven College.

MC: *turns to Yandere Malleus* How about you?

Yandere Malleus: What do you think it will be? *smirks*

MC: I'm going to divorce you! *cries funnily again*

Yandere Malleus: *laughs*

Yandere Malleus: Hunt, you may proceed.

Saint Rook: *smiles* Alright.

The housewardens: *sigh in relief*

Riddle: They're going back.

Leona: I feel so bad for the herbivore.

Vil: I should comfort them.

Kalim: I will buy them a vacation house!

Jamil: Kalim, no. The other Malleus would be angry at you if you did that.

Sebek: Waka-sama... He got married...

Silver: I want to congratulate him, however, he's sharing a spouse with another Malleus.

Lilia: What would the honeymoon be like?

Them: LILIA!

Lilia: I'm sorry!

Idia: Ortho, cheer up the Prefect for me when they come back. I'll be returning to my room.

Ortho: Okay, brother! I will take it from here!

Ace: I'm sure Professor Crewel will get mad if he hears about this.

Deuce: And Professor Trein too...

Epel: But guys, MC is rich now.

Ace and Deuce: ...

Ace: Wait. You're right!

Deuce: We should celebrate!

Jack: MC will be so disappointed with you three.

Malleus: Grim! Have you seen the child of man?! *looking furious*

Grim: Mryah! W-Weren't you just together?

Malleus: Yes! The other Malleus had taken them somewhere when it was time to leave!

MC: ...

Yandere Malleus: *hugging them tightly*

MC: ...

MC: No. We're not staying here. The three of us signed a contract!

Yandere Malleus: I know. But there is one thing I would like to do before we leave this place permanently.

MC: And that is?

Yandere Malleus: *smiles* *leans in and kisses them on the lips*

MC: ...

MC: I knew it! You were just holding back earlier! *their face red*

Yandere Malleus: *chuckles*

Yandere Malleus: I won't be holding back in the future, so look forward to it.

MC: ...

MC: Is that a threat?

Yandere Malleus: *laughs* You're so adorable, my beloved.

[bokettochild]

Ketto's Whumptober 2024 Prompt Master List

No. 1: RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK - Kit & Violet (r by localicecreambiter)

Search Party | Panic Attack | "If only we could hold on.” (Icysami x Renegaderr, Strangers.)

No. 2: TRUST ISSUES - Warriors (anon)

Amusement Park | Role Reversal | “You got away with the crime while the knife's in my back.” (Charlotte Sands, Rollercoaster)

No. 3: SET UP FOR FAILURE - Legend & Sky (requested by notadragon)

Fingerprints | Wrongfully Arrested | "I warned you."

No. 4: HALLUCINATIONS - Legend &/or Warriors (anon)

Hypnosis | Sensory Deprivation | “You're still alive in my head.” (Billy Lockett, More)

No. 5: SUNBURN

Healing Salve | Heatstroke | "If my pain will stretch that far." (Lottery Winners, Burning House)

No. 6: NOT REALISING THEY'RE INJURED - Legend (requested by tiredkiwilol)

Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms | Healed Wrong | "It's not my blood."

No. 7: ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES - Time (FD) & Wind (requested by chuchujellybean)

Unconventional Weapon | Magic with a Cost | "It's us or them."

No. 8: SLEEP DEPRIVATION - Hyrule (requested by starwolfie)

Isolation Chamber | Forced to Stay Awake | "Leave the lights on." (Coldplay, Midnight)

No. 9: OBSESSION

Broken Window | Bruises | “Frame me up on the wall, just to keep me out of trouble.” (Fall Out Boy, Irresistible)

No. 10: BLOW TO THE HEAD - Legend (also tiredkiwilol)

Slurred Words | Passing Out from Pain | "I can't think straight."

No. 11: SEEING DOUBLE - Four (requested by mermain123)

Convenience Store | Loneliness | “Leave no trace behind, like you don't even exist.” (Taylor Swift, Illicit Affairs)

No. 12: STARVATION - Wild

Underground Caverns | Cannibalism | "Just a little more."

No. 13: TEAM AS A FAMILY - Wild & Four

Familial Curse | Multiple Whumpees | "Death will do us part." (Set It Off, Partner's In Crime)

No. 14: LEFT FOR DEAD

Hunting Gear | Blackmail | “Because I want you to know what it feels like to be haunted” (tiLLie, kooL aiD mAn)

No. 15: CHILDHOOD TRAUMA - Wind (requested by mermain123)

Painful Hug | Moment of Clarity | "I did good, right?"

No. 16: NECROSIS - Wild (requested by zips-quips)

Swamp | Wound Cleaning | "No, I can't feel anything."

No. 17: NOWHERE ELSE TO GO - Wind (theoneeyedgoldenwolf)

Ruined Map | Shipwrecked | "We had a good run."

No. 18: REVENGE - Sky (requested by icy-hot-0111)

Unreliable Narrator | Loss of Identity | “I see what's mine and take it.” (Panic! at the Disco, Emperor's New Clothes)

No. 19: BLOOD TRAIL - Twilight (r by toyouhellohowareyou)

Abandoned Cabin | One Way Out | "Is there anybody alive out there?" (Bruce Springsteen, Radio Nowhere)

No. 20: EMOTIONAL ANGST - Warriors (requested by aeghina)

Shoulder to Cry On | Giving Permission to Die | "It's not your fault."

No. 21: BODY HORROR - Wind & Four (requested by tritailed-shenanigans)

Body Horror | Tattoo Gun | Spirit Possession | “Let the bedsheet soak up the tears.” (Apparat feat. Soap & Skin, Goodbye)

No. 22: BLEEDING THROUGH BANDAGES - Hyrule (requested by mermain123)

Tourniquet | Reopening Wounds | "Oh that's not good."

No. 23: FORCED CHOICE - Time (requested by boingobeepis)

Public Display | Broken Pedestal | "I'm doing this for you."

No. 24: RADIATION POISONING - Wild (requested by abbycrashing)

Collapsed Building | Equipment Failure | “I never knew daylight could be so violent.” (Florence + The Machine, No Light, No Light)

No. 25: SURGERY - Twilight & Warriors (mermain123 again :3)

Stitches | Being Monitored | "It's for your own good."

No. 26: NIGHTMARES - Legend (requested by mermain123)

Breakfast Table | Parting Words of Regret | “I'm haunted by the lies that I have loved, the actions I have hated.” (Poe, Haunted)

No. 27: VOICELESS - Twilight has a Violet Incident (requested by zips-quips)

Laboratory | Muzzled | “I have no mouth and I must scream.”

No. 28: DENIAL

CCTV | Exposure | "They caught me red handed."

No. 29: FATIGUE

Labyrinth | Burnout | "Who said you could rest?"

No. 30: RECOVERY - Wind & Legend & Warriors (because I want to!)

Hospital Bed | Holding Back Tears | "What have I done?"

No. 31: ASKING FOR HELP

Therapy | Making Amends | "I'm alive, I'm just not well." (Elliot Lee, Alive, Not Well.)

-

Feel free to send in requests for this year! Any relationships (barring romantic) are optional, and you can give as much or as little detail for what you'd like to see as you like! And if the prompt you wanted is already claimed, no worries! I AM capable of whumping multiple boys at once >:)

(NOTE: I can see your requests best in the post replies, asks WILL most likely get lost in the slew of my askbox!!!!!)

Alternatives List:

Body Swap - Four and Wind (tritailed-shenanigans)

Communication Barrier

Finding Old Messages - Wild (requested by zips-quips)

Forgotten

Friendly Fire

Motion Sickness

No-Holds-Barred Beatdown

Regret

Secrets Revealed

Shivering

Survivor's Guilt

Time Loop

Used As Bait

Venom

Vermin

[holmesillustrations]

Dogs Bracket is here! It turns out a lot of these dogs are horses, but there was exactly 32, which is perfect for our purposes 🐶🐴🦁

Currently on Semifinals

Most of us are i think familiar enough with the stories that this wont be a surprise, but just in case i do want to warn that a few of these illustrations feature violence against or by the animals in question, i'll tag those specifically when we get to their polls as 'animal violence'

Full list of competitors under cut:

(Illustrations in blue were already out, those in green have been newly eliminated)

[Colliers Cover Illustration] Missing Three-quarter, FD Steele

"On the ledge of rock above this strange couple stood three noble buzzards" Study in Scarlet, Charles Doyle

"He laid his hand upon the glossy neck." Silver Blaze, Sidney Paget

"Close to the door of the cage lay Mrs. Ronder, with the creature squatting and snarling above her." Veiled Lodger, FD Steele

"Silver Blaze" Silver Blaze, Sidney Paget

"Phosphorous!" I said. Hound of the Baskervilles, Sidney Paget

"THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES." Hound of the Baskervilles, Sidney Paget

"There's our man, Watson! Come along." Hound of the Baskervilles, Sidney Paget

"The carriage rattled past." Missing Three-quarter, Sidney Paget

"There in the centre lay the unhappy maid where she had fallen" Hound of the Baskervilles, Sidney Paget

"THE DRIVER POINTED WITH HIS WHIP—'BASKERVILLE HALL,' SAID HE" Hound of the Baskervilles, Sidney Paget

"I SAW HIS EYES FIX THEMSELVES OVER MY SHOULDER." Hound of the Baskervilles, Sidney Paget

"Holmes crouched behind the bush with the dog as the carriage approached." Shoscombe Old Place, FD Steele

"Running up, I blew its brains out." Copper Beeches, Sidney Paget

"Holmes gazed at it and then passed on." Abbey Grange, Sidney Paget

[Mycroft's brougham] Final Problem, Harry C. Edwards

[Woman with horse] Shoscombe Old Place, FD Steele

"As I slipped the bars it bounded out, and was on me in an instant." Veiled Lodger, FD Steele

"The dog sniffed round for an instant, and then with a shrill whine of excitement started off down the street." Missing Three-quarter, Sidney Paget

"Dog and man were rolling on the ground together, the one roaring in rage, the other screaming in a strange shrill falsetto of terror." Creeping Man, HK Elcock

"Holmes darted forward and barred their way." Lady Frances Carfax, Alec Ball

"They bundled him into a cab that was beside the kerb" Red Circle, HM Brock

[The professor and his dog] Creeping Man, FD Steele

"Holmes emptied five barrels of his revolver into the creature's flank." Hound of the Baskervilles, Sidney Paget

"We got off, paid our fare." Speckled Band, Sidney Paget

"We were to go to the theatre… suddenly he darted away into the fog." Bruce-Partington Plans, FD Steele

[MacPherson's Dog on the beach] Lion's Mane, FD Steele

"THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES." [Frontispiece] Hound of the Baskervilles, Sidney Paget

"How far to Wallington?" Cardboard Box, Sidney Paget

""Too late, Watson; too late!" cried Holmes" Solitary Cyclist, Sidney Paget

[Lion] Veiled Lodger, FD Steele

"At the same moment Holmes stepped out and released the spaniel." Shoscombe Old Place, Frank Wiles

Full graphic with nothing greyed out:

And finally, i wanted to include every animal illustration, but i did leave out the two from Blue Carbuncle with dead geese, those are not dogs they are ingredience.

Edit: I realised i completely messed up the order of polls in the original bracket, all fine for round 1's results but would have caused problems for round 2. The current one is correct, but obviously had to be shuffled around a lot, so the numbers by each one show their order from round 1 for future reference, sorry bout that!

[luimagines]

Congarts on the two year old blog!

If it's fine, can I request a FD sky in the royal au; just getting to know reader, flustering them at every turn and being a genuine menace to them

-🍄

YEEEEEEEEEESSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!

Masterlist

Content under the cut!

You didn't know what to do with the man that sat across from you.

If you could even call him a man.

His hair was stark white, perfectly accented by the bright red feathers in his hair as it draped over his shoulders. He had a pearlescent cape with a design of the country's emblem on the back. His clothes were about as casual as you could get when speaking to the King.

He's wearing black pants at least but his shirt holds the regality of the royal family. It's also white with stars and moons embroidered in golds around the edges with swirls that connect from one side of the tapestry to the next. It looks almost like a story was woven directly into the fabric. You're tempted to read it, but you don't want to be seen openly ogling the King in his own house.

His eyes were just as white as his hair with no sign of which direction he would be looking in, but it was clear to every hair that stood up at the back of your neck that he was very much watching you. More so than you were watching him.

A shaky hand reaches for the tea cup he's order to be served to you. You're not sure why you're here or what he wants with you, but he seems relaxed at least.

But you don't know what that means for you, so you're still a nervous wreck.

"I hear that your bakery is the best in my kingdom." He says after a beat once you set your tea cup back on the little saucer. You try to focus on that instead of the booming voice that threatened to pour into your very veins.

The cup has a beautiful floral pattern. It looks like porcelain but you could be wrong. The beautiful forget-me-not pattern echoes on the saucer below. the swirling flowers are beautifully painted.

But you feel dizzy and nauseous in an instant.

You put the cup away.

"Thank you... Your Majesty." You finally answer him. "I wouldn't personally say it's the best. but business has been good and your people have treated me nicely."

"My people?" There's an up tilt to his words and you have the slightest suspicion that there's humor in his words, but you struggle to read him.

"Yes." You answer calmly. "Your people."

"Are you not one of my people?" He picks up his own tea cup and takes a sip. You feel like running away.

"I'm not originally from here." You bite your lip and grip the seat beneath you. Every fiber in your being is telling you to run for it. But you're rooted to the spot.

The king nods and tilts his head as if in thought. "I suppose your accent would check out in that regard."

He says nothing as he takes another sip of his tea. Can't you just go home already?

"I'm having a party." He says at last. "I was hoping you'd be willing to cater it."

You feel your heart stop as relief threatens to melt you into a puddle. It's just business. You can do business. "O-oh... is that all?"

He nods once more. "I'd like a list of your menu and potential skills outside of your typical armory. I'm sure it goes without saying that you should bring the best of your accomplishments."

You can feel your nerves stealing in you as he speaks. You'll show him. These will be the best of the best. "Of course. I've never disappointed a costumer. I don't plan on starting now."

This time he actually smiles. "Perfect. May I ask for the estimate? I plan on giving a hefty down payment first-"

"No. For free." You cross your arms, ignoring the tea.

He stills, clearly not expecting that. His eyes don't obviously dart to you but the energy changes. The hair on the back of your neck stand up once more but you're not willing to budge on this.

"...I don't think so." He says calmly. "I pay for the full deal. I don't accept handouts."

"It's not handouts." You try to not glare at him. "It's exposure. The business that would result from this would payback tenfold the amount it would take to cater your party."

He frowns and stares at you as if you've said something dumb. "...I'm paying."

"No, you're not." You cross a leg to emphasize the point.

The King tilts his head. "Yes. I am. End of discussion."

"No you're not." You feel it in yourself to be indignant.

"Yes." He's smiling but you're not sure what to think about it. "I will pay the full price one way or another. I've enjoyed our chat but I'm afraid I've got other matters to attend to."

"That's a shame." You shrug. "Because this conversation isn't over until you let me do this for free."

The King of the land stops as he gets to his feet and kisses your cheek. "Then I suppose I'll simply have to invite you again, my dear. I'll see you soon."

You freeze and stay rooted to the spot once more as he leaves the room.

Your tea has gone cold by the time you're escorted out of the castle. This wasn't exactly what you had in mind- nor are you confident in yourself to keep surviving interactions with this powerful man.

Why couldn't he just have dropped it?

[cripplecharacters]

hi! I have a character with a facial difference (burn scars over a large chunk of their lower face from an incident as a very small child, it's not particularly important and therefore I haven't really shaped it out other than they've had the burns since as early as they can remember) and I'm a little worried about them and my general casts' disability rep. They're the only character with a physical difference so far (recently realized that and I'm disappointed with myself so I'll fix that), and the WIP they're in is urban fantasy, so they're a siren (they have gills and they're like. Everyone's bi awakening, plus they just have a fucking rad voice). They're not a main character, but they're the partner of one of the main supporting cast and although I'm not sure whether or not they actually appear in the story (they probably will) their boyfriend shows them off like dog owners show off pet pictures (based on how I am irl with my best friend) and the POV character(s) mention that they're really, really pretty. I'm trying to not focus on the scarring much as to not fetishize it, but I also want to make it clear that their scarring only enhances their beauty and its not a 'oh they'd be so pretty if not for the scars' thing- they're gorgeous, and so are their scars. Is it an issue to have my only character so far with facial differences have their looks focused on like that?

Hey!

Personally, I like it. I'm a fan of describing facial differences and the people who have them as gorgeous, handsome, beautiful, cute, what have you. It's a nice change of pace from the usual adjectives.

Fetishizing it would be if they had a not-so-realistic scar (e.g. just a color change to red or something) and no physical symptoms at all - but if you avoid that, you should be good. I would recommend simply looking at how real life scars look like (they vary a lot - maybe it's just the texture, maybe she's missing a part of her jaw), and checking out this post on burn scar care.

I think that the concept of her partner showing her off is very cute, it's certainly not something I see happen with characters with FD often (or at all, TBH). I also appreciate a character who had the trauma happen a long time ago - this definitely helps with not fetishizing it, I feel like it's a greatly underrepresented thing.

I agree that adding more physically/visibly disabled characters would be a good idea (it always is) - if you have any questions regarding that, feel free to send another ask.

I hope this helps,

mod Sasza

[raging-violets]

Red One: Have Yourself a Merry Little Crisis | Chapter Two

Also on AO3

Summary: Dolly, head of Santa’s PR team, navigates the chaos of keeping the North Pole’s magic alive while managing the world’s growing disbelief in Santa. As she clashes with Jack, a disillusioned human solely responsible for Santa’s abduction, sparks fly. Can they overcome their pasts and truly allow themselves to accept the Christmas Magic they’ve been keeping at arm’s length all this time? Authored By: Rhuben

Divider by @strangergraphics

And thanks to Riley (@raging-violets) for the advice of using "Jiminy Christmas"."

Snow Be It

Jack swung his keys around his fingers, whistling to himself, as he made his way up to his apartment door. His head swiveled past every doorway, every stairwell, and every person he moved past. He hadn’t always done this, but it had become a habit since his abduction last year. Sure, it may have made him a bit more noticeable, when he usually liked to slip past unnoticed, but you couldn’t be too careful anymore.

He had operated under the false pretense that no one would ever be able to track him down. Not like how he could track other people. And he was proven to be wrong.

Coming upon his door, he shook his head slightly when he pressed the metal tip to his fob to the door lock. He heard a soft click, watched the pass light pulse green, and spun the lock to open the door. It was a little too fancy for his liking. Too technologically advanced. If he knew how to crack it to get into anyone else’s apartment, someone else could. The main housing unit ran on a battery for crying out loud. It was why he still preferred actual keys and actual door locks.

Upon moving in, he quickly conceded that it was what he had to work with. If Dylan had the opportunity to stay over, or at least spend time at his new place, he wanted to be sure he knew every exit, every hiding place, and every person he passed. It was a father’s duty to protect their families, after all.

Jack stepped into his apartment, letting the heavy door swing shut behind him, and spun the heavy lock. Then, without removing his hand from the door, he bowed his head and let out a heavy sigh.

“You really have to stop breaking into my apartment,” he announced. “Can’t you knock on the door like a normal person?” He then faced Zoe, who was seated in the chair by his TV. “Or, wait, I never asked. Are you one of those mystical creatures, too? Like a…Scylla or something?”

Zoe tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing. Jack opened and closed his mouth before explaining, “You don’t raise your voice, which still gives you a commanding presence over people. You’re the no-nonsense type, the kind to chew people up and spit them out. It’s really a compliment to you.”

Closing her eyes, Zoe let out a long sigh. “An answer,” she finally said, opening her eyes to look at him. “I need one.”

Jack put his hands on his hips, tilting his head back to stare at the sprinkler head on the ceiling. It was just like last time. And the first time she and her M.O.R.A crew went after him. Only the last time, he didn’t have to worry about not getting his security deposit back. No, he just came into his apartment and found her seated in one of his living room chairs drinking hot chocolate from a mug.

“Don’t worry, you didn’t actually do anything this time,” she had explained to his silent look of confusion and dread. At least she had managed to quell one thought that was rushing through his mind: How did she get into his apartment? Did he still have the tracker inside him? Then, indeed, what had he done this time? “We know the FBI have been headhunting you for a while, but I can guarantee that we can make you a better offer. Come work with M.O.R.A, in a contract position, as part of our Crisis Management team.”

“…Huh?” he had simply asked in response.

Zoe had rolled her eyes, took in a deep breath of air, and then carefully set her – or rather his – mug down onto the table. “This is a job offer,” she re-iterated, speaking every word carefully. Jack had made a face. “A contract job. At M.O.R.A. Crisis Management.”

“…Me?”

“You.”

Jack had let out a long laugh. Zoe merely watched him until he was done and still continued to silently watch him. “Ok…what?” he had finally asked.

A job with M.O.R.A working in Crisis Management at the North Pole Complex. Essentially working with the E.L.F. team to assist with making sure this year’s flight went off without a hitch. He would be in charge of creating and deploying crisis plans (like Santa Claus being abducted); lead the meetings, discussions, and formulating strategies to anticipate potential threats including magical anomalies and security breaches; interview, hire for, and lead rapid response teams, working in tandem with other North Pole departments, and determine strategic use of resources that the North Pole Complex housed amongst other duties assigned to him.

It all sounded great. Right in his wheelhouse if he were being honest; skills could be adapted to the role with no issue. But still…Working at the North Pole? With Santa Claus? He did start finding a level to relate to his son with over the past year, but things were pretty rocky. And did they really want a Naughty Lister working with them? And someone who still wasn’t fully into Christmas – and didn’t even know how Christmas was going to look this year; would he go to Olivia’s? Would Dylan spend time at his apartment? - probably wasn’t the best idea.

He had asked for time to decide what he wanted to do. Time was up.

“It’s not such an easy decision,” Jack said, reaching up a hand to scratch the back of his head.

“Yes or No.” Zoe spread her arms out to her sides. “Either or.”

“What exactly are we talking about here?” He was stalling, and she could see right through it.

Zoe’s eyebrows came towards each other. “Enforcement, Logistics, and Fortification,” she explained. “You will enforce any and all emergency action plans you create and ensure everybody in every department knows what to do no matter the situation; you will help manage logistic operations to ensure the correct resources are being used and diverted to each department dependent on the current emergency; and you will fortify our security measures to make sure that nothing like Gryla ever happens again.”

“Ok, sure. But, I'd be far, far away from Philly.” He waved his arm in a giant arc. “Dylan and I are finally in a good place. Kind of. I guess. We’re working on it.” He batted the air, a frustrated grunt rumbling in his throat. “There's a lot of factors to think about here!”

Zoe slapped her hands down on to the arm rest of his chair and slowly lifted herself to her feet. She smiled a close-lipped smile. One that didn’t exactly reach her eyes. “Jack,” she said in an equally unsettlingly sweet tone, “we can do this without you. We have. For years. But Nick has specifically asked that we extend this invitation to you. Do you really want to turn him down?”

A “Ha!” was poised on the tip of his tongue. He had spent years proving to kids that Santa Claus wasn’t real. A big part of him still didn’t want to believe everything he had experienced last year actually happened. It sounded like stuff that could only happen in the movies, and he lived it. But how could he work for someone that he didn’t believe in past the age of five? After all, if Santa couldn’t bring him what he had asked for every year, who could he believe in?

(Though, a nagging thought at the back of his mind did make him wonder if the lack of him actually writing down his Christmas wish may have aided in it not being fulfilled. Or maybe because he stopped relaying his list to the department store Santas. They all worked together, right? He guessed this gave him the opportunity to ask.)

He just knew he couldn’t risk Dylan never speaking to him again. Even if it may have been an empty threat. Who knew what part of a teenager’s diatribe was actually something to listen to? All of it, of course, but still… It was more important that his son could believe he’d still be around whenever he was wanted. As few and far between those times may be.

He had made up his mind.

“There are some conditions,” Jack said, pointing a finger at Zoe, “if I decide to do this.”

“And those would be?” Zoe asked. She removed a personal computer device from her pocket that looked a lot like a PalmPilot. It even had a stylus pen that Zoe had pulled from the device with a flourish and tapped against the screen.

“Wh—what is that?” Jack asked, then pointing at the device.

“I’m making a list of your conditions,” Zoe replied.

“A list?” Jack repeated, his eyebrows lifting. “Like a Christmas list? What, will Santa read it twice before deciding if I get what I ask for?” Zoe merely blinked, the stylus pen poised over the screen of her device. Jack sighed. “I know this job would have me stationed at the North Pole for about a month, but I want to be able to see my son whenever I can. Or…whenever he wants. I need a way to visit him quickly. And I don’t just mean jumping through some toy stores to do so.”

“Ok.”

He lifted a second finger. “I’m paid triple what you paid me last time.”

“Done.”

He lifted a third finger. “Do you get sports games and stuff at the North Pole?” he asked.

Zoe looked up from her handheld device. “You are aware, should this position extend to permanent employment, you work 364 days a year? And even before then, you’ll be working 30 days within the next month?”

“Oh, yeah, Boxing Day,” Jack said. His arm dropped a few inches as he started to chew his bottom lip in thought. It was just 30 days. If he got everything he wanted, it was doable. He lifted his arm again. “And…I get my own personal reindeer.”

Zoe dropped her arms to her sides. “A reindeer?” she asked. “Really?”

Jack smiled. “Either that, or a dog sled team,” he replied. “I’m flexible.”

“Anything else?”

“Yeah.” Jack’s smile widened. “If I’m working with the E.L.F team, my office has to be bigger than Cal’s. I do get an office, right?”

Zoe sucked in a breath of air and exhaled it through her nose, the close-lipped smile coming back to her face. She tapped out the rest of his list, punctuating the last demand with a sharp tap of the stylus against the screen.

“Ok,” she said, “Your conditions have been sent to ATM,” she saw the confused look on Jack’s face and rushed to explain, “Arctic Talent Management – Human Resources for the North Pole Complex. You’ll be given further instructions on where to report to before you make your way to the North Pole Complex, forms to sign, onboarding, be fitted for your vambrace; that will allow you access to any and all facilities under your jurisdiction, you will attend training on our protocols procedures, and you will be trained on the operations of all the technology you will not only be required to use, but also required to learn how to keep secure.”

“Ok, ok then.” He offered Zoe is hand and she took it in hers. “We have a deal.”

“Furthermore.” Jack sucked in a breath of air at the sudden vice-like grip she squeezed on his hand. He blindly searched the space around him with his free hand, trying to find something to keep himself upright despite his knees starting to buckle. “This is a top-secret government operation that we’ve been running successfully for years and years. As ‘The Wolf’ I know you are knowledgeable in the importance of security and confidentiality and I expect you to continue to uphold that in this new position. Not everybody is happy that this opportunity is being presented to you, but with your past experience

“And, yes, you are still being tracked."

“What?” Jack’s voice reached a high pitch. “Why am I still being…?” He shook his head. “Speaking of which,” a smile of amusement came to his face, “everyone gets a codename, right? I mean, I am partial to ‘The Wolf,’ but it doesn’t sound very North Pole-y, if you know what I mean. Do I get a new codename?”

Zoe rolled her eyes, dropping his hand. “And who exactly isn’t happy about this job? Is it Cal? It’s Cal, right? I mean I thought we ended things on a better tone, but the man’s always been wound a little too tight, hasn’t he? Come on, be honest.”

“We’ll be in touch,” Zoe said, ignoring his questions. “Pack warmly. And sweet dreams.”

“Sweet dreams? What does that-?” Jack felt something cold press into the side of his neck, felt a jolt through his body, and then everything went dark.

-

Staring blankly at her computer screen Dolly repeatedly pressed a hard strike to her keyboard, flipping through slide after slide of her presentation. Picture after picture of Jack O’Malley’s face and data pie charts, and graphs flashed by her face. Even she couldn’t deny that he looked good on paper:

98% success rate of completion of tasks with his clients.

Top marks in response time and client satisfaction.

Highly sophisticated technological infrastructure.

He knew the importance of security and encryption.

Blah, blah, blah.

Twisting her mouth to the side, Dolly switched back over to the first slide. She let out a soft sigh through her nose. She guessed there was something behind Nick’s choice for the new hire. And if there was anyone she could trust, it was Nick. His picture wasn’t that bad, at least.

For someone who knew how to push everyone’s buttons, he could take a good picture. (What little pictures of him that could be found. It was smart for someone in his line of business to be as hard to find as possible.) She gazed upon the image aligned perfectly to the center-right of the page.

It wasn’t a glamorous picture; seemingly haven been taken in the middle of some sort of party. Jack O’Malley was seated on something, an end table, or a dresser, with his arms stretched out in front of him yet also settled lightly against his thighs. His hands were out of frame, but Dolly could imagine he was holding some sort of beverage. The light from the camera flash washed him out a bit, but still emphasized his dark hair, the blue of his eyes, and the hint of a smile on his face. Someone must’ve called his name to get his attention right before the picture was taken.

He had a nice smile. Even she could see his charisma through the screen.

…No wonder Cal couldn’t stand him.

“Presentation all done?”

Dolly spun around in her chair. “Hey, Ginger,” she greeted the woman that stood in her office door. “Did you send out the memo about the staff meeting agenda?”

Ginger stopped short upon stepping into Dolly’s office, her eyebrows lifting. “Oof. You look like you need a cookie or two.” She pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. “Mrs. C just made a whole batch and put them in the break room if you’d like some.”

“No, I’m not in the mood for cookies,” Dolly said, waving her hand in the air. Then she paused. “What kind of cookies?”

“I might’ve seen some thumbprint cookies.” Dolly smiled. Ginger nodded her head, her rusty-blonde ringlets bouncing around her face as she did so. A layer of frost had settled in the strands of her locks, every shift a shimmery tapestry of pale silver and amber. “And, yes, I have sent out the memo. All the penguins in Communications dispersed it immediately. The Trolls and the Wrapping Department won’t be attending, but we’ll stream the meeting for them. There’s been a backup in the printing of the new print we all voted on, but Phil will keep everyone updated.”

“Great, thanks, Ginger,” Dolly said with a smile. “And, yes, I’ve finished my presentation. Just putting on the final touches. Checking for typos, the overall flow—"

“Staring at the very attractive picture of Jack O’Malley?” Ginger asked with a sly smile.

“No, no,” Dolly said, leaping to her feet. She blindly reached behind her to press the keys on her keyboard until her screen went blank. “I was checking my timing. No one likes long meetings or, or, or,” Dolly tried to keep her face neutral as she tried to think of an example, “or pointless topics of discussion. I mean, do you want to listen to another one of Milo’s rants about how the meeting could’ve been a Snow-Mail?”

Ginger, the Internal Communications Manager, was not only one of the best employees in the Public Relations department, but also Dolly’s best friend.

She was unapologetically herself and had the sort of energy that made everyone feel like they mattered and were invited to be around her all the time. It was how they had met back at Snowy Pines Primary. Ginger had seen Dolly sitting alone on Festive Family Day and left her own parents to sit down at Dolly’s lunch table and say, “My name’s Ginger, like the cookie. You’re not sitting by yourself anymore.”

And for the rest of the Festive Family Day (and every family event after that), Dolly had a family, and by extension, parents to partake in all the activities with. It was better than sitting alone watching all the other kids and elf-kins play the games wrong, anyway. Ever since they had been friends; different, but still a great match. If Dolly were white string lights, than Ginger was multi-colored. Public Relations was the perfect place of employment for her: she loved talking to people and could converse with everyone, no matter their rank, as if they were long-time friends. Should Nick ever have an off day, Ginger was just as jolly and just as much the embodiment of Christmas spirit as anyone else at the North Pole Complex.

“Can I see what you have so far?” Ginger asked. She pushed Dolly’s chair out of the way and brought up the presentation before Dolly could say anything. She flipped the slides back to the title page where the circular logo of the North Pole Complex appeared before moving on to the next bit of information. “’Introducing new hire, [Insert Codename Here] – Real Name: Jack O’Malley’. Insert Codename Here?”

“I would’ve assumed he’d go by ‘The Wolf’,” Dolly said with a shrug, “but ATM got word from MORA that he wants a new codename. Once it’s decided, Cal will let me know.” She rolled her eyes. “Amongst other things on his list.”

“If you’re that worried about it,” Ginger said, quickly shuttling through the other slides “why don’t you ask Cal about him? I mean, he worked with him last year, right?”

“Under duress,” Dolly replied. She gave Ginger an over-the-top smile. “I think that says all I need to know.”

“Anyway.” Ginger turned away from Dolly’s computer. Leaning against the desk, she used her body to block the screen. She leaned this way and that, blocking Dolly from her station. “The polar bear pups are going on their first field trip outside of the nursery. And we are going to cheer them on.”

“My presentation…” Dolly protested.

“The same presentation that’ll go off without a hitch just like all the others?” Ginger asked with a laugh. Dolly slumped in her chair, lifting her gaze to the ceiling. “Dolls, If you want some time to continue staring at Jack O’Malley’s picture, I won’t stop you. Just say the word…”

“Jiminy Christmas!” Dolly pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes. “I wasn’t staring.”

“OK, you weren’t staring.” Ginger put her hands up defensively. “Not that I completely blame you: he’s enough to steam some water for hot chocolate.” She clapped her hands together. “Now grab your coat and your gloves and let’s go. Those polar bear pups aren’t going to wait, and I can’t wait to see how they do with the real snow and ice.”

Dolly sighed, using her feet to push her chair across the room to her coat rack. She grabbed her vambrace from her desk and carefully slid it onto her forearm, twisting the glowing red band around her wrist as she did so. A moment later, she could feel it slowly starting to heat up, warming the skin underneath in advance of her stepping outside.

Unlike Ginger, and Callum, and the other employees, that could walk outside in their uniforms without a care in the world, Dolly needed as many layers and warmers as she could get. In the summers it wasn’t so bad. It was still cold of course, but a few degrees warmer made all the difference. It was just another reminder that she wasn’t like everyone else. Not fully.

But she would push through no matter what. Just like she always did.

“What else did Jack ask for to accept this job, anyway?” Ginger asked.

“A personal reindeer or dog sled team. Apparently, he’s ‘not picky’.” Dolly used her fingers to make air-quotes. “He sounds just like all the other kids that can’t decide which color iPad they want so they ask for both.”

“Which, if I remember correctly, was the catalyst behind your pitch for 'Christmas in July',” Ginger said, pretending to think. “Right?”

Dolly’s eyes widened. “Ok, so it didn’t take off,” she acquiesced, zipping up her coat. “But I still think it was a good idea. Just give it some time.”

[sunniedesi]

All Future Diary Merch (Part 2)

~~A comprehensive list

More obscure Future Diary merch below the cut!

~ Animate Products

Animate is the largest retailer of anime, manga and video games in Japan, so it’s only natural that it has created some Future Diary merch over the years.

A Yuno tote bag from the Animate Book Fair, 2008

An A4 clear file with original Future Diary artwork, from their 2011 Anime Adaptation fair.

An A3 clear poster, also with original Future Diary artwork, from the same 2011 fair.

~ SOFT Products

SOFT is another retail company, though unfortunately I can’t seem to find any information about the company itself. Either way, they released a plethora of Future Diary merch back in the day:

Future Diary compact mirrors (released on March 31st, 2012). There were two versions: a “12th” and a “DEAD END” design.

Future Diary iPhone 4/4s phone cases (released on March 3rd, 2012). There were two versions: a “DEAD END” and an “Oyasumi, Yukki” design.

Future Diary t-shirts (also released on March 3rd, 2012). There were two versions: a red/ “DEAD END” and a black/ “Oyasumi, Yukki” design. (source).

~ Victorinox Collaboration

Random collaboration alert! Back in 2012, Victorinox worked together with Kadokawa to release two versions of their Classic SD styled army knife: a “DEAD END” model and a “Yuno (Eye)” model. (source).

(Fun fact: the name of the latter coincidentally confirms that the eye we see at the beginning of Future Diary’s OP is, in fact, Yuno’s).

~ Great Eastern Entertainment

Great Eastern Entertainment is a famous manufacturer and retailer for officially licensed products here in the west. They’re actually responsible for creating the largest catalog of Future Diary merch from any company in this list. In fact, if you’ve ever seen officially licensed FD products at any western store (such as Hot Topic), it is more than likely from this brand. Sadly though, most of it is currently unavailable. Given how large and varied their catalog is, I’ll provide photos from their product listings instead of naming them one by one. You can browse through all their listings here.

~ Yuno Gasai Figurines

There are currently three Yuno Gasai action figures:

The elusive RAH figure, released by Medicom Toys

The Yuno Nendoroid, released by Good Smile

The POP UP PARADE figure + limited edition version, also by Good Smile

~ PSP Game

This game is an entire rabbit hole of its own, but I’ll try keeping it brief. The PSP game “Future Diary: the 13th Diary Owner” had its original release back in 2010, as well as its re-release titled “Re:Write” in 2012.

Each release of the game was accompanied by a series of related merchandise, such as telephone and library cards and a Yuno maid poster.

Re:Write also had its own limited edition bundle, which included:

A double-sided pillow case.

The Oyasumi CDs.

A double sided disk sleeve.

A CD with 13 themed PSP wallpapers.

There were two other PSP wallpapers: one which you could download from the official game’s website, and another that you could buy from a company called Happinet.

~ The Live World

This was a Future-Diary-themed concert, which featured music and voice actors from the show. I’ve made in-depth posts about it in the past, so check those out for more information. In terms of products related to this concert, we have:

The Blu-Ray disk recordings of the concert (released back in 2013), which included an additional 9-minute recording of the making of the event, as well as an eight-page booklet. 

A pamphlet, neck strap and clear file, which all featured the same image from the event poster.

Three t-shirts produced by the company MARS SIXTEEN

An event bundle, which included a t-shirt, waterproof phone pouch and drawstring bag, all with the same graphic.

A pink sign light

A pink towel scarf

A neck cooler

I tried compiling everything as best as I could in one image (curse you, Tumblr's photo limit).

Alas, this part has come to an end. Tune in for part 3!

[neverchecking]

I have a brain rot for sage, hes challenging the chain for their time with player/reader, he basically wants all His/Her/Them's attention, of course none of the chain and sage are going to "play" fair their going to cheat no matter what. the only ones he might not win against is time, FD and maybe twilight. wind, four, Hyrule, and sky would do sad puppy eyes to get cuddle time, twilight and legend turn into their animal form to get pettings, sage and wild would cook food to get points for being delicious. (etc.etc.) just some yandere shenanigans for attention. the challenges he did were sword fighting, bow and arrow targeting, sparing, arm wrestling, and so forth.

-Eevee

Okay, last one for the night! I figured since this isn't really a request, I could spitball some more of my headcanons for our beloved Sage.

Jk it delted itself so I gave up and went to bed bc last time I tried to push through I wasn't happy with the end product, so sorry for the delay!

For those of you who don't know, Sage is another name for the Tears of the Kingdom Link--dubbed Hero of the Zonai-- should we decide he is not in fact Wild.

For the Wild and Facesitting request, it's in progress I promise! I try to go in order with my requests, but like I said, this is more headcanons versus a scenario. It should be out tomorrow later today so look out for that ;)

ANYWAY-

Y'all. The amount of Sage requests in my inbox right now? You guys are feral for this man and I love it. So I'm here to feed you guys.

TotK spoilers below!

・❥・Okay, so lemme start this off by saying. I have done you all wrong. And for that I apologize.

・❥・Because our wonderful @wayfayrr has opened my eyes to new possibilities that I would've never even thought of. So everyone say thank you rn >:(

・❥・So let's make some amendments!

・❥・First off, let's talk about nicknames. I love the idea that Reader, and only Reader, can call him anything other than Sage. And calling him other herb-related nicknames? Kills me. He is a flushing red mess the first time it happens. You had deemed him worthy of a nickname? You considered him person enough to have a moniker that wasn't also a title? If he was down bad before, it's so much worse now. Because you see him as a person. He's sure the others just see him as a means to the end. The second one of them, maybe save Wind, try it, he's shooting them daggers and snarling at them for even daring to try and impeach your privilege. (I also love the Calm, Wild and Feral thing, I thought that was so freaking clever.)

・❥・And you know how each of the hero's have their own 'sword' right? Well, what if Sage's was the Master Sword Remastered? Like Sky's (Like most of their Master Swords actually) but now it's been boosted by ten thousand years worth of direct light magic. (Does the Zonai time fall before Skyward Sword or after? I have no idea where they fall on the timeline tbh.). Just a thought. It could also be a gloom sword which probably wouldn't effect him as hard in other timelines because there's no demon king to power it, but it probably does hurt the others if they try to touch it.

・❥・Now, the juicy part. Let's retouch on Wild's and Sage's relationship. I originally said that Sage was okay with him? I lied. Wayfayrr has opened my eyes.

・❥・Sage probably can't fucking stand Wild. As they said, this is a version of him that didn't have this second adventure. Got to rest and distant himself from the Hero Title. And that just pisses him off. Why did he get the shittier hand? Why did he have to do it all over again? Why when this failure got to get off easy? Why couldn't he have the same grace, huh? What made them so different?

・❥・And if we're using the past oneshot (Here!) as they're 'canon' meeting, this filth let you get hurt. You were hurt before meeting him, which means that they can't be trusted with you. Especially Wild. So Sage cannot stand you being near Wild. At all. It eats at him and he doesn't last long before splitting the two of you up.

・❥・Calamity is even worse. There is probably an active hate towards Calamity (In this Yandere world, in a normal, not toxic world? They probably work out their differences a little better). This was a version of him who didn't even have to die to complete his quest. And this just shows that Fraud has favorites and it's not him.

・❥・You know who else he probably doesn't like? Twilight. Now, hear me out. This is purely me just spitting this out, but Sage has to be aware. He listens when they don't think he does, he's awake when they think he's not, he's watching when they don't even know he's there.

・❥・So he probably picks up on all of their little secrets. Meaning he knows Twilight is Wolfie. And (I think this is Canon is LU but I'm not sure) Wild had Wolfie as a guide. Which means Sage had Wolfie as a guide. The difference? When he needed him the second time, left stumbling around like a newborn fawn crawling out of the shrine all over again, he was left alone. He was fighting robots with a fucking Stick. He fused a mushroom to a shield just to buy himself more time. At one point, he was fusing a long stick to another long stick just to fight from a distance to save his battered body. Rauru did as much as he could, but there were some times he wished he was left for dead.

・❥・Not anymore as that means he would've never met you, but then? different story.

・❥・They also brought up that Sage probably doesn't stop at just cooking your food and I agree. When on the road, he for sure goes straight to the source. If he doesn't know exactly where it came from, it's not going anywhere near his Goddess. Nope. Not a chance in the gloomy depths from hell.

・❥・He's going to farmers themselves rather than merchants for produce, hunting any protein himself, climbing trees for eggs, he probably even makes his own butter. Now, because he's also cooking savy this for sure makes the rivalry between him and Wild widen. Wild is set in his cook for the chain, not you. Sage can't trust them to not hurt you again. Whose to say they don't over spice the food? Or undercook the fish? Or drop shells into the egg?

・❥・He can't trust them and may force you to pick one of the other. Depending on who you chose, he'll either hold his victory up high or work even harder to separate you from the chain. Can't you see, Reader? They aren't good for you.

・❥・When it comes to the Gloom, he for sure uses to his advantage. You know he's been infected, but you don't know how much light he's gathered to dispel it. At this point, he's probably gotten most, if not all of it, out, but you don't know that. And he preys on that fact.

・❥・Oh, the Traveler wants to down to the river with you? But, Reader, there's something rotten in his chest and he's stumbling against trees, exaggerating his steady steps just in case to really sell it. He needs you by his side, can't you see?

・❥・Oh, the captain is trying to get you to settle with him for the night? But, Reader, he's tossing and turning, feigning sleep and acting just enough to catch your attention. He's listening, ears pricked, just to hear you swiftly apologize before your gently hands are laying on his shoulders and he's won again.

・❥・And because his Hyrule is one of, if not the most dangerous Hyrules, he's given so much ammo to keep you tethered to him. You can't trust anyone, don't you know? The Yiga uptake has skyrocketed and they are everywhere, along with Ganon's new ability to make puppets? Can't you see how you can't trust any of them?

・❥・He even entertains you when you come up with the idea to have a secret saying between just the two of you as a fail safe. (It's probably something like 'Deforestation Enthusiast' because of how the two of you met.) Anything to have you pulling further away from the Chain and into his arms.

・❥・If it begins to take longer than expected, Sage is not above letting you wander just enough in his Hyrule. Maybe you set off a bit of Gloom hands (Or maybe he nudges them in your direction, hard to tell, really) and they go charging at you. The others don't know how to deal with them, but he does. He saves your life before the others even know what hit them. He's cooing into your ear, reassuring that where the others fail, he would never dream of it. He's whispering that he knows how scary the feeling of those hands are. He knows how freezing the feeling of sudden restriction, only accompanied by the burning sizzle of malice, is. He knows and he understands, but he's right here. He'd never let anything happen to you. Not like the other frauds.

・❥・Now, all that being said, Sage for sure does not play fair. Oh no. He does challenge them in his own ways, but does it in a way that can only reflect badly on them should they call him out on it.

・❥・He's fighting (Picking apart) with Wars and Calamity on their sparring routines, angling it in just a way that should they snap back he can turn on the innocent little look with a 'But I'm just trying to protect you. I don't know how any of you fight, I'm still learning.' Just in time for you to catch them barking at him to 'Learn faster' and it just falls perfectly into place.

・❥・He's calling out Twi and Four every time they try to wander off (Probably to bring out Wolfie or split to relieve a headache of sorts) because 'The woods are dangerous, what are they doing going off alone?' and now they can't leave because all eyes are on them and he's restricting their movement without even really trying. They wanna go foraging? But he and ...Wild were their best foragers and they were busy with dinner (That was something bitter to get out).

・❥・And wow, Time, Legend and Fierce have so many secrets, can you really trust them? Sage has laid down his entire adventure to you, and regardless if Reader is a LoZ player and knows of them regardless, Sage told you. Those two are trying to hide from you. He would never.

・❥・Wind, Hyrule and that filthy disgrace want to drag you along to go Shield surfing? Reader, do you know how dangerous that is? Especially with someone's track record. Here, you wanna go riding on this motorized wagon he just happens to have on hand? (Between the Zonite in his Purah pad, he can build any component necessary.)

・❥・Not even Sky and First are safe as he uses carefully laid words to sully their once golden image towards you. Afterall, they're so close to Hylia, whose to say they aren't behind all of this?

・❥・Now, you said that the only ones he may not win against are Time, Fierce and Twilight, but like I said, I can imagine him loathing Twilight, so instead, may I suggest First.

・❥・Time and Fierce are both pretty burly dudes that demand some semblance of respect and while Sage has muscles, he's not overly tall. So while he doesn't bow, he may just back off from their forefront for a while.

・❥・Now, First. He's probably the only one who can put Sage back in his place of the hierarchy. It's the first in the timeline, versus the last (As of right now). And it's not pretty. They probably go to blows a few times when you're out of ear shot.

・❥・The problem is that First can only push him back when you're out of ear shot and Sage makes it a point to keep you as close as humanly possible.

・❥・And while yes, some of them may use puppy eyes, Sage is not above using pity to get what he wants because he just hurts so badly don't you know?

・❥・He unfortunately can't do anything about wolves or rabbits. If they manage to disappear before he can call them out on it, he's left bitterly sulking as Wolfie laps at your cheeks or dumb rabbits nose at your hand. He may know who they are, but not even he's cruel enough to call them out (Yet) because that would just pit you against him. They weren't his secrets to tell, you would scold, and he just couldn't handle that possibility.

・❥・The biggest difference between Sage and Wild, one that the chain will fail to realize right away, is that Sage is much more experienced. He is on his second, THIRD if you count the pre-calamity, adventure. He knows everything Wild does, and more. Wild knows how to improvise and adapt, Sage can do it faster. Wild knows how to forage and concoct incredibly potent elixirs? Sage can do it tenfold with half the ingredients. He knows all the little tips and tricks and is not only backed up by the champion's gifts-- should they have remained-- but now he has the sages with him.

・❥・Like imagine their mid-battle, they had forced you away from Sage just to create some distance (At long last) and mans comes rolling in a giant fucking robot. He's using Sidon's sage to shield you over and over again and decimating a battle field using nothing but Riju and an arrow. Hell, the bigger enemies are struck down by Yunobo crashing into them. Sage alone is enough to cut the enemy hordes in half through recall and sending their own attacks back at them or fusing together weapons they wouldn't have ever dreamed of with new abilities. Even his outfits give him benefits far beyond anything they could think.

・❥・You saw him as someone more than just Link. He wasn't just the Swordsman to you when that was who he was to everyone else. You dubbed him something far beyond what a damned sword made him.

・❥・And he would have to be four days dead before letting you go.

・❥・And as he's proven before, Not even death could truly kill him.

I am so glad I waited bc I like this one so much more than the one that was deleted.

[occasionalsnippets]

As for you filling in as Red Robin later on, it might be better to discuss it chronologically with Batman getting lost in the timestream and the no good very bad follow up conversation about who should wear the cowl that somehow ends up with you filling in as Nightwing.

Hi, love the FD au!! there was something you mentioned in one of the other asks about FD!MC filling in as Nightwing after the battle for the cowl and it’s been rotating in my brain like a microwave lmao

the entire lead up into the red robin series is such a mess, and i know FD!MC ended up helping Steph during her robin run so that probably turned out better than in the comics, but so many things happened and lots of people tim cared about died so i can imagine that she had her hands full…. poor mc

A/n: asdlakjsh a more humourous take on the follow up on Bruce getting lost in the time stream. Battle for the cowl is messy and Does Not Happen like it did here I guess.

Taglist: @dragondevinity, @lonely-star2044, @sheep-from-rad, @ilxandra, @thethingwiththefeathers, @star-wars-lycanwing-bat, @sackofsadstuff, @zonked-times, @paastaboi, @venfia, @fantasy-angelo, @linaisadream, @shirp-collector-of-fixations, @roseapov, @alittletiredcry

---

So, Bruce is gone.

Exploded, vanished, died, and whatever during the battle with Darksied. Everyone is, for a lack of better words, bouncing off the walls but not quite falling apart at the seams yet. You're pretty sure Bruce is alive (something something timestream?????) and Tim is digging through something for a theory so you're calling a capital E, Emergency meeting.

The topic: Who is going to be the next Batman.

Right off the bat, Tim, Damian and Steph are automatically disqualified on accounts of being too young.

"Cass?"

"No. Would be The Bat, not Batman."

Fair enough.

“Jason?”

He scoffs. “Fuck no.”

“If he became Batman, he’d be an evil gun Batman who kills people,” Tim chimes in.

So that leaves Dick to inherit the world’s worst legacy.

You look at him.

He looks at you.

Everyone else’s eyes flick between the two of you.

“What are you looking at me for?” You raise an eyebrow.

“Well, I just thought that, you know, you might… want…”

“No.”

Why was he looking at you anyways? You’re absolutely the wrong build to pretend to be Batman.

“If Richard is to become Batman-” Damian’s face twists a little. “Then, what is to become of Nightwing?”

There's a mischievous twinkle in Steph's eyes. "Well if we want the net number of vigilantes to be the same-"

--

"This is an awful idea," you say for the record as you cross your arms, dressed in Nightwing's suit.

"It's this or you become Batman." Dick, in the Batman suit, pats your shoulders and pulls the cowl over his head.

Your hand twitches.

Fuck Darksied and Bruce and the timestream. You are so not getting paid enough for this.

[siribaes]

crusin’

han lue x (oc) [ black!fem! ]

a late night, open road, passenger side driving around los angeles with her favorite guy.

contents: fluff. some angst. smutty thoughts. brief smoking cigarette mention. brief mention of death. rival gang dynamics. mild peril han drives fast ofc <3. nothing too major.

suggested tunes📻: protect my heart by kelis, it’s whatever by aaliyah, luxurious by gwen stefani, run to the sun by n.e.r.d., boogie 2nite by tweet, try again by aaliyah

author’s note: just a little somethin’ featuring my number one guy han <3. this was heavily inspired by romeo must die, i loved jet and aaliyah’s dynamic & this takes place after better luck tomorrow and before fast and furious/tokyo drift. y’all lmk if i should make this into a fic…🤔 / not edited or proofread

. . . ZOOOOM!

an electric blue, 1995 mazda widebody fd rx7 flys down the street. driving through lights, regardless of the color change. the wind brushes against chickie’s cheeks as the car veered left. she stretches her arm out the window, she hummed. the air is a bit chilly but it feels good against her skin. the mazda slowed down at a red light.

“i thought you said you wanted to cruise. it feels like you’re racin’,” chickie murmurs pulling her arm back inside. she turned toward the driver’s side.

he glances at her, his lips forming into a lopsided grin. “was cooped up, haven’t been behind the wheel all day, let me flex,”

flex he did.

chickie’s heart fluttered watching his skillful hands maneuver the gear shift with ease. his nimble fingers tap on the steering wheel to the rhythm of the music. a part of her mind wonders how his hand would fit into hers or how the rough callous on his palms would feel against her skin.

“can we stop at the store? i want some snacks,” chickie spoke aloud. she focused her eyes on the road and away from from his hands.

“it’s one up ahead,” with one hand, he effortlessly maneuvers the wheel, his palm gently guiding it as the car turns at a right corner.

so smooth.

the madza slowly pulls into a spot across from a brightly, colored convenience store. chickie unbuckles her seat belt.

“you want anything?”

“nah, i’ll just share with you,” chickie playfully rolls her eyes. she steps out of the car and heads straight into the store.

chickie comes out minutes later with a boat load of snacks and drinks. already, half way done with her snickers, she almost chokes, from she sees. her friend, her favorite guy.

han leans against the car, his body, totally relaxed like he doesn’t have a care in the world. a cigarette hangs from his full lips, as han rakes a hand though his inky, black tresses. the street is quiet as the plastic bag swishes back and forth. with every step, chickie feels like her heart is gonna leap out of her throat.

she can’t really pin-point when it happened or how it happened but it just did. it was like chickie went to bed one way and woke up another. every little thing han lue did set her a flame, even simple things like tonight, calling her up at 1:00 AM asking if she wanted to go for a ride. she all but leapt out of her bed room window when heard the engine of the madza coming down the street.

as exhilarating as her crush on han was she knew that it wouldn’t go anywhere. he was her best friend and on top of that the growing rivalry between his crew and her cousins, both vying for control over parts of south-east la, didn’t add much to the equation. in fact it subtracted from it. so chickie just settled for her mushy, unrequited feelings and distracted herself with other things. this time, nitpicking han’s smoking habits.

“i thought you were quitting,” chickie hoists herself on the hood of han’s car. she digs into the bag, pulling out soda and a pack of twinkies.

a week prior, han told chickie that he was going to quit, cold turkey. that and some other ramblings of needing to get out of “this place”. over the course of their friendship, chickie can tell when han is tired or sleep deprived. typically a man of few words, he becomes talkative and super rambly when exhausted. there was a small part of that was happy han was quitting, but she should’ve known better, old habits die hard.

han takes a long pull. he blows the smoke away from chickie’s direction. “i am. haven’t had a cig in three days,”

“but you said you went cold turkey,” chickie takes a bite of her twinkie.

“listen,” han leans towards chickie, “i’ll go cold turkey when you tell y’re pops about your new jewelry,” he reached towards her stomach and lightly flicked her belly button piercing.

chickie squatted his hand away. “boy, please another piercing isn’t gonna hurt anyone. my body, my choice. besides, cigarettes aren’t good for you,”

han chuckles. he takes another pull, blowing the smoke up towards the sky. he shrugged. “does it matter? health isn’t my priority. especially the way i’m livin’,”

chickie frowns. “i don’t like when you talk like that,”

han take another pull, longer than the previous. the cigarette is a nothing but a stubby bud now. he flicks it away. slowly, he turns and faces her.

“you worry about me too much,”

“i feel like i don’t worry enough,” chickie said quietly. she avoids his eyes, keeping them toward the lights of the convenience store.

“you hoggin’ all the snacks,” before chickie could respond, han pulls her hand towards him. a prickly, chill runs down her spine. The roughness of han’s callouses feel good against her skin. frozen in place, chickie watches han lean down and bite the twinkie in her hand.

she feels everything.

the slight, soft-wetness of han’s mouth on her skin. his nimble tongue as it gently slides and swirls around the tips of chickie’s fingers. her works in over time, completely thudding against her chest, as han pulls away from her. for second, chickie sees a certain glint in the deep, brown pools of his eyes.

he chews. han smirks at her.

“there’s a race on saturday. you should come,” han says, leaning back, casually.

chickie took a sip of her soda. hoping for the coolness of the drink to cool her down. she takes another sip and thinks, if he could do that, so could i.

“i dunno,” chickie trails. she innocently, fiddled with her bracelet, playing with the race-car charm, the same one han got her a year ago, in honor of the mutual love for cars. she looks at him, batting her eyelashes, subtly, “i might be, busy,”

han’s eye brow rose. “busy?”

“yeah, i might have plans, or something,”

“what, like a date?” chickie notices a slight change in han’s demeanor. his jaw tightens, emphasizing the angles of his cheekbones.

chickie attempts to channel her best han impression, shrugging her shoulders in the most nonchalant way. han grows quiet, slowly nodding his head. he leans off the car and positions himself in front of her. in quick movements, han pulls chickie close. fingers flutter across her exposed stomach.

han tickles her.

“han! stop, please! o-okay, okay, okay! i’ll come, i can’t breathe,” chickie squeals, attempting to push han away from her.

“say you’ll come,” han somehow managed to snake a hand to the back of chickie’s neck. he gently holds her in place, while he continues to tickle her.

“ooo-okay! i will come, please,” han eases off of her. he watched as chickie caught her breath. she shoves han’s shoulder, “asshole,”

they laugh.

“seriously though,” han rolls his shoulder, keeping his gaze on chickie, “i need you there. i wanna see my favorite girl,”

chickie smiles, gently. the flames of her unrequited crush roaring back inside of her. han loops an arm around chickie’s shoulder, she leans her head against him. savoring this moment, allowing herself a little leeway to dream about what could’ve been.

[jenniferchaulam]

MLP G4 LU Chain HCs!!!!

/inspired by @kenvamp 's (check the art out here)and @cheatsylu 's (check over here)

I had.. cutie mark head canons for Pony LU chain and I need to talk about them (these are my own HCs and you guys don't have to agree btw!!!!!!!) So, how and when each pony gets their Cutie Marks: Warriors: same time as his scarf. He was given the scarf and then the cutie mark appeared. He got it a bit later than his peers, but it's a very cool cutie mark. Fitting for a captain.

Time: can i be spicy? i want to be spicy, he got his cutie mark when he was 20. Not when he did OoT, not when he did MM. 7 year nap and woke up hoping for a cutie mark only to see a blank flank. and during MM, Everyone comments on it! like he never gets the mark of adulthood ever! okay not "ever" i want him to get it when he's 20 or sth and his cutie mark sucks,. and even twilight doesnt know what it looks like like he got it during a battle

a battle when he was TWENTY and it looks like the FD

and like, yall know Trouble Shoes who HATES his CM, yea Time loathesssss his

first he wishes he has one and now he wishes he didnt - only person who knows what his CM looks like is his Wife btw

Wind: OHO OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM- Bro probably helped his sister and taught her how to swim or sth and get his CM at age 4 like by the time he does WW his cutie mark has been there for a While. He is a Big Boy. He deserves it

Four: Would it be funny if he has four different cutie marks and when he's merged they're like, blended together - and his cutie mark gains another shape each time he upgrades the four sword - but like, instead of the four elements for the four sword,.his cutie mark is the forge and it just becomes more detailed and has different colors - like a red fire, blue hammer, green anvil, purple tweezers

Twilight: Yall know Yaks and Cows exist in MLP as like... high sentient beings that also go to school and talk and stuff. What if Ordon Goats. like Twilight's Entire Village. Twilight stuck out like a sore thumb. And he's Very very disappointed that his cm isnt a goat. he got his cm at age 14 when he was helping everyone on the farm, and it's some generic rancher stuff like a hay bale or sth.

Hyrule: is the triforce. id like to imagine that full triforce wielders gets a triforce as a cutie mark. He has a bunch of magic of his sleeves, and if you know anything about MLP G4 naming conventions, magic-adjacent ponies are named after light-emitting things. So, Triforce emits a BUNCHA LIGHT

Legend: Oh my god I imagine he hides his cutie mark because its something very soft (bnuuy) and people wont take him seriously - he got it when he was very very young, before his adventures. But the rabbit cutie mark depicts a rabbit that's shaking an apple tree. (proof of courage. or sth. that's what im aiming for as a symbol of bravery, but I am no writer)

Sky: Got his CM at the same time as Sun!!!!! They have matching cutie marks. His is a sword and a Crimson Loftwing's feather, while hers is a pair of wings, one white (like the goddess, but she didn't know that before the adventure) and one blue like her loftwing.

Wild: He DID have a CM before the clammy, but one of the side effects of the Shrine of Ressurection is that it also erases that pony's cutie mark. he woke up with a blank flank. and my guy fought the clammy and found his own new cm that fits him. honourable mentions: Spirits! He got it when he got on a train for the first time, it. was. magical

the train

the train was magical. i hc that he didnt thought much of his CM

[zyana-wyvern]

Fandom Paranoia and Parasocial behaviour

I am not going to be gentle with this. Actually I am going to be quite violent, because I have had quite enough of this absurd phenomenon. It's been (*looks at discord DM history*) 2 years since someone I considered a friend spiraled into this affliction and I, as that idiot who offers way to many chances and loyalty to people I like and respect, stood by her side and tried helping. I will not be making efforts to hide her identity or pronouns, so my Cyberpunk 2077 contemporaries might know who I am talking about. She had a bad experience with someone who, to be quite honest, was her equal in terms of delusion, and from there on, everyone around had to suffer. I took the worst of it, being closest to her and the last friend standing. I was expected to read endless texts, and react accordingly, with quotes, personal input and the well worded therapeutical advice on the side. I did it for a while and with joy, because I am a shameless bleeding heart, a Leo rising Cancer and an ENFJ, if you believe in that sort of thing, but either way, it will paint a picture of who I am. Along with my life here on the internet and my love for fandoms, fantasy and everything that comes with it, I also have a real life, a husband and *gasp* a kid. It was taking away from my quality of life, my husband was beginning to be upset with me for being with my eyes in the screen everywhere we went, and I definitely had no time to do any of the things I loved in the fandom that back then I involved in, which was Cyberpunk 2077. There came a point when I just couldn't keep up with her "friendship". I skipped messaged, I didn't read most of them and answered to very few. She was the type to impose her headcanons and personal interpretations on me and others and look down on most takes, even my own. It was subtle, but I could sense the disrespect. This added to her demand that I had to be there for her any time she wanted it. Did I mention that we were 7 hours apart as well? I did not, so there.

My theories and ideas were stolen and I was never credited, I was looked at with suspicion, no matter the efforts I put into supporting her. She believed I was against her and talked to others about her, somehow plotted her demise, meanwhile I was working hard to keep her reputation clean in front of others who actually had a problem with her. I was scolded for not being there for her, which only made me retreat more until one day I was kicked off from her life forever. Recently I had a similar experience with an eerily similar person, though thankfully it didn't get as deep, because I blocked the red flags that this time around I could sense from the first interactions. My crime (among others) was again, not ignoring my personal life and fandom related hobbies to attend to her and offer due attention.

I cannot comprehend the level of disrespect and audacity to trample over someone like this, demand everything from them, take advantage of what they offer and then shut the door because they didn't perform the way you expected. It doesn't matter if it happens on the internet or in real life, it is equally toxic and fd up. As I usually do, I remind everyone who sees this text to be weary of people who try to dominate you, turn you into their lapdog, take away your freedom so that you become their simpering, worshipping little follower. The fandoms are overflowing with these undead creatures and there should be no room for them in a place that is reserved for the things we love and do in our spare time. Until next time...be well and free.